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

IRELAND

The Department of Education launched its redeveloped curriculum for primary school students today. RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

• Millionaire Gareth Sheridan has conceded his bid to become president after he was dealt consecutive rejections by separate county councils today.
• Maria Steen faces an uphill battle to get on the ballot paper for the presidential election, but she may yet pull it out of the bag.
• Catherine Connolly has criticised British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer for saying Hamas should be excluded from any future Palestinian government, arguing that the group is “part of the fabric of the Palestinian people”.
• One man has been killed and another is in critical condition after separate road crashes in Cork and Mayo.
• A teenage boy has been hospitalised after a serious assault on Eden Quay in Dublin last night.
• Fianna Fáil’s presidential election candidate Jim Gavin has written to social media companies to demand action in response to “smears” posted about him online. 
• The cost of your weekly food shop has likely soared again in recent weeks, as grocery price inflation has increased to 6.3%.
• A tourist who took a wrong turn and caused a head-on collision after driving on the wrong side of the road in Co Donegal has appeared in court.
• The Department of Education launched its redeveloped curriculum for primary school students today, which will come into effect next year.

INTERNATIONAL

The 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly began in New York City today. Queen Mathilde of Belgium is pictured delivering a speech. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#FRANCE: France is set to formally recognise the State of Palestine at a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York today.

#LEBANON: An Israeli drone strike has killed five people, including three children, in the southern Lebanese town of Bint Jbeil, Lebanon’s Health Ministry has said.

#TIKTOK: US presidential Donald Trump said yesterday that media mogul Rupert Murdoch and his eldest son Lachlan could be among the investors who will take control of TikTok in the United States.

#EPSTEIN: Sarah Ferguson has been dropped as the patron of five charities in the fallout from reports that she sent convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein an email calling him a “supreme friend”.

PARTING SHOT

Gareth Sheridan conceded his bid to become president today after two consecutive rejections by separate county councils meant he could not mathematically have enough nominations to get on the ballot.

Candidates need the backing of either four councils or 20 Oireachtas members to secure a place on the ballot. 

Currently, three candidates are officially in the race: Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys, Fianna Fáil’s Jim Gavin, and Independent Catherine Connolly.

Several of this year’s Áras hopefuls have voiced their frustration over how difficult it is to get on the ballot, with the main political parties seeking to obstruct people who aren’t their own candidates.

So, take our poll and tell us what you think: Is it too difficult to get on the presidential ballot?