World

Sirens warning of possible missile strikes have jolted daily life in Kuwait and Bahrain, prompting schools and universities to switch to remote learning as residents describe sleepless nights, booming interceptions and a surge of community support. Jake McAllister, originally from Portstewart in Derry, has lived in Kuwait for more than seven years and is now principal of an international school. He said he had “never felt unsafe” since arriving in 2018 — until the past several days. McAllister had just returned from a…

Irish troops in south Lebanon safe, on alert as Israel pushes deeper across border Irish troops serving with the United Nations in south Lebanon are safe, accounted for and prepared for “this period of heightened intensity,” a Defence Forces spokesman said Monday, as Israeli forces advanced into border areas and the United Nations reported at least 30,000 people displaced in Lebanon. Commandant Alex Quigley told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that operations remain ongoing, with force-protection measures in place that can be scaled…

As U.S. strikes on Iran under Operation Epic Fury entered a new day, the White House appeared determined to project clarity and resolve. Instead, a flurry of public remarks from senior officials — led by President Donald Trump himself — yielded shifting timelines and evolving justifications that sharpened questions about the mission’s scope, strategy and endgame. The president moved aggressively to frame the narrative, calling news outlets throughout the weekend from Florida and returning to Washington to blanket morning TV.…

Kuwait and Bahrain expats describe sleepless nights as sirens sound, schools shift online Irish expatriates in Kuwait and Bahrain say nights of sirens and distant explosions have upended daily life this week, prompting schools and universities to move classes online as families weigh contingency plans but try to carry on. Jake McAllister, a school principal originally from Portstewart in Derry who has lived in Kuwait for more than seven years, said the atmosphere changed less than a day after he, his wife, Marlene, and their…

Ukraine expands war crimes probe as evidence mounts for future Hague tribunal KYIV — Ukrainian investigators are escalating a sweeping, years-long effort to document alleged Russian war crimes across the country, collecting vast troves of physical evidence, eyewitness testimony and digital records with an eye toward future prosecutions at a special tribunal in The Hague. Now into the fourth year of full-scale war, authorities say the scope of the investigations continues to widen. Teams are working case by case to capture…

Trump warns monthlong Iran campaign as drones hit U.S. embassy in Riyadh WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump warned Monday that the U.S. assault on Iran could extend beyond a month as Tehran’s retaliation rippled across the region, including drone strikes that hit the U.S. embassy compound in Saudi Arabia and missile-and-drone attacks that forced Qatar’s state-run energy firm to halt liquefied natural gas production. “From the beginning we projected four to five weeks, but we have capability to go far longer than that,”…

First lady Melania Trump on Monday chaired a United Nations Security Council session on children and education in conflict, a first for a spouse of a sitting world leader and a striking display of the Trump administration’s hands-on approach to global diplomacy by family members. The meeting in New York came two days after U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel launched attacks on Iran, drawing warnings from the United Nations about the safety of children amid a broader military escalation. UNICEF said the flare-up “marks a…

Oil and natural gas prices surged as Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iran and retaliatory attacks by Tehran forced shutdowns of energy facilities across the Middle East and snarled shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most critical maritime chokepoints. A sustained rise threatens to undercut the global recovery, stoke inflation and lift U.S. gasoline prices — a political risk for President Donald Trump and Republicans ahead of November’s midterm elections. Brent crude futures jumped as much as 13% to $82.37 a…

WASHINGTON — A U.S. congressional committee investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein has released videos of closed-door depositions of Bill and Hillary Clinton, who were questioned last week about their interactions with the late financier. In the recordings, taken in Chappaqua, New York, the former president and former secretary of state addressed their ties to Epstein and rejected any suggestion of misconduct. Hillary Clinton told members of the House Oversight Committee that she did not know Epstein. Bill…

Middle East unrest grounds flights as Dubai shutdown and airspace closures strand thousands of Irish passengers Thousands of Irish holidaymakers are among the hundreds of thousands of air passengers stranded worldwide after unrest in the Middle East triggered sweeping flight cancellations and airspace closures. Dubai International Airport — the world’s busiest international hub and a key transit point for Irish travelers heading to Asia and Australia — is in a third consecutive day of disruption, rippling through schedules…