GOOD MORNING.

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

Long Covid

1. In our lead story this morning, Michelle Hennessy looks at the major challenge of treating the debilitating fatigue experienced by some long Covid patients.

The ‘invisible’ symptoms of Long Covid, such as fatigue and brain fog, can be the most frustrating, one patient told The Journal.

More than a year-and-a-half after he first contracted Covid-19, the patient, who is a healthcare worker, continues to struggle with breathlessness requiring an inhaler, has to take heart medication to keep palpitations at bay and finds even simple tasks exhausting.

Michael Collins

2. Thousands of people are expected to attend a commemoration ceremony to mark the death of Michael Collins, which occurred 100 years ago tomorrow.

Micheál Martin will become the first Fianna Fáil Taoiseach to speak at a commemoration for the revolutionary leader. He will join Tánaiste Leo Varadkar in delivering a joint oration.

Collins led the pro-Treaty side in the Irish Civil War, which Varadkar will call an “an unnecessary war in which brother turned on brother.”

Planning

3. The transition to a fully online planning system been delayed into 2023.

Currently, the system for submitting planning applications and appeals remains a mostly paper-based system, except in some local authorities where trials have been rolled out.

The Department of Housing told The Journal that so-called ePlanning is expected to be rolled out in 14 local authorities by the end of this year, with the remainder switching over in 2023.

SIPO

4. For a number of years, the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo) has said it wants more “teeth” to hold politicians to account.

A controversy concerning junior minister Robert Troy and the errors in his Dáil declarations of interest has thrown into sharp focus the issues with holding those in public office accountable for stories such as this one.

The Journal asked Tánaiste Leo Varadkar in a recent interview why Government is so slow to move on giving more powers to a body that will keep a close eye on politicians.

Ukraine

5. Russian authorities have claimed that they shot down Ukrainian drones in Crimea yesterday.

Ukrainian officials, meanwhile, have said Russian forces continued to attempt to seize one of the few cities in eastern Ukraine not already under their control.

The Russian military has also kept up its strikes in Ukraine’s north and south.

Roscommon tragedy

6. The toddler who was killed after being knocked down by a Jeep in Roscommon was a British boy on holidays with his family, it has emerged.

The PA news agency understands that the boy, who was under the age of two, had been staying at a property in the county with his parents.

China
7. China has announced plans to try and protect its grain harvest from record-breaking drought by using chemicals to generate rain.

The hottest, driest summer since Chinese records began 61 years ago has wilted crops and left reservoirs at half their normal water level.

Factories in Sichuan province were shut down last week to save power for homes as air-conditioning demand surged, with temperatures soaring to 45C, and their closure may be extended for another week.

Athletics

8. The Irish women’s 4x400m relay team has finished in sixth place in the final at the European Championships in Munich, while it was an eighth-placed finish for Louise Shanahan in the 800m final.

Elsewhere, Michelle Finn came home in 14th place in the final of the 3,000m steeplechase, finishing in a time of 9:47.57. Speaking to RTÉ Sport after her race, she said that this had been a “bumpy season” for her, but her finishing time was just two seconds outside of her season’s best.

Donal Ryan

9. Irish author Donal Ryan has published his new novel, The Queen of Dirt Island.

He sat down with Aoife Barry to talk about the writing process of his sixth book, including creating female characters and teaching creative writing in the University of Limerick.