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

IRELAND

John O’Laughlin with his dogs Fibi and Ted leaving through his gate in Dublin on which artist Emmalene Blake has painted graffiti supporting medical staff. Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

• A further 23 deaths and 211 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Ireland. 
• The National Bus and Rail Union called for the compulsory wearing of face masks on all public transport.
• The leaders of Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party will commence formal negotiations this week with a view to forming a government.
• There has been a high level of compliance with Covid-19 guidelines to date, but members of An Garda Síochána were spat or coughed at over 50 times in recent weeks.

• The Exchequer deficit was €7.5 billion in April – more than double this time last year.

• John Waters and Gemma O’Doherty told the High Court that laws introduced by the State due to the Covid-19 pandemic amount to an “effective suspension” of every citizen’s constitutional rights.
• Tánaiste Simon Coveney said there is “a possibility” pubs will open before 10 August, but that this would need to be “rigorously assessed” before any change to the current roadmap is made.
• A top defence solicitor, Cahir O’Higgins, is to stand trial accused of theft and perverting the course of justice.

• Dublin councils earmarked 1.30pm-3.30pm as ‘cocooner only‘ times for parks.

• A man who was on bail for robbery when he knocked an 89-year-old woman to the ground and stole her handbag was jailed for six years.

WORLD

Dawn at the beach in Blyth in Northumberland, England. Owen Humphreys / PA Wire/PA Images Owen Humphreys / PA Wire/PA Images / PA Wire/PA Images

#UK: More than 32,000 deaths involving Covid-19 have been registered in the UK, according to the country’s Office for National Statistics – the highest death toll from the virus in Europe.

#US: The World Health Organization said Washington has provided no evidence to support “speculative” claims by the President Donald Trump that the new coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab.

#WALES: A man was killed and two other people were injured after being attacked by a water buffalo in Wales.

PARTING SHOT

Irish names *can* be difficult to pronounce. 

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