The 9 at 9: Monday

GOOD MORNING.

Here’s all the news you need to know to start the day. 

Brazilian elections 

1. Brazil’s president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva has been re-elected in a result that provides relief to critics of widening US influence in Latin America.

With 100% of the vote counted, Brazil’s electoral court announced that the soon-to-be 81-year-old Lula had a lead of nearly 4.4 million votes – 51.8% of the total vote – over opponent Flavio Bolsonaro, son of former president Jair Bolsonaro. The announcement came after an evening of chaos at polling places across Brazil, following a last-minute decision to extend voting by two hours. 

Weather warnings

2. A number of yellow weather warnings are in place across the country today following on from Storm Boelo. A Status Yellow rain warning is in effect for counties Cork and Kerry from 4pm until 10pm today.

Meanwhile, counties Carlow, Clare, Cork, Donegal, Galway, Kerry, Kilkenny, Mayo, Waterford, Wexford and Wicklow are under a status yellow wind warning. Met Éireann has warned that difficult travelling conditions are expected and localised flooding is also possible.

Israeli election

3. Our morning lead examines how the Israeli election is shaping up and what this might mean for Palestine. On Tuesday voters will go to the polls in what is being dubbed one of the most consequential elections since the State’s foundation in 1948.

Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s longest-serving prime minister, is seeking to retain power, but he faces a tight race. Former IDF chief Gadi Eisenkot is Netanyahu’s top rival in the election, with polls placing the two neck and neck ahead of the 27 October vote.

Lebanon visit

4. Minister for Defence and Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee is in Lebanon to meet with Lebanese government officials and visit troops in the devastated south of the country.

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As the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission is to end in the new year, it will likely be one of the last ministerial trips to the country.  

Social welfare 

5. Ireland’s minimum income benefits aren’t even close enough to keep people out of poverty, according to new research. 

Those earning less than €377 per week are considered to be below the poverty line, but the minimum income benefits for a single person, including jobseeker’s and disability allowance, are just €254, rising to €264 next year.

Serbia 

6. Serbia’s student-led movement declared victory in parliamentary elections Sunday, ending 14 years in power for Aleksandar Vucic’s right-wing populist party.

The victory in the snap vote comes after nearly two years of anti-government protests sparked by the 2024 collapse of a canopy at Novi Sad railway station that killed 16 people.

Listowel

 7. A man who suffered critical injuries in an assault in Listowel in September has died from his injuries.

The incident happened on 24 September last and the man was taken to Cork University Hospital. He died on Saturday night with gardaí stating that a post-mortem will now be carried out on Monday to determine the exact cause of his death.

Garda appeal

8. Gardaí investigating the discovery of the body of a man at a recycling plant in Dublin have appealed to the public to help them identify the deceased. In a statement this gardaí said that they believe the body was at the facility for a number of days. 

It is understood that investigators are treating the discovery as suspicious but have not yet determined the identity of the man.

Winners 

9.  Ethiopian athletes reigned supreme in both the men’s and women’s editions of the Dublin Marathon in difficult conditions in the capital.

Abay Alemu Lesa and Zenebu Fikdau Jebesa beat the rain, wind, and their respective chasing packs to claim the titles.