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

IRELAND

Climate protesters marching in Dublin today RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

• Eamon Ryan and Michael O’Leary argued over the airwaves about what to do about drones disrupting Dublin Airport.
• Patients who were evacuated from Wexford General Hospital following Wednesday’s fire are beginning to be returned back to the hospital.
• Micheál Martin said his party’s Junior Minister Niall Collins does not need to further clarify aspects of planning forms submitted to build a home in 2001.
• A working group was set up and allocated €20 million to intensify efforts to find accommodation for refugees arriving in Ireland.
•  New figures from the CSO showed Ireland’s domestic economy entered a technical recession at the end of last year.
• A takeaway driver who claimed that “shooting people was part of his job” was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a teenage customer on his own doorstep. 
• The Finance Minister called on energy companies to reduce customer bills as wholesale prices fall after months of high bills.
• A reality TV personality was jailed for 21 months for sharing a private video of him and his ex-girlfriend during sexual intercourse on his OnlyFans website. 
• Workers at a Co Monaghan hotel have voted to refer all their outstanding issues with their employer to the Workplace Relations Commission.

INTERNATIONAL

Ukrainian servicemen Efrem Lukatsky / AP Efrem Lukatsky / AP / AP

#ALEX MURDAUGH A judge sentenced the South Carolina lawyer to life without parole after he was convicted of murdering his wife and son. 

#UKRAINE Russian mercenary group Wagner claimed that the group had “practically encircled” Bakhmut, an industrial city in eastern Ukraine that has seen the fiercest fighting of Moscow’s invasion. 

#JOE BIDEN A skin lesion removed from US President Joe Biden’s chest last month was a common form of skin cancer, according to his doctor.

#TOBLERONE The well-known image of a Swiss mountain on Toblerone packaging will no longer appear on the chocolate bars as some of its production leaves Switzerland.

PARTING SHOT

Let’s finish with some good news. The Today FM DJ Declan Pierce has revealed he suffered a brain haemorrhage in recent weeks, but that he is making a “full recovery” in hospital. 

Pierce, who hosts Block Rocking’ Beats on Today FM on Friday and Saturday evenings, posted on social media that he left Beaumont Hospital on Tuesday after eight days following a brain haemorrhage. 

“I’m making an incredible full recovery. I’m blessed beyond words,” he said.