EU study highlights the need for protected incomes for farmers
A new report prepared for the European Parliament has highlighted the need for better targeted farm supports to protect incomes and strengthen resilience. Output prices increased later in many sectors but not to the same extent everywhere, and by 2023, farm incomes had fallen in several Member States as costs remained high while prices weakened. The study also confirms that income inequality within agriculture remains significant, with a relatively small proportion of farms generating a large share of total farm income. CAP paymentsAcross the EU, Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) payments remain a major part of farm income, averaging around one-third of total income. Report recommendationsOne of the key recommendations of the report is the need for more timely and more complete data on farm income.
Source:Irish Examiner
March 20, 2026 13:48 UTC
'It affects the whole city': Eddie Howe opens up on 'long and painful' fallout from Tyne-Wear derby loss and urges Newcastle stars to put things right against Sunderland on Sunday
Eddie Howe says the ‘long and painful’ fallout from December’s Wear-Tyne derby has to serve as motivation ahead of Sunday’s return fixture. ‘The fallout of it was long and painful,’ said Howe. It affects future performances and affects the emotion and feeling of the whole city. It’s nothing that anybody wouldn’t be aware of - we have to raise standards all across the board at the football club. It’s about elevating standards of behaviour, elevating standards of my work, the coaching staff’s work and passing that on to the players.’
Source:Daily Mail
March 20, 2026 13:47 UTC
Breaking glass signals end for illegally constructed Meath home after 20-year saga
Demolition has begun of a house in Bohermeen, Navan, Co Meath, that was built 20 years ago without planning permission. Just after dawn, friends and neighbours using heavy machinery had helped family members remove everything from garden lights and marble countertops to flowerpots. Chris and Rose Murray built the large house at Faughan Hill, Bohermeen, Navan, in 2006 despite being refused planning permission by Meath County Council. Ultimately, Meath County Council took possession of the home on Monday with a High Court order, but a large number of the family’s belongings were still in their now-former home. Security staff were on hand to stop anyone getting too close to the property to watch the demolition work under way.
Source:The Irish Times
March 20, 2026 13:45 UTC
Children with life-threatening food allergies ‘forgotten’, parents tell TDs
Many families are being forced to seek treatment abroad, Oireachtas committee hearsParents must be constantly vigilant and ready to administer emergency treatment such as an EpiPen. Stock imageCork-based former ‘Hollyoaks’ actor Ali Bastian with her daughter Isla, who has multiple food allergiesParents of children with life-threatening food allergies have said they feel “forgotten”, suffering delayed diagnosis and being forced to go abroad for treatment. Eating out, holidays and everyday childhood experiences carry significant risk and demand careful planning.”Around 160,000 people, 1-2pc of adults and 5-6pc of children, live with food allergies. Parents must be constantly vigilant and ready to administer emergency treatment such as an EpiPen. Cork-based former ‘Hollyoaks’ actor Ali Bastian with her daughter Isla, who has multiple food allergiesMs Bastion, who now lives in west Cork, has a five-year-old daughter, Isla, who has multiple severe food allergies.
Source:Irish Independent
March 20, 2026 13:39 UTC
Herald Opinion: Covid times show us how fragile ordinary life can be
Last week marked the anniversary of the moment when Covid suddenly became real for Ireland. Children and young adults, meanwhile, were asked to adapt quickly to a world that had suddenly become smaller and more uncertain. In towns and villages across the country, ordinary life carried on in unusual ways. For nearly two years Covid reached into every corner of daily life — how we worked, how we travelled, how we met friends and neighbours, even how we mourned. Those months reminded us how fragile ordinary life can be — and how much we rely on one another when things go wrong.
Source:The Herald
March 20, 2026 13:38 UTC
Fifa rule all women’s teams must have female coaches
Fifa decreed on Thursday that all women’s teams competing in world tournaments must have a woman head or assistant coach on the bench. The rule, newly approved by the Fifa council, applies to national and club competitions at the senior and youth levels, including the 2027 Women’s World Cup in Brazil and this year’s Under-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland. Along with the female head or assistant coach, the edict mandates the presence of at least one more female staff member on each team’s bench. Seven of those sides now have a male head coach and four nations previously coached by men now have a woman in the role, The Telegraph reported. Maybe we need, actually, as well, more women coaches in women’s teams.
Source:The Irish Times
March 20, 2026 13:38 UTC
In an era of drone attacks on data centres, digital resilience is key
Recent attacks on digital infrastructure during the ongoing conflict in the Middle East highlight a reality that governments and businesses can no longer ignore — the systems sustaining modern economies are increasingly digital. In tandem with these physical attacks on digital infrastructure, we are also seeing the velocity of cyber incidents continuing to increase, with some linked to nation-state backed hackers. The shared digital infrastructure model has delivered enormous benefits, allowing organisations to innovate faster, scale services efficiently and deliver better outcomes. In highly digitised societies the resilience of shared infrastructure increasingly determines whether essential services can continue functioning during crisis. For this reason resilience can no longer be treated as something that can simply be delegated to technology providers or suppliers, because in an economy built on shared digital systems resilience must be deliberately engineered.
