Sinn Fein actively pursuing route into government, insists leader McDonaldWaves of joy flood Damascus. But an undercurrent of distrust lingers.Ousted Syrian leader Assad flees to Moscow after fall of Damascus, Russian state media say DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — Russia media say ousted Syrian leader Bashar Assad has fled to Moscow and received asylum from his longtime ally. The reports came hours after a stunning rebel advance swept into Damascus to cheers and ended the Assad family’s 50 years of iron rule. Thousands of Syrians poured into streets echoing with celebratory gunfire, joyful after a stifling, nearly 14-year civil war. But the swiftly moving events raised questions about the future of the country and the wider region. The rebels face the daunting task of healing bitter divisions in a country still split among armed factions. One rebel commander said “we will not deal with people the way the Assad family did." The fall of Bashar Assad after 13 years of war in Syria brings to an end a decades-long dynasty BEIRUT (AP) — Syrian President Bashar Assad has fled the country. Assad’s departure on Sunday brings to a dramatic close his nearly 14-year struggle to hold onto power in a brutal civil war that became a proxy battlefield for regional and international powers. Assad’s exit stood in stark contrast to his first months as Syria’s unlikely president in 2000, when many hoped he would be a young reformer after three decades of his father’s iron grip. But faced with protests of his rule that erupted in March 2011, Assad turned to his father's brutal tactics to crush dissent. A long stalemate was quickly broken when opposition groups in northwest Syria launched a surprise offensive late last month. Who is Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the leader of the insurgency that toppled Syria's Assad? BEIRUT (AP) — Abu Mohammed al-Golani, the militant leader who led the stunning insurgency that toppled Syria’s President Bashar Assad, has spent years working to remake his public image and that of his fighters. He renounced longtime ties to al-Qaida and depicts himself as a champion of pluralism and tolerance. The extent of that transformation from jihadi extremist to would-be state builder is now put to the test. The 42-year-old al-Golani is labeled a terrorist by the United States. He has not appeared publicly since Damascus fell early Sunday. But he and his insurgent force, Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, stand to be a major player in whatever comes next. Trump says he can't guarantee tariffs won't raise US prices and won't rule out revenge prosecutions WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump says he can’t guarantee his promised tariffs on key U.S. foreign trade partners won’t raise prices for American consumers. And he's suggesting once more that some political rivals and federal officials who pursued legal cases against him should be imprisoned. The president-elect made the comments in a wide-ranging interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” that aired Sunday. He also touched on monetary policy, immigration, abortion and health care, and U.S. involvement in Ukraine, Israel and elsewhere. Trump often mixed declarative statements with caveats, at one point cautioning “things do change.” The hunt for UnitedHealthcare CEO's elusive killer yields new evidence, but few answers NEW YORK (AP) — Police don’t know who he is, where he is, or why he did it. As the frustrating search for UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson’s killer got underway for a fifth day Sunday, investigators reckoned with a tantalizing contradiction: They have troves of evidence, but the shooter remains an enigma. One conclusion they are confident of, however: It was a targeted attack, not a random one. On Sunday morning, police declined to comment on the contents of a backpack found in Central Park that they believe was carried by the killer. Thompson was shot and killed Wednesday outside of a hotel in Manhattan. Trump calls for immediate ceasefire in Ukraine and says a US withdrawal from NATO is possible WASHINGTON (AP) — Donald Trump is pushing Russian leader Vladimir Putin to act to reach an immediate ceasefire with Ukraine. Trump describes it as part of his active efforts as president-elect to end the war despite being weeks from taking office. Trump also said he would be open to reducing military aid to Ukraine and pulling the United States out of NATO. Those are two threats that have alarmed Ukraine, NATO allies and many in the U.S. national security community. