GOOD MORNING.

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

Air traffic chaos

1.Travel disruption for UK travellers could last for days leaving thousands of passengers stranded while some flights to Britain from Dublin Airport have been delayed following an air traffic control technical fault.

Holidaymakers were hit by travel delays, which started yesterday after a UK air traffic control failure meant flight plans had to be input manually by controllers.

The delays have continued into today according to Kevin Cullinane, Group Head of Communications at Dublin Airport Authority, the operator of Dublin and Cork airports. 

“Due to issues with the UK’s National Air Traffic Service (NATS) yesterday, some further flights to, from and over the UK have been impacted by either delays or cancellations today,” he said. 

Sliabh Liag

2. A woman arrested in connection with a fatal assault in Co Donegal in June has been charged by gardaí.

The woman, aged in her 20s, is due to appear before a Special Sitting of Letterkenny District Court this morning at 11.00am.

The incident took place in the Sliabh Liag / Killybegs area of the county some time between 24 and 25 June.

Air pollution

3. Air pollution is more dangerous to the health of the average person on planet Earth than smoking or alcohol, with the threat worsening in its global epicenter South Asia even as China fast improves, a study showed today.

Yet the level of funding set aside to confront the challenge is a fraction of the amount earmarked for fighting infectious diseases, said the research from the Energy Policy Institute at the University of Chicago (EPIC).

Its annual Air Quality Life Index (AQLI) report showed that fine particulate air pollution – which comes from vehicle and industrial emissions, wildfires and more – remains the “greatest external threat to public health.”

Martin in Spain

4. Tánaiste Micheál Martin will attend informal meetings of EU Defence and Foreign Affairs ministers in Spain over the next several days.

The meetings will be hosted by Spain in Toledo, with the first round of discussions to be held today among EU Defence Ministers.

Spain currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.

Bail revoked

5. A 16-year-old boy charged with “gratuitous” attacks and robbery of English tourists in Dublin’s Temple Bar had bail revoked and was remanded in custody today.

A court heard he returned to the same area on Sunday afternoon but knocked over an elderly woman and injured a Garda inspector while evading officers who knew he had been banned from that part of the city.

Varadkar and Rees-Mogg

6. Taoiseach Leo Varadkar was told to prepare himself for “anachronistic upper-class mannerisms” as well as “controversial traditionalist views” ahead of an online meeting with the UK politician Jacob Rees-Mogg.

In prepared notes, Varadkar – who was then serving as Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise – was briefed on the “retrograde steps” the British government had taken over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Water births

7. Water births gradually making a comeback in Ireland, after long-term suspensions meant they were only used in labour and not birth.

This summer, our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, became the third hospital to re-introduce the option after their use was halted over a decade ago.

Meat free Mondays

8. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has deleted a tweet it shared which encouraged people to reduce their consumption of red meat.

The tweet, which was posted yesterday, urged people to “cut down your red meat intake” and “try veggie recipes” in order to be “healthier, wealthier and more fabulous”.

It also stated that 10% of meat purchased is thrown out and encouraged people to reduce their meat intake slowly by trying “veggie lunches” and “Meat Free Mondays”.

Tensions in Eastern Europe

9. Nato members Poland and the Baltic states will seal off their borders with Russia’s ally Belarus in the event of any military incidents or a massive migrant push by Minsk, the countries’ interior ministers warned today.

The ministers said they were seeing growing tensions on Nato’s and the European Union’s borders with Belarus, which has taken in thousands of Russia’s military mercenaries and is pushing Middle East and African migrants into Europe, despite various forms of barriers having been put up.