LAST UPDATE | 2 Aug 2022

GOOD MORNING.

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

Concealed pregnancies

1. In our lead story this morning, reporter Eoghan Dalton explores the treatment of women who conceal their pregnancy – that is, who have not disclosed to a medical professional that she is pregnant.

Experts say that imposing a prison sentence, as in a recent case of a young woman being jailed after leaving her newborn in a bin, will be a deterrent to women coming forward in the future.

Some historical cases concerning concealed pregnancies in Irish history include the Ann Lovett case in Longford in 1984 and the wrongful murder accusation of a woman in what became known as the Kerry Babies case. 

David Trimble

2. Stormont is set to return for a special sitting tomorrow to deliver tributes to Nobel Peace Prize winner David Trimble after his funeral yesterday.

MLAs will observe a minute’s silence and sign a book of condolence in his memory. Trimble, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize alongside the SDLP’s John Hume for his work on the Good Friday Agreement, died last week at the age of 77 following an illness. 

Ukraine war

3. Three British men, one man from Croatia and another from Sweden are set to stand trial in a Russian proxy court in eastern Ukraine.

They are accused of being mercenaries, with prosecutors alleging that all five men were members of the Azov battalion and other military units captured in Mariupol. 

John Harding, who has been in Ukraine since 2018, Cambridgeshire aid worker Dylan Healy and military volunteer Andrew Hill will be tried in the Moscow-backed Supreme Court of the Donetsk People’s Republic, according to Russian state news agency Tass.

Al-Qaeda leader killed

4. The US killed Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri, who planned the 9/11 attacks alongside Osama bin Laden, in a drone strike in Afghanistan last night.

In an address, US President Joe Biden said intelligence officials tracked al-Zawahri to a home in downtown Kabul where he was hiding out with his family. 

Sabina Higgins’ letter

5. President Michael D Higgins issued a statement yesterday to reiterate his condemnation of the war in Ukraine after controversy over a letter by his wife Sabina calling for a negotiated end to the war.

She wrote that the war will continue “until the world persuades President Vladimir Putin of Russia and President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine to agree to a ceasefire and negotiations”, leading critics to argue the letter drew an equivalence between the actions of Ukraine and Russia.

The president’s new statement says that “the record shows President Higgins has been unequivocal in his condemnation of the Russian invasion of Ukraine”.

Monkeypox

6. California has declared a state of emergency to ramp up efforts to fight the monkeypox outbreak as the infection continues to spread.

The state’s governor said the measure would help with seeking more vaccines and leading outreach and education efforts on where people can get treatment and vaccines.

The World Health Organization recently declared monkeypox a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Speeding

7. Gardaí caught more than 1,000 drivers speeding on Saturday and Sunday during the Bank Holiday weekend, including speeds of up to 170 km/h.

467 drivers were detected speeding on Saturday and 544 on Sunday out of 116,000 and 96,000 vehicles respectively. 

Energy profits

8. Oil giant BP reported a net profit of $9.3 billion in the second quarter of this year, a threefold increase from the same three-month period last year.

The profit follows a $20.4-billion loss in the first three months of the year due to its exit from Russia over the war in Ukraine.

Pakistan floods

9. Flash floods caused by monsoon rain in Pakistan have killed 140 people over the last week.

Rescue workers have evacuated thousands of people in the flood areas, with food and other necessities being delivered to victims.

Floods have destroyed or damaged nearly 37,000 homes in Pakistan since 14 June.