Irish duopoly shattered by Sinn Féin
Sinn Féin, under the leadership of Mary Lou McDonald, has claimed an historic victory at the Irish elections that has seen the traditional two-party fight for power between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil “shattered forever” according to The Irish Examiner. With some results still to come, Sinn Féin had won over 24% of the vote, according to The Irish Times results hub, which could give it 37 seats in the Dáil, the Irish parliament. But, as RTE reports, with Sinn Féin only standing one candidate in many constituencies, under Ireland’s proportional representation system voters’ second choices could have a significant impact. The Irish Independent reports that Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, whose party lies second with 22% of the vote, has surprisingly said he might be open to a coalition with Sinn Féin. Irish Central has a profile of Mary Lou McDonald.
Coronavirus latest
The Coronavirus death toll leapt by 97 on Sunday, the most fatalities posted in a single day since the outbreak was first detected in December, according to Reuters. The Chinese national health commission says that over 40,000 people have now been infected, most on the mainland. In its live blog, CNBC reports that Chinese premier Li Keqiang has spoken with German chancellor Angela Merkel to seek assistance in purchasing medical supplies. Ratings agency Fitch has also warned the virus outbreak could diminish China’s international profile. But The Guardian reports on the case of a 38-year-old woman from Wuhan who appears to have recovered from the disease while in the Philippines. Reuters reports that five British nationals at a ski village in Haute-Savoie are among the latest patients to contract the virus outside China.
Solar Orbiter launch success
The Solar Orbiter mission spearheaded by the European Space Agency (live broadcast) successfully launched aboard an Atlas rocket from Cape Canaveral in Florida in the early hours of Monday morning, Space.com reports. Wired has an in-depth article about the Solar Orbiter mission and the BBC has a video guide.
“Parasite” wins best picture, screenplay and director
Korean director Bong Joon-ho picked up the best director and best original screenplay gongs and his film “Parasite” won best picture, and best international picture, at the 92nd Academy Awards on Sunday night. The film had been up against bookies’ favourite “1917”, whose Roger Deakins was rewarded with the best cinematography prize, and Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood”, for which Brad Pitt won best supporting actor. Other winners included Laura Dern as best supporting actress for her role in “Marriage Story”, Renée Zellweger for best actress as “Judy” and Joaquin Phoenix as best actor for “Joker”. The Hollywood Reporter and Variety have the full list of winners, while The Verge seems to take glee in the fact that Netflix only won two awards. The Los Angeles Times and The Guardian have red carpet galleries.
Storm Ciara wreaks havoc
Hundreds of flights across Europe were cancelled on Sunday as Storm Ciara hit the UK and northern parts of the mainland, CNN reports. Euronews also reports on the affected countries, while the BBC has a picture gallery of the damage caused by the storm in the UK. In Luxembourg, the government announced on Sunday (in French) that schools across the country will remain closed on Monday. The government also had a live update of conditions, including road closures.
Thai gunman killed as security questions raised
Thai security forces have shot dead a soldier who killed at least 29 people in the north-eastern city of Nakhon Ratchasima, Al Jazeera reports. The soldier had stolen two rifles, an M60 machine gun and 736 rounds of ammunition from his base. But prime minister Prayuth Chan-ocha has dismissed questions surrounding lapse security at the military base, The Guardian reports.
Art critic destroys work
Mexican art critic Avelina Lésper accidentally destroyed a work of art by Mexican artist Gabriel Rico at the prestigious Zona Maco art fair on Saturday, The Guardian reports. She later said in a statement that “It was like the work heard my comment and felt what I thought of it.”
Trump tan photo examined
Finally, Snopes has a look at the veracity of the photo that circulated at the weekend showing president Donald Trump’s marked facial coloration as the wind blows the hair from his face.
Today’s breakfast briefing was written by Duncan Roberts