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

IRELAND

This year's Kilkenny Arts Festival was launched today. Pat Moore Pat Moore

• Ryanair pilots in Germany and the Netherlands are to join a wave of strikes with hundreds of flights set to be cancelled on Friday.
• Almost one million patient appointments were outstanding in the first half of 2018.
• The government has announced a new waiting list guarantee policy.
• Thirteen food businesses were hit with FSAI closure orders with complaints ranging from rodent droppings to the presence of flies.
• The Minister for Justice was criticised for not engaging in the PTSB loan sale.
• The occupation of a Dublin house by housing activists entered its second day.
• The hosepipe ban to is to remain in place in the east and south of the country until October.
• A group of lay Catholics called on the organisers of the World Meeting of Families to rescind an invitation to pro-LGBT cleric James Martin.
• Over 40% of Irish TV viewers watched Ireland win historic silver medal in the Hockey World Cup final.

World

Amiens Cathedral in France today hosted a centenary of the WW1 Battle of Amiens. PA Images PA Images

#RECALL: The first recall in vote in UK history will open today as nationalist and republican parties in the North attempt to remove DUP MP Ian Paisley Jr from office.

#WEATHER: Wildfires scorched across Portugal’s southern Algarve region today as temperatures hit 45 degrees.

#INFOWARS: Twitter chief Jack Dorsey has defended his company’s decision to allow far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones to continue using the platform.

#HOLLYWOOD: The Oscars are adding a new category to honour ‘popular films’ after a drop in ratings this year.

PARTING SHOT

Passionate pro-European Andy Pardy is mourning the potential of Britain’s last summer in the EU by driving around Europe, writing ‘Stop Brexit’ across the continent using a GPS tracker.