January 24: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds

Leading New Zealand was ‘greatest privilege’, says Jacinda Ardern at final event
Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s outgoing prime minister, said leading the country was “the greatest privilege of my life” in her last public appearance before she leaves the role on Wednesday, less than a week after she unexpectedly quit. “I leave with a greater love and affection for Aotearoa New Zealand and its people than when I started,” Ardern said. “I didn’t think that was possible.” Beaming and at times emotional, Ardern was speaking at the annual birthday celebration for the M?ori prophet Tahup?tiki Wiremu R?tana, founder of the R?tana faith. The event is the unofficial start to the political year in New Zealand, and sees leaders of New Zealand’s political parties converge on the eponymously named North Island village, along with followers of the faith.
The Guardian

Man to appear in court today over fatal assault in Cork hospital
A man aged in his 30s will appear before Cork District Court this morning in connection with the fatal assault of a patient at the Mercy University Hospital in Cork. The man, 32, remained in Garda custody last night. Matthew Healy, an 89-year-old retired farmer and widower from Berrings, Co Cork, died after an incident at the hospital on Sunday morning. He was a patient in the hospital at the time. A statement issued by the Garda Press Office last night said: “The man arrested by gardaí in connection with this investigation has now been charged.”
The Irish Examiner

Legislation allowing for soft opt-out organ donation to be debated in Dáil
Legislation regarding soft opt-out organ donation is to be debated before the Dáil today. Under the Human Tissue (Transplantation, Post-Mortem, Anatomical Examination, and Public Display) Bill, consent will be deemed unless a person has, while alive, registered his or her wish to not become an organ donor after death. There will still be discussion with designated family members before organs are removed for transplant. Other than organ donation and transplantation, the Bill also covers areas such as post-mortems. The new law will implement the relevant recommendations of the Madden Report on post-mortem practices and procedures, as well as regulations around the retention, storage, use and disposal of organs and tissue from deceased persons following a hospital post-mortem.
The Journal

Donnelly to seek Govt approval to scrap public hospital fees
The Minister for Health is to seek Cabinet approval to legislate for the abolishment of public hospital charges. Patients are currently charged €80 per visit, with a cap of €800 per year. However, Stephen Donnelly will seek to remove the fees in April. The Government’s intention to remove public hospital charges was announced as part of Budget 2023. Last year fees for those aged under 16 were also removed. The measure is seen as a way to ease the rising cost of living for families.
RTÉ

Some TDs anxious as Donohoe set to disclose fresh details of 2020 election expenses
Government TDs expect Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe to survive a vital Dáil outing about his election expenses on Tuesday but an underlying nervousness about the affair remains on the Coalition benches. Mr Donohoe is set to detail fresh disclosures about his 2020 election expenses, following an ongoing controversy over corrections he made to filings in the previous general election. A spokeswoman for Mr Donohoe said on Monday evening he is “keen” to address the Dáil shortly before 4pm on Tuesday, with Government sources bullish on Monday evening. A senior source said there was confidence that all questions and clarifications “that are asked will be answered … And that we then have a chance to move on and address the bread and butter issues”.
The Irish Times

Half Moon Bay: Suspect held after another California mass shooting
The US state of California is reeling from its second mass shooting in days after a man shot dead seven former co-workers south of San Francisco. The attacks took place in the coastal city of Half Moon Bay. The victims were all Chinese-American farm workers. Suspect Zhao Chunli, 67, was arrested after driving to a police station. It comes as the state mourns the death of 11 at Monterey Park – about six hours southeast of Half Moon Bay – during Lunar New Year celebrations. California Governor Gavin Newsom tweeted that he was at a hospital meeting with victims of the earlier mass shooting when he was pulled away to be briefed about the second attack, describing it as “tragedy upon tragedy”.
BBC News

Brunt Ice Shelf: Giant iceberg breaks away from Antarctic ice shelf
A giant iceberg almost the size of Greater London has broken away from the Brunt Ice Shelf in Antarctica. The split, which occurred near the UK’s Halley research station, was recorded between 7pm and 8pm yesterday. BAS glaciologists said the calving was not linked to climate change and is part of the natural behaviour of the ice shelf. They said the area of the ice shelf where the research station is located was unaffected by the split.
Sky News

Today’s forecast
A cloudy start across the country with light rain or drizzle affecting areas of Connacht and Ulster. Some patchy mist or fog lingering in parts of the north and south too. Elsewhere, it’s mainly dry but the cloud will persist through the afternoon with patchy light rain developing later. Highest temperatures this afternoon of 9 to 11 degrees with light southwest winds. A cloudy night with patchy rain or drizzle drifting southeast across the country. Some dry intervals developing in the northwest later in the night. Overcast skies tonight will keep our temperatures mild with lows of 6 to 8 degrees. Light southwest winds but a little fresher along Atlantic coasts.
Met Éireann