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

IRELAND

Dubliners enjoy the sunshine as they wave to people in a rainy New York City thought the new Portal art installation © RollingNews.ie © RollingNews.ie

• Minister Michael McGrath has suggested tents should only be given to asylum seekers to use at State-run facilities. 
• Public health services are managing a spike in whooping cough in small babies, as the number of confirmed cases of the disease in all age groups surges to 79 so far this year.
• CEO of autism charity AsIAm Adam Harris and a Fine Gael senator have hit out at Independent TD Mattie McGrath for spreading “dangerous misinformation” in the Dáil. 
• Taoiseach Simon Harris has said that he fully supports the call by Senator Tim Lombard that GAA President Jarlath Burns comes before the Seanad to hear of concerns about the the number of hurling games being shown on GAAGO.
• An ex-prisoner has been detained indefinitely in England for the “senseless” killing of an elderly Irishman five days after his release.
• Temperatures reached 23 degrees in some parts of Ireland today, with the warm weather set to continue over the weekend.
• A leading Irish bookshop has warned that Amazon will “swallow up the competition” when it launches an Irish website and online store next year.
• A man charged with public order offences after gardaí responded to reports of an incident at Grand Canal Square in Dublin has been granted €300 bail with conditions.
• A man has been arrested by police investigating an incident in which a man was nailed to a fence in Co Antrim. 

INTERNATIONAL

Representatives vote on a draft resolution on Palestine at the UN General Assembly today Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#EUROVISION: The Dutch act for the Eurovision Song Contest will not perform in a second dress rehearsal for the grand final while an investigation into an unspecified “incident” continues, according to organisers. 

#UNITED NATIONS: The UN General Assembly has voted overwhelmingly in support of a Palestinian bid for full membership of the organisation.

#RAFAH: More than 100,000 people have fled Rafah in recent days, the United Nations has said, with the southern Gaza city under threat of a full-scale Israeli ground invasion.

#UKRAINE: Russia has launched a surprise ground offensive into Ukraine’s northeast Kharkiv region.

PARTING SHOT

The Northern Lights are expected to be visible from Ireland tonight, according to the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Centre.

Met Éireann forecaster Andrew Doran Sherlock said that those in northern counties, including Donegal, Sligo, and Mayo, are most likely to witness the phenomenon. 

The Sun just launched multiple Coronal Mass Elections (plasma with embedded magnetic field) at Earth which are combining with each other on the way over. A severe geomagnetic storm is predicted this weekend, meaning auroras are likely to be seen where 'Kp 8' is on the maps below! https://t.co/uFHhOx4dzR pic.twitter.com/ZaFHbYkwZy

— Dr James O'Donoghue (@physicsJ) May 9, 2024