Updated 11.31 pm 

NEED TO CATCH up? TheJournal.ie brings you a round-up of today’s news.

IRELAND

Nick Dunning as Hector Hushabye and Aislin McGuckin as Lady Ariadne Utterword in Heartbreak House at the Abbey Theatre. Laura Hutton / Photocall Ireland Laura Hutton / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

• Dozens have been arrested as part of Operation Tempest targeting drug dealing in inner-city Dublin. 
• A reservoir is being drained by rescuers as part of a search for missing 81-year-old man Tom Kennedy.
• Police in Down have arrested a Derry man in connection with the death of an Afghan migrant in London.
• A 63-year-old man has been arrested by gardaí investigating a fatal stabbing int the North Strand in Dublin.
• The top civil servant in the Department of Health has stepped down. Meanwhile, Minister Varadkar says he won’t be working a shift in A&E.
• Irish sprinter Jason Smyth has won 100m gold medal at the Paralympic Athletics European Championships.
• A retired judge has said that victims are being ‘further victimised’ by ‘guards investigating guards’ at GSOC.
• Pat Kenny is to make a return to television with UTV Ireland.
• All of Ireland’s cities have seen increases in rental prices.

INTERNATIONAL

Alice Morgan-Richards at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival show 'Inevitable'. Danny Lawson Danny Lawson

#JAMES FOLEY: Jihadist group the Islamic State have claimed that they have beheaded American journalist James Foley.

#GAZA: A ceasefire has collapsed in the Middle-East with rocket attacks and air-strikes resuming.

#FERGUSON: Last night saw another night of unrest following the killing of Michael Brown in Missouri.

#BAROARBUNGA: Iceland has raised its alert level for the risk of a possible volcanic eruption to orange – the second-most severe level.

#IRAQ: Government troops and allied militiamen launched a major operation today to retake the city of Tikrit.

INNOVATION

• People may have been peeved when Facebook made its Messenger app mandatory, but it worked, just ask the 500 million Android users who downloaded it. 
• Google’s driverless cars will be programmed to exceed speed limits by up to 16km/h – but only if it’s safe.
• The Clare company who made the subway signs in the London Underground and the New York metro has been sold.

PARTING SHOT

What do you get a former two-term US President for his birthday (which is today)? Apparently you get him an Oscar-winning actor to play out a skit involving the former President’s wife and a fictitious baby elephant. It’s all very elaborate, just not very funny really.

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