‘Putin has blood on his hands' blasts MEP as Irish mother seeks answers about son's death in Russian air strike
Liam Cosgrove
Today at 06:00
Russian president Vladimir Putin has been accused of having the blood of a Reuters news employee with strong links to the midlands 'on his hands' as his Irish born mother desperately seeks answers over the circumstances which led up to his death.
Thirty-eight-year-old Ryan Evans was working as a safety adviser with news agency Reuters when a missile struck the hotel he had been staying in with colleagues in the city of Kramatorsk on August 24 last year.
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Irish Examiner
42 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Nuclear diplomacy stuck, Israel says it killed top Iran commander
Iran deems European proposals to curb its nuclear programme unrealistic and a hurdle to agreement, a senior Iranian official said on Saturday, while Israel said it killed a veteran Iranian commander during attacks by both sides. The more than week-long air war between longtime foes Israel and Iran continued with reports of strikes on an Iranian nuclear facility. The US was weighing whether to back Israel in the conflict while other powers urged de-escalation. Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi met British, French and German counterparts, plus the EU, on Friday in Geneva in search of a path back to diplomacy and a possible ceasefire. But proposals made by the European powers were "unrealistic", the senior Iranian official told Reuters, saying that insistence on them would not bring the agreement closer. "In any case, Iran will review the European proposals in Tehran and present its responses in the next meeting," the official said, adding that zero enrichment was a dead end and Tehran would not negotiate over its defensive capabilities. Israel launched attacks on June 13, saying Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons, while Iran says its atomic programme is only for peaceful purposes. Israel is widely assumed to possess nuclear weapons, which it neither confirms nor denies. Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz said that Saeed Izadi, who led the Palestine Corps of the Quds Force, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' overseas arm, was killed in a strike on an apartment in the city of Qom. Calling his killing a "major achievement for Israeli intelligence and the Air Force", Katz said Izadi had financed and armed the Palestinian militant group Hamas ahead of its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which triggered the war in Gaza. The Revolutionary Guards said five of its members died in attacks on Khorramabad, according to Iranian media. They did not mention Izadi, who was on US and British sanctions lists, but said Israel had also attacked a building in Qom, with initial reports of a 16-year-old killed and two people injured. Israeli emergency teams work in an unpopulated building after it was hit by a missile fired from Iran, in Haifa, Israel, Friday, June 20, 2025. Picture: AP Photo/Baz Ratner HUNDREDS KILLED At least 430 people have been killed and 3,500 injured in Iran since Israel began its attacks, Iranian state-run Nour News said, citing the health ministry. In Israel, 24 civilians have been killed by Iranian missile attacks, according to local authorities, in the worst conflict between the longtime enemies. At a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) in Istanbul, Araqchi said Israel's aggression, which he said had indications of US involvement, should stop so Iran can "come back to diplomacy". "It is obvious that I can't go to negotiations with the US when our people are under bombardment under the support of the US", he told reporters on the sidelines, before meeting Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan. The top Iranian diplomat said US involvement in the conflict would be "very dangerous". Araqchi is set to visit Moscow, Iran's ally, on Monday. President Donald Trump has said he would take up to two weeks to decide whether the United States should enter the conflict on Israel's side, enough time "to see whether or not people come to their senses", he said. Iran would be able to have a nuclear weapon "within a matter of weeks, or certainly within a matter of months", he said on Friday, adding: "We can't let that happen." Yet in March, Tulsi Gabbard, his national intelligence director, testified to Congress that the US intelligence community judged that Tehran was not working on a nuclear warhead. The International Atomic Energy Agency said that a centrifuge manufacturing workshop at the Isfahan nuclear facility, one of Iran's biggest, was hit - but added it contained no nuclear material. Gulf Cooperation Council ambassadors expressed concerns to UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi about the safety of nuclear facilities close to their countries and "dangerous repercussions" of targeting them, Qatar state news agency said. Israel said it was attacking military infrastructure. Israeli emergency teams work in an unpopulated building after it was hit by a missile fired from Iran, in Haifa, Israel, Friday, June 20, 2025. Picture: AP Photo/Baz Ratner INTERCEPTIONS OVER TEL AVIV Early on Saturday, air raid sirens were triggered across parts of central Israel and in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, with missile interceptions visible over Tel Aviv and explosions echoing. There were no reports of casualties. The Human Rights Activists News Agency, a US-based rights organisation that tracks Iran, gave a higher death toll than Tehran, saying Israeli attacks have killed 639 people there. Those killed in Iran include the military's top echelon and nuclear scientists. Israel said it also killed a second commander of the Guards' overseas arm, whom it identified as Benham Shariyari, during an overnight strike. Iran's health minister, Mohammadreza Zafarqandi, said Israel has attacked three hospitals during the conflict, killing two health workers and a child, and has targeted six ambulances, according to Fars. Asked about such reports, an Israeli military official said that only military targets were being struck, though there may have been collateral damage in some incidents. An Iranian missile hit a hospital in the southern Israeli city of Beersheba on Thursday. Turkey, Russia and China have demanded immediate de-escalation. Despite the downbeat assessment from the senior Iranian official, French President Emmanuel Macron said he and Iranian counterpart Masoud Pezeshkian agreed on a Saturday call to accelerate talks. Israel says it will not stop attacks until it dismantles Iran's nuclear programme and ballistic missile capabilities, which it views as an existential threat, saying this could take more than a few weeks. -Reuters
