An Irish soldier is dead and a second seriously injured after they came under attack in Lebanon.
They were in a group of 8 Defence Forces personnel travelling in a convoy of Armoured Utility Vehicles which came under small arms fire while travelling to Beirut.
The incident happened just after 9 o'clock Irish time last night.
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Temperatures plummeted last night as temperatures hit -7 degrees in some places in Cork.
An orange weather warning was in place for 19 counties with another warning for icy conditions for 25 counties coming into affect this evening.
Cork County Council are advising motorists to only make nessessary journeys and be aware of icy conditions. Members of the public should be aware of travel disruption, the possibility of burst pipes and supply disruption, and treacherous conditions on paths and roads.
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Gardaí are investigating the circumstances behind two deaths, in separate incidents, in Laois and Kildare.
A woman in her 30s died in a suspected assault in Mountmellick yesterday evening, while the body of a man in his 40s was also found in Newbridge
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The partial closure of rural pubs is moving a step closer as publicans are struggling to meet high energy costs
That's according to the Vintners Federation of Ireland who say some publicans are already examining closing their pubs for a fortnight in January and operating shorter weeks
The VFI says hundreds of rural pubs are facing a dire situation this winter as they grapple with sky high energy prices
