Roads budget increased for National Development Plan
Final talks on the review of the national development plan will take place in the next fortnight, with an extra €20 billion expected to be allocated for infrastructure on top of the existing €165 billion. A source said stalled projects would be fast-tracked as the roads budget would be given 'certainty and stability'.
Under the previous version, negotiated when the Green Party was in government, there was a two-to-one split in favour of public transport over road projects, and Eamon Ryan, the former Green leader and transport minister, said some projects would not go ahead.
A senior government source said this weekend that 'we are not governed by ratios the way we were before' and the overall roads budget would benefit from 'more certainty and stability' than was previously the case.
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The Guardian
41 minutes ago
- The Guardian
Ukraine war briefing: Europe stresses protection of Ukrainian interests ahead of Trump-Putin talks
European leaders stressed the need to keep pressure on Moscow and protect Ukrainian and European security interests after Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin arranged to meet in Alaska next week. A joint statement from French, Italian, German, Polish, British and Finnish leaders and the president of the European commission welcomed the move but noted that the 'path to peace in Ukraine cannot be decided without Ukraine' and that negotiations could take place only in the context of a ceasefire or reduction of hostilities. It added: 'only an approach that combines active diplomacy, support to Ukraine and pressure on the Russian Federation to end their illegal war can succeed'. They also said a resolution 'must protect Ukraine's and Europe's vital security interests', including 'the need for robust and credible security guarantees that enable Ukraine to effectively defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity'. US vice-president JD Vance met British foreign secretary David Lammy and representatives of Ukraine and European allies on Saturday at Chevening House, a country mansion south-east of London, to discuss Trump's push for peace. A European official confirmed a counterproposal was put forward by European representatives at the Chevening meeting but declined to provide details. The Wall Street Journal said European officials had presented a counterproposal that included demands that a ceasefire must take place before any other steps are taken and that any territory exchange must be reciprocal, with firm security guarantees. 'You can't start a process by ceding territory in the middle of fighting,' it quoted one European negotiator as saying. The White House did not immediately respond when asked about the European counterproposals. Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Saturday rejected the idea that his country would give up land to end the war with Russia after Trump suggested a peace deal could include 'some swapping of territories.' Zelenskyy said Ukraine 'will not give Russia any awards for what it has done' and that 'Ukrainians will not give their land to the occupier.' Later, Zelenskyy called the Chevening meeting constructive: 'All our arguments were heard,' he said in his evening address to Ukrainians. 'The path to peace for Ukraine should be determined together and only together with Ukraine, this is key principle.' French leader Emmanuel Macron stressed the need for Ukraine to play a role in any negotiations: 'Ukraine's future cannot be decided without the Ukrainians, who have been fighting for their freedom and security for over three years now,' he wrote on X after what he said were calls with Zelenskyy, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Starmer. 'Europeans will also necessarily be part of the solution, as their own security is at stake.' On Saturday two people died and 16 were wounded when a Russian drone hit a minibus in the suburbs of the Ukrainian city of Kherson, regional governor Oleksandr Prokudin said. Two others died after a Russian drone struck their car in the Zaporizhzhia region, according to regional governor Ivan Fedorov. Ukraine's air force said it intercepted 16 of the 47 Russian drones launched overnight, while 31 drones hit targets across 15 different locations. It also said it shot down one of the two missiles Russia deployed. Russia's defence ministry said its air defences shot down 97 Ukrainian drones over Russia and the Black Sea overnight and 21 more on Saturday morning.
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
p0lw4l92 (GIF Image, 1 × 1 pixels)
August 10, 2025 31 minutes Available for 89 days The Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has said Ukraine must be involved in deciding the path to peace in his country -- as the US and Russian presidents prepare to meet without him on Friday. In his nightly address, Mr Zelensky said he had spent Saturday coordinating with European allies. He said he did not want a pause in the killings, but an immediate, just and lasting peace. He's ruled out surrendering land to Russia in exchange for peace, something Donald Trump has suggested ahead of the talks with Vladimir Putin in Alaska. Also: Tens of thousands of people have been protesting across Israel against the government's decision to expand its war in Gaza, and Jen Pawol makes baseball history as first woman to umpire an MLB game. The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Rolex founder 'was a suspected Nazi spy'
Secret service agents believed the German founder of Rolex was a Nazi spy, formerly classified documents at the National Archives reveal. MI5 feared Hans Wilsdorf should be blacklisted due to his 'strong' sympathies for Adolf Hitler's regime, The Telegraph reports. The Second World War papers, dated between 1941 and 1943, state that Wilsdorf was 'most objectionable' and 'suspected of espionage'. Despite his status as a naturalised British citizen, the papers suggest that MI5 viewed Wilsdorf as a potential threat to Allied interests during World War II. British authorities first became concerned that Wilsdorf supported the Nazis in 1941. A report that year from the British consul in Geneva said he was 'well known for his strong Nazi sympathies'. And, a 1941 letter from the Blacklist Section of the Ministry of Economic Warfare stated it was desirable to review blacklisting Wilsdorf, but noted it may not be in the best interests at the moment. Wilsdorf's blacklisting may have hurt Rolex and a large amount of overseas trade with the Empire countries, the papers revealed. A later report from 1943 stated: 'Wilsdorf and his wife are majority shareholders, and he is suspected of espionage on behalf of the enemy.' The documents also suggest that Wilsdorf's offer of free Rolex watches to British prisoners of war (POWs) may have been motivated by publicity rather than patriotism. 'The fact Rolex offered watches to Allied POWs in German camps suggested Wilsdorf was on the right side of history,' Jose Perez, a horological historian who discovered the existence of the MI5 file told the publication. 'But, I believe it was a stunt to gain favour with the British government,' he told the publication. Responding to the allegations, Rolex said it was well aware of the file in the National Archives and had constituted a team of historians for further research. Wilsdorf was born in Bavaria in 1881 but his parents died shortly afterwards. He moved to England in 1903 and started making watches in Hatton Garden before registering the name Rolex and marrying British-born Florence Crotty. In 1919, he based the company headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. Wilsdorf died in 1960, leaving his ownership stake in Rolex to the Hans Wilsdorf Foundation, which continues to own the company and supports charitable causes.
