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

Workers from the OPW install the bust of President Michael D. Higgins in Áras an Uachtaráin Conor Healy Conor Healy

IRELAND

• Two men appeared in court earlier today charged with the possession of explosives after being arrested during a cross-Border antiterrorism operation.
• Ivan Yates and a number of political public relations specialists are to be invited to an Oireachtas committee to discuss transparency issues in the sector.
• The government is planning for a possible visit by Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy in the coming weeks.
• Two men arrested by gardaí investigating the fire at an Ipas centre in Co Louth on Halloween night have appeared in court.
• A monster who raped his daughter and threatened to kill her and move on to abusing her younger sister if she told anyone has been jailed for 12 years.
• Mourners at Sister Stan’s funeral have heard how a “truly great soul has passed from this world”.
• One of the two boys convicted of the murder of 14-year-old schoolgirl Ana Kriegel in Dublin seven years ago has been given more time to bring an appeal against his life sentence following a landmark Supreme Court decision.
• Shares in Aer Lingus owner International Airline Group dropped by up to 10% in early trading this morning after it reported a fall in demand for economy fares on transatlantic flights this summer.

INTERNATIONAL

President Donald Trump, left, greets Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the White House Alamy Alamy

#GOVT SHUTDOWN: More than 1,200 flights were cancelled across the United States today after the Trump administration ordered reductions to ease pressure on air traffic controllers working without pay amid the ongoing government shutdown.

#THE TRAITORS An average audience of over 11 million people tuned into the Celebrity Traitors finale last night on BBC.

#PAY RISE Tesla shareholders overwhelmingly endorsed a massive pay package for CEO Elon Musk yesterday that could reach a total value of $1 trillion.

PARTING SHOT

Aisling Bonnor of 2FM is on day three of what she calls the ‘Miriam experiment’, where she leaves her eye makeup on all week, copying presenter Miriam O’Callaghan’s quirky habit.

Listeners have grown concerned about the health implications of such an experiment, but Bonner assures them that she’ll be “grand”.

“These lashes weren’t fished out of a river. They were sterile. I’ll be grand,” she said.

Bonner did say, however, that her eyeshadow is getting “crusty”.