GOOD MORNING. 

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

Covid Numbers

1. As subvariants of the Omicron strain of Covid-19 cause a rise in official case numbers, experts have said the true picture may be significantly worse. 

According to the latest Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HSPC) report, the Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants are replacing the previously dominant BA.2 variant, which spread across Ireland in late 2021.

Norway

2. A suspect has been arrested after two people were killed and more than a dozen injured in a mass shooting in Oslo.

The shooting happened early this morning outside a bar in the downtown area of the Norwegian capital, police said.

Roe Vs Wade

3. Abortion clinics in at least eight US states stopped performing abortions and others began to close after the Supreme Court removed American women’s constitutional right to the procedure.

Mayoral Election 

4. Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is to address the Citizens’ Assembly on a directly elected mayor for Dublin.

The Dublin Citizens’ Assembly is tasked with considering the type of directly elected mayor best suited for Dublin, and to bring forward proposals to the Oireachtas.

Safety

5. There has been an increase in the number of inexperienced climbers attempting to climb mountains in order to post about it on social media sites like Instagram, according to a veteran climber.

Payout

6. The judge in the Johnny Depp-Amber Heard defamation trial has made a jury’s award official today.

Judge Penney Azcarate made a written order for Heard to pay Depp $10.35 million (€9.8 million) for damaging his reputation by describing herself as a domestic abuse victim in an opinion piece she wrote.

RIP

7. The driver of a car died following a single-vehicle crash yesterday afternoon in Co Laois.

First

8. South County Dublin’s new mayor is the first LGBT woman to be elected to the position in Ireland. 

Fianna Fáil councillor Emma Murphy was elected as Mayor of South Dublin County at a council meeting last night.

Weather

9. Unseasonably wet and windy today with strong southerly winds. Rain will persist over the western half of the country, heavy and thundery at times. Beginning mostly dry across the eastern half of the country, outbreaks of rain will extend to the east later by evening. Highest temperatures of 11 to 17 degrees, coolest across Munster and Connacht.

Full forecast here.