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

IRELAND

Climate change protestors on the streets of Dublin. Leah Farrell Leah Farrell

• Thousands of activists have taken part in climate protests across the island of Ireland, Glasgow and locations across the world.
• Environment Minister Eamon Ryan has tested positive for Covid-19 and will not be travelling to the Cop26 in Glasgow.
• The father of the pilot of crashed Irish Coast Guard helicopter R116 has said it was “absolutely crazy” that concerns over its navigation system were never addressed.
• Gardaí attached to the Special Detective Unit (SDU) this morning arrested a man in relation to death threats made to a Labour MP in the UK. 
• Public health officials have confirmed 3,685 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland.
• President Joe Biden has sent a video message to the team behind a new palliative care unit in Roscommon.
• A man has been remanded in custody, with a recommendation for psychiatric treatment, after gardaí charged him with murdering his wife at their Dublin apartment.
• Police in Belfast have launched an investigation following four alleged spiking incidents in Belfast city centre.

World

Poland, Wroclaw Protests after the death of a woman who died because she was refused an abortion. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#USA Eight people have died and dozens have been injured at a music festival in Houston, Texas. 

#POLAND/BELARUS Tensions between Belarus and Poland have been heating up in recent months as thousands of people have been trying to cross the border from the former to the latter — an EU member state.  

#COLORADO Two Hyenas at the Denver Zoo have tested positive for the coronavirus, the first confirmed cases among the animals worldwide, a national veterinary laboratory has announced. 

#TAIWAN A Taiwan official has urged the Irish Government to reopen its representative office in Taipei in an effort to strengthen relations amid growing tensions in the South China Sea.

Parting Shot

We are half way through our COP26 in Glasgow as Orla Dwyer reports from the what has been hailed as the last gasp effort to save our climate. 

The event will last from 31 October to 12 November. The Journal will be heading over to Scotland to report on the conference and, as part of our coverage, we’ll be sending out a daily newsletter. 

 This will give context to the main events of each day and fill you in on what you need to know about this year’s summit which comes on the foot of a “code red” climate report released in August.