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

IRELAND

Paul Mescal at the British Independent Film Awards in November. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

• A man has been arrested by gardaí investigating a serious assault that took place in Roscommon at 1am on New Year’s Day.
• Four of the five people who were injured in an arson attack on a home in Finglas, Dublin on Wednesday have been discharged from hospital.
• Plans for wind farm of ’30 Eiffel Tower sized turbines’ off Clare and Galway coasts have been withdrawn.
• Actor Paul Mescal has said he will start rationing his workload to avoid resenting his career.
• Irish lawyer who took part in human rights monitoring mission in the West Bank speaks on impact of expanding Israeli settlements.

 INTERNATIONAL 

Police stand at an emergency tent beside the sealed off Le Constellation bar, where the fire took place.

#SWITZERLAND: Swiss authorities have confirmed that 40 people were killed in the fire that ripped through a bar in the Swiss Alps in the town of Crans-Montana, with 119 others injured.

#NORTH KOREA: The North Korean’s leader’s daughter Kim Ju Ae has made her first public visit to a mausoleum housing her grandfather and great-grandfather today, further solidifying her place as likely next in line to run the nuclear-armed dictatorship.

#TRUMP: US President Donald Trump has denied falling asleep while attending public meetings as he sought to combat concerns about his health. 

PARTING SHOT

OpenAI employs around 50 staff members at their European headquarters in Dublin.

OpenAI, the company behind the AI service ChatGPT, has signed a government charter aimed at improving digital inclusion and access to emerging technologies across Ireland.

 The US-based AI firm became the latest signatory to the government’s Charter for Digital Inclusion, following a meeting between Minister of State for AI and Digital Transformation Niamh Smyth and Emma Redmond, head of OpenAI Ireland.

The charter is a voluntary initiative that encourages companies and public bodies to promote digital skills, improve accessibility, and support people who may struggle to engage with new technologies as AI and online services become more widespread.

As part of the move, OpenAI has committed to a number of pledges under the charter, including investing in staff upskilling, embedding digital inclusion principles into its products and policies, and supporting government-led programmes focused on digital transformation.

Smyth said the charter was about ensuring technology “serves everyone in our society”.