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

IRELAND

The Fingal Mummers, performing at the Dublin City Council Smithfield Fleadh. MAXWELL'S MAXWELL'S

• A healthcare manager highlighted numerous issues with recruitment practices in the HSE – saying workers on panels were bypassed for jobs, and roles that were vacant at the end of last year are now deemed ‘non-existent’.
• Traffic changes in Dublin city centre went into effect today.
• A Status Yellow rain warning was issued for six counties.
• Iarnród Éireann confirmed new services and departure times on line around the country set to come into effect tomorrow.
• Taoiseach Simon Harris delivered a wide-ranging speech remembering Irish revolutionary Michael Collins at a commemoration event at Béal na Bláth in Cork.
• Independent Ireland has some 20 candidates secured to run in the next general election, party leader Michael Collins said today. 

INTERNATIONAL

Smoke caused by an Israeli airstrike in Al-Qusayr, Lebanon. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#LEBANON: Israel launched a series of intense airstrikes in southern Lebanon early this morning in what it said was a pre-emptive strike against the Hezbollah militant group, threatening to trigger a broader region-wide war that could torpedo efforts to forge a ceasefire in Gaza.

#FRANCE: French police arrested Telegram chief executive Pavel Durov today at an airport near Paris for alleged offences related to the popular messaging app.

#USA: Kamala Harris’ US presidential campaign said today that it has raised more than half a billion dollars in just over a month, “a record for any campaign in history.”

#GERMANY: German police detained a suspect in the Solingen knife attack that killed three people on Friday evening. 

PARTING SHOT

THE AN POST Irish Book Awards has today named its top 20 best new Irish fiction writers ahead of its awards in November.

The nominated authors work across a variety of fiction genres and all have had no more than two books published in the last decade. 

Chairperson on the judging panel Maria Dickenson said the list presents 20 of the most promising names in Irish literature, adding that Irish writing is in “great hands” with the new generation of authors. 

The list is published ahead of the An Post Irish Book Awards which will return on November 27 for its 19th year.