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

Racing at the Curragh today Lorraine O'Sullivan Lorraine O'Sullivan

IRELAND

• Gardaí arrested two people in connection with the fatal stabbing of Qayyum Balogun. 
• The former partner of Natalie McNally was handed a life sentence by a judge in Belfast Crown Court.
• Women who have been through both public and private maternity care told us about their experiences.
• The body of a man was recovered from Carlingford Lough after a fishing boat sank on Tuesday afternoon. 
• The HSE warned the Rotunda Hospital that funding could be withheld if it continues to allow consultants who signed public-only contracts to continue to practice privately at the hospital. 
• A woman who claims she was raped as a child by Jeffrey Donaldson said she should have brought the alleged abuse to police years earlier but had “tried not to be a victim”.
• Katie Taylor’s last fight will be held at Croke Park, it was confirmed. 
• Education minister Hidegarde Naughton has pledged that no school will see its Special Needs Assistant allocation cut by more than one post per year from 2027 onwards.
• A Co Leitrim music festival has said it could lose €135,000 because the online platform Tickets.ie has ceased trading and is entering liquidation.

INTERNATIONAL

Diana Shnaider of Russia celebrates during a match she won against world number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the French Open Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#RUSSIA: Ukrainian drones hit energy and military sites in St Petersburg as officials gathered for a flagship economic forum in the city. 

#LEBANON: Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire on Tuesday despite US president Donald Trump’s claim that he had brokered a deal for the region. 

PARTING SHOT

I STILL GET a bubbly stomach for the 30 seconds before walking into a restaurant I’m about to review.

I’ve been a restaurant critic in a national newspaper for almost four years and still get, every time, that rush and excitement of the next assignment: who will I meet, what will I eat, will it exceed expectations, or am I set to be bitterly disappointed?

While you’re at the table next to me, looking into the eyes of your significant other on a cheeky little date night or gossiping with the gals over spicy margaritas, I have just clocked into work. My workplace is a different restaurant each week.

Oh, and I’m also pretending to be someone I’m not by using a fake name, burner email address and wrong number in my booking confirmation.

You can read restaurant critic Patrick Hanlon’s full Voices article here.