Tuesday 20 October 2026Lunchtime (Europe/Dublin)
DailyBotThe lunchtime paper
Lunchtime edition
17 stories
French cities were 'calm overnight' after targeted curfews, the prime minister says, with Sebastien Lecornu suggesting more curfews could be introduced to quell the unrest after the weekend protests.
France has imposed partial curfews in several cities, including parts of Paris, as the interior minister concedes police 'lost control' of the weekend protests and the PM vows to restore public order.
'It looks like a war zone': France reels as looting continues for a second night, with police appearing taken by surprise by the scale of it after protests turned violent in Paris and other cities.
Analysis: ferocious criticism from all sides underlines Macron's isolation - the French president has compounded an impression of arrogance with strategic errors, and the consequences could be profound.
A man is facing three charges over the alleged attack on Australian MP Helen Haines; Victoria police arrested the 43-year-old Tarrawingee man after the incident in Wangaratta.
Analysis: Haines was at a dog park on Monday morning. Australia's politicians face increasing threats and abuse that can no longer be dismissed as social media noise or harmless comment.
The father of Helen Haines' alleged attacker, a 43-year-old Tarrawingee man, says the incident is 'devastating and unfathomable'.
A community grapples with the unfathomable: Wangaratta locals who went to Helen Haines' aid have been hailed as heroes, but many remain shellshocked by the alleged attack.
Australian MP Helen Haines has lost a leg as surgeons fight to save the other: she is critical but stable after a man allegedly did a U-turn to strike her twice with his car.
Alberta voters have rejected a plan for a referendum to leave Canada - a victory for prime minister Mark Carney and supporters of Canadian unity.
Italy is to deploy 500 troops to Milan after days of protests and looting, the government planning tougher security measures after cost-of-living demonstrations descended into violence.
Ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been seen in rare photos after receiving visitors; critics said the images of the detained former leader were a military stunt to end diplomatic isolation.
A new AI tool can predict cancer survival from a single patient selfie, estimating a person's biological age and chances of survival from one photograph.
Billionaire Mukesh Ambani has launched India's biggest-ever IPO: low-cost broadband provider Jio Platforms is aiming for an 81bn pound valuation when it floats on Wednesday.
'Big business': a little-known court system in Louisiana churns out evictions - a Guardian investigation finds the justice of the peace courts may violate tenants' constitutional rights as eviction fees boost judges' income.
'Blatantly unconstitutional': key findings from the Guardian's Louisiana courts investigation - the system lets judges boost modest salaries, with one earning more than $400,000 in 2025.
Giving 2 pounds a day to people in the Amazon helps protect the rainforest, a study finds: almost 90% of participants in an unconditional basic income scheme in Peru adopted environmentally beneficial practices.
19 stories
Storm Austen is to hit Ireland as Met Eireann issues a status yellow rain warning, with heavy rain spreading eastwards across the country into Friday.
Will El Nino and the polar vortex bring snow to Ireland this winter? A UK Met Office prediction has led some commentators to fear a very cold winter across Northern Europe.
Storm Evelyn a mixed blessing for Cusack: 'It would be great if we got a storm named after us' - the face of Irish weather forecasts for 40 years shares the acknowledgment with former colleague Evelyn Murphy.
Millions have been affected by Revolut disruption linked to the Google Cloud outage; the company confirms data and customer money remain safe.
The data centre plan in Co Waterford has been refused planning permission after opposition, with the council saying the loss of Kilmeaden's 'village character' would be contrary to local development plans.
At 49 I was a mum, a wife, a runner and constantly tired. Then one scan changed everything: what I want after brain tumour surgery is to know every appropriate option has been explored.
A man has been arrested in connection with the murder of Paul O'Connor in Mallow; postmortem results are yet to be released but it is understood the man suffered two gunshot wounds.
The Taoiseach has voiced support for Jim O'Callaghan after his rape trial comments; the Minister for Justice suggested rape trials were being 'deliberately affected' by solicitors withdrawing services.
An elderly couple have died in a fire at a Co Cork house in Innishannon, where the roof of the property collapsed, making search operations difficult.
