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

IRELAND

People gathering at a vigil in Galway to pay their respects for Tullamore murder victim Ashling Murphy. Declan Colohan Photography Declan Colohan Photography

• Gardaí have said that “no stone will be left unturned” in their murder investigation into the death of Ashling Murphy, a 23-year-old teacher who was out for an afternoon run yesterday in Tullamore when she was fatally attacked.
• The HSE has said the emergency ambulance services of the Dublin Fire Brigade and the National Ambulance Service are experiencing “a large volume of calls and requests” for emergency ambulances in the region at this time.
• People will be able to register their positive antigen test on the HSE website from tomorrow. 
• An Irish MEP has written to the Taoiseach to ask him to object to an EU proposal that would label nuclear power and natural gas as green sources of energy.
• Health officials have reported an additional 18,904 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland today. As of 8am this morning, 1,011 people were in hospital with the virus, 92 of whom were receiving treatment in intensive care.
• A husband who had attempted to bludgeon his sleeping wife to death with a lump hammer on her birthday has lost his bid to have his 15-year sentence reduced.
• A man and a woman have been arrested in connection with the fatal shooting of Michael Tormey in Dublin last Sunday.
• A 22% reduction in agricultural emissions by 2030 will be “challenging but achievable, the Irish Farmers’ Association has said. 
• Retail returns to Clerys Quarter with two major clothing distributors set to open their Irish flagship stores in the city centre later this year.

International

Passers-by cast shadows on the pavement near the Eigelstein Torburg, Cologne, Germany. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#BRITAIN British royal Prince Andrew, who is facing a US civil case for sexual assault, has given up his honorary military and charitable roles, Buckingham Palace has confirmed. 

#AMERICA US President Joe Biden’s push to get major voting rights laws through Congress appeared on the brink of defeat after a last-hour bid to get unity in his own Democratic party failed.

#SCOTLAND Downing Street has been forced to deny that Jacob Rees-Mogg has weakened the union after a bizarre row in which he accused the Scottish Conservative leader of being a “lightweight” in the party.

#FRANCE A suspect who was arrested and questioned in connection with a triple murder in a French alpine village has been released without charge.

#ITALY A memorial service has been held to commemorate the sinking of the Costa Concordia liner. 

PARTING SHOT

The Journal’s latest episode of our The Explainer podcast takes a look inside the unrest in Kazakhstan.

Our team takes a closer look at the reasons for the unrest and the potential impact for the region and the world in general.

To get the full story, we spoke to Donnacha Ó Beacháin, Professor of Politics at DCU. He not only knows a huge amount about the country, he also has lived there. So he is perfectly placed to explain the story of Kazakhstan and the recent unrest in this episode.