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tabindex="-1">Golf</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/sport/racing" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Racing</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/sport/athletics" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Athletics</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/sport/boxing" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Boxing</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/sport/cycling" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Cycling</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/sport/hockey" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Hockey</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/sport/tennis" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Tennis</a></li></ul></div></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><div data-testid="nav-chain-section-item-subsection" class="c-stack b-header-nav-chain__subsection-anchor subsection-anchor " data-style-direction="horizontal" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="center" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><a class="c-link" href="/your-money" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Your Money</a><button aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="header_sub_section_your-money" aria-label="Show Your Money sub sections" class="c-button c-button--medium c-button--default submenu-caret" type="button"><span><svg class="c-icon" width="20" height="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><path d="M256 416C247.812 416 239.62 412.875 233.38 406.625L41.38 214.625C28.88 202.125 28.88 181.875 41.38 169.375C53.88 156.875 74.13 156.875 86.63 169.375L256 338.8L425.4 169.4C437.9 156.9 458.15 156.9 470.65 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tabindex="-1">Crime & Law</a><button aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="header_sub_section_crime-law" aria-label="Show Crime & Law sub sections" class="c-button c-button--medium c-button--default submenu-caret" type="button"><span><svg class="c-icon" width="20" height="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><path d="M256 416C247.812 416 239.62 412.875 233.38 406.625L41.38 214.625C28.88 202.125 28.88 181.875 41.38 169.375C53.88 156.875 74.13 156.875 86.63 169.375L256 338.8L425.4 169.4C437.9 156.9 458.15 156.9 470.65 169.4C483.15 181.9 483.15 202.15 470.65 214.65L278.65 406.65C272.4 412.9 264.2 416 256 416Z"></path></svg></span></button></div><div class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-container "><ul class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-menu" id="header_sub_section_crime-law"><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/crime-law/courts" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Courts</a></li></ul></div></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><div data-testid="nav-chain-section-item-subsection" class="c-stack b-header-nav-chain__subsection-anchor subsection-anchor " data-style-direction="horizontal" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="center" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><a class="c-link" href="/property" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Property</a><button aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="header_sub_section_property" aria-label="Show Property sub sections" class="c-button c-button--medium c-button--default submenu-caret" type="button"><span><svg class="c-icon" width="20" height="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><path d="M256 416C247.812 416 239.62 412.875 233.38 406.625L41.38 214.625C28.88 202.125 28.88 181.875 41.38 169.375C53.88 156.875 74.13 156.875 86.63 169.375L256 338.8L425.4 169.4C437.9 156.9 458.15 156.9 470.65 169.4C483.15 181.9 483.15 202.15 470.65 214.65L278.65 406.65C272.4 412.9 264.2 416 256 416Z"></path></svg></span></button></div><div class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-container "><ul class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-menu" id="header_sub_section_property"><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/property/residential" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Residential</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/property/commercial-property" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Commercial Property</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/property/interiors" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Interiors</a></li></ul></div></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><div data-testid="nav-chain-section-item-subsection" class="c-stack b-header-nav-chain__subsection-anchor subsection-anchor " data-style-direction="horizontal" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="center" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><a class="c-link" href="/food" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Food</a><button aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="header_sub_section_food" aria-label="Show Food sub sections" class="c-button c-button--medium c-button--default submenu-caret" type="button"><span><svg class="c-icon" width="20" height="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><path d="M256 416C247.812 416 239.62 412.875 233.38 406.625L41.38 214.625C28.88 202.125 28.88 181.875 41.38 169.375C53.88 156.875 74.13 156.875 86.63 169.375L256 338.8L425.4 169.4C437.9 156.9 458.15 156.9 470.65 169.4C483.15 181.9 483.15 202.15 470.65 214.65L278.65 406.65C272.4 412.9 264.2 416 256 416Z"></path></svg></span></button></div><div class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-container "><ul