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

Ryan Stewart from Castlewellan pictured at the Kaleidoscope festival in Co Wicklow. Marc O'Sullivan Marc O'Sullivan

IRELAND

• A man was shot dead in Dún Laoghaire in south Dublin this morning.
• A woman was found dead following an assault at a house in Co Laois this afternoon, and a man was arrested at the scene.
• A motorcyclist died following a collision during the Skerries 100 road races in north Dublin.
• After falling into a six-point deficit, Limerick came back to beat Clare in the All-Ireland senior hurling championship semi-final in Croke Park.
• It was a bad day for Clare fans elsewhere too, as Tipperary beat them in the semi-finals of the Glen Dimplex All-Ireland senior camogie championship.
• Gardaí in Co Cork continue to investigate the death of a 27-year-old man who collapsed and become unresponsive at a pub.
• Fine Gael is now the most popular party in the country, according to a new Sunday Independent/Ireland Thinks poll. 

INTERNATIONAL

Flames rise from a burning building during a wildfire on the outskirts of the northern city of Thessaloniki, Greece. Giannis Papanikos Giannis Papanikos

#USA: Americans celebrated 250 years of independence last night with conflicting emotions as pride, hope and patriotism battled with uncertainty and unease over the country’s direction.

#WILDFIRES: Hundreds of firefighters battled wildfires in Portugal, Greece and Spain today, with Spain and Italy sending reinforcements to Portugal to help with a massive blaze burning for more than three days.

#TRUMP: US president Donald Trump spoke with his Russian and Ukrainian counterparts Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy Saturday to discuss the conflict in Ukraine ahead of a Nato summit in Ankara, the Kremlin and Zelenskyy said.

#WORLD CUP: Morocco and France booked their slots in the quarter-finals with decisive wins last night.

PARTING SHOT

Chegamos 𝗖𝗮𝗯𝗼 𝗩𝗲𝗿𝗱𝗲

----- #FIFAWorldCup | #FIFAWorldCup2026 | #CaboVerde | #TubarõesAzuis | #WeAreCaboVerde pic.twitter.com/bqQuH1UkeD

— Federação Cabo-verdiana de Futebol (@fcfcomunica) July 5, 2026

Shamrock Rovers defender Pico Lopes and his Cape Verde teammates received a heroes’ welcome after returning to the west African country from their historic World Cup campaign.

Tens of thousands of supporters gathered in the capital, Praia, today to celebrate the ‘Blue Sharks’, who became the smallest country by population ever to reach the knockout stages of a men’s World Cup.

Fans dressed in the national team’s blue colours lined the streets and packed the area around Praia International Airport as the squad arrived home.

The celebrations coincided with Cape Verde’s Independence Day, marking the anniversary of the country gaining independence from Portugal in 1975.

Cape Verde, with a population of around 530,000, reached the Round of 32 after draws with Spain, Uruguay and Saudi Arabia before eventually losing 3-2 to world champions Argentina after extra time.