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

IRELAND

Ministers Denis Naughten and Heather Humphreys at Ballydangan Bog today. Jason Clarke Photography Jason Clarke Photography

• Met Éireann issued Status Orange and Status Yellow weather alerts for most of Ireland’s western counties
• Two men died while sleeping rough in the streets of Dublin city and Dundalk
• The Central Bank was described as “a dog that is refusing to bark, never mind bite” in relation to the tracker mortgage scandal
• A student who was assaulted while on a night out in Letterkenny has said she didn’t know if her attacker was going to stop
• Psychiatrist professor Patricia Casey will no longer appear before the Oireachtas Eighth Amendment Committee
• The PSNI confirmed that three of its most senior officers are being investigated by the Police Ombudsman
• The chairman of the board of Hiqa has admitted the boycott of the Fair Deal Scheme was mooted at a meeting he attended in 2015
• Former member of The Dubliners Eamonn Campbell passed away at the age of 70.

WORLD

Artist Mark Ford puts the final touches to a Snakes & Ladders themed pumpkin mural. Gareth Fuller via PA Images Gareth Fuller via PA Images

#MALTA: The sons of a murdered Maltese journalist have dismissed Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s offer of a reward to help find her killers and called for him to quit.

#SI WHAT HAPPENS: Spain says it will press ahead to suspend the autonomy of Catalonia after the region’s leader threatened to declare independence from Spain.

#USA: Texas delayed a confessed killer’s execution to investigate last-minute revelations that could connect him to another murder for which someone else is awaiting execution.

PARTING SHOT

If you wondered how animals fare in an extreme storm, just look at how sad poor Fungie looks in this tweet.

RTÉ video journalist Seán Mac an tSíthigh wrote that Dingle’s mascot had “deep gashes” after Storm Ophelia cleared.

“He’s a little less playful than usual but appears healthy,” he said. Get well soon.