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

IRELAND

Imelda May at a special Winter in Dublin event. As part of the opening week of Winter in Dublin, Fáilte Ireland collaborated with the storytelling collective Seanchoíche to present the ‘My Love For Dublin’, headlined by Imelda May.

• Tánaiste Micheál Martin confirmed that the general election will be called this Friday. After being scooped, Taoiseach Simon Harris then confirmed the election date as 29 November.
• Broadcaster Virgin Media will not host any leaders’ debate this year during the general election.
• Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae was labelled a “fucking asshole” and a “disgrace” in the Dáil last night after he brought up the gender of People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy’s child during a debate on the Finance Bill.
• Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman “acknowledged” the victory of Donald Trump, while insisting that the result cannot be allowed to compromise progress on addressing the climate crisis.
• A woman who is taking a damages claim against Conor McGregor told the High Court she felt “devastated” and “let down” by the Director of Public Prosecutions’ decision not to prosecute him.
• Simon Harris and Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns had a heated exchange in the Dáil today, after Cairns accused Harris of failing to invest in public services. 
• A man in his fifties died after he was stung by a swarm of wasps while gardening at his home in Cork.
• Former Fine Gael Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said that he knew he needed to leave office when “the homelessness figures hit 10,000″.
• Gardaí and fire Brigade personnel have rescued a suspected burglar from a vent above a chipper after he became stuck during an apparent break-in.
• Pre-tax profits at Pat McDonagh’s Supermac’s fast food and hospitality group last year surged by 28% to a record €43.6m.
• Billionaire Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct was given the green light to open a large new ‘state of the art’ gym at the former Debenhams department store building on Dublin’s Henry Street.
• A batch of sausages from O’Flynn’s Gourmet Sausage Company have been recalled due to the presence of salmonella.

INTERNATIONAL

A person dressed as Spiderman holds a Trump flag in Washington DC Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#US ELECTION: Donald Trump won the US presidential election, and here are his big plans for his presidency – at home and abroad.
#WHITE HOUSE: Elon Musk’s key role in Trump’s campaign may earn him a seat at the White House table.
#CONGRATS: Netanyahu and Zelenskyy were among the world leaders to congratulate Donald Trump on his victory. 
#FLORIDA: Voters in six US states have approved measures to protect or expand abortion rights, but Florida failed to add abortion rights to its state constitution. 
#SPAIN: There are still 89 people missing in the Valencia flood disaster as the Spanish government has pledged an €10.6 billion aid package.

PARTING SHOT

The moon visible over Earth's atmosphere. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

Have you ever looked up to the sky and thought, ‘I would love to go to outer space’?

Well, for popstar Olivia Rodrigo, this is a “red flag”.

In a recent interview with Netflix, the US pop singer said that when she’s on a first date she always asks if they would want to go to space. If they say yes, she doesn’t date them.

“I just think if you want to go to space, you’re a little too full of yourself,” she added. 

So in today’s poll we wanted to know: Would you like to go to space?

Take part in our poll here, or see how others have been voting.