Smoke rises in central Tehran on Sunday as military strikes on Iran by the US and Israel continue for a second day. While virtually all leading Democrat figures have welcomed the demise of Khamenei, Duggan reports that this response is “tempered by questions about the legality of the administration’s action”. Duggan writes that another broad interpretation of the strikes is that Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu has again shaped US foreign policy to his own liking. Finally, in his column looking at the implications of the attack by the US and Israel on Iran, Vincent Durac observes the objectives and the consequences of the military assault on Iran are unclear. Please feel free to send comments, feedback or suggestions for topics you would like to see covered to feedback@irishtimes.com.

Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has died at the age of 86. Photograph: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader via APWhen Ali Khamenei was nominated by senior clerics to replace Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini as Iran’s supreme leader in 1989, he insisted he was underqualified. His first major test as supreme leader came in 1997, when Mohammad Khatami, a reformist cleric, won the presidency, promising political reform and improved foreign relations. Tensions between Khatami, who served until 2005, and Khamenei as the supreme leader fuelled fierce infighting within the regime. The hardliners then backed Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad, but the move backfired for Khamenei when Ahmadi-Nejad turned against the supreme leader and demanded greater authority.

Photograph: Dara Mac DónaillThe family at the centre of a large protest outside the Department of Justice earlier this month have been deported from Ireland. The family’s international protection application was rejected and a subsequent appeal was unsuccessful. Hundreds of people, including many schoolchildren, attended a protest in solidarity with the family outside the department on February 10th. “Both the International Protection Office and the International Protection Appeals Tribunal [IPAT] are fully independent in deciding whether or not to grant international protection. This is the preferred option, and the department runs a voluntary return programme to assist people to return prior to a deportation order issuing.”

The Custom House Capital scandal: ‘He said there is absolutely no chance you are getting any of that money back’Jimmy O’Neill invested a pension pot of almost €50,000 in the firm. He only discovered there was any issue with his money when the story was covered on LivelineJimmy O'Neill was a victim of the Custom House Capital scandal. Photo: Frank McGrathSheila Flynn Today at 06:30It would be fair to say that 66-year-old Dubliner Jimmy O’Neill, a typesetter by trade, has been a man of caution all his life.

‘Abusive, toxic and targeted’ – Ireland’s top obesity expert hits out at super-sized treatsProf Donal O’Shea says sweets and fast-food companies have invented a ‘hyper-bliss point’ with new calorific combinations'The food environment is incredibly toxic at the moment' Professor Donal O'Shea on the explosion of supersize Easter treats this year. Niamh Horan Today at 06:30Ireland’s food environment has become “abusive, toxic and targeted”, the country’s leading obesity expert has said as a wave of super-sized chocolate treats have hit supermarket shelves in the run-up to Easter.

“I’m caught in my chrysalis,” laughs performer Niamh McAllister in the rehearsal room of The Ark, Dublin’s cultural centre for children. That’s because McAllister, performer in the Ark’s new show, The Last Moth, is in fact playing a moth. “Being a young performer and getting to be a young creator, what I have really noticed is that young people want really good stories,” Moonveld-Nkosi says. “And we got up every morning and counted the moths and looked at the species of moths and we did an ecology survey on Sherkin Island,” Jones says. They had had some discussions about whether the moth performer should have aerial abilities or not, but decided against it.

Chartered deportation flights are now a “routine” part of Ireland’s immigration system, the Minister for Justice said as 54 adults and nine children were flown from Ireland to South Africa on Saturday night. According to the Department of Justice, the children were part of family units. The family was at the centre of a large protest outside the Department of Justice earlier this month. “Charter flights are now a routine and essential part of immigration enforcement for the State,” O’Callaghan said. In a statement, the Garda said 10 of the 54 adults who were deported had been convicted of offences in this jurisdiction.

The wrestling world has been left in mourning following the death of Olympic legend Bobby Douglas, who has passed away at the age of 83. West Liberty University, where Douglas first burst onto the national scene in the 1960s, confirmed the news of his passing in a heartbreaking statement. West Liberty Athletic Director Brad Forshey said: 'West Liberty University mourns the passing of one of our most distinguished alumni and a true legend in the sport of wrestling, Bobby Douglas. Forshey continued: 'Bobby's legacy will forever be woven into the fabric of West Liberty, and we are incredibly proud to call him a Hilltopper. Born in 1942, Douglas turned a fledgling program at West Liberty University into a national powerhouse before becoming an icon in the wrestling world.

