The latest political opinion poll has seen a drop in support for Fine Gael.
The party dropped two points to 30% in Business Post/Red C poll – but still remains the most popular in the country.
Fianna Fáil is unchanged at 26%.
Labour has picked up a two point boost from its recent national conference in Mullingar.
Sinn Féin is still stuck on 11% despite holding its Ard Fheis in Derry last weekend.
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UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is promising to bring back the Brexit bill before Christmas if his Conservative Party achieves a majority in the upcoming election.
The Tories are launching their election manifesto this afternoon.
It includes promises to hold a vote on the agreement before Christmas and ensure the UK leaves the EU by the January deadline.
It also pledges a “triple tax lock” which would mean no rises in income tax, national insurance or VAT.
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The Irish Prison Service is insisting that all practicable steps are taken by prison management and staff to ensure the safety of those in custody.
It is investigating the death of a prisoner in his 30s at Cloverhill in Dublin on Friday night, after an incident involving two inmates.
In a statement, it said no prison system can be completely free of violence and inter prisoner assaults do happen.
Separate investigations are also underway by the Inspector of Prisons and Gardaí.
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There has been a huge turnout for Hong Kong elections that have taken on symbolic importance following months of protest.
A third of the city’s 4.1 million registered voters turned out in the first five hours.
They are voting for council positions that are largely advisory and hold little power; however the poll is seen by many as a barometer of support for pro-democracy protests.
Demonstrations have been scaled back in recent days – with protesters anxious to ensure the vote went ahead amid Chinese government threats to call it off.
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Pope Francis has called on world leaders scrap nuclear weapons.
During a visit to Nagasaki, where the second of the two US atomic bombs fell in Japan in 1945, the pontiff said the arms race decreases security and wastes resources.
He said nuclear weapons threaten humanity with catastrophic destruction.
He said the Nagasaki memorial stands as a stark reminder “of the pain and horror that we human beings are capable of inflicting upon one another.”
