Free Republic

The European Commission will propose on Tuesday ways for the European Union to boost its arms industry so it can shift to “war economy mode” in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Thierry Breton, the European industry commissioner, will lay out proposals to encourage EU countries to buy more weapons together from European companies, and to help such firms increase production capacity, according to EU officials. “We need to change the paradigm and move into war economy mode. This also means that the European defense industry must take more risks, with our support,” said Breton, previewing the package. Breton, a...

Irish military aircraft are to be dispatched to the Middle East to help get vital humanitarian aid into Gaza, under plans being considered by the Government. Under the proposals, Ireland will work with Jordan to air drop emergency humanitarian supplies into the region which is at risk of widespread famine due to the ongoing Israeli assault. The move follows similar operations carried out by the United States and Jordan last weekend. Under the plans being considered by Government, the Department of Foreign Affairs will work with military officials to transport aid into Jordan, which will then be parachuted into Gaza....

Several prominent House Democrats are jostling to fend off Republican former baseball great Steve Garvey in the yearlong battle to fill the U.S. Senate seat once held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, with two slots on California’s November ballot at stake. In a state where a Republican hasn’t won a Senate race since 1988, Democrats are expected to easily hold the seat in November, a relief for the party as it seeks to defend a fragile Senate majority. But first-time candidate Garvey, a National League MVP and former star for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, reordered...

China will boost its defense spending by 7.2% this year, fueling a military budget that has more than doubled under Xi Jinping’s decade-plus in office as Beijing hardens its stance on Taiwan, according to official reports on Tuesday. The increase mirrors the rate presented in last year’s budget and comes in above the government’s economic growth forecast for this year. China also officially adopted tougher language against Taiwan as it released the budget figures, dropping the mention of “peaceful reunification” in a government work report delivered by Premier Li Qiang at the opening of the National People’s Congress (NPC), China’s...

Air-dropping aid into Gaza was among several issues recently discussed between Ireland and Jordan, the Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed. A spokesperson for the department told RTÉ News that “Ireland is open to considering the option of airdrops of humanitarian assistance, and this is among several issues that have been raised in recent contacts at political and official level between Ireland and Jordan”. However, the spokesperson said that initiatives such as air-dropping aid into Gaza “must not distract from the urgent need to dramatically scale up the level of humanitarian assistance entering Gaza by land”. “Full, safe and unhindered...

The EU Court of Justice has imposed a fine of €2.5 million ($2.7 million) on Ireland for failing to transpose an EU directive on the provision of audiovisual services. The breach relates to delays in bringing online video-sharing platforms under the scope of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD), for the purposes of combating hate speech and protecting minors from harmful content. The Irish media regulator, Coimisiún na Meán (Media Commission), is currently finalizing an Online Safety Code to regulate video-sharing platforms, but it will not be ready until later this year. In its ruling, the EU Court of Justice...

Qatar accused Israel on Wednesday of deliberately starving Palestinians in Gaza and called on the international community to put more pressure on Israel to facilitate deliveries of aid without restrictions. Qatari foreign ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari said aid provided to Gaza “is a very small part of what the residents of the strip need. There are 2.3 million people living in the complete absence of health and emergency services. More than one million live in tents in the south of the strip”. […] Speaking to the US news network CNN on Tuesday from Gaza’s southern city of Rafah, Norwegian Refugee...

France’s Senate is to vote on Wednesday on a bill meant to enshrine a woman’s right to an abortion in the constitution, a measure promised by President Emmanuel Macron following a rollback on rulings in the United States. Wednesday’s vote comes after the lower house, the National Assembly, overwhelmingly approved the proposal in January. A majority of senators appear to be in favor of the constitutional change, but some conservatives have criticized its wording, casting doubt over the outcome of the vote. Macron’s government wants Article 34 of the constitution amended to specify that “the law determines the conditions by...

Although Irish people have become increasingly worried about severe storms and extreme heat, they have become less supportive of climate actions that affect their spending choices, a new survey has found. According to a national survey by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), these choices include higher taxes on motor fuels (petrol) and the banning of fossil fuels for home heating. The survey also found that only 5% of people could distinguish the greenhouse gas effect from other environmental topics such as acid rain or the ozone layer. This is the second time the EPA has published such a detailed survey...

President Michael D. Higgins has appealed to countries that have withdrawn funding from a relief agency in Gaza to “think again” and provide support to help avoid a “catastrophe”. Several countries have frozen funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) while a review of Israeli allegations that some of its staff took part in the Hamas attack on 7 October is under way. UNRWA has 13,000 staff in Gaza and helps to educate 30,000 children. In a statement released today, Mr. Higgins urged the countries, including the UK and Germany, to revoke their decision. Mr....

