GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your day.
1. Government advice to householders on how to reduce energy consumption will be “strengthened” after Cabinet sign off today.
While the Government already launched their ‘Reduce Your Use’ campaign a number of months ago, due to the recent surge in wholesale energy prices, the advice will be more “direct”.
Energy Minister Eamon Ryan will bring a memo to Cabinet which will put a renewed emphasis the campaign, asking the public to use cookers, washing machines, dryers and kettles outside the peak hours where possible.
2. New UK Prime Minister Liz Truss and US President Joe Biden “agreed on the importance of protecting” peace in Northern Ireland, in a phone call hours after Truss became Britain’s new leader.
It comes amid reported concerns in the United States over Truss, after her one-year tenure as foreign secretary saw post-Brexit tensions in Northern Ireland increase and strain the UK’s ties with Brussels, Dublin and Washington.
In that previous role, Truss spearheaded legislation in Britain’s parliament that would unilaterally override parts of a UK-EU trade pact for Northern Ireland, which the bloc and Irish government vehemently oppose.
3. Meanwhile, Truss has appointed “arch-Brexiteer” Chris Heaton-Harris as Northern Ireland Secretary in her Cabinet.
The former Conservative Party’s chief whip represents the constituency of Daventry in England and replaces Shailesh Vara who was sacked ahead of the appointment.
DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson said he was looking forward to working with Heaton-Harris “to build a more stable and prosperous future for everyone in Northern Ireland and making the Union work for all our citizens”.
4. The UN’s atomic watchdog called for a security zone to be set up around Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which is occupied by Russia, as the area was hit by more shelling yesterday.
Russian troops seized control of the plant – Europe’s biggest atomic facility – in March and there have been repeated attacks in the vicinity, sparking fears of a nuclear disaster.
“The current situation is untenable,” the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a report after it sent inspectors to the plant last week.
5. A man in his 30s has been arrested in relation to a fatal hit and run incident in Co Cavan last month.
On August 19, the body of a man in his 50s was discovered on the N3 near Billis Bridge in Ballyjamesduff, but gardaí believe his body lay undiscovered overnight.
The man in his 30s is currently being detained in Bailieborough Garda Station and can be held for a period of up to 24 hours.
6. The funeral of Jack de Bromhead, a teenage jockey and son of Grand-National winning trainer Henry de Bromhead, will be held today.
It will be held in Co Waterford at 12 noon, followed by a private cremation.
Jack’s death has shocked the Irish racing community – he died following a fall from a pony while riding at the Glenbeigh Festival in Co Kerry on Saturday.
7. Passengers arriving into Dublin Airport have continued to report issues with their luggage, with some complaining of long delays while others have been told their suitcases are lost.
Following an early summer of travel chaos at the airport, airlines and luggage handlers were called to a meeting of the Oireachtas Transport Committee in late July to explain their part in the disruption.
But passengers in recent weeks have continued to report issues with lost bags and delays at the baggage collection area.
8. One of the classified documents seized by the FBI at former US president Donald Trump’s Florida residence described the nuclear capabilities and military defenses of a foreign power, The Washington Post reported Tuesday.
The newspaper, citing unnamed sources familiar with the case, said that some of the documents found in were so highly classified that only the president and cabinet or near-cabinet level officials would be cleared to authorize other government officials to access them.
It did not name the country whose defense and nuclear capabilities were cited in the document.
9. The Fighting Irish tonight have been given permission to party by their manager Vera Pauw after Republic of Ireland earned a gritty 1-0 win in Slovakia — and most significantly, a World Cup play-off bye.
Denise O’Sullivan’s 36th-minute goal was decisive in dragging Vera Pauw’s side over the line in their final Group A qualifier — but captain Katie McCabe, in particular, was pulled and dragged out of all the way.
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