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Ireland has officially joined the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) as an associate member state. CERN is an intergovernmental organization that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world on the Franco-Swiss border, just outside Geneva. The main focus of activity in CERN is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), a 27-km (17-mile) underground ring in which protons are accelerated and collided into one another. Associate membership will allow Ireland’s researchers to participate in CERN’s scientific programs and will make Irish citizens eligible for staff positions and fellowships at CERN. …

Former British senior army officer Lord David Richards has told UK newspaper The Independent that Ukraine cannot win its war with Russia without NATO military support and should instead negotiate peace terms with Moscow. Speaking to The Independent’s “World of Trouble” podcast, the “five star” ranked former Chief of Defence Staff who led NATO forces in Afghanistan, said: “What we have done in the case of Ukraine is encourage Ukraine to fight, but not given them the means to win.” The former commando added that even with the right resources, Ukraine “would not win” as “they haven’t got the manpower.”...

Tánaiste Simon Harris is expected to call for the EU to play a greater role in increasing humanitarian aid to Gaza … at an EU foreign minister meeting today. […] Speaking ahead of today’s meeting, the Tánaiste said the EU’s focus on the Middle East “must now be on preserving the ceasefire and flooding Gaza with desperately needed humanitarian aid”. “The people of Gaza have endured unimaginable suffering. Ireland has announced an additional €6 million in humanitarian aid for the people of Gaza to fund urgent food, medical care and other vital services,” he added. …

Iran said on Saturday (Oct 18) that it was no longer bound by restrictions on its nuclear programme as a landmark 10-year deal between it and world powers expired, though Tehran reiterated its "commitment to diplomacy". The 2015 deal - signed in Vienna by Iran, China, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and the United States - saw the lifting of international sanctions against the Islamic republic in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear programme. But the pact had already been in tatters after Washington unilaterally withdrew during President Donald Trump's first term, with Iran later pulling back from its commitment. The...

Dublin’s Mater Hospital recorded a 68% increase in knife-related injuries in its Emergency Department over the past five years, prompting calls from ED doctors for more measures to deal with the issue. The Irish Association of Emergency Medicine (IAEM) is calling for a focus on prevention and first aid skills, as well as equipment to deal with what it describes as a concerning and urgent issue across the country. Over the past decade, knife-related crime has been on the rise and while incidents dipped last year, knife injuries are now a regular issue for doctors in emergency departments. The IAEM...

The US has been secretly holding talks with Hamas for months Buzzfeed reported Thursday, despite its official stance that it would (not?) negotiate with the terrorist organization. “Our administration needed to hear from them that this unity government would move toward democratic elections, and toward a more peaceful resolution with the entire region,” a US official stated to the “social news” site, on condition of anonymity. “It was important to have that line of communication.” US officials have publicly denied the charges, however, leading to confusion over the report’s veracity. …

BRUSSELS (AP) — Germany on Wednesday pledged more than $2 billion in military aid for Ukraine, as the government in Kyiv signaled that it would need $120 billion in 2026 to stave off Russia's nearly four-year all-out war.Defense Minister Boris Pistorius said that Germany would buy $500 million worth of U.S. weapons for Ukraine under a new program to fast-track military equipment. Estonia, Finland, Lithuania and Sweden said that they would also participate in the funding initiative.Pistorius said that Germany's “package addresses a number of urgent requirements of Ukraine. It provides air defense systems, Patriot (missile) interceptors, radar systems and...

From Sunday, non-EU travelers entering Europe’s Schengen open-borders zone will be photographed and fingerprinted at border crossings, as the European Union rolls out its much-delayed automated border checks. The aim of the new system is to eventually replace the manual stamp on passports and secure better information-sharing between the bloc’s 27 states. The border-check system will allow authorities to know when people entered and exited a country, with the goal of better detecting anyone overstaying and people refused entry. […] Non-EU nationals arriving for short stays in EU countries — except Cyprus and Ireland — will be asked for their...

The EU’s plan to watch what you spend.and modernization. But, much like the Chinese model that seems to inspire ECB President Christine Lagarde, what is at stake is not just technology: it is the risk of turning a payment instrument into a mechanism of control over every citizen’s transactions. Across the Atlantic, the United States took the opposite path: it legalized stablecoins and banned a centralized digital dollar, strengthening freedom and competition instead of state control.On September 26, the European Central Bank announced what had long been anticipated: it will conduct new experiments on what can be achieved with the...

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Irish activists who arrived to Ireland late on Monday night have said they were treated with “petty and extreme cruelties” by Israeli authorities and endured “really unpleasant” conditions while they were detained. Sarah Clancy, Thomas McCune and Donna Schwarz were the first to arrive to Ireland after being detained alongside 13 other Irish citizens following the interception of the Global Sumud Flotilla last week. […] “For example, Greta Thunberg was made to kneel beside an Israeli flag while people marched around her, taking her photo,” she said. They were subsequently brought to Ktzi’ot Prison, she said, where they were subject...