class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-menu" id="header_sub_section_food"><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/food/drink" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Drink</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/food/recipes" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Recipes</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/food/restaurants" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Restaurants</a></li></ul></div></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><div data-testid="nav-chain-section-item-subsection" class="c-stack b-header-nav-chain__subsection-anchor subsection-anchor " data-style-direction="horizontal" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="center" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><a class="c-link" href="/health" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Health</a><button aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="header_sub_section_health" aria-label="Show Health sub sections" class="c-button c-button--medium c-button--default submenu-caret" type="button"><span><svg class="c-icon" width="20" height="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><path d="M256 416C247.812 416 239.62 412.875 233.38 406.625L41.38 214.625C28.88 202.125 28.88 181.875 41.38 169.375C53.88 156.875 74.13 156.875 86.63 169.375L256 338.8L425.4 169.4C437.9 156.9 458.15 156.9 470.65 169.4C483.15 181.9 483.15 202.15 470.65 214.65L278.65 406.65C272.4 412.9 264.2 416 256 416Z"></path></svg></span></button></div><div class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-container "><ul class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-menu" id="header_sub_section_health"><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/health/your-family" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Your Family</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/health/your-fitness" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Your Fitness</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/health/your-wellness" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Your Wellness</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/health/your-fitness/get-running" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Get Running</a></li></ul></div></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><div data-testid="nav-chain-section-item-subsection" class="c-stack b-header-nav-chain__subsection-anchor subsection-anchor " data-style-direction="horizontal" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="center" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><a class="c-link" href="/life-style" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Life & Style</a><button aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="header_sub_section_life-style" aria-label="Show Life & Style sub sections" class="c-button c-button--medium c-button--default submenu-caret" type="button"><span><svg class="c-icon" width="20" height="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><path d="M256 416C247.812 416 239.62 412.875 233.38 406.625L41.38 214.625C28.88 202.125 28.88 181.875 41.38 169.375C53.88 156.875 74.13 156.875 86.63 169.375L256 338.8L425.4 169.4C437.9 156.9 458.15 156.9 470.65 169.4C483.15 181.9 483.15 202.15 470.65 214.65L278.65 406.65C272.4 412.9 264.2 416 256 416Z"></path></svg></span></button></div><div class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-container "><ul class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-menu" id="header_sub_section_life-style"><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/life-style/fashion" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Fashion</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/tags/beauty/" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Beauty</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/life-style/fine-art-antiques" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Fine Art & Antiques</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/life-style/gardening" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Gardening</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/life-style/people" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">People</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/life-style/travel" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Travel</a></li></ul></div></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><div data-testid="nav-chain-section-item-subsection" class="c-stack b-header-nav-chain__subsection-anchor subsection-anchor " data-style-direction="horizontal" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="center" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><a class="c-link" href="/culture" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Culture</a><button aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="header_sub_section_culture" aria-label="Show Culture sub sections" class="c-button c-button--medium c-button--default submenu-caret" type="button"><span><svg class="c-icon" width="20" height="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><path d="M256 416C247.812 416 239.62 412.875 233.38 406.625L41.38 214.625C28.88 202.125 28.88 181.875 41.38 169.375C53.88 156.875 74.13 156.875 86.63 169.375L256 338.8L425.4 169.4C437.9 156.9 458.15 156.9 470.65 169.4C483.15 181.9 483.15 202.15 470.65 214.65L278.65 406.65C272.4 412.9 264.2 416 256 416Z"></path></svg></span></button></div><div 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href="/culture/tv-radio" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">TV & Radio</a></li></ul></div></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><div data-testid="nav-chain-section-item-subsection" class="c-stack b-header-nav-chain__subsection-anchor subsection-anchor " data-style-direction="horizontal" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="center" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><a class="c-link" href="/environment" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Environment</a><button aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="header_sub_section_environment" aria-label="Show