Five things you need to know today

1. Democratic convention

US first lady Michelle Obama stole the show on the first night of the Democratic national convention in Philadelphia, imploring voters in a deeply personal speech to unite behind Hillary Clinton.

2. Japan knife attack

A former employee of a centre for the disabled in a Tokyo suburb broke into the building and killed 19 people with a knife early Tuesday, local officials said. The suspect, Satoshi Uematsu (26) went on a rampage at about 2.20 am in Sagamihara, a town an hour west of Tokyo, according to the authorities in the Kanagawa prefecture.

3. Banning corrupt TDs

The Government has been told it cannot ban a TD convicted of corruption from running again for election to the Dáil. Ministers will now have to abandon a previous plan to allow a court to ban any TD from standing for election within 10 years of a corruption conviction, following advice from the Attorney General's office.

4. Teaching religion

Schools may have less time to teach religion in the classroom under radical proposals being considered by the State's advisory body on the curriculum. Most primary schools typically spend up to 2½ hours teaching religion – or faith formation – each week.

5. Tall tales

The tallest men on the planet come from the Netherlands, while the tallest women are from Latvia. And while the Irish don't make the top 10 for height, we are not the shortest by a long shot, coming in 20th place for men and 24th for women out of 200 countries.

And finally: Welcome to SCINI (Scotland, Ireland and Northern Ireland) - Fintan O'Toole says Brexit has forced these nations to think radically about how they relate to each other - "To think, that is, about a new union..."