Michael Houghton: ‘In my early investing years, I was naive and impatient – a terrible combination for any long-term investor’I chased shortcuts, took unnecessary risks, and got burned as a result. Nowadays, I take the slow and steady routeHealthy financial habits matter more than any individual investment. Photo: GettyMichael Houghton Today at 06:30In early 2020, I sat in a Garda station giving a statement about an investment scam I had been a victim of. I remember feeling embarrassed as I explained to the officer how it had happened, realising too late how many red flags I had missed.

I haven’t made myself sick in over 10 years, but I still struggle with the effects of bulimia and anorexia every dayÁine Floyd’s struggle with body image has been going on her whole life, and the lack of available services is a serious issue for her and others suffering with eating disordersI haven’t made myself sick in over 10 years, but I still struggle with the effects of bulimia and anorexia every dayFilomena Kaguako Today at 06:30For as long as she can remember, Drogheda woman Áine Floyd (36) has always been self-conscious about her body.

However, there are growing concerns in coastal communities about moves to develop industrial-scale seaweed harvesting. Galway West Sinn Féin TD Mairead Farrell, who has also raised the issue, said seaweed harvesting is a very sensitive topic. Mr Boyle said small operators who have built their business on a respectfully measured approach to harvesting seaweed must be protected and consulted. The minister said he was satisfied with the current arrangements and did not intend to introduce a bespoke social welfare scheme for seaweed harvesting. Sectoral supports for the seafood industry, including seaweed harvesting, is a matter for the minister for agriculture, food, and marine, he said.

Schools in Edinburgh were forced into a lock down this morning following reports of a "man with a bladed weapon". Two people were injured and taken to hospital after a man was seen brandishing two large blades in Calder in the west of the city. Police Scotland said the incident is now "contained" and is not terror-related. Video captured shows an ongoing siege in a high rise block of flats, as a person, alleged to be the knifeman, grins at cops waiting below.

Minister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has said he has 'full confidence' in Larry Murrin as Bord Bia chairman despite calls for his removal from the role. Photograph: Sam Boal/Collins PhotosMinister for Agriculture Martin Heydon has made a formal complaint to gardaí, saying two signs were ripped from the door of his constituency office at a weekend protest against Bord Bia chairman Larry Murrin. Heydon has said he has “full confidence” in Murrin in his role at Bord Bia, the State body responsible for the promotion of Irish food. “Minister Heydon made a complaint to the local gardaí on Sunday,” said a spokesman for the Minister. “Inquiries are ongoing.”The IFA said: “We are aware two signs outside the Minister’s office were damaged during the protest on Saturday.

One cup of raw cauliflower contains only 25–27 caloriesFrom there it spread across southern Europe, becoming particularly established in Italian cooking during the Renaissance period. One cup of raw cauliflower contains only 25–27 calories. 'I have a rabbit, so I give my leaves to my rabbit and but yes you can eat them,' Ms Vidmar explains. As well as its pantothenic acid and vitamin B6 content, cauliflower also contains vitamin C, folate, vitamin K, potassium and choline. 'One cup is probably what most people can handle before they start to get quite bloated,' Ms Vidmar explains.

Kenneth FoxAnnual consumer price inflation in Ireland is estimated to have risen by 2.4 per cent in the 12 months to February 2026. Food prices are estimated to have risen by 0.1 per cent in the last month and increased by 3.4 per cent in the last 12 months. Excluding energy and unprocessed food, the HICP is estimated to have grown by 2.4 per cent since February 2025. Eurostat will publish flash estimates of inflation from the EU HICP for the Eurozone for February 2026 on March 3rd, 2026. "Service prices have risen by 0.8 per cent in the month and are up by 3.3 per cent in the 12 months to February 2026.

Solutions Driven, which today is run by Mr Speirs’ son Gavin, employs more than 50 people worldwide, servicing more than 150 clients globally. Read more:The deal meanwhile continues the global expansion of Groupe Adéquat, following the recent opening of an office in London. Gavin Speirs, chief executive of Solutions Driven, said: “This is a really special moment for Solutions Driven. After 25 years of building the business around integrity, partnership and right-first-time outcomes, joining Groupe Adéquat marks an exciting new chapter. Groupe Adéquat invest in and empower local teams, and this creates broader visibility and opportunity for our people over time.