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says any deal would have to pave the way to a lasting peace. The Kremlin's spokesman says Moscow is open to talks with Ukraine. South Korean prosecutors detain ex-defense chief over martial law imposition SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — South Korean prosecutors have detained a former defense minister who allegedly recommended last week’s brief but stunning martial law imposition to President Yoon Suk Yeol. Local media say that ex-Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun voluntarily appeared on Sunday at a Seoul prosecutors’ office, where he had his mobile phone confiscated and was detained. A law enforcement official says Kim was later sent to a Seoul detention facility. Kim's detention came a day after Yoon avoided an opposition-led bid to impeach him, with most ruling party lawmakers boycotting a floor vote to prevent a two-thirds majority needed to suspend his presidential powers. Gaza health officials say latest Israeli airstrikes kill at least 14 including children DEIR AL BALAH, Gaza Strip (AP) — Palestinian health officials say Israeli airstrikes in central Gaza have killed at least 14 people including children, while the bombing of a hospital in northern Gaza has wounded a half-dozen patients. Israel’s military continues its latest offensive against Hamas militants in northern Gaza, whose remaining Palestinians have been almost completely cut off from the rest of the territory amid a growing humanitarian crisis. One airstrike flattened a residential building in the urban Bureij refugee camp Sunday afternoon. That's according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in the nearby city of Deir al-Balah, where the casualties were taken. Trump's return may be a boon for Netanyahu, but challenges abound in a changed Middle East TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is jubilant about President-elect Donald Trump's return to the White House. Trump's first term policies skewed heavily in favor of Israel, and he has picked stalwart Israel supporters for key positions in his administration. But much has transpired since Trump left office in early 2021. The turmoil in the Middle East, the lofty ambitions of Netanyahu’s far-right governing coalition and Netanyahu’s own personal relationship with the president-elect could dampen that enthusiasm and complicate what on the surface looks like a seamless alliance. First 12-team College Football Playoff set, Oregon seeded No. 1 and SMU edges Alabama for last spot SMU captured the last open spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff, bumping Alabama to land in a bracket that placed undefeated Oregon at No. 1. The selection committee preferred the Mustangs (11-2), losers of a heartbreaker in the Atlantic Coast Conference title game, who had a far less difficult schedule than Alabama (9-3) of the SEC but one fewer loss. The first-of-its-kind 12-team bracket marks a new era for college football, though the Alabama-SMU debate made clear there is no perfect formula. The tournament starts Dec. 20-21 with four first-round games. It concludes Jan. 20 with the national title game in Atlanta.
Under Armour Inc. Cl A stock underperforms Thursday when compared to competitors despite daily gainsThe company that we all once knew as "General Electric" has undergone massive changes over the past couple years. Spinning off first GE HealthCare and then GE Vernova (its energy business), what emerged earlier this year from the chrysalis is a new and reinvented "GE" known as GE Aerospace ( GE 1.54% ) , a specialist in the manufacture of airplane engines for commercial aerospace giants like Boeing and Airbus , and also for the U.S. military. What are this new company's prospects? Read on and find out, as we examine what GE Aerospace is today, what its plans are for the future -- and what Wall Street thinks of these plans. Where GE Aerospace stock is today Once upon a time, General Electric was a diversified industrial conglomerate, churning out products as diverse as light bulbs and washing machines, power plants and medical imaging devices... and airplane engines. Today, GE Aerospace basically just does that last thing. GE reported third-quarter earnings in October. Sales growth was only so-so, with revenue rising 6% year over year. But several numbers gave investors reason to hope growth will soon improve -- profit margins first and foremost. One year ago, GE's aerospace business was earning an operating profit margin of 18.8% on its sales. In Q3 2024, that number improved to 20.3%. Also encouraging was the growth in new orders. GE took in $12.6 billion in orders during the quarter, up 28% from a year ago, foreshadowing potentially enormous sales growth in future quarters. And supporting that view, CEO Larry Culp raised the company's earnings forecast for the rest of this year. Through the end of 2024, it now projects adjusted earnings of more than $4.20 per share, and free cash flow (FCF) exceeding $5.6 billion (roughly 12% ahead of prior predictions). What GE expects to do between now and 2028 The good news doesn't end there. In a March presentation to investors, GE laid out in broad strokes its financial goals through 2028. All are predicated on the gradual "normalization" of air travel and demand for airplanes (and airplane engines ), leading to "robust commercial aerospace" growth around the globe. What does this mean in dollars and cents? Beginning with 2025, management forecasts low-double-digit sales growth leading to operating profits of $7.1 billion or better, with free cash flow equaling or exceeding after-tax net income. Then, over the ensuing three years, management expects to settle into a stride: achievable, high-single-digit sales growth driving operating profits steadily higher. By the end point of the forecast in 2028, GE