LAST UPDATE | 18 Aug 2022

GOOD MORNING.

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

Afghanistan 

1. In our lead story this morning, Céimin Burke reports that no decisions have yet been issued on over 500 applications from people seeking temporary residence in Ireland.

In response to the crisis, Ireland created a special scheme – the Afghan Admissions Programme (AAP) – to help Afghans travel to Ireland to stay with family members who were already living in the State.

Despite the application deadline passing five months ago, the Department of Justice has yet to issue decisions on any of the applicants, leaving Afghans in limbo as they seek to join their family in Ireland.

London death

2. A 44-year-old man has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of 87-year-old Irishman Thomas O’Halloran on a mobility scooter in west London.

He was arrested in the early hours of this morning, the Metropolitan Police have confirmed.

Garda leak 

3. Gardaí have launched an investigation into an alleged leak of information about a protected witness by a serving garda to an organised crime group.

The investigation is understood to be centred around the east of the country and involves a witness who was under protection by gardaí.

Monkeypox vaccine 

4. The HSE has widened the monkeypox vaccination process and estimates it will vaccinate 10% of the 6,000 people who may be at heightened risk of infection.

It is implementing National Immunisation Advisory Committee advice to vaccinate people at risk before they are exposed to the virus.

Kabul blast

5. At least three people have been killed and two dozen wounded after a blast hit a mosque packed with worshippers in the Afghan capital of Kabul last night, a hospital and officials said.

The explosion occurred as people were offering evening prayers at the mosque in a northwest district of Kabul.

Ukraine

6. UN chief Antonio Guterres will meet the leaders of Ukraine and Turkey in Lviv today following a deal reached last month that allowed the resumption of grain exports after Russia’s invasion blocked essential global supplies.

The meeting also comes a day after the head of NATO said it was “urgent” that the UN’s atomic watchdog be allowed to inspect Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, where a Russian occupation has sparked concerns of a nuclear accident.

WRC

7. A school principal allegedly told one of her staff who had recently suffered a miscarriage that it was “for the best”, as the woman already had grown children, the Workplace Relations Commission has heard.

It was part of several incidents claimed to be part of “bullying and harassment” suffered by the special needs assistant at St Paul’s Community College in Waterford city.

Forest fires

8. Firefighters in Spain and Portugal were battling to control multiple forest fires across the Iberian Peninsula yesterday with blazes in the Serra da Estrela park resuming just days after being brought under control.

Strong winds were hampering attempts to combat the spread of the fire, one of 195 that have ravaged some 92,000 hectares of land across Portugal this year amid record temperatures.

Loans

9. There has been an increase in the number of personal loans taken out over the past year, with credit soaring for for home improvements, education and weddings in particular.

The Banking & Payments Federation Ireland has reported the value of personal loan drawdowns increased by 20.1% year on year in Q2 2022 to €414 million.