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

IRELAND

Confirmation that Gerard Hutch will appear on the election ballot for voters in Dublin Central later this month.

• Conor McGregor replied ‘no comment’ to more than 100 garda questions, a High Court trial into a civil sexual assault claim court was told.
• A 30-year-old man was brought before Portlaoise District Court this morning charged with murder at a 5-star hotel.
• Gerry Hutch entered the election fray, officially registering as a candidate for Dublin Central.
• The election campaign continued, with Simon Harris on a whistle-stop canvass of Dublin seeing him quizzed by students and confronted on homelessness.
• Gráinne Seoige was predicted to struggle as Fianna Fáil support fell in a new TG4 local poll for Galway West.
• Meanwhile, EU citizens could be required to register their presence in Ireland under Sinn Féin’s plans.
• And People Before Profit accused other parties of robbing their proposals as they published their manifesto.

INTERNATIONAL

Donald Trump and Matt Gaetz at a campaign rally in 2019. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#TRUMP’S PICKS:Among Donald Trump’s unexpected cabinet choices, none has been greeted with more shock and bafflement – from Republicans as well as Democrats – than the nomination of right-wing firebrand Matt Gaetz to head the Justice Department.

#ALEX JONES:The conspiracy theorist’s site Infowars – which was put for sale after Jones was found to owe more than $1 billion to the parents of the Sandyhoo school shooting in defamation judgments for calling the massacre a hoax – has been bought by satirical publication The Onion at a bankruptcy auction.

PARTING SHOT

Alf the Newt

If you happen to have been about and about in Dublin City Centre this evening, you may have seen a giant 20 metre newt meandering about the place.

While Dublin’s nightlife might be under threat, Dublin’s newt life will be thriving for the next few nights as Alf, a giant puppet of a smooth newt makes the city his temporary home.

An initiative of Science Week, Alf was created by Macnas, the groundbreaking performance company based in Galway. The theme of this year’s Science Week is Regeneration.