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

Ireland

Jimmy Mc Donnell, Newcastle Co. Wicklow was named winner of the RTÉ Eye on Nature wildlife photography competition at the National Botanic Gardens Andres Poveda Andres Poveda

• Top civil servant, Martin Fraser, has said that neither he or Taoiseach Micheál Martin were closely involved in the botched appointment of Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan to a professorship in Trinity College.
• The Russian ambassador, Yuri Filatov, has denied lying to the Irish public over the Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in a combative interview on RTÉ’s Drivetime.
• The Supreme Court has given Patrick Quirke permission to appeal his conviction for the murder of Bobby “Mr Moonlight” Ryan.
• Payments to households who take in Ukrainian refugees could come into operation within the coming weeks, Minister Heather Humphreys has said this afternoon.
• The Prison Officers’ Association has launched a stinging attack against the Government for how prison officers were treated during the Covid-19 crisis.
• Taoiseach Micheál Martin has pledged that there will not be a ban on the use of turf “for the rest of the year” ahead of a Sinn Féin motion due tonight on the ongoing turf dispute.
• Proposals on State pension age will be brought to a Cabinet subcommittee “very soon”, the Social Protection Minister has said.
• A Van Gogh experience has been postponed amid significant confusion over two similar “immersive” events.
• Journalists Vincent Browne and Henry Kelly have been urged to help an inquest on a loyalist bomb attack in Belfast in the early 1970s.
• Dublin’s Capel Street is set to pedestrianised from next month following a vote by Dublin City councillors.

International

Elizabeth, 12, holds her cat as she takes shelter with her family inside the basement of a residential building during a Russian attack in Lyman, Ukraine Leo Correa Leo Correa

#RUSSIAN GAS Poland and Bulgaria will receive gas from other EU member states after Russia decided to cut off the flow of gas to the two European countries.

#NASA EXPEDITION SpaceX has launched four astronauts to the International Space Station for Nasa, which is the first crew that is comprised equally of men and women.

#ANGELA RAYNER The editor of the Mail on Sunday has refused to attend a meeting with House of Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle over a controversial report about deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner.

Parting Shot

In one of his first public appearances since being re-elected as French President, Emmanuel Macron appears to ‘dab’ in celebration while walking through a crowd of supporters.

Emmanuel Macron is seen “dabbing” during his first public appearance since being re-elected pic.twitter.com/9YN0s8CfrH

— The Sun (@TheSun) April 27, 2022

Macron, who won re-election with 58.5% of the vote, beat far-right challenger Marine LePen in Sunday’s run off election.