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

IRELAND

Tánaiste Micheal Martin laying flowers at the Memory Wall of Fallen Defenders of Ukraine in Kyiv. Irish Embassy in Kyiv Irish Embassy in Kyiv

• Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Micheál Martin met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv today as the latter spoke to EU ministers about the importance of the bloc’s support for his country’s war effort.
• During the visit, the Tánaiste said the presence of EU foreign ministers in Kyiv is a “very powerful symbol” of the EU’s support of Ukraine and its people.
• The trial of Jozef Puska, who is charged with murdering 23-year-old schoolteacher Ashling Murphy, will begin before a jury at the Central Criminal Court in two weeks.
• A third man appeared in court after being charged in relation with the seizure of almost €160 million of cocaine on bulk cargo ship the MV Matthew off the coast of Ireland.
• An additional tax on vapes and e-cigarettes is likely to be rolled out by the Government to dissuade people from using them.
• A 72-year-old “voracious sexual predator” who masqueraded as a “kindly uncle” while sexually abusing three of his nieces for a decade was jailed for 18 years.
• The president of the Garda Representative Association said that it “wasn’t just rosters” that brought about the organisation’s decision to hold a vote of no confidence in Garda Commissioner Drew Harris last month.
• A “ruthless” gunman who emptied a revolver at a brother of Gerry ‘The Monk’ Hutch before later “running amok” in Dublin city centre as he tried to murder another man was jailed by the Special Criminal Court for 22 years.
• Gardaí are investigating after a live-streaming camera was stolen from St Ann’s Church on Dawson Street in Dublin.
• RTÉ is to close its Aertel service next week after 36 years in operation.

INTERNATIONAL

Former President Donald Trump sits in the courtroom at New York Supreme Court. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#MURCIA A Spanish nightclub which was ravaged by fire over the weekend, killing 13 people, had been ordered shut in 2022, the deputy mayor of the southeastern city of Murcia said today.

#NEW YORK Donald Trump appeared in court for what he called a “sham” civil fraud trial against him and two of his sons, with the case threatening the Republican’s business empire as he campaigns to retake the White House.

#HITLER Work has started on turning the house in Austria where Adolf Hitler was born in 1889 into a police station.

#UK Russell Brand is facing investigation by a second UK police force over allegations of stalking and harassment.

#NOBEL PRIZE The Nobel Prize in medicine was awarded to Katalin Kariko and Drew Weissman for discoveries that enabled the development of effective mRNA vaccines against Covid-19.

PARTING SHOT

Ireland has over 3,000 new citizens.

In three ceremonies in Dublin’s Convention Centre today, 3,039 people from 131 countries around the world and living in all 32 counties on the island of Ireland were granted Irish citizenship.

People at one of the Citizenship Ceremonies in the Convention Centre in Dublin. Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

The majority of the new citizens come from India (421), with people from the UK (254), Brazil (181), Poland 169) and Nigeria (153) making up the five highest national groupings.

Speaking ahead of the ceremonies, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said: “Our new citizens enrich Ireland with their presence and our society reaps the benefits which they bring.

“By sharing their own unique cultures and traditions with us, our newest citizens become part of our communities and we are all the better for it.”

Here are some photos of Ireland’s newest citizens.

Sister Elvira Rossel (R) holding her Constitution of Ireland book and Sister Virginia Wamar from the Philippines at the Citizenship Ceremony. Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

Nolisi Ncube from Zimbabwe and Ciaran Casey from Cork at the Citizenship Ceremony in the Convention Centre in Dublin. Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

Raman Deep Kaur with her mum Sarbjit Kaur from India at the Citizenship Ceremony. Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

DongDong Lin, HuaHua Lin and GuangFeng Lu from China at the Citizenship Ceremony. Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie