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

IRELAND

The Army Ranger team photographed 30 seconds before landing at Kabul last August. Irish Defence Forces Irish Defence Forces

• Documents obtained by this publication revealed that the Department of Defence has begun an exploratory process of purchasing or leasing a specialist troop-carrying cargo aircraft for the Irish Air Corps
• Foreign Affairs MinisterSimon Coveney warned that British-Irish relations were at a “new low” over London’s bid to override the Northern Ireland Protocol
• Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said “it’s exceptionally unlikely” that Ireland could bend EU rules on government spending in order to put more money into building homes
• A second man was charged with firearms offences after being arrested by detectives investigating a security alert that led to Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney being evacuated from a peace event in March
• Plans by Aldi to develop a new supermarket in Finglas were shot down as they would interfere with a proposed 4km extension of the Luas Green Line
• The CEO of the Irish Refugee Council warned that there is a risk of “two standards” of treatment for asylum seekers developing in Ireland
• Gardaí appealed for the public’s help in tracing the whereabouts of 17-year-old Blaine Haughton, who has been missing since Friday

WORLD

Posters for the French parliamentary election Christophe Michel Christophe Michel

#FRANCE: Voters cast their ballots in the first round of French parliamentary elections, where President Emmanuel Macron is hoping to win a majority to pursue his reformist agenda

#HOT:Parts of Spain endured sizzling heat, with temperatures forecast to reach 43 degrees in some areas – fitting into the pattern of more frequent, more intense extreme weather events caused by the climate crisis

#LE METAVERSE: Facebook’s parent company Meta said it will launch a “metaverse academy” in France for the new academic year

#UK: A union challenging the UK government’s controversial policy of deporting people to Rwanda has said it hopes it can win an appeal to stop the first flight taking off this week

#US: A bipartisan group of US senators proposed limited steps to curb gun violence following devastating mass shootings in Texas and New York

PARTING SHOT

A special preview screening of Pixar’s new film Lightyear took place in the Odeon cinema today.

The film is pitched as the definitive origin story of Buzz Lightyear, the hero who inspired the toy. It will be in cinemas from 17 June.

Andres Poveda Andres Poveda

Andres Poveda Andres Poveda

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