October 31: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds

Flooding affects homes from Wexford to Newry ahead of Storm Ciarán
Flooding has affected homes across the country as two separate rain warnings have been issued by the Met Office and Met Éireann. The northeast of the island was hit the hardest overnight as a UK Met Office amber rain warning was issued for Antrim, Down and Armagh until 9am on Tuesday before Storm Ciarán is forecast to bring strong winds and heavy rain towards the end of the week. Some houses in the Haven estate at Rosslare Strand were in 3ft of water on Monday and several residents were taken from their properties in an inflatable dinghy. There were reports of flooding in Newry in Co Down on Monday after the city’s canal burst its banks Met Éireann had warned of the likely potential of flooding this week, with further rain falling on already saturated lands and high-flowing rivers.
The Irish Times

Landlord tells ex-tenant he will return valuables if she knocks €16,000 off her Residential Tenancies Board award
A landlord who illegally evicted a ­tenant has said he will return her valuable first-edition books if they will be ­offset against the €18,500 damages he was ordered to pay by the rental watchdog.
Gabriela Lake, who previously ­rented a house in Union Hall, Skibbereen, west Cork, from landlord Colin O’Sullivan, has been awarded nearly €40,000 after taking two cases with the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) over her “horrendous” experience. She has yet to receive a penny. Ms Lake is currently trying to get one of the cases enforced through the ­District Court, while Mr O’Sullivan ­appealed the second case. A tribunal hearing is due to take place next month. Despite being ordered by the RTB to return all of her belongings, Mr ­O’Sullivan insisted that he was “forced to dispose” of everything.
Independent.ie

UN agency says urgent ceasefire in Gaza ‘matter of life and death’ for millions
The head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees told an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting that “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire has become a matter of life and death for millions”, accusing Israel of “collective punishment” of Palestinians. Philippe Lazzarini warned that a further breakdown of civil order following the looting of the agency’s warehouses by Palestinians searching for food and other aid “will make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the largest UN agency in Gaza to continue operating”.
The Journal

Defence lawyers to present evidence on death of Jason Corbett’s first wife
The pre-sentencing hearing in the Jason Corbett manslaughter case has been told by defence lawyers acting for his wife Molly Martens Corbett said they will present evidence and witnesses to the court that will call into question the cause of death of Mr Corbett’s first wife. Martens Corbett had come to believe that her husband had killed his first wife and was fearful that the same fate would befall her, the Lexington County Superior Court in North Carolina was told. The claim was made by Douglas Kingsberry, defence counsel for Martens Corbett, who said there was evidence that Mr Corbett’s first wife Margaret did not die of asthma in 2006, and that she may have been strangled.
RTÉ

Oireachtas committee recommends State pension qualification age increase to 75
The State pension qualification age should be raised to 75 to account for the fact life expectancy in Ireland has increased, according to a new report. That recommendation from the Oireachtas Social Protection Committee would put the cut-off age for the State pension at five years more than the 70 recommended by the State Commission on Pensions.
The Irish Examiner

US rejects Putin claim that West organised anti-Jewish airport mob
The US has dismissed as “absurd” claims by Russia that an anti-Israel riot at a Dagestan airport on Sunday was organised by Ukraine and the West. In a televised meeting on Monday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the incident had been part of an attempt to spread “chaos” in Russia. Hundreds stormed the Makhachkala airport ahead of the arrival of a flight from Tel Aviv, Israel. Many waved Palestinian flags and chanted antisemitic slogans. Dagestan, a constituent republic of Russia, has a majority Muslim population, and the incident is thought to have been sparked by anger over the conflict in Gaza.
BBC News

Banks pumped more than $150bn in to companies running ‘carbon bomb’ projects in 2022
Banks pumped more than $150bn last year into companies whose giant “carbon bomb” projects could destroy the last chance of stopping the planet heating to dangerous levels, the Guardian can reveal. The carbon bombs – 425 extraction projects that can each pump more than one gigaton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere – cumulatively hold enough coal, oil and gas to burn through the rapidly dwindling carbon budget four times over. Between 2016 and 2022, banks mainly in the US, China and Europe gave $1.8tn in financing to the companies running them, new research shows.
The Guardian

Matthew Perry’s Friends co-stars ‘utterly devastated’ – as fresh details of death emerge
Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Matt LeBlanc, Lisa Kudrow and David Schwimmer starred alongside Perry, 54, who played Chandler Bing, in the hit TV show from 1994 to 2004. In a joint statement, the five said: “We are all so utterly devastated by the loss of Matthew. We were more than just cast mates. We are a family.”
Sky News

Today’s forecast
This morning, rain will continue in Ulster with spot flooding. It will clear slowly northwards today. Mist and fog in many areas this morning, gradually clearing. Rain will develop in the southwest in the late morning and spread northeastwards through the afternoon and evening with a chance of spot flooding. Highest temperatures of 9 to 13 degrees with freshening southeasterly winds. Rain in all areas tonight with spot flooding possible. Lowest temperatures of 5 to 8 degrees with moderate to fresh south to southeast winds. A Status Yellow rain warning has also been issued for Kerry, Antrim, Armagh, Down, Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry.
Met Éireann