Author: News Desk

Loan sharks linked to dissident republicans are forcing some victims to store weapons, it has been claimed.It has also been claimed that on one occasion a victim had to hand over a car when they were unable to re-pay money.Foyle MP Colum Eastwood said he has been approached by a significant number of people who have been faced with “intimidation, theft and threats” because they were unable to pay back money borrowed with excessive interest rates.Police confirmed that two arrests have been made and four “proactive searches” carried out in connection with illegal money lending in the north west in…

Thousands of students missed out on at least a month of school last year, prompting concerns amongst inspectors about poor attendance rates post-covid.More than a quarter of all primary school students, and more than a fifth of all post-primary students, missed out on 20 or more school days during the 2022/23 school year. The problem is particularly marked in disadvantaged areas.Of “particular concern” is that 43% of primary school students, and 30% of post-primary school students in schools with the highest levels of disadvantage missed 20 school days or more. Partial attendance at school can be a precursor towards more…

Three weeks after the 41st Federal Congress that was held in Seville, the unknowns about the immediate future of the Andalusian PSOE remain intact. It should be added to the closing of this edition, as when the strict schedules of the newspaper did not wait for news, except for those that deserve it. This Friday, the 420 members of the steering committee, the highest decision-making body between congresses, are convened in Jaén to approve the calendar proposed by the Andalusian executive for its 15th Regional Congress. Juan Francisco Serrano, deputy to the Organization of the federal leadership and one of…

Can a steel town survive if its furnaces are turned off? – podcast Port Talbot in Wales is defined by its huge steelworks. But in January Tata Steel announced it was ending primary steelmaking there. George McDonagh charts a year that could change the town for everIn January, Tata Steel announced it was ending primary steelmaking in Port Talbot. The town is known for two huge blast furnaces and its massive steelworks that has provided employment for decades. George McDonagh travelled there to see how people were reacting. He met Gareth Edwards, who had spent 30 years working there and…

Updated Wednesday, December 18, 2024 – 22:42Three contracts, all three rentals, hang over José Luis Ábalos like a sword of Damocles now that the Supreme Court has asked Congress, through the magistrate Leopoldo Puentethe request to continue investigating for four crimes – criminal organization, influence peddling, bribery and embezzlement – who was number 2 of the PSOE, main support of President Pedro Sánchez and minister of the budget portfolio. Become Premium from €1 the first month Take advantage of this limited time offer and access all web content I love you Ábalos’s double real estate firm pushes him to the…

The Israeli Air Force said it bombed militia military facilities in response to a repelled rocket attack by Houthi rebels in Yemen. The Israeli army announced early this morning that, among other things, ports and energy infrastructure on the west coast and inland of Yemen were attacked. They were used by the rebels for military purposes. Attacks were also reported in the capital.Shortly before, the Israeli Air Force said it had intercepted a rocket fired from Yemen outside its own borders that night. Warning sirens sounded in several areas in central Israel, including the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv. The…

Sand, gravel or potash products: Such raw materials are the basis for industrial production. The economic crisis is causing the need for this to fall sharply. This means that local production is at a historic low. Industry’s demand for raw materials is falling sharply

Support for Verona Murphy is a significant step towards government deal The support of Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael for Ms Murphy’s candidacy is seen as a significant step towards a deal being reached to form a government.Following the first sitting of the 34th Dáil, it was adjourned for the Christmas break, which was initially set to end on January 15. This has been pushed back to January 22, indicating that the government leaders are confident a deal will be in place at that stage.One senior Fine Gael source expressed doubt over this timeline, saying it would be “optimistic” to…

Israel launched “aggressive raids” targeting Houthi military targets, including ports, power plants, and oil factories, in Sanaa, the Yemeni capital, and the strategic port city of Hodeidah on Thursday, after the Israeli military said it intercepted a Houthi missile. Israel strikes Yemen's capital, port city after Houthi attacks

Nam (name changed) had to wait 12 years before he could return from Europe to his parents in Vietnam. He couldn’t return earlier because he had lived illegally in Germany and lacked the necessary papers to travel freely.    As a young man in search of a better life, he had decided to try his luck in Europe in 2012. The then 20-year-old and his family borrowed money to pay human traffickers. Nam was smuggled into Germany via Russia and lived the life of a “naked person,” a term used in Vietnamese chat groups on Facebook like Luật Pháp Đức (German law)…