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

IRELAND

Frank O'Connor and Jude Sherry outside Leinster House as Cork-based singer/ songwriter Martin Leahy marks the 200th and final weekly Dáil housing crisis protest Leah Farrell Leah Farrell

• A woman and teenage girl were arrested as part of the investigation into the serious assault of a woman in Co Tipperary that left her in critical condition.
• The man attacked in Limerick city on St Patrick’s Day has died, gardaí said. 
• The success of Troy Parrott and other top athletes who come from Dublin’s inner city is not because of the government support model, but in spite of it, the Dáil heard ahead of Ireland’s World Cup qualifier in Prague.
• TV company Sky has been given permission to obtain the details of hundreds of Irish dodgy box users. Does this High Court ruling mean their days are numbered?
• Lidl, Aldi, Tesco, Supervalu and Centra reduced the cost of a number of their own-brand dairy products from today.
• A “severe energy shock” caused by the war in Iran could see inflation rising above 4% this year, according to the Central Bank.
• Donegal County Council granted planning permission for a new petrol station next to the site of the Creeslough tragedy in which ten people were killed.
• Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty hit out at the inability of people in the North to watch tonight’s World Cup play-off game against Czechia.
• The Mayor of Galway, Mike Cubbard, confirmed he will contest the upcoming Galway West by‑election as an independent candidate. The by-election is to fill the seat of President Catherine Connolly.
• Dublin Councillors want to push forward with plans to rename Herzog Park in Rathgar and Diamond Park off Gardiner Street in the city centre.
• Nikita Hand will release a book in autumn of this year called Not the Perfect Victim. 
• The PSNI “did not use excessive force” when responding to a report of a firearm in a car that turned out to be a toy water pistol, a Police Ombudsman investigation has found.

INTERNATIONAL

Ireland fans in the Old Town Square in Prague ahead of tonight's match Ben Brady / INPHO Ben Brady / INPHO / INPHO

#MIDDLE EAST: Trump has insisted Iran is quietly taking part in negotiations to end the war, despite repeated denials from Tehran.

#OLYMPICS: The International Olympic Committee banned transgender women from competing in all female categories from 2028 onwards.

#MADURO: Deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro was back in a New York court today for his second appearance since his capture by US forces in an extraordinary nighttime raid.

#NUDIFICATION APPS: The European Parliament banned AI applications which can be used to create non-consensual nude images, often known as ‘nudification’.

#SHADOW FLEET: The British Military has been given the green light to board sanction dodging Russian shadow fleet vessels off the coast of Britain.

PARTING SHOT

Jennifer Parrott (centre, in hat) with family members Jayden, Danielle, Josie AJ and Tara in Prague. David Sneyd / The Journal David Sneyd / The Journal / The Journal

A message from Troy Parrott’s mam: “He loves playing for his country, he loves Ireland.”

No matter what happens tonight in Prague, Parrott will go down in Irish sporting history for his hat-trick against Hungary.

But he and the Boys in Green have a chance to go one further tonight and come one step from the World Cup.

His mother Jennifer woke up at 6am in Prague with a knot in her stomach.

The nerves had kicked in before she even wiped the sleep from her eyes.

“I don’t know which way I feel. I’ve been praying, just praying and praying and praying,” she says.

“Do you know what it’s like? It’s like a dream. That’s what it feels like. It doesn’t feel real. Does that make sense?”