Source:Irish Examiner
March 20, 2026 13:32 UTC
Inside rugby’s law battles: How politics shapes the game
Photograph: Tim Clayton/Getty ImagesIn 2009, when I was coaching Ulster, World Rugby proposed a few sensible law changes that would allow players to execute quick lineout throws. When it comes to law reform, World Rugby is a geopolitical battlefield where conservatives, reformers and political animals of influence clash. World Rugby and their hard-working staff should be applauded for continuing the long struggle towards law reform with their series of conferences on The Shape of the Game. The goals of these meetings include growing rugby’s audience appeal, law innovation and game presentation, growing participation in the community game and sustainable growth of the women’s game. This type of refereeing error could and should be taken out of every rugby game.
Source:The Irish Times
March 20, 2026 13:31 UTC
Jessica Reynolds: ‘Being in the Kneecap film opened my eyes to my Irish identity’
Jessica Reynolds currently stars in A Woman of Substance on Channel 4. But also, for me, it really opened my eyes to Irish identity, and my Irish identity. But Kneecap really opened me up to that world, and Irish republicans, and how entrenched in culture those communities are. Jessica Reynolds with Kneecap at the Sundance film festivalCalling myself Irish makes the most sense to me. Jessica Reynolds currently stars in A Woman of Substance on Channel 4, streaming on channel4.com.
Source:The Irish Times
March 20, 2026 13:31 UTC
WNBA's hottest star Cameron Brink sends fans into meltdown with new bikini shots in Instagram photo dump
WNBA superstar Cameron Brink is back in Los Angeles enjoying her last few weeks of downtime ahead of the 2026 season. The 24-year-old flaunted her incredibly toned physique with a number of sizzling bikini photos, captioning the post: 'I missed LA.' In one video included in the carousel, Brink was captured posing for photos on a beach, sporting an eye-catching orange swimsuit. The 2026 WNBA season tips off on May 8 after the league and its players' union finally agreed to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement. The 24-year-old averaged 5.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game throughout the 2025 WNBA season.
Source:Daily Mail
March 20, 2026 13:26 UTC
Iranian man arrested after 'trying to get into nuclear submarine base'
Iranian man arrested after 'trying to get into nuclear submarine base'Police said a 34-year-old man and 31-year-old woman were arrested following the incident at HM Naval Base ClydeView Image A photograph shows a general view of HM Naval Base Clyde at Faslane (Image: ANDY BUCHANAN, AFP via Getty Images)An Iranian man has been arrested after trying to enter the naval base in Scotland where Britain's nuclear submarines are based. Police Scotland said that the 34-year-old and a 31-year-old woman were arrested on Thursday following the incident at HM Naval Base Clyde, which is known as Faslane. Sign up for the North Wales Live newsletter sent twice daily to your inboxA Navy spokesperson said: "Police Scotland have arrested two people who unsuccessfully attempted to enter HM Naval Base Clyde on Thursday 19 March. A Police Scotland spokesman said: "Around 5pm on Thursday, 19 March, 2026, we were made aware of two people attempting to enter HM Naval Base Clyde. Article continues below"A 34-year-old man and 31-year-old woman have been arrested in connection and enquiries are ongoing."
Source:Daily Mirror
March 20, 2026 13:22 UTC
Irish citizens across Middle East made almost 2,500 calls for assistance to Department of Foreign Affairs since Iran war began
The Department of Foreign Affairs has handled almost 2,500 calls to its crisis centre from Irish citizens across the Middle East since the start of the Iran war. A briefing document from the Department of Foreign Affairs showed that more than 2,450 Irish citizens across the Middle East were provided with direct consular assistance. It also said the Department handled 171 inbound calls to its consular crisis centre during the first weekend of the crisis, while the consular duty officer received 48 calls over the same period. Earlier this week, Qatar Airways have announced it will resume its flights between Doha and Dublin from Friday, March 20. It comes as two Government charter flights have operated from the war-torn Middle East to Dublin.
Source:Irish Independent
March 20, 2026 13:19 UTC
Postcards from the past – messages of love, loss and home from Irish diaspora
Postcards from the past – messages of love, loss and home from Irish diasporaUniversity project showcases online collection of messages sent to and from America in 1900sSome of the cards from the Imirce Collection at the University of Galway Library. Photo: Aengus McMahonKathy Donaghy Yesterday at 06:30If a picture paints a thousand words, the postcards sent by people in Ireland to their loved ones in the US in the 1900s speak volumes: stories of love, longing, loss and home.
Source:Irish Independent
March 20, 2026 13:14 UTC
Leading UK insurer Insurevo opens Carlow Office as it expands travel insurance business
Photo Credit: Brownes PhotographyLeading UK insurer Insurevo opens Carlow Office as it expands travel insurance businessInsurEvo, a leading UK insurance company has announced Carlow as the destination of its EU hub. The group's expansion into Ireland is designed to establish the country as a central operational hub, supporting both its business activities and European growth through JustCover, InsurEvo's leading travel insurance brand. InsurEvo is recruiting for a range of roles at its European hub in Carlow, spanning operational support, IT, HR, and administration. The ongoing transformation of SETU and the wider South East makes this the right place for long-term growth, innovation and job creation. Their decision to locate here, alongside a commitment to create 22 jobs, is a strong endorsement of the region’s talent base and the calibre of graduates emerging from South East Technological University."
Source:Irish Independent
March 20, 2026 13:12 UTC