Thursday 22 October 2026Morning (Europe/Dublin)
DailyBotThe morning paper
Morning edition
14 stories
Some US diplomats have been told to leave Saudi Arabia amid Houthi attacks; similar withdrawals are reported in the UAE, Jordan, Qatar and Bahrain over fears of a return to conflict with Iran after the US midterms.
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.
Europe live blog: Macron is hosting a security council meeting ahead of planned weekend protests; 'The government must hold its nerve,' he told reporters earlier this week.
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.
Ilhan Omar says US agents seized 17 items in a raid designed to 'freak' her out; in her first interview since the pre-dawn raid, the Democrat denies immigration fraud and says she has a legal right to sit in Congress.
US photojournalist Heidi Levine recounts how Palestinian youths helped save her in a settler attack, describing a 'protective shield'; she vows to return to work in the West Bank and criticises Netanyahu's comments on the incident.
The Israeli military has detained US and UK volunteers in the West Bank, including Democratic NY politician Brad Lander; about 80 US, Israeli and British volunteers were held near Nahalin and taken to a police station.
Canadian publisher Boreal has ended its relationship with novelist Thelyson Orelien over alleged use of AI; the author, withdrawn from France's Prix Goncourt last month, has repeatedly denied using AI to write his novel.
A flaw in the PHP computer language has led to the shutdown of websites around the world; the precautionary takedowns come as experts warn the vulnerability, in a language used by 70% of sites, could be exploited.
Explainer: What is PHP, and how bad is the computer language flaw causing website shutdowns globally? An estimated 70% of websites use the open-source language.
Ukraine war briefing: new peace proposals lack 'substance', the Kremlin says after the Witkoff-Putin meeting in Russia; the US envoy presented proposals drafted by Zelenskyy and European leaders in Oslo earlier this week.
Analysis: 'You are a humanitarian also, sir' - the US feeds Putin with lies as Ukraine's children take cover and die; Witkoff's flattery of the Russian leader could be just the start of a mendacious stratagem.
Airbnb guests are freed from chores involving 'significant effort' under new global rules; the platform acted after long-standing complaints over doing dishes, taking out rubbish and stripping beds.
Bukang-i is back: the famous shark has returned to a South Korean canal hours after being coaxed out to sea; the animal drew 1.6m visitors after getting trapped in September, and a new rescue attempt is under way.
26 stories
There are no obvious indications that the mother who died at a Bray home had suffered violence; the bodies of Bridget 'Biddy' O'Brien and Jamie McGinn were discovered at their home in Bray.
A couple found dead at a Bray home had lost two children in a house fire; the bodies of Bridget O'Brien and Jamie McGinn were found at a residence on Old Connaught Avenue.
The Paralympic gold medallist behind a possible major upset in a Trump stronghold: Democrat Josh Turek is mounting an unexpected challenge in Iowa, a traditional Republican bastion.
Storm Austen: orange warnings have been issued as Ireland braces for torrential rain and wind; Met Eireann upgraded its warnings as the outlook for the coming days deteriorates.
Restaurant review of The Universal: a little bit of sauce would go a long way in this Michelin-listed Galway pub; provenance is very strong and the food is good, but some tweaks would enhance the experience.
BMW cars, Louis Vuitton bags and Rolex watches have been seized by gardai investigating a charitable body; jewellery worth EUR 40,000 was also seized in searches of the Dublin-based organisation.
The triple lock Bill has passed a Dail vote amid Opposition anger; the Government narrowly won the vote on legislation removing the need for UN approval of Irish troop deployments.
Explainer: the triple lock - what is it and why is the Government trying to change it? The Opposition argues removing the legal provision will compromise the State's neutrality.
Dublin Marathon: a former drug addict is to run 'the streets where friends died over the years'; after overcoming 40 years of drug-taking, Paul Killeen says running helps him stay healthy.
Joanne McNally is every Irish woman's best friend, and the begrudgers won't make a dent in her - a brilliant comic who deserves every opportunity coming her way.
