Wednesday 21 October 2026Evening (Europe/Dublin)
DailyBotThe evening paper
Evening edition
17 stories
Putin has ordered the release of a jailed American as he met Trump's envoy for Ukraine talks; Russia unilaterally freed Stephen Hubbard after a US request, while Steve Witkoff praised Putin as a 'humanitarian'.
The US has resumed sharing intelligence with Ukraine about Russian strikes, Zelenskyy says; advance warnings of missile attacks were seemingly suspended last week by the White House, but 'now it works'.
Republicans are pushing back on Donald Trump's wavering support for Ukraine; GOP lawmakers threaten to pull support for the president's agenda after a Russia diesel deal and a sanctions pause.
Ukraine war briefing: US envoy Witkoff is to meet Putin after 'constructive' talks with Zelenskyy; talks in Oslo made 'meaningful progress' toward engaging Russia, a US official said - what we know on day 1,701.
Macron has accused Trump and other foreign leaders of 'stupid comments' about the France unrest; the leaders were criticised for spreading misleading information as France prepares for further protests this weekend.
Analysis: Europe stands by Ukraine - but how long can that last? As US support ebbs away, looming European elections and growing financial strains across the continent could fracture the coalition that has kept Ukraine fighting.
Europe's far right is seizing on the protest violence to push an authoritarian anti-immigration agenda; nationalist leaders are framing the unrest as a consequence of failed liberal governance and open borders.
'A powerful warning': will Europe's angry protests lead to real political change? Hamstrung governments seem to have no answer to the public's furious demands, making further discontent likely.
Reader Q&A: what's next for France after a weekend of riots? Guardian Europe columnists Rokhaya Diallo and Alexander Hurst will take readers' questions live on Friday 23 October.
Helen Haines has lost both legs after the alleged attack but 'her heart and mind are in good shape'; surgeons tried to save her right leg but both have now been amputated, and she is in a stable condition.
No bail for Helen Haines' alleged attacker as the police chief warns of Australia's 'febrile' political climate; the AFP commissioner says MPs are generally concerned about the growing volume of abuse and intimidation.
Taiwan has charged five men over a plot to run over a comedian for his Xi Jinping jokes; a person named 'K' from China paid the five defendants to injure Huang Yi-hao, New Taipei prosecutors say.
The Israeli military has detained US and UK volunteers in the West Bank, including a Democratic NY politician; about 80 US, Israeli and British volunteers were held near Nahalin and taken to a police station.
A fifth foreign firm has pulled out of the controversial Israeli cable car project to East Jerusalem; rights groups say the planned 1.4km route, ending at a compound run by a far-right settler group, will displace Palestinians.
A besieged Yemeni city is on the verge of an 'unmanageable' crisis, aid workers warn; water and fresh food are running out in Taiz as fighting intensifies and the Houthi advance cuts off most supply routes.
An Indian court has ordered the release of two leaders of the Cockroach movement; Saurav Das and Ashutosh Ranka spent a week in jail after defying restrictions on protests in Delhi amid a government crackdown.
A woman told Russell Brand he treated her 'like an animal', a court has heard; Brand, 51, faces three charges of rape, three of sexual assault and one of indecent assault against six women.
22 stories
A couple found dead at a Bray home, named as Bridget O'Brien and Jamie McGinn, had lost two children in a house fire; the bodies of the man (30s) and woman (40s) were found at Old Connaught Avenue in Bray on Wednesday morning.
Orange weather warnings for 'intense rain' have been issued as Storm Austen approaches, with Met Eireann upgrading its alerts as the track of the storm becomes clearer.
Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson is being investigated over an alleged rape in the UK Houses of Parliament; the convicted paedophile was sentenced to 15 years in prison for sexual offences against two women when they were children.
Europe's angry autumn: what is driving the wave of protests? The demonstrations from Albania to Spain are largely unconnected, but some common frustrations run through them.
