December 14: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds

Status Orange: 19 counties warned of ‘extreme cold’ as temperatures to drop to -7ºC tonight
Met Éireann have issued a status orange low temperature/ ice warning that will come into effect from 6pm as widespread temperatures below -5ºC are expected tonight, leading to severe frost and ice. he counties impacted are: Carlow, Kildare, Kilkenny, Laois, Longford, Louth, Meath, Offaly, Westmeath, Cavan, Monaghan, Clare, Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, Galway, Leitrim, Roscommon. The warning is in place until noon on Thursday. Anyone travelling is advised to exercise extreme caution. The rest of the country remains under a status yellow low temperature/ ice warning as widespread sharp to severe frosts and icy stretches are expected.
The Journal

Relief for motorists as fuel prices drop by 10.5% on average
Fuel prices have dropped by more than 10% across the country, marking the lowest average price for petrol since September 2021. The average price of a litre of petrol now costs €1.60, which is a reduction of 17c in comparison to last month’s average price, offering respite for motorists as they enter the festive period. The average cost of a litre of diesel now comes to €1.74, a figure which has also dropped dramatically, falling to 22c from last month. Diesel prices had been steadily rising since February 2022, marking the beginning of the war in Ukraine. This month’s prices from the AA Ireland Fuel Survey have been the lowest price recorded in Ireland since the war began.
The Irish Examiner

Man charged over attempted murder of two police officers in Tyrone
A man is set to appear in court charged in connection with the attempted murder of two police officers in Co Tyrone. The 28-year-old has been charged with two counts of attempted murder, causing an explosion likely to endanger life or cause serious injury to property and possessing explosives with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property. He is due to appear at Dungannon Magistrates’ Court tomorrow. As is usual procedure, all charges are reviewed by the Public Prosecution Service. The two police officers had been on patrol in the Mount Carmel Heights area of Strabane on 17 November when a bomb was detonated at the side of their vehicle. Neither officer was injured in the attack, which caused a major security alert in the area, affecting more than 1,000 residents.
RTÉ

Olympic boxer Steven Donnelly pleads guilty to sexually assaulting woman in pub
Olympic boxer Steven Donnelly sexually assaulted a woman. The 34-year-old has pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a girl in a pub in Ballymena in October 2021. The Ballymena boxer admitted the offence in October rather than go to contest and he’s due to be sentenced this Thursday at Ballymena Magistrates Court. It’s possible the boxer could be sent to prison. According to court papers, “on the 9th day of October 2021 Donnelly intentionally touched (name removed), the circumstances being that the touching was sexual, that she did not consent to the touching and you did not reasonably believe that she so consented”. Donnelly, who is a double Commonwealth Games bronze medallist, also pleaded guilty to disorderly behaviour at the Fairhill Bar in Ballymena on the same date.
Independent.ie

Cork crash: Woman dies and two injured
A woman has died and two other women have been seriously injured after a car hit a number of pedestrians in County Cork in the Republic of Ireland. It happened at Dromanallig, in the village of Ballingeary at about 01:10 GMT on Tuesday. The woman who died was in her early 50s. The other two casualties, who are both in their 40s, were taken to Cork University Hospital for treatment. The man who was driving the car was not injured and neither were his passengers, according to Gardaí. They have cordoned off the scene and have appealed for witnesses.
BBC News

Today’s forecast
Widespread frost and icy conditions will persist through the rest of the week with any showers potentially falling as sleet or snow. Temperatures will remain below freezing this morning, reaching between zero and 1°C in the afternoon, slightly higher at coasts, falling quickly again and down to as low as -4 °C by late afternoon, continuing to fall during the evening. It’ll be a mainly dry and sunny day, with isolated showers in the northwest and north. Light to moderate north to northeast winds. Temperatures will reach as low as -7°C widely tonight, and locally several degrees lower, temperatures at the coasts will be around -1°C to 1°C. Remaining generally clear and dry in a light northerly breeze, though there will be isolated showers in the north and northwest, falling as sleet and snow at times.
Met Éireann