Sir Keir Starmer will warn students not to take part in “un-British” protests marking the anniversary of the October 7 Hamas massacre and accuses those who call for violence against Jews of a “total loss of empathy and humanity”. Writing in The Times, the prime minister says that Britain has become indifferent to antisemitism, posing a profound threat to the nation and its values. He accuses those taking part in the protests of a lack of respect for others and urges the police to use the “full force of the law” against those who call for violence against Jews. “This...

Three of 15 Irish citizens held by Israel after it intercepted the Global Sumud Flotilla returned to Dublin Airport before midnight. Thomas McCune, Sarah Clancy and Donna Schwartz were welcomed at the airport by family, friends and supporters. They were given a change of clothes, rehydration packs, water and essential medications when they arrived. The 15 Irish left Tel Aviv for Athens in Greece yesterday. […] Niamh MacNamara, coordinator with Global Movement to Gaza Éire, said the Irish Government’s “inaction” had “directly led to this situation, ordinary Irish citizens forced to risk their lives because leaders refused to act”. She...

French president Emmanuel Macron has been seen laughing as the leaders of Albania and Azerbaijan mock US president Donald Trump for claiming to have ended wars involving their countries. At the European Political Community meeting in Copenhagen, Macron was seen chatting with Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama was seen storming over in mock fury, and telling Macron: 'You should make an apology … to us because you didn't congratulate us on the peace deal that President Trump made between Albania and Azerbaijan'. The comment referenced Trump's repeated confusion of Armenia and Albania when discussing the long-held...

SUMMARYProtests erupt in Spain, Italy, Ireland, France, Germany and Switzerland Protesters in Barcelona smash windows In Italy, students occupy, block access to universities Pro-Palestinian demonstrators in Europe on Thursday blocked traffic and vandalised shops and restaurants after Israeli forces intercepted a Gaza-bound humanitarian aid flotilla. Israel faced international condemnation after armed Israeli soldiers boarded around 40 ships that were attempting to break a naval blockade to deliver aid to the Palestinian enclave, arresting more than 400 foreign activists including Swedish climate campaigner Greta Thunberg. In Barcelona, protesters smashed or spray-painted anti-Israel slogans on windows of stores and restaurants including coffee...

By Molly Grace • Published: 23 Sep 2025 • 23:28 • 1 minute read Pedro Sanchez PP and Vox voted en bloc against the plan. Photo credit: Alexandros Michailidis/Shutterstock Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s fragile truce with Catalan separatist party Junts has unravelled after a controversial migration proposal was voted down in the Spanish Congress. The initiative, which sought to transfer powers over immigration to the Catalan government, was rejected on Tuesday after several of Sánchez’s own left-wing allies broke ranks and opposed the deal. The measure had been negotiated between the ruling Socialist Party (PSOE) and Junts as part of...

A pregnant woman in Dublin, Ireland told authorities she is “living in fear for me and my kids and my unborn child” after her boyfriend allegedly threatened to drag her “by the hair of her head to the abortion clinic” when she refused to kill her baby in an abortion. That’s according to court testimony and a local news report that underscores the perils of coercive control against expectant mothers. The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was refused bail last Friday at Tallaght District Court following the September 12 domestic incident in Dublin’s Tallaght area. The 20-something...

A Dutchman has won the award for the most authentic French fries. Photo Credit: Joyce Panda via Unsplash IN a delicious upset, for the first time, a non-French person has won the top prize for the world’s most authentic French fries, at the third edition of the annual International Chip Competition, held in Arras, France on Saturday, September 27. Dutch chef Siem van Bruggen took home the gold for the most flavourful fries, beating out 32 other contestants from multiple countries and competing across five harshly-judged categories: authenticity, creativity, family, chip sauce, and global fries. Van Bruggen is a renowned...

The pro-European party of Moldovan President Maia Sandu has claimed victory and a new majority in parliament in Sunday's elections seen as critical for her country's future path to the EU. Sandu had warned of "massive Russian interference" after voting, saying the future of Moldova, flanked by Ukraine and Romania, was at stake. Igor Grosu, the leader of Sandu's Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) which secured about 50% of the vote, said Russia had thrown "everything it had" at the election. Opposition leader Igor Dodon had claimed victory even before results came in and called for protests outside parliament...

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Skylar Thompson was jumped and robbed Friday night in Dublin, Ireland, ahead of Pittsburgh's Week 4 game against the Minnesota Vikings, NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero reported Sunday morning, per sources. Thompson, who is on injured reserve, suffered minor injuries but is OK and with the team, Pelissero added. "We are aware of a situation involving Skylar Thompson on Friday night in Dublin," a Steelers spokesman told Pelissero. "We will have no further comment at this time as we are working with NFL security to gather more information regarding the incident." Thompson, 28, is in his fourth...