anticipates pre-tax earnings of $10 billion or more annually, with FCF continuing to equal or exceed reported net income. What analysts think GE will earn in 2028 Are these projections realistic? Wall Street thinks so -- in fact, analysts polled by S&P Global Market Intelligence seem to think some of the numbers could be on the conservative side. For example, in 2025 alone, analysts have GE's operating profit pegged for not $7.1 billion but $7.3 billion. Their FCF forecast, granted, is for only $5.6 billion in cash profit -- but that may mean GE could deliver a positive surprise if it hits its numbers next year. Scrolling ahead to 2028, Wall Street is projecting 29% total sales growth, generating $10.8 billion in operating profit and $8.5 billion in positive free cash flow. Notably, if GE hits this mark, it will mean the company has succeeded in more than doubling its FCF over the five-year period from 2023 through 2028. Is GE stock a buy? At Friday's close, GE Aerospace stock had a $190 billion market capitalization. Based on current-year earnings, though, that's not exactly cheap, resulting in a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio around 35. But if GE stock grows as fast as it's promising -- and as fast as analysts say it's going to grow -- might that be enough to justify buying shares anyway? Much as I'd like to tell you "of course it is," I'm not so sure. Even if everything goes right and GE hits analyst forecasts, $190 billion in current market cap divided by the $8.5 billion in free cash flow GE is supposed to generate four years from now yields a price-to-FCF (P/FCF) ratio of more than 22. (And remember that this is a multiple based on profits the company won't earn for another four years -- and might in fact not earn.) Maybe this valuation would be justifiable if GE were still growing by rates in the 20% range four years from now, but neither the company nor the analysts forecast that. Rather, they're looking to see FCF growing at a steady 10% in 2028 -- a respectable number, but not enough to justify a P/FCF ratio of 22, in my view. All things considered, the 70%-plus gains GE's stock has made this year might have to do for a while. At current prices, the stock's unlikely to go up much more from here .
Tinubu, Uzodimma, Zulum bag FUTO’s doctorate awards in ImoLast year, around this time, I wrote a feature arguing that Starfield , with its perfectly OK, but a bit synthetic and cold universe, was 2023’s actual game of the year . Not because it was the best game of 2023, but because the feeling of playing it, the short bursts of fun within a meander through the galaxy that often lacked much meaning or wonder, best mirrored the experience of living and working in and around the games industry last year. A would-be masterpiece with all of the awe-inspiring size and scale, but very little of the soul, for a medium that was constantly chucking more people onto the layoff fire while we all clung on to the bangers we did get for comfort. I wouldn’t say 2024, while arguably even more depressing on the state of the industry front, had a big game like Starfield that accidentally served as so fitting a mood metaphor for it. Instead, I’m going to do what I did a bit in that feature last year - I’m gonna momentarily chuck the gloom into the sun, and concentrate on the good. As it always does, the indie space kicked out underrated gems and gems that got plenty of credit this year on the reg. Everyone’s list of these will be different, but here’s mine. Chill racing management sim Golden Lap was as vibe-immaculate as Funselektor releases have proven to always be when I reviewed it , and it’s only gotten better since as its devs have worked hard to rectify its teething issues and start to add improvements over the past few months. Thalassa: Edge of The Abyss was an emotion-heavy stumble through the wreckage of a ship and the lives of its crew that I think flew under a lot of people’s radars, but is definitely worth a go if you’re a fan of Baldur’s Gate 3 ’s narrator, and like doing a bit of sobering detective work. Still Wakes The Deep opted to lean more into the Lovecraftian and stock horror than it did the terrifying reality of what can happen when things go bad out in the big blue abyss for its scares, but it’s still good, with its great Scottish accents and chase with a giant head. Hades 2 was another thing I had a lot of fun with, even if I haven’t had much time to go back and check out Supergiant’s changes since routinely getting my arse kicked by Chronos and those damn sirens when it rolled into early access in a form that was just as good as the first game, if arguably not one capable of conclusively eclipsing such a hard act to follow. Renaissance painting romp Death of the Reprobate might be the one of these that was my favourite discovery in hindsight, especially since I’m now in the process of going back and playing its Pythonesque point-and-click predecessors, which are just as unique and hilarious. That’s five just off the top of my head, and it doesn’t include great Steam next fest demos for stuff like Keep Driving . Though, as I said, every year has its cool indie things, so with that in mind, here’s the real best thing it’s important to shout out