England ended their Nations League campaign on a high note with a commanding 5-0 victory over the Republic of Ireland at Wembley, securing promotion to League A and bringing Lee Carsley’s tenure as interim head coach to a successful close.
Carsley, who stepped up to lead the senior team after Gareth Southgate’s resignation in July, wrapped up his six-match stint with five wins and one defeat. Reflecting on the match, he spoke of his relief at guiding England back to the top tier of the Nations League.
“I definitely felt like I have been out of my comfort zone but not beyond my capabilities,” Carsley said. “I never felt at any point I was drowning or I was struggling. I’ve taken the confidence that myself and the rest of the staff will be OK. I think we have got stronger as the [international] windows have gone on.”
The emphatic win also marked Carsley’s farewell to the senior side as Thomas Tuchel prepares to take over as England’s head coach on January 1.
Carsley’s sole loss came in October against Greece, a result he admitted still stings. “I’m still gutted about the Greece game at home,” he said. “Even though we won five of the six, I straight away go back to that game we should have won at Wembley. It’s definitely a lonely place in that dugout when you’re not winning at Wembley.”
Despite the setback, Carsley found positives in his tenure, including the integration of younger players. He handed debuts to eight players and fielded seven from the starting lineup that won the European Under-21 Championship under his guidance in 2023.
“We have tried to change things,” Carsley noted. “We have tried to adapt and move on the style, the way that we play, the control, the amount of possession we have, the amount of chances we create. There has been no resistance to that. If anything, they have taken that on.”
Carsley also praised the team’s resilience and energy in the final match. “I spoke to the players at half-time at 0-0 and I was really happy with the way the crowd responded to the players as they went off the pitch. I said, ‘We’re going to score. I’ve got total belief that you are going to score, so just keep going.’ It was pleasing to get five goals.”
The promotion to League A means Tuchel will have a smoother start, focusing on the 2026 World Cup qualifiers without the distraction of Nations League playoffs. For Carsley, the journey has been a challenging but fulfilling experience.
“It’d be fair to say there’s a bit of relief,” he admitted. “It’s good that we’ve finished the campaign with such a strong performance.”
Israel’s Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, said to Spain that they cannot support Palestinians from their consulate in Jerusalem.
At the same time, the EU’s leader in foreign affairs, Josep Borrell, from Spain, strongly supports the International Criminal Court. The court’s prosecutor wants to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other leaders, like those of Hamas.
“The court prosecutor has been threatened and accused of being against Jewish people,” Borrell said. “The word antisemitic is very bad. ” “It’s really important. ”
On Monday, Katz accused Spain of approving a Palestinian state as a way of supporting terrorism. He also mentioned the Inquisition, a cruel group from the 15th century that made Jews and Muslims leave Spain, convert to Christianity, or be killed. Katz said that time is over now.
Katz said that no one can make us change our religion or threaten us. If anyone hurts us, we will also hurt them back.
The EU and its member nations were against the attack by Hamas on Oct 7, but they also criticized Israel for their attack that killed many Palestinians.
The highest court of the UN, the International Court of Justice, said on Friday that Israel needs to stop its attack on Rafah right away. However, it did not say that Israel has to stop fighting in all of Gaza.
Spain’s Foreign Minister, Jose Manuel Albares, said that Israel needs to stop its attack in Rafah.
Spain, Ireland, and Norway, which is not part of the EU, are planning to officially recognize Palestine as a state on Tuesday. Last week, they announced together, and this made Israeli authorities very angry. They called the ambassadors of the two countries to their Foreign Ministry in Tel Aviv. There, they showed them videos of the Hamas attack and kidnapping that happened on October 7.
Albares said that the way the ambassadors were treated was not good. “We don’t accept anything that is not polite and doesn’t follow the rules of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations,” he said.
“But we’ve also decided not to be provoked into straying from our goal,” he added. “We want to officially recognize Palestine as a state tomorrow, work hard to make a lasting peace agreement as soon as we can, and ultimately, to achieve long-lasting peace. “
On Wednesday, Norway, Ireland and Spain said they will officially acknowledge Palestine as a state. This is a significant but mostly symbolic action that shows Israel is increasingly alone in its conflict with Hamas in Gaza. Israel criticized the decisions and brought back its ambassadors from the three countries.
Palestinian leaders were happy about the news because it confirms their goal to have their own country in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Gaza Strip. Israel took control of these areas in the 1967 Middle East war and still has power over them.
Many countries, including most of the United Nations, say there is a Palestinian state. This could lead to more support for Palestine, especially as even Israel’s friends criticize its actions in Gaza.
The move happened unexpectedly, but some European Union countries have been talking for weeks about maybe recognizing a Palestinian state. Supporters say that the war has proven that there needs to be a new effort to create two separate states for Israel and the Palestinians, which is something that was last tried 15 years ago but didn’t work out. The leader of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, does not support the idea of Palestinians having their own country.
This is the second time Israel’s reputation has been damaged this week. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court wants to arrest Netanyahu and his defense minister. The International Court of Justice is looking into claims that Israel has denied about committing genocide.
Israel called back its ambassadors from three countries and summoned their envoys. They said the Europeans were rewarding the militant Hamas group for attacking on Oct 7, which started the war. Israel Katz, who is in charge of foreign affairs for Israel, said that European ambassadors will see a very unpleasant video of the attack.
During the attack, Hamas-led fighters crossed the border, killing 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostage. The person in charge of the ICC is trying to get permission to arrest three leaders of Hamas. Israel has attacked and killed over 35,000 Palestinians, and this has caused a big problem with not enough food and water. The ICC prosecutor said that Israeli leaders are using starvation as a weapon.
“Spain, Norway, and Ireland gave a gold medal to Hamas killers and rapists,” according to Katz.
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem, which is important to both Muslims and Jews, after hearing about changes in Europe.
“We won’t let anyone talk about a Palestinian state,” he said.
In response, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he would stop giving money to the Palestinian Authority, which could make it hard for them to pay their workers.
In the 1990s, Israel collected taxes for the Palestinians, and used the money to control and pressure them. After the Hamas attack on October 7th, Smotrich stopped the money from being transferred. But Israel decided to send the money to Norway, and then Norway sent it to the PA. Smotrich said on Wednesday that he was stopping that agreement.
Jake Sullivan, who works for the US government, said stopping the aid was a bad idea because it makes the situation in the West Bank unstable and makes it harder for the Palestinian people to be safe and successful.
Many people hold the view that creating a Palestinian nation alongside Israel is the most effective way to resolve the conflict.
Norway, Spain, and Ireland are going to officially recognize the Palestinian state on May 28. They have been friendly with both Israelis and Palestinians and have supported the idea of a Palestinian state for a long time.
They made their announcements one after the other very quickly. Norway was the first to help make the Oslo accords that started the peace process in the 1990s. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said, “There cannot be peace in the Middle East without recognition. “
The country wants to make its office in the West Bank into an embassy.
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said it was a very important day for Ireland and Palestine. He said that the announcements were planned together and that other countries might also join.
The leader of Spain, Pedro Sánchez, told his country’s lawmakers that he has been visiting countries in Europe and the Middle East for many months to get their support for recognizing and stopping the fighting in Gaza.
“This award is not meant to harm anyone, it’s not meant to harm the people of Israel,” said Sanchez. “It is something that supports peace, fairness, and doing the right thing. “
The president of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, is happy with some decisions and wants other countries to support the Palestinian people’s fight for freedom and independence.
Hamas is seen as a terrorist group by Western countries and Israel. They don’t think Israel should exist, but they might be willing to accept a temporary state on the 1967 borders. Israel is worried that if a Palestinian state is created, the militant group Hamas will try to take it over, which could be dangerous for Israel’s safety.
The announcements probably won’t change anything in the war in Gaza or the ongoing fighting between Israel and the Palestinians.
Israel took control of east Jerusalem and thinks of it as part of its capital. It also built many Jewish communities in the West Bank where over 500,000 Israelis now live. The people who moved to live in the West Bank have Israeli citizenship, but the 3 million Palestinians who live there are ruled by the Israeli military.
Netanyahu said that Israel will continue to keep Gaza safe even if Hamas is defeated, and the fighting is still happening. Early on Wednesday, a bomb from an Israeli plane killed 10 people in central Gaza. This included four women and four children who had nowhere to live and were staying there. The information comes from the hospital.
Hugh Lovatt, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said that recognizing Palestinians as a political entity is an important step towards allowing them to determine their own future.
He said that in order to make a difference, we need to take real actions to stop Israel from taking over and building on Palestinian land, like stopping the sale of products made in settlements and financial support for them.
Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said in an interview that it’s important to support the Palestinian state. He also said that they can only recognize it once.
“We used to think that we would get credit at the end of a process,” he said. “Now we understand that recognition should encourage and support a process. “
Manypeoplehold the view that creating a Palestinian nationalongsideIsrael is the mosteffective way to resolve the conflict.TheUS and Britain support the idea of a separate country for Palestinians next to Israel, but they think it should be agreedupon through negotiations. Netanyahu’s government says the problem can only be fixed by talkingdirectly to each other.Norway,Spain, and Ireland are going to officially recognize the Palestinian state on May 28. They have been friendly with both Israelis and Palestinians and have supported the idea of a Palestinian state for a long time.Theymadetheir announcements one after the other veryquickly. Norway was the first to helpmake the Oslo accords that started the peace process in the 1990s. Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said, “There cannot be peace in the Middle East without recognition. “The country wants to make its office in the West Bank into an embassy.Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said it was a very important day for Ireland and Palestine. He said that the announcements were planned together and that other countries might alsojoin.The leader of Spain, Pedro Sánchez,told his country’slawmakers that he has been visiting countries in Europe and the Middle East for many months to gettheir support for recognizing and stopping the fighting in Gaza.“Thisaward is not meant to harm anyone, it’s not meant to harm the people of Israel,” said Sanchez. “It is something that supports peace, fairness, and doing the rightthing. “Thepresident of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, is happy with some decisions and wants other countries to support the Palestinian people’sfight for freedom and independence.Hamas is seen as a terrorist group by Western countries and Israel. Theydon’t think Israel should exist, but they might be willing to accept a temporary state on the 1967 borders. Israel is worried that if a Palestinian state is created, the militantgroupHamas will try to take it over, which could be dangerous for Israel’ssafety.The announcements probablywon’tchangeanything in the war in Gaza or the ongoingfighting between Israel and the Palestinians.Israeltook control of east Jerusalem and thinks of it as part of its capital. Italso built many Jewish communities in the West Bank where over 500,000 Israelis now live. The people who moved to live in the West Bank have Israeli citizenship, but the 3 million Palestinians who live there are ruled by the Israeli military.Netanyahu said that Israel will continue to keep Gaza safe even if Hamas is defeated, and the fighting is still happening. Early on Wednesday, a bombfrom an Israeli plane killed 10 people in central Gaza. Thisincluded four women and four children who had nowhere to live and were staying there. The informationcomesfrom the hospital.Hugh Lovatt, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, said that recognizing Palestinians as a political entity is an important step towards allowingthem to determinetheirownfuture.He said that in order to make a difference, we need to takerealactions to stop Israel fromtaking over and building on Palestinian land,likestopping the sale of products made in settlements and financial support for them.Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said in an interview that it’s important to support the Palestinian state. Healso said that they can only recognize it once.“We used to think that we would getcredit at the end of a process,” he said. “Now we understand that recognition should encourage and support a process. “
Irish Remote Serve Micheal Martin said on Wednesday (27 Walk) that Hamas’s assault and current occasions in Gaza speak to a infringement of universal helpful law.
The UN secretary common said it was time to surge Gaza with life-saving help, and the circumstance could not be more stark as half of the populace of Gaza faces inescapable starvation and 100 per cent confront intense nourishment uncertainty.
