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

IRELAND

Lunar New Year: Lord Mayor of Dublin Clir Ray McAdam with Lingqian Zheng, 7 and Yuheng Chen, 9 with Garda Peter King and Horse Bradan Rollingnews Rollingnews

• A study this week by part of the Law Society of Ireland found that Ireland’s sexual offence rate is 43% higher than the European Union average. 
• Ireland was found to be in breach of the European Social Charter in regard to the workplace conditions of Irish Defence Forces personnel. 
• An Irishman who has been detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for almost five months appealed to the Irish government for help.
• Online bidding platforms may feel more transparent to homebuyers, but new research suggested people using the platforms are far more likely to bid higher and take greater financial risks in buying homes.
• Two Irish restaurants were warded their first Michelin star at the Michelin Guide’s annual ceremony for Britain and Ireland.
• The price of groceries rose by almost 7% in the last 12 months. 
• A Brazilian escort accused of having more than €700,000 in suspected brothel earnings in Dublin was sent forward for trial.
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INTERNATIONAL

Japan's Reira Iwabuchi competes during the women's snowboarding big air finals at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Livigno, Italy Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#UK: Pressure continued to mount on embattled UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer after a second close aide quit and the leader of Scottish Labour called on him to resign. 

#USA: The USA team at the Winter Olympics has found itself in the political spotlight while drawing the ire of President Donald Trump.

#EPSTEIN: Jeffrey Epstein’s accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell refused to answer questions put to her by a US congressional committee.

#USA: Bad Bunny angered US President Donald Trump with his halftime Super Bowl show, which emphasised unity over division.

PARTING SHOT

HAVING JUST SUFFERED another 300 newsroom layoffs, the closure of sections and bureaus, the exodus of many of its most venerable journalists, and the “moral infirmity” — in the words of a former editor — of transforming its editorial page into a Trumpist mouthpiece, The Washington Post is a dead newspaper walking.

It is far from alone in the graveyard.

In the US, most newspaper chains are controlled by hedge funds milking them dry, or by billionaires — The Post’s Jeff Bezos or the Los Angeles Times’ Patrick Soon-Shiong — harpooning their souls.

You can read Jeff Jarvis’ full Voices article here.