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

IRELAND

Sonia Jacobs, who was wrongfully convicted of two murders in the US, died today after a house fire in Galway alongside her male carer. Alamy, file Alamy, file

• Exonerated US death row inmate Sonia Jacobs died in Galway house fire
• A man was pepper-sprayed after assaulting a garda on a plane at Dublin Airport
• Shoppers ‘really feeling it in their wallets‘ as grocery price inflation nears 5%
• Irish artist CMAT will play famous Pyramid Stage at Glastonbury 
• A large quantity of chemicals were found inside a barrel at Carlow gunman’s bedroom
• A decision on the opening of Skellig Michael to tourists is due this week
• Parents urged the DPP to appeal a sentence handed to driver in fatal Monaghan debs crash
• Kneecap announced their biggest English show to date at London arena

INTERNATIONAL

Ukraine’s Secret Service said that it detonated more than 1,000 kilograms at a bridge that connected Crimea with Russia. SBU SBU

#GAZA: 27 people died after the Israeli army opened fire on a group queuing for aid in Gaza

#UKRAINE: Ukraine attacked a bridge connecting Crimea to Russia with over a thousand kilos of explosives.

#THE NETHERLANDS: The Dutch Government is on the brink of collapse after the far-right pulled out of its coalition

#WASHINGTON: ’I can’t take it anymore’: Elon Musk slammed the Trump-backed US spending plan

PARTING SHOT

Ranger Wing Operators onboard the Matthew. Alamy Alamy

A court in Dublin today heard of the Iranian smugglers, Dubai gangsters and the frantic crew texts as Irish Special Forces boarded MV Matthew, a vessel carrying Ireland’s largest drug shipment ever seized.

News Correspondent Niall O’Connor today reported from inside the courtroom in Dublin, where eight men have pleaded guilty to their part in the trafficking of 2.2 tonnes of €152m worth of drugs into the Irish state in September 2023. 

Detective Superintendent Keith Halley led the garda operation that captured the MV Matthew in a daring Army Ranger Wing (ARW) operation off the Wexford and Waterford coast. 

In his evidence he spoke of the bravery of the ARW operators who fought high winds, rolling seas and a ship manoeuvring trying to stop them to get on board. Prosecuting Barrister John Berry read text messages exchanged between the crew members and people in Dubai that told them to run for open water. 

You can read Niall O’Connor’s full report, here.