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

IRELAND

Francis Brennan at the Sound Check Ireland hearing event at Specsavers Liffey Valley Andres Poveda Andres Poveda

• A man accused of child sex abuse who had his file “shelved” for 11 years was “close friends with a senior garda”.
• The National Lottery said an “illusion” made it look like there were two different numbers on the same ball.
• Journalist David Walsh has explained why he wrote a reference for Tom Humphries, who was found guilty of grooming and sexually abusing a teenage girl.
• An Eircode lottery determines if your child gets to see a psychologist, according to a TD.
• Two days out from the Budget, here’s our take on what to expect.
• The Central Bank has been urged to “flex its muscle” with banks over slow progress in the tracker mortgage scandal.
• A woman in her 20s died in a single car crash in Fermanagh.
• No one has taken up the offer of free CCTV cameras from the government.
• Most people think they’ll be better off after next week’s Budget, according to a poll for RTÉ’s Claire Byrne Live.
• A woman in her 80s was pulled from a car and had cash and jewellery stolen during a robbery in Lisburn.

INTERNATIONAL

A Spanish police officer speaks with a demonstrator during a protest against the Catalan government's push for secession Emilio Morenatti AP / PA Images Emilio Morenatti AP / PA Images / PA Images

#COME WHAT MAY: UK Prime Minister Theresa May has come out fighting after a plot from party colleagues to oust her.

#STEPHEN PADDOCK: Las Vegas police found a note inside the room of mass shooter Stephen Paddock that he used to help calculate more precise shots.

#CHILD SOLDIERS: It emerged that Angelina Jolie “offered to help capture” Ugandan warlord Joseph Kony.

PARTING SHOT

Dublin Fire Brigade regularly tweet out good advice for people to make sure they stay safe at home.

Last night, they sent this message: “Putting food on late at night after a few drinks can cause fires.

Try a take away, it’s far safer.

Accompanying that tweet is a picture of some delicious looking chips. Keep up the good work, guys.