The Israeli government has proceeded to besiege and bar Gaza, putting its 2.3 million Palestinians in indeed more risk than some time recently the World Courts authoritative arrange.
Martin did not say what frame Ireland’s intercession might take. Still, he said the nation chosen to move after conducting legitimate and approach investigation and counseling with a few accomplices, counting South Africa.
Israel has expressed that it has executed a assortment of measures to avoid civilian casualties within the Gaza war.
Prime Serve Benjamin Netanyahu has rejected South Africa’s genocide charge.
This news story is still being updated. Come back later for more information.
The day after Leo Varadkar surprised everyone by saying he was quitting as Fine Gael leader, he also said he would step down as Taoiseach once a new leader is chosen.
Heather Humphreys and Jennifer Carroll MacNeill said they don’t want the job, so now Mr. Harris can have it.
Helen McEntee, who is the justice minister, said she is not going to run for a leadership position. Instead, Fine Gael politicians are starting to support Mr. Harris, who is the minister for further and higher education.
One of those was Ms McEntee herself, who said Mr Harris is a great co-worker and good at talking to people.
She said on X that she knows he will bring a lot of energy to this important job.
If Harris replaces Mr. Varadkar, he would become the youngest ever leader of the country at 37 years old, taking the title from his predecessor.
Patrick O’Donovan, a minister for Fine Gael, is supporting Mr.
He said, “I believe Fine Gael has plenty of time and opportunity to rebuild and focus on important issues before the next election. I think Simon is the best person to lead that effort. ”
Both Fine Gael and their biggest partner, Fianna Fail, are behind the main opposition Sinn Fein party in the polls.
The person who becomes the leader will have a year to try to improve their chances of winning the next election, even if they are currently behind in the polls.
Other people who support Mr. Harris include Fine Gael politicians Neale Richmond and Frank Feighan, as well as senators Tim Lombard and Michael Carrigy, and MEPs Frances Fitzgerald and Maria Walsh.
Simon Coveney, the Minister for Enterprise who competed against Mr Varadkar in the last Fine Gael leadership contest, said on Wednesday that he will not be running for leadership.
Many bookmakers liked Mr Harris and many politicians supported him before nominations started.
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However, other candidates can still join the race until Monday.
Mr Harris became a member of parliament when he was 24 years old. He had been elected as a local councillor in his home county of Wicklow two years earlier, in 2009.
His popularity grew a lot when he was the health minister during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before that, he worked as a lower-ranking minister in the finance department from 2014 to 2016.
Former Manchester United defender aged 42, John O’Shea, has been appointed as Ireland’s interim coach for the upcoming friendly internationals against Belgium and Switzerland, the FAI announced on Wednesday.
O’Shea, who clinched five Premier League titles with United and accumulated 118 caps for Ireland, will take charge of the team for these fixtures.
“It will be an incredible honour to lead the side into the March international window,” O’Shea said in a statement.
“As everyone will know, I’ve always had immense pride in representing my country, whether that be during my playing career or very recently, as part of the coaching staff for the men’s senior team and the Under-21s.
“I’ve got great belief in this group of players to win football matches and am looking forward to some positive results.”
The FAI stated that they intend to unveil a permanent head coach in April. Stephen Kenny vacated his position as Ireland’s head coach in November after the team’s failure to qualify for Euro 2024.
The 76-year-old Fine Gael politician passed away in the Mater Hospital in Dublin on Tuesday.
Mr Bruton was the leader of Ireland from 1994 to 1997.
He played an important role in helping Northern Ireland make peace. He worked with the Prime Minister of the UK at the time, John Major, to create a plan for peace in 1995.
Mr Bruton’s body was taken to St. Peter’s and St. Paul’s Church in Dunboyne, County Meath, on Friday.
The funeral service will be at 11:00 on Saturday and then they will bury him in Rooske Cemetery, Dunboyne.
People from all different political beliefs have shown respect and admiration for the former prime minister.
Sir John Major said he was very sad to hear about Mr. Bruton’s death He said Mr. Bruton was a strong leader for Ireland and worked hard for peace.
Leo Varadkar said that Mr. Bruton was someone who gets things done and thinks deeply. He also made a special effort to connect with the unionist community.
Irish President Michael D Higgins said he was lucky to work with Mr Bruton who he said was a very hardworking leader and a dedicated politician.
Book of condolence
Mr. Bruton’s replacement as leader, Bertie Ahern, who was in charge of Ireland when the Good Friday Agreement happened, said that Mr. Bruton’s interest in Northern Ireland was always real.
Stormont’s top leaders, Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly, expressed their sympathies to his family and friends.
A book where people can write their condolences for Mr. Bruton has been opened in Dublin at the Department of the Taoiseach. There is also an online version of the book.
Flags are being lowered halfway down the pole on all government buildings until after the funeral.
This is the first case of measles confirmed in Ireland this year.
In 2023, there were four cases of measles, two in 2022, none in 2021, and five in 2020. No one died from measles in any of those years, the HSE said.
Health experts in Europe and the UK are concerned because vaccination rates are dropping and the number of cases of illness is going up.
The grown-up person died in a hospital in the Dublin and Midlands health area, which includes the Leinster province. The HPSC in Ireland has been told about something by the HSE.
Professor Breda Smyth, who is in charge of the health of the country, said she is very worried that there might be a big spread of measles in Ireland. She wants everyone to get the MMR vaccine to protect themselves.
A video shared on social media on Thursday showed Prof Smyth saying that vaccination levels are now below 90% across the country and less than 80% in certain Irish counties.
She said that almost everybody needs to get vaccinated to stop the disease from spreading.
Since 2020, most people in Ireland who got measles had been to countries where there was a lot of measles, according to the HPSC.
Measles is a very easy-to-spread illness that can make you very sick, no matter how old you are. It spreads when someone coughs or sneezes.
It usually begins with a bad fever and a rash, which usually goes away in 10 days. But it can also lead to serious problems like pneumonia, meningitis, blindness, and seizures.
Last year, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported that there were almost 45 times more cases of measles in Europe.
In 2023, 42,200 people got sick, while only 941 got sick in 2022.
The MMR vaccine is given twice. The first dose is given when a child is about one year old, and the second dose is given when the child is about three years and four months old.
The WHO thinks that there are more cases because not as many kids have been getting vaccinated for the disease during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Vaccination rates for the first MMR shot went down from 96% in 2019 to 93% in 2022 in Europe. The number of people getting the second dose dropped from 92% to 91% during that time.
That slight decrease in vaccination rates resulted in over 1. 8 million children in Europe not getting the measles vaccine in the last two years.
Dr Hans Kluge, who works at the WHO, said in December that the only way to keep kids safe from this very serious disease is to get them vaccinated.
Possible disease cases are increasing in England.
The UK Health Security Agency is worried about a measles outbreak in the West Midlands.
26-year-old Sherry was a shooter in an attack at Browne’s Steakhouse on Main Street in Blanchardstown on Sunday, December 24th. He died during the incident.
Brandon Hennessy, who is 20 years old and lives on Sheephill Avenue in Dublin, was accused of getting in a fight and using a steel-handled brush as a weapon.
The court was told that the defendant fought back after his father, Jason Hennessy, was killed in a shooting.
Another person was shot at the same restaurant where the incident happened before. He was called Jason Hennessy Snr and he died on January 4th.
In court on Friday, a police officer said Mr Hennessy didn’t say anything when he was charged just before 9:00 PM on Sunday.
When asked what happened, the officer said there was a problem at Browne’s Steakhouse and “this man was with a group of other men. ”
No one disagreed with letting Mr. Hennessy out of jail as long as he follows some rules. He will have to come back to court on 12 March.
Mr Hennessy is the seventh person accused of being involved in the shooting.
David Amah, who is 18 years old, and lives in Hazel Grove, Portrane Road, Donabate, Dublin; Michael Andrecut, who is 22 years old and lives on Sheephill Avenue in Dublin 15; and a 17-year-old boy who cannot be named because he is underage, have been accused of killing Mr.
Several roads in the country are closed because trees and power lines have fallen. This is causing problems for some people who are trying to travel after the storm.
A warning for strong winds is still in place for six counties until 7:00 pm on Monday.
ESB Networks reported that around 235,000 buildings have been impacted, with the worst problems in the northwest of the country.
Technicians have been working since early morning to fix the power where it’s safe to do so.
“We want to make sure our customers get their electricity back as soon as possible, while keeping them safe. This is our main focus,” someone said.
“We thank you for being patient and understanding as we deal with the difficulties caused by Storm Isha. ”
Mr Li is in charge of the government in China and is the second most important person in their political system.
He is a friend of President Xi Jinping and was chosen to be a part of parliament last year. Before that, he was in charge of the Communist Party in Shanghai, which is the largest city in the country.
During the pandemic, he was in charge of making sure that people in Shanghai stayed at home and couldn’t go out. Some people had a hard time getting food and medical help because of this.
“Next year, it will be 45 years since our two countries started having diplomatic relations,” stated Mr.
“China is a very powerful country in the world, both politically and economically. I am happy that Premier Li has chosen to visit Ireland as part of his trip. ”
Common difficulties
The two leaders are going to have lunch at Farmleigh House in Dublin and talk about worldwide issues, issues between their two countries, and how the European Union and China are related.
The leader said China is a big economic partner and a permanent member of the UN Security Council. China also has a big role in solving the world’s problems, like making peace and stopping climate change.
“I am excited for a deep and constructive discussion on topics we agree on, as well as those where we have different views. “
The police in Ireland are looking into human trafficking after finding 14 people in a shipping container in County Wexford.
The finding happened at Rosslare Europort at 03:00 on Monday morning when the trailer came off a ferry from Zeebrugge.
The Irish police were warned ahead of time by the UK authorities.
A plan was made before they came.
The nine men, three women, and two girls have been checked by doctors and are feeling fine.
RTÉ, an Irish TV station, said they have people from Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, and Turkey.
The police in Cornwall got a call for help from a Kurdish woman who was in a container on the ship. The captain told the crew to search the ship. This was reported by RTÉ.
A man in the Republic of Ireland was playing football when he was hit by a bullet to the arm.
It occurred just after 21:00 local time on Saturday at a sports complex close to Rear Cross, County Tipperary.
According to Irish police, the man received on-site medical attention from emergency personnel and was then transported by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick.
The gardaí have stated that his injuries are not life-threatening.
Irish TV station RTÉ identified the victim as 48-year-old Jason Hennessy Sr.
He got shot when someone used a gun to attack him at Browne’s Steakhouse on Main Street in Blanchardstown, Dublin at around 8:00 PM.
Twenty-six-year-old Tristan Sherry was believed to be the person with the gun. He was tackled at the scene and taken to the hospital, but he died shortly after.
Both men have been involved in organized crime and are known to the police, as reported by RTÉ.
The Irish police, known as the Gardaí, are now looking into another murder related to the incident.
Michael Andrecut, who is 22 years old and lives on Sheephill Avenue in Dublin, has been accused of killing Mr. Sherry
He showed up at a special court session for criminals on Saturday morning.
Mr Andrecut was taken into custody and will go to Cloverhill District Court on Tuesday, February 2nd.
Two more men have been taken into custody for their involvement in Mr. Sherry’s killing and are being held at police stations in west Dublin.
The minister in Ireland said the attack was very cruel and caused a lot of suffering for people during Christmas.
This often makes the country’s economic growth rate seem higher than it really is.
However, the ESRI says the opposite is happening now.
The ESRI said that even though the economy has slowed down, there is still some growth happening.
At the same time, the big international companies that control a lot of the economy have slowed down. This is easy to see because there are fewer things being sold to other countries and not as much money being invested.
Pharmaceutical exports are going down.
The experts expect the country’s economy to shrink by about 3% this year, but the underlying domestic economy is predicted to grow by 0.
