Category: lrishtimes.com

When energy prices shoot up and stay up, governments lose elections. The European Union’s 27 leaders did not need to be reminded of that political reality when they gathered in Nicosia for the second day of a summit hosted by Cyprus. Europe played no part in starting the war in Iran, but it has found […]

The decision by the United States to start a war in Iran has been proven to be a “big mistake”, Spain’s leftwing prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has said. An outspoken critic of US president Donald Trump’s military campaign, Sánchez said diplomacy was the only “way out” of the crisis that has shook the global economy. […]

There was “a lot of pessimism” among European leaders about the longer-term impacts of the war on Iran on energy prices, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said. Ireland was not “immune” to a slowdown in economic growth across the world as a result of the oil shock, given exports and trade was a big part of […]

Users of a remote controlled sex toy have been warned by the communications watchdog to stop using the product immediately or risk potentially serious injury. ComReg issued the warning about the “Remote Rotating Dildo” sold by lingerie and sex toy retailer Ann Summers until as recently as last month over risks that parts could become […]

President Catherine Connolly has decided not to refer the International Protection Bill to the Supreme Court to test its constitutionality and has signed it into law. The announcement from Áras an Uachtaráin this afternoon comes after the President convened the Council of State on Monday to discuss the issue. It will come as a relief […]

The European Union has proposed measures such as holding stockpiles of jet fuel and cutting energy taxes to navigate the Iran war-driven crisis that it said could reverberate for years. AccelerateEU – announced by the European Commission on Wednesday – gives member states the tools to curb energy prices and address potential fuel shortages, without […]

European Union member states have reached agreement on unblocking an urgently needed €90 billion loan for Kyiv and a new package of sanctions against Moscow after Ukraine resumed pumping Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, prompting Budapest to lift its veto. Cyprus, which holds the bloc’s rotating presidency, said member states’ ambassadors had agreed to […]

There has been a “substantial shift” in the EU on taking action against Israel, the Minister for Foreign Affairs has said. Helen McEntee said although EU members rejected a proposal from Ireland, Spain and Slovenia to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement over human rights breaches, there had been a shift. She has condemned Israel’s introduction […]

The European Union should increase trade tariffs on goods coming from illegal Israeli settlements in occupied Palestinian territories, according to a fresh proposal to put pressure on Israel led by France and Sweden. European governments are reopening a fractious debate in Brussels about whether to sanction Israel, with Spain, Ireland and Slovenia repeating calls for […]