NEED TO CATCH up? The Journal brings you a round-up of today’s news.

IRELAND

People out for a walk, blowing off the post-New Year's cobwebs, at Bull Wall in Dublin. RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

• Ireland is set to experience bitterly cold winter nights with Met Éireann warning of “very disruptive weather”, including heavy snow, in the days ahead.
• Here’s how to prepare for the upcoming cold snap.
• New figures revealed that house prices rose by an average of 9% in 2024.
• The Journal Investigates examined the ‘infiltration’ of the vaping industry in Ireland by large tobacco companies.
• Sales of new electric vehicles fell by nearly 24% last year, according to new data.
• The Labour Court ruled that staff at Irish Distillers should receive an annual payment of  €4,700 to compensate for any potential losses over changes to a company profit share scheme.
• More hospitals are introducing restrictions as the number of flu cases rises. [RTÉ News]

INTERNATIONAL

Penguins at the Sea Life London Aquarium during the annual 'count and clean'. Each year, staff check the overall health and well-being of its residents. Alamy Alamy

#LAS VEGAS: A US soldier was named as the man who died in a Tesla Cybertruck explosion outside a Trump hotel.

#NEW ORLEANS: The FBI said a man who drove a truck into New Year’s celebrations in New Orleans appears to have acted alone.

#MONTENEGRO: Three days of mourning began after a gunman killed 12 people, including two children.

#GAZA: An Israeli strike on a declared humanitarian zone in southern Gaza killed eleven people overnight.

PARTING SHOT

2025 is off to a good start for aurora chasers after a stunning Northern Lights show last night.

The skies across Ireland were lit up vibrant reds and greens shortly after nightfall. Adam Rory Porter captured this time-lapse from Buncrana, Co Donegal.

New Years day Aurora Borealis from Buncrana in County Donegal. @AstronomyIRL @MetEireann @DiscoverIreland @wildatlanticway @randomirish @govisitdonegal @donegalcouncil #NorthernLights #AuroraBorealis #wildatlanticway #Ireland #dunnangallabu pic.twitter.com/WdcxNyg11s

— Adam Rory Porter Photography (@adamroryporter) January 1, 2025