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

IRELAND

Simon Harris says he was ashamed and heartbroken, but defended the government on waiting list figures. Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie Sam Boal / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

• Health minister Simon Harris announced the opening of a new operating theatre for treating scoliosis at Crumlin Children’s Hospital in April
• There are fears that hundreds of people who work at a Hewlett-Packard factory in Leixlip, Co Kildare could lose their jobs, according to an RTÉ report
• An investigation into how garda whistleblowers’ claims were handled by senior garda management will be launched, Enda Kenny announced today.
• Legislation has been approved to allow the establishment of medically supervised injecting centres in Ireland – drawing both positive and negative reactions
• We could be getting a national commemoration day to remember the Great Famine
• Tesco workers will go on strike from Valentine’s Day
• Images of two children holidaying at Donald Trump’s Doonbeg golf course were used on promotional brochures for the hotel complex without parental consent
• A computer system glitch caused natives of Bandon to be inundated with flooding text alerts for their locality
• Edenderry in Co Offaly has the highest vacancy rate for commercial properties of any town across Ireland.

WORLD

Asher Kockler, aged three, carries a sign during a rally in Portland, Oregon. AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

#AFGHANISTAN: A suicide bomber attacked Afghanistan’s Supreme Court just as staff were leaving work today, killing at least 19 people and injuring 41.

#TRUMP’S TEAM: Donald Trump’s cabinet pick for education secretary Betsy DeVos has finally, and very barely, been confirmed.

#FRANCE: Former President Nicolas Sarkozy is to face trial over the allegedly fraudulent financing of his doomed 2012 bid for re-election.

PARTING SHOT

Dragonfly wings are made up of tiny ‘beds of nails’ – meaning they’re able to physically rip bacteria apart.

Shutterstock / aaltair Shutterstock / aaltair / aaltair