Britain's Boris Johnson resigns
Scandal-ridden Boris Johnson announced on Thursday he would quit as British prime minister after he was abandoned by ministers and most of his Conservative lawmakers.
Bowing to the inevitable as more than 50 ministers quit and lawmakers said he must go, an isolated and powerless Mr Johnson spoke outside his Downing Street to confirm he would resign.
"The process of choosing that new leader should begin now. And today I have appointed a cabinet to serve, as I will until a new leader is in place," Mr Johnson said.
After days of battling for his job, the scandal-plagued Mr Johnson had been deserted by all but a handful of allies after the latest in a series of scandals broke their willingness to support him.
Govt loses Dáil majority
Fine Gael TD and former chief whip Joe McHugh has said that he will be looking at every Dáil vote in the future as “an individual”.
The former education minister last night resigned the whip after voting against the Government’s defective blocks Bill, which provides for a redress scheme for those affected by defective building blocks, meaning the coalition Government lost its majority.
“This is a new departure for me” the Donegal TD told Highland Radio. “I will have to look at every vote and see how it will benefit my constituency.”
However, he added that he would not become an Opposition TD “overnight.”
Varadkar's 'sworn political opponents'
Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has accepted that his leaking of a confidential document to a friend was "inappropriate", however, he said allegations he broke the law were "false" and made by "sworn political opponents".
The Fine Gael leader made the comments in his second statement since he confirmed he will not face prosecution over the leaking of a GP contract in 2019.
Mr Varadkar has admitted that in April 2019 he sent a copy of a doctors’ pay deal between the State and the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) to Dr Maitiu O Tuathail.
Dr O Tuathail was head of the rival organisation, the National Association of General Practitioners (NAGP), at the time.
Inflation warning
Households are in line for the biggest drop in living standards in more than a decade, according to the Central Bank.
The regulator is warning rising prices will hit disposable incomes, which it expects to fall by an average of just over 3 per cent in 2022.
It is forecasting inflation to top 10 per cent this year, and average at 7.8 per cent, but expects that to fall to 4.2 per cent next year.
However, Deputy Governor at the Central Bank, Mark Cassidy, said the war in Ukraine means there is lot of uncertainty.
