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

IRELAND

A fallen tree on a Porter and Jones van in Leeson Park, Ranelagh, Co Dublin Sasko Lazarov Sasko Lazarov

• Around 34,000 homes and businesses are still without power this evening after Storm Debi battered the country.
• A man who admitted to vigourously shaking his ten-month-old grandchild, leading to the child’s death, has been jailed for five and a half years.
• RTÉ is aiming to reduce staff numbers by up to 400 over the next two years through a voluntary redundancy. 
• An adult daughter of County Clare couple Joe Collins and Claire Collins told mourners today that she would give anything to have another happy family day with her parents.
• A number of trees in Northern Ireland’s famous Dark Hedges are to be removed amid concerns they could pose a risk to the public.
• A man who was arrested in connection with the hit and run incident that claimed the life of 21-year-old student journalist Joe Drennan in Limerick has been released without charge. 
• Award-winning Irish filmmaker Ross McDonnell has been reported missing for over a week in New York. 

WORLD

Signs saying 'Tomt', or 'Empty' in English, are attached to a property in the town of Grindavik, Iceland Alamy Alamy

#GAZA The hospitals in northern Gaza have been forced out of service amid fuel shortages and intense combat, with the death toll inside the territory’s largest facility rising, the Hamas-run health ministry said today. 

#GRINDAVIK Residents of an Icelandic town damaged by hundreds of earthquakes over the past few days were able to briefly return to their homes today after being evacuated on Saturday, authorities said.

#SUNAK’S RESHUFFLE Suella Braverman has been sacked as British home secretary while former prime minister David Cameron has made a dramatic return to government.

#US PRESIDENCY US Senator Tim Scott, who was running to become the first Black Republican president, has announced that he is withdrawing from the US presidential race.

PARTING SHOT

Sasko Lazarov Sasko Lazarov

Today Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar met with French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne for the Foreign Ministry’s conference on the Year of the French.

Taking to X, Varadkar described France as “an indispensable partner” to Ireland in the EU. 

Today’s event marked the support from forces of the French Republic that backed the Irish rebellion for independence in 1798.

“The expedition was a defining moment in the long path to the realisation of our own republic. The United Irishmen were inspired by the radicalism & revolution that began in France,” said Varadkar.