Photograph: CollinsThe Republic’s next European commissioner will be a Fianna Fáil nominee when the Government makes its selection in 2024, according to Tánaiste and party leader Micheál Martin. Asked if he would be open to Fine Gael’s Mairead McGuinness returning as Ireland’s commissioner, Mr Martin praised her time in office but said the next candidate would come from Fianna Fáil. “There’s a clear understanding and agreement between the parties in Government as to the nomination of the next commissioner that it would be a Fianna Fáil nominee,” he said. However, speculation has focused on Fianna Fáil politicians, including Minister for Finance Michael McGrath or even Mr Martin himself as potential nominees to replace Ms McGuinness. He said there was “no written agreement” with Fianna Fáil on the issue but declined to say if there was an informal arrangement.

Tánaiste to raise issue of global drugs trade during visit to ColombiaBy Jonathan McCambridge, PATánaiste Micheál Martin has said he will raise the issue of the global drugs trade during a planned visit to Colombia and Mexico in the new year. Mr Martin also said he would use the trip to focus on the role that Ireland has been playing in assisting the peace process in Colombia. He said: “We will raise and discuss with the authorities, both Mexico and Colombia, obviously the broader global challenges, narcotics, drug trade and so on and shared experiences. “In Colombia, the focus will again be more political, and also on the role that Ireland has been playing in terms of assisting and helping the peace process within Colombia. “And there’s been efforts to broaden that peace process in more recent times.

The International Fund for Ireland support programmes in areas divided by peace walls working with local residents to support changes or in some cases removals. Fund chairman Paddy Harte said there has been major progress in a number of areas including the opening of a gate at Flax Street in north Belfast as well as talks around a barrier at Adam Street, also in north Belfast. “We have in Moyard where there was a run down playground at a peace wall, now social housing is going up. Like everything success is contagious and as good stories come out, there are more signs of movement,” he said. Mr Harte said they first started collecting statistics around peace walls in 2017 when 68% of people wanted peace walls down, which went to 76% in 2019 and 83% in 2022.

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, CanadaZip Code

The second series of The Tourist (BB1, New Year’s Day, 9pm) finds our man with no memory, Elliot Stanley (played by Jamie Dornan), continuing his quest to find out who he is. This time round the action opens in rural Ireland where everything, from the local weather to the local plods, is utterly different but still weird. Something else that has changed in the multi-channel age is Hogmanay viewing. Other Hogmanay viewing schedules are of course available, including STV’s Bringing in the Bells, from 11.15, with Lorraine Kelly doing the honours. Channel 5 opts for countdown and clip show New Year Sing Along: Britain’s Favourite Karaoke Hits at 10pm through to 1am.

31 Dec 2023| 05:31pm ISTThrillers, upsets, dominance; a captivating ISL season 2023-24 has had it all as the halftime whistle blowsThe Indian Super League (ISL) 2023-24 embraced the coming New Year by reaching its halfway mark with the clash between FC Goa and NorthEast United FC in Guwahati on Friday. Strengthened defences key to the successThe season has witnessed finer tactical awareness, with teams quickly realising the importance of a solid defensive unit. Breakout Indian stars add excitement to the leagueThe promotion of Indian talent has been at the cornerstone of the truest motives and objectives of the ISL. The shuffles and surety of CoachesThis season has witnessed an array of shuffles, departures and sustenance in performance of Head Coaches. While Mumbai City FC and Bengaluru FC parted ways with their earlier this season, Jamshedpur FC announced the departure of tactician Scott Cooper.

The Army Ranger Wing (ARW), the most elite and secretive unit of the Defence Forces, is to undertake its largest expansion and restructuring in its 43-year history. The most visible change will be a new name: Ireland Special Operations Force or IRL-SOF for short. The changes mirror those in other western militaries which have increased the size of their special operations forces while also granting them more autonomy and status. The creation of the directorate will mean, unlike the current situation, special forces officers will have a direct input into military planning. Work is now under way to devise a new selection course for these personnel to allow them be permanently attached to the special forces unit.

