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

IRELAND

Dr Eileen Barrington speaking at the Citizens Assembly o discussing the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution. SAM BOAL / RollingNews.ie SAM BOAL / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

• Home Sweet Home co-founder has multiple violent convictions including kidnapping and burglary.
• Gardai set up a checkpoint on the M50 for the first time ever in a bid to catch drink drivers. 
• We found out what happened to the planned €460 million Tipperary super-casino
• The teenager arrested over the murder of Reece Cullen was released without charge
• Barack Obama is coming back to Ireland this year for a round of golf, according to the US ambassador
• Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice told of his anger as it emerged TDs were not told that a refugee centre is to open in Roscommon
• The Northern Irish assembly is hanging on by a thread as Sinn Féin says it will leave power if Arlene Foster doesn’t step down.
• A report by the  Health Protection Surveillance Centre found that seven people have died from flu so far this winter.
• Gardaí uncovered a sophisticated growhouse filled with €200,000 worth of cannabis in Leitrim
• Some of the letters submitted to the Citizens’ Assembly were made available ahead of today’s meeting about the abortion debate.

WORLD

Serial killer Charles Manson

#KILLER Mass murderer Charles Manson is too weak for surgery and is said to be close to death

#AUSTRALIA A man survived being stuck in freezing, shark-infested waters after he was dragged into the ocean by a fish

#TRUMP A Canadian judge was suspended after wearing a Trump hat to court

#GUNMAN Florida gunman was an Iraq war veteran who was known to the FBI

#CHAIN REACTION An iceberg the size of Mayo is about to break off Antarctica

PARTING SHOT

Live TV is a minefield at the best of times but when it goes wrong, it’s usually hilarious.

This morning, two BBC presenters thought they were about to interview a Mount Everest climber. The man in studio was an academic and not a mountaineer and never, in fact, climbed to the summit of the world’s highest peak. You can watch the video in all its cringey glory here.

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