The Irish Sun
2 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
New larger Child Benefit payments plan with extra top-up rate on €140 cash for families with three or more kids
FAMILIES with three or more children could soon be receiving larger Child Benefit payments under new plans being examined by the Government. The move is being looked at to try and boost birth rates, it has been reported. Advertisement This week, The €140 flat payment will still be paid to everyone, regardless of income. The €140 payment per child is currently the same regardless of the number of However, a higher top-up rate could also be paid for the third and subsequent children to encourage more births. Advertisement Read more in Money A policy paper is currently being worked on to set out the options ahead of the budget. Other areas being examined to reduce child poverty levels are payments for children of primary-school age, lone parents, working families on low incomes and children with disabilities. The Taoiseach has also pointed to initiatives such as free He said: 'We are looking at a range of measures, in respect of the next budget, to bring down child poverty.' Advertisement Most read in Money Child Benefit payments are universal, and are paid to parents regardless of their income - but it has risen by less than €10 in the last 20 years. Little known social welfare benefits thousands are entitled to The monthly payment for a first child was €131.60 in 2004 and stands at €140 now, just six per cent higher. CHILD BENEFIT PAYMENT DATES THERE are five Child Benefit payments left in the year. July 1 August 5 - may be paid early due to August Bank Holiday September 2 October 7 November 4 The Child Benefit rate reached €166 during the Celtic Tiger era, but was reduced during the recession to its current rate. Research by the State's economic think tank looked at the effect of bringing in a second tier of Child Benefit to address child poverty, at a cost of €800m. Advertisement NO SUMMER DOUBLE CHILD BENEFIT BOOST A DOUBLE €280 August Child Benefit promised by Fine Gael leader Simon Harris last year is unlikely to hit the accounts of the over 650,000 Irish families who benefit from the boost. In November 2024, then Taoiseach In a post on Instagram, he said: "A double child benefit payment every August to help parents with costs, particularly around the costs of schools and the additional costs parents often face over the summer. "Please share to spread the word. I need your support for Fine Gael so I can get on with delivering on this agenda." However, his proposed August double payment is unlikely to happen. When asked this month if the double August Child Benefit is being considered, the Department of Social Protection confirmed that the boost is not outlined in the Programme for Government. 1 The move is being looked at to try and boost birth rates, it has been reported Credit: Getty Images - Getty
RTÉ News
2 hours ago
- RTÉ News
British Conservative Party leader says BBC 'should not show' Kneecap at Glastonbury
British Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has said she thinks the BBC "should not be showing" Kneecap's performance at Glastonbury Festival next week. In a social media post on X, which was accompanied by an article from The Times that claimed the BBC had not banned the group, Ms Badenoch wrote: "The BBC should not be showing Kneecap propaganda. "One Kneecap band member is currently on bail, charged under the Terrorism Act. "As a publicly funded platform, the BBC should not be rewarding extremism." On Wednesday, Mr Ó hAnnaidh was accompanied to Westminster Magistrates' Court by his two other band members, JJ Ó Dochartaigh, whose stage name is DJ Próvaí, and Naoise Ó Cairealláin, whose stage name is Móglaí Bap. Mr Ó hAnnaidh is alleged to have displayed a flag in support of Hezbollah at a gig at the O2 Forum in Kentish Town in north London on 21 November last year. He was released on unconditional bail until his next hearing at the same court on 20 August. Following the hearing, the rapper said: "For anybody going to Glastonbury, you can see us there at 4pm on the Saturday. "If you can't be there we'll be on the BBC, if anybody watches the BBC. We'll be at Wembley in September." In November, Kneecap won its discrimination case over a decision made by Ms Badenoch to refuse them funding. A BBC spokesperson said: "As the broadcast partner, the BBC will be bringing audiences extensive music coverage from Glastonbury, with artists booked by the festival organisers. "Whilst the BBC doesn't ban artists, our plans will ensure that our programming will meet our editorial guidelines. Decisions about our output will be made in the lead up to the festival." During their sold-out gig at Fairview Park in Dublin on Thursday, DJ Próvaí thanked fans who turned out to support them during their bandmate's court case. Formed in 2017, the Belfast trio are known for their provocative lyrics in both Irish and English. Their best-known tracks include Get Your Brits Out, Better Way To Live, featuring Grian Chatten from Fontaines DC, and 3Cag.