Weather Alert...Patchy drizzle and freezing drizzle possible thru noon... Patchy drizzle and isolated freezing drizzle is slowly sliding east, mainly along and north of a Crawfordsville to Frankfort to Kokomo line. Surface temperatures are still hovering around 32 to 34 degrees, but a cold front is quickly approaching from the west and should transition any drizzle over to flurries or light snow around noon or early afternoon. Winds will also increase from the west to northwest with gusts up to 20 mph.

Addressing the BJP State Morcha office-bearers, Sawant said, “Don’t keep people aside on the basis of caste or religion. If they are isolated, they will come under the influence of ‘Urban Naxals’ operational in the State. “If we call them BJP, don’t keep our people aside on the basis of caste or religion,” he asserted. But these ‘Urban Naxals’ are trying to bring unwanted issues to the minds of people and inciting and dividing them of caste and religion. The coinage of ‘Urban Naxals’ is to discredit those social leaders and organisations who work for rights of tribals and justice.

It also asks the Hague-based court to issue an interim order for Israel to immediately suspend its military operations in Gaza. Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said Israel “must be held to account” and that Irish premier Leo Varadkar “needs to act now”. “In initiating proceedings at the International Court of Justice, South Africa has shown the leadership and solidarity that is needed from right across the international community to end Israel’s bombardment of Gaza,” Ms McDonald said. “There must be a ceasefire, there must be sanctions, and Israel must be held to account. South Africa can bring the case under the Genocide Convention because both it and Israel are signatories to the convention.

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, CanadaZip Code

Met Éireann has issued yellow wind and rain warnings for today, with sub-zero temperatures creating a chilly backdrop to New Year’s Eve celebrations. A yellow wind and rain warning applies until 11pm tonight for Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Waterford, Galway, Mayo and Wexford. Another yellow wind warning is in place from 11pm tonight until 5pm tomorrow for Clare, Cork, Kerry and Limerick. Met Éireann meteorologist Mark Bowe said: “Early today, we have heavy rain and thunder and strong southerly winds. There’ll be yellow-level wind and rain warnings in place and some very strong winds in western counties.

State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington Washington D.C. West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Puerto Rico US Virgin Islands Armed Forces Americas Armed Forces Pacific Armed Forces Europe Northern Mariana Islands Marshall Islands American Samoa Federated States of Micronesia Guam Palau Alberta, Canada British Columbia, Canada Manitoba, Canada New Brunswick, Canada Newfoundland, Canada Nova Scotia, Canada Northwest Territories, Canada Nunavut, Canada Ontario, Canada Prince Edward Island, Canada Quebec, Canada Saskatchewan, Canada Yukon Territory, CanadaZip Code

Trump’s campaign promised to immediately appeal the decisions to the US supreme court, which could well strike them down. The decision by the Colorado supreme court is the first time a candidate has been deemed ineligible for the White House under the US constitutional provision. A majority of the state supreme court’s seven justices, all of whom were appointed by Democratic governors, disagreed. The Colorado supreme court temporarily stayed its ruling until January 4th, however, which would allow the US supreme court until then to decide whether to take the case. Advocates hoped the case would boost a wider disqualification effort and potentially put the issue before the US supreme court.

In the first series, Dornan played a man who woke up with amnesia in an Australian hospital and had to try and figure out who he was as shadowy forces go after him. Towards the end of the first series, his character was revealed to be someone called Elliot Stanley and it is likely that he'll find out more information about his old life in series two. Speaking with the Radio Times, Dornan explained how screenwriters Jack and Harry Williams convinced him to return for another series. The first episode of the second series of The Tourist will air at 9pm on New Year's Day (Monday, January 1) on BBC One. Alternatively, the entire series will drop on BBC iPlayer as a boxset at 6am on New Year's Day.