GOOD MORNING.

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

Drought

1. In our lead story this morning, Orla Dwyer reports from Turkana County, Kenya on the people experiencing malnutrition due to drought.

Ekal Mudang, a mother attending a malnutrition clinic with her son Atur, said that since the drought, people have fewer resources to share and it is much harder to earn money. 

When she was a child, “life was better because there was rain, wild fruits were available and everyone had livestock. But not getting rain is a problem and accessing food is a challenge.”

Westminster

2. The UK Liberal Democrats have called for an immediate investigation into claims that outgoing Prime Minister Boris Johnson lobbied for a young woman to get a City Hall job while he was London mayor after knowing her for only a few weeks.

The Sunday Times reported that the woman was upset by what happened and confronted Johnson about it several years later.

Meanwhile, eight Tories have put themselves forward so far to replace Johnson as and become the next leader of the Conservative Party. 

Healthcare

3. Independent Senator Eileen Flynn has said the Department of Health “isn’t strong enough” on care for Travellers.

The senator is calling for the implementation of the National Traveller Health Action Plan, which is included in Programme for Government, accusing the government of “winging it”.

Minister of State at the Department of Health Frank Feighan responded that the plan should be agreed “around September”, pointing to delays caused by the pandemic. 

Rugby

4. Irish rugby player Dan Sheehan has said that “if we get our stuff right, we’ll win” the next game following Ireland’s defeat of New Zealand yesterday.

Ireland beat New Zealand on the latter’s turf for the first time yesterday by 23-12 – the All Blacks’ biggest home defeat in 29 years.

“In the first half we had a lot of time to regroup and everyone was trying to chirp in their opinion when it just needed one voice, one word and sometimes even nothing at all. We just needed to settle our heads,” Sheehan said.

“It was getting a bit frantic; everyone wanted to do their own thing. We just got a bit giddy towards the end of the first half.” 

Springhill shootings

5. The families of five people who were shot dead in Belfast in 1972 have pledged to never stop seeking the truth.

A fresh inquest into the Springhill killings is currently anticipated to be heard next year.

However, a bill tabled by the UK Government would end inquests and civil proceedings related to the Troubles, including amnesty for perpetrators in the British army.

An Bord Pleanála

6. The deputy chair of An Bord Pleanála has resigned amid an investigation into alleged conflicts of interest not being declared.

Paul Hyde tendered his resignation to Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien ahead of a report that was due to be finalised at the end of June but was pushed back for another month.

Labour Senator Rebecca Moynihan has called on the minister to fast-track the publication of the investigative report.

Shinzo Abe

7. Japanese police have admitted to problems in the security for the country’s former prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was assassinated at a campaign event on Friday.

“I believe it is undeniable that there were problems with the guarding and safety measures for former prime minister Abe,” said Tomoaki Onizuka, head of the Nara prefectural police.

“In all the years since I became a police officer in 1995… there is no greater remorse, no bigger regret than this,” he said. 

Tributes

8. US actor Tony Sirico, best known for portraying Paulie “Walnuts” Gualtieri in The Sopranos, has died.

The 79-year-old passed away on Friday, his family have confirmed.

“Tony was like no one else: he was as tough, as loyal and as big hearted as anyone I’ve ever known,” his Sopranos co-star Michael Imperioli said.

What next?

9. Political columnist Larry Donnelly reflects on the quantity of alarming events in recent weeks and months and asks where the world is headed.

“For those with a similar disposition – and I believe most of us are of this ilk – the world is scary right now. A lengthy period of consistently bad news has been disheartening, to put it mildly,” he writes.