US President Donald Trump has granted clemency to former aide Steve Bannon as part of a wave of pardons and commutations issued in his final hours in office, but did not pardon himself, members of his family or lawyer Rudy Giuliani.

Minister for Education Norma Foley has said it is "incredibly disingenuous" of INTO General Secretary John Boyle to suggest that his union did not instruct teachers not to go to work tomorrow.

Organisers of the St Patrick's Festival have confirmed there will be no street parade in Dublin this year. Instead virtual events will be held on a special online TV channel.

There has been a significant drop, of around 50%, in Covid-19 cases in the community over the last few weeks, according to a Dublin-based GP.

Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th president of the United States later today, assuming the helm of a country beset by deep political divides and battered by a raging coronavirus pandemic.

The European Union's top officials have expressed relief that they would again have a friend in the White House as Joe Biden replaces Donald Trump.

Foreigners caught not wearing face masks on the Indonesian resort island of Bali are being subject to an unusual punishment: push-ups.

A partial lockdown has been imposed on the Chinese capital, with 1.6 million residents banned from leaving Beijing, after a handful of cases were detected.

Olympics organisers are "unwavering" on holding the coronavirus-delayed Games this year but can't rule out staging it without spectators, according to Tokyo 2020 CEO Toshiro Muto.

The Department of Health has confirmed 93 Covid-related deaths and 2,001 new cases of the disease.

Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor is being sued by two women in separate actions for personal injuries.

A Dublin Starbucks outlet has been ordered to pay €12,000 compensation to an Irish customer with Thai heritage after an employee drew what was referred to in a hearing as 'slanty' eyes on the woman's cup.

The number of new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland has declined over the last few days, but the Chief Clinical Officer of the HSE said the strain on the health service will intensify even more.

Eleanor Burnhill looks at the background of the new President Joe Biden and how he might use today's scaled back inauguration to re-connect with some traditions from the past.

Rappers Lil Wayne and Kodak Black were among the beneficiaries of Donald Trump's wave of pardons in his last day in office, befitting a US president who made his name in New York's tabloids and on reality TV.

An Irish man has died following an avalanche at a ski resort in Switzerland.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has said that China is committing genocide against the mostly Muslim Uighur people, in a stinging statement on his last full day in office.

The celebrated musician from Belfast is commencing judicial review proceedings against Stormont regulations that prohibit live music in indoor licensed venues in Northern Ireland.