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

IRELAND

Central Bank launch commemorative coin of playwright Seán O'Casey on what would have been his 146th birthday. It marks the 100th anniversary of the inaugural performance The Plough and the Stars. The silver proof coin went on sale today on collectorcoins.ie. Robbie Reynolds Photography Robbie Reynolds Photography

• A 49-year-old man was charged at the Special Criminal Court with the murder of Denis Donaldson, a former member of the Provisional IRA and senior Sinn Féin official who was exposed as an MI5 informant months before he was shot dead in Donegal.
• A Dublin-based relative of a young man imprisoned in Iran said his family is living in fear as he faces possible execution after what they describe as weeks of torture, mock executions and forced confessions.
• There are no plans for the government to alter its advice around remote working or travel in the midst of a spiralling energy crisis, according to Tánaiste Simon Harris.
• Three people were arrested in connection with the murder of William Delaney, who went missing in Co Laois in January, 2019.
• How many vacant homes and sites did your council buy via CPO last year? We reveal exactly how many properties were acquired across the country in 2025.
• The rate of inflation in Ireland jumped this month due to the surge in energy prices amid the conflict in the Middle East.
• Permanent TSB confirmed two US investment groups are still in the running to buy the State-backed bank.
• Gardaí seized items linked to alleged cock fighting in Tipperary Town.
• Fianna Fáil selected a 25-year-old councillor to contest the upcoming Galway West bye-election.
• Ireland abstained from a vote on a UN resolution about the atrocities of the transatlantic slave trade during a session of the General Assembly in New York last week. 
• Opposition parties criticised moves by the government to allow modular cabins in the back garden of homes to fall under the Rent-a-Room scheme. 
• A Dublin tanning salon operated by a sister of Conor McGregor flouted public health laws by selling a sunbed treatment to a 16-year-old girl without checking her age or ID.
• Drivers guilty of speeding offences in the North had to face a “Kids’ Court” and explain their actions.
• Aer Lingus began rolling out complimentary Wi-Fi across its fleet using the Elon Musk-owned Starlink system that led to a squabble between Musk and Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary. 

INTERNATIONAL

A car service centre left devastated after a missile strike in Tehran, Iran Xinhua / Alamy Stock Photo Xinhua / Alamy Stock Photo / Alamy Stock Photo

#LEBANON: Two UN peacekeepers were killed in south Lebanon, after another peacekeeper was killed a day earlier.

#IRAN: Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s oil export hub of Kharg Island, oil wells and power plants if it does not agree soon to a deal to end the war.

#ISRAEL: Israeli politicians approved a bill that would allow the execution of Palestinians convicted on terror charges for deadly attacks, a move sharply criticised as discriminatory by European nations and rights groups.

#JERUSALEM: Israel said the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem would regain access to Christianity’s holiest site after the decision to block him from entering the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday triggered international condemnation.

#SCOTT MILLS: BBC Radio 2 DJ Scott Mills was sacked from his role as a presenter at the station over allegations regarding his “personal conduct”.

#MANHUNT: Australian police shot a fugitive wanted for killing two officers, ending a seven-month manhunt for one of the country’s most-wanted criminals.

PARTING SHOT

The star received the honorary doctorate for his contributions to public service, environmental advocacy, and the arts. Alamy Alamy

Actor and former governor of California Arnold Schwarzenegger was presented with an honorary degree during a visit to Belfast.

Schwarzenegger, 78, said it was “unbelievable” to be back in the city 60 years after his first visit.

The Austrian-born star received the honorary doctorate from Ulster University in recognition of his contributions to public service, environmental advocacy, and the arts.

Students cheered and held signs reading “Ulster he’s back” and “Hasta La Vista Ulster”, while some brought copies of his movie Terminator 2.

Schwarzenegger gave advice to Ulster University students, saying: “The most important thing in life is to have a clear vision of what you want to accomplish. If you don’t know where you’re going, it’s very hard to get there.

I always had a clear goal – to be a bodybuilder and to be a movie star. You need a blueprint.”

He went on to say that education “is the foundation”.

“The more knowledge you have, the better you become, whether that’s in academia, business, film, or in sport.

“That is why institutions like Ulster University are so important – this is where you build your knowledge, your confidence, and your future. There is no better place to do that than at a reputable university like this.”