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

IRELAND 

Mary Lou McDonald with community employment scheme supervisors in Dublin today. PA PA

• Party leaders Mary Lou McDonald and Micheál Martin had a short phone conversation this afternoon. 
• Owners of a Cork city commercial premises have been awarded damages of over €45,000 after a tenant converted it into a pub without their consent. 
• Gardaí investigating sexual abuse allegedly carried out by a scout leader over a 30 year period believe there are a number of victims who have not yet spoken to the force. 
• The submission of the final report into mother and baby homes has been delayed until June this year. 
• Met Éireann issued Status Yellow wind and rainfall warnings for the entire country for different periods tomorrow as Storm Dennis approaches. 
• British royals William and Kate will visit Galway on their first official trip to Ireland next month. 
• The Irish winner of the €17 million EuroMillions jackpot has contacted the National Lottery. 
• Two transatlantic jets diverted to Shannon Airport earlier today after their crews declared medical emergencies. 
• A vigil was held last night to mark 39 years since the Stardust fire in Artane, Co Dublin. 
• Hundreds of Community Employment supervisors held a strike over pension rights. 

INTERNATIONAL 

Ants carrying peppers cut into the shape of hearts in Scotland. PA PA

#RESHUFFLE: Boris Johnson’s new Cabinet agreed to bring in a points-based immigration system. 

#YOU’RE OUT: UEFA banned Manchester City from the Champions League for two years and fined them €30 million for “serious breaches” of financial and club-licensing rules. 

#PULLING OUT: A former government spokesperson for French leader Emmanuel Macron has pulled out of a bid to become mayor of Paris after an alleged compromising video of him leaked online. 

PARTING SHOT

Love is in the air today, and all of that. 

If you’re staying in for the evening and not tuning into any Valentine’s TV specials, this opinion piece from the New York Times is a warm choice for a quick read. 

Journalist Helene Stapinski explains how she only got to know her father, who died over 20 years ago, after reading his love letters to her mother. 

A touching piece to cap off the day. 

Comments have been closed for legal reasons relating to some of the above stories. 

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