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

IRELAND

Kyle English and Grace Kiely performing a scene at the Young Playwrights Presentation in the Everyman Theatre, Cork. Darragh Kane Photography Darragh Kane Photography

• Former minister Mary Hanafin has said she is no longer seeking the Fianna Fáil nomination for the presidency.
• A flotilla carrying humanitarian aid and activists, including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg, has left Barcelona to try to “break the illegal siege of Gaza”. 
• A man is in serious condition in hospital after a serious assault in Bray in the early hours of this morning. 
• Independent presidential candidate Catherine Connolly has criticised the framing of questions directed at her by the media throughout the course of her campaign. 
• A man has been seriously injured following an assault in Dublin city centre.
• Challenging wind conditions impacted flight operations at Dublin Airport this afternoon. 

INTERNATIONAL

People take photos of fireworks in celebration of Malaysia's 68th anniversary of independence near the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#YEMEN: The leader of Yemen’s Houthi rebels said on Sunday his group would keep launching attacks against Israel, a day after confirming that an Israeli strike had killed their government’s prime minister.

#AUSTRALIA: The wife of an Australian man wanted in connection with the killing of two police officers urged her husband to surrender, in a statement sent to Australian media on Sunday.

#CHINA: Russian President Vladimir Putin has arrived in China to attend a showpiece summit hosted by President Xi Jinping with around 20 other world leaders.

PARTING SHOT

Timahoe Men's Choir on the main stage at Electric Picnic this afternoon

A CATHOLIC PRIEST was among the performers as a local act took to the Electric Picnic main stage for the first time in the festival’s history.

Timahoe is a village in Co Laois and a men’s choir started up in November 2023 to encourage men from the area to strike up relationships with one another.

Kildare priest Father David Vard moved to Stradbally in Co Laois shortly before Timahoe Men’s Choir started up and joined as a way to integrate into his new community.