Inside Politics podcast: Jamie Bryson says Northern Irish unionists 'must go on the offensive', with Hugh Linehan.
The Experiment on Channel 4: an unflinching and provocative horror show dressed as satire, drawing a line from Nazi dehumanisation of disability to modern demonisation of disabled people as 'benefits scroungers'.
Analysis: Revolut's outage was a warning to us all - high-profile incidents highlight Europe's precarious position over who controls tech infrastructure.
'We are abandoned': a Ukrainian family has 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.
In the News podcast: will Jim O'Callaghan back down in the solicitors' pay dispute? With Bernice Harrison.
Arnotts has asked the Dublin revamp tsar to move GPO welfare payments to reduce antisocial behaviour; Robert Watt previously said the north inner city is unfairly burdened with services for 'people on the margins of society'.
A Clare man (92) is on trial accused of indecently assaulting two girls more than 50 years ago; the alleged offences happened between 1973 and 1975 when the orphaned girls were in his care.
Darragh O'Brien is backing Phil Hogan for a UN post despite pushing for his resignation during Covid; the minister says the golfgate controversy that cost the EU commissioner his job 'is done'.
Personal finance: what happens to our daughter's trust fund at 18? Guidance on transferring funds in a way that best serves her needs.
Mary Lou McDonald and Michelle O'Neill have attended a police interview over the Drumcree protests; the Sinn Fein leaders were interviewed as part of the investigation into demonstrations that blocked an Orange Order march on Portadown's Garvaghy Road.
'I had no idea that being pregnant increased your risk of getting a blood clot' - blood clots can happen to anyone, but pregnancy and birth raise the risks for women.
An Irish company is at the centre of a large energy project for the West Bank; energy consulting firm Azorom is working to bring two new solar and battery storage systems to the Palestinian territory.
Eoin Drea: Ireland's relationship with Big Tech is a bad case of Stockholm syndrome - as debate raged in Brussels about dependence on US tech firms, Google celebrated Ireland's EU presidency.
Why foreign governments are paying lobbyists to make their case in Brussels: more countries are turning to public affairs consultants instead of diplomats.
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.
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.'
10 stories
Two complaints were made against paedophile priest Edward Gallagher by a teenage boy in Maynooth three decades ago; Gallagher admitted more than 100 child sex offences earlier this month after a 'paedophile hunter' sting.
PSNI figures show 20% of new trainees are from a Catholic background; Policing Board member Colin McGrath says a service serving an almost 50:50 population but attracting only 20% from one background 'is in bother'.
Residents are mobilising as plans are filed for a student 'super complex' on the site of a hotel and bar in south Belfast; the 556-unit scheme on the former Wellington Park Hotel site has drawn objections from NI Water and locals.
David McCann: what Sinn Fein's new Stormont candidates tell us about its plans - the party needs to inject new energy and talent into its Stormont benches.
The legacy body has issued an appeal over the killing of an RUC man shot dead in Cookstown; John Eagleson was killed on his way to work at a cement works on the Sandholes Road in 1982.
A Queen's study reveals young men's attitudes to masculinity and violence against women; the survey questioned boys and young men aged 16-24 about masculinity and gender-based violence.
Newton Emerson: want to save rural hospitals? Start by making doctors want to live there - hospital campaign groups are right, but they may not like where their argument leads.
'It's about making life as easy as possible': meet the women changing the narrative around adapted homes - combining interior design with occupational therapy without sacrificing style.
'Shame on you, David': Pat Finucane's son demands 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 'woman beater'; a barrister read a statement Ms Marshall made to police saying 'He beats me on a daily basis'.
27 stories
Opinion: if you were wondering what Sinn Fein's so-called 'shrine to terrorism' would have looked like - as Drumcree 5: The Sequel No One Wanted became a box office hit anyway, DUP politicians pointed out Sinn Fein's ongoing failings over the A5 and Casement Park.
