LAST UPDATE | 15 Aug 2022

GOOD MORNING.

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

Power cuts

1. The ESB is working to restore power to thousands of customers across the country after thunderstorms caused outages across Ireland.

Counties Limerick, Longford, Cavan, Wexford, Kilkenny and Galway are worst impacted.

A Status Orange thunderstorm warning for Ireland is in place until 10am but continues until 4pm for Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow and Munster.

Latte levy

2. New polling has revealed widespread support for a 20 cent levy on disposable drink cups as the measure is set to be introduced in Ireland before the end of the year.

An opinion poll carried out on behalf of The Journal by Red C Research has found that more than seven out of every ten respondents think the so-called ‘latte levy’ is a good idea.

Legislation to introduce the levy was signed into law last month. The target date for it coming into force is 1 December.

Athlone death

3. Two men have been charged with violent disorder and assault following the death of a man who was seriously injured during an alleged “unprovoked assault” in Athlone, Co. Westmeath.

Paul Connolly, 48, had been on a stag night in the town in the early hours of Saturday. Gardaí arrested and charged two local men with assault causing harm to Mr Connolly and violent disorder.

Needle incident

4. An investigation has been launched after it was alleged that an instructor for frontline workers injected a student with a needle typically used to inject fluids or medication in emergency treatments, The Journal has learned. 

The Journal understands that the alleged incident was brought to the attention of management by several people who attended the tutorial last month. The needle is not believed to have contained any medication at the time.

Garda uniform

5. Gardaí will sport their new uniform from today, with a blue polo shirt replacing the current shirt worn by officers on duty.

The current Garda cap will remain in operation as a “unique and distinctive element’ of the Garda uniform, while shirts and ties are being dropped.

Armenian blast

6. The death toll from an explosion at a bustling shopping market in the Armenian capital Yerevan has risen to five.

Four women and one man died, over 60 were injured and 19 were missing after yesterday’s blast at the Surmalu wholesale market.

Search and rescue operations were carried out overnight, it said, with 10 survivors and one body pulled from the rubble.

Wexford crash

7. A man in his early 30s has died after the car he was a passenger in collided with a tree in Co Wexford last night.

The single vehicle crash took place at approximately 10:40pm in the townland of Bargy Commons in the village of Cleariestown.

Anne Heche

8. Hollywood actress Anne Heche has been “peacefully taken off life support” nine days after suffering a “severe anoxic brain injury” in a car crash.

The 53-year-old star had been in hospital since she was severely injured in the crash in the Mar Vista area of Los Angeles on 5 August.

The actress, who rose to fame in the late 90s, suffered burns and a brain injury when she crashed her car into a house.

Walrus euthanised

9. A walrus nicknamed Freya that attracted crowds while basking in the Oslo fjord was euthanised yesterday, with Norway officials saying it was the only option but experts slamming an “infinitely sad” decision.

Officials had previously said they were considering euthanasia because repeated appeals to the public to keep their distance from the young female weighing 600 kilograms had been in vain and that she was experiencing excessive stress.