‘It's much bigger than football' - Sligo Rovers coach prisoners
The Taoiseach has said that UN agencies should be "enabled and allowed" to distribute food aid in Gaza amid ongoing deaths at aid centres. Video: Bryan O'Brien
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The Journal
4 hours ago
- The Journal
US and Europe submit UN resolution condemning Iran 'non-compliance' with nuclear obligations
THREE EUROPEAN COUNTRIES and the United States have submitted a resolution to the UN's nuclear watchdog board condemning Iran's 'non-compliance' with its nuclear obligations. France, Germany, the UK and the US formally tabled the resolution at this week's board meeting of the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is expected to come to a vote tomorrow evening at the earliest. It is the latest move in a years-long effort to restrict Iran's nuclear activities over fears that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons, which it denies. The diplomatic manoeuvre comes as the United States and Iran have held several rounds of talks mediated by Oman aimed at securing an agreement on limiting Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for sanctions relief. 'The text has been submitted,' three diplomatic sources told AFP tonight. The draft resolution obtained by AFP calls on Iran 'to urgently remedy its non-compliance' with its commitments under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). It also 'deeply regrets' that Tehran 'despite repeated calls from the Board and many opportunities offered… has failed to cooperate fully with the Agency'. The agency's 'inability… to provide assurance that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively peaceful gives rise to questions that are within the competence of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)', which can draw up sanctions. The resolution follows an IAEA report in late May that showed 'a general lack of cooperation' by Tehran, diplomats said, including in providing 'credible' answers to questions by the agency as well as the theft of confidential documents and the cleaning up of undeclared sites. Advertisement The report also criticised 'less than satisfactory' cooperation from Tehran, particularly in explaining nuclear material found at undeclared sites in the past. For years, the agency has been trying to obtain clarification on nuclear material and equipment found at undeclared sites and resulting from undeclared activities carried out until the early 2000s. Iran has accelerated its production of near-weapons-grade uranium in recent months. Iran's ambassador to the IAEA Reza Najafi rejected the recent IAEA report, telling AFP that it 'lacks a firm and hard foundation' and 'many issues in the report are referring to past issues'. 'Claiming that Iran is not cooperating fully is not acceptable,' he said, adding that the resolution was 'politically motivated'. Najafi also threatened that Iran will 'react very strongly', in case the resolution is adopted. Iran had earlier accused Israel of contributing 'unreliable and misleading information' to it. The development comes with high tensions in the Middle East over Israel's military offensive in Gaza. Iran has denied seeking nuclear arms and says it needs the uranium for civilian power production. © AFP 2025
Irish Times
5 hours ago
- Irish Times
Ireland to back proposal to extend EU protection for Ukrainian refugees into 2027
Ireland will support a proposal to extend European Union protection for people fleeing the war in Ukraine for another year into 2027 when EU justice and home affairs ministers meet later this week. Ukrainians arriving in EU countries since the Russian invasion in 2022 have benefited from temporary protection. More than 112,000 people from Ukraine have arrived in Ireland over those three years, though almost a third of these are believed to have since left the State. There are almost 33,000 people from Ukraine in State-supported accommodation at 320 locations around the country. READ MORE Temporary protection for Ukrainian refugees in the EU is due to expire in March 2026. However, with no end in sight to the war, the EU's Justice and Home Affairs Council is expected to reach a political agreement on extending temporary protection for displaced persons from Ukraine until March 2027. Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan , who is due to attend the meeting in Luxembourg later this week, briefed Cabinet on how Ireland will support the proposal to extend the protection into 2027 in principle. At the beginning of February, there were 112,189 beneficiaries of temporary protection from Ukraine, an increase of 8,833 or 8.5 per cent on the same time in 2024, according to annual figures produced by the Central Statistics Office (CSO). However, the number of active PPSNs in November belonging to Ukrainian people was just 71 per cent of the total, suggesting 29 per cent have most likely left the State and are living elsewhere. [ Ukrainians in Ireland succeeding in asylum applications at twice rate of other nationalities Opens in new window ] In January last year, the Government reduced payments to new arrivals from €232 a week to €38.80. Since that move there has been no month where the number of newly arrived Ukrainian refugees has surpassed 700. As of the February statistics, women and children make up three-quarters of all Ukrainian refugees, and 23,803 were working. Counterterrorism Separately, Mr O'Callaghan received Cabinet approval to publish a law aimed at strengthening Ireland's counterterrorism laws. A Department of Justice statement said the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2025 will 'allow for the prosecution of a broader range of terrorist activities in light of the evolving nature of terrorism'. These include terrorist acts with a cross-Border element, and cyberattacks where the aim is to cause widespread harm. This bill – which includes three new offences: receiving training for terrorism; travelling for the purposes of terrorism; and organising or facilitating travelling for the purposes of terrorism – will bring Ireland's counterterrorism laws into line with those of other EU member states. [ Crimea was once a crossroads of civilisations, now it's stuck in a wartime cul-de-sac Opens in new window ] Mr O'Callaghan said the proposed Bill will 'strengthen Ireland's laws by broadening the scope of prosecutable offences in respect of terrorist activity and marks a significant step forward in ensuring that Ireland's counterterrorism framework is robust and fit for purpose in the face of modern terrorist threats'. Along with the new offences, Mr O'Callaghan said the Bill 'also permits courts, when sentencing a person convicted of recruiting or providing training for terrorism, to treat as an aggravating factor that the offence was committed against a child'.
Irish Times
5 hours ago
- Irish Times
Undercover gardaí supplied Carlow gunman with firearms and ammunition, Oireachtas hears
Undercover gardaí supplied guns and ammunition to Carlow man Evan Fitzgerald – who was then charged with possession of the firearms, an Oireachtas committee has heard. While awaiting trial on the firearms charges, Mr Fitzgerald (22), from Kiltegan, Co Wicklow, stole another weapon from a neighbour and fired shots in a Carlow shopping centre before turning that gun on himself . Garda Commissioner Drew Harris was questioned about Mr Fitzgerald's caseby Labour TD Alan Kelly and later by Senator Michael McDowell during his appearance at the justice committee on Tuesday afternoon. Mr Kelly asked the commissioner a number of questions about the Fitzgerald case: 'What was the provenance of the guns that the deceased young man bought off the dark web? Where did they come from? Was this a controlled delivery of guns and ammunition? Did undercover gardaí engage with this young man face to face prior to this delivery of guns and ammunition?' READ MORE The commissioner said he had referred the issue to Fiosrú, the office of the Garda ombudsman. Fiosrú concluded an investigation in less than three weeks and 'have no further action they wish to take', Mr Harris told the committee. He said: 'I would say then that controlled delivery is a very sensitive police methodology. We use it both for organised crime and for terrorist offences.' Mr Kelly went on to ask: 'Are you in a position to say whether gardaí engaged with this individual prior to this controlled delivery that was organised by An Garda Síochána of guns and ammunition to this individual, and are you able to answer about the provenance of the guns?' Mr Harris replied that he was 'not going to speak to the provenance of the firearms as that touches on sensitive methodology and the other matter is still before the courts'. Mr Kelly said he had 'serious concerns' about the situation, while Senator Michael McDowell also expressed his concerns. [ Evan Fitzgerald: Carlow gunman was due in court to face 13 firearms and explosives charges Opens in new window ] In a statement to The Irish Times, Mr Kelly said later: 'What he was doing was wrong, but where is the proportionality in the actions of An Garda Síochána? When undercover gardaí met this young man, followed him and knew who they were dealing with, did they not assess the level of threat differently and look at alternative interventions? They knew they were not dealing with dissidents or organised crime gangs but a young man with some issues. They have effectively said the same and even agreed to his bail, so obviously they didn't believe he was a huge threat.' In reply to queries, Garda Headquarters said Fiosrú, which investigates allegations of wrongdoing and other matters relating to the Garda, examined the nature of the sting operation after a referral was made to it last month. It added that Fiosrú had informed the Garda last week 'it would not be taking any further action on the matter'. Mr Fitzgerald, a former steelyard worker, was on bail at the time of his death, having been charged last March with firearms and explosives offences. A Garda member told a court the young man had a 'fascination' with firearms.
