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

IRELAND

Daniel Zagorski and Ciara Sheehan with Dr Mary McAleese, former President of Ireland, before she launched a report on the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTI people in Ireland. RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

• Books of condolence were opened in Buncrana and Derry following the tragic deaths of five members of the one family on Sunday. Their bodies returned home today.
• A group of rural-based independent TDs have said they are going to “intensify discussions with Fine Gael with a view to trying to form a government”.
• Gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender teenagers are twice as likely to self-harm and three times more likely to attempt suicide, a new survey found.
• Dublin’s Regency Hotel, scene of the assassination of David Byrne on 5 February, has been suffering heavy financial losses since the shooting, the High Court was told.
• The advertising watchdog upheld complaints against Harvey Norman over a radio ad targeted at Leaving Cert students, and a Donegal nightclub that promoted a “shag a ginger” night.
• Residents of a housing estate in Tyrrelstown, west Dublin, who are facing eviction marched to Leinster House.
• Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald claimed she was subjected to “heavy-handed and very invasive” security searches when she left the US last week.
• Two men were arrested in connection with an armed robbery outside a supermarket in the Balgaddy area of Lucan yesterday.
• Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae has spoken out about an incident where a cow attacked him on Sunday.
• The Criminal Assets Bureau searched a number of locations today as part of an organised crime crackdown.

INTERNATIONAL

The Brandenburg Gate is illuminated with the Belgian national flag in reaction to the Brussels attacks, in Berlin, Germany. AP Photo / Markus Schreiber AP Photo / Markus Schreiber / Markus Schreiber

#BELGIUM: At least 34 people were killed in two explosions in Brussels. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

#SCOTLAND: Police have confirmed that a body found in Clydebank is that of missing teenage girl Paige Doherty.

#CANADA: Rob Ford, the controversial former mayor of Toronto, has died from cancer at the age of 46.

#US: The government has said it may have found a way to crack the iPhone of one of the San Bernardino attackers without Apple’s help, possibly avoiding a showdown with the tech giant.

INNOVATION

• These are the best features from the latest iPhone update.
• Speaking of Apple, the company has created a robot that can rip apart 1.2 million iPhones a year [Geek]. 

PARTING SHOT

Artists have been sharing tributes to the victims killed in the Brussels terror attacks [Mashable].

Originally published 9pm