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

IRELAND

President Higgins and his wife Sabina depart to Laos after his State visit to Vietnam. Aras an Uachtarain Aras an Uachtarain

• Junior doctors are to vote on taking industrial action.
• The family of a woman stabbed to death at a Waterford psychiatric hospital have delivered a victim impact statement.
• A man who fatally stabbed his housemate in the heart when they rowed about food during a drinking binge has been jailed for five years.
• A large majority of Irish people want to see medicinal cannabis made available here.
• Half of primary school principals have had to deal with homophobic bullying.
• An Iranian has been on hunger strike for 35 days in a direct provision centre in Sligo.
• The final order of surrender written by Padraig Pearse during the Easter Rising could be set to leave Ireland.
• The Phoenix Park rail tunnel is set to open for passengers from next week.

WORLD

British Breaking Bad-obsessed fan Stefano Brizzi has been found guilty of murdering another man and trying to dissolve his body in acid. PA Wire / PA Images PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images

#PRESIDENT-ELECT TRUMP: Donald Trump has appointed Republican chairman Reince Priebus as his Chief of Staff and former CEO of the Breitbart News Stephen Bannon as his advisor.

#JO COX: The man accused of killing British MP Jo Cox repeatedly shouted “Britain first” as he shot and stabbed her, a court heard.

#CLIMATE CHANGE: The year 2016 will “very likely” be the hottest on record the UN has said.

#EXTRA-SUPERMOON: Tonight’s supermoon will see the moon the closest it’s been to earth for 68 years.

INNOVATION

• New rules are being implemented to regulate the use of drones due to near misses at some airports including Dublin.

PARTING SHOT

Okay, so dogs may be man’s best friend. But Jackson the dog’s best friend is Bird Noir, a black-masked lovebird.