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

IRELAND

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe holding budget day documents at Government Buildings in Dublin. Sam Boal Sam Boal

• Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe unveiled his “no surprises” budget. Here are all the main points you need to know.
• Petrol and diesel prices will rise from midnight following an increase in the carbon tax.
• Reacting to the budget, rank-and-file Gardaí accused the government of building its garda reform plan “on quicksand”.
• Leo Varadkar and Boris Johnson spoke by phone and hope to meet this week.
• A 30 cent increase to the minimum wage has been deferred due to threat on no-deal Brexit.
• Extinction Rebellion protesters staged a sit-in on the road outside the Dáil.
• Ulster Bank agreed terms for the sale of an €800 million mortgage portfolio to Pepper Finance.
• Warnings were issued after research found that defective tyres are a factor in an average of 14 roads deaths per year.
• A former professional footballer was convicted of assault following a “dangerous” tackle in a five-a-side game.

WORLD

Police remove demonstrators during an Extinction Rebellion protest in Westminster, London. PA Wire / PA Images PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images

#UK: A leading toilet paper manufacturer said that Britain’s supplies ’will not withstand’ a no-deal Brexit.

#PROROUGED: The UK Parliament will be prorogued from tonight, after the queen approved another suspension of the House of Commons this afternoon.

#BREXIT: European Council President Donald Tusk accused UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson of playing a “stupid blame game”.

#EXTINCTION REBELLION: Climate change protesters glued themselves to buildings in London after being warned they face arrest on the second day of their international action.

#SOUTH PARK: The creators of South Park issued a mock apology to China after censors scrubbed their popular animation from the Chinese web.

PARTING SHOT

City Hall Pichucalco City Hall Pichucalco

Ever feel sorry for politicians and their hectic schedules? Ya, me neither. Well one savvy Mayor in southern Mexico has found a novel way of cutting down his work load.

The solution? Sending a cardboard cutout of himself to events he couldn’t get to.

Moisés Aguilar Torres is the Mayor of the town of Pichucalco in Chiapas but if he applies this ingenuity to all his political endeavours who knows where he could end up?

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