Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe will not be charged by the English Football Association after claiming in a controversial interview that the UK had been “colonised by immigrants”. The governing body reminded of him of his responsibilities when taking part in media interviews but will not be taking any further action after examining if the comments had brought the game into disrepute. The British prime minister, Keir Starmer, had called Ratcliffe’s comments “offensive” before the billionaire apologised, while Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham also criticised the Ineos tycoon for “insulting, inflammatory and incorrect” remarks. The development also comes just a couple of hours after United manager Michael Carrick broke his silence on Ratcliffe’s comments, where he reaffirmed his pride for the culture of equality and diversity built at the club.

Speaking to reporters she said Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal “went out of their way to be so kind and made me feel so included” when she joined the cast of Hamnet. Harland played the mother of Jessie Buckley’s character in flashback scenes in the Oscar-nominated film. She said despite spending only a week filming: “They made such a fuss of me when I arrived on set and they are just a testament to how incredible Irish actors are.”In her acceptance speech, the Derry Girls star dedicated the award to Brian Murphy, a unit driver on The Walsh Sisters series who she said died this year. She said: “Such an incredibly kind man, and such a great example of the quality of crew we have in Ireland, and those crew members have made me a better actor, so thank you.”Later, she said winning the award “means everything” to her and described the category as “just full of talent”, adding she feels “so lucky to be part of this industry, especially in Ireland”. “I really meant it when I said the crew here in Ireland, the shorthand they have with each other is unlike anywhere else I have worked, and it makes me so proud.”

While the member state holding the rotating presidency cannot dictate the EU agenda, governments can put an emphasis on certain policies. The document, marked confidential, said Ireland would use its time in the EU role to “promote a mutually beneficial and positive transatlantic relationship”. The document said work would include the development of “flagship” common EU defence projects, and efforts to better guard against “hybrid threats”. A Department of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman said the Government’s policy programme for the coming EU presidency was “currently being drafted and will not be finalised and launched until June 2026”. [ The Irish Times view on Ireland and the US: old relationship will need to be redefinedOpens in new window ]

Sir Paul McCartney has admitted he was overbearing and has bought into the criticism that he broke up The Beatles. The musician, 83, has recently created a new Prime Video documentary, Paul McCartney Man On The Run. He remarked: 'Whenever I hear someone damning Paul McCartney, I tend to agree with them. During a screening of the release in London earlier this year, he admitted he felt 'emotional' upon seeing his late wife Linda McCartney in the programme. Sir Paul said it helped him deal with the tumultuous time he faced following the break-up of The Beatles.

Alexander Isak's Liverpool career can finally begin but Arne Slot's update needs a warningPaul Gorst takes a closer look at Alexander Isak's current situation at Liverpool after Arne Slot revealed the £125m striker is on the comeback trail earlier this weekView Image Alexander Isak limps off from Liverpool's 2-1 win over Tottenham Hotspur on December 20, 2025There was an internal acceptance on September 1, when Liverpool paid £125m for Alexander Isak, that the incoming No.9 would not hit the Anfield turf at speed. ‌For the supporters of both clubs awaiting the daily updates during a summer without competitive football, that interminable period likely felt longer. The sheer weight of the deal for Isak meant he signed a six-year contract instead of the usual five. ‌As the striker's return approaches following a broken leg in December, Liverpool will keep that view at the centre of their thinking. Slot's update on Thursday was hugely encouraging and while the head coach usually tries to evade the specifics on injury updates, that he was eventually pinned down to a late-March comeback bodes well.

Southside Travellers Action Group staff held weekly protests outside the orgainisation's premises in Sandyford, Dublin, late last year, saying they had lost trust in the board. Photograph: Nick BradshawTravellers across south Co Dublin are “devastated” at the closure of one of the oldest Traveller support organisations in the State, an advocate has said. The Southside Travellers Action Group (Stag), based in Sandyford, went into voluntary liquidation this week amid allegations of financial mismanagement and a bitter rift between the board, its chair Barbara Scanlon and staff. “Families who relied on these services, the staff, they are all devastated,” she said. “The people that did this, they have to be held accountable financially, legally and morally for what they have done.”

