World

Ireland is stepping up its support for Ukraine with an additional €40 million in aid as Russia’s war grinds on, Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee has announced. The new package comes on top of the €25m already committed by Ireland in February. Minister McEntee unveiled the latest funding during a visit to Kyiv. Of the €40m announced today, more than €26m will go toward humanitarian assistance, while almost €14m is earmarked for long-term development and peacebuilding measures. Another €2m from the overall package…

More than 50 years after astronauts last flew to the Moon, NASA’s Artemis II mission is poised to send a crew on a lunar flyby, opening a new era in human spaceflight. The mission is due to lift off from Florida tonight. The launch window is set to open at 6.24pm (11.24pm Irish time). Here is what to know about the closely watched flight that is expected to begin a fresh chapter in space exploration. The goal The programme is designed to put Americans back on the Moon, build a lasting presence there and lay the groundwork…

A routine arrival at the Port of Dover turned into a serious firearms case when a 24-year-old man was brought before court accused of attempting to bring ten guns and ammunition into the UK. Khalid Ahmed, from Ealing in west London, is a dual Dutch and Irish national and appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court. Counter-terrorism police stopped him at Dover last Thursday after he arrived from Calais in France. Prosecutors allege that a search of Mr Ahmed’s vehicle uncovered ten self-loading pistols and ammunition concealed…

NASA is preparing to send four astronauts around the moon as soon as this evening, a 10-day mission that would rank as the boldest US human spaceflight effort in decades and a pivotal move in the race to return astronauts to the lunar surface before China mounts its first crewed landing. Mission managers on Monday gave a "go" for launch of Artemis II, clearing NASA's 98m (322-foot) Space Launch System rocket and its Orion crew capsule for liftoff as early as 6.24 p.m. (11.30pm Irish time) on Wednesday. The rocket is due to…

Baghdad authorities are combing the city after a US journalist was abducted, according to two police officials, in a case that has renewed scrutiny over the dangers facing foreigners in Iraq. The Iraqi interior ministry confirmed that a female journalist had been kidnapped, though it stopped short of revealing her nationality. Officials said one suspect had been taken into custody and that operations were continuing to secure the journalist’s release. Police officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, later identified the…

A Russian An-26 military transport plane slammed into a cliff in Crimea, killing all 29 people on board, with a possible technical malfunction emerging as the likely cause, according to Russia’s ⁠defence ministry as cited by news agencies. TASS news agency, quoting the ministry, said contact with the aircraft was lost at about 6pm local time (4pm Irish time) while it was carrying out a planned flight over Crimea. Russia annexed the peninsula from Ukraine in 2014. Crimea is marked by sweeping mountain ranges that descend…

A 24-year-old man was charged after counter-terrorism police stopped him at Dover last week as he arrived in the UK from France, in a case involving ten alleged firearms offences. Khalid Ahmed, from Ealing in west London, is a dual Dutch and Irish national and is due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court. He will also face one count of possession of prohibited ammunition. Officers stopped Ahmed last Thursday after he reached Dover from France. A search of his car allegedly uncovered self-loading pistols, prompting the…

President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested the end of the war with Iran may be coming into view, as Washington signalled room for direct contact with Tehran's leadership and indicated the conflict could wind down even without a formal agreement. The comments highlighted the administration's evolving — and at times conflicting — messaging over when and under what conditions a war that has killed thousands, engulfed the region and triggered severe energy disruption might be brought to a close. "We'll…

The US Supreme Court has struck down a Colorado ban on "conversion therapy" for LGBTQ minors, handing a major victory to a Christian therapist who argued the restriction violated her free speech rights. The case centred on a 2019 Colorado law barring licensed practitioners from providing "conversion therapy" to patients under 18. Supporters of the practice say it can alter the sexual orientation or gender identity of LGBTQ people. Major medical groups, including the American Psychiatric Association and the American Medical…

A wolf roaming through a shopping centre in Germany bit a woman in Hamburg, marking what officials say is the first attack of its kind in modern times. The animal entered the complex in Hamburg’s Altona district on Tuesday evening, the city’s deputy mayor, Katharina Fegebank, said. She added that the wolf had already been seen several times in different parts of Hamburg over the past few days. The Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (BfN) said the incident is the first such case since wolves started returning to Germany…