Standing on the Normandy coast, where Allied troops once fought their way onto Europe’s shores, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth cast today’s immigration pressures as a new kind of threat, warning that dangerous ideologies were now arriving by sea. The comments fit squarely within the broader message from President Donald Trump’s administration, which has repeatedly argued that Europe is being weakened by inadequate defences, failure to confront immigration, excessive bureaucracy and what it describes as the "censorship" of…

An Irish journalist documenting the war in Ukraine has received one of the country’s official honours, with President Volodymyr Zelensky presenting Kilkenny reporter and social media figure Caolan Robertson with an Order of Merit. Robertson was among a group of Ukrainian and international journalists recognised for their reporting on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In a message posted on social media, Mr Robertson said he was "completely blown away" by the recognition and called it a "profound honour". The Kilkenny native also…

A morning dive off Western Australia turned deadly after a shark fatally attacked a man in waters near Perth, marking the country’s fourth lethal shark incident this year, police said. The victim, a man in his thirties, was attacked by a 4.5-metre shark near Michaelmas Island, southeast of Perth, according to ambulance services and the Western Australian government. Authorities said the incident was reported at about 11.25am local time. Police said the man had been spearfishing when the shark struck. He was brought back to…

Ireland has moved to bar two of Israel’s most outspoken ministers from entering the country, with Taoiseach Micheál Martin confirming that Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan has imposed travel bans on Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich. Mr Ben-Gvir serves as Israel’s national security minister, while Mr Smotrich holds the finance portfolio. The Taoiseach was speaking at the EU-Western Balkans Summit in Tivat, Montenegro. Mr Martin said the ministers’ rhetoric and conduct "amount to a desire to see the elimination of…

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun has delivered one of his sharpest rebukes yet of Iran and its ally Hezbollah, accusing Tehran of turning Lebanon into a pawn in its negotiations with the United States as the country is battered by war with Israel. In an interview with CNN, Mr Aoun said ordinary Lebanese were "paying the price ... for the sake" of Iran's interests and had grown "fed up" with the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, laying bare the strain running through Lebanon's already fragile sectarian and political…

MOGADISHU, Somalia 5 June, 2026 – On World Environment Day 2026, the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) calls on authorities in Somalia and North Western State of Somalia, as well as international partners, to support and protect environmental journalists and ensure access to information on climate change, environmental degradation, and humanitarian crises. SJS also pays tribute to environmental journalists for their resilience, courage, and dedication to informing the public despite significant challenges and threats.…

Vladimir Putin has poured cold water on Volodymyr Zelensky's push for a personal meeting, saying there is "no point" in a face-to-face summit until negotiators first put a peace deal on the table. Speaking at Russia's flagship economic forum in Saint Petersburg, Putin dismissed the idea of an immediate encounter with the Ukrainian president, one day after Zelensky issued an open later urging such talks. "I see no point in meeting. It only makes sense for the Ukrainian side to stop the advance of our armed forces. That's it.…

A seven-month-old Palestinian boy was killed and his parents wounded after Israeli forces opened fire in the southern occupied West Bank, according to the Palestinian health ministry. The ministry identified the infant as Sam Fahd Abou Haikal and said he was killed while his mother and father were injured "after the occupation forces opened fire on them on Friday evening" south of Hebron. The Israeli military said troops fired after "soldiers perceived a vehicle accelerating toward them", but added that a preliminary inquiry…

Tensions in the Gulf sharpened again as the United States military said it struck radar installations along Iran's southern coastline, the latest confrontation to cast fresh doubt on a fragile ceasefire in the Middle East war. In a statement, US Central Command said its forces first brought down four Iranian one-way attack drones heading toward the Strait of Hormuz, then moved against Iranian coastal surveillance radar sites in the city of Goruk and on Qeshm Island. "The attack drones posed an immediate threat to regional…

Andy Burnham has opened the door to a fresh Labour leadership battle, saying he would take on Prime Minister Keir Starmer if he secures victory in the Makerfield bye-election later this month. The Greater Manchester mayor said Labour, despite being in government, requires a fundamental reset as it struggles in the opinion polls. Burnham made the remarks during a BBC debate alongside other candidates contesting the parliamentary seat in northern England. Starmer, whose approval ratings rank among the weakest for a British…