when it comes to helping make 2024 in video games as great as it was at times. Mods. Sure, every year has plenty of good and noteworthy mods, and it’s a space that’s been starting to be recognised more by many major and minor publishers for the key role it can play in helping people get even more out of their games - especially those big single-player RPGs I like - for a few years now, 2024 was a big step forward. Fallout: London , despite its buggy launch, was an unofficial full-blown Fallout game you could sink hundreds of hours into loving in a year that basically cried out for a fresh entry in the series due to the TV show whetting everyone’s appetites. Larian’s addition of official mod support to Baldur’s Gate 3 - for both PC and consoles - helped 2023’s actual game of the year manage to outdo some of the metrics from the release year in which it basically blew all of us away. CD Projekt’s release of REDkit modding tools for The Witcher 3 triggered a revival for that game, with competitions getting a lot of interesting entries from folks keen to try relatively advanced stuff like quest and new area design. There are also plenty of 2024 releases that’ve been big on the modding front. From Stalker 2 , to Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree , and even occasionally the likes of Helldivers 2 . Heading into 2025, it feels like modding’s as big a part of what people love about gaming than ever before, and as someone who loves getting to write about them on the regular at work, that’s this year’s biggest bright side for me.Hope & fear as world powers absorb Assad’s stunning end in Syria
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — Most ruling party lawmakers were boycotting a parliamentary vote Saturday to deny a two-thirds majority sought by the opposition to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over his short-lived imposition of martial law , as protests grew nationwide calling for his removal. The likely defeat of the motion is expected to intensify public protests calling for Yoon’s ouster and deepen political chaos in South Korea, with a survey suggesting a majority of South Koreans support the president’s impeachment. Yoon’s martial law declaration drew criticism from his own ruling conservative party, but it is also determined to oppose Yoon’s impeachment apparently because it fears losing presidency to liberals. Impeaching Yoon would require support from two-thirds of the National Assembly, or 200 of its 300 members. The opposition parties who brought the impeachment motion have 192 seats, meaning they need at least eight additional votes from Yoon’s People Power Party. The opposition-controlled parliament began a vote earlier Saturday, but only three lawmakers from PPP took part with opposition members. If the number of lawmakers who cast ballots doesn’t reach 200, the motion will be scrapped at midnight without the ballot counting, according to the National Assembly. Opposition parties could submit a new impeachment motion after a new parliamentary session opens next Wednesday. There are worries that Yoon won’t be able to serve out his remaining 2 1⁄2 years in office because his leadership took a huge hit. Many experts say some ruling party lawmakers could eventually join opposition parties’ efforts to impeach Yoon if public demands for it grow further. If Yoon is impeached, his powers will be suspended until the Constitutional Court decides whether to remove him from office. If he is removed, an election to replace him must take place within 60 days. National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik urged ruling party members to return to the chamber to participate in the vote, stressing that it was closely watched by the nation and also the world. “Don’t make a shameful judgment and please vote based on your convictions,” Woo said. Democratic Party leaders visited a hall on the floor below the main chamber where PPP lawmakers were gathered, attempting to persuade them to vote. After being blocked from entering, they angrily accused the conservatives' leadership of preventing its lawmakers from voting freely. Earlier Saturday, Yoon issued a public apology over the martial law decree, saying he won’t shirk legal or political responsibility for the declaration and promising not to make another attempt to impose martial law. He said would leave it to his party to chart a course through the country’s political turmoil, “including matters related to my term in office.” “The declaration of this martial law was made out of my desperation. But in the course of its implementation, it caused anxiety and inconveniences to the public. I feel very sorry over that and truly apologize to the people who must have been shocked a lot,” Yoon said. Since taking office in 2022, Yoon has struggled to push his agenda through an opposition-controlled parliament and grappled with low approval ratings amid scandals involving himself and his wife. In his martial law announcement on Tuesday night, Yoon called parliament a “den of criminals” bogging down state affairs and vowed to eliminate “shameless North Korea followers and anti-state forces.” The turmoil resulting from Yoon’s bizarre and poorly-thought-out stunt has paralyzed South