It was mentioned that the main thing causing Ireland’s economy to slow down this year is the decrease in the amount of goods being sold to other countries.
The biggest thing that the country sells to other countries is medicines, but this year the amount of medicines sold to other countries has gone down by 6%.
This is partly because big global drug companies sold a lot of drugs which became more common during the pandemic.
Ireland’s job market has gotten a lot better since the pandemic. The unemployment rate is now less than 5%, which is almost like everyone who can work has a job.
ESRI said that the small increase in the unemployment rate is probably just because some Ukrainian immigrants were reclassified in the statistics.
Richard Boyd Barrett, a member of People Before Profit, said the decision was a way to avoid taking responsibility for not fixing the housing crisis.
John Lannon, the leader of a charity that helps migrants called Doras, thinks that if Ukrainian refugees are only allowed to stay in a place for 90 days, it will make more people homeless.
He said on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that it will make people very vulnerable and might make women, children, and men homeless.
A study of migration numbers from November found that almost 68,000 people came to Ireland from Ukraine between March and December 2022 under a rule from the EU.
As of December 2022, 87% of people given temporary protection were still living in the country.
The French government has agreed to stop people from using disposable e-cigarettes because they are harmful to the environment and people’s health.
It still needs support from France’s Senate and approval from the EU Commission before it can become a law.
If both agree on the bill, the government thinks the ban will start in September 2024.
Many other countries in Europe, like the UK, Ireland, and Germany, are thinking about doing the same things.
Disposable vapes are sold in France at tobacconists for about €9 (£7. 70), which is less than the cost of a pack of 20 cigarettes. They are expected to provide about 600 puffs, which is like smoking 40 cigarettes.
In September, Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, who is frequently seen using a vaping device in parliament, announced that the government is working on a new plan to reduce smoking.
“Deputy Francesca Pasquini said that they are very cheap, have tasty fruity and sugary flavors, and are small enough to easily hide from parents. ”
Advocates say that companies, especially those in China, are purposefully trying to attract teenagers by making their products look like candy and offering lots of different flavors like marshmallow, chocolate, watermelon, and ice candy.
Last month, the Alliance Against Tobacco (ACT) said that 15% of French 13-16 year olds have tried smoking at least once. Many people say they began when they were 11 or 12 years old. French leader Élisabeth Borne uses an e-cigarette while answering questions in a meeting at The National Assembly in Paris on 18 July 2023.
Disposable e-cigarettes can harm the environment too. In the UK, a study found that over one million electronic devices were being thrown away every week last year according to the environmental organization Material Focus.
Health Minister Aurélien Rousseau said that e-cigarettes are a big problem for the environment.
“It’s a big problem for the environment,” a group of French doctors and environmentalists wrote in Le Monde newspaper earlier this year.
They explained that each throwaway e-cigarette is made of plastic and has a non-removable battery with about 0. 15 grams of lithium, along with nicotine salts and a small amount of heavy metals.
Vaping is thought to be a little better for your health than smoking. But the vapor you breathe in can still have some of the same chemicals as cigarettes, like nicotine. Experts are saying that it’s too soon to know how bad vaping is for you.
The Irish government cannot give homes to all the people asking for asylum.
The Department of Integration said it can’t find housing for all asylum seekers because there aren’t enough available.
Ireland is now hosting over 100,000 people. This includes 74,000 who have left Ukraine because of the war, and more than 26,000 who are seeking asylum from other countries.
The deputy prime minister is worried about asylum seekers having to sleep in tents and the potential health and safety problems that come with it, according to Irish broadcaster RTÉ.
Micheál Martin said things are tough and the Irish government will be meeting later this week to figure it out.
The Department of Integration will provide day services where people can come in any time to use hot showers, get meals, and do laundry every day of the week.
It also promised to give tents and sleeping bags to anyone who needs them.
The department said its workers are trying to make more beds available for use.
It says that since January 2022, it has made over 10,000 beds available for people who come to Ireland looking for protection.
The spokesperson said that the department couldn’t meet demand because of problems they couldn’t control.
The person in charge of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees told RTÉ’s News at One that the news was very worrying and sad.
Enda O’Neill mentioned that this has happened before from January to June this year. More than 1,500 people seeking asylum did not get a place to stay when they came to the state.
“I don’t think it’s safe for anyone to be on the streets, especially after what happened last Thursday. The situation has gotten worse since the beginning of the year with more intimidating and threatening behavior on our streets. ”
Mr O’Neill said that Ireland did very well to get everything ready, but he thinks that since the summer, things have changed a lot.
Every year, the analysis of migration numbers shows that more people moved to Ireland in 2022 compared to previous years.
The country had many people asking for protection, and lots of people coming to work and study.
More people are taken into the asylum when Ukrainian people are added.
People from Ukraine who are seeking asylum are counted separately because the rules for their asylum are different right now.
The ESRI report uses information from the government.
In 2022, 13,651 people from other countries asked for international protection in Ukraine. This is a big increase of 186% from 2019, when there were fewer travel restrictions because of the pandemic.
The main countries where most applicants came from were Georgia, Algeria, and Somalia. They made up 45% of all applicants.
Before, the ESRI said that the increase in asylum applications was probably because pandemic travel restrictions ended, countries were unstable, people came to the UK instead, and people’s connections to others made them apply for asylum.
People from Ukraine who have had to leave their homes and go to another country because of a difficult situation.
Ukrainian refugees
Between March and December 2022, almost 68,000 people from Ukraine came to Ireland under the EU’s Temporary Protection Directive.
By December 2022, 87% of people who were allowed to stay in the country temporarily were still living there.
The sudden and unexpected increase put a lot of pressure on the resources of the Irish government. They had to take special actions like putting people in tents and using public buildings for temporary housing.
In 2022, almost 40,000 people got permission to work, and most of these permits went to people in the IT sector.
The numbers also show that a lot of work permits were given to people from outside the EU or UK, which was the highest ever.
In 2022, almost 40,000 permits were given out, which is more than twice as many as in 2019, when there were a lot less.
This shows that more types of jobs can now be given work permits in Ireland because there are not many people without jobs.
India had the most people getting permits (15,695, 39%) followed by Brazil (4,304, 11%) and the Philippines (2,203, 6%).
In 2022, the IT sector got the most employment permits (10,382), and health and social work came in second (9,791).
Keire Murphy, who helped write the report, said that migration in Ireland is getting back to normal after travel restrictions, and the number of people coming to Ireland is the same as before or even higher.
She said: “The report shows important changes in 2022 and the challenges that came with them. ”
Housing crisis
The population of the Republic of Ireland grew by almost 98,000 people from April 2022 to April 2023.
That was the largest increase since 2008 and was mostly caused by people moving to the country.
Ireland’s government was already having a hard time finding enough homes for people before more people started moving to the country.
Conservative protesters are having protests at places where asylum seekers live. They are trying to get more people to support them for the elections next year.
The HSA in Ireland says that a new law about quad bikes, called the Safety, Health and Welfare at Work Regulation 2021, is the first one like it in Europe.
Pat Griffin, who is in charge of making sure farms are safe, said that too many people have died in accidents involving quad bikes. He thinks that all quad bike users should wear a helmet and get the right training to use them safely.
“He said that many people die on farms because of machines and vehicles, like quad bikes. ”
“These rules will help farmers and their families avoid future tragedies in our farming communities. ”
All people who ride ATVs must wear a motorcycle-style helmet or a special ATV helmet, according to the new rule.
Helmets need to have straps under the chin. Helmets like hard hats for work and helmets for bikes are not okay.
Drivers need to finish a course to learn how to stay safe when riding an ATV.
People who know how to use an ATV already can take a one-day class, but new drivers need to finish a two-day class.
Today, he sent a message to say he was safely taken to Cairo through the Rafah crossing. He will soon fly back to Dublin with his wife Hamida and their three children who were born in Dublin.
The trip to the border was hard. He says it was very costly to find a driver willing to take them there.
The driver said he put a mix of vegetable oil in the diesel car because there’s not enough fuel in Gaza. “Ibrahim said it stank, but it was fine. ” “They combine it with other oils and it works well. ”
Ibrahim’s children sat in the trunk with the suitcase while he, his wife, her parents, and his brother sat in the front seats.
When they arrived at the border, they went into Egypt and waited for 11 hours to be checked by the officials.
“When I left Palestine and came to Egypt, I was crying because everyone’s lives are in danger and I was also thinking about all the good times in the city that has been destroyed,” he says. “Saying goodbye was really, really sad. “
Police from different areas are working together to stop more people from dying in car crashes in Ireland.
In 2023, 166 people died in car crashes in the Republic of Ireland and 57 people died in Northern Ireland.
That’s higher than the 132 and 45 deaths in the same time last year.
The police from Northern Ireland and Ireland worked together to check vehicles at the border between Derry and Donegal.
The Gardaí (Irish police) and another police force worked together for the first time on an operation in Bridgend, County Donegal.
Ch Insp Graham Dodds, who is in charge of PSNI road policing, told BBC News NI that the joint operation was focused on stopping and catching people who are driving too fast.
He said it was really sad and scary that there have been 57 road deaths in Northern Ireland this year.
“Fifty-seven houses were destroyed, and it has affected fifty-seven communities. Workplaces and schools will never be the same. ”
So far, 33 people have died on roads in counties near the border like Cavan/Monaghan (12), Donegal (nine), Sligo/Leitrim (five) and Louth (seven).
The plan is part of a day to make people drive slower and to remind them that speeding is dangerous.
Garda Supt David Kelly said both the PSNI and An Garda Síochána working together was the first time it had happened in Ireland.
“We are working as a team to save lives on the roads,” he said.
“Too many people have been getting hurt or killed in car crashes this year. We’re working to make the roads safer. ”
“We believe that by working together as one group, we can accomplish more. This is the first time both organizations are working together. “
A person who commits crimes for a living from London was sentenced to 21 years in prison for smuggling 10 kilograms of cocaine and a large amount of money throughout Europe.
Paul O’Brien planned a big operation to move drugs worth £1 million from the Netherlands to Ireland, going through the UK.
The 56-year-old person also made plans to move £780,000 in cash from Ireland to the Netherlands.
He arranged the agreements and talked with illegal messengers using a secure messaging system called EncroChat.
O’Brien’s plan didn’t work because the police and the NCA stopped him. They discovered that he was working with Thomas Maher, who is now a convicted criminal.
Maher, a rich boss who transported goods by road from Warrington, Cheshire, was sent to prison for about 15 years in 2020 for being involved in transporting drugs and illegal money across Europe.
The person who is 42 years old was discovered during an investigation into the deaths of 39 Vietnamese migrants in a truck in Purfleet in October 2019. They were also found to be using EncroChat to operate a transportation system.
Newest updates about what’s happening in London.
The police arrested a person named O’Brien at his house in Uxbridge, which is in south London. They arrested him in May 2020 because they discovered that he was the person using the username ‘ONEDIAMONDGEE’ on EcncroChat. This person was involved in organizing smuggling activities with another person named Maher.
According to the NCA, on April 4, 2020, a car and a HGV met near a village called Uddel in the Netherlands and exchanged cocaine. The cocaine could have been worth up to £1 million if it was sold in the UK.
Maher told O’Brien that their delivery people were able to bring the drugs into the UK on that same day. They made plans for the drugs to be picked up in Ireland.
On April 10, Maher helped collect £260,000 that belonged to O’Brien and took it from Louth in Ireland to the Netherlands in a car. A month later, on May 11th, Maher arranged for another pick-up of £520,000 for O’Brien. This time, the money would be transported from Ireland to the Netherlands by couriers.
The money was being exchanged at a bus station in Drogheda when police officers who were watching intercepted the money and arrested the people carrying it, Jason Reed, who is 42 years old, Thomas Rooney, who is 53 years old, and Catherine Dawson, who is 46 years old.
