NEED TO CATCH up? The Journal brings you a roundup of today’s news.

IRELAND

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis Sam Boal Sam Boal

• Tánaiste Leo Varadkar paid tribute to Taoiseach Micheál Martin in his keynote speech at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis, saying that he lead the country with “common sense” and “decency”.
• Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirmed that an inquiry would be held into allegations of abuse by members of the Spiritan order
• Gardaí said they found a cannabis jelly-making operation in an apartment complex in Finglas, with the illicit sweets have blamed for hospitalisations of a number of children
• It was announced that income thresholds for eligibility for social housing is to be increased by €5,000 next year
• Four men were arrested in Strabane, Co Tyrone, in relation to a bomb attack on two police officers
• Gardaí seized €45,000 in cash and two cars and arrested a man as part of a probe into false claims allegedly made under the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme
• The Taoiseach said that the manner in which Twitter Dublin staff learned of layoffs in the company was “unacceptable”

WORLD

AP / PA Images AP / PA Images / PA Images

#UKRAINE: UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak made his first visit to Ukraine, meeting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv

#RUSSIA: The Ukrainian army is checking the authenticity of footage that Moscow says proves Kyiv executed several surrendering Russian soldiers

#IRAN: Iranian security forces have killed at least 378 people – including 47 children – in a crackdown on protests sparked by Mahsa Amini’s death, according to an updated death toll from a human rights group

PARTING SHOT

The Qatar pavilion at COP27 with displays showing models of the World Cup stadiums

Before the first whistle blows at the World Cup in Qatar tomorrow, the event has already been mired in controversy.

From question marks over the bidding process to human rights abuses and the deportation of workers who went months without pay all the way down to the last-minute u-turn on the sale of alcohol, it has established its legacy as a contentious World Cup long before it has even begun.

But there are also questions over a separate issue: a commitment to “reducing and offsetting all carbon emissions” related to the tournament.

Lauren Boland has interrogated the pledge.