Man dies in Galway house fire
A man in his 70s has died in house fire in Recess in Connemara, Co Galway.
The fire broke out at about 1.30pm.
Gardaí in Clifden are investigating the cause of the fire.
Man arrested after armed robbery in Dunboyne
A 32-year-old man has been arrested after an armed robbery at a shop in Dunboyne, Co Meath.
The man entered the Daybreak shop at 6:20pm this evening armed with a firearm and demanded money from staff.
He left the shop with a sum of money and fled in the direction of Maynooth. He was later arrested in Summerhill after a high speed Garda chase.
He is being held at Ashbourne Garda station for questioning.
Prison officers vote for industrial action
The Prison Officers' Association has announced its intention to begin a work to rule on 26 March.
The announcement comes after a ballot of members with 93% accepting industrial action arising from a series of unilateral decisions made by the Irish Prison Service which the association says is impacting on staff safety.
Earlier today, the POA met Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald, who gave commitments to introduce practical measures to ensure staff safety after recent incidents at Tallaght Hospital and the Midlands Prison.
UK healthcare worker tests positive for Ebola
A UK military healthcare worker in Sierra Leone has tested positive for Ebola.
Public Health England (PHE) said the worker is being assessed by medical experts.
A PHE spokesman said: "A clinical decision on whether the individual will be medically evacuated to the UK for treatment will be taken in due course.
"An investigation into how the military worker was exposed to the virus is currently under way and tracing of individuals in recent contact with the diagnosed worker is being undertaken.
Succession bill debated in Seanad
A bill to prevent someone from profiting from his or her crime has been debated in the Seanad.
Senator Fergal Quinn said his bill was drafted with the advice of a number of lawyers to ensure that a person convicted of killing their husband or wife, who is a joint owner of a property, cannot profit from the crime.
Under the bill where one joint tenant kills another that offender will have no entitlement to the victim's share in the property and also have no entitlement to his or her own share in the property.
Senator Quinn said the Law Reform Commission is carrying out a review of the laws in this area following a recommendation to do so by a High Court Judge.
570 jobs to be created by Udarás na Gaeltachta
Minister of State at the Department of Arts, Heritage and Gaeltacht Affairs Joe McHugh has said Udarás na Gaeltachta, the regional state agency responsible for the development of Irish-speaking, aims to create 570 jobs this year and to maintain a further 7,000 jobs.
While answering a question in the Dáil as gaeilge from Fianna Fáil TD Michael Kitt, he said while the Udarás budget had been severely cut in recent years he got an extra €1m for 2015.
Mr McHugh said his aim was to increase the capital budget to €12m in the coming years.
He said his department is considering the recommendations made by the Joint Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht regarding the Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2014.
502 patients on trolleys nationwide
There are 502 patients on trolleys in hospital emergency departments or on wards waiting for admission to a bed today.
The worst affected hospital with 41 patients waiting is University Hospital Limerick.
There are 34 patients waiting at St Vincent's Hospital, with 33 waiting at both the Mater and St James's hospitals.
The figures are complied by the Irish Nurses and Midwives' Organisation.
Solar-powered plane breaks distance record
Solar Impulse 2 has broken a distance record for solar-powered planes as part of its bid to be the first to circumnavigate the globe powered solely by the sun.
By the time it arrived in Ahmedabad, in western India yesterday, the plane had flown 1,468km, the flight's organisers said. Solar
The plane's backers say it was the longest point-to-point distance flown by a solar-powered plane, but the record must be confirmed by air sports governing body Federation Aeronautique International.
The longest single leg of the planned circumnavigation will see one of the pilots fly solo non-stop for five days and nights across the Pacific from Nanjing, China to Hawaii, a distance of 8,500km - again smashing the record.
Eleven missing as US military helicopter crashes in Florida
Seven US Marines and four aircrew are missing after an army helicopter crashed during a training exercise in Florida, the military said.
The UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter was reported missing yesterday evening near Eglin Air Force Base while the area was under heavy fog.
Base spokesman Andy Bourland said search and rescue teams had located debris from the aircraft.
Dáil passes Marriage Equality Bill
The Marriage Equality Bill has passed all stages in the Dáil and will now be sent to the Seanad for debate.
There were passionate contributions from Labour TDs John Lyons and Ciara Conway during the debate.
Fine Gael TDs Helen McEntee and Brendan Griffin also spoke.
Deputy Griffin said the referendum can ensure all woman and men are treated equally.
London's National Gallery latest to ban selfie sticks
Selfie sticks are to be banned from the National Gallery in London.
Visitors will not be able to use the gadgets at the venue because they fall under the category of tripods, which are already prohibited.
Other cultural destinations in London are believed to be considering a similar move.
Selfie sticks have already been barred at a number of galleries and museums in the US and France.
They have drawn disapproval from traditionalists but selfie sticks have proved immensely popular, with Amazon reporting that sales rose by 301% in the three months September-November.
IS attacks Iraqi government forces with seven car bombs
The Islamic State militant group has launched a coordinated attack on government-held areas of the western Iraqi city of Ramadi, involving seven almost simultaneous suicide car bombs, police said.
At least ten people were killed and 30 wounded in the attack, according to initial reports by police and hospital sources in the city, capital of Anbar province.