Profits at Bank of Ireland fell to €1.4bn last year, from €1.9bn a year early, as lower ECB interest rates fed through to lending margins. The bank’s bottom line also took a hit from a charge of €430m, including UK motor finance provision of €264m. However, Irish lending increased by 6pc as did deposits and Wealth Assets Under Management increased by 9pc. The bank finished a three year strategic cycle last year, and kicks off a new one in 2026. “During this period we also increased new to bank customers by 18pc while significantly improving customer experience, with a 16 point increase in the Customer Relationship Net Promoter Score reflecting sustained investment in digital and customer experience capabilities,” he said.

It is fair to say we are in a period of negative consumer sentiment. As our money is spent from a dwindling pot for less, the knock-on effect is that poor consumer sentiment or bad vibes, as economist Kyla Scanlon puts it, becomes a “vibecession”. Matt Stoller uses “boomcession”, and both terms describe the disconnect between consumer sentiment and a booming economy, not necessarily benefiting those same consumers. This happens when consumer sentiment declines due to the high cost of staples, and even some items — like butter — feel like a luxury for some. Consumer sentiment is the bottom leg of the letter K, and the high-ticket items are at the top; both happening at the same time in the same place.

Within hours, rumours swirled that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was dead. Protected by layers of intelligence secrecy, military shielding and loyal Revolutionary Guard units, the Supreme Leader rarely appeared in public without extensive security precautions. The operation - part of a broader campaign aimed at crippling Iran’s military and nuclear infrastructure - also killed several senior commanders and officials, including top military leadership figures. ‌It marked the first successful targeted killing of a sitting Iranian Supreme Leader in the history of the Islamic Republic. Over 37 years, he consolidated unparalleled authority over Iran’s military, judiciary, foreign policy and religious institutions.

Less than two weeks later, the USA, the principal host nation of FIFA’s World Cup, bombed one of the 48 nations taking part. ‌But for FIFA and every one of the associations scheduled to be represented at World Cup 2026, this is - forgive the word - deadly serious. Trump, who has promised to be a highly visible part of the World Cup, has fallen out with Canada over trade tariffs. Tuchel will be expected to have a view on the ramifications of events in Iran and the Middle East for the World Cup. Making the World Cup great again has just got a lot harder.

In a world of manufactured outrage, where people go ballistic about whether oat milk should be called oat milk or not, it’s too easy to get outrage fatigue. We end up shrugging at everything: oat milk, paedophiles, genocide, whatever. But sometimes, something complex happens which cannot be addressed either by clickbait outrage or whataboutery — like the Bafta debacle. The white man with a neurological disability involuntarily shouting the worst racial slur of them all at two Black men. BBC shockerThe absolute shocker here — the unfathomable, incomprehensible jaw-dropping shocker — is how the BBC handled it.

Photograph: Alan BetsonNational Transport Authority (NTA) contracts with bus operators must be “tightened up” to ensure they have sufficient mechanics and drivers when the deal is signed, the Minister for Transport has warned as he came under increasing pressure over delays and “ghost-bus” cancellations. Government and Opposition TDs have voiced their frustration at persistent bus tardiness and problems with new BusConnect routes that came into effect last October. The Minister acknowledged “an 8 per cent cancellation rate is unacceptable” and said he would raise these routes with the NTA at their meeting. Dublin Bus had an insufficient number of drivers and is recruiting 100 from South Africa. O’Brien said bus frequency was improving but acknowledged journey times on some services “are longer because the route is more interconnected to take in more people”.

Arsene Wenger's radical offside rule change takes next step despite UEFA rejectionFormer Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has pushed for a complete overhaul of the current offside law and Ifab have now decided to greenlight an official trial of his ideaView 3 Images The change to the offside rule will be trialled in Canada (Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)Arsene Wenger's controversial proposed changes to the offside law have moved a step closer to becoming reality after being granted a trial in Canada. Wenger has been trying to change the offside rule since joining FIFA in November 2019 and his idea will be put to the test next month. Click here to activate or add us as Preferred Source in your Google search settings‌View 3 Images Arsene Wenger wants to change the offside rule (Image: Getty Images)“In case of doubt, the doubt benefits the striker. VAR is frequently taking around five minutes to rule on offside decisions at the highest level, causing huge frustration. What do you make of Arsene Wenger's 'daylight' rule?