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

IRELAND

Caoimhe de Barra, CEO of Trócaire, and Ineza Umuhoza Grace, Founder and CEO of the Green Protector, at Trocaire's 'Local Power, Global Justice' conference to mark its 50th anniversary. Mark Stedman Mark Stedman

• Discount retailer Iceland closed its final stores in Ireland, as its parent company, Metron Stores Ltd, has entered liquidation.
• Electric Ireland is to reduce residential electricity and gas prices by 10% and 12% respectively for over 1.1 million customers from November.
• Gardaí investigating the death of two men at the Cork Ironman event in Youghal, Co Cork last month have appealed for witnesses to come forward.
• Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he was “saddened” that Wicklow Fine Gael councillors voted against leasing sites to build modular housing for Ukrainian refugees.
• Integration Minister Roderic O’Gorman said he cannot rule out the use of tented accommodation for refugees in the future.
• Families of victims of the Northern Ireland Troubles said the passing of the controversial Legacy Bill through the UK’s House of Commons yesterday was “disturbing” and “upsetting”.
• The National Union of Journalists said it has “strong reservations” about the way in which notorious criminal John Gilligan is presented in a Virgin Media documentary series.
• Dublin Airport operator was given approval to employ anti-drone technology to deter the remote-controlled aircraft from entering its vicinity. 
• A schoolboy, who was in stolen cars which repeatedly rammed a Garda vehicle carrying two female officers in Dublin, was remanded in custody.
• The country’s largest farmers organisation picketed a meeting held by the Agriculture Minister following a cut in Ireland’s nitrates derogation limit.

INTERNATIONAL

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken looks at a damaged vehicle while touring a State Border Guard of Ukraine Detached Commandant Office of Security and Resource Supply site in Kyiv. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#MIDDLE EAST Micheál Martin says it is not time to abandon the so-called two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine, amid claims that a single state with equal rights for both sides would be more viable.

#BRISBANE Three men pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of an Irish teenager who died in Australia after he fell from an apartment balcony during an armed robbery.

#MOSCOW Russian officials said five drones were shot down over three regions in the country overnight, with one targeting the capital.

#MEXICO Mexico’s Supreme Court decriminalised abortion across the conservative Latin American country, moving in contrast to the United States where federally guaranteed abortion rights were overturned last year.

PARTING SHOT

“I love cream cakes, they’re my favourite.”

That was Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary’s reaction after he was hit in the face with two cream pies while preparing to deliver a petition to the European Commission president in Brussels.

O’Leary was holding a one-man protest outside the European Commission against repeated air traffic controllers’ strikes in the EU and the impact it is having on Ryanair when he was pied.

One protestor said “Welcome to Belgium” as she smeared the pie in O’Leary’s face, while a second said “stop the pollution” as she planted a pie on the airline executive.

O’Leary responded by saying “well done” and attempting to wipe the cream off his face with a handkerchief as he spoke about his petition, before tasting some of the pie still on his face and saying: “This is a delicious cake.”

Ryanair’s account on X – formerly known as Twitter – also made light of the incident. 

Instead of buying cream pies, could have bought a flight from Belgium for the same price 😏 pic.twitter.com/8jruYI3ZxE

— Ryanair (@Ryanair) September 7, 2023