LAST UPDATE | 22 Jun 2022

GOOD MORNING.

Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your day.

Climate Change

1.  With some countries suffering under temperatures of 40 and 50 degrees in recent weeks, a climate expert has said Ireland will not reach this heat “anytime soon” 

Spain, France and other countries in western Europe have been experiencing an intense June heatwave.

Special Needs

2. The Department of Education is failing children with Special Educational Needs regarding the provision of suitable school places, a report by the Ombudsman for Children’s Office (OCO) has found.

“For children who live in provision ‘black spots’, most notably Dublin and Cork, the system can fail in its response. That such failings occur is not acceptable,” the report said.

War in Ukraine

3. Ukrainian forces are facing “massive” and relentless artillery attacks in a battleground eastern city, Kyiv warned, as Russian troops gained ground throughout the Donbas region.

Moscow’s troops have been pummelling eastern Ukraine for weeks and are slowly advancing, despite fierce resistance from the outgunned Ukrainian military.

Martin Meeting

4. Staying with Ukraine, President Zelenskyy has invited Taoiseach Micheál Martin to visit Ukraine.

The two leaders spoke ahead of a European Council meeting on Thursday and Friday where EU leaders are due to discuss the European Commission’s recommendation to grant Ukraine candidacy status.

FOI Concerns

5. The Information Commissioner has expressed concern over the high percentage of deemed refusals of Freedom of Information requests his office saw last year.

Public bodies have four weeks to make a decision on a request for information, unless they seek an extension from the person who made the request. Those making a request can seek an internal review if they do not receive any response within those four weeks.

 Afghanistan

6. A power ful earthquake in Afghanistan killed at least 255 people and injured 60 others in areas bordering Pakistan, with the toll expected to rise, officials said today.

Gun Control 

7. US senators have have reached agreement on a bipartisan gun violence bill.

The move potentially tees up congressional passage this week on an incremental but notable package that would stand as Congress’s response to mass shootings in Texas and New York that shook the nation.

RIP

8. The father of murdered 14-year-old girl Ana Kriegel passed away. 

Weather

9. A dull start today with a few patches of drizzle and mist. However, it will brighten up and become mostly dry as the day goes on with sunny spells developing and just isolated showers. Feeling warm in the sunshine with highest temperatures of 17 to 22 degrees, warmest away from the northwest, in a light westerly or variable breeze.

Full forecast here.