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

IRELAND

Four OPW vehicles were targeted in an alleged act of vandalism new Castletown House in Kildare. OPW OPW

• Gardaí are investigating €500k-worth of vandalism near Castletown House in Kildare
• A climate scientist said Michael Healy-Rae’s peatland forestry plan ‘about the dumbest thing we can do’
• Nurses called for special housing payment to offset rising rents for staff
• Richard Satchwell’s murder trial was told timing of Google search for quicklime ‘extremely important’
• Social media is ‘destroying social conscience‘ after onlookers filmed a man’s final moments, a TD told the Dáil
• Eurovision defended its stance on Israel’s inclusion at the contest after RTÉ called for a ‘discussion’ to be held
• Tributes were paid to ‘thorough gentleman‘ who died after car entered water off Clare Island
• The Housing Minister said a new tsar will have to be ‘forthright with any conflicts of interest‘
• Ireland was given two months to start implementing hate speech laws or face legal action from EU
• Ireland may get an alternative number to 999 for acute but non-urgent medical needs

INTERNATIONAL

Black smoke billows from the chimney of the Sistine Chapel during the cardinals' conclave to elect a new pope. Alamy Alamy

#THE VATICAN: First round of conclave voting ended with black smoke as no pope was elected

#GAZA: EU offered to help Israel to replace aid agencies distributing food and medicine in Gaza.

#KASHMIR:  Pakistan’s leader called strikes on his country by India an “act of war”

PARTING SHOT

Archbishop John Kennedy speaking to our reporter Diarmuid Pepper in Rome. The Journal The Journal

Speaking our reporter Diarmuid Pepper reports that the Archbishop John Kennedy, the Irish priest who  heads abuse investigations, says tackling the abhuse crisis will top the next Pope’s agenda.

There was one round of voting this evening, which ended in a new pope not being elected. But  Kennedy says – regardless of who is chosen after the white smoke appears for the Sistine Chapel in Rome – he is absolutely confident that the issue will be a priority to the next Pope.

You can read the full story from Diarmuid in Rome here.