O’Brien’s EncroChat device was taken when he was caught, and later on, NCA investigators arrested him for being involved in a scheme to traffic cocaine and cash.
He later admitted to three charges of planning to commit a crime in another country, and a judge at Isleworth Crown Court gave him a 21-year prison sentence on Friday. Martin Clarke, who works for the National Crime Agency, said: ‘O’Brien is a well-known criminal who is able to team up with big-time drug dealer Thomas Maher’.
‘They worked together to transport cocaine and large amounts of money around Europe. ’
The important evidence from his EncroChat phone showed O’Brien’s illegal operation, which made him have to admit guilt.
The NCA is determined to catch the leaders of global organized crime, who believe they can separate themselves from their illegal actions and avoid punishment.
‘Maher and O’Brien discovered that we are very determined to go after people who think they’re big criminals and hold them responsible. ‘ A truck that was part of the Vietnamese migrant deaths incident was previously owned by Maher. Even though Maher sold it, it was still registered in his wife’s name.
His transportation network spread across Europe, and it was discovered in another investigation by the NCA. This network was used to transport illegal goods for organized criminals.
In May 2023, Maher had to give back over £630,000 that he made illegally after a money investigation.
On Friday, a police employee was sent to prison for illegally looking at private information and using it to warn a criminal friend. The information was about a top-secret investigation into serious crimes happening globally, which was being done through a communication platform called EncroChat.
Last month, the Metropolitan Police announced that in the past three years, they have put more than 420 individuals in prison as they were involved in illegal activities such as arranging drug transactions, cleaning dirty money, and planning violent acts using EncroChat.
The Irish government plans to look into a group that has been accused of allowing its smartphone spyware to spread globally without any control.
It happened after Intellexa Limited and its parent company Thalestris were mentioned in a bad report by an important human rights organization.
The companies are located in a building in the north area of Dublin and are part of a larger Israeli group that sells Predator intelligence software.
Predator is a type of computer software that Amnesty International describes as being intrusive and used in bold hacking attempts against politicians and journalists.
Amnesty said that this technology can turn a smartphone into a spying device and has important implications for people’s rights.
The report wants the Irish government and other governments to look into and strengthen rules for spyware companies. Amnesty said that the alliance was a group of companies that often changed and were complicated. They claimed to be based in the European Union and regulated, but they didn’t do anything to control who can use this spyware and for what reasons.
In July, US officials put Intellexa on a list of bad companies because they found out that their spying tools were dangerous to the United States’ safety and relationships with other countries.
The Intellexa office in Dublin, which is registered in the city, was established in 2019. This information is mentioned in a briefing paper by the European Parliament.
Amnesty’s report asked Irish and other European governments to “quickly cancel all permissions given to the Intellexa alliance for selling and sending goods to other countries”.
The report also urged governments to openly investigate the alliance’s actions and to enforce laws that make sure all companies treat people fairly.
A strong system is set up.
The Irish parliament’s justice committee is planning to have a meeting about this issue in January 2024.
A representative from the Department of Justice said that investigations are the responsibility of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE), and it would be inappropriate to comment on a possible hearing.
DETE stated that although the company is registered in Ireland, it has not asked for permission to export its products.
The department also stated that Ireland has a strong system for regulating and approving exports.
Both government departments refused to address specific claims or additional suggestions mentioned in the report. They said that because the investigation is sensitive, they cannot comment on it.
What does Predator mean.
Amnesty said that if a device has Predator software on it, the person using the device can freely use its microphone and camera and access all of its data without the device’s owner knowing.
This type of spyware is usually sold to governments for authorized spying activities, but there are worries that it has been misused, like in the Greek Watergate scandal.
A recent report by a human rights organization, in collaboration with European Investigative Collaborations, suggests that a particular software has been employed in “zero-click attacks. “
It was reported that the people targeted were President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola, President of Taiwan Tsai Ing-Wen, French MEP Pierre Karleskind, and some American politicians.
‘Disrupting human rights’
Amnesty says that some EU governments are not properly regulating companies linked to Intellexa.
Instead, they are taking money for themselves and not paying attention to the important human rights consequences involved, according to the report.
Intellexa alliance’s products have been discovered in more than 25 countries in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. These products have been employed to weaken people’s human rights, limit freedom of the press, and hinder social movements worldwide.
Several companies associated with Intellexa were asked by the BBC to comment on the report’s findings, but none of them have replied.
Intellexa Ltd is a company connected to many other businesses that are owned or partially owned by a person named Tal Dilian from Israel.
On his website, Mr Dilian said that Intellexa has developed and combined technologies that give law enforcement agencies and intelligence agencies the ability to gather and study data using very advanced methods.
Barry Andrews, a member of the European Parliament, criticized Intellexa in Ireland and requested the Oireachtas Justice Committee to investigate the company in August.
Mr Andrews, speaking to BBC News NI, said that he fully agrees with Amnesty International’s report and praises their work. He particularly agrees with the report’s statement that spyware goes against human rights. The politician from Fianna Fáil said, “I think the Irish government is starting to take this issue seriously. ” I am excited to talk to the justice committee about this as soon as possible and I believe it should happen sooner rather than later.
Amnesty International tried to contact some groups, but they did not respond. However, the European Investigative Collaborations network did hear back from the main owners of the Nexa Group, which is a part of the Intellexa Alliance.
It was said that the alliance doesn’t exist anymore and its parts have followed the export rules very carefully.
There has been a storm named Babet that brought lots of rain to the island of Ireland. This heavy rain has caused serious flooding in a place called County Cork. A lot of buildings have been damaged because of this.
The town of Midleton in eastern Cork has been greatly impacted.
The Irish army and the Civil Defence worked together with firefighters to rescue and move people from homes and businesses that were flooded.
The weather forecast in Northern Ireland is predicting heavy rain until tomorrow morning.
The UK Met Office said that the heavy rain could make driving hard and there is a small chance that houses and businesses could get flooded.
It rained a lot in Killowen in County Down for a whole day. It was more rain than what usually falls in half a month.
The weather station measured 57. 6mm of rain from Wednesday morning to Thursday morning. It rained a lot in a short time on Wednesday evening.
In Midleton, a town in County Cork, the streets in the town centre were flooded on Wednesday because of heavy rainfall. A little before 7:00 pm on Wednesday, Cork County Council said that Midleton had lots of flooding. Over 100 properties were affected and it was difficult to move around there.
It said it had set up a place for emergency services to work together at Midleton fire station and a place for people to rest at Midleton Community Centre.
‘People were saved using boats’
In simple words: On Thursday morning, County Cork’s mayor, Frank O’Flynn, told BBC News NI that he thinks around 150 buildings may have been harmed by flooding.
He said he saw a distance of “up to four feet” (1. 2m) on Midleton’s Main Street.
“He said that it rained about 94 milliliters in a day. ”
There were some people who had to use boats and canoes. Some people had to be saved by being taken in boats.
Mr O’Flynn said that two schools in the town were impacted, and that the children and young individuals were transported to safety on army vehicles.
The mayor remembered that Midleton had been harmed by floods in 2009 and 2015, but he said, “This was the worst of them all. ”
“He requested that the government provide urgent money for the homes and businesses that have been harmed, as well as a plan to prevent future flooding,” he stated.
His plan would involve the building of walls to keep floodwater out and protect the town of Midleton.
Cork County Council posted on Twitter that they know about flooding in other nearby towns and villages such as Carrigaline, Castletownbere, Ringaskiddy, Whitegate, Rathcormac, Glandore, Halfwa, and Raffeen.
RTÉ, the Irish public service broadcaster, said that there were also reports of flooding in the areas of Killeagh and Youghal in County Cork.
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The prospect of theUK and Republic of Ireland hosting Euro 2028 appears highly likely following the official withdrawal of the Turkish FA from the bidding process.
Turkey has decided to shift its focus towards co-hosting the tournament with Italy in 2032, and this joint proposal has received UEFA’s approval, as announced in July.
With Turkey no longer competing for the 2028 hosting rights, the UK and Republic of Ireland’s bid is now unopposed.
While Wembley Stadium did host the semi-finals and final of the delayed 2020 European Championship, it’s worth noting that the UK has not hosted an entire major tournament since 1996.
Both bids will require official approval at a meeting of UEFA’s executive committee on Tuesday. An official statement from UEFA read: “The presentations at that meeting will be an important part of the process, which will take due consideration of the content of the bid submissions before reaching a decision.”
Pending approval, Euro 2028 will be jointly hosted by the United Kingdom and Ireland.
The list of proposed stadiums includes well-known venues such as Wembley Stadium and Hampden Park, along with the Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
The Republic of Ireland has been most affected by the storm. Strong winds caused many trees to fall in Cork and Dublin.
In the seaside town of Youghal, County Cork, a building on Front Strand lost part of its roof due to strong winds. The Cork Council said the road was closed and the gardai and the fire service were keeping an eye on the situation.
The weather agency Met Éireann has prolonged its orange wind warning for specific counties in Ireland. The warning will be in effect until 7:00 PM on Wednesday. The counties affected are Cork, Carlow, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, Kerry, Tipperary, and Waterford.
There is a weather warning for rain in Cork, Carlow, Dublin, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow Kerry and Waterford until midnight. There is also a warning for wind in Leinster, Munster, and Galway during the same time.
There is flooding in certain areas of Cork. The Cork County Council is telling drivers to stay away from driving through flooded areas.
Many flights at Belfast City Airport were canceled on Wednesday afternoon and there were issues with P&O Ferries on their route between Larne and Cairnryan in Scotland. The boats leaving at 4:00 pm were canceled, and the next one at 8:00 pm might be late. In Northern Ireland, there is a warning for rain until 8:00 PM, and a warning for wind until 7:00 AM on Thursday.
The weather forecaster called the Met Office said that in certain areas, it might rain a lot, with up to 30mm (1. 2in) of rain falling in just a few hours. In the Mournes and Sperrins, there may even be up to 50mm of rain.
This could make the chances of flooding higher because the storm is moving towards the north and east.
The strongest wind in Northern Ireland was 57mph at Glenanne in County Armagh.
In Ireland, very strong winds of 72mph (116kmph) were measured on Sherkin Island in west Cork.
There has been a lot of rain today, with some places getting 20-25mm. The rain warning for Northern Ireland will end at 8:00 PM. There will be heavy showers with thunder in the evening, but they will decrease before midnight.
The rest of the night won’t have much rain.
The strong winds will calm down for a while tonight, and the wind will start blowing from the south west.
Expect the wind to get stronger again and stay strong throughout the night.
However, the stronger winds will be moving towards the western counties and areas that are exposed to the coast and hills. These winds will not be as strong as they were earlier on Wednesday, around 40 to 45 miles per hour.
A highly skilled group of soldiers from Ireland attacked a large ship from Panama that was believed to be transporting a lot of drugs. This happened on Tuesday and was a big operation.
The big boat was supposedly trying to escape when the Navy caught up to it near the coast of Co Cork.
Two men, one from the UK and the other from eastern Europe, have been arrested using the country’s law against organized crime.
A group of Irish soldiers raid a ship they believe is transporting illegal drugs. At a meeting with reporters in Dublin on Wednesday, a spokesperson for the Irish police service An Garda Siochana announced that they had discovered the biggest amount of drugs ever found in the country.
Mr Kelly, who works for the Organised and Serious Crime Unit, said: ‘This demonstrates our unwavering commitment to stopping and breaking apart groups that want to bring drugs into our country.
These groups are groups that operate across different countries. They are working everywhere and, because of that, we need to work with our partners from other countries.
Commander Tony Geraghty, who is in charge of fleet operations in the Irish Naval Service, stated that a very complicated operation took place involving multiple units such as the Naval Service, the Air Corps, the Army Ranger Wing, and Defense Force headquarters.
