LAST UPDATE | 10 Jun 2021

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

Testing the waters 

1. Over 1,400 people have had a boil water or do not consume notice in place for more than three months, with the majority of these having notices in place for much longer, writes Maria Delaney in today’s lead story. 

Almost 900 people across eight locations have boil water notices in place for a year or more, according to new data released by Irish Water to Noteworthy. 

There is also a wider issue with access to water for communities. Planning permission for 42 houses was recently refused by Kilkenny County Council, and An Bord Pleanála following an appeal, due to water supply and sewage treatment capacity in Paulstown. 

Northern Ireland 

2. Joe Biden will tell Boris Johnson not to let the row over Northern Ireland’s Brexit arrangements put the Good Friday Agreement at risk when the pair meet today.

In the US president’s first overseas visit, aides said he will stress the need to “stand behind” the Northern Ireland Protocol, the element of the Brexit deal which has triggered a UK-EU dispute.

Evacuated 

3. A hotel near the site of the G7 summit in Cornwall has been evacuated following reports of a suspicious package. 

Officers were called to the Falmouth Hotel in Falmouth about 3.15am following reports of a suspicious package on the hotel’s grounds. The town is being used as the main base for the world’s media who will be covering the G7 summit.

Revenue bill 

4. Gardaí have made a payment of nearly €270,000 to the Revenue Commissioners in settlement of a VAT bill for the restaurant and shop at their training college.

The payment was made as a “technical adjustment” according to a garda audit and without any penalties being applied.

Confusion had arisen over how goods sold at the restaurant and shop in Templemore should be charged for VAT, according to the report. 

Pool plea

5. There are fresh calls for Dublin City Council to scrap plans for a white-water rafting facility at George’s Dock with campaigners now calling for the council to build a public outdoor swimming facility instead.

Designed for use as a tourist attraction and by sports clubs, the white-water rafting facility would also be made available to Dublin Fire Brigade and other emergency services as a training resource. 

A petition with almost 3,000 signatures so far is calling on the council to instead use the space for a large, public, outdoor swimming facility that would be accessible to all. 

More jabs 

6. The US will buy 500 million more doses of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine to share through the global Covax alliance for donation to 92 lower income countries and the African Union over the next year, reports say.

The US has faced mounting pressure to outline its global vaccine sharing plan. Inequities in supply around the world have become more pronounced, and the demand for shots in the US — where nearly 64% of adults have received at least one dose — has dropped.

West Bank

7. Three Palestinians were killed early Thursday by Israeli special forces who were on an arrest mission in the northern West Bank, sources on both sides said.

One of the Palestinians killed was suspected of having carried out a shooting attack against Israeli soldiers, an Israeli security official said. The other two were members of the Palestinian Authority security forces who witnessed the initial exchange of fire.

Rail crossings 

8. Iarnród Éireann is calling on the public to be more vigilant at rail crossings as 31 ‘particularly worrying’ incidents have been reported so far this year. 

In 2020, there was a total of 60 incidents at level crossings, the majority of which was when a vehicle struck the barriers and continued over the crossing.

Irish Rail is asking for more vigilance from road users, in particular, as most incidents involved collisions with barriers. 

Partial eclipse 

9. Irish skies will darken slightly this morning as almost half of the sun’s diameter will be covered over in a partial solar eclipse.

The astronomical event will happen just before 10am high in the morning sky as the moon moves in between the Earth and our star.

Don’t look directly at the solar phenomenon as this can cause damage to the eyes.