Ireland has told the UN’s top court that states are obliged to co-operate to bring an end to “Israel’s serious breach” of its duty to respect the rights of Palestinian people. Irish Attorney General Rossa Fanning said states are obliged not to render aid or assistance in maintaining this situation. He said it was Ireland’s view that all states are required to review trading relationships with settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territories, requiring them to take steps to prevent trade which maintains settlement activity or implicitly legitimises Israel’s annexation of that territory. The proceedings follow a December 2022 resolution of...

The Irish Government will today make a submission at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in a case concerning Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory. The proceedings follow a December 2022 resolution of the UN General Assembly, meaning they predate the 7 October massacre in Israel and the ensuing hostilities in Gaza. The assembly has asked the UN’s top court to examine the legal consequences of the “ongoing violation by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination” due to its prolonged occupation and settlement of Palestinian territories. The case is entirely separate from the one brought before the...

First, there were trackers on Taylor Swift and other celebrities’ private jet usage. Now, there will be more scrutiny on executives’ personal use of business aircraft who write it off as a tax expense. IRS leadership said Wednesday that the agency will start conducting dozens of audits on businesses’ private jets and how they are used personally by executives and written off as a tax deduction — as part of the agency’s ongoing mission of going after high-wealth tax cheats who game the tax system at the expense of American taxpayers. The audits will focus on aircraft used by large...

A reduction of more than 12% in energy consumption in Ireland must be achieved by 2030 under a new EU directive. Minister for Environment Eamon Ryan brought details of the Energy Efficiency Directive to the Government today. The target is being decried as very challenging and it will require Ireland to consume 12.6% less energy by 2030 when compared to 2022 figures. …

“President Trump has an 8th Amendment challenge to the unconstitutional fines levied against him by a rogue judge,” Constitutional Scholar Mark Levin noted Tuesday, commenting on the extraordinary $370 million fine (including interest) imposed by a New York judge. Later that day, former President Trump posted the text of the 8th Amendment on TruthSocial.com platform, later linking to the same article linked by Levin in his comment posted on X (formerly Twitter). […] As Levin, (Arthur) Fergenson, (Jonathan) Turley, (Steven) Calabresi and a host of other constitutional experts have noted, the fine is extraordinary not only because of its unprecedented...

62% of motorists have cut back on driving due to the cost of fuel, and motorists spend an average of €220 per month on vehicle running costs, according to a new report by Carzone, the online car marketplace. In its 2024 motoring report, which is based on a survey of 1000 motorists and activity on the website, it finds 38% of motorists have or plan to reduce the number of cars in their households to cut back on costs. 47% of respondents said their car insurance premiums rose in the last 12 months, which is up 11% on the previous...

Ireland’s media regulator Coimisiún na Meán (Media Commission) has said it is ready to assume new EU online safety powers from tomorrow. It has been tasked with enforcing the Digital Services Act (DSA) in Ireland. All EU member states are required to have designated a “Digitial Services Coordinator” by 17 February to implement the DSA in their specific countries. Under the new rules, online platforms will have to do more when it comes to removing harmful content and tackling the spread of disinformation. Companies face fines of up to 6% of global turnover for violating the rules and could be...

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has announced €20 million in support for the UN Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA). Mr. Martin made the announcement at a news conference following a meeting in Dublin with UNRWA Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. He also urged countries that have suspended funding to resume and expand support to the agency. UNRWA, which provides healthcare, education and other services, has been pitched into crisis since Israel alleged that 12 of its 13,000 staff in Gaza were involved in the 7 October Hamas-led attack on Israel that precipitated the war in Gaza. The allegations prompted a...

Taoiseach Leo Vardakar has said he believes Israel has become “blinded by rage” and that he is not sure if the country is listening to anyone in the world, including the US. Speaking during Leaders Questions, Mr. Varadkar told the Dáil that there was a serious risk of a massacre in Rafah in southern Gaza, if a ground assault was to occur, which would be a “gross violation of international law on top of all of the other violations of international law which Israel is responsible for”. Mr. Varadkar said he believed a ceasefire proposal, negotiated by Egypt, Qatar and...

Minister for Enterprise Simon Coveney has accused Israel of “behaving like a rogue state” after its latest military action in Rafah. […] Mr. Coveney said that it is not acceptable to “behave like a monster to defeat a monster,” which is what, he said, Israel is now doing. “We are witnessing Israel behaving like a like a rogue state, quite frankly,” he said. “They’re ignoring the International Court of Justice. They seem now to even be ignoring their closest allies in countries like the United States and the UK, who are clearly calling for restraint, looking for the basis of...