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

Dublin Fire Brigade attended the scene of a fire at the Trinity Biomedical Sciences Institute on Pearse Street today. A laboratory was heavily damaged in the incident. Damien Storan Damien Storan

IRELAND

• TDs are tonight voting on a bill that will remove the three-day wait for those who seek an abortion.
• A doctor who happened to be cycling in Dublin city centre moments after a number of children had suffered knife injuries has told the Central Criminal Court of treating one little girl who had a stab wound over her heart and appeared to have no pulse.
• Cristiano Ronaldo’s record-equalling sixth World Cup got off to a disappointing start as the Democratic Republic of Congo secured their first-ever point at the finals, drawing 1-1 with Portugal in their Group K match tonight.
• Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said he regrets how he approached trying to implement hate speech legislation while in office, and that he now believes it would have been better to try to regulate social media algorithms instead. 
• An inquiry panel of the Teaching Council has heard claims by Enoch Burke that a fitness-to-teach inquiry into his alleged misconduct for repeatedly showing up at his school when suspended and in breach of court orders is a “hypocritical witch hunt.”
• At Dublin Castle this morning, security were posted at the entrances stopping the public from entering.
• Children and young people are struggling with loneliness and a lack of social connection, a leading child and adolescent psychoanalyst has warned.
• A group of Dublin City councillors has launched a High Court challenge over the housing minister’s alleged failure to introduce regulations that would allow councils to legally rename public spaces.

INTERNATIONAL

Swedish activist Greta Thunberg protests with other Gaza Freedom Flotilla activists in the European Quarter of Brussels Alamy Alamy

#US-IRAN TALKS: Donald Trump has said an agreement with Iran to end the war the US and Israel began over three months ago could be signed tomorrow. 

#RUSSIAN WARSHIP: A British woman onboard a yacht in the English Channel which sailors on a Russian warship fired warning shots near to “prevent a possible collision” said the incident was “a bit scary”.

PARTING SHOT

The European Parliament heard chants of “send them back” and “shame on you” from MEPs as they approved the Migration and Asylum Pact.

The tougher rules will grant authorities much broader detention powers and allow for the creation of deportation centres outside the bloc.

Not all voted in favour of the changes, and a division emerged between Irish government supporting MEPs in Strasbourg.