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

EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen with the Tánaiste, Taoiseach and other ministers in Cork. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

IRELAND 

• Three men accused of murdering journalist Lyra McKee were found not guilty.
• Friends and neighbours of Crumlin man Pico Lopes were preparing to host a watch party on the green in his estate when Cape Verde take on World Cup champions Argentina. 
• More than 46,000 abortions have been carried out in the six years since it was legalised, a HSE report said. 
• Tánaiste and finance minister Simon Harris said Pinergy’s 82% increase to its night rate was “extraordinary”. 
• Two gardaí were injured outside a Co Louth garda station when they were assaulted on Tuesday morning.
• Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan rejected being labelled “Trumpian” by solicitors as the stand-off over legal criminal aid fees continued. 
• A man who was jailed for sexually assaulting a girl when she was out celebrating her Leaving Cert results was deported. 
• Riots that followed the stabbing of a man in Belfast in June were partly directed by loyalist paramilitary groups, police said. 
• A 21-year-old man was found guilty of the murder of a postman who was found with a pool of blood under his head in the driveway of his home in Doneraile, Co Cork last year.

INTERNATIONAL

Images of US President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi shown during a drone show held in Tokyo Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#PALESTINE: EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said that it was up to member states to agree on sanctioning Israel.

#USA: Preparations were underway in New York City for the wedding of pop star Taylor Swift and football player Travis Kelce. 

PARTING SHOT

IMAGINE WAKING UP on Monday morning to discover that the US Government had told Microsoft to disable Office 365 for everyone outside the United States. No Word. No Excel. No Outlook. No Teams meetings. No Azure-based sites or applications.

Sure, there’d be some relief. But there’d be way more outcry.

You can read Steve Dempsey’s full Voices article here.