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

IRELAND

A stag watches over a large herd of wild Wicklow sika deer grazing high up in the Wicklow Mountains. It is reported that plans are afoot to cull thousands of deer in Wicklow this year. Eamonn Farrell / RollingNews.ie Eamonn Farrell / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

•  An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar confirmed that the terms of reference into the inquiry of significant cost overruns in the construction of the National Children’s Hospital will be revised to ensure individuals can be held accountable. 
• It was announced that just 2% of reports around safeguarding concerns for people who may have been abused are made by the people themselves.
• The man at the centre of the murder of Gary Hutch has lost his appeal against his murder conviction and 22-year jail sentence.
• Former south-east correspondent Damien Tiernan hit out at RTÉ station bosses for its regional coverage and said he was “disgusted” by their reaction to his criticism.
• TheJournal.ie revealed that the Irish government is in the process of upgrading its IT security across various departments ahead of the local and European elections for fear that they could be subject to outside interference. 
• Gardaí were attending the scene after reports of a suspect device having been discovered in Edenmore, north Dublin.     
• A poll from Red C showed that half of people think Ireland is “going in the right direction”.

WORLD

Helmets for the New England Patriots and Los Angeles Rams on display outside before Super Bowl LIII at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Sipa USA Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Sipa USA / Sipa USA

#AUSTRALIA: Thousands of people in northeast Australia should expect “unprecedented flooding”, authorities warned, after relentless downpours forced a dam to be fully opened today.

#UNITED STATES: President Donald Trump today reiterated in comments that a US military intervention in Venezuela was “an option”.

#TRIAL: A witness in the trial of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman told the US government the Mexican drug kingpin drugged and raped girls as young as 13, according to court documents.

PARTING SHOT 

There’s 55 days left until Brexit. Best head to Manchester then to live it up while you still can! (via the The DailyEdge)