Environment sub sections" class="c-button c-button--medium c-button--default submenu-caret" type="button"><span><svg class="c-icon" width="20" height="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><path d="M256 416C247.812 416 239.62 412.875 233.38 406.625L41.38 214.625C28.88 202.125 28.88 181.875 41.38 169.375C53.88 156.875 74.13 156.875 86.63 169.375L256 338.8L425.4 169.4C437.9 156.9 458.15 156.9 470.65 169.4C483.15 181.9 483.15 202.15 470.65 214.65L278.65 406.65C272.4 412.9 264.2 416 256 416Z"></path></svg></span></button></div><div class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-container "><ul class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-menu" id="header_sub_section_environment"><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/environment/climate-crisis" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Climate Crisis</a></li></ul></div></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><div data-testid="nav-chain-section-item-subsection" class="c-stack b-header-nav-chain__subsection-anchor subsection-anchor " data-style-direction="horizontal" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="center" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><a class="c-link" href="/technology" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Technology</a><button aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="header_sub_section_technology" aria-label="Show Technology sub sections" class="c-button c-button--medium c-button--default submenu-caret" type="button"><span><svg class="c-icon" width="20" height="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><path d="M256 416C247.812 416 239.62 412.875 233.38 406.625L41.38 214.625C28.88 202.125 28.88 181.875 41.38 169.375C53.88 156.875 74.13 156.875 86.63 169.375L256 338.8L425.4 169.4C437.9 156.9 458.15 156.9 470.65 169.4C483.15 181.9 483.15 202.15 470.65 214.65L278.65 406.65C272.4 412.9 264.2 416 256 416Z"></path></svg></span></button></div><div class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-container "><ul class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-menu" id="header_sub_section_technology"><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/technology/big-tech" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Big Tech</a></li><li class="subsection-item" 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aria-label="Show Science sub sections" class="c-button c-button--medium c-button--default submenu-caret" type="button"><span><svg class="c-icon" width="20" height="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><path d="M256 416C247.812 416 239.62 412.875 233.38 406.625L41.38 214.625C28.88 202.125 28.88 181.875 41.38 169.375C53.88 156.875 74.13 156.875 86.63 169.375L256 338.8L425.4 169.4C437.9 156.9 458.15 156.9 470.65 169.4C483.15 181.9 483.15 202.15 470.65 214.65L278.65 406.65C272.4 412.9 264.2 416 256 416Z"></path></svg></span></button></div><div class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-container "><ul class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-menu" id="header_sub_section_science"><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/science/space" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Space</a></li></ul></div></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><a class="c-link" href="/media" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Media</a></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><a class="c-link" href="/abroad" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Abroad</a></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><a class="c-link" href="/obituaries" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Obituaries</a></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><a class="c-link" href="/transport" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Transport</a></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><div data-testid="nav-chain-section-item-subsection" class="c-stack b-header-nav-chain__subsection-anchor subsection-anchor " data-style-direction="horizontal" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="center" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><a class="c-link" href="/motors" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Motors</a><button aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="header_sub_section_motors" aria-label="Show Motors sub sections" class="c-button c-button--medium c-button--default submenu-caret" type="button"><span><svg class="c-icon" width="20" height="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><path d="M256 416C247.812 416 239.62 412.875 233.38 406.625L41.38 214.625C28.88 202.125 28.88 181.875 41.38 169.375C53.88 156.875 74.13 156.875 86.63 169.375L256 338.8L425.4 169.4C437.9 156.9 458.15 156.9 470.65 169.4C483.15 181.9 483.15 202.15 470.65 214.65L278.65 406.65C272.4 412.9 264.2 416 256 416Z"></path></svg></span></button></div><div class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-container "><ul class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-menu" id="header_sub_section_motors"><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/motors/car-reviews/" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Car Reviews</a></li></ul></div></li><li 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28.88 181.875 41.38 169.375C53.88 156.875 74.13 156.875 86.63 169.375L256 338.8L425.4 169.4C437.9 156.9 458.15 156.9 470.65 169.4C483.15 181.9 483.15 202.15 470.65 214.65L278.65 406.65C272.4 412.9 264.2 416 256 416Z"></path></svg></span></button></div><div class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-container "><ul class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-menu" id="header_sub_section_podcasts"><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/podcasts/in-the-news" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">In the News