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

IRELAND

Brenda Crofton, Mary Smith, Lizz Kinch and Paula Crofton, from Dundrum, pictured at the Ulysses event outside Davy Byrne's pub in Dublin city centre today. Leah Farrell Leah Farrell

• The Criminal Assets Bureau will serve papers on crime boss Daniel Kinahan by registered post after they discovered addresses for him in Dubai from a US Treasury press release.
• Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty clashed in a bitter exchange of personal insults in the Dáil. 
• A woman was brought to hospital after a significant fire broke out at a factory in Carlow town.
• The HSE urged those who are eligible to get a Covid booster and who have not yet received it to get their vaccine.
• The Minister for Justice is to fully contest a High Court challenge brought by the mother of murdered boxer Kevin Sheehy aimed at preventing her son’s killer from being transferred to a UK prison.
• Gardaí issued an appeal for witnesses as they hunt the gang who rammed a prison van in Monaghan.
• The Public Accounts Committee heard that the cost to build the National Children’s Hospital is estimated to increase by €51 million due to inflation.
• The Houses of the Oireachtas is planning to splash out up to €300,000 on its own brand of wine over the next four years to sell to customers in Leinster House.

INTERNATIONAL

Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and France's President Emmanuel Macron shake hands at the end of a press conference at the Mariyinsky Palace in Kyiv. Natacha Pisarenko Natacha Pisarenko

#UKRAINE The EU’s most powerful leaders today embraced Ukraine’s bid to be accepted as a candidate for EU membership, in a powerful symbol of support in Kyiv’s battle against Russia’s invasion.

#BRAZIL The family of British journalist Dom Phillips said they are “heartbroken” that he and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira have been murdered in the Amazon.

#LONDON Oscar-winning actor Kevin Spacey “strenuously denies” allegations that he sexually assaulted three men, a court has heard.

#LORD GEIDT British Prime Minister Boris Johnson considered action risking a deliberate breach of his own ministerial code, Christopher Geidt said as he quit as ethics adviser over the “impossible and odious” position.

PARTING SHOT 

On this week’s episode of The Explainer, The Journal looks at what’s driving the homelessness rate right now, and what’s needed to reduce it.

Ireland’s latest homelessness figures recently passed the 10,000 mark for the first time since before the pandemic, with charities expressing concern that rates will continue to spiral without significant action from the government.

Presenter Michelle Hennessy is joined by Mike Allen, Advocacy Director at Focus Ireland to explain this important topic.

Have a listen below.

The Explainer / SoundCloud