LAST UPDATE | 1 Aug
GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news you need to know as you start your day.
1. A 17-year-old male has been charged with the murders of three girls at a holiday club in Southport.
The teenager has been remanded in custody to appear later today at Liverpool Magistrates Court.
Violent disorder has broken out in parts of the country following the attack, with more than 100 people arrested at a protest in Whitehall last night.
2. A significant uptake in swimming is expected after Daniel Wiffen and Mona McSharry’s Olympic wins – but can Ireland keep up?
That’s the question posed in this morning’s lead story by Mairead Maguire amid concerns that Ireland is nowhere near meeting demand, as waiting lists stubbornly continue.
Caroline Patton, manager at Ballyshannon Leisure Centre in Co Donegal – where McSharry did much of her training over the years – says it’s common for people to drive long distances from other counties for lessons, similar to how our new medal winner did.
3. The man accused of being the main plotter in the September 11 attacks in 2001 has agreed to plead guilty.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two accomplices, Walid Bin Attash and Mustafa al-Hawsawi, are expected to enter the pleas at the military commission at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, as soon as next week – with US media reporting that the terms included the men’s longstanding condition that they be spared the death penalty.
4. Donald Trump has claimed that Vice President Kamala Harris opted to “turn black”, in the latest attack against his Democratic rival in the race for the White House.
Trump falsely claimed that Harris, whose father is originally from Jamaica and mother is originally from India, “was always of Indian heritage and was only promoting Indian heritage”.
The remarks are the latest attack from the Republicans against the presumptive Democratic nominee after Trump claimed earlier this week that Harris – who is married to a Jewish man – was antisemitic.
5. An IT consultant killed in a helicopter crash in Co Westmeath has been remembered by his family.
Father-of-two Niall Crosby, of Glenageary, Dublin, and one other man, who is understood to be from eastern Europe, died in the crash close to the village of Killucan on Tuesday.
In a statement, Niall’s family said the 46-year-old will be deeply missed by his wife Jillian, two sons and wider family circle, friends and work colleagues.
9. Tánaiste Micheál Martin has urged any Irish citizens currently in Lebanon to leave before there is any further escalation of tensions in the region.
Speaking in Paris, he said that there are currently approximately 100 Irish citizens in registered with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) in the country.
“In the event of any escalation, egress out of Lebanon could become very difficult in the event of an airport being bombed or something similar,” he said.
7. Sinn Féin plans to set out in a new policy document how a two-bed starter home in Dublin can be delivered for around €300,000 or less.
The party will today launch a policy document called: ‘Bringing Home Ownership Back Into Reach For Working People.’
It is understood the document will also outline how cheaper cost-rental rents of €1,000 per month or less can be delivered.
8. Ireland’s first ever velodrome, has been given the green light to progress by government.
Along with the indoor cycling track, a 12-court badminton centre is also to be developed at the which is to be located at the National Sports Campus in Blanchardstown.
The facility will comprise of a 250 metre cycling track, with the 12 badminton courts located in the in-track area.
9. Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman has indicated that income tax changes are a “priority” for the Greens in this year’s budget rather than inheritance tax cuts.
He outlined that in the programme for government includes a commitment so as to ensure low pay workers “aren’t thrown into the tax net” and those on the standard rate of tax aren’t brought into the higher tax band as their wages rise.
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