Politics (Page 492)

Over the holiday period, a pedal-powered Christmas tree became the symbol of Ukraine’s defiant resistance against Russia’s relentless bombing campaign which Vladimir Putin hoped would spoil everyone’s Yuletide. Usually the Orthodox church would celebrate Christmas on January 7, but a decision was made by the Ukraine church to give itsContinue Reading

For the past two months, Russia has systematically targeted Ukrainian infrastructure, devastating the country’s power grid and putting many basic services from healthcare to sanitation at risk. Apart from destruction, this campaign has achieved virtually nothing positive for Russia. Ukrainians are undeterred in their fighting spirit, and Kyiv’s international partnersContinue Reading

US president Joe Biden is clearly frustrated about the focus on his age. In mid-December last year he reportedly vented to allies, saying: “You think I don’t know how fucking old I am?” But, as attention turns to the 2024 election, the prospect of Biden – now 80 years oldContinue Reading

When Vladimir Putin sent his war machine into Ukraine last February, one of the reasons he gave for the invasion was to ensure Ukraine’s neutral status and prevent its government from moving the country further towards the west. Though there is more behind this war, the Russian leader has longContinue Reading

For the first time in 100 years, the House of Representatives failed to elect a speaker after a first round vote and was forced to adjourn after three failed attempts. Fourth, fifth and sixth ballots were lost the following day. Republican leader in the House Kevin McCarthy led his partyContinue Reading

Updated: 5.25pm The State recorded a budget surplus of approximately €5.2 billion in 2022, far in excess of the €1 billion projected just over three months ago, the Department of Finance confirmed on Wednesday. The turnaround from a deficit of 3 per cent of gross national income in 2021 reflectedContinue Reading

shutterstock Nitr via Shutterstock Italians are notoriously – and understandably – protective of their cuisine, as regular arguments about the correct toppings for pizza or the appropriate pasta to use with a Bolognese ragu will attest. So it was hardly surprising that, when a Nobel Prize-winning Italian physicist weighed inContinue Reading

The late author Hilary Mantel once wrote of Queen Elizabeth II that she was “a thing that existed to be looked at”. This became even truer in death. From the moment the sovereign left Balmoral Castle in the back of the glassy hearse on September 8 2022, we could, ifContinue Reading

Ireland’s property market proved to be resilient to cost-of-living fears and external pressures throughout last year, a new report has said. The MyHome.ie quarterly house price report found the market had held up better than evidence had suggested in 2022. The number of vendors cutting asking prices remained at lowContinue Reading