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

IRELAND

Swimmers emerging from the tide at the first stage of the 2024 Leinster Open Sea Series which took place today at Portmarnock, Dublin. Jon Lambert Jon Lambert

• The portal [live video feed] between Dublin and New York has reopened, now with limited hours and extra blurring.
• A new poll published this morning has shown a negligible change in the parties but the spectre of immigration raises its head with more than half of respondents stating they want more restrictive controls.
• A man has been charged with the murder of Kathryn ‘Kat’ Parton, who was found dead in Belfast on Wednesday.
• Gardaí in County Donegal have launched an investigation after a man died when his car entered the water at Buncrana Pier this morning.
• Gardaí are investigating a serious stabbing near Jervis Street Luas Stop in Dublin city centre.
• The death has taken place of a member of the Hutch family. No foul play is suspected.
• European parliament candidates have hit out at RTÉ for excluding some of them from debates in the lead up to the June vote.
• The European Union has ushered in change for how victims of crime in Ireland can expect to be treated and supported, according to a criminal justice expert.

INTERNATIONAL

Dancers from the group Sapucaiu No Samba dance on stilts at the 26th Carnival of Cultures parade in Berlin. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#LEBANON The Tánaiste Micheal Martin has visited Irish peacekeeping troops based in the battle scarred South Lebanon and is due to meet Lebanese Government officials.

#IRAN A helicopter carrying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi has suffered a “hard landing”, Iranian state media reported.

#SLOVAKIA Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico’s life is no longer in danger following an assassination attempt, Deputy Prime Minister Robert Kalinak has said.

PARTING SHOT

Despite the approaching European elections throwing up a fresh crop of so-called ‘celebrity candidates’, most voters would prefer to vote for a candidate with political experience.

That’s according to a new The Journal/Ireland Thinks poll which found that 55% would be more likely to vote for someone with political experience, compared to 28% saying they want someone from a different field and 16% saying they were not sure. 

Ireland has a history of electing well-known faces from outside the political fold to the European Parliament, with some of the major parties embracing the trend as a potential easy route to name recognition. 

Have a look at our findings here.