EVERY WEEKDAY EVENING, The Journal brings you the five biggest stories of the day.

1. #ZAPPONE: Former Minister Katherine Zappone has declined the position of UN Special Envoy for freedom of opinion and expression, after coming under increasing political pressure. 

2. #CORK: Tributes have been paid to a well-known priest who was one of two people who died in a bus crash after the driver suffered a medical emergency behind the wheel and lost control of the vehicle.

3. #PUBLIC HEALTH: The Archbishop of Dublin has written to his priests indicating that they can proceed with confirmations and first holy communions, despite public health advice to the contrary.

4. #THUNDER: A status yellow thunderstorm warning will be in place across Ireland tomorrow. Met Éireann has forecast thundery spells of rain with the risk of lightning and hail.

5. #BELARUS: Maria Kolenikova, the last remaining protest leader still in Belarus, has gone on trial after 10 months in custody as the regime of Alexander Lukashenko seeks to crush all dissent.