LAST UPDATE | 17 Aug 2021
GOOD MORNING.
Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your day.
1. In our lead story this morning, Maria Delaney of Noteworthy reports that ongoing obstacles to accessibility on public transport are leading to isolation and anxiety.
The National Travel Authority and Department of Transport could not give a date for when people could expect a fully accessible public transport system.
Minister of State with responsibility for Disability Anne Rabbitte said: “I can’t pin a date to it, as it’s not my Department.”
2. In Afghanistan, the Taliban has declared a “general amnesty” for government officials working in the country.
Two days after taking power, it’s urging officials to return to work.
In a statement, it said: “A general amnesty has been declared for all… so you should start your routine life with full confidence.”
3. Meanwhile, in France, thousands of people are being evacuated as a wildfire rages near Saint-Tropez in the south of the country.
Around 750 firefighters and water-dropping aircraft have battled the blaze as people evacuate, including tourists staying in campites.
Wildfires like this one, which climate scientists have warned will become more common, have already flared up in other Meditteranean countries this summer.
4. Bob Dylan is being sued by a woman who says he sexually abused her when she was 12-years-old.
The lawsuit alleges that he abused the woman over six weeks between April and May 1965 and that he physically threatened her.
A spokesperson for Dylan, whose real name is Robert Zimmerman, said the claim was untrue and would be “vigorously defended”.
The woman said she suffered “severe psychological damage and emotional trauma”.
5. Back in Ireland, a great white pelican on the loose from Fota Wildlife Park has been spotted in Dublin Bay.
The pelican, which went missing from the Cork wildlife park, was seen in Wicklow and then on Bull Island.
The bird previously flew from Cork to Wexford in 2018 and park officials expect he’ll return to Fota in late September or early October.
6. If the pelican has sparked your interest in wildlife, you could tune into a talk on Friday on rewilding and restoring nature – one of the many events happening in the coming days for National Heritage Week.
Heritage week, which puts a focus on Ireland’s built, natural and cultural heritage, runs this year until Sunday.
We’ve rounded up a collection of highlights for your calendar here.
7. Public health officials have confirmed 1,558 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland yesterday evening.
262 patients with Covid-19 were in hospital, including 51 people in ICU.
“The Delta variant has enabled Covid-19 to regain a foothold in Ireland, which puts us all at risk as social contacts and mobility increase. We are closely monitoring the spread of the virus with some concern,” the chief medical officer said.
8. The government is yet to decide whether it will appoint someone to the role of UN special envoy on freedom of opinion and expression after Katherine Zappone stood down.
Zappone stepped back from the role after a controvery arose around the manner of her appointment and her hosting of an event in the Merrion Hotel.
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney said that “clearly, there’s no point in appointing a special envoy unless it has the confidence and support of all stakeholders”.
9. Alcohol retaiers are changing marketing stategies ahead of minimum unit pricing set to come in next year.
A new price survey of off-licences has found that retailers are changing the products they sell to retain the same prices.
These shifts range from selling fewer multi-pack beers to selling smaller volume units such as 440ml cans and 500ml bottles of spirits.
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