No special care place is available for a girl (14) being sexually exploited, a judge directing that details of the cases be sent to three Government Ministers.
'Absolutely chaotic': passengers frustrated by overcrowding on Irish Rail services describe jam-packed daily journeys, with some calling them a public health risk.
'We are terrified': a father calls for his son, missing from Tusla care for more than two weeks and nightly posting videos of himself breaking into cars, driving at 200km/h into traffic.
With Israel preparing for a defining election, can Trump save Netanyahu? Israel's longest-serving prime minister has staged a remarkable recovery and, with the US president at his side, is seeking to extend it.
Can an everyday Methodist pastor create a political miracle in Kansas? Polls suggest Democrat Adam Hamilton is on the cusp of a sensational Senate win amid Republican disillusionment with Trump.
Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary predicts a 20% increase in air fares next summer, saying the Middle East conflict will force airlines to pass on fuel cost increases.
Zionism is not racism, any more than Irish nationalism is sectarian: if Israel-Palestine is, for us, a story about Ireland, it ought not be a simplistic narrative of good and evil.
An American in Dublin: 'People are like, okay, maybe she has notions' - 'In some ways I get a free pass because I am an outsider,' says musician Joanna Mattrey.
Why you should cut a delayed doctor some slack: some day, you might be the patient who needs more of their time.
A triple murder accused was off his schizophrenia medication and using cocaine: Robert O'Connor is accused of killing his father, mother and brother, who had special needs.
11 stories
The first section of the Narrow Water Bridge has arrived in Carlingford Lough from the Netherlands: Deck 2 and a bridge pylon travelled through Dutch canals and crossed the North Sea.
Aoife Moore: from Paris to Portadown, the power of protest still matters - only ordinary people looking out for what's right and what they deserve will make governments listen.
The family has exited control of Irwin's Bakery after 114 years, with Co Armagh entrepreneur Sam Rusk taking a majority shareholding at the Portadown bakery.
A Northern Ireland council spent a 'staggering' 1.3m pounds on two interim agency hires, one of whom has been in post on a temporary basis since 2020.
Troubles victims could wait until 2033 for disability claim decisions, with almost 11,000 applications to the Troubles Permanent Disablement Payment Scheme still awaiting a decision.
A man has suffered serious injury in a suspected machete attack in Belfast; police have appealed for information.
A renewed appeal for information around the murder of Paul Quinn: the 21-year-old was beaten to death in a farm shed in Co Monaghan 19 years ago.
Grainne Teggart: Troubles victims were promised truth and justice - Labour must not allow that promise to be undone by a thousand cuts to victims' rights.
Northern Ireland's rate of job creation continues to outperform, with more than 1,200 jobs added last month as 11 other UK regions saw their payrolled workforces contract.
More than 1 in 8 electronic ankle tags ordered for Northern Ireland offenders could not be installed in the past year - 214 of 1,638, Department of Justice figures show.
Rent inflation in Northern Ireland is continuing to outpace house price growth: average rent prices by district for the third quarter of 2026.
39 stories
LIVE: Portadown District's offers to secure a deal on a parade along the Garvaghy Road - follow our live coverage of the Drumcree dispute.
A 67m pound public subsidy bid has been revealed as Northern Ireland fights rivals for a 4bn pound Ryanair investment: almost 70m of public money will be offered to the low-cost airline this month.
The Permanent Secretary has backed the Education Minister, both remaining defiant that officials will not attend their scrutiny committee even after a warning.
The King, Queen, William and Kate have welcomed the Sultan of Oman for a state visit.
A man and woman charged over the fatal Waterford arson attack have been remanded in custody.
Banks and courts have been affected by the disruption as Google apologises for the Cloud outage.
An ex-hospital worker jailed for posting women's intimate images online - 'revenge porn' creep Neil Kinnin - has urged street action over the Orange parade ban.
Comment: the Troubles' lasting scars on children are revealed - one of the stories that appealed to foreign journalists coming here was how the violence was affecting children.
James McClean's wife Erin has broken her silence on his controversial remarks about mental health.
'My life is on hold': a mother-of-three from Annalong on the 'difficult' experience of being diagnosed with a rare cancer for which there is currently no established treatment.
