LAST UPDATE | 17 Aug 2022

GOOD MORNING.

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

Navan Hospital

1. In our lead story this morning, Christina Finn reports that a HSE memo shows a review group tasked to give a “fresh look” at the planned closure of the emergency department at Our Lady’s Hospital Navan will be completed in “a few weeks”.

Two Sinn Féin TDs as well as Aontú’s Peadar Toíbín have hit out against the wording of the terms of reference in which the review group is operating, saying the statement released by the Ireland East Hospital Group “make no reference to enhancing or even protecting existing services at Navan Hospital”.

Roster issues

2. Garda representative groups are set to ballot members on proposed rosters that rank and file representatives have said are “adverse changes” to their conditions of employment, The Journal has learned.

As previously reported, difficult talks have been ongoing within the force on new rosters that would see response regular units work a four-day shift rotation of twelve-hour shifts each.

Liz Cheney 

3. Republican rebel Liz Cheney has lost her seat in US Congress to a candidate backed by Donald Trump, but vowed to fight on and do “whatever it takes” to ensure that the former US president is never returned to power.

Once considered Republican royalty, the lawmaker from Wyoming has become a pariah in the party over her membership on the congressional panel investigating the January 6 assault on the US Capitol – and Trump’s role in fanning the flames.

RIP

4. A man remains in custody in relation to the murder investigation into the death of Miriam Burns in Kerry. 

Her body was found at approximately 1.15pm yesterday at a residential property in Ardshanavooley.

Gardaí arrested a man in his 50s and he continues to remain in custody for questioning at Killarney Garda Station.

Liz Truss

5. Liz Truss has claimed she would get Sinn Féin and the DUP into government together at Stormont if she is made the next British prime minister.

The Tory leadership frontrunner said she would work to fix the NI Protocol and restore power sharing in Stormont, which has been in flux since February.

US climate law 

6. US President Joe Biden has signed the Democrats’ major climate change and healthcare bill into law.

The legislation includes the most substantial federal investment in US history to fight climate change — some $375 billion (€368 billion) over the decade — and would cap prescription drug costs at $2,000 (€1,965) out-of-pocket annually for Medicare recipients.

War in Ukraine 

7. Russian President Vladimir Putin has claimed that the United States was trying to prolong the conflict in Ukraine.

Washington is “using the people of Ukraine as cannon fodder”, he said, lashing out at the United States for supplying weapons to Kyiv. 

Sport 

8. Israel Olatunde last night became the first Irish athlete to book a spot in the final of the 100m at the European Championships in Munich.

He then finished in sixth place in the final with a new national record of 10.17.

Filmmaker 

9. German director Wolfgang Petersen, whose World War Two submarine epic Das Boot propelled him onto the Hollywood blockbuster A-list, has died at the age of 81.

Petersen died on Friday at his home in the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Brentwood after a battle with pancreatic cancer, his representative Michelle Bega said.