Drug trafficking is a global criminal business that is undermining health and security in Europe. Criminal networks that sell illicit drugs such as cocaine and synthetic drugs drive violence and corruption in our streets. Drug abuse, particularly among the young, poses an increasing problem. The European Commission has responded to this challenge with a […]
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Dublin — 5 December 2025 — Ireland has secured €35 million in European Union funding to accelerate the rollout of next‑generation digital infrastructure, marking a significant boost to national connectivity and technological capacity. The investment, awarded under the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), will support high‑performance networks, 5G transport‑corridor pilots and Smart Community initiatives across the […]
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Dublin — 4 December 2025 — Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan has secured Cabinet approval for a €2.18 billion Sectoral Investment Plan for Justice, forming part of the State’s largest-ever National Development Plan (NDP) Review. The five‑year package represents an €800 million increase on the previous NDP allocation and will fund […]
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BUSINESS & MACRO Ghana Secures $20m UK‑Backed Loan to Boost MSMEs Ghana’s First National Bank (FNBG) has secured a US$20 million loan from British International Investment to expand credit access for micro-, small- and medium-sized enterprises. The facility is expected to support long‑term lending and working‑capital financing, offering a lifeline to businesses seeking to recover […]
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Dublin — 5 December 2025 — Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris spoke by phone on Friday with the UK Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, with both sides discussing key issues shaping the Ireland–UK relationship ahead of a pivotal year for European and regional cooperation. According to the Department of Finance, the conversation […]
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The 2024 forest fires report from the Commission’s Joint Research Centre confirms a longer and more intense fire season. Major fires have increased every year since 2017, and the 2024 data confirm the upward trend. The 2024 fire season ended with a total burnt area of 383,317 hectares. While this is lower than the 500,000 […]
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Two Illinois brothers were indicted yesterday in a superseding indictment on charges related to a scheme to defraud Medicare, Medicaid and private health care insurers and for participating in a money laundering conspiracy with the fraud proceeds. “These defendants are charged with a brazen scheme to steal nearly $300 million from vital health care […]
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Over three days, ministers, development partners and international agencies met to explore how LDCs can “graduate” successfully – meaning they have reached levels of income, education and resilience that lift them out of the UN’s most vulnerable grouping – and, crucially, stay out. The meeting focused on the Doha Programme of Action (DPOA), which aims […]
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Speaking on the sidelines of a key international meeting in support of landmine action taking place at UN Geneva, experts in the field explained how shrinking resources in Afghanistan and Nigeria have exposed civilians to unexploded ordnance. They stressed that mine action programmes, often viewed as long-term recovery initiatives, are in fact emergency humanitarian interventions […]
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The World Meteorological Organization’s (WMO) first State of the Climate in the Arab Region report paints a stark picture of a region under constant pressure from rising temperatures and increasingly extreme weather. The UN agency noted that “a number of countries [in the Arab region] reported temperatures of above 50°C (122°F) last year, while average […]
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