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

IRELAND

Paul Mescal, who was nominated for an Olivier award today, with co-star Anjana Visan Almeida Theatre Almeida Theatre

• Minister of State Niall Collins is expected to make a statement in the Dáil this week regarding controversy surrounding his 2001 planning application. 
• Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the Government expects energy companies to reduce their prices in the coming months.
• A man found guilty of groping a 10-year-old girl while she was shopping in Dublin’s Ikea superstore with her family has been given a six-month jail sentence.
• Paul Mescal has been nominated for the Olivier Awards’ Best Actor category for his role in “A Streetcar Named Desire”.
• A fake psychiatrist who worked in Northern Ireland and came to “believe her own lie” was found out when police discovered a “treasure trove” of documents at her house, a detective has said.
• Plans for Leaving Cert students to sit Paper 1 in both English and Irish at the end of fifth year are set to be deferred. 
• The school at the centre of the Enoch Burke case has been directed by a High Court judge to provide a list of the times the former teacher has been in breach of a court order.
• The HSE has warned that synthetic cannabinoids in cannabis jellies have caused over a dozen people to be hospitalised in the past several months.

INTERNATIONAL

A view of the town of Bakhmut yesterday Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#BREXIT Rishi Sunak has told Tory MPs to give the DUP the “time and space” to consider his Brexit deal as they were warned it is the best offer they will get.

#UKRAINE The country said its troops were under mounting pressure in the battered frontline city of Bakhmut in the industrial east, a key prize for the Kremlin after months of brutal combat.

#DEATH TOLL The devastating earthquake that struck Turkey and Syria killed more than 50,000 people.

#GHISLAINE Maxwell is set to lodge an appeal against her sex-trafficking conviction – claiming victims had “faded, distorted and motivated memories”.

#ISIS Taliban forces have killed a top Islamic State commander who allegedly planned attacks against diplomatic missions in Afghanistan’s capital, a government official said 

PARTING SHOT 

Babycham Babycham

The family of sparkling perry Babycham’s inventor have regained ownership of the drink and plan to relaunch the drink 70 years after it first hit markets.

Originally known as ‘baby champ’, the drink was created by Francis Showering in Somerset, England before being launched in 1953.

It became the first alcoholic drink advertised on British television and went on to become massively popular in the 60s and 70s.

The slogan “I’d love a babycham!” was a common feature of the brand’s adverts which were primarily aimed at women and seeked to promote a more ‘ladylike’ choice of alcohol.

The Showerings are now reportedly planning a revamp of both Babycham glasses and bottles.

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