Author: News Desk

Beethoven or birds — but no room on new euro notes for Irish cultural icons The European Central Bank (ECB) is considering using European cultural figures on the front of its next series of euro banknotes but 14 of the 20 countries that use the currency, including Ireland, will not be represented. In an update on this long-running plan to update the euro banknotes, the ECB announced that it has selected motifs to illustrate the two possible themes for future euro banknotes. The first option, ‘European culture’, focuses on shared cultural spaces and famous Europeans. The second is ‘Rivers and birds’ and…

President Zelensky says Russia attacking own civilians in Kursk. As Ukraine accused Russia of bombing a boarding school sheltering civilians in the Russian town of Sudzha, which is currently occupied by Ukraine. At the same time, Russian officials said Kyiv was behind the air strike, which they described as a “crime.” “Russian aviation struck a boarding school in the town of Sudzha, Kursk region, with a guided aerial bomb,” the Ukrainian army’s general staff said on Telegram. “The strike was carried out on purpose.” Ukrainian officials said at least four people were dead. Kyiv deployed its forces across the Russian…

Colombia and Venezuela launched a joint operation to counter guerrilla groups that are fighting in the mountainous northeastern Catatumbo region. The violence broke out after the National Liberation Army (ELN) targeted rival armed groups and their alleged sympathizers in an attempt to assert control over a swath of the border region that is home to coca plantations that supply much of the world’s cocaine. Colombia, Venezuela launch joint operation to counter guerrilla groups

Donald Trump’s approach is clear: make immigration and asylum more difficult, deport undocumented immigrants, close the borders. He has already signed several executive orders to implement his plans. Executive orders allow a US president to take action without the approval of Congress. Though Trump seems to be making particularly extensive use of this tool, they are not uncommon as a means of taking urgent measures or concretizing existing laws. What do Trump’s executive orders mean for migrants? Executive orders can be challenged in court if they are deemed to be unconstitutional or to interfere with the powers of the states. They…

What is happening in the DR Congo now? The M23 rebel group was advancing towards another city in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) a UN expert said on Friday, just days after seizing the key eastern city of Goma, which is close to the Rwandan border. Large parts of the city are now under rebel control in what’s considered the worst escalation of a long-running conflict in more than a decade. The M23 have been financed and armed extensively to take on a country the size of the DRC. The world media would have you believe that this…

Serbia’s student population were the driving force behind mass demonstrations that blocked bridges over the River Danube in the city of Novi Sad on Saturday. Persistent protests have been part of a growing anti-corruption movement that forced the resignation of PM Milos Vucevic earlier this week, and signal dwindling confidence in the country’s populist government. Students lead Danube bridge blockade in protest over Serbia's leadership

Watch store boss denies ‘criticising seller who killed himself after £1,400,000 raid’  The owner of a London jewellery shop has denied accusing a salesman of being in on a £1.4 million raid just hours before he killed himself. Store manager Oliver White, 27, was restrained with cable ties and placed in a headlock during the robbery at 247 Kettles store in Richmond on May 25. He was later found dead in a wooded area in Shepperton, Surrey, by a close friend, Woolwich crown court heard. More than 70 watches ranging between £3,000 and £70,000 were taken from the shop. Prosecutor Edward Brown…

Alexander brothers’ alleged victims recount terrifying attacks Prosecutors released footage this week of alleged victims detailing their claims of sexual assault by the Alexander brothers, accused of drugging and then sexually assaulting and raping dozens of women across multiple states. Miami-Dade prosecutors released the videos on Tuesday as part of the state’s cases against Oren and Alon Alexander, according to NBC6. Tal, 38, and Oren Alexander, 37, two prominent jet-setting brokers in New York and Miami, and their brother Alon Alexander, Oren’s identical twin, were arrested in Miami Beach on Dec. 11 and have since been taken into federal custody.…

Britain and its former colony reached a deal in October 2024 to hand the Chagos Islands back to Mauritius, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Mauritian counterpart Navin Ramgoolam spoke directly for the first time about the Chagos Archipelago deal on Friday. The deal would end Britain’s direct control of the islands but give it a lease of 99 years on a joint UK-US military base on the largest island, Diego Garcia. UK presses Mauritius on deal In the Friday call, Starmer “underlined the need for a deal to secure the military base on Diego…

Long-term sick may need to find jobs. As Liz Kendall blamed the Conservatives for failing to control welfare spending. Long-term sick may need to find jobs in Liz Kendall’s welfare shake-up. The £137.4bn welfare cap set for 2024-25 is on course to be exceeded by £8.6bn. Which is leading to unfair cost-cutting by Labour. Concerned citizens on social media have posted their disgust in the decision and are suggesting there are billions to be saved by the government in other areas of government expenditure. With a some suggesting the UK should cut aid to Israel before cutting it to the…