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

IRELAND

Gardai face off with far right protestors outside the International Protection Office in Dublin. © RollingNews.ie © RollingNews.ie

• Taoiseach Simon Harris said he was “horrified” to see the gathering of “masked people” outside Minister for Equality Roderic O’Gorman’s family home last night.
• Former British soldiers investigated for perjury over Bloody Sunday will not face any charges, the Bloody Sunday families said.
• Taoiseach Simon Harris said he is “eager to be in a position to apologise” to the families of those killed in the Stardust fire tragedy and has invited them to meet with him tomorrow.
• The Journal spoke to some of the Stardust victims’ families after yesterday’s inquest jury found the cause of death to be unlawful killing. 
• A petition was delivered to RTÉ’s southern regional studio in Cork calling on RTÉ to boycott this year’s Eurovision Song Contest due to the participation of Israel.
• Gardaí caught 21 motorists travelling above the speed limit in the first two hours of an operation aimed at slowing people down.
• Josef Puska was granted legal aid to appeal his conviction for murdering school teacher Ashling Murphy.
• The work relations watchdog ordered that a former driver for Minister of Agriculture Charlie McConalogue receive €30,000 for his Christmas Day unfair dismissal.
• Croke Park sold out for Leinster’s Champions Cup semi-final clash with Northampton, as fans snapped up tickets today for the eagerly-awaited game.
• Director of football Marc Canham said the FAI now hope to have a new permanent manager for the Ireland men’s team in time for the Nations League game with England in September.

INTERNATIONAL

A woman clad in burqa shows her ink-marked finger after voting at a polling station at Kairana, in the Northern India state of Uttar Pradesh. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#UKRAINE NATO countries agreed to give Ukraine more air defences after desperate pleas from Kyiv for advanced systems to shoot down Russian attacks.

#USA A man set himself on fire outside the court where Donald Trump is standing trial in New York.

#MIDDLE EAST G7 foreign ministers urged “all parties” to “work to prevent further escalation” in the Middle East, following reports that Israel carried out revenge strikes on Iran.

#INDIA Millions of Indians went the polls today, marking the beginning of a six-week election where Narendra Modi, the populist prime minister, is seeking rare third term.

#SWIFTIES Social media exploded with excitement from Taylor Swift fans after the world-famous singer and songwriter released her latest album, ‘The Tortured Poets Department’.

#PALESTINE The UN decried the intentional destruction of complex and hard-to-obtain medical equipment in Gaza’s hospitals and maternity wards, further heightening risks to women already giving birth in “inhumane, unimaginable conditions”.

PARTING SHOT

UK POLITICS HAS been through a tumultuous few years, to say the least. 

Channel 4 has put a video together detailing the reasons behind the departures and suspensions of MPs since the last general election in 2019.

So far, 36 MPs have quit for a variety of reasons, including sexual harassment, misleading Parliament and… watching tractor porn in the House of Commons. 

36 MPs have quit or been suspended since the last election. Of those cases:

- Nine involved allegations of sexual misconduct
- Three involved criminal convictions
- One involved I’m a Celebrity
- And one involved a prime minister misleading Parliament pic.twitter.com/ahm8YFj9Xm

— Channel 4 News (@Channel4News) April 19, 2024