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

IRELAND

Daniel O’Donnell, the Lord Mayor of Dublin Emma Blain, Síobhan Baron and Noel Heeney at The Mansion House in Dublin to celebrate the launch of Alzheimer’s Tea Day 2025. Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

• Conor McGregor sought to introduce “fresh evidence” to support his appeal against a civil jury finding that he sexually assaulted a woman in a Dublin hotel in 2018.
• The watchdog for the rental sector began examining recent attempts by major landlord Ires Reit to add an extra €150-200 every month to tenants’ bills by charging them for use of their building’s common areas.
• Government targets for housing completions over the next two years will be missed by around 9,000, according to the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland. 
• A new paper published today by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) outlined the potential impacts of protectionist economic policies coming from the United States. 
• Kate O’Connor secured a silver medal in the pentathlon at the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China.
• A woman believed to be Ireland’s oldest person died at her home in Co Donegal.
• If you hadn’t come across the name Garron Noone before this week, you probably have now that the TikTok comedian has deleted his social media accounts after posting a viral video expressing his views on immigration in Ireland. 

INTERNATIONAL

Handout photo supplied by London Fire Brigade showing a fire at an electrical substation near Heathrow Airport. London Fire Brigade London Fire Brigade

#LONDON: Heathrow Airport resume “some flights” this evening as its chief executive apologised to stranded passengers and defended the response to an “unprecedented” loss of power caused by a fire.

#PALESTINE: Israel threatened to annex parts of Gaza unless Hamas handed over the remaining hostages.

#RUSSIA: A top Russian security official met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, thanking him for the country’s support of Moscow’s war efforts in Ukraine, Russian state media said.

#UKRAINE: EU leaders failed to reach a consensus late last night on issuing €5 billion for Ukraine’s artillery supply, choosing to discuss it at the next European Council meeting next month instead.

PARTING SHOT

A burnt-out Tesla car in the Steglitz district of Berlin. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

FOR THE MODERN driver who wanted to signal their willingness to go green, Elon Musk’s Tesla was the brand to drive.

But now, as he becomes a powerful figure in Donald Trump’s White House and implements deep public sector job cuts, is he in danger of sacrificing his car company in the process?

In recent weeks, we have seen everything from declining sales for Tesla as well as protests against the brand, including vandalism against vehicles. Our reporter David Mac Redmond joins us to explain.

Listen to this week’s episode of The Explainer here.