A female student doctor attending exams in Dublin city centre was punched in an unprovoked attack; she says the assault was 'particularly devastating' as she had fled Sudan, where she was 'targeted as a doctor and a woman'.
The family of IRA victim Brian Stack has received a State apology for the flawed Garda inquiry but is still seeking answers; 'It hurts every time you see Sinn Fein representatives at a memorial for IRA men,' says the prison officer's son.
Analysis: Revolut's outage was a warning to us all - high-profile incidents highlight Europe's precarious position over who controls tech infrastructure.
Irish comedian Vittorio Angelone has apologised for a rape joke about a content creator; he made the remark about social media influencer Rebecca Goodwin in a Have a Word podcast roast.
Inside Politics podcast: Jamie Bryson says Northern Irish unionists 'must go on the offensive'.
Ed Power reviews A Course Called Ireland: Bill Murray leaves no cliche unbothered in this schmaltzy Oirish romp - faux-trad diddly-dee muzak, the strategic deployment of the word 'feck' and jokes about the Irish and their quirky patois.
Chinese cars in Ireland: with an ever-expanding roster of Chinese brands entering the Irish car market, here is a rundown of each one and what it sells.
Better with Money podcast: personal investment accounts - 'What is the interest rate in the new scheme?'
The man who punched Brendan Courtney has completed an anger management course, a court has been told; Ross Deegan (22) pleaded guilty to assaulting Courtney, causing harm, in February 2025 at Usher's Quay, Dublin.
Germany has accidentally hiked cigarette prices by 4 euro a packet overnight; a bureaucratic blunder has left tobacco companies wondering whether their products are legal to sell.
U2's Adam Clayton has got the green light to build a Kinsale 'retirement home'; the first floor is to have two bedrooms and a second kitchen and livingroom.
Arab parties could be kingmakers in Israel's election, and Netanyahu has reason to worry; opposition parties are discussing an alliance that could strip the prime minister of key powers even if they fail to win an outright majority.
Booking.com is under investigation over fraudulent listings concerns; the European Commission is to carry out an 'in-depth investigation' as a matter of priority.
Tell Me About It: 'I am married with two kids, but I drunkenly embraced a colleague at a work party' - 'I get along very well with her, but I had never thought about her in a romantic context.'
'We are abandoned': a Ukrainian family with permission to stay but nowhere to go; Fiona Dunne and Anna Polyshchuk have become friends, but the Co Laois woman had not anticipated sharing her home for four years.
The criminal courts are operating, but not 'effectively', as Jim O'Callaghan claims; the Minister has offered to meet solicitors as the legal aid dispute sees case backlogs rise.
As Ukraine's US alliance falters, a bitter dispute with Poland has resurfaced; Zelenskiy was stripped of a Polish state award for honouring 1940s Ukrainian militants who massacred Poles.
Moving back to Ireland: so much is different and so much is still the same - but after a year home, there's still a part that wonders what life would be like if we had stayed in London.
11 stories
Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill have attended a PSNI station over the Garvaghy Road protest; the Sinn Fein leader insists taking part in the protest was 'the right thing to do'.
'Shame on you, David': Pat Finucane's son has demanded an apology over the 'IRA lawyers' comments by a Tory MP - 'Would you dare speak about English solicitors in this way?'
Laura Marshall's former partner denies he 'killed her in a rage' as he is accused of being a serial abuser; a barrister read a statement Ms Marshall made to police in which she said 'He beats me on a daily basis'.
Garvaghy Road residents will 'not forget' the murder of people linked to the Drumcree dispute; Breandan Mac Cionnaith was speaking ahead of the latest court ruling on the parade determination.
There are concerns over a Derry road submerged nearly a dozen times in five years as Storm Austen approaches; the first named storm of the season has prompted an 'intense rain' warning.
'He'd help anyone in need': former world champion boxer Michael Conlan gave a character reference for his brother-in-law Martin O'Lali Jr, who was sentenced to two years and seven months for causing a death by dangerous driving.
