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

IRELAND

Local children take part in the late night The Spooks Parade at opening night of Lú Festival of Light in Drogheda. Leon Farrell / RollingNews.ie Leon Farrell / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

• Sinn Féin has defended its handling of an internal investigation into a complaint made against TD Brian Stanley, after details of the draft report from the inquiry emerged.
• A woman has been airlifted to hospital after a car and a bus carrying children were involved in a collision this afternoon at Ballylanders, Co Limerick.
• A man accused of “brandishing” a sword as pupils began leaving a Dublin primary school has been refused bail.
• Dublin’s new ‘Night Mayor’ says he wants to change the negative narrative surrounding the capital, as he tries to remedy long-held gripes of residents and visitors.
• The government should pay more heed to the recommendations of the Road Safety Authority (RSA) instead of disbanding it, a road safety campaigner whose teenage daughter was knocked down and killed at a pedestrian crossing has said.
• Two elderly brothers have died following a road traffic collision involving a car and a lorry in Co Antrim.
• A Dublin teenager allegedly caught with a semi-automatic pistol was released today despite “concern for the safety of other people” because the State’s main detention centre for minors was full.

INTERNATIONAL

Leaders of Coalition for Changes, and Nana Malashkhia, who leads the Coalition for Change parliament list, react while talking to journalists at coalition's headquarters after polls closing at the parliamentary election in Tbilisi, Georgia. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#GEORGIA: Georgia’s ruling party have claimed an outright victory in today’s parliamentary elections after early results showed it was set to beat a union of pro-Western opposition forces.

#IRAN: Taoiseach Simon Harris has once again called for peace in the Middle East and a deescalation, as Iran has said it has a duty to defend itself after an Israeli attack targeted military sites in the country overnight, killing two soldiers.

  #GAZA: The World Health Organization said it has regained contact with staff at a besieged northern Gaza hospital, finding that three health workers had been injured and 44 detained.

#UKRAINE: Russian missile strikes killed five people, including a child, in the Ukrainian city of Dnipro last night.

#PHILLIPINES: The number of dead and missing in massive flooding and landslides wrought by Tropical Storm Trami in the Philippines has exceeded 100.

PARTING SHOT

Night Mayor Ray O'Donoghue. Fennell Photography Fennell Photography

DUBLIN’S NEW ‘NIGHT Mayor’ says he’s wants to change the negative narrative surrounding the capital, as he tries to remedy long-held gripes of residents and visitors.

Ray O’Donoghue was this year appointed the first Nighttime Economy Adviser by Dublin City Council and, six months into the job and an election around the corner, he’s still finding is feet. You can read the full article here.