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

IRELAND

Victoria Smurfit was uveiled as Grand Marshal for St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Victoria was joined by Carlos Ruben Johnson (age 9), Quinn O’Hara (age 7) Julien Behal Julien Behal

• Gardaí are at the scene of a “serious incident” onboard a passenger ferry currently docked at Rosslare Europort.
• A woman in her 80s died after what gardaí believe was a serious assault in a domestic incident at her home in Carrigaline, Co Cork.
• Investigators believe that the discovery of the body of a man and a critically ill woman at a house in County Cork is linked to a poisoning incident. 
• Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan said Israel refused to allow an official European Parliament delegation to travel through the country on the way to Palestine yesterday.
• Taoiseach Micheál Martin hit out at members of the Opposition, accusing them of having a “herd-like attitude” in relation to the row over speaking rights for the Regional Independents.
• More than 13,000 people are on driving test waiting lists in the Tallaght test centre, the highest figure in the country.
• A man who grabbed Green Party leader Roderic O’Gorman by the shoulders and verbally abused him with a homophobic slur during an election canvass in Dublin, was spared jail.
• It is “incomprehensible” that the National Gallery of Ireland would continue with plans to purchase an over €120,000 x-ray scanner despite not having the facilities to store the device for over eight years, the Taoiseach said.
• A fourth arrest was made in connection with the fatal stabbing of a man on South Anne Street in Dublin last week. 
• A Dublin woman told a court she screamed after waking up in a Greek holiday hotel with an infestation of ants in her hair and in her bed, causing lumps of her hair to fall out.
• There was a “strong” link during the pandemic between efforts the Irish public undertook to mitigate the risk of Covid-19 infection and the number of new daily cases that were reported.

INTERNATIONAL

Eucharist for the health of Pope Francis in the Argentine church of Santa Maria Addolorata in Buenos Aires square Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#POPE FRANCIS: The Vatican said Pope Francis remains in a “critical condition” but that he is “stable”.
#UK: British prime minister Keir Starmer slashed the aid budget to fund a dramatic increase in defence spending in response to “tyrant” Vladimir Putin and uncertainty over US President Donald Trump’s commitment to European security.
#FRANCE: A former surgeron went on trial in France for the alleged rape or sexual abuse of 299 victims, most of them children who were his patients.
#EU DRUG USE: Less than 3% of drug users in Europe received treatment to manage or quit drugs, a new survey found.
#DEBUNKED: No, Elon Musk didn’t abandon his son at a Donald Trump rally.

PARTING SHOT

Photo taken 20 Jan, 2025 and released by Guo Qingshan, a view of the puppy mountain which went viral over the internet in China Guo Qingshan Guo Qingshan

When Shanghai-based designer Guo Qingshan posted a holiday photo on Valentine’s Day and captioned it “Puppy Mountain”, it became a sensation in China and even created a tourist destination.

Guo had gone on a hike while visiting his hometown of Yichang in central China’s Hubei province in late January.

When reviewing the photos, he saw something he had not noticed before: A mountain shaped like a dog’s head rested on the ground next to the Yangtze River, its snout perched at the water’s edge.

“It was so magical and cute. I was so excited and happy when I discovered it,” Guo said.

“The puppy’s posture is like it’s drinking water, or it’s looking at some fish. It also looks like it’s quietly protecting the Yangtze River,” he said.

Dog owners started to post pictures of their dogs to see which one had the closest resemblance.

The Yangtze River, the longest river in China and the third-longest river in the world, flows through the mountainous area.