Five things you need to know today

Dublin, Cork landlords limited to 4% rent rises under plan: Landlords in Dublin and Cork will only be able to increase rents by up to 4 per cent a year, over the next three years, under new proposals being brought to Cabinet on Tuesday.

Rising rents have been blamed for the homelessness crisis and in a move to tackle the issue, Minister for Housing Simon Coveney is to announce a series of measures targeting the private rental sector

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'To attract top talent, increase pay for high ranking public staff ': The Government has indicated that top-level specialist positions are the areas in greatest need of pay rises in the public service and that in the main, remuneration levels for State employees at other levels are very attractive.

In a confidential submission to the new Public Service Pay Commission – which is looking at remuneration for all 300,000 people on the State payroll including gardaí, teachers and civil servants – the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform said there was "no problem" in recruiting new entrants to the public service in general on existing terms.

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'Surrender or die': Syrian army on brink of Aleppo victory: Residents of east Aleppo have sent out desperate messages imploring the international community to save civilians in besieged districts of the Syrian city, as forces loyal to the president, Bashar al-Assad, bear down on the remaining enclaves still controlled by the opposition.

The rebellion of Aleppo appeared to be in its death throes as Assad’s troops and Iranian-backed militias took control of the vast majority of the territory once held by the opposition, coming within sight of a crucial victory in the war that has cost tens of thousands of lives over four and a half years.

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Alcohol and other drugs kill two people a day in Ireland: Two people a day died from causes related to alcohol and other drug use in 2014, according to latest figures from the Health Research Board.

There were 697 drug-related deaths in 2014 and almost 6,700 over the preceding decade, a period that saw a 62 per cent rise in fatalities, the figures show.

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Gale warning for coastal areas on Tuesday night: A gale warning is in place for Tuesday night with winds of gale force 8 forecast.

Met Éireann said the said winds would strengthen during the day and that the warning applied to all Irish coasts and the Irish Sea.

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