Nine more cases of the variant form of Covid-19, which was first identified in the south east of England, have been detected in Ireland.

February's election led to a historic agreement between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, but the new Government was plunged into turmoil several times in a rollercoaster year.

A US federal judge has rejected a lawsuit from a Republican congressman that sought to allow Vice President Mike Pence to reject Electoral College votes for Joe Biden when Congress meets on 6 January.

The Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland has called on RTÉ to remove what he described as "deeply offensive and blasphemous clip", which was broadcast as part of a New Year's Eve countdown programme.

The finishing touches were being put on a glitzy show at the Sydney Opera House, as the venue prepared to host an opera crowd for the first time since March.

Optimism is a useful form of self defence. As brutal 2020 recedes from view, there is a genuine sense of light at the end of the tunnel. And it is not an oncoming train.

India has staged nationwide drills to start one of the world's biggest coronavirus vaccination programmes as the drug regulator prepared to approve the first vaccine.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said that it may be necessary to go "even beyond" the end of January with the current Level 5 restrictions to stop the spread of Covid-19.

The Minister for Children has announced that the resumption of the Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme will be delayed until 11 January, when schools are due to reopen.

Revenue has confirmed that its new Customs Roll on-Roll off Service is operational, as administrative procedures for freight kick in following the end of the Brexit transition period.

A healthcare assistant at a Dublin Hospital died from Covid-19 on Christmas Eve, a week after contracting the virus.

Some 2,500 party-goers attended an illegal New Year rave in northwestern France last night, violently clashing with police who failed to stop it.

The US Congress today dealt Donald Trump a humiliating blow in his last days in office with the Senate voting overwhelmingly to override his veto of a sweeping defence bill - the first time lawmakers have done so during his presidency.

A Canadian politician has resigned after being caught taking a family holiday in the sunny Caribbean while his compatriots were urged to avoid non-essential travel during a strict pandemic lockdown.

The first baby of the new year was born at the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin this morning.

German firm BioNTech said Friday it was racing to ramp up production of its Covid-19 vaccine in Europe, to fill the "gap" left by the lack of other approved vaccines.

There have been 11 further coronavirus-related deaths and 1,754 new cases notified to the Department of Health while at least 9,000 new cases are set to be reported in the coming days.

Around 3,000 holders of UK driving licences resident in Ireland have yet to swap their UK licence for an Irish one, according to insurance industry estimates, meaning they are no longer licensed to drive in Ireland.

The UK has begun a new future outside the European Union's trading structures, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying it offers the chance to "transform our country".

Ireland has formally taken its seat as an elected member of the United Nations Security Council. It will serve a two-year term.