LAST UPDATE | 17 Jul 2024

GOOD MORNING. 

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

Palestine

1. A high risk of famine persists across the entire Gaza Strip as the war intensifies and humanitarian access remains restricted.

Earlier this month, the Pentagon announced that it ceased all operations aimed at reopening the sea pier due to technical and weather-related issues. As a result, critical questions remain: How will aid be sent to Gaza’s hungry residents, and what are Gazans eating now?

Loophole

2. The Government  has moved to close a legal loophole which resulted in thousands of people whose mortgages were sold to vulture funds having no access to the State’s financial ombudsman service.

PSNI

3. Two people have been arrested as part of an investigation into more than 50 reports of fraud on both sides of the Irish border over two years.

The probe was launched by the PSNI and Gardai following complaints that victims had sold goods such as machinery, but did not receive payment.

Africa

4. A planned visit by Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin to an informal settlement in Nairobi, Kenya has been pulled from his schedule due to security concerns amid a number of murders in the area. 

The Tánaiste is visiting Nairobi for two days this week before departing to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia later today. 

Republican convention

5. Donald Trump’s former rivals Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis have publicly endorsed the former president’s run for office, adding to the list of recent endorsements. 

EU Parliament 

6. Fine Gael MEP Regina Doherty has doubled down on her remarks over cycle lanes in Dublin and said that while she agrees the wording of her initial argument was clumsy, she still holds the view that bike infrastructure is “authoritarian”.

UK visit

7. Simon Harris will travel to England today to meet with his newly elected counterpart Keir Starmer for the first time as nation leaders.

The two will meet in Chequers, the Buckinghamshire country house of the UK prime minister, where they will aim to continue the Fine Gael leader’s ambitions of “resetting” Anglo Irish relations following the defeat of the Tories.

Gun laws

8. US President Joe Biden has called for a ban on the type of semi-automatic rifle that was used in the attempted assassination of his election rival Donald Trump.

Making his first campaign trail appearance since last weekend’s attack, Biden called on a ban on the AR-15.

Baldoyle

9. The coast road in Baldoyle is currently closed off in both directions due to a road traffic collision, gardaí have said. 

Gardaí are currently at the scene of the collision on the R106 in Baldoyle, Dublin 13. The Coast Road (R106) is currently closed in both directions between Baldoyle Church and Moyne Road in Dublin 13.