‘And then things became even more complicated because of factors in our surroundings that we had no power over. ‘ The weather was really bad.
We were also trying to guess what crime gangs would do and how it would affect us. ‘The Defense Force thought it was a big success because it showed that we can work together well. ‘
Gunshots were fired at the cargo ship before people got on board.
He said, “The trader ship didn’t listen to our ship’s orders. ”
This was before the Army Ranger Wing was added.
‘The ship’s captain used more force to make the boat follow their instructions. ‘
He said that the Army Ranger Wing and helicopter pilot showed a lot of skill during strong winds.
When asked if any cocaine had been taken off the ship, Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly couldn’t say because three people were in custody.
Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly said that when they took the drugs, they calculated their worth at 157 million euros. However, if the drugs had been sold in other European countries, their value could have gone up even more.
The Revenue Commissioner and the head of customs, Gerry Harrahill, said the amount of money could become three times greater than what the crime group had planned to make in the future.
Mr Harrahill stated that it was too soon to provide a specific number for the quality of the cocaine.
Mr Kelly said that there has never been a shortage of Irish assets when there is a plan or operation to be carried out in Irish waters.
When asked about how big the operation was, Commander Tony Geraghty from the Irish Naval Service said: ‘Yesterday was very different because it was the first time the Army Ranger Wing was used in that specific situation. ‘
‘The only reason we couldn’t start our onboarding team was because of the weather. If the weather had been good, we would have been able to begin. ‘
Assistant Commissioner Justin Kelly explained that the Joint Task Force was created to address the suspected transportation of cocaine on September 22nd. He said a fishing boat that got stuck on the shore near Co Wexford was definitely a deliberate choice for an attack ever since then.
The boat is still out at sea. It is being watched and we want to get it back. “We will investigate the crime scene thoroughly once it has been cleaned up. ”
Mr Kelly said: “No one has been on the ship yet, so we are still unsure about it. ”
He said the boat would be carefully searched and examined for evidence. The top police officer said that someone from the fishing boat needed to go to the hospital and was taken there. After that, the person was arrested.
Mr Kelly said that it was believed that some of the drugs were not meant to be sold in Ireland.
Both the Met Office and Met Éireann have given warnings about the storm that will arrive in the south-west of Ireland on Wednesday.
Storm Agnes is the first storm to have a name this season. The season lasts from September 1st to August 31st.
It will likely cause strong winds that could cause damage for some areas in the UK and Ireland.
There will be a strong wind in Northern Ireland starting at 12:00 BST on Wednesday and ending at 07:00 on Thursday.
What should you know about Storm Agnes.
The weather experts at the Met Office are saying that some places away from the coast might experience very strong winds of about 100 kilometers per hour (60 miles per hour). Coasts that are not protected and have cliffs or other high points might have stronger winds.
This message says that there is a possibility of getting hurt or in danger because things might fly around. It also says that there might be times when the power stops working. Lastly, it mentions that both air travel and ferry services could be impacted.
The government says it’s not safe to go to forests, parks, or nature areas because of strong winds.
In Ireland, there will be orange warnings on Wednesday from 09:00 to 15:00. This means there will be problems with traveling, some areas might have floods, and it will be hard to see in Cork and Kerry.
The counties will experience rain and there is a warning that it will continue until midnight on Thursday. A warning for strong winds is in place for Leinster and Munster from 07:00 on Wednesday until midnight on Thursday. There is also a warning for heavy rain in Carlow, Dublin, Kilkenny, Wexford, Wicklow, and Waterford during the same time.
Chris Heaton-Harris was talking after having discussions with the Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) during the introduction of a new £858m funding plan.
The Peace Plus initiative will give money for projects in Northern Ireland and the counties along the border.
At the meeting in Belfast, Mr Heaton-Harris and Mr Varadkar talked about bringing back power-sharing.
The government of Northern Ireland stopped working last year because the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) left in protest against trade barriers after Brexit.
The DUP has said that they believe the Windsor Framework deal, made between the EU and UK Government earlier this year to change the Northern Ireland Protocol, doesn’t do enough to solve their worries.
‘Down in Dublin’ can be rephrased as ‘In Dublin’. In August, Mr Varadkar said that if the Stormont institutions were not restored, they would need to have discussions about an alternative plan.
Last week, he said he believed he would see a united Ireland during his lifetime.
Mr Heaton-Harris said again that discussions to resolve issues with the DUP were moving forward and seemed to express disapproval of Mr.
He said: “The leader has a lot of local politics to deal with, but sometimes unhelpful remarks in Dublin have an impact on the unionist community up here. “
I want a very clear plan to get the boss started quickly.
I want to make sure that the executive is working as quickly as possible.
“He said that discussing a backup plan is not useful because we should focus on getting the executive functioning again, regardless of the situation. “ ‘Snail’s pace’ means moving very slowly, like a snail.
Last week, Mr. Heaton-Harris informed MPs that discussions to bring back Stormont had made significant progress.
When asked about this evaluation, Mr. Varadkar said that he thinks it is progressing very slowly, like a snail.
He said, “I told the secretary of state that there will be a time when we can’t wait any longer and we need to discuss other plans that follow the Good Friday Agreement. “
Mr Varadkar said he will get a chance to talk with Prime Minister Rishi Sunak about this in October.
He said that the idea of both the UK and Irish governments sharing power is not allowed in the Good Friday Agreement. Chris Heaton-Harris and Leo Varadkar had a brief meeting for around 15 minutes. They met in a separate room away from the main event on Monday.
Their separate press conferences showed that the men disagree greatly on the important problems they need to solve.
Chris Heaton-Harris said that discussions in Stormont progressed a lot, but Leo Varadkar said that if there is any progress at all, it is very slow.
If Stormont doesn’t come back, Mr. Varadkar said we can’t wait forever. We will need to come up with different plans.
Mr Heaton-Harris said that discussing a backup plan is not useful.
Mr Varadkar said he requested the UK government to stop the bill, but Mr. Heaton-Harris said no request to stop was made.
What started as a day focused on working together between different countries has turned into another argument about the politics of Northern Ireland.
What does the Peace Plus plan mean.
The politicians came together in Belfast to start a plan that will bring money and support to Northern Ireland. This plan focuses on six important areas to help the economy, society, and environment in Northern Ireland keep growing.
The UK government is giving £730m to Peace Plus.
MrVaradkar mentioned that it would have a significant impact on people’s lives. Some famous projects are the Peace Bridge over the River Foyle and the redevelopment of the Girdwood Barracks in north Belfast.
The current plan replaced a peace plan that was used before Brexit and had been in place since 1995. This rule is for Northern Ireland and the border areas of the Republic of Ireland, specifically Donegal, Sligo, Leitrim, Cavan, Monaghan, and Louth.
This is the next program after Peace IV. It helps kids and young people by promoting shared education, shared spaces, and positive relationships in the community.
‘People were worried. ‘
A few people who support victims showed up at the event to oppose the UK government’s disputed legacy bill.
This week, it is expected to finally be approved in the House of Lords, even though political parties and victims’ group are against it.
Protesters carried signs asking the Irish government to step in and stop the bill from becoming law.
It stops new investigations and court cases from the Troubles era and gives forgiveness under certain conditions to people accused of committing murders. The government of Ireland had said that it may decide to sue the United Kingdom because of the new law.
On Monday, Mr. Varadkar said that a decision on an interstate legal case has not been made yet.
“He said that we need to get advice from the attorney general before we decide anything. We should be getting that advice in a few weeks. “
MrHeaton-Harris said that the Irish government expressed worries about the proposed law.
He said that the Irish government is not happy with the bill, but he thinks the bill is a sincere and genuine effort to provide information for families.
The man and the other woman got hurt, but the injuries are not believed to be life-threatening, according to the police.
The police said they are still investigating and asked anyone with information to please come forward. People in the town were very surprised and didn’t expect what happened.
Starting from midnight, the temporary reductions on fuel and hospitality taxes in Ireland will no longer be in effect, resulting in an increase of these taxes.
In March 2022, the government reduced fuel taxes because prices rose a lot due to Russia invading Ukraine.
The cost of petrol will go up by 7 cents for each litre, and the cost of diesel will go up by 5 cents.
The tax rate for tourism, hospitality and certain other service businesses will go up from 9% to 13. 5%
The rate was reduced in November 2020 because of the pandemic.
Originally, it was planned to continue until December 2021, but it was extended twice.
Business groups wanted the lower rate to continue because they believed that an increase would make things harder for companies that are already struggling with the effects of rising prices.
Government ministers said no, because they could no longer find a good reason to have a lower rate.
But the finance minister hasn’t said no to delaying the increase in fuel taxes that is supposed to happen before the year ends.
Michael McGrath stated that the proposal to raise the cost of petrol by 8 cents per litre and diesel by 6 cents per litre would be regularly reviewed.
The prices of fuel for cars in Ireland affect the market in Northern Ireland.
A recent study from the UK’s competition watchdog showed that petrol and diesel in Northern Ireland are less expensive than in other areas of the UK. This is due to the competition from filling stations located across the border.
The police in Ireland have announced the names of a young boy and his grandparents who were sadly killed in a car accident in County Tipperary.
Thomas O’Reilly, who is 45 years old, Bridget O’Reilly, who is 46 years old, and their three-year-old grandson Tom O’Reilly lost their lives in a crash in Cashel on Tuesday evening.
The crash hurt the child’s parents, who are both 22 years old.
The man is receiving care for severe injuries while the woman got injuries that are not as severe. Thomas and Bridget O’Reilly were from the Waller’s Lot neighborhood in Cashel.
The accident happened a few days after four young people died in another car crash in Clonmel, Co Tipperary.
Garda Superintendent Kieran Ruane said that the people living in Cashel were really surprised and very sad about the accident that happened on Tuesday.
The crash happened a little before 9pm when a car crashed into a wall in the Windmill-Knockbulloge area of Cashel.
Mr Ruane said, “I am very sorry for the loss of Thomas, Bridget, and Tom. Everyone at An Garda Siochana is sending our thoughts and condolences to their family and friends in this tragic time. ”
He said that the police would look into everything about the crash.
The police officer praised the quick actions of the emergency services during the incident. The people in Cashel are very upset and sad about a terrible car accident that happened to one family. Three people from the family died.
I talked to the family of the person who died this morning. They are extremely upset about what happened.
I want to let the family and the community know that the local police here in south Tipperary are here to help and support them as we all deal with this sad event in the upcoming days, weeks, and months.
I want to ask anyone who knows anything about this car accident on the road to please get in touch with the investigators at Cahir Garda station.
Irish leader Leo Varadkar honored the victims of a recent car accident in County Tipperary.
I am very sorry for the loss of the people who died in the car accident in Cashel. My thoughts and prayers go out to their friends and family. The Taoiseach wrote on social media platform X, which used to be called Twitter, saying “I hope they find peace in their rest. ”
I’m thinking about everyone in Tipperary. It’s really sad to hear this bad news, especially after the tragic deaths in Clonmel.
Mags Casey, from the Tipperary Rural Travellers Project, mentioned that she has been acquainted with the family involved in the accident in Cashel for 23 years.
“The people who travel around Ireland are feeling very surprised, extremely upset, and unable to react, at this specific moment,” she said during an interview with RTE’s News At One.
In the town of Clonmel, a crash happened on Friday evening that caused the deaths of four young people. Luke McSweeney, who was 24, and his sister Grace McSweeney, who was 18, were involved in the accident. Additionally, Zoey Coffey and Nicole Murphy, both 18 years old, also lost their lives.
Mr McSweeney was taking the teenagers to a bus on Friday when the car flipped over and smashed into a wall.
The young people were going to celebrate their exam results. They had gotten their results earlier that day on Friday.