A man in Florida, who had been missing for ten days, was miraculously found and rescued after he became stuck in mud up to his shoulders. Giddens was rescued on February 23 at the Vulcan Materials Company, a sand plant east of Melrose, but was found in mud up to his shoulders near a borrow pit. It took emergency responders nearly three hours to free Giddens from the mud before he was rushed to hospital. The PFD was also aided in the rescue by Clay County Fire Rescue’s Technical Rescue Teams, Putnam County Fire Rescue and Melrose Fire Department-Florida. Vulcan Sand Plant officials told WCJB: 'Our Vulcan team at the Grandin Sand Plant handled a trespassing situation with care and compassion shepherding first responders to a man who was in distress.'

Service at St James Church, Slaithwaite on Friday March 27th at 12.00 noon followed by Committal at Huddersfield Crematorium. Funeral service at Huddersfield Crematorium on Monday 30th March at 10.30am. Funeral service at St David's Church, Holmbridge on Thursday 26th March at 1.30pm preceded by a private cremation. Funeral service to be held at New North Road Baptist Church on 27th March at 12:45pm. A celebration of Andrea's life will take place at Huddersfield Crematorium, Fixby on Thursday 12th March at 10:00am.

: Blake Lemoine is ‘sixty to seventy per cent certain’ that Google has ‘created a sentient being it doesn’t want to publicly acknowledge’. Pollan interviews scientists and philosophers who believe this but the mystery remains. ‘We already know how to do that.’In the course of the book, Pollan is a willing participant in attempts to understand his own thinking. Maybe the ‘self’ – ‘by far the most interesting, and most mysterious, creation of consciousness’ – is nothing more than an illusion. At the end of the book, Pollan still finds himself, in his own words, ‘wandering in the exitless labyrinth of consciousness’.

Israeli socialite Hofit Golan and British TV stars Vicky Pattison and Laura Anderson are among the celebrities and influencers currently caught up in the Iranian missile strikes on Dubai's famous Palm Jumeirah. An Iranian missile hit Dubai's famous hotel on Saturday as Tehran launches widespread revenge attacks across the Middle East following US airstrikes. Please stay safe, everyone', she urged. Stay safe guys.' Videos posted on social media show Dubai's iconic Palm Jumeirah ablaze after it was hit by a suspected Iranian missile or missile debris.

Division 2: Tyrone 0-28 Offaly 2-13Tyrone eased their relegation fears and pushed Offaly closer to the drop with a resurgent second half performance at O’Neill Park in Dungannon. “So at half-time, we knew that we had to be much better second half. Offaly scorers: D Flynn 1-2, J McEvoy 1-0, K O’Neill 0-4 (2f), H Plunkett 0-3 (1tp), C Egan 0-2, M Dalton, R Egan 0-1 each. Tyrone: R O’Kane; A Clarke, P Teague, C Quinn; B Cullen, N Devlin, M Rafferty; B Kennedy, C Kilpatrick; S O’Donnell, R Cassidy, C Daly; L McGarrity, M Donnelly, R Canavan. Offaly: C Melia; S O’Toole Greene, R Egan, L Pearson; C Egan, D Egan, D McDaid; J McEvoy, A Leavy; M Dalton, J Hayes, K O’Neill; H Plunkett, N Furlong, D Flynn.

Even the Beckham's weren't safe from Jack Whitehall's tirade of one-liners during the Brit Awards on Saturday evening, which he hosted at the Co-op Live arena. As Jack introduced Mark Ronson's performance he told the audience to 'prepare to throw shapes like you're Victoria Beckham during a first dance' - a nod to Brooklyn's accusations. Sources claimed that Victoria left Brooklyn's wife Nicola Peltz, 31, 'in tears' at their 2022 wedding after she 'nuzzled his neck' in her impromptu dance at the reception. A wedding guest - Stavros Agapiou - did back up Brooklyn's claims that Victoria danced 'inappropriately' with him on his wedding night. 'I'm not speaking bad about either party in it, I'm just putting the narrative straight about the dance.'

From Kate's go-to skincare and signature fragrances to timeless jewellery and chic accessories, these picks offer a glimpse into her effortlessly polished style. You'll also find beautiful home and kitchenware loved by Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, as well as stylish accessories favoured by Zara Tindall - ensuring there's something to suit every taste. Top picksAspinal of London Midi Mayfair Bag: Loved by both the Princess of Wales and Zara Tindall, this vintage-inspired design is a true classic. Monica Vinader Nura Pearl Necklace: A staple in Kate's jewellery collection, this elegant necklace pairs a delicate freshwater pearl with an 18-carat gold-plated chain. Le Creuset Casserole Dish: Meghan Markle's kitchen features Le Creuset's luxurious casserole dishes, suitable for slow-cooked stews, roasts, soups and more.