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

IRELAND

Mark Stedman Mark Stedman

• A group that represents Irish pilots has criticised the final minutes of the transcript from coastguard helicopter Rescue 116 being published.
• Health Minister Simon Harris has said that the new National Maternity Hospital will have “clinical and operational independence”, without “religious, ethnic or other influence” despite the Sisters of Charity being a major shareholder in the land that the site of the hospital will occupy.
• Austin Stack, whose father was killed by the IRA, said the wording on the headstone of Martin McGuinness is mind boggling and insulting.
• A new campaign is being launched to encourage members of the public to blow the whistle on welfare fraud.
• Work got underway on the Gardens International office building today, the largest commercial property development outside Dublin.
• A couple due to be made homeless as their landlord is selling their home have spoken about their plight.
• Irish schools will have to use iron-on crests and let parents rent books, under new plans.

INTERNATIONAL 

Philip Toscano Philip Toscano

#UK: Prime Minister Theresa May has said she intends to hold a snap general election on Thursday 8 June.

#FRANCE: Marine Le Pen has vowed to suspend all immigration into France should she emerge victorious in the country’s coming presidential election.

#US: The man who randomly killed a Cleveland retiree and posted video of the crime on Facebook shot himself to death today in Pennsylvania, police said.

#ELECTION: Police arrested two men in Marseille today on suspicion of planning an attack, just days before the first round of France’s presidential election, with bomb-making materials and guns found in searches.

PARTING SHOT 

Scientists have long known of their existence, but a rare species of giant shipworm has been discovered and studied for the first time.

PNAS PNAS

The giant, black, mud-dwelling, worm-like creatures wouldn’t look out of place in a science-fiction horror film, and scientists have keenly examined these “unique” animals following a recent find.