January 17: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds

Bord Gáis Energy to cut residential electricity and gas prices by 10% and 9.5% from 29 February
Bord Gáis Energy has announced a price cut for residential electricity and gas customers, with bills set to reduce by 10% for electricity and 9.5% for gas from 29 February. This will be the second price cut from the biggest electricity supplier in four months. It also comes after SSE Airtricity dropped its prices in December and Electric Ireland announced earlier this week it is to drop its prices in March.
The Journal

‘Number of people’ taken to hospital after fire engine and bus involved in Belfast crash
A bus and a fire engine have been involved in a collision in south Belfast. The incident happened shortly after 10pm on Wednesday night at the Finaghy crossroads. In a statement the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service said: “At 22:05 hrs on 16 Jan a fire appliance from Cadogan Station was involved in a RTC with a double decker bus.” It added that a number of NIFRS personnel and the driver of the bus were treated at the scene for non-life threatening injuries and “a number were taken to hospital”. “All personnel involved are receiving the necessary medical attention and sufficient resources remain available to attend any other incidents.”
Independent.ie

Medicine for hostages, civilians bound for Gaza after night of deadly strikes
Deliveries of medicine for Israeli hostages and Palestinian civilians are expected to start arriving in Gaza under a deal mediated by Qatar and France, after a night of deadly bombardments in the territory’s south. Hamas militants took around 250 hostages during the 7 October attacks on Israel, and around 132 are still in Gaza, including at least 27 believed to have been killed. In a statement to the official Qatar News Agency (QNA), Doha yesterday announced a deal “between Israel and (Hamas), where medicine along with other humanitarian aid is to be delivered to civilians in Gaza… in exchange for delivering medication needed for Israeli captives in Gaza”.
RTÉ

Roscrea standoff: Government agrees ‘in principle’ to purchase disused hotel in town as ‘community hotel’
The Government has agreed “in principle” to support a plan to purchase a disused hotel in Roscrea as a “community hotel” as part of moves to defuse tensions over the accommodation of asylum seekers in the town. Jackie Cahill, the Fianna Fáil TD for Tipperary, presented the plan to Minister for Integration Roderic O’Gorman at a meeting yesterday. Speaking on Tuesday evening, Mr Cahill said that Mr O’Gorman had indicated that there was agreement in principle among the Government parties to support the project and to examine mechanisms, including funding mechanisms, that could be used to support it.
The Irish Times

‘Room to Improve’ home developed without appropriate planning permission
The Tipperary home featured on Sunday night’s Room to Improve was developed without the appropriate planning permission, with the go-ahead to retain the development granted just three days before the show aired. The project featuring the home of Brian Carrigg and Kate Moloney at Pigeon Park, Cashel, was an overhaul of a 1970s-style bungalow, built with a view of the popular Rock of Cashel tourist attraction. The development included a large extension at the rear of the property, as well as the conversion of the upstairs to a fourth bedroom.
The Irish Examiner

FBI investigate after ex-Abercrombie boss sex claims
The FBI has begun an investigation after the BBC revealed claims that the former CEO of Abercrombie & Fitch (A&F) sexually exploited and abused men at events he hosted around the world. Mike Jeffries and his British partner also face a civil lawsuit alleging they ran a sex-trafficking operation. FBI agents are now interviewing and issuing subpoenas to potential witnesses, the BBC understands.
BBC News

Migration to Europe will increase in 2024, thinktank says
Migration to Europe will increase in 2024 as people try to reach the continent before the introduction of new laws aimed at cutting the number of arrivals, a leading thinktank has said.
The Guardian

Today’s forecast
Very cold this morning with frost, icy stretches and patches of fog or freezing fog. These will clear very slowly but will linger in some areas all day. Temperatures of just 0 to 4 degrees. Mainly dry with sunny spells though scattered showers of sleet and snow will feed into Connacht and Ulster in a light northerly breeze. Tonight will be very cold night with widespread frost and icy stretches. Most places staying dry with clear spells and patches of fog and freezing fog. However, some sleet and snow showers will feed into southwestern, western and northern areas. Lowest temperatures of -5 to -1 degrees in a light northwest breeze. A Status Yellow Low Temperature/Ice warning is in place for the entire country along with a Status Yellow Snow and Ice Warning for counties Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry.
Met Éireann