Podcast</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/podcasts/inside-politics" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Inside Politics Podcast</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/podcasts/the-womens-podcast" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">The Women's Podcast</a></li><li class="subsection-item" 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aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Photography</a></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><div data-testid="nav-chain-section-item-subsection" class="c-stack b-header-nav-chain__subsection-anchor subsection-anchor " data-style-direction="horizontal" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="center" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><a class="c-link" href="/history" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">History</a><button aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="header_sub_section_history" aria-label="Show History sub sections" class="c-button c-button--medium c-button--default submenu-caret" type="button"><span><svg class="c-icon" width="20" height="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><path d="M256 416C247.812 416 239.62 412.875 233.38 406.625L41.38 214.625C28.88 202.125 28.88 181.875 41.38 169.375C53.88 156.875 74.13 156.875 86.63 169.375L256 338.8L425.4 169.4C437.9 156.9 458.15 156.9 470.65 169.4C483.15 181.9 483.15 202.15 470.65 214.65L278.65 406.65C272.4 412.9 264.2 416 256 416Z"></path></svg></span></button></div><div class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-container "><ul class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-menu" id="header_sub_section_history"><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/history/century" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Century</a></li></ul></div></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><a class="c-link" href="/tuarascail" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Tuarascáil</a></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><a class="c-link" href="/student-hub" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Student Hub</a></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><a class="c-link" href="/offbeat" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Offbeat</a></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><a class="c-link" href="https://notices.irishtimes.com" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1" rel="noreferrer" target="_blank">Family Notices<span class="visually-hidden">Opens in new window</span></a></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><div data-testid="nav-chain-section-item-subsection" class="c-stack b-header-nav-chain__subsection-anchor subsection-anchor " data-style-direction="horizontal" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="center" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><a class="c-link" href="/sponsored" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Sponsored</a><button aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="header_sub_section_sponsored" aria-label="Show Sponsored sub sections" class="c-button c-button--medium c-button--default submenu-caret" type="button"><span><svg class="c-icon" width="20" height="20" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 512 512" fill="currentColor" aria-hidden="true" focusable="false"><path d="M256 416C247.812 416 239.62 412.875 233.38 406.625L41.38 214.625C28.88 202.125 28.88 181.875 41.38 169.375C53.88 156.875 74.13 156.875 86.63 169.375L256 338.8L425.4 169.4C437.9 156.9 458.15 156.9 470.65 169.4C483.15 181.9 483.15 202.15 470.65 214.65L278.65 406.65C272.4 412.9 264.2 416 256 416Z"></path></svg></span></button></div><div class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-container "><ul class="b-header-nav-chain__subsection-menu" id="header_sub_section_sponsored"><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/advertising-feature" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Advertising Feature</a></li><li class="subsection-item" data-testid="nav-chain-subsection-item"><a class="c-link" href="/special-reports" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Special Reports</a></li></ul></div></li><li class="section-item" data-testid="nav-chain-section-item"><a class="c-link" href="/subscriber-rewards/" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1">Subscriber Rewards</a></li><li 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arcad-feature" style="--mobile-display:none;--tablet-display:block;--desktop-display:block"><div class="arcad-container width_100" style="max-width:970px"><div id="arcad_f0fGd6HI4sMH6B3-18798a90ccfd31" class="arcad ad-970x90"></div></div></div><div class="c-stack b-section-title" data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="unset" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><h1 class="c-heading">World</h1><div class="b-section-title__links"><a class="c-link" href="/world/europe/">Europe</a><span class="c-separator"></span><a class="c-link" href="/world/europe/ukraine-war/">Ukraine War</a><span class="c-separator"></span><a class="c-link" href="/world/uk/">UK</a><span class="c-separator"></span><a class="c-link" href="/world/us/">US</a><span class="c-separator"></span><a class="c-link" href="/world/canada/">Canada</a><span class="c-separator"></span><a class="c-link" href="/world/australia/">Australia</a><span class="c-separator"></span><a class="c-link" href="/world/africa/">Africa</a><span class="c-separator"></span><a class="c-link" href="/world/americas/">Americas</a><span class="c-separator"></span><a class="c-link" href="/world/asia-pacific/">Asia-Pacific</a><span class="c-separator"></span><a class="c-link" href="/world/middle-east/">Middle East</a></div></div><hr class="c-divider b-it-divider-block"/><div id="lazy_46982" class="lazy_container"><div class="b-flex-chain"><div class="b-flex-chain__grid-container