After the Cashel crash, the road in the Windmill-Knockbulloge area stayed closed to traffic on Wednesday afternoon. Police officers who specialize in investigating car accidents, called the Garda Forensic Collision Investigators, were at the site to examine what happened.
The local councillor, Declan Burgess, shared his condolences with the family and also appreciated the local people who were present at the crash site on Tuesday night.
“He told reporters that it was really sad news, especially after the tragedy in Clonmel. ”
Our community is facing another difficult situation, which is very sad, especially because a child is involved.
On behalf of the town, I want to say how sorry I am to the families who have been hurt. Cashel is still struggling with this.
We are also thinking about the two people who are still in the hospital.
I want to say thank you to the amazing people who were the first to help at the accident, and also thank the people who live in the Windmill-Knockbulloge area for being the first to arrive at the scene.
Local council member Roger Kennedy said it was a very unfortunate and sorrowful situation.
‘I feel sorry for the family,’ he said, mentioning that it is sad for them to have lost three members of the same family. ‘They are a big family with many relatives, and they receive a lot of help from people around them and will continue to receive a lot of help from the community. ‘
A special room has been set up at Cahir Garda Station and a top detective has been put in charge of the investigation.
The police are asking anyone who saw the accident to call the investigating team.
If you were driving in the Windmill Knockbulloge area near Cashel on Tuesday between 8:30pm and 9:15pm and have a camera or dash-cam, please share your footage with the police.
The electoral commission in Ireland has suggested making changes to the Dáil (the lower house of the Irish parliament) because there are more people now.
These changes mean that there would be more members of parliament, with the number increasing from 160 to 174.
They will be chosen in 43 areas, which is more than the current 39.
The changes are being made because the population in the Republic of Ireland has increased by 8% since 2016, and now there are more than 5. 15 million people living there.
The commission made a recommendation in their Constituency Review 2023 document, which they sent to the Irish parliament, called the Oireachtas.
These changes mean that each TD will now represent around 29,593 individuals on average.
Ireland currently has 160 TDs in the Dáil. This means that there is one TD for every 32,182 people in the country, which is a lot. The number of electoral areas with three seats will go up to 13 from nine.
Some smaller political parties wanted to make more districts with only four or five seats because they believed it would help them and independent candidates.
There are seven areas that have not been changed. These areas are Clare, Cork South West, Donegal, Dublin Central, Kerry, Limerick County, and Waterford.
They suggest creating a new electoral area called Wicklow-Wexford.
A fatal car crash in County Tipperary, Ireland has claimed the lives of multiple individuals last evening.
The police said there was a car accident last night near Cashel, and only one vehicle was involved.
A spokesperson from the Garda said that it seems like several people have died.
They said: “The police can’t give more information right now because they are still working at the place. ”
The police said they were telling the families of the dead people.
The police are currently at the site of a car accident where one person died. The accident happened earlier last evening near Cashel, County Tipperary.
Preliminary signs show that a few people have died.
The police cannot give more information right now because they are still working at the place.
The police are also letting families know about this sad event and ask for some time and privacy to do so.
Canada narrowly avoided a major upset at theWomen’s World Cup (WWC) as they had to stage a comeback to defeat Ireland.
The underdogs, Ireland, took a shocking lead in the fourth minute when Katie McCabe scored.
However, Canada quickly turned the game around with two quick goals before and after half-time, eliminating Vera Pauw’s side.
Ireland made an impressive start, almost taking the lead through Kyra Carusa before McCabe’s goal from a corner caught the Canadian goalkeeper off guard.
Canada, despite being the favorites, struggled to create chances until late in the first half when Vanessa Giles missed a close-range opportunity.
In the second half, Canada showed more energy and leveled the score just before half-time stoppage when Ireland’s Megan Connolly accidentally scored an own goal.
After the break, Canada continued to press, and Courtney Brosnan’s excellent save denied Jordyn Huitema’s long-range shot, which could have given Canada the lead much earlier.
Minutes later though, that goal finally came thanks to Adriana Leon prodding home from near the penalty spot to complete the turnaround.
Christine Sinclair, introduced at half-time, was twice thwarted in her attempt to score at a record sixth WWC as her shots were saved by Brosnan, who also caught Huitema’s towering header.
Searching for a third goal left Canada open to a sucker punch at the other end, and one was nearly provided by McCabe when her mazy run ended in a shot that was deflected narrowly wide.
There was to be noIreland comeback though, meaning their dream of qualifying for the knockout stages is over, whereas Canada know a point from their final game against Australia is likely to be enough to progress to the last 16.
Trade over the Irish border has reportedly grown more economically significant since Brexit, according to a new research of foreign trade in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
ESRI, or the Economic and Social Research Institute, conducted the analysis.
The trade arrangements of the two economies can be compared more consistently thanks to changes in the way that trade data has been recorded since Brexit.
Because NI to GB trade is not recorded in the same way as an internal UK sale, this study has this restriction.
Some earlier studies found that there was less cross-border trade between Ireland and Northern Ireland than economic models suggested there should have been.
However, the study by the ESRI, which is based in Dublin, indicated that position has been reversed since Brexit.
Goods trade is typically driven by the size of markets and the physical distance between them.
The ESRI study found higher levels of trade integration between Ireland and Northern Ireland “than can be accounted for by these fundamental economic characteristics”.
“This is in contrast to previous research findings on this topic, which showed cross-border trade below levels predicted by similar models, with the different effect likely arising from the sharp increase in cross-border trade since Brexit,” it added.
The study also found a much greater diversity of goods is traded across the border compared to the highly concentrated nature of broader international trade in both economies.
Ireland has a particular concentration of trade in pharmaceuticals.
The chemicals and pharmaceutical sector accounts for 20% of all Irish imports and over 55% of exports.
In a historic speech to the Irish parliament, Joe Biden stated that the UK and Ireland “should be working closer” to protect Northern Ireland against political violence.
The president delivered speeches to both the Dail and Seanad, making him just the fourth US president to do so.
He addressed at a joint session of the Oireachtas, following in the footsteps of John F. Kennedy, Ronald Reagan, and Bill Clinton.
Senators and TDs were reminded by Mr. Biden that “peace is precious” and “it still needs its champions.” It still requires nurturing.
According to him, the Good Friday Agreement also had a “significant positive impact” in the Republic of Ireland.
Reflecting on discussions with the Taoiseach, he spoke of ‘how Ireland and the United States can work together with the United Kingdom and the European Union to support the people of Northern Ireland’.
‘I think that the United Kingdom should be working closer with Ireland in this endeavour.
Mr Biden was given a huge welcome as he arrived at Leinster House (Picture: Sky News)The US opened his speech and said ‘mom you said it would happen’ (Picture: REUTERS)It was a packed Dail Eireann, the lower house of the Irish Parliament for his speech (Picture: Getty)
‘Political violence must never be allowed again to take hold on this island.’
He called for ‘liberty against tyranny’ as she said Ireland and the US have stood together against Putin since the outbreak of war in Ukraine, and added that they would fight to ‘oppose Russia’s brutal aggression.’
He opened his address to a joint sitting of by saying: ‘Well mom, you said it would happen.’
He went on to jokingly apologise to the infant daughter of Labour senator Rebecca Moynihan, who was in the chamber, for putting her through a policy speech, saying it is ‘as bad as what my children have been put through’.
‘People of Ireland, it’s so good to be back in Ireland,’ he said, making a remark in Irish which translates as: ‘I am home.’
He added: ‘I only wish I could stay longer.’
Among the members inside the house were Bertie Ahern, who brokered the Good Friday Agreement with Tony Blair in 1998.
A more controversial figure in attendance was Gerry Adams, an Irish republican politician who was the president of Sinn Féin from 1983-2018.
He was part of the broadcast ban in 1983-84 after the IRA bombed a Brighton hotel where Margaret Thatcher was staying in 1983.
The speaker of the Dail, Sean O Fearghail, spoke ahead of Joe Biden’s speech and said ‘‘You are one of us,’ thanking the US president for his support of Ireland.
He said: ‘All through your political career, Mr President, you too have been a faithful and supportive friend of Ireland. You have been there, to quote the well-known song, ‘in sunshine or in shadow’.
‘So, on this historic occasion – your homecoming – we warmly welcome you back to your roots.
‘From the bottom of our hearts we thank you for all you have done, and continue to do, for us here in Ireland.’
On the third day of his trip to Ireland, he met with Irish premier Leo Varadkar and president Michael D Higgins.
Speaking with the Taoiseach he hailed the importance of US and European leadership and praised American leadership since the Russian invasion of Ukraine last year.
Mr Varadkar said he wanted to ‘thank you and your administration and your country’s leadership when it comes to Ukraine because I never thought in my lifetime that we’d see a war of this nature happening in Europe again’.
He said: ‘Democracy and liberty and the things that we believe in are on retreat, or in retreat, in large parts of the world, and if it wasn’t for American leadership, and if it wasn’t for America and Europe working together, I don’t know what kind of world we’d live in.’
Mr Biden, who met with the Irish leader in Washington on St Patrick’s Day, praised Irish values and the country’s acceptance of thousands of Ukrainian refugees as he spoke of a ‘stronger and stronger relationship’ between the US and Ireland.
The pair are set to discuss efforts to restore powersharing in Northern Ireland, with Mr Varadkar thanking Mr Biden for US support for the Good Friday Agreement.
Mr Biden told Mr Varadkar it had been great to see him in Washington last month, and said: ‘I think there really is an opportunity to make serious progress, not just because of the accord that was signed 25 years ago, but in terms of the way Ireland is moving, the way it is taking its place in the world, working on helping countries around the world that are dealing with starvation, the way you’ve – I know it’s not easy – welcomed Ukrainians here and the leadership you’ve shown.’
Speaking to Mr Varadkar, the US President appeared to reference the progress made in securing the Windsor Framework – the deal between the EU and UK to amend the Northern Ireland Protocol – as he spoke of co-operation between the Taoiseach and Prime Minister Rishi Sunak as ‘very valuable as well’.
This morning President Biden took part in several honorary ceremonies including helping plant a tree in the garden of Aras an Uachtarain.
He also signed the visitor’s book at the home of the Irish President with the words of a proverb and said ‘Your feet will bring you where your heart is’.
He took a shovel to help plant an Irish Oak, and added himself to the list of presidents who have all planted trees in the grounds.
Pope John Paul II and the late Queen Elizabeth II have also carried out the tradition on previous visits.
Speaking to president Michael D Higgins, Mr Biden said: ‘Mr president, I asked whether or not my great-grandchildren can come back and climb this tree when it grows?’
The ceremony also saw the US president ring the Peace Bell, which was unveiled in 2008 to mark the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.
Mr Biden rang it four times before shaking hands with the Irish President.
He said one ring was for Ireland, one was for the USA, another was for ancestry and a fourth was for peace.
Mr Biden is expected to set out a ‘shared vision’ for the future of US-Irish relations when he addresses both houses of the Oireachtas.
Mr Biden, who was joined by an official delegation that included the US secretary of state Antony Blinken, was met with cheers from onlookers as his motorcade entered the park.
Arriving at Aras an Uachtarain Mr Biden emerged wearing sunglasses and a broad smile as he walked the red carpet to be met by Mr Higgins and his wife Sabina.
‘It’s a pleasure to be back’, Mr Biden told Mr Higgins.
After signing the visitor’s book in the historic State Reception Room, Mr Biden quipped ‘I’m not going home. Isn’t this an incredible place? All you American reporters, it’s just like the White House, right?’
A military band played the American national anthem as Mr Biden stood outside with his right hand on his heart.
After listening to the Irish national anthem, the president inspected a guard of honour before being introduced to Irish dignitaries.
At Farmleigh he was also invited to watch a sports demonstration by young Gaelic games players.
