Romania's next government likely to include all four pro-European parties, party leader says
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Michael Flatley to make bid for Irish presidency, court told
Riverdance star Michael Flatley is to seek a nomination to become Ireland's next president, a court has heard. The choreographer's barrister made the announcement during a High Court case he has taken in relation to works carried out at his mansion in Co Cork, the Castlehyde. Barrister Ronnie Hudson notified the court of a 'material change in circumstances' for Flatley, and said he is to move back to Ireland within the next 14 days and look to run in the presidential election this autumn. An affidavit, signed by Flatley's solicitor Maxwell Mooney, was submitted to the court stating that the Irish-American is 'to seek nominations to run for president of Ireland'. Lord Of The Dance star Flatley, who is eligible to run as an Irish citizen, had strongly hinted at a presidential bid last week, but said he had not made a final decision. He said during a radio interview that he did not believe the Irish people 'have a voice – not a true proper deep voice that speaks their language'. Flatley said he hears concerns from the 'average person on the street' and they are not 'happy right now'. 'Somebody has to speak for the Irish people,' he said. He was in Ireland earlier this month where he performed on a flute at a July 4 celebration hosted at the residence of the US Ambassador to Ireland, Edward Walsh, who was recently appointed to the role by Donald Trump. An election for the largely ceremonial role is expected towards the end of October, as it must take place in the 60 days before outgoing President Michael D Higgins's term ends on November 11. To be eligible to run, a candidate must be an Irish citizen who is 35 or older. They must be nominated either by at least 20 members of the Irish parliament or at least four local authorities. So far, two candidates have secured sufficient backing to enter the race: former farming journalist and EU commissioner Mairead McGuinness, who is the Fine Gael nominee; and Catherine Connolly, a left-wing independent and former Galway mayor who has received the backing of opposition parties and independents. Several other figures have hinted at their intention to run, including MMA fighter Conor McGregor, who has criticised the Irish Government's policies on immigration and public safety. At the High Court on Friday, defence barristers in Flatley's case argued against the affidavit being accepted by the court, and stated that it was an attempt by Flatley to 'move the goalposts'. Andrew Fitzpatrick SC said Flatley had said before in 2024 that he intended to move to Paris and then Valencia. 'That didn't happen,' he told the court. He also said that if the court was prepared to admit the affidavit, it would undermine previous assertions made by Flatley's side that the reason he is living in Monaco and cannot return to the state is because of the condition of the Castlehyde. Ms Justice Eileen Roberts said that as Flatley's residence 'is so central to the issue of security of costs' in the case, she would allow the affidavit to be taken into account, but said she 'entirely' heard submissions made by the defence about the characteristics of the affidavit and what weight it should be afforded. She said she expected the judgment in relation to the costs application to be delivered in a 'reasonably short period', and that it would be given 'shortly after' the end of the courts term.
Yahoo
24 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Europeans and Iran meet in Istanbul as sanctions loom over nuclear deadlock
Iranian and European diplomats met on Friday in Istanbul in the latest drive to unpick the deadlock over Tehran's nuclear programme. Representatives from the UK, France and Germany, known as the E3 nations, gathered at the Iranian consulate for the first talks since Iran's 12-day war with Israel in June, which involved US bombers striking nuclear-related facilities. The talks, which ended after four hours, centred on the possibility of reimposing sanctions on Iran, that were lifted in 2015 in exchange for Iran accepting restrictions and monitoring of its nuclear programme. The return of sanctions, known as a 'snapback' mechanism, 'remains on the table', according to a European diplomat. 'A possible delay in triggering snapback has been floated to the Iranians on the condition that there is credible diplomatic engagement by Iran, that they resume full cooperation with the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), and that they address concerns about their highly-enriched uranium stockpile,' the diplomat said. European leaders have said sanctions will resume by the end of August if there is no progress on containing Iran's nuclear programme. Tehran, meanwhile, has said the US, which withdrew from the 2015 deal during President Donald Trump 's first term, needs to rebuild faith in its role in negotiations. Deputy foreign minister Kazem Gharibabadi said Iran's engagement was dependent on 'several key principles' that included 'rebuilding Iran's trust – as Iran has absolutely no trust in the United States'. In a social media post on Thursday, he also said the talks should not be used 'as a platform for hidden agendas such as military action'. He said Iran's right to enrich uranium 'in line with its legitimate needs' should be respected and sanctions removed. Iran has repeatedly threatened to leave the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, which commits it to refrain from developing nuclear weapons, if sanctions return. Mr Gharibabadi described Friday's talks as 'serious, frank and detailed'. On X, he said the two sides discussed lifting sanctions and the snapback mechanism while agreeing to further talks. 'Both sides came to the meeting with specific ideas,' he said. 'It was agreed that consultations on this matter will continue.' Friday's talks were held at the deputy ministerial level, with Iran sending Mr Gharibabadi and a fellow deputy foreign minister, Majid Takht-e Ravanchi. A similar meeting was held in Istanbul in May. The UK, France and Germany were signatories to the 2015 deal, alongside the US, Russia and China. When the US withdrew in 2018, Mr Trump said the agreement was not tough enough. Under the original deal, neither Russia nor China can veto reimposed sanctions. Since the Israeli and US strikes on Iran, in which American B-52 bombers hit three nuclear sites, Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araghchi has accused the E3 of hypocrisy, saying they failed to uphold their obligations while supporting Israel's attacks. Against the backdrop of the conflict, during which Iran responded with missile attacks on Israel and a strike on a US base in Qatar, the road ahead remains uncertain. While European officials have said they want to avoid further conflict and are open to a negotiated solution, they have warned that time is running out. Tehran maintains it is open to diplomacy, though it recently suspended cooperation with the IAEA. A central concern for western powers was highlighted when the IAEA reported in May that Iran's stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% – just below weapons-grade level – had grown to more than 400kg.
Bloomberg
24 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
UK Won't Introduce a Wealth Tax, Government Minister Says
A UK government minister said Keir Starmer's administration won't introduce a wealth tax, pouring cold water on an idea that has been promoted by some in the Labour Party. 'We're not going to do anything daft like that,' Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds told GB News on Friday. 'I say to people: 'Be serious about this.''
