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Ireland has become the first country in Europe to introduce legislation to ban trade with Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, Irish Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Simon Harris announced on Wednesday, following the publication of his new bill. The General Scheme of the Israeli Settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Prohibition of Importation of Goods) Bill has already been approved by the Government, but will now pass on to the Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for Pre-Legislative Scrutiny.

Newgrange sits in Ireland's Boyne Valley, about 30 miles north of Dublin. Built around 3200 B.C., this massive stone monument features a long passage leading to a central chamber, all covered by a circular mound of earth and stones. For over 300 years, treasure hunters and antiquarians ransacked the site, making it nearly impossible to know exactly where artifacts originally came from.This historical looting creates a major problem for the "king" theory. The skull fragment NG10 was found during proper archaeological excavations in the 1960s, but researchers can't definitively say it was originally placed in the tomb's supposedly "prestigious" right-hand...

Irish students seeking US educational and exchange visas will be required to make their social media profiles public to allow officials to review their online activity, the US Embassy in Dublin has said. In a statement on Monday, the embassy said the US State Department is “committed to protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process”. “A US visa is a privilege, not a right,” it said. The embassy said visa applicants will be required to list all social media usernames or handles for every platform they...

ATLANTA - Former United States President Jimmy Carter released a statement Thursday after the recent comments made back and forth between United States officials and North Korea. Here is the statement: ======================================================= "The harsh rhetoric from Washington and Pyongyang during recent months has exacerbated an already confrontational relationship between our countries, and has probably eliminated any chance of good faith peace talks between the United States and North Korea. In addition to restraining the warlike rhetoric, our leaders need to encourage talks between North Korea and other countries, especially China and Russia. The recent UN Security Council unanimous vote for...

The Government has defeated a Social Democrats motion demanding the Irish Central Bank not facilitate the sale of Israeli war bonds by 85 votes to 71. Two Independent deputies who normally support the Coalition, Barry Heneghan and Gillian Toole, voted against Government again. Last month, both TDs sided with the Opposition when they backed a similar motion from Sinn Féin. On that occasion, they reaffirmed their support for the Government and that they will continue to support the Coalition in the time ahead. Mr. Heneghan said it was a matter of conscience and Ireland should not facilitate the sale of...

Two brothers who were among 35 people deported from Ireland this week were described as “really popular” and fully integrated into their Dublin primary school. Thirty-five people, including five children, were deported from Ireland to Nigeria on Wednesday night. The 21 men, nine women and five children were refused International Protection and left on a chartered flight which departed Dublin Airport for Lagos. Principal of St. James’ Primary School, Ciarán Cronin, said the boys’ mother had an immigration appointment scheduled for next month. “So, for this to be sprung on them, if they thought that they were awaiting a further...

Over 700 members of the Muslim community have gathered in Dublin to celebrate Eid al-Adha. The feast of the sacrifice is regarded as the holiest festival in the Muslim calendar and was celebrated indoors at Croke Park. A group protested outside the venue as attendees arrived. Shaykh Dr. Umar Al-Qadri, of the Irish Muslim Council, went out and wished them a good morning. Inside, as the call to prayer began, a woman stood up holding a rosary beads and began to recite the Hail Mary. She shouted “shame” as she was escorted away by security. There was no reaction from...

Last year, Irish archaeologists working at a fort on the Drumanagh promontory north of Dublin uncovered a 2,000-year-old charred fig, the oldest evidence of the exotic Mediterranean fruit ever found on the island. RTE Ireland reports that they recently made another remarkable discovery -- an intact Roman pot. Although the Roman Empire's boundaries enveloped much of Europe, they never reached Ireland. That did not mean, however, that Roman influence and goods did not land on the Emerald Isle. Previous archaeological work at Drumanagh has demonstrated that although there was not a settlement located there, people with a Roman background or...

An environmental artist created a huge “Free Palestine” message in the sand on the beach backing on to US President Donald Trump’s golf resort in County Clare. Sean Corcoran worked with two friends to create the 106-meter (348-ft) wide installation on Doughmore Strand in Doonbeg on Monday. “I couldn’t just stand by while atrocities are being carried out in Gaza. Like so many of us, I’ve felt helpless for the last few months. I’d like to be on the right side of history. I don’t want to look back in ten years and feel like I did nothing,” he said....

[Catholic Caucus] High winds stop LGBT ‘Pride’ hike on St. Patrick’s mountain in IrelandThe cancellation follows public outrage over the desecration of a Child of Prague statue and planned mockery of Catholic penance on Croagh Patrick, a holy site of the eponymous saint. A controversial LGBT “Pride” event scheduled for Ireland’s holiest mountain was cancelled Sunday due to winds forecasted to rise precisely at the hour of the climb.Mayo Pride’s “Big Gay Hike,” part of its weekend-long festival, had been set to begin on Monday, June 2, at noon on Croagh Patrick – the mountain where Saint Patrick fasted for...

