GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your day.
Palestinians said they felt “no joy” this Christmas as Israel bombed Gaza today, with no end in sight to the war that Hamas says has claimed more than 20,000 lives.
Festivities were effectively scrapped in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem, revered as the birthplace of Jesus Christ, with few worshippers or tourists on the usually packed streets.
The Sustainable Water Network (SWAN), a group of 25 environmental NGOs, have called on the government to develop a “much stronger” Water Action Plan as they claim current measures have missed the mark.
As thousands of swimmers around the country prepare for festive dips in the coming days, the group has called for increased testing of bathing water quality.
Many people dream of a white Christmas, but we may have to become used to a sodden Christmas instead due to climate change.
A white Christmas has always been a rare occurrence in Ireland and is becoming rarer still due to climate change, according to Met Éireann.
While there will be a brief cooler spell today, it won’t bring any snow as temperatures are not cold enough to bring any wintry precipitation.
Ukraine said it has shot down 28 Russian drones out of 31 launched from the annexed Crimea peninsula, as the country celebrates Christmas on 25 December for the first time in a snub to Moscow, AFP reports.
Maybe you watch the same films every year and are looking for your favourite Christmas classics, or perhaps you’re keen to catch up on some more recent releases.
The Journal brings you a list of every film on TG4, RTÉ and Virgin Media today.
Both the Taoiseach and Tánaiste have said they oppose a boycott of the Eurovision over Israel’s involvement, with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar arguing it would only alienate Israel’s liberal community.
The Tánaiste, on the other hand, said if Ireland chose to boycott the song contest this year it could prove “counterproductive”.
One man was killed and another critically injured during an apparent gangland shooting in a west Dublin restaurant last night.
The dead man, who was in his 20s, is believed to have been the gunman. Sources have said he sustained fatal injuries from being shot or stabbed in the aftermath of the initial shooting.
The second man, who is in his 40s, was shot in the upper body and is in critical condition.
Sri Lankan President Ranil Wickremesinghe granted an amnesty to more than 1,000 convicts and released them from jails across the country to mark Christmas, AFP reports.
Among the 1,004 freed on Monday were Sri Lankans jailed for not being able to pay outstanding fines, Prison Commissioner Gamini Dissanayake said.
Sri Lanka is majority Buddhist and a similar number of convicts were freed in May to mark the holiday of Vesak, which celebrates the Buddha’s birth, enlightenment and death.
Russia has accused Western countries of stirring up tensions in Serbia, a Moscow-friendly Balkan nation that has been rocked by protests over alleged fraud in elections held on 17 December, the Press Association reports.
Just a day before, demonstrators tried to storm the Belgrade city hall. Protestors reject the results of parliamentary and local elections in which President Aleksandar Vucic’s party said it secured a commanding victory.
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