Five things you need to know today

[ Trump launches military strikes on Syrian air base ]

The United States has launched military strikes against Syria in response to this week’s chemical attack in the country in a dramatic intervention by the world’s largest military power in the six-year Syrian conflict.

Fifty-nine tomahawk missiles were launched from two US navy warships in the eastern Mediterranean at approximately 3.30am local time targeting the Shayrat airfield in western Syria, the field from where Tuesday’s chemical attack are believed to have been launched.

Addressing the nation last night from his residence at Mar-a-Lago in Florida where he is hosting Chinese premier Xi Jin Ping, US president Donald Trump said the decision to launch the strikes was taken in the “vital national security interest of the United States to prevent and deter the spread and use of deadly chemical weapons.”

[ Grim chapter in criminal justice ends as St Patrick’s closes ]

For years there have been demands for St Patrick’s Institution to close its doors. Drawing heavy criticism both domestically and abroad, its decommissioning this week will be welcome but the long delay in bringing it about will form part of a grim legacy.

United States warns: we’re ‘prepared to do more’ in Syria

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Migrants seek Irish-bound trucks in wake of Calais camp destruction

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Sub-Saharans shun Europe to put down roots in Morocco

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Delay to water committee’s report to allow for legal advice

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Concerns over conditions at the antiquated Victorian prison ranged from the placing of children in an adult prison environment, drug taking, inadequate education, bullying and violence, boredom and the psychological and physical toll life there could take on prisoners.

[ Fennelly analysis: Report notes ignorance of recording system ]

Back in March 2014, when the news first exploded that gardaí had been secretly recording telephone calls at Garda stations for decades, including potentially calls between suspects and their lawyers, there was something approaching panic at the highest political levels.

The prospect of the gates of the country’s jails being thrown open because convictions were rendered unsafe appeared to be a real one.

The Attorney General delivered a scarifying summary to the Taoiseach, who dispatched a senior civil servant to the Garda Commissioner’s house late at night. Reasonably assuming he was being asked to quit, Martin Callinan resigned. (In fact Callinan, in this matter at least, had behaved entirely properly, stopping the practice and preserving the evidence.) It looked like the worst crisis to face the justice system in decades.

[ Over 870 alleged historic abuse cases have no social worker ]

A total of 871 cases of alleged historical child sex abuse have yet to be allocated to a social worker, figures seen by The Irish Times show.

The largest number of cases are in Cork, where 200 open files on historic sex abuse allegations remain unallocated.

Such “retrospective” cases are generally based on reports made by adults about alleged abuse experienced in childhood. Experts regard such cases as important because suspected perpetrators may have continued abusing children and could still be doing so.

[ Westminster attack victim Andreea Cristea dies in hospital ]

A woman who was injured in the March 22nd attack on Westminster has died, police said on Friday, taking the death toll from the incident to six including the attacker.
Andreea Cristea, a Romanian national, had been visiting London with her boyfriend Andrei Burnaz at the time of the attack.
Police have said she fell into the River Thames from Westminster Bridge after being driven at by Khalid Masood who ploughed a rented car into pedestrians and stabbed a policeman to death before being shot dead.