LAST UPDATE | 18 Jul 2024

GOOD MORNING. 

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

Character references

1. People who give character references for sexual offenders can now be cross-examined in court. Character references handed to a judge following a guilty plea or verdict in a trial have long been a source of controversy in Ireland. 

Israel

2. Oxfam has said Israel is “weaponizing water” as a new report shows water supply in Gaza has dropped by 94% to around five litres a day per person.

The Oxfam report, titled Water War Crimes, said that the destruction of water and electricity infrastructure, as well as restrictions on the entry of spare parts and fuel, has resulted in water production in Gaza plummeting by 84%.

Drone attacks

3. Russia downed 33 Ukrainian aerial drones overnight over Crimea and 10 naval drones that were heading for the peninsula, Moscow’s defence ministry has said.

EU Parliament 

4. At least two Irish MEPs are set to take a seat each on the European Parliament’s agriculture committee, which in this term will renegotiate the terms in the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

Africa

5. Micheál Martin today continues his trip in East Africa, stationing himself in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa for the next two days. 

His itinerary will see him meet with various political leaders and directors of Irish non-governmental aid agencies. 

IALPA

6. Aer Lingus pilots are due to begin voting today on whether to accept a pay deal compromise put forward by the Labour Court after weeks of industrial action and deadlocked negotiations.

Trump’s VP pick

7. JD Vance has introduced himself to the world after being chosen as Donald Trump’s running mate in November’s US election.

In his speech to the Republican National Convention (RNC), Vance shared his story of growing up poor in Kentucky and Ohio, his mother addicted to drugs and his father absent.

Von der Leyen

8. The much-anticipated vote in the European Parliament on whether Ursula von der Leyen should continue as President of the European Commission is set to take place today.

Fatal crash

9. A man and a woman have died following a crash in Co Donegal.

Garda and emergency services were alerted to the two-car crash, which happened on the N56 at Kilmacrennan - around 10km to the north of Letterkenny – at around 11.50pm last night.