Korean politics and sparked alarm among key diplomatic partners like the U.S. and Japan. Tuesday night saw special forces troops encircling the parliament building and army helicopters hovering over it, but the military withdrew after the National Assembly unanimously voted to overturn the decree, forcing Yoon to lift it before daybreak Wednesday. The declaration of martial law was the first of its kind in more than 40 years in South Korea. Eighteen lawmakers from the ruling party voted to reject Yoon’s martial law decree along with opposition lawmakers. Yoon’s speech fueled speculation that he and his party may push for a constitutional amendment to shorten his term, instead of accepting impeachment, as a way to ease public anger over the marital law and facilitate Yoon’s early exit from office. Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the main liberal opposition Democratic Party, told reporters that Yoon’s speech was “greatly disappointing” and that the only way forward is his immediate resignation or impeachment. His party called Yoon’s martial law “unconstitutional, illegal rebellion or coup.” The passage of Yoon’s impeachment motion appeared more likely Friday when the chair of Yoon’s party called for his removal on Friday, but the party remained formally opposed to impeachment. On Saturday, tens of thousands of people densely packed several blocks of roads leading up to the National Assembly, waving banners, shouting slogans and dancing and singing along to K-pop songs with lyrics changed to call for Yoon’s ouster. Protesters also gathered in front of PPP’s headquarters near the Assembly, angrily shouting for its lawmakers to vote to impeach Yoon. A smaller crowd of Yoon’s supporters, which still seemed to be in the thousands, rallied in separate streets in Seoul, decrying the impeachment attempt they saw as unconstitutional. Lawmakers on Saturday first voted on a bill appointing a special prosecutor to investigate stock price manipulation allegations surrounding Yoon’s wife. Some lawmakers from Yoon’s party were seen leaving the hall after that vote, triggering angry shouts from opposition lawmakers. On Friday, PPP chair Han Dong-hun, who criticized Yoon’s martial law declaration, said he had received intelligence that during the brief period of martial law Yoon ordered the country’s defense counterintelligence commander to arrest and detain unspecified key politicians based on accusations of “anti-state activities.” Hong Jang-won, first deputy director of South Korea’s National Intelligence Service, told lawmakers in a closed-door briefing Friday that Yoon had ordered him to help the defense counterintelligence unit to detain key politicians. The targeted politicians included Han, Lee and Woo, according to Kim Byung-kee, one of the lawmakers who attended the meeting. The Defense Ministry said Friday it suspended three military commanders including the head of the defense counterintelligence unit over their involvement in enforcing martial law. Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon Ho has told parliament that Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun ordered the deployment of troops to the National Assembly after Yoon imposed martial law. Opposition parties accused Kim of recommending to Yoon to enforce martial law. Kim resigned Thursday, and prosecutors imposed an overseas travel ban on him.NoneDEADLINE ALERT: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Investigates Claims on Behalf of Investors of WM Technology
Assessing the EU’s new migration pactKari Dziedzic, former Minnesota Senate majority leader, dies at 62
NoneCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A fight broke out at midfield after Michigan 13-10 on Saturday when players attempted to plant their flag on the OSU logo and were confronted by the . Police used pepper spray to break up the players, who threw punches and shoves in the melee that overshadowed the rivalry game. One officer suffered unspecified injuries and was taken to a hospital, a police union official said. After the Ohio State players confronted their rivals at midfield, defensive end Jack Sawyer grabbed the top of the Wolverines' flag and ripped it off the pole as the brawl moved toward the Michigan bench. Eventually, officers rushed in to try to break up the fracas. Ohio State coach Ryan Day said he understood his players' actions. “There are some prideful guys on our team who weren't going to sit back and let that happen,” Day said. The two Ohio State players made available after the game brushed off questions about it. Michigan running back Kalel Mullings, who rushed for 116 yards and a touchdown, said he didn't like how the Buckeyes players involved themselves in the Wolverines' postgame celebration, calling it “classless.” “For such a great game, you hate to see stuff like that after the game," he told Fox Sports in an on-field interview. “It’s just bad for the sport, bad for college football. But at the end of the day, you know some people got to — they got to learn how to lose, man. ... We had 60 minutes, we had four quarters, to do all that fighting.” Ohio State police said in a statement that “multiple officers representing Ohio and Michigan deployed pepper spray.” University police said they will continue to investigate the brawl. Brian Steel, president of the police union representing officers in Franklin County, that an officer was injured. “Officers are authorized to use pepper spray to stop assaults and protect themselves and others,” Steel added. Michigan players could be seen rubbing their eyes after exposure to the chemical irritant. Michigan coach Sherrone Moore said both teams could have handled the situation differently. “So much emotions on both sides,” he said. “Rivalry games get heated, especially this one. It’s the biggest one in the country, so we got to handle that better.” ___ Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up . AP college football: and
