GOOD MORNING.

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

Ireland and Scandinavia

1. In recent weeks, as war continues to rage in Ukraine, the sight of Irish politicians visiting Nordic countries has become a regular feature of news reports.

Both Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney have visited the Scandinavian region in recent weeks, as part of a plan to grow links with Nordic countries like Denmark, Finland, Sweden, Iceland and Norway.

In our Morning Lead, Niall O’Connor reports that the aim is to focus on increasing trade, tourism and culture links between Ireland and the Nordic countries.

Cost-of-living

2. Demonstrations calling for the Government to do more on the cost-of-living crisis were held yesterday, with hundreds of people taking to the streets in Dublin.

Protestors were calling for the Government to introduce a “mini-budget” to deal with the rising cost-of-living, with Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald saying that protests would continue every weekend until action was taken.

Homelessness crisis

3. As homeless figures passed over 10,000 for the first time since before the pandemic, The Journal has examined why the figures are increasing.

According to Mike Allen, advocacy director at Focus Ireland, the introduction of the eviction ban had stopped the rise in family homelessness, but said that single-person homelessness continued to rise throughout the pandemic.

French elections

4.  The second round of the French parliamentary election has kicked off today, with polling stations opening earlier this morning.

The election will be key for President Emmanuel Macron, who is hoping to keep a parliamentary majority to ensure he can pass his agenda.

A majority is not certain however, with the left-wing alliance NUPES, led by Jean-Luc Melenchon, set to make significant gains.

Pub firebombed

5. A pub in South Dublin was firebombed in the early hours of Saturday morning.

The incident occurred at the Lough Inn Pub with nobody being injured in the incident.

“Gardaí from Shankill are investigating an incident of criminal damage by fire at a licenced premises in Loughlinstown, Dublin shortly after midnight this morning Saturday 18 June, 2022,” a Garda spokesperson said.

EU electoral reform

6. New changes to EU elections could see a new Europe-wide constituency implemented where voters could vote for candidates from other countries.

Under the new proposals, voters would also get a greater say in electing the president of the European Commission through the Spitzenkandidaten process.

War in Ukraine

7.  The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said that he “will not give away the south to anyone” after visiting the southern frontline for the first time.

His comments come as Nato Chief Jens Stoltenberg has said that the war in Ukraine may last “for years”.

Bishop Street flats

8. Planning permission for a new digital billboard on Dublin’s Kevin Street Lower next to council flats that were dubbed by architects as “poor quality architecture” has been refused. 

The application was made by JCDecaux, with a the conservation method statement compiled by Anello Architects on behalf of the advertising company.

Sinn Féin Senator Lynn Boylan submitted a planning observation defending the Bishop Street flats, first built in the 1960s, that are located beside the proposed billboard site.

Weather forecast

9. It’s set to be a mostly dry day today, with some scattered light showers this morning.

While Met Éireann are forecasting a dry and bright afternoon, it will be blustery with some sunny intervals developing in places.

Highest temperatures today are set to be between 14 and 19 degrees.