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

IRELAND

Scenes as the University of Limerick held an animal magic roadshow today. Alan Place Alan Place

• The Oireachtas Eighth Amendment Committee heard submissions on abortion in cases of socio-economic difficulty. Catch up on it here.
• Fr Peter McVerry criticised the Taoiseach and a senior county official for comments about homeless people.
• A government minister said media coverage of the homelessness crisis is “damaging to Ireland’s reputation”.
• Ireland lost out on hosting the 2023 Rugby World Cup to France.
• Minister Simon Harris ordered a report into vaginal mesh devices in Ireland.
• Ireland ranked worst in Europe for taking action on climate change.
• The Criminal Assets Bureau raided homes and businesses in Limerick, Clare and Tipperary.
• Minister Charlie Flanagan said he would not have his “good name and reputation traduced by deputy Alan Kelly” during a row over Maurice McCabe.
• Minister Paschal Donohoe asked officials to look into how often the “Single Malt” tax loophole is used.
• A man died and two others were injured after an explosion at a house in Drogheda.
• The PSNI launched an investigation after a private image of a female officer was shared online.
• Dublin ranked 5th last on a list of the best cities in the world to emigrate to.

INTERNATIONAL

A man walks by a destroyed car in flood-hit Athens Xinhua News Agency / PA Images Xinhua News Agency / PA Images / PA Images

#COUP D’ETAT: Robert Mugabe is said to be under “house arrest” after the army seized control of Zimbabwe.

#OHIO: A US death row inmate is to get a pillow to help him breathe during his execution.

#GUNMAN: A California man who killed four people was on bail after stabbing a neighbour.

PARTING SHOT

A lot of attention was given to Breaking Bad actor Bryan Cranston’s comments about Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey over the past 24 hours.

Headlines such as “Cranston says Weinstein and Spacey should get a second chance” soon became widespread but what he actually said is a bit more nuanced than that.

He said:

We should let that open. We shouldn’t close it off and say, ‘to hell with him, rot and go away from us for the rest of your life’. Let’s not do that. Let’s be bigger than that. Let’s leave it open for the few who can make it through that gauntlet of trouble and who have reclaimed their life and their dignity and their respect to others. Maybe it’s possible. It would be egotistical for anyone to say ‘I hope he fails’. To that person, I would say, ‘Fuck you. Why would you want that? So you can be right?’

With the careers of Weinstein and Spacey currently in ruins, it may be quite a while before the Hollywood film industry has to have such an introspective look at itself.