A political party in North Macedonia has called for a ban on social networks promoting dangerous content after at least 17 students were injured attempting the viral "Superman challenge" on TikTok. Health authorities reported that children aged 10 to 17 were hospitalized in Skopje and other towns with broken bones, contusions, and bruises over the past week. The injuries occurred as participants were thrown into the air by peers in a bid to mimic superheroes for online acclaim. The Liberal-Democratic Party, formerly part of the left-led ruling coalition, condemned the spread of harmful social media trends in a press release on Saturday. "The irresponsible spread of dangerous content on social media, such as the latest TikTok ‘challenge’ known as ‘Superman,’ has injured six children across the country in just the past 24 hours," the statement read. The party called for urgent action, demanding "immediate measures to ban content that incites violence and self-destructive behavior, increase surveillance, and sanction platforms that enable dangerous trends." Education Minister Vesna Janevska also weighed in, urging students to prioritize education over TikTok challenges. "The ban on mobile phones in schools will not have an effect. Phones will still be accessible at home, in neighborhoods, and other environments," Janevska noted. Psychologists have linked the rise in risky behaviors among children to a desire to follow social media trends and excessive smartphone use. They emphasized the importance of parents and educators engaging with students to raise awareness about the dangers of such challenges. The "Superman challenge" is the latest in a string of social media trends raising alarms globally, prompting debates over the regulation of digital platforms and the protection of vulnerable users.DEADLINE ALERT: Faruqi & Faruqi, LLP Investigates Claims on Behalf of Investors of WM Technology
AP News Summary at 6:20 p.m. EST
FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup11 states sue three largest institutional investors for anticompetitive trade practices
43 Things For People Who Hate Holiday Travel So Much, They Want To Pull A Kevin McCallister And Stay Home
Despite Mary Lou McDonald’s confidence around shaping a coalition without Fine Gael and Fianna Fail – the two parties that have dominated the landscape of Irish politics for a century – the pathway to government for Sinn Fein still appears challenging. With counting following Friday’s election still in the relatively early stages – after an exit poll that showed the main three parties effectively neck-and-neck – there is some way to go before the final picture emerges and the options for government formation crystalise. Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader, Simon Harris, has dismissed talk of a Sinn Fein surge and said he was “cautiously optimistic” about where his party will stand after all the votes are counted. Meanwhile, Ireland’s deputy premier and Fianna Fail leader, Micheal Martin, insisted his party has a “very clear route back to government” as he predicted seat gains. The counting process could last days because of Ireland’s complex system of proportional representation with a single transferable vote (PR-STV), where candidates are ranked by preference. The leaders of the main three parties were all re-elected as TDs on Saturday evening, topping the polls in their respective constituencies. The early indications have turned the focus to the tricky arithmetic of government formation, as the country’s several smaller parties and many independents potentially jockey for a place in government. Ms McDonald told reporters at the RDS count centre in Dublin that she would be “very, very actively pursuing” the potential to form a government with other parties on the left of the political spectrum. The smaller, left-leaning parties in Ireland include the Social Democrats, the Irish Labour Party, the Green Party and People Before Profit-Solidarity. Ms McDonald said her party had delivered an “incredible performance” in the election. “I think it’s fair to say that we have now confirmed that we have broken the political mould here in this state,” she said. “Two party politics is now gone. It’s consigned to the dustbin of history and that, in itself, is very significant.” She added: “I am looking to bring about a government of change, and I’m going to go and look at all formulations. “If you want my bottom line, the idea of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael for