GOOD MORNING.

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

Drug intimidation

1. The deaths of four members of a Waterford family have renewed calls for a crackdown on drug-related intimidation. 

In our Morning Lead, reporter Sophie Finn writes that there is a “vicious cycle” where young people are being used to intimidate others, while they may also be getting intimidated themselves for owing money. 

Public sector strike

2. Unions have agreed to suspend a second day of strike action next Wednesday following talks with the government.

Trump lifts Russia sanctions

3. US President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Friday that waived sweeping US sanctions and tariffs targeting Russia’s energy revenues, marking a new low in Washington’s ties with war-torn Ukraine. 

Mark Cullen shooting

4. A man has been charged and is due to appear in court this morning in connection with the fatal shooting of Mark Cullen in Dún Laoghaire in July.

Teacher pay

5. As talks begin between public sector unions and the government over their ongoing pay dispute, Our Factcheck editor Stephen McDermott had a look at a claim made by the leader of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO), who said that Irish primary school teachers spend more time working with pupils than anywhere else in the world.

Brazil deforestation

6. Deforestation of the Brazilian Amazon has fallen to its lowest level in nearly 40 years, according to figures released Friday, in welcome news for leftist incumbent Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva days before a presidential run-off.

White House press secretary

7. Former White House press secretary Katie Zacharia has signed off with a glowing tribute to Donald Trump after losing her job just five days into the role.

West Bank

8. A leading Gazan doctor stranded in the West Bank has spoken to Eimer McAuley about his desperate efforts to return to his family.

Dr Jehad Attal has been at the forefront of efforts to highlight Gaza’s medical crisis.

Motoring column

9. From the Fiat Grande Panda to the Kia EV2, Paddy Comyn picks his favourite new cars of the year so far in the first of a two-part series, starting with the smaller, more affordable models.