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

IRELAND

Protesters hold a demonstration outside the Dáil about housing in the Gaeltacht. Sadbh Cox / The Journal Sadbh Cox / The Journal / The Journal

• The government approved an additional €500 million for the new Children’s Hospital, pushing the total costs to over €2 billion.
• A woman was charged in connection with death of six-year-old Matthew Healy.
• RTÉ confirmed the previously redacted names of 20 people who were interviewed for the Toy Show musical report last month.
• Gardaí carried out the first of two searches at a park in Dublin for the missing Icelandic man Jon Jonsson.
• The closure of a M&S store in Drogheda was labelled “major blow” for the town as workers at a store in Dublin were also told it will be closing.
• Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he is abused on the street about the conflict in Gaza.
• Irish language activists and politicians protested at the Dáil over the “Gaeltacht housing crisis“.
• Ryanair cancelled all flights to and from Israel, citing increased airport costs at Tel Aviv as the cause.
• Ivan Yates doubled down on his comments about the Irish language to The Journal this evening.
• Rodent droppings and no hand washing were noted in reports relating to the closure of three food businesses in January.
• A poll from The Journal and Ireland Thinks found the Irish public support Ukraine joining the EU, but don’t want to see its membership fast-tracked.
• An investigation by Alice Chambers of Noteworthy found that asylum-seeker support workers are expected to act as interpreters without specialist training.

INTERNATIONAL

FBI agents and law enforcement rush to the scene of a mass shooting at a New York City subway station. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#RAFAH: Broadcaster Al Jazeera condemned Israel after one of its reporters had their legs blown off in an airstrike in the densely populated city of Rafah in Gaza.

#UNITED KINGDOM: The British Labour party withdrew its support from a by-election candidate after he made comments that were viewed to be critical of Israel.

#NEW YORK: One person was killed and five people were injured in a subway station shooting in New York city last night.

#NAGORNO-KARABEKH: Armenia said two people were killed at the contested border of the Nagorno-Karabekh region with Azerbaijan.

PARTING SHOT

L-R: Lydia Kavanagh from Ranelagh, Dublin (Age 12), Flute; Donagh Mangan from Kinsealy, Fingal (Age 14), Violin; Grace Mercer from Wexford (Age 19), Oboe; Lucy Blackmore from Cabra, Dublin (Age 13), Flute; Alice Dong from Blackrock, Co Dublin (Age 12), Flute; Aisling Griffin from Ballsbridge, Dublin (Age 12), Flute; and Kristian Warnock from Swords (Age 16), Violin. Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

The 128th edition of the Feis Ceoil is to take place at the RDS in Dublin on 11-22 March.

Musicians from all over Ireland will attend the festival to jam, strum, fiddle, blow and play traditional music together during the country’s longest music competition and festival.

Two new competitions will take place this year, Choral Conducting and Senior Percussion, which organisers hope will help artists to develop their craft, through mentoring emerging musicians.

This is adding to the already 190 individual competitions that take place over the course of the festival each year. Organisers say over half a million musicians have competed and played at the festival since it began in 1896.

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