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

IRELAND

The Cân Aderyn Singers from South Wales conducted by Sally Ann Evans performing in Tequila Jacks, Lapps Quay as part of the 70th Cork International Choral Festival. Darragh Kane Darragh Kane

• A Fianna Fáil minister has defended Minister for Housing James Browne over the controversy surrounding the appointment of a chief executive of a new housing office, saying there is cross-party agreement around establishing the unit to build houses at scale.
• Fianna Fáil has a narrow lead over Sinn Féin as the country’s most popular party in a new opinion poll, despite dropping two percentage points.
• The chair of the Oireachtas Sports Committee, Labour TD Alan Kelly, says that he intends to invite the Camogie Association to the committee to deal with the issue of skorts, after a match was almost called off over the issue yesterday.
• A teenage girl has died following a crash at a motor racing event which was hosted by the Cork Autograss Racing Club near the village of Enniskean in West Cork this afternoon.
• A 33-year-old man who drowned in the River Lee in Cork earlier this week will be laid to rest tomorrow.
• The children’s ombudsman has said he is “hugely concerned” about the potential of AI apps that can be used by anyone to create sexually explicit images of children.

INTERNATIONAL

Cardinals attend a mass on the last of nine days of mourning for late Pope Francis, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#TEL AVIV: A missile has struck inside the perimeter of Israel’s main airport, wounding six people, halting flights and gouging a wide crater, in an attack claimed by the Houthis.

#NOT GOOD: American cardinal Timothy Dolan said that US President Donald Trump posting an AI-generated image of himself as the pope “wasn’t good”.

#MOSCOW: Russian president Vladimir Putin has said the need to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine has not arisen and he hopes it will not.

#GAZA: Israel has issued orders to call up tens of thousands of reservists ahead of an expanded offensive in Gaza, Israeli media has reported, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attacked truce mediator Qatar.

PARTING SHOT

EMMY and Team Ireland pictured at Oslo airport today.

RELAND’S EUROVISION ACT, Norwegian singer EMMY, and Team Ireland have flown to Basel in Switzerland ahead of the Eurovision in the coming weeks.

EMMY travelled to the city with her brother Erlend Guttulsrud Kristiansen – who plays keyboard and is also one of her songwriters, and their four dancers for the performance: Vilde Skorstad, Karin Aaeng Stuge, Kristiane Lindvik, and Christiane Bergersen.

The Irish team will have their first rehearsal tomorrow in St Jakobshalle, Basel.