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

IRELAND

Sasko Lazarov Sasko Lazarov

• The Garda Commissioner has promised discretion will be used in dealing with licensing laws to allow outdoor hospitality to continue, the Minister for Justice has said.
• The Chief Medical Officer is concerned about levels of the Delta variant, which made up 20% of all cases in Ireland last week.
• The George Nkencho inquest has been adjourned for six months as demonstrators gathered at the RDS to ‘stand in solidarity’ with family.
• The HSE has said that people in their 20s will be vaccinated by the end of September.
• Jeffrey Donaldson has announced a fresh bid to be the leader of the DUP. 
• The ESRI reports that over 95% of those on the PUP would be better off financially in employment.
• 9,000 spectators are set to head to the Aviva next month for next month’s test matches against Japan and USA.
• Naomi Long has condemned a ‘chilling’ warning after the Loyalist Communities Council said that Irish Ministers were not welcome in the North.
• A dairy farm project aimed at achieving net-zero emissions has secured the €2 million Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Future Innovator Prize.

WORLD

ITV / PA ITV / PA / PA

#SCOTLAND: An ITV News investigation has found that Amazon appears to be destroying millions of items – including smart TVs, laptops, hairdryers and books – every year at one of its Scottish warehouses. 

#OLYMPICS: New Zealand weightlifter Laurel Hubbard has been selected as the first transgender Olympian.

#ALABAMA: Eight children from a youth home for abused or neglected children are among the 13 dead after a multi-vehicle crash in stormy weather in Alabama.

#DOWNING STREET: Dominic Cummings has criticised Boris Johnson‘s suitability as British Prime Minister.

PARTING SHOT

Boonchuaya, a hungry elephant from Thailand, was caught rummaging through a woman’s kitchen in search for a midnight snack, The Guardian reported.