If it doesn’t, then Ireland’s title hopes will be gone, in advance of games at home to Wales and Scotland. England have an aggressive frontrow and they will target the Irish scrum, as they did the Scottish scrum last week. And from that moment onwards, the scrum will be a huge, pivotal battle on which the match could hinge. But home advantage is huge in the Six Nations and the suspicion lurks that England are that bit more desperate. Last five meetings – 2025: Ireland 27 England 22; 2024: England 23 Ireland 22; 2023: Ireland 29 England 10; 2023: Ireland 29 England 16; 2022: England 15 Ireland 32-15.

In victim impact statements, the five siblings spoke of the effects of the abuse on their mental health, relationships, and lives. Mr Justice Hunt said it was clear from the victim impact statements that the abuse caused profound and enduring harm to the five complainants. Jessica Farrell told gardaí she was first abused when she was around three and half years old in an aunt’s house. Reading her victim impact statement, Jessica Farrell said she was hurt by the person who was supposed to protect her the most. Reading his victim impact statement, Christopher said the abuse affected his mental health, relationships and education as he was unable to trust others.

floating in the water around five miles west of the beautiful and deeply religious island of Iona. What’s left is precious DNA, her black hiking style trousers – no labels for clues – and her distinctive size 8.5 German-made Meindl brand walking boots. A search of current missing person cases in Scotland and then across the wider UK failed to find any match. “From the west coast of Iona, there’s Canada, we’re looking at Greenland, the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Norway. “From what we know, it was found in the water by a fishing boat, a fair bit off Iona.

Photograph: Getty ImagesA fitness-to-practise Medical Council inquiry heard that “it beggars belief” that a doctor would practise medicine without appropriate professional indemnity insurance. In a submission by Ray Motherway, Al-Maliky’s barrister, the inquiry heard he was absent due to ill-health and receiving treatment in the United Kingdom. It was alleged he did not have appropriate insurance on one or more dates between January 2015 and July 2017 while working at eight centric health practices in Co Dublin. The inquiry heard from a “Dr X” whose identity was anonymised at the direction of the committee and who works at Centric Health in Donaghmede. X said that a locum doctor at the practice in September 2023 noticed Al-Maliky prescribed oestrogen to a patient without also prescribing progesterone.

Mark Power will be hoping for a strong weekend after a sparkling finish moved him up the leaderboard at the Magical Kenya Open on Friday. The former Walker Cup star finish birdie, birdie, eagle to shot 65 in his second round at Karen Country Club near Nairobi, to vault into 16th place, five shots behind leaders Frederic Lacroix and Casey.

Ireland’s Ben Lynch has finished eighth in the Winter Olympics final of the freestyle skiing halfpipe, with a top score of 75.00 in the final run, just short of his top score and personal best of 75.75 in qualifying. Lynch had become the first Irish skier to qualify for a Winter Olympics final after finishing 11th in the qualifiers. He improved on his second run, also stumbling, before a clean third run saw him score his best 75.00 and secure an impressive top eight finish. Ireland's Benjamin Lynch during the Men's Freeski Halfpipe Final. Photograph: David Davies/PA“Eight has always been my lucky number, to finish eighth, my stars have aligned,” Lynch said.

The US supreme court ruled on Friday that Trump’s sweeping tariffs were illegal. Harris said despite the court decision, the imposition of tariffs by the Trump administration “by some other means, for instance via some alternative legal basis, cannot be ruled out”. There is significant concern within the pharma industry in Ireland that the court decision may turn Trump’s attention to possibly introducing tariffs on pharma imports, via the national security route. It is unclear where the court ruling leaves a deal the European Union struck with the Trump administration on tariffs last summer. Senior officials inside the European Commission, the EU’s executive branch, which negotiated that tariff deal, expected Trump to use other means to reimpose his tariff agenda, even partially.

The choreography was familiar – a visit by Trump to a steel plant, and then a makeshift theatre against a backdrop of steel cut-offs bearing the slogan: Rome, Georgia: Coosa Steel. US president Donald Trump gives a speech at the Coosa Steel Corporation factory in Rome, Georgia, on February 19, 2026. "USA Steel Rome, Georgia" signage as US president Donald Trump speaks during an event at the Coosa Steel Corporation. Fuller has earned Trump’s endorsement in what is a hugely competitive Republican primary – and a potentially sticky election campaign – filled with 22 contenders. We don’t want people like that representing Georgia.”But the only people Trump goes after are those he believes to be a threat.

‘I was only a baby and you took my life away’ – family speak out after man who abused his five children and locked them away for days without food jailed for 20 years