Five things you need to know today

Mexico rejects wall, Trump endorses torture, Kinahans feel financial pinch and wind warning in place

A woman and baby stroll pass deer grazing in the Phoenix Park on Wednesday. Photograph: Brenda Fitzsimons/The Irish Times

1. Mexican president says ‘we will not pay for any wall’Opens in new window ]

Hours after US President Donald Trump vowed to make Mexico pay for his border wall between the nations, Mexican President Enrique Peña Nieto again rejected Mr Trump's demand that Mexico pay for it.

In a video statement on Wednesday night, Mr Peña Nieto says that he regrets and rejects the immigration orders signed by Mr Trump on Wednesday to build the “impassable physical barrier” along the 3,145-kilometre border because “Mexico does not believe in walls.”

The new US president repeated his assertion, so popular amongst his supporters during the presidential campaign, that he would build the wall “in months” and that Mexico would pay for it.

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2. Donald Trump says he ‘absolutely’ believes torture worksOpens in new window ]

US President Donald Trump has said he “absolutely” believes that torture works and would consider reinstating waterboarding as an interrogating method because “we have to fight fire with fire.”

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Mr Trump said he would consult defence secretary James Mattis and CIA director Mike Pompeo on whether to consider using the technique against Islamic State militants in the Middle East.

Mr Mattis is opposed to bringing back interrogation techniques that President Barack Obama banned shortly after taking office in 2009.

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Kinahans beginning to feel financial pain of Hutch feudOpens in new window ]

What started out as one of the strongest Garda blows landed square on the chin of the Kinahan gang for over a decade has turned into the proverbial Aladdin’s Cave.

Not only have detectives on the tail of the most powerful gang in the history of Irish organised crime seized an arsenal of weapons, they also believe they have uncovered the secret hub around which the gang’s Irish operation has been revolving of late.

And with the successful seizures, some very exotic fish have been landed.

Conor Lally reports:

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EuroMillions winners arrange to collect €88.5mOpens in new window ]

As rumours circulated about the identity or location of Ireland's newest multimillionaire yesterday, the holder of the latest golden EuroMillions ticket quietly made contact with the National Lottery to make arrangements to collect their €88.5 million jackpot.

Shortly after lunch National Lottery headquarters confirmed the ticket holder had been in touch and would be coming in to pick up their prize money next week.

A spokeswoman declined to say where the ticket had been bought or if the winning numbers had been chosen by just one person or a syndicate.

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Drivers warned as gale force wind leads to debris on roadsOpens in new window ]

There are reports of fallen trees and wind-blown debris across the country on Thursday as Met Éireann warns of gale force winds.

There is a status yellow wind warning in place until 3pm today for counties Dublin, Louth, Wexford, Wicklow, Meath, Donegal, Galway, Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Clare, Cork, Kerry and Waterford.

Met Éireann says winds will “increase strong to gale force and gusty in coastal counties, with gusts of 90 to 110 km/h at times”.

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