'I'm intensely proud to be from here': The Dead Rabbit's Jack McGarry on how Belfast shaped him - the Ardoyne man who made his name in Manhattan on his Belfast roots and helping the next generation.
The Prime Minister has pressed Northern Ireland ministers to agree a budget; Andy Burnham says sorting Stormont's finances 'can't always be our responsibility'.
A British soldier shot in a gun battle with IRA hunger striker Francis Hughes has spoken for the first time; Hughes later died during the 1981 hunger strike.
Brian Feeney: Drumcree was Gavin Robinson's chance to lead. Instead, he chose to follow - if you fail to distinguish yourself from more vociferous rivals, voters will vote for the real thing.
A Co Armagh man allegedly carried out 'opportunistic' sexual assaults on two young girls in a leisure centre; the 43-year-old faces other allegations including breaches of a Sexual Offences Prevention Order.
27 stories
Ian Puleston-Davies is back in Coronation Street as Owen Armstrong after a decade.
SpaceX has lifted the mood on the markets but hot inflation has limited gains.
'I will always be a European actress': Sandra Huller on her film Fatherland.
Sinn Fein MP Chris Hazzard eyes a shock Stormont switch in a high-stakes bid to make history in Strangford - a decision that is a blow to the chances of an SDLP breakthrough.
BBC NI is 'actively considering' Vittorio Angelone concerns after the Belfast comedian's sexual assault joke.
Over 110 jobs are at risk at a 'success story' NI fintech firm.
A letter from convicted paedophile Jeffrey Donaldson tells of the comfort he finds in the Bible in the days before sentencing.
Jeffrey Donaldson will have to serve 2,741 days behind bars as his release date is revealed; outrage as the child rapist gets the automatic half-off jail term.
Comment: Jeffrey Donaldson's incessant trips to the developing world raise dark new questions - the DUP leader visited an African country ten times in under three years, helped flog weapons alongside a British general, and worked with a special forces officer.
A right-wing politician is to be reported for purporting to identify a Donaldson victim on social media; despite repeated warnings, the former Tory MP has not deleted the post.
'More than justified': Belfast's Cathedral Quarter has been named the 'second coolest neighbourhood' in the UK.
An NI department store has been crowned best in the UK after beating John Lewis and Harrods; Wardens of Newtownards has been in business for nearly 150 years.
'The crowd was solemn and still': the day two men were executed in a grim public spectacle in Belfast.
Analysis: an unexplained aspect of police intelligence over dissidents at Drumcree may help bring understanding; further information on the policing of Drumcree is expected on day two of the Orange Order case.
A judge is to rule next week on the Orange Order challenge over the banned Drumcree march.
Melanie Finn: women like Joanne McNally should not have to pay the price when men like Conor McGregor misbehave - the comedian hit back at criticism of her decision to appear on a US chat show that soft-soaped the disgraced fighter.
Analysis: Sinn Fein's high-stakes gamble in a staunchly unionist constituency may not be the big risk it seems.
A stonemason accused of keeping guns and drugs at his Belfast home has been granted bail.
Applegreen has announced a new M&S partnership at a Co Down petrol station.
A 67m pound public subsidy bid has been revealed as NI fights rivals for a 400m pound Ryanair hub with 600 new jobs; the airline's maintenance, repair and overhaul hub stands to produce 600 high-quality jobs.
Comment: 'The Yank' memoir suggests the IRA was less sophisticated than was believed, and its long war fought differently.
A teenage boy has been beaten with metal pipes in a sectarian hate attack.
Police have appealed for information after a machinery theft in Ballymena.
From kimchi to chorizo: how pupils at one south Belfast primary school are embracing adventurous eating, in a pilot scheme designed to widen children's palates.
'There was a horrific bang... I could smell the airbags': dashcam footage has been played at the A5 crash inquest, which heard a head-on collision between a minibus and an HGV caused the deaths of three family members.
A man with 164 previous convictions has been fined for 'deliberately' shining a laser at a PSNI helicopter.
A former youth hostel has been transformed into 32-bed student accommodation in Derry.