Here's What Happened Today: Thursday

21 May 2026, 20:00 by Eoghan Dalton, https://www.thejournal.ie/author/eoghan-dalton/ · TheJournal.ie

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

IRELAND

Supporters attended a “Justice for Yves Sakila” rally on Merrion Street in Dublin today. Sasko LazarovSasko Lazarov

All Irish citizens detained by Israel for taking part in the Gaza aid flotilla were released and will be heading home to Ireland via Turkey.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the EU-Israel trade pact should be suspended after the “shocking treatment” of the flotilla crews.
The family of Yves Sakila – who died after being restrained by security on Henry Street last week – called for initial results of the postmortem report into the Congolese national’s death to be released.
Enoch Burke officially lost his job at Wilson’s Hospital School after an appeals panel upheld a decision to sack him.
A man was sentenced to five years in prison for dangerous driving causing the death of a married couple as they crossed the road at a pedestrian crossing on St Stephen’s Day in 2024.
A woman spoke out about the controlling behaviour she faced from her garda husband, who installed a tracker on her phone and ordered her to stay at home.
A man was jailed for 12.5 years after he stabbed his partner numerous times and then left her alone at her home without calling for medical help.
A report found that nearly 90% of Dublin’s data centres are located in economically deprived communities.

INTERNATIONAL

An activist, who was detained aboard the Gaza-bound Global Sumud Flotilla, which was intercepted by Israeli forces, is surrounded by media as she is carried out of the terminal on a stretcher at Istanbul International Airport. Alamy Stock PhotoAlamy Stock Photo

#FRANCE: A Paris court found Air France and Airbus guilty of involuntary manslaughter over the 2009 crash of a Rio-Paris flight that killed 228 people, including three Irish women.

#MIDDLE EAST: Iran was examining a new US proposal to end the Middle East war, as President Donald Trump described the talks as being on the “borderline” between a deal and renewed strikes.

#SPAIN: A two-year-old girl died after being left in a hot car in the north-western Spanish town of Brión.

PARTING SHOT

Rudi Douglas performing with Kylie Minogue Sam Lort / NetflixSam Lort / Netflix / Netflix

He should be so lucky, to paraphrase the song, as Irish musician Rudi Douglas found himself performing alongside Kylie Minogue earlier this week.

The Blanchardstown man, who lives in London, was initially hired to play covers of the Australian pop star’s hits at a party for her Netflix documentary.

As he was sound checking, a member of the team from Netflix heard him singing and they said he should sing a few songs at the start of his set to entice people into the room.

“She was the biggest hype-woman. It felt like she was my number one fan in the room,” Rudi told us here.

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