GOOD MORNING.

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

Arrests

1. In our lead story this morning, Niall O’Connor reports that four arrests of jihadist terror suspects were made in Ireland last year.

The EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report (TE-SAT), produced by Europol on an annual basis, said there was also one right-wing terror suspect, seven dissident republican or loyalist suspects and two which were not specified in the data given to Europol. 

Grain deal

2. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said the United Nations was responsible for guaranteeing a landmark deal between Ukraine and Russia aimed at unblocking Ukrainian Black Sea grain exports and alleviating a global food crisis.

Russia and Ukraine have signed an agreement on Black Sea grain exports in Istanbul, with Turkey and the UN as co-guarantors.

Capitol riots

3. Steve Bannon, an ally of former US President Donald Trump, has been convicted of contempt charges for defying a congressional subpoena from the House committee investigating the insurrection at the US Capitol.

Bannon was convicted after a four-day trial in federal court in Washington on two counts: one for refusing to appear for a deposition and the other for refusing to provide documents in response to the committee’s subpoena.

Delays 

4. Holidaymakers and lorry drivers face another day of gridlocked roads around the English port town of Dover.

Bumper-to-bumper traffic, in six-hour queues, made its way towards the Port of Dover yesterday – one of the busiest periods for foreign travel from the UK as most schools in England and Wales break up for summer. 

Drugs

5. Over €8.7 million worth of drugs, illegal items and cash have been seized at Irish airports so far in 2022.

New figures from the Revenue Commission show that in Dublin Airport alone, there has been €7.9 million worth of illegal items and drugs seized by Revenue, alongside €209,714 in cash.

Brexit

6. Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has said that the EU was forced to launch new legal action against the UK government for failing to comply with the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol.

Four new infringement procedures were triggered by the European Commission as relations further soured yesterday.

Biden Covid-19 update

7. Covid-19 has left US President Joe Biden with a raspy voice and cough as he met virtually with his top economic team, though he insisted: “I feel much better than I sound.”

The US president’s doctors said his mild Covid symptoms are improving and he is responding well to treatment.

FactFind on Navan train access

8. Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín recently claimed that Navan is the largest town in the country that doesn’t have a passenger rail line. 

Céimin Burke took a look at whether this is accurate and examined what is happening with the town’s long-mooted rail link. 

Taoiseach in Singapore 

9. The Taoiseach has described visiting a Singapore site where his uncle was held as a prisoner of war during the Second World War as an “emotional experience”.

Micheál Martin toured Changi Chapel and Museum yesterday on the final day of his four-day official visit to Singapore and Japan.