NEED TO CATCH up? TheJournal brings you all of today’s top stories.

IRELAND

A fallen tree which crashed through the wall of Phoenix Park and on to Blackhorse Avenue in Dublin. (Brian Lawless / PA) (Brian Lawless / PA) / PA)

• The Government will offer financial support to those affected by Storm Éowyn, a minister said, as hundreds of thousands remained without electricity or water, and further Yellow wind, rain and snow/ice warnings were issued for most of the country.
• Independent TD Michael Lowry requested permission to address the Dáil in response to allegations made about him this week by Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty.
• After just under 99 years in service, the iconic 46A bus is set to cease operation, to be replaced by a new 24-hour service as part of the wider Bus Connects transport plan.
• A man was arrested after a woman was found dead following an “incident” at a home in Waterford City early this morning.
• The aftermath of the storm also impacted the opening weekend of the GAA football league with tomorrow’s game between Kerry and Donegal postponed. 
• A man who died after a tree fell on his car during Storm Éowyn was named locally as 20-year-old Kacper Dudek.
• It was revealed that a high level meeting between military chiefs and naval officers took place in Dublin on Monday to discuss the ongoing crisis in the Naval Service, including incidents of vessels going to sea with non-functioning guns. 

WORLD

Israeli soldier hostages wave and react at a Palestinian crowd before being handed over to the Red Cross in Gaza City Alamy Alamy

#ISRAEL: Hamas militants handed over four captive female Israeli soldiers to the Red Cross in Gaza City today after parading them in front of a crowd, in exchange for the release of 200 Palestinian prisoners.

#ENGLAND: A former British Museum contract worker was arrested after allegedly shutting down its IT systems, the London-based institution said.

PARTING SHOT

As Verona Murphy suspended Dáil proceedings for a third and final time on Wednesday, you almost had to admire the audacity of it all, writes Carl Kinsella in this week’s Surrealing in the Years column.

Oddly enough, the actual opposition parties were not overjoyed by the idea that opposition speaking rights would be granted to TDs who don’t actually oppose the government.