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

IRELAND

Taoiseach Micheál Martin delivers a live address on the steps of Government Buildings,Dublin RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

• Regional restrictions for Kildare, Laois and Offaly will come into effect from midnight following an increase of Covid-19 cases in the three counties over the past two weeks. 
• Following the announcement, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said a “nuanced and more sustainable” approach to re-opening the country is needed, as he announced the implementation of new restrictions.
• Gardaí, meanwhile, will be given temporary powers to enforce these restrictions, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly confirmed. 
• Health officials confirmed a further 98 cases of Covd-19 and four more deaths in Ireland. 
• A cork homeless charity raised concerns about the number of people who have become victims of sexual assault on the streets of the city since the outbreak of the coronavirus.
• The financial watchdog ordered a bank to pay €22,000 in compensation to a man who was overcharged on his mortgage for almost nine years.

THE WORLD

People at Brighton beach, West Sussex. PA Images PA Images

#INDIA: An Air India plane crash landed at Calicut International Airport in the South Indian State of Kerala. 

#UNITED STATES: Beijing accused the United States of ‘suppression’ after President Donald Trump ordered sweeping restrictions against Chinese social media giants TikTok and WeChat.

#SAUDI ARABIA: A former Saudi counter-terrorism official has filed a court document in the US against Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, alleging the royal tried to trap and kill him in the US and Canada.

PARTING SHOT 

That’s right, Van The Man is 75. Here he is with ‘Days Like This’