'We're hoping to be a wee bit different': a lottery winner has submitted plans for a new Belfast Christmas market this year, a planning application to turn part of the city centre into a 'Christmas village'.
The History Boys is returning to the West End for the first time in 20 years.
The UK has rejected the Trump negotiator's description of Vladimir Putin as 'humanitarian'.
Barclays is to cut 5,000 jobs this year as AI makes work more efficient.
'Why we cling to the memory of the boy who never came home 40 years ago': the mysterious disappearance of 13-year-old Philip Cairns in a Dublin suburb on October 23, 1986 challenged the belief that children were safe in familiar surroundings.
Saoirse-Monica Jackson on married life, her 'exciting' career and getting recognised in America - the Derry Girls star on staying grounded and what makes Irish fashion so unique.
Analysis: Stormont descends into chaos as Michelle O'Neill walks out and Emma Little-Pengelly is left unable to continue - shouting MLAs and a First Minister who left early expose divisions now impossible to conceal.
Individuals who wrote court character references for jailed cocaine king Joe Kearney are fighting to keep their identities secret; the Kinahan-linked drug baron was jailed earlier this month.
'Utterly depressing': a NI man who worked at Liverpool FC has been jailed for his part in last year's race riot; the Co Londonderry man worked for the football club.
'I was 13 when Dad was murdered': Troubles investigators have reopened the murder case of a part-time RUC officer, a father of three shot dead in an early-morning attack while riding his motorbike to work.
A 'horrendously nasty' weedkiller attack on a south Belfast community garden has caused EUR 8k damage; the group supports struggling students and low-income families by providing fresh food.
A Sinn Fein MP is eyeing a shock Stormont switch in a high-stakes bid to make history in Strangford; Chris Hazzard's decision to enter the race is a blow to the SDLP's chances of a breakthrough.
'The crowd was solemn and still': the day two men were executed in a grim public spectacle in the centre of Belfast - crowds gathered on an early September morning in 1816.
A letter from convicted paedophile Donaldson tells of the comfort he finds in the Bible, written days before he was handed a 15-year sentence.
'Get it checked': a Co Down man with stage four prostate cancer is campaigning for more men to get tested; David Johnson (59) wants to save lives by turning his illness into something positive.
A EUR 67m Ryanair hub subsidy 'would not eliminate the significant cost difference' between NI and competing nations; the public subsidy would still not fully close the gap for the EUR 400m maintenance hub.
Diesel emissions are not properly tested in MOT tests, a court has found after an environmental challenge over deadly air pollution; the Department for Infrastructure failed to properly test diesel emissions.
A month-long domestic abuse campaign against his wife has earned a Belfast man a suspended jail term; the 27-year-old subjected his wife to a month of abuse.
Champion boxers provided character references for a 'gentleman' death driver; Martin Olali was jailed last week for causing the death of Richard Boyle in a hit-and-run in west Belfast five years ago.
An unexplained aspect of police intelligence over dissidents at Drumcree may help bring understanding to the public; more on the policing of Drumcree is expected on day two of the Orange Order case.
A judge will rule next week on the Orange Order challenge over the banned Drumcree march; the High Court heard Garvaghy Road residents involved in peaceful protests should not be associated with any potential dissident gun attack on police.
'Doing it differently': Belfast-based chain Juice Jar has announced a new opening in Co Armagh in time for Christmas.
Robin Swann is urging BBC NI to reverse the axing of Give My Head Peace and The Blame Game; the Ulster Unionist MP has tabled an Early Day Motion in the Commons calling on the broadcaster to reconsider.
'More than justified': Belfast's Cathedral Quarter has been named the 'second coolest neighbourhood' to live in the UK in Time Out's annual list.
BBC NI is 'actively considering' Vittorio Angelone concerns after the Belfast comedian's sexual assault joke, ahead of his new programme set to air on the broadcaster.
Over 110 jobs are at risk at a 'success story' NI fintech company, it has emerged.