Five things you need to know today

Berlin lorry driven ‘deliberately’; Leaving Cert examiners sacked for breaches; six detained in Turkey after envoy’s murder

The smashed window of the cabin of a truck which ran into a crowded Christmas market Monday evening killing 12 people. Photograph:Markus Schreiber/AP

1. Berlin lorry kills 12 and injures 48 after being driven 'deliberately' into crowd at Christmas market
Berlin police are questioning a reported asylum seeker suspected of deliberately crashing an articulated lorry into a Christmas market in the western city centre on Monday evening, killing 12 and injuring 48, many seriously.
In a Tweet shortly before 6am, Berlin police confirmed that the incident was no accident, saying: "Our investigators assume that the truck was deliberately steered into the crowd at the Christmas market on Breitscheidplatz."
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2. Junior and Leaving Cert: 30 examiners sacked for breaches
Thirty examiners were sacked by the State Examinations Commission (SEC) this year for breaking strict rules.
A total of 53 examiners, less than 1 per cent of the cohort for this year, were found to have acted in breach of protocol while marking Junior and Leaving Cert exams.
"Of these 30 will not be reappointed as an examiner, six will only be re-appointed at a lower level in the respective subjects while 17 received an official warning," said the spokesman. During the last six years, 404 examiners were found to have acted in breach of protocol.
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3. Permission granted for demolition of Apollo House
Permission for the demolition of Apollo House, the office building on Dublin's Tara Street occupied by housing activists and homeless people, has been granted by Dublin City Council.
Plans for the redevelopment of Apollo House along with its neighbour Hawkins House, with office blocks up to 51.8m tall, were simultaneously lodged last June with the council.
However, while the council has now given the go-ahead for the Apollo House scheme, it has yet to issue a decision on the plans for Hawkins House.
http://iti.ms/2i47zqN

4. Turkish police detain six after Russian ambassador shot dead
Turkish police have detained six people over the killing of the Russian ambassador, Andrei Karlov, state media said, who was shot in the back as he gave a speech in Ankara on Monday by an off-duty police officer shouting "Don't forget Aleppo" and "Allahu Akbar".
The state-run Anadolu agency said on Tuesday the attacker's mother, father, sister and two other relatives were held in the western province of Aydin, while his flatmate in Ankara was also detained.
http://iti.ms/2gWlzhw

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5.Garda strike restrictions to be discussed by Cabinet
New restrictions on members of An Garda Síochána going on strike or taking other forms of industrial action are expected to be discussed by the Cabinet on Tuesday.
As reported by The Irish Times earlier this month, the constraints are expected to form part of discussions to allow Garda associations access to the industrial relations mechanisms of the State.
Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald will bring a memo to Cabinet to allow the Garda Representative Association (GRA) and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (Agsi) officially have access to the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) and the Labour Court.
The talks on granting the GRA and the Agsi access to both will also consider whether the organisations want to remain as associations or take trade union status.
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And finally: Arlene Foster burns in fire of own making
Newton Emerson writes the First Minister's character leaves her unable to be responsible or civil or recognise limits.

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