August 04: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds

Taiwan decries China’s ‘illegitimate’ military drills after Pelosi visit
China has launched unprecedented live-fire military drills in six areas that ring Taiwan, a day after a visit by US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the self-ruled island that Beijing regards as its sovereign territory. Soon after the scheduled start at 5am Irish time, China’s state broadcaster CCTV said the drills had begun and would end at 5am Irish time on Sunday. They would include live firing on the waters and in the airspace surrounding Taiwan, it said.
RTÉ

Four injured in van accident at Donegal festival 
Four people were taken to hospital after a van drove into a crowd at the Clonmany Festival in Co Donegal on Wednesday evening. Hundreds of people were on the town’s main street when the incident occurred at about 6.30pm. Gardaí said the van’s driver suffered a “health incident” moments before the incident. It is understood he lost control of the vehicle and struck a group of pedestrians. At least five ambulances and other emergency services attended the scene.
The Irish Times

Late-night Luas service ruled out
Late-night Luas services past 1am have been ruled out for now by the National Transport Authority (NTA). Transport Minister Eamon Ryan asked the authority in June to examine the prospect of running late-night Luas services as currently it does not operate between the hours of 1am and 5am. However, an NTA spokesperson told The Journal that the NTA and Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) recently examined the prospect of the Luas operating past 1am but have concluded that extending services significantly “is not something that should be progressed at this point”. The reason cited by the NTA for not rolling out late night services is that essential maintenance on the likes of overhead cable systems, rail works and cleaning “can only be carried out when all trams are out of service”.

The Journal

UN chief criticises ‘grotesque greed’ of oil and gas companies
The United Nations chief has sharply criticised the “grotesque greed” of oil and gas companies for making record profits from the energy crisis on the back of the world’s poorest people, “while destroying our only home”. Secretary-general Antonio Guterres said it was “immoral” that the largest energy companies in the first quarter of the year made combined profits of close to $100 billion (£82 billion). He urged all governments to tax these “excessive” profits “and use the funds to support the most vulnerable people through these difficult times”.
The Irish Examiner

Today’s forecast
Today will be mostly dry with sunny spells, although there will be a few passing showers, mainly in Ulster and Connacht. Feeling fresher than recent days with a light to moderate, occasionally fresh, northwesterly breeze. Highest temperatures of 14°C to 19°C, warmest in the southeast. Scattered showers will continue in Ulster tonight but will be isolated in other areas. Lowest temperatures of 7°C to 12°C in a light westerly breeze.
Met Éireann