LAST UPDATE | 18 May 2024

GOOD MORNING.

Here’s all the news that you need to know as you start your day.

Canvassing

1. Having a ladder kicked while at the top of it, being chased down the road, being harassed with phone calls and having abuse “roared” at them – these are some of the things election hopefuls have had to deal with as they canvass ahead of the June elections.

This week, The Journal caught up with a number of other election candidates to discuss their experience of canvassing this year.

West Bank

2. The Israeli military has said it killed a senior Palestinian militant during an air strike on an “operations centre” in the occupied West Bank city of Jenin.

Court appearance

3. The suspect charged with the attempted murder of Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico is expected before a penal court that will decide whether to hold him in pre-trial detention.

Diversions

4. Dame Street in Dublin City Centre is closed from Christchurch Cathedral to George’s Street after a road traffic collision overnight.

New Caledonia

5. One more person has been killed today and two have been injured in France’s Pacific territory of New Caledonia as security personnel tried to restore order after a fifth night of riots and looting that has now claimed six lives. 

Accountability

6. A leading EU broadcaster has said Irish media companies need to have a better focus on Europe and has called for a public, ring-fenced fund to be established in order to support it.

Karen Coleman, editor of the Irish section of EU News Radio (a public-service broadcaster focused on European news) said that there is a “dwindling pool” of Irish journalists based in Brussels.

Spotify 

7. Music streaming giant Spotify has been sued in a US federal court for allegedly underpaying songwriters, composers and publishers by tens of millions of dollars.

Scottie Scheffler

8. Golf number one Scottie Scheffler was handcuffed and arrested by police today after allegedly dragging a police officer with his car while trying to avoid traffic controls outside the PGA Championship at Valhalla.

Flash flooding

9. Flash flooding has killed at least 50 people in western Afghanistan, AFP reports.