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

IRELAND

Louisa Ní Éideáin, who's show Dopa-Mean Girl runs at Smock Alley Theatre as part of the 14th First Fortnight Mental Health Art and Culture Festival. She is pictured beside pieces by artist Tom Meskell entitled Silva Lumina - Lights Of Growth. Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

• An 18-year-old was charged with the murder of gunman Tristan Sherry, who was killed following a shooting at a Dublin restaurant in which another man was fatally injured on Christmas Eve.
• A woman died in a collision in Co Meath. It is the sixth death on Irish roads this week alone.
• A flight bound for Manchester had to be diverted to Cork Airport on Tuesday night after a passenger died on-board the plane.
• A man was arrested after hitting a garda with his vehicle and driving off.
• The family of Imelda Keenan, a 22-year-old who went missing 30 years ago this week in Waterford, have appealed for answers about what happened to the young woman.
• The Health Minister defended the decision not to allow the family of teenager Aoife Johnston, who died from sepsis at University Hospital Limerick, to have any input into the terms of reference for an inquiry into the circumstances of her death.
• More than €1.1 million worth of cannabis was seized in separate searches across Athlone, Dublin, Kildare, and Shannon Airport.
• Thomas ‘Tucker’ McConville, son of Jean McConville who was “disappeared” and murdered by the IRA, died aged 59.
• Singer Chris de Burgh narrowly edged out well-known businessman Dermot Desmond to be the seller of the most expensive private property in Ireland last year.

INTERNATIONAL

Members of the Abu Sinjar family mourn their relatives killed in the Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#SOUTH AFRICA Ex-Olympic runner Oscar Pistorius was released from prison on parole, almost 11 years after he shot dead his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in a crime that gripped the world.

#GAZA: Israel’s defence minister for the first time presented proposals for the post-conflict administration of Gaza, where officials have said unrelenting bombardment has killed dozens over 24 hours.

#EPSTEIN FILES: Virginia Giuffre alleged she was sex-trafficked to “two of the world’s most respected politicians” as well as the UK’s Prince Andrew, court documents show.

#RIP: Derek Draper, who was married to TV presenter Kate Garraway, died aged 56 after suffering long-lasting symptoms from Covid-19, which he contracted in March 2020.

#CHINA Tesla is recalling more than 1.6 million electric vehicles in China, marking another blow for the US firm days after it was surpassed in EV sales by China’s BYD.

#COP29 Azerbijan appointed a former oil executive as president of the United Nations climate conference that the country is set to host in November.

PARTING SHOT

Shutterstock / Yemets Shutterstock / Yemets / Yemets

Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue has said restaurants and food outlets should cut down on the amount of food they put on consumers’ plates to reduce food waste. 

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, McConalogue said there was a lot of waste within food service and urged businesses to look to address the issue further. 

“Anytime I go to a food outlet, I’m tired of saying ‘that’s enough, I don’t need anymore food [on my plate],” he said. 

So in today’s poll, we asked: Should restaurants reduce portions to cut down on food waste? 

Click here to view the results or to take part.