another five years, in our strong opinion, is not a good outcome for Irish society. “Obviously, I want to talk to other parties of the left and those that we share very significant policy objectives with. So I’m going to do that first and just hear their mind, hear their thinking. But be very clear, we will be very, very actively pursuing entrance into government.” In Friday night’s exit poll, Sinn Fein was predicted to take 21.1% of first-preference votes, narrowly ahead of outgoing coalition partners Fine Gael and Fianna Fail at 21% and 19.5% respectively. Prior to the election, Fianna Fail and Fine Gael both ruled out entering government with Sinn Fein. Fine Gael leader Mr Harris rejected suggestions Sinn Fein had broken new ground. He told reporters in his count centre in Greystones, Co Wicklow: “Certainly we haven’t seen a Sinn Fein surge or anything like it. “I mean, it looks likely, on the figures that we’ve seen now, fewer people, many fewer people would have voted Sinn Fein in this election than the last one. “In fact, I think they’re down by around 5% and actually the parties, particularly the two parties, the two larger parties in government, are likely to receive significant support from the electorate. So definitely, politics in Ireland has gotten much more fragmented.” He said it was too early to tell what the next government would look like. “I think anybody who makes any suggestion about who is going to be the largest party or the construct of the next government, they’re a braver person than I am,” he said. “Our electoral system dictates that there’ll be many, many transfers that will go on for hours, if not days, before we know the final computations at all. “But what I am very confident about is that my party will have a very significant role to play in the years ahead, and I’m cautiously optimistic and excited.” Fianna Fail’s Mr Martin told reporters at a count centre in Cork he was confident that the numbers exist to form a government with parties that shared his political viewpoint. Mr Martin said it “remains to be seen” whether he would return to the role of Taoiseach – a position he held between 2020 and 2022 – but he expressed confidence his party would outperform the exit poll prediction. “It’s a bit too early yet to call the exact type of government that will be formed or the composition of the next government,” he said. “But I think there are, there will be a sufficiency of seats, it seems to me, that aligns with the core principles that I articulated at the outset of this campaign and throughout the campaign, around the pro-enterprise economy, around a positively pro-European position, a government that will strongly push for home ownership and around parties that are transparently democratic in how they conduct their affairs.” Asked if it would be in a coalition with Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and the Social Democrats, he said that would be “racing a bit too far ahead”. The final result may dictate that if Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are to return to government, they may need more than one junior partner, or potentially the buy-in of several independent TDs. Mr Martin said it was unclear how quickly a government can be formed, as he predicted his party would gain new seats. “It will be challenging. This is not easy,” he added. The junior partner in the outgoing government – the Green Party – looks set for a bruising set of results. Green leader Roderic O’Gorman is in a fight to hold onto his seat, as are a number of party colleagues, including Media Minister Catherine Martin. “It’s clear the Green Party has not had a good day,” he said. The early counting also suggested potential trouble for Fianna Fail in Wicklow, where the party’s only candidate in the constituency, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly, is considered to have a battle ahead, with the risk of losing his seat. Meanwhile, there is significant focus on independent candidate Gerard Hutch who, on Saturday evening, was sitting in fourth place in the four-seat constituency of Dublin Central. Last spring, Mr Hutch was found not guilty by the non-jury Special Criminal Court of the murder of David Byrne, in one of the first deadly attacks of the Hutch-Kinahan gangland feud. Mr Byrne, 33, died after being shot six times at a crowded boxing weigh-in event at the Regency Hotel in February 2016. A Special Criminal Court judge described Mr Hutch, 61, as the patriarchal figurehead of the Hutch criminal organisation and said he had engaged in “serious criminal conduct”. The constituency will be closely watched as other hopefuls wait to see if transfers from eliminated candidates may eventually rule him out of contention. In the constituency of Louth, the much-criticised selection of John McGahon appeared not to have paid off for Fine Gael. The party’s campaign was beset by questioning over footage entering the public domain of the candidate engaged in a fight outside a pub in 2018. The Social Democrats have a strong chance of emerging as the largest of the smaller parties. The party’s leader, Holly Cairns, was already celebrating before a single vote was counted however, having announced the birth of her baby girl on polling day.