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

Dublin’s four mayors today launched a new campaign to urge Dubliners to clean up after their dogs. (Pic: Fennell Photography)

IRISH

• The first debt settlement arrangement under the new personal insolvency regime was agreed today with a borrower having 70 per cent of a six-figure debt written off.
• Investigations are continuing after a man was forced to bring a bomb into Belfast City Centre where it partially exploded.
• Justice Minister Alan Shatter has condemned the sending of hate mail to the Muslim community threatening extreme violence if plans for a new mosque go ahead.
• Ireland’s largest retail industry body has warned that retail businesses will withdraw all support for ESB in the new year should the threatened strike go ahead.
• Three men have been arrested by gardaí investigating the illegal hunting of deer in three counties.
• Xtra-Vision is facing criticism for not honouring deals on pre-ordered Xbox One consoles.
• Dublin City Council has requested Eircom remove 20 power supply micro pillars built without planning permission in ‘hazardous locations’.
• The Office of Public Works is to hand out leases to private firms on some of the country’s most popular heritage and historical sites to run commercial operations.
• An Australian tourist who had ridden his motorcycle 30,000 miles across Russia and Europe had it stolen when he arrived in Dublin last week.
• A government and IDA Ireland target to get 50 per cent of all foreign direct investment in areas outside of Dublin and Cork has been dropped.
• The search for a fisherman who went missing earlier today off the coast of Wexford has been suspended.
• Two men carrying firearms stole three display trays of gold rings after they held-up a jewellery shop on Aungier Street in Dublin.
• Microsoft announced the hiring of 95 people in Ireland with four other companies also making job announcements this morning.

WORLD

#SLAVERY CASE: According to reports, the two suspects in the case of suspected domestic servitude of three women in London have been linked to 13 properties across the city.

#AFGHANISTAN: Death by stoning may return as punishment for adultery in Afghanistan, possibly restoring a punishment in force during the Taliban’s brutal regime.

#UNITED STATES: Police in Connecticut are investigating after reports that a gunman was spotted on or near the campus of Yale University. Nobody has yet been arrested but police were not prepared to describe the incident as a hoax.

#CHILD SEX ABUSE: A 55-year-old UK man has been convicted of sexually abusing five young girls aged between six and eleven over the course of sixteen years.

INNOVATION

• Car makers at the LA Auto Show are facing questions over the distraction risk being caused by the increased amount of gadgets in cars.
• ABC anchor Katie Couric will leave the TV network to become the new Global Anchor at Yahoo. (Tumblr/Yahoo)

PARTING SHOT

It rained black rocks in Italy over the weekend thanks to the eruption of Mount Etna in Sicily. Here’s the video to prove it.

Here’s What Happened Yesterday>