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

IRELAND

People at the National Ploughing Championships, Co Laois on Day 2 Sam Boal Sam Boal

• A woman in her 40s has been arrested in connection with the deaths of two children following a car fire in Co Westmeath on 9 September. 
• An Aer Lingus flight carrying Taoiseach Micheál Martin from Dublin to New York has been forced to return to Ireland this evening.
• Earlier, the Taoiseach defended Government plans to introduce a pool of Garda drivers for Cabinet Ministers, saying that it was necessary due to recommendations from the Garda Commissioner.
• A US judge has set the date for a retrial of a daughter and father, who are accused of murdering Limerick man Jason Corbett in 2015.
• Over 250,000 people in Ireland tuned in to RTÉ to watch Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on Monday.
• Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has accused Sinn Féin of “following the Tory government approach” in advocating for an energy price cap.
• The National Transport Authority has told politicians that it will take “a number of years” for the taxi industry to get back to pre-pandemic driver and vehicle numbers.
• A public consultation on the pedestrianisation of Capel Street has found that the vast majority of respondents said their experience of the Dublin street has improved since it was closed to vehicle traffic.
• Gardaí are investigating an apparent stabbing incident inside a busy Dublin city centre convenience store.

INTERNATIONAL

Russian President Vladimir Putin, delivers a video address to the nation announcing a partial mobilization of the military reserves to fight in Ukraine Russian Presidential Press Servi Russian Presidential Press Servi

#UKRAINE Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the West of attempting to destroy Russia as he announced “partial” conscription across the country. He claimed this morning that the Russian army was fighting against “neo-nazis” and the “whole military machine of the West”.

#UN ASSEMBLY US President Joe Biden has warned against nuclear wars and has said that Washington was ready to peruse international arms control measures. Biden took aim at Putin in particular for what he called “irresponsible threats”.

#DONALD TRUMP New York’s Attorney General has launched a significant fraud lawsuit against former US President Donald Trump and his three eldest children.

#BEACHED WHALES Around 230 whales have been stranded on Tasmania’s west coast, just days after 14 sperm whales were found beached on an island off the south-eastern coast.

PARTING SHOT

Our political correspondent, Christina Finn, is currently in New York covering the latest UN General Assembly, where multiple world leaders have been speaking throughout the day.

In the meantime however, she spoke with Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney who addressed criticism that was levelled at the Irish Government by comedian Tommy Tiernan over Ireland’s spend on overseas development aid.

Tiernan said the public should be “frustrated, annoyed and disappointed” in the Irish Government for not hitting a UN target of allocating 0.7% of Gross National Income (GNI) to overseas development aid.

Coveney said that Tiernan has been rightly highlighting the issue and that the Irish Government plans to increase the spend to 0.7% by 2030.

Christina will be reporting from the UN throughout the week. You can follow her updates on Twitter @christinafinn8.

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