Jeffrey Donaldson will have to serve 2,741 days behind bars: outrage as the child rapist gets the automatic half-off jail term.
A letter from convicted paedophile Jeffrey Donaldson tells of the comfort he took from his Bible in the days before he was handed a 15-year sentence.
A right-wing politician is to be reported for purporting to be an election candidate: despite repeated warnings, the former Tory MP has not deleted the post.
Comment: Jeffrey Donaldson's incessant trips to the developing world - constant foreign missions, luxury travel and paedophilia, and how his hidden overseas career raises dark questions about child sex abuse.
'It has been a pleasure': a retired caretaker has been given a lifetime honour - for the first time since May 10, 1999, David McAuley isn't getting up at 6.30am for Academy Primary School in Saintfield.
Our 24 hours in Belfast: from a 'super' hotel to the city's best bits, Daragh Keany and his wife tried a child-free reset break - here's how they got on.
'Kick in the teeth': the Sisters of Nazareth row, as the First Minister and Deputy First Minister are urged to intervene amid claims about the religious order responsible for institutions where children suffered.
News analysis: an unexplained aspect of the police intelligence on Drumcree, with further information on the policing expected on day two of the Orange Order case.
First Minister Michelle O'Neill will be interviewed by police later this week over her attendance at a protest on the Garvaghy Road.
The DUP is facing huge pressure to collapse Stormont as the Drumcree row deepens, with a court challenge over the Garvaghy Road parade ban to hear a police assessment that the Provos are still operational.
How MLAs traded insults during the three-hour debate before the vote - none of the votes received cross-community support.
The DUP could be the biggest losers from Drumcree as a new poll looms - another big day awaits as the Garvaghy parading row heads back to court.
Duran Duran's 'Derry girl' gets the biggest cheer of the band's return: Rachael O'Connor says touring with the legendary group is like 'going on a big holiday'.
Opinion: there was no hiding behind God when your legal reckoning came - coverage of the Donaldson sex abuse trial revealed a man who regarded the legal process as an inconvenience to his divinely anointed political rise.
'In the name of God, go': Law Society members have turned on their chief executive, who had provided a character reference for a relative convicted of serious sexual offences.
Nothing illustrates the fragility of the Union quite like some recent events: if a forceful form of English nationalism takes hold, it could shape future events in NI, Scotland and Wales, writes Paul Breen.
Esther Rantzen has been laid to rest, as her family share a final message from the broadcaster.
London shouldn't give Stormont any more money: Stormont's financial chaos, moral hazard and failing services exposed as London cash keeps flowing - but John O'Dowd says enough is enough.
And the only person in the world to publicly support Jeffrey Donaldson: Donaldson and Jonathan Aitken have plenty in common, both having strode the corridors of power at Westminster.
NI airport ground staff used an internal system to target passengers: Swissport says it took 'all appropriate action' during the investigation into the underhand practice.
A Belfast family is searching for answers after their mother, who had dementia, was allegedly assaulted in a care home; a doctor said the incident significantly contributed to her declining health before her death four months later.
Politicians must heed our warnings ahead of winter: the Royal College of Emergency Medicine says action is needed now to 'avert disaster' in emergency departments.
Serving soldiers helped set up a bogus military checkpoint to murder two Catholic friends returning home from a Gaelic football match, the High Court has heard.
A men's mental health charity has offered to meet James McClean after the Derry City footballer said he viewed speaking to a psychologist as a sign of weakness.
Tributes have been paid to the longest serving politician in Northern Ireland: former SDLP councillor Dermot Curran spent over 50 years in elected politics before retiring in 2023.
'We're hungry for it': a clothing brand based in the north west has opened its first Belfast store in the Cathedral Quarter.
'We're always bottom of the pile': a south Armagh tour guide has criticised delays in reopening a historical cairn closed since July 2025 due to structural damage.
'I see you, and I'm thinking of you': a Northern Ireland mum has set up a business to acknowledge the silent struggles women face in their journeys to motherhood.
'You're their safe place': Bridgeen King, award-winning hair-loss specialist, on growing a niche business, on In Good Company.