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

Kenneth Moffett (8) from Belfast looks at historic coins for sale at the International Coin Fair 2014 in the RDS in Dublin today. (Image Credit: Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland)

IRELAND

• Support for Fine Gael and Labour remained steady in two new opinion polls.
• It was revealed that the government spent over €100 million on banking sector consultancy.
• The Constitutional Convention met to discuss labour, property, and education rights.
• Bernie Kenny, secretary of Fine Gael TD James Bannon, died in a road collision early this morning.
• GAA referees were given the power to issue a red card for racist or sectarian offences committed by players.
• Gardaí appealed for witnesses to an incident yesterday where a man was crushed by a digger.
• Customers are still waiting on refunds from Irish online company Christmas Direct.
• The Taoiseach and Tánaiste met today to discuss allegations that a number of crimes were not investigated properly by gardaí. [RTÉ]
• Cecila Ahern defended her father, Bertie Ahern, insisting he always put Ireland before himself.
• Groups voiced outrage at being excluded from meetings on a historic ship’s destruction.

INTERNATIONAL

Jubilating protesters greet passers-by from a back of a truck, in central Kiev, Ukraine. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

#UKRAINE: Lawmakers voted to oust President Viktor Yanukovych, while the former prime minister who spearheaded the nation’s pro-democracy 2004 Orange Revolution was freed from prison.

#BRITAIN: A man was shot in the head in a drive-by shooting at London’s Waterloo Bridge.

#MEXICO: One of the most powerful drug traffickers in world was arrested last night, Mexican and US authorities say. [AP]

#VENEZUELA: Marches both supporting and condemning President Maduro took place. [The Guardian]

INNOVATION

• Remember those “Look Back” Facebook videos? You can now do the same on Twitter.
• Brower-maker Opera has developed a way of giving user free internet, in return for watching ads. [TNW]
• Did you notice a minor update appear on your Apple device this morning? It’s actually pretty important. [TNW]

PARTING SHOT

As the Ukrainian president has now fled the country’s capital Kiev, protesters took over his private residence… and found a zoo. Oh, and a really big boat. [Slate]

Here’s what happened yesterday >

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