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

IRELAND

Órla Ryan / The Journal Órla Ryan / The Journal / The Journal

• Ukrainian refugees in state-provided serviced accommodation are to receive the same rate of payment regardless of when they arrived to Ireland under new proposals agreed by government today.
• Standards in Public Office (Sipo) is to hold an investigation hearing into allegations surrounding former junior enterprise minister Robert Troy next month.
• Many young people appear to have been given “inadequate or inappropriate supports” by Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) “simply on the basis of being autistic”, according to a new report.
• A Green Party TD suggested reducing the waiting period for divorce from two years to six months.
• Cabinet approved a proposal for legislation that will increase the age of sale of tobacco from 18 to 21.
• Gardaí arrested a 19-year-old male as part of ongoing investigations into the riots in Dublin city centre last November.
• The livestream portal linking Dublin and New York is turning off temporarily tonight while a solution is developed to try to prevent “inappropriate behaviour” from being transmitted. 

THE WORLD 

A young demonstrator stands in front of police blocking the way to Georgia's parliament building Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#CLIMATE CRISIS Last summer was the hottest in the northern hemisphere in 2,000 years, a new study found.

#GEORGIA Riot police were deployed in Georgia to break up major protests after the country’s parliament adopted a controversial “foreign influence” law, arresting at least 13 demonstrators.

#FRANCE Gunmen attacked a prison van at a motorway toll in northern France, killing at least two prison officers and freeing a convict who had been jailed last week.

#US Donald Trump’s former lawyer Michael Cohen returned to the witness box. 

PARTING SHOT

It’s now less than a month until the EU public goes to the polls and votes for their chosen MEP candidates, and newsrooms across the continent are busy preparing their coverage. 

In the first webinar of the The Journal‘s EU 2024, Explained series, we’re pulling back the curtain to explore how three journalists working on the coalface of this important election are approaching it: Shona Murray, Europe Correspondent with Euronews; Christina Finn, Political Editor with The Journal; and Muiris O’Cearbhaill, reporter with The Journal who focuses on European affairs.

Join us live on Zoom on Thursday, 16 May from 11.30am to 12pm. Register for free access here or tap the button below.