Ayoola Atitebi

The escalating trade war between US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping has rattled global markets, leaving many wondering which leader will back down first. Trump has imposed a massive 145-percent tariff on Chinese imports, with China retaliating with a 125-percent duty. On Tuesday, Trump ordered a national security review of critical mineral imports, mostly sourced from China. Meanwhile, Bloomberg reported China directed its airlines to halt Boeing jet deliveries and stop purchasing aircraft parts from US companies, while Hong Kong's postal service suspended US-bound mail. "A 145-percent tariff will make it impossible for China to sell to the US – the costs on both economies will be exceptionally high," said Vina Nadjibulla from the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada. "A complete decoupling is almost impossible to contemplate." Experts question whether Trump's administration has clear objectives beyond his […]

The Trump administration has filed a lawsuit against Maine for refusing to prohibit transgender athletes from competing in women's sports, escalating an ongoing conflict between President Trump and Governor Janet Mills. "The Department of Justice will not sit by when women are discriminated against in sports," declared US Attorney General Pam Bondi on Wednesday. "This is also about these young women's personal safety." Governor Mills responded that the issue has "never been about school sports of the protection of women and girls," accusing the federal government of "imposing its will" on states. The legal dispute centers on Title IX, a civil rights law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in educational programs. In February, Trump signed an executive order requiring that Title IX be interpreted to ban transgender women and girls from female sports competitions. According to the federal government, Maine's education […]

The Irish Government and Omagh Bombing Inquiry have established a formal agreement to allow investigators access to information held by the Irish State about the 1998 bombing that killed 29 people. A Memorandum of Understanding outlines arrangements for information sharing, with the Department of Justice creating a central contact point to handle all information requests. Further discussions will address additional cooperation, including whether witnesses from the Republic of Ireland will testify. Families of victims have demanded full disclosure of relevant intelligence from the Irish Government regarding the bombing, which occurred as dissident republicans attempted to derail the peace process following the Good Friday Agreement. Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan described the agreement as "an important step forward" that serves "the best interests of the victims' families and survivors." He noted that his department is already managing information requests and engaging with […]

President Donald Trump has escalated his confrontation with Harvard University, suggesting the institution should lose its tax-exempt status just hours after his administration froze over $2 billion in federal funding to the school. The White House has demanded Harvard implement significant changes to its hiring, admissions, and teaching practices, ostensibly to combat antisemitism on campus. Since returning to office, Trump has targeted elite universities by threatening to withhold federal research funds unless they comply with his administration's requirements. Harvard became the first major US university to reject these demands on Monday, with university officials accusing the White House of attempting to "control" their community. Trump responded Tuesday morning on Truth Social, targeting Harvard's valuable tax exemption: "Perhaps Harvard should lose its Tax Exempt Status and be Taxed as a Political Entity if it keeps pushing political, ideological, and terrorist inspired/supporting […]

Vehicles were set ablaze outside multiple French prisons and one facility was hit by automatic weapon gunfire during a series of overnight attacks across the country. Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin described the incidents as "intimidation attempts" and connected them to the government's intensifying efforts against drug trafficking operations. According to Le Parisien newspaper, seven prison facilities were targeted in the coordinated attacks: three in southern France (Toulon, Aix-En-Provence, and Marseille), two more in the south (Valence and Nîmes), and two near Paris (Villepinte and Nanterre). France's national anti-terrorism prosecutor's office has launched an investigation into the incidents. Darmanin announced on social media platform X that he was traveling to support affected officers at Toulon prison, which suffered gunfire damage. While not directly assigning blame, he stated that the government was "facing up to the problem of drug trafficking" with measures […]

The CEO of WEEE Ireland, the national compliance scheme for e-waste recycling, has criticized European recycling targets for failing to recognize the actual impact of the circular economy. Leo Donovan explained that Ireland's ability to meet the EU's 65% recycling target is becoming increasingly difficult each year—not due to failure, but because the targets don't account for the extended lifespan of modern electronics or the growing emphasis on repair and reuse. "The EU's current linear weight-based targets do not consider the extended lifespans of modern electronics or the growing emphasis on repair and reuse, meaning Ireland's true environmental progress goes unrecognised," Donovan stated. He pointed out that repaired or refurbished mobile phones don't count toward Ireland's official environmental performance, despite keeping raw materials in circulation. Similarly, newer appliances like solar PV panels and heat pumps, which typically last 15-20 years, […]

Ireland is joining a European maritime intelligence-sharing alliance to enhance its surveillance capabilities in EU waters. Tánaiste and Defence Minister Simon Harris has authorized the Defence Forces to formally join the Common Information Sharing Environment (CISE), a voluntary, decentralized network for sharing maritime surveillance information among EU and EEA countries and agencies. CISE enables various authorities, including coast guards, naval services, and customs, to exchange data securely in real time. Military and civil agencies from ten other European nations, including Spain, France, Italy, Greece, Norway, and Portugal, are already members of this recently operational alliance. The European Commission oversees the process while encouraging all EU countries to participate. Importantly, participants maintain control over their data and decide what information to share. Each member connects through a CISE "node" serving as a secure gateway for information exchange. Ireland's node will be […]

A former Assistant Garda Commissioner has donated a significant portion of his legal settlement to charity after successfully challenging his suspension by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris. Fintan Fanning, who is now pursuing studies to become a deacon in the Catholic Church, received damages and legal fees that reportedly cost the State approximately €250,000. Harris suspended Fanning and removed him from his position as Assistant Commissioner for the Eastern Region in January 2019 after the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) initiated an investigation based on allegations in a protected disclosure from another garda. Following Fanning's High Court challenge, he was reinstated the next month. GSOC subsequently informed the Commissioner that Fanning was no longer subject to a criminal investigation. Fanning has consistently maintained that his suspension was "unlawful, unprecedented and bizarre." The High Court heard that Commissioner Harris had told Fanning […]

The Government has defended its decision not to reconvene the Oireachtas committee on Traveller issues with Independent Senator Eileen Flynn as chair. Senator Flynn, who made history as the first Traveller elected to the Seanad, expressed disappointment at the decision. "Lived experience brings an invaluable perspective that cannot be replicated through well-intentioned advocacy," she stated last Thursday. She further emphasized that "the potential absence of a Traveller voice chairing, or even sitting on this committee constitutes a fundamental failure of representative democracy." In response, the Government explained that all 28 Oireachtas committees were distributed through the d'Hondt selection process last Wednesday at the Committee on Standing Orders and Dáil reform, with no objections raised by any party or grouping. According to the Government, making an exception for one committee would have resulted in the Opposition losing a committee chair, as […]