The White House said Northern Ireland and Ukraine would top the agenda as Mr Biden met with Mr Higgins and Mr Varadkar.
US National Security Council senior director Amanda Sloat told reporters that his Oireachtas address will refer to areas of close partnership between both countries and ‘setting out a shared vision for the future’.
Mr Biden will be accompanied to the Irish Parliament by Marie Heaney, the widow of his favourite poet, Seamus Heaney.
Mr Biden, who is on a four-day trip to the island, will attend a banquet in his honour at Dublin Castle hosted by Taoiseach Mr Varadkar this evening.
His first full day of engagements on Wednesday began in Northern Ireland, where he delivered a keynote address in Belfast.
In his speech to Ulster University, Mr Biden expressed the hope of a return to powersharing at Stormont, saying a stable devolved government could deliver an economic windfall for the region.
His visit north of the border came as the region marks the 25th anniversary of the landmark Good Friday peace accord.
After his address in Belfast, Mr Biden travelled to Dublin and from there to Co Louth, where he can trace some of his Irish ancestors.
In a speech at a pub in Dundalk, he described how he felt as though he had come home.
His remarks also included a gaffe when he appeared to confuse the All Blacks rugby team with the Black and Tans, a contentious police unit from Ireland’s War of Independence era.
Asked about that gaffe, Ms Sloat said: ‘It was clear what the president was referring to, it was certainly clear to his cousins setting next to him.’
As tens of thousands of people gathered to welcome him during a tour of the county where his ancestors were born,US Vice President Joe Biden paid tribute to his Irish heritage.
When he visited the region his great-great-grandfather had left for America, he claimed it “felts like coming home” in a speech he gave in a pub in County Louth.
After a brief visit to Northern Ireland to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace deal, he is currently on a three-day visit to the Republic of Ireland.
After stepping off Air Force One on to the rain-soaked runway at Dublin Airport he was met by Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar.
He then travelled to meet distant relatives in the Cooley Peninsula and the village of Carlingford in County Louth on Ireland’s east coast.
In Carlingford crowds lined the quayside as the presidential motorcade arrived.
Later there were shouts of “welcome home, Joe” when Mr Biden arrived in Dundalk to address an audience, including some of his relatives, at the town’s Windsor Bar.
He said Irish people were the “only people in the world in my view who are actually nostalgic about the future”.
“It is because, more than anything in my experience, hope is what beats in the heart of all people and in particular in the hearts of the Irish,” he added.
“Every action is about hope we can make things better.”
The president also visited a Dundalk shop owned by Jerome McAteer, who said he was honoured to sell Mr Biden some sweet treats, including lemon meringue and chocolate eclairs.
“He was talking a lot about his Irish background,” said Mr McAteer.
He runs the shop with his partner Bobby Wain, who said it had been an unforgettable day for them and their staff.
“Mindblowing – one of those days you’ll never forget,” he said.
Earlier Mr Biden completed a brief-but-landmark visit to Belfast, where he called for politicians to restore the power-sharing government at Stormont, which collapsed over a year ago.
He used a speech at Ulster University to praise the “tremendous progress” since the Good Friday Agreement was signed in 1998.
The peace deal largely brought to an end more than 30 years of violent conflict known as the Troubles.
“This place is transformed by peace; made technicolour by peace; made whole by peace,” he said.
Image caption,Joe Biden shook hands with young staff members in a food shop in Dundalk
President Biden regularly speaks of his Irish heritage and had promised to visit the country during his term in office.
His maternal great-great-grandfather Owen Finnegan departed Carlingford in County Louth in the late 1840s to travel to America.
Among his great-grandparents was Edward Blewitt, who left the west coast town of Ballina in County Mayo in 1850 to emigrate to the US.
He settled in Scranton in Pennsylvania as the devastating Irish potato famine was causing widespread starvation.
Image caption,Many people braved the wind and rain for hours to get a good position to see the president in Dundalk
In his speech in Dundalk, Mr Biden said his ancestors left Ireland at about the same time as former US President Barack Obama’s great-great-great-grandfather Falmouth Kearney, who was from Moneygall in County Offaly.
“They would never have dreamed that their grandsons would have been presidents of the United States,” he said.
Mr Biden was given a tour of Carlingford Castle alongside the Tánaiste (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) Micheál Martin.
Asked about his feelings on the visit, the president replied: “It’s wonderful. It feels like I’m coming home.”
Commenting on the wet weather, he added: “It’s fine – it’s Ireland.”
Image caption,Joe Biden was well prepared for the weather when he arrived at Dublin Airport
The US president greeted a crowd of about 5,000 people as he visited Dundalk, a town a few miles from the Irish border.
Mr Biden also made a visit to a cafe where he met staff before addressing an audience at the pub.
“When you’re here you wonder why anybody would want to leave,” he told them.
In the coming days, President Biden is expected to speak to politicians at the Oireachtas (Irish parliament) and meet more relatives in Ballina.
On Wednesday, the UK and Ireland officially bid to host Euro 2028. Among the venues mentioned were the stadiums of Everton, Tottenham, and Newcastle United.
There are ten venues total in the bid: Wembley Stadium, Hampden Park, Principality Stadium, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Etihad Stadium, St. James’ Park, Villa Park, Hampden Park, Aviva Stadium, Casement Park, and the new Everton stadium, which is still being built.
While several games were played at Wembley Stadium and Hampden Park during Euro 2020, England also hosted the 1966 World Cup and Euro 96.
England also served as the host nation for the 2022 Women’s Euro, which ended with a victory for the country.
The bid claims the UK and Ireland is: “Committed to delivering a record-breaking tournament with more tickets than ever before to grow a more diverse and inclusive game,” saying there will be almost three million tournament tickets available.
Today, the UK and Ireland final bid to host UEFA EURO 2028 has been submitted.
The bid shows how our nations are collaborating to stage an historic football festival for all of Europe and take the tournament to new heights.#UKIreland2028
These days, Washington’s polarised lawmakers can’t agree on practically anything. It is quite difficult to obtain bipartisan cooperation. But, there is one topic on which almost everyone is in agreement. Such is the significance of the Good Friday Agreement (GFA), which put an end to 30 years of violent death in Northern Ireland.
The accord itself is held up as a brilliant illustration of what tenacious diplomacy and smart negotiation can accomplish.
American politicians are rightly proud of the role the US played in securing the peace. The tireless work of Senator George Mitchell as well as the intense engagement of President Bill Clinton were essential.
President Biden sees the agreement as part of his own political legacy and can claim credit for encouraging US involvement in the peace process through the 1980s and 90s.
Defending the GFA, and the relative peace it ensures, has been a high priority for the Biden administration. There are deep concerns about how Brexit may affect the agreement.
This presidential visit would not be taking place if the Windsor Framework had not been secured to resolve the issues over trade between Great Britain, Northern Ireland and the Republic.
The future of any free trade deal between the UK and US also hangs on the continued maintenance of the GFA.
In Belfast, President Biden will talk about how the US can help to support “Northern Ireland’s vast economic potential”.
In Dublin, he is expected to address the Irish parliament and stress the close co-operation between the two nations.
And he will make more personal visits to County Louth and County Mayo to revisit his family roots.
There is a long tradition of US presidents enjoying trips to Ireland more than they do many other official engagements.
Bill Clinton was greeted by ecstatic crowds in 1995 when he became the first American president to visit Northern Ireland as well as the Republic.
The New York Times said the “Irish gave Bill Clinton the best two days of his presidency”.
Since then, Presidents Nixon, Reagan, George W Bush, Obama and Trump have all made trips to the Emerald Isle – all to the great envy of many other European countries who do not get nearly so much attention.
The ‘most Irish’ US president in history
Joe Biden is inordinately proud of his personal Irish heritage. He mentions it at every opportunity. Just after he was elected president in 2020 he was asked by my colleague Nick Bryant for a “quick word for the BBC”. He swiftly replied: “The BBC? I’m Irish!”
He loves to quote Irish poets and uses the experience of Irish citizens living under British rule as a way to express empathy with persecuted minorities around the world.
The Irish diaspora in America does not have the same outsized influence in US politics as it once did. But with 30 million Americans claiming Irish roots – that is about one in 10 of the current population – it never does any harm for a US president to be seen embracing his Celtic connections.
With two great-grandparents coming from Ireland, Joe Biden is one of the most Irish presidents in history.
Edward Blewitt was an engineer and brickmaker who left the west coast town of Ballina, Mayo, in 1850. He decided to head to Scranton in Pennsylvania – with his family including son Patrick – as the devastating Irish potato famine was causing widespread starvation.
This week, his great-great-great-grandson will be greeted by a huge painted mural of his own face in the town square.
On the east coast of Ireland, the small town of Carlingford in Louth is also expecting a visit. It was from there that President Biden’s maternal great-great-grandfather, Owen Finnegan, departed in the late 1840s.
These days, the people of the Cooley Peninsula are anticipating the construction of a long-awaited bridge across Carlingford Lough that would improve economic links by joining them to Northern Ireland. Locals want to see it named the “Biden Bridge”.
The president can only dream of receiving such a rapturous welcome anywhere in the United States.
A lovely goal from Benjamin Pavard gave World Cup champions France a slim advantage in Dublin’s Euro 2024 qualifying match, making the Republic of Ireland pay for one crucial mistake.
Together with Friday’s 4-0 thrashing of the Netherlands, Pavard’s 50th-minute contribution gave Group B victory by a score of 1-0. Before to that, he had intercepted Josh Cullen’s foolish pass over the edge of his own box.
Yet in a thrilling conclusion, Mike Maignan’s outstanding stop in the 90th minute prevented Nathan Collins from tying the score.
The world’s third-ranked side were made to work desperately hard for the points by an Ireland team sitting 48th in FIFA’s table two years to the day since they suffered the humiliation of a 1-0 World Cup qualifying defeat by Luxembourg at the Aviva Stadium.
France dominated possession for much of the game, but were unable to trouble keeper Gavin Bazunu until Cullen’s rare slip let Pavard in as Stephen Kenny’s men, who handled superstar Kylian Mbappe well, defended diligently and tried to hit them on the break.
Ireland’s fate in this campaign was never likely to be decided on their results against France, and their trip to Greece in June before Gibraltar head for the Aviva will be far more indicative, but Kenny will take heart from the way his young team committed to his game-plan in the face of the sternest of tests.
With wide frontmen Chiedozie Ogbene and Jason Knight dropping in when they were out of possession, the home side were compact, although they were breached with nine minutes gone when Randal Kolo Muani was played in over the top and rounded Bazunu, only for his back-heeled pass to Olivier Giroud as he was driven wide to be cut out by Collins.
The Republic were squeezed ever deeper as France turned the screw with Antoine Griezmann orchestrating, and it took a good 16th-minute block by John Egan to keep Mbappe at bay.
With what little share of the ball they were afforded, Ireland did their best to fulfil Kenny’s instructions to take risks without ever really threatening to pierce the French defence, but they needed Bazunu to spring from his line to prevent any damage after Griezmann’s 24th-minute corner had ricocheted across his six-yard box.
Griezmann instinctively stabbed wide as he attempted to turn Theo Hernandez’s 32nd-minute drive past Bazunu and then missed the target with a header from Pavard’s cross as French frustration mounted.
In the event, a team which had scored three times inside the opening 21 minutes against the Dutch left the pitch at half-time locked in a stalemate having been unable to break down a stubborn and disciplined Irish rearguard.
However, the home side faltered within five minutes of the restart to hand the visitors the lead.
Cullen intercepted Adrien Rabiot’s misplaced pass on the edge of his own penalty area, but then played the ball square, where Pavard pounced before smashing a shot past the helpless Bazunu off the underside of the crossbar.
