NEED TO CATCH up? TheJournal.ie brings you a round up of today’s news.

IRISH

Pictured on the first day of the 51st annual BT Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition at the RDS are Sarah Heavenor (13), left, and Rachel Judge (14) from Salesian Secondary College, Pallaskenry, Limerick, and their project 'Music Near Foul Coup as Deterrent for Foxes. Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

• Surgeries in Beaumont Hospital were cancelled as trolley figures remain high - and Minister Leo Varadkar said he is “sick to death” of the Emergency Department crisis
• A Belfast prison agreed to take in drug smuggler Michaela McCollum
• The head of the Garda Ombudsman, Simon O’Brien, is to resign 
• Four school friends will be laid to rest after dying in a tragic Kildare crash last night
• A Republican councillor had a jail sentence for graffiti overturned
• There were fewer and fewer people on the dole every month in 2014
• A request to extradite David Drumm to Ireland was reportedly made today
• Fine Gael Senator Martin Conway is considering defecting to the new Independent Alliance 
• There is a plan to collect data on every child in the State – and it has some people worried
• Welfare Wednesday drinks won’t be happening tonight
• An Irishman who allegedly set fire to a Christmas tree and threatened two people in Australia was refused bail [The Australian]

INTERNATIONAL

AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

#FRANCE Twelve people were killed in a massacre at the office of French satirical magazine Charlie Hedbo.  Vigils have been taking place across the world for the victims.

#YEMEN A car bomb exploded outside a police academy in the capital 

#AIRASIA The tail of the crashed AirAsia plane has been found.

#NORTH KOREA Made a ‘schoolboy error’ when they attacked Sony, the FBI said

#USA An explosion outside black rights organisation NAACP’s headquarters was deliberate

#BOSTON A time capsule dating back to 1795 was opened… here’s what was inside

INNOVATION

PA Wire / Press Association Images PA Wire / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

• A big user of Facebook Messenger? Here are some features you might not be aware of. [TheJournal.ie]
• Eight new planets have been discovered by a NASA telescope… and one is the most Earth-like yet. [Geek.com]

PARTING SHOT

“You’ve got some killer eyes.” Want a compliment from Joe Biden? Here’s how to get one… instantly. (Kiss not included) [Washington Post]