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

IRELAND

Artist Solus and Bella Walsh (age 11) from Dorset Street, with his work at Ballymore’s Dublin Arch Murals on Sheriff Street. Leon Farrell Leon Farrell

• Met Éireann issued a Status Yellow high temperature warning for the entire of Leinster and Munster.
• Ulster Bank launched a campaign to encourage its customers to close their accounts and find a new bank before March.
• The funerals of the brother and sister, who died off Ballybunion Beach in Co Kerry last week, were held today.
• Tipperary hurling star Dillon Quirke died last Friday “doing what he loved”, in the Premier County’s home of hurling, his funeral mass heard today.
• A spokesman for the Puck Fair said that the mountain goat which will be crowned King Puck tomorrow at the festival in Killorglin may be given a fan to cool him down.
• Sport Ireland said it has considered the possibility of how energy blackouts might impact on sport in the winter and may result in organisations needing additional supports.
• The founder of Mutts Anonymous Dog Rescue and Adoption (Madra) said that the dog shelter has never struggled more to find homes for the dogs in its care.
• An Irish company which has contracts for several State infrastructure projects suffered a cyber attack last month by suspected Russian-based hackers.

INTERNATIONAL

Rising smoke seen from the beach at Saky after explosions were heard from the direction of a Russian military airbase in Crimea. AP / PA Images AP / PA Images / PA Images

#UKRAINE Massive explosions hit an airstrip in Crimea today, approximately 200 kilometres inside Russia-controlled territory.

#TAIWAN Taiwan held an artillery drill simulating defence against an attack, as its top diplomat accused Beijing of preparing to invade the island after days of massive Chinese war games.

#DONALD TRUMP Former US President Donald Trump said that his Mar-A-Lago residence in Florida was being “raided” by FBI agents in what he called an act of “prosecutorial misconduct.”

#RIP Japanese fashion designer Issey Miyake, whose global career spanned more than half a century, died aged 84, an employee at his office in Tokyo told AFP today.

PARTING SHOT 

Tributes have poured in for Olivia Newton-John and her “incredible impact” following news of her death last night at the age of 73.

The British-born singer and actress died “peacefully” at her ranch in Southern California on Monday morning, with her husband confirming her death on social media.

While she had many hit songs and even represented the UK at Eurovision, Olivia was best known for her starring role as Sandy in the 1978 film Grease, in which she appeared opposite John Travolta, who played Danny Zuko.

So in tribute, we’ll leave you with one of the most famous scenes and songs from the classic film. 

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