It might have been 2-0 had Evan Ferguson in the defensive wall not got his head to Griezmann’s 55th-minute free-kick, although the Atletico Madrid star turned up on the edge of his box to block Knight’s goal-bound strike after Ogbene had burst clear down the right three minutes later.
Moussa Diaby tested Bazunu’s resolve with a swerving 69th-minute effort and the Southampton keeper repelled Rabiot’s attempt from distance six minutes later, but Molumby and substitutes James McClean and Alan Browne all went close to an equaliser in a tense conclusion.
But for Maignan, who had seconds earlier clawed the ball from underneath his crossbar, Collins would have snatched a famous draw at the death.
The biggest nursing protestever is set to start this morning as nurses in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will go on strike from 08:00 on Thursday in the largest action of its kind in NHS history.
Staff will continue to provide “life-preserving” and some urgent care but routine surgery and other planned treatment is likely to be disrupted.
The Royal College of Nursing said staff had been given no choice after ministers refused to reopen pay talks.
The UK government said the RCN’s 19% pay rise demand was unaffordable.
The action will involve nurses in around a quarter of hospitals and community teams in England, all health boards in Northern Ireland and all but one in Wales. Nurses are not striking in Scotland.
Under trade union laws, the RCN has to ensure life-preserving care continues during the 12-hour strike.
Chemotherapy and kidney dialysis should run as normal, along with intensive and critical care, children’s accident and emergency and hospital neonatal units, which look after newborn babies.
Beyond that, it will be up to NHS boards and trusts to negotiate services on a local level, with discussions likely to come down to the circumstances of some individual patients.
The biggest impact is likely to be in pre-booked treatment such as hernia repair, hip replacements or outpatient clinics.
The NHS has said it is “vital” people continue to come forward for emergency care during the strikes and anyone not contacted to reschedule an appointment should attend as planned.
The RCN balloted more than 300,000 nurses across individual NHS trusts and boards rather than in a single, national vote.
This means some nurses are not entitled to take industrial action, because the turnout in their local area was too low.
In England, the first round of strikes will go ahead in 51 of 219 hospitals, mental-health trusts and community services.
Strikes are also going ahead in all of Northern Ireland’s health boards and all but one in Wales, the Aneurin Bevan.
Most GP services will be unaffected, as nurses working directly for practices were not entitled to take part in the vote, but the strike will include district nurses working in people’s homes or community settings.
A second day of strike action will go ahead on 20 December, unless there is a breakthrough in talks.
In England and Wales, most NHS staff have already received a pay rise of roughly £1,400 this year – worth about 4% on average for nurses.
The political situation in Northern Ireland meant there was a delay in processing the increase – but nurses should receive backdated payments before the end of the year.
The RCN wants a larger rise, of 5% above the RPI inflation rate, which currently stands at 14%, saying its members have received years of below-inflation pay increases.
England’s Health Secretary, Steve Barclay, said further pay rises would mean taking money away from other front-line services.
“I’ve been working across government and with medics outside the public sector to ensure safe staffing levels – but I do remain concerned about the risk that strikes pose to patients,” he said.
Mr Barclay added that the government had followed the recommendation of the independent NHS Pay Review Body, which said in July NHS staff should receive the £1,400 increase, with slightly more for the most experienced nurses.
The body, made up mainly of economists and human-resources (HR) professionals, had been asked to base that recommendation on a range of factors, including:
the need to recruit staff
the funds available to the NHS
the government’s 2% inflation target
Welsh ministers said they were unable to enter pay talks without extra funding from the UK government.
In Scotland, the RCN’s strike action has been “paused”, after ministers made a fresh offer worth just over £2,200 a year for most NHS staff. Nurses have been asked to vote on that deal, with results due next week.
Union bosses have offered to suspend strikes if the UK government agrees to reopen serious discussions over pay.
But a face-to-face meeting earlier this week broke down, with the RCN accusing Mr Barclay of “belligerence” and having “too little to say”.
This will be only the second time RCN members have walked out in its 106-year history. Until 1995, the union had a formal no-strike policy in its rulebook.
In 2019, nurses in Northern Ireland went on strike over pay. And in 2014, those in England who were members of Unison walked out – also over pay.
This winter, a number of other major health unions, including Unison, the GMB, Unite the Union and the Royal College of Midwives, have also voted to strike in different parts of the UK, with a series of walkouts planned over Christmas and the new year.
A 32-year-old woman from Belfast, Irelandis apparently going blind after tattooing her eyeballs blue and purple, despite the warning of her 7-year-old daughter.
Anaya Peterson, a young law student and fan of body modification influencer Amber Luke, who famously went blind for three weeks after tattooing the white of her eyeballs a bright blue, is slowly going blind after following in the footsteps of her idol. The mother-of-five was apparently in awe of Luke’s unique look and decided to have her own eyeballs tattooed in 2020, despite the warning of her 7-year-old daughter who asked her what would happen if she went blind.
Peterson got her right eyeball tattooed in July of 2020, and despite dealing with headaches and dry eyes during the “healing process”, decided to have her left eye tattooed as well, just five months later. The procedure seemingly went without a hitch, only after months without complications, in August of last year the Irish law student woke up with swollen eyelids and looked like she had been in a boxing match with Mike Tyson.
Because the swelling kept getting worse, Anaya checked herself into a hospital where antibiotics seemed useless against the inflammation. She received medication through a drip for three days and had a biopsy taken out of one of her eyeballs. She eventually underwent eye surgery to save her vision, but even though she recovered enough to be discharged, her problems were far from over.
Although her inflammation problem was eventually resolved, the paint in her eyeballs has already had a serious impact on her vision and general eye health. After examining her, an ophthalmologist told Anaya that she is at high risk of developing glaucoma and she says that her vision has already deteriorated drastically.
“I’m basically on the verge of going blind,” the 32-year-old woman said. “I don’t have 20/20 vision anymore. From a distance, I can’t see features on faces. If I didn’t have my eyeballs tattooed, I wouldn’t be having this problem. Even today I woke up with more floaters in my eyes.”
“I can’t get these eye tattoos out. I’m always going to have this problem. So, I basically think that as I get older, it’s just best to let me go blind. When I’m 60 or 70, I don’t want to have to go to the eye doctor every two or three days,” Peterson added.
The body modification enthusiast said that her 7-year-old daughter India was always against her getting her eyeballs tattooed, but she didn’t listen. Looking back, she says she should have just tattooed one of her eyeballs black and left the other one alone. That way, at least she would still have one good eye…
Unfortunately, Anaya Peterson isn’t the first person to deal with vision problems after having their eyeballs tattooed.
An Irish financial manager for Ireland’s national railway networkclaims that he gets paid almost $130,000 (€108,000) a year to eat lunch and read newspapers all day.
Getting paid to essentially do nothing doesn’t sound like something most people would complain about, but for Dermot Alastair Mills, an employee at Irish Rail, it’s discrimination. The financial manager claims that after turning whistleblower about the company’s accounting in 2014, he was gradually relieved of virtually all of his duties, to the point where he now spends most of his days eating lunch and reading newspapers. Despite all this, he still cashes his regular paycheck every month.
“I buy two newspapers, the Times and the Independent, and a sandwich. I go into my cubicle, I turn on my computer, I look at emails. There are no emails associated with work, no messages, no communications, no colleague communications,” Mills told Ireland’s Workplace Relations Commission (WRC).
“I sit and I read the newspaper and I eat my sandwich. Then about 10.30 a.m., if there’s an email which requires an answer, I answer it. If there’s work associated with it, I do that work. I’d say if I got something that requires me to do work once in a week I’d be thrilled.”
The financial manager said that he had responsibility for capital budgets worth around €250 million ($261 million) from 2000 until the financial collapse in 2007. He was promoted in 2010, but his career started falling apart in 2013 when he was allegedly bullied into a new role and forced to take three months’ sick leave.
Mills claims that, when he returned, he noticed “certain issues” with debtors and sent a “good faith” report to the Irish Rail chief executive in March 2014, before making a protected disclosure to the Transport Minister. Since then, his responsibilities at the company have been cut, as has his budget portfolio.
“I started off with what seemed like a reasonable remit in 2013 and 2014 (€8 million). Slowly but surely it was hacked down to nothing (€400,000).”
Mills said that when his lawyer said that he gets paid “to do nothing,” he is talking about using his skills. The financial manager added that he feels “isolated and that he has been excluded from company meetings and training opportunities.
The unusual case is scheduled to have its next hearing early next year.
Unlike the UK, Ireland is not borrowing to fund tax cuts.
IMAGE SOURCE,PA MEDIA Image caption, People will now start paying the higher 40% rate of tax on income over €40,000
The minister said his budget was focused on helping families and businesses facing the cost-of-living crisis arising from the after-effects of the Covid-19 pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
“As one of the most open economies in the world, we benefit when things are going well internationally, but when they reverse, we are also one of the most exposed,” he said.
Mr Donohoe also said that headline inflation in Ireland is now running at “highs not seen in many decades”, adding that the Department of Finance has updated its forecasts to headline inflation of 8.5% for 2022, and just over 7% for 2023.
People will now start paying the higher 40% rate of tax on income over €40,000 (£35,731).
Tax credits will be given to homeowners for fuel, and tax on petrol and diesel at the pump will remain unchanged.
Other announcements include:
Electricity credits for all households totaling €600 (£536) will be paid in three installments of €200 (£179)
An additional payment of €500 (£447) to those in receipt of the Working Family Payment will be paid in November
There will be €12 (£11) a week increase for those in receipt of social welfare
A packet of 20 cigarettes will go up by 50 cents (45p)
VAT on newspapers will be reduced from 9% to 0%
Mr Donohoe said there were many risks to the country’s finances but he concluded: “We can and should be confident about our future.”
The contentious Northern Ireland protocol will be covered at a postponed meeting between the US presidentand the prime minister on Wednesday in New York.
The Northern Ireland Protocol must be resolved by negotiation, Joe Biden will say to Liz Truss when they meet later today, according to the White House.
In a meeting on Tuesday, Ms. Truss declined to discuss the protocol with French President Emmanuel Macron, and No. 10 did not indicate whether she will bring it up with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
But US national security adviser Jake Sullivan made it clear President Biden will discuss it “in some detail” with Ms Truss.
Mr Sullivan told reporters the president “will encourage the UK and the European Union to work out an effective outcome that ensures there is no threat to the fundamental principles of the Good Friday Agreement”.
“And he will speak in some detail to her about that,” he added.
The adviser said Mr Biden will “communicate his strong view that the Good Friday Agreement – which is the touchstone of peace and stability in Northern Ireland – must be protected.
“And we must collectively take steps – the US, the UK, the parties in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland – to ensure that it is protected,” he added.
Unilateral action
The UK and EU remain in dispute over the trading arrangements between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, with the UK insisting physical checks on farm produce and other goods are removed.
The UK has insisted it will act unilaterally if a solution cannot be found and has drawn up legislation to enable the UK to tear up part of the protocol – the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill.
The EU and other critics say it will breach international law by effectively ditching key parts of the Brexit deal signed by Boris Johnson and the EU in 2019.
The bill was tabled by Ms Truss this summer and is expected to reach the Lords in mid-October, and threatens to further escalate tensions between the EU and potentially the US as well.
Mr Biden, who has Irish heritage, has previously raised concerns about Brexit’s threat to the peace process.
Lord Darroch, who served as the UK ambassador to the US under Ms Truss’ three predecessors, told Sky News it is “stone cold certain” that the lack of progress in striking a free trade deal with the US is related to that.
He said: “The Democrat administration has made this clear in briefings, there is going to be no trade deal unless wecan sort out the protocol in a way that the EU and particularly the Irish government is happywith, and no unilateral rewriting of it.”
Speaking ahead of Wednesday’s meeting, he said there are “clearly tensions under the surface” – pointing to both the protocol bill and President Biden’s recent comments about “trickle-down economics”.
