LAST UPDATE | 21 Jul 2022

GOOD MORNING.

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

Rising emissions

1. In our lead story this morning, Jane Moore reports that concerns have been raised about whether the State can stay within legally binding carbon budgets as emissions rose to above pre-pandemic levels last year.

The Environmental Protection Agency published its provisional greenhouse gas emissions for Ireland for 2021 – showing an emissions increase of 4.7% in 2021 compared to the year prior. 

Ireland has a number of climate targets in place all centred around the requirement to slash greenhouse gas emissions by 51% by 2030 and reach net zero emissions by 2050.

Interest rates due to rise

2. The European Central Bank is set to raise its interest rates for the first time in over a decade today as fears of a gas supply cut cloud the outlook for the eurozone economy.

In the face of soaring inflation, the central bank’s policymakers are committed to raising interest rates by at least a quarter point from their current historic lows.

Russian gas 

3. The Nord Stream gas pipeline linking Russia to Germany restarted today after 10 days of maintenance work, its operator has said.

The German government had feared the pipeline would not be reopened by Moscow after the scheduled work.

Co Down aircraft crash

4. Police in Northern Ireland have launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death of two people in a light aircraft crash in Co Down.

Rishi v Liz

5. The stage has been set for the contest to select the next UK Prime Minister, as both Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss prepare to start campaigning among the Tory membership.

Following a fractious campaign in recent days, which saw significant infighting between the candidates for the Tory leadership, the final two contenders emerged yesterday.  

FactFind 

6. The government announced tighter regulations on Airbnb rentals in Ireland last week in a bid to stem rental accommodation shortages. 

Here’s how other countries regulated Airbnb and what happened when they did.  

NI Protocol 

7. A DUP MP accused the SDLP, Alliance Party and the UK Labour Party of being a “pan-nationalist front” amid debates on amendments to the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill yesterday. 

DUP MP for Strangford Jim Shannon made the accusation after parties tabled amendments to the Bill, which seeks to override large swathes of the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Russian attack

8. Russia said that its military aims in Ukraine have expanded beyond the industrial Donbas region as its forces launched deadly barrages over the east and the south of the country.

The warning came as the European Commission called on EU countries to slash demand for natural gas to relieve dependence on Russian energy and the bloc agreed an embargo on Russian gold imports.

Monkeypox

9. The World Health Organisation will reconvene its expert monkeypox committee today to decide whether the outbreak now constitutes a global health emergency — the highest alarm it can sound.

A second meeting of the WHO’s emergency committee on the virus will be held to examine the evidence on the worsening situation, with nearly 14,000 cases reported from more than 70 countries.