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

IRELAND

This year’s Irish and International Roses to launched the RTÉ Rose of Tralee International Festival. Andres Poveda Andres Poveda

• Fire crews battled a large fire at a McDonalds in Newbridge, Co Kildare today that caused significant traffic disruption. 
• An Irishman on the Hawaiian island of Maui, which has been ravaged by wildfires, has said the scene he saw in the aftermath of the blaze was one of “absolute devastation and destruction”.
• A man has been hospitalised after falling off a bonfire in Derry last weekend. 
• The Association of Secondary Teachers in Ireland (ASTI) has called on the Department of Education to tackle “the fundamental issues” at the heart of the ongoing recruitment and retention crisis among Irish teachers.
• Foul play is not suspected in the death of a woman whose body was discovered in Co Limerick. 
• The opposition has hit out at the government for “monumental failure” in housing policy over European data that shows a significant proportion of young adults in Ireland are still living at home.
• President Higgins has offered his sympathies to the families of the 1998 Omagh bombing victims. 
• Met Éireann told forecasters that Ireland needs to prepares for more extreme weather including heavier rainfall, storm surges and coastal flooding. 

WORLD

#DONALD TRUMP has been indicted on charges of racketeering and a string of election crimes after a two year probes into his efforts to overturn his 2020 election defeat. 

#TWO YEARS OF THE TALIBAN: For Afghan opposition figures and those in exile to stand a chance against the Taliban, more international support is needed, writes David Loyn of King’s College in London.

#RUSSIAN MISSILES have killed three people in the Ukrainian city of Lutsk, in the latest deadly strike on the west of the country. 

#CLIMATE CHANGE: 2023 is highly likely to be the warmest year of modern records, according to analysis by a climate data organisation.

PARTING SHOT

TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has said he and his partner have pulled back from being as public about their relationship out of a desire for privacy.

Varadkar opened up about his upbringing, his sexuality and personal moments in his life on the Ciara Phelan Podcast from the Irish Examiner.

Speaking to Phelan, said he believes his relationship with fellow doctor Matt Barrett is treated differently than that of other political leaders because he is gay and not married.