Pick of the week Turbulence – The Story of Ryanair Monday, RTÉ One, 9.35pm How did a tiny airline with just one route grow to become one of Europe’s biggest carriers, annoying and irritating millions of passengers while keeping them constantly coming back for more? In this second episode of the two-part documentary, we learn … Read more
The severe weather warning running on local TV channels in the Washington area was upgraded on Monday to a tornado warning. As Micheál Martin flitted from one engagement to another on his traditional St Patrick’s Day visit to the US, whisked across the city in a welter of sirens and flashing lights, the US capital … Read more
Micheál Martin’s “pained smile”, his gentle pushback and the irony of the UK “having to rely on the Irish for a good word” all featured in international coverage of the Taoiseach’s St Patrick’s Day meeting with Donald Trump. The New York Times, in its coverage of the Oval Office meeting, said Martin “walked a fine … Read more
“Europe is still a very good place to live,” Martin said, prompting laughter in the room as Trump retorted: “I’m glad to hear that!” Martin then expanded on why Europe is so popular with migrants, noting the EU’s “free mobility of people” and how it allows Ireland to attract newcomers “from Europe and beyond” to … Read more
Taoiseach Micheál Martin quoted Iish patriot Robert Emmet to those gathered for the VP breakfast a short while ago ahead of his Oval Office face-to-face with Donald Trump. “Just one mile from where we sit this morning is Robert Emmet Memorial Park, named in honour of the Irish patriot who led a rebellion against the … Read more
Iran launched fresh attacks on the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, the kind of strikes on U.S. Gulf allies that President Donald Trump said had not been expected, but which sources said he had been warned about before the conflict. The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is in its third week with at least 2,000 people … Read more
Nato countries have rejected the call by US president Donald Trump to send warships to escort shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The US-Israeli war on Iran is in its third week, largely shutting the strait, through which 20 per cent of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas flow, raising energy prices and fears … Read more
When Downing Street wants to seize the news agenda, its staff call in political reporters for a scripted speech by the prime minister. It is an advantage of power: the ability to drag out a lectern bearing the UK government’s official seal and command attention. Keir Starmer had spent days hiding from a febrile Westminster … Read more
UK prime minister Keir Starmer was in Belfast and then Cork on Thursday, far from the madding crowd of Westminster political reporters. They wanted to grill him about the release of UK government files on Wednesday afternoon that showed he ignored repeated advice not to appoint Peter Mandelson as his country’s ambassador to Washington. It … Read more
The Government has signed an updated defence agreement with Britain designed to bolster maritime co-operation in tackling activity by the Russian “shadow fleet”. The defence memorandum of understanding us due to be announced on the fringes of the United Kingdom-Ireland summit being held in Cork on Friday. British prime minister Keir Starmer flew to Cork … Read more