An Irish man has died and a child has been injured in a shooting incident at a shopping centre in County Carlow on Sunday. Emergency services are currently at the scene at the Fairgreen Shopping Centre, with an army bomb disposal team also in attendance. Gardaí (Irish police) were alerted to the incident shortly after 18:15 local time. The girl was treated by paramedics at the scene. Gardaí said it is not yet known how her injuries were sustained. The shopping centre has been evacuated and the area has been sealed off by police. The cordon will remain in place...

The democratic will of the Hungarian people to clamp down on the proliferation of LGBTQ+ ideology should be punished by the European Commission, a group of 16 EU countries demanded on Wednesday. In response to recent legislation passed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s conservative government to ban Pride parades in Hungary, over half of fellow European Union member states signed an open letter demanding that Budapest reverse course or face punishment from Brussels. The “declaration” was signed by the countries of Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovenia, and Sweden. […]...

Wife of US Senator Bernie Sanders, Jane O’Meara Sanders, has called for an end to “sending our sons and daughters to war” during a visit to Athy, Co Kildare. The couple unveiled a plaque commemorating the song “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye” at a war memorial in St. Michael’s Cemetery outside the south Kildare town this afternoon. M(r)s. O’Meara Sanders can directly trace her ancestors, the Coyles, back to Athy, of which some are commemorated at the graveyard having fought during World War I. Written in the 19th century, “Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye”, an Irish anti-war folk song, tells...

A 23-year-old man has been jailed for life for the murder of a 65-year-old man who had taken his mother into his home after learning she was sleeping in her car. Brian Ibe, of no fixed abode but formerly of Moore Park in Newbridge, County Kildare, had pleaded not guilty to the murder of Peter Kennedy by reason of insanity. Peter Kennedy took Brian Ibe’s mother, Martha, into his home after learning she was sleeping in her car. In 2019, he also allowed Ibe to move in but called gardaí (police) when Ibe became aggressive and threatened him around Christmas...

Irish national broadcaster RTÉ director general said he was "appalled by the ongoing events in the Middle East and by the horrific impact on civilians in Gaza, and the fate of Israeli hostages." Irish national broadcaster RTÉ has asked the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) for discussions over Israel’s inclusion in the Eurovision Song Contest. The contest, which is hosted by the EBU, will begin on 13 May in Switzerland with the final on 17 May. Despite calls for a boycott, Israel will compete this year with singer Yuval Raphael, a survivor of the 7 October 2023 attack. She was at...

Facial recognition technology is creeping into Ireland fast – and not everyone’s grinning about it. Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan has announced that controversial facial recognition legislation will be introduced before the summer, after years of political wrangling, privacy fears and digital drama. The tech – already rolled out across parts of the UK – is being hailed as the Gardaí’s new secret weapon in crime-fighting. But critics say it’s a step too far into Big Brother territory. Are we gradually sliding into that dystopian future? All we can say is, it edges a little closer every day. Back from the...

A man who stabbed a passenger in an unprovoked attack at Dublin Airport was acting out in a cry for help, a court has been told. Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard today that Kasonga Mbuyi (52) stabbed a German man in an unprovoked attack. He was seen behaving erratically before the attack and wasn’t wearing shoes. Mbuyi, with an address at Clare Street, Limerick, was suffering from a paranoid delusion at the time and has since been diagnosed with schizophrenia with previous cannabis misuse. He told gardai (police) he carried out the unprovoked and random assault as a cry for...

Ryanair (NASDAQ:RYAAY) just fired a warning shot and it landed squarely on Boeing's (NYSE:BA) front porch. CEO Michael O'Leary says the airline could cancel its jaw-dropping $33 billion order for 330 Boeing jets if U.S. tariffs start driving up prices. His message? If the aircraft get more expensive because of politics, Ryanair will walk. O'Leary made it clear in a letter to Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi: Ryanair isn't in the business of paying for Washington's trade wars. And if Boeing loses its price edge? He's open to alternatives, even China's Comac.

Footage of rap group Kneecap allegedly calling for the death of British MPs is being assessed by counter-terrorism police. A video has emerged of the west Belfast trio at a November 2023 gig appearing to show one person from the band saying: "The only good Tory is a dead Tory. Kill your local MP." The Metropolitan Police also said that another video, from November last year, is being assessed. The footage appeared to show a band member shouting "up Hamas, up Hezbollah" at a performance in London. Kneecap have said on social media that they have "faced a co-ordinated smear...

Thousands of people took part in an anti-immigration rally in Dublin city centre on Saturday, alongside a smaller counter-demonstration. Both passed off without any major incidents with gardaí acting as a cordon between both groups on O’Connell Street. The anti-immigration protest, described by organisers as an Easter Rising commemoration to pay respect to “those who fought and gave their lives to preserve the Irish nation and create the Irish Republic” began at 2pm at the Garden of Remembrance on Parnell Square. United Against Racism, supported by a number of organisations and members of Opposition parties including Sinn Féin, Labour, People...