GOOD MORNING. Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your Sunday.
1. The death toll from the worst European flooding in living memory has risen to 183 with at least 156 of the deaths occurring in Germany.
The disaster is taking on an increasingly political tone in the country, which goes to the polls in September. After being filmed laughing and joking in a flood-stricken town, Angela Merkel’s successor as leader of the CDU party, Armin Laschet, has apologised for an “inappropriate” moment.
At least 27 people have also died in Belgium while Switzerland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg have also been battered by heavy rains.
2. After 1,377 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in Ireland yesterday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the situation is serious.
But he added that, given that 60% of the population is now fully vaccinated, “it is a different type of scenario now than it was a year ago”.
The Taoiseach is expected to meet with Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan and other public health figures on Wednesday to discuss the recent spread of the virus.
3. With temperatures of 29 degrees celsius recorded in Athenry, Co Galway, yesterday was officially the hottest day of the year so far.
Meanwhile, the UK Met Office reported what is provisionally the hottest temperature ever recorded in Northern Ireland — 31.2 degrees celsius — in Co Down yesterday.
Balmy conditions are expected to linger for much of the next few days thanks to pressure building above Ireland due to the Azores High. Met Éireann has issued a ‘high temperature‘ advisory for the next five days.
4. Three people were shot outside a baseball stadium in the US capital last night, causing the game to be abruptly halted as fans rushed for the exits.
Journalists who were at the game between the Washington Nationals and the San Diego Padres said some spectators had piled onto the field after hearing a dozen or more gunshots outside the stadium.
Police say the incident occurred outside the stadium and at no time were any of the spectators “in any type of danger”.
5. A national outbreak of syphilis, declared by Ireland’s Health Protection Surveillance Centre, has been partly blamed on the pandemic’s impact on the health service.
Cases of the sexually transmitted infection had been rising here before the Covid-19 pandemic. But despite a significant decline during the first wave of Covid infections, cases increased throughout last year with a total of 562 reported.
Almost all sexual health services closed during the first wave last year. While STI services have now resumed testing, they are still operating at a limited capacity.
6. A pregnant woman was not able to avail of maternity services for over three weeks after being registered incorrectly as a man by the State.
Three days after The Journal contacted the HSE Press Office, the woman’s file was amended and she was able to register her pregnancy.
She has filed a complaint about the way the issue was dealt with, saying that she was spoken to in a “rude” and unsympathetic manner.
7. Tributes have poured in following the tragic death on Friday night of Brendan Óg Duffy, who was named locally as the victim of a fatal collision.
Duffy, who had captained the Monaghan U20 Gaelic football team to an All-Ireland semi-final victory over Donegal, died hours after the match in an incident involving two cars on the N2 near Clontibret, Co Monaghan.
8. People aged between 18 and 24 may already be able to register for their Covid-19 vaccine.
Despite the fact that official registration for the age cohort is only scheduled to open on Monday, the HSE said “software changes” implemented over the weekend have made it possible for some people to register early.
9. Dublin City Council is using compulsory purchase orders to snap up buildings around the Abbey Theatre.
The local authority has lodged planning applications to purchase several buildings on Eden Quay in Dublin city centre.
It’s part of the Council’s plan to demolish the current Abbey structure on the corner of Marlborough Street and Abbey Street and expand the new theatre into the Eden Quay buildings.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
have your say