b-flex-chain__grid-container__633 has-divider gap-divider"><div class="c-stack grid-item grid-column-span-6" data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="unset" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><div class="c-stack b-flex-promo-list-block" data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="unset" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap" style="--c-stack-gap:1rem"><article 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data-style-alignment="center" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap" style="--c-stack-gap:0"><span class="c-stack b-it-overline-block__text" data-style-direction="horizontal" data-style-justification="center" data-style-alignment="center" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="wrap"><a class="c-link false" href="/world/europe/">Europe</a></span></div></div><div class="b-flex-promo-card__text-no-overline"><h3 class="c-heading c-heading__lg text-align_left"><a class="c-link font-bold" href="/world/europe/2025/03/09/incoming-german-coalition-promises-crack-down-on-immigration/">Incoming German coalition promises crack down on immigration</a></h3><p class="c-paragraph"><a class="c-link b-flex-promo-card__link" href="/world/europe/2025/03/09/incoming-german-coalition-promises-crack-down-on-immigration/">CDU leader indicates he is open to common European nuclear umbrella</a></p><div class="b-flex-promo-card__metadata"><span class="c-it-byline c-it-byline--list"><span>By</span><span> Derek Scally</span><span class="c-separator"></span></span><time class="c-it-promo-date" dateTime="2025-03-09T19:00:01Z">Sun Mar 09 2025 - 19:00</time></div></div></div></article></div></div><div class="c-stack grid-item grid-column-span-3" data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="unset" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><div class="c-stack b-flex-promo-list-block" data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="unset" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap" style="--c-stack-gap:1rem"><article class="b-flex-promo-card b-flex-promo-card__left-hide b-flex-promo-card__image-square-mobile-left c-it-border__bottom c-it-border--mobile c-it-border--tablet c-it-border--desktop"><figure class="c-media-item"><a class="c-link b-flex-promo-card__link" href="/world/2025/03/09/new-gaza-ceasefire-and-hostage-deal-possible-in-weeks-says-us-envoy/" 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height="533"/></a></figure><div class="b-flex-promo-card__text"><div class="b-flex-promo-card__text-no-overline"><h3 class="c-heading c-heading__sm text-align_left"><a class="c-link font-bold" href="/world/middle-east/2025/03/07/bid-to-oust-attorney-general-a-renewal-of-israeli-governments-judicial-overhaul-plan/">Bid to oust attorney general a renewal of Israeli government’s judicial overhaul plan</a></h3><div class="b-flex-promo-card__metadata"><span class="c-it-byline c-it-byline--list"><span>By</span><span> Mark Weiss</span></span></div></div></div></article></div></div><div class="c-stack grid-item " data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="unset" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><div class="c-stack b-flex-promo-list-block" data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="unset" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap" style="--c-stack-gap:1rem"><article 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https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/TXHC2JAOPLDT77PONWBMNIJDS4.jpg?smart=true&auth=cf69f472960e8949357aebbe27c4daee826e4860214593bfe7256ff5e906e3f4&width=400&height=266 400w, https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/TXHC2JAOPLDT77PONWBMNIJDS4.jpg?smart=true&auth=cf69f472960e8949357aebbe27c4daee826e4860214593bfe7256ff5e906e3f4&width=600&height=399 600w, https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/TXHC2JAOPLDT77PONWBMNIJDS4.jpg?smart=true&auth=cf69f472960e8949357aebbe27c4daee826e4860214593bfe7256ff5e906e3f4&width=800&height=533 800w, https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/TXHC2JAOPLDT77PONWBMNIJDS4.jpg?smart=true&auth=cf69f472960e8949357aebbe27c4daee826e4860214593bfe7256ff5e906e3f4&width=1200&height=799 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 400px, (max-width: 800px) 50vw, 100vw" width="800" height="533"/></a></figure><div class="b-flex-promo-card__text"><div class="b-flex-promo-card__text-no-overline"><h3 class="c-heading c-heading__sm text-align_left"><a class="c-link font-bold" href="/world/middle-east/2025/03/05/israeli-security-services-point-finger-at-netanyahu-as-they-own-up-to-errors-over-hamass-october-7-incursion/">Israeli security services point finger at Netanyahu as they own up to errors over Hamas’s October 7th incursion</a></h3><div class="b-flex-promo-card__metadata"><span class="c-it-byline c-it-byline--list"><span>By</span><span> Mark Weiss</span></span></div></div></div></article></div></div></div></div></div><hr class="c-divider b-it-divider-block"/><div id="arcad-feature-f0fS6eZ86sMH6QW-f2ee8596e38b3" class="default__StyledAdUnit-sc-1moicrg-0 gKEhzJ arcad-feature" style="min-height:107px;--mobile-display:block;--tablet-display:block;--desktop-display:block"><div class="arcad-container width_100" style="max-width:970px"><div id="arcad_f0fS6eZ86sMH6QW-f2ee8596e38b3" class="arcad ad-970x90"></div></div></div><hr class="c-divider b-it-divider-block"/><div class="c-grid b-it-header-block"><div class="b-it-header-block__header-block align-center font-normal "><div class="c-stack b-it-header-block__heading-h5 align-center font-normal" data-style-direction="horizontal" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="center" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><div class="c-stack headline-block" data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="unset" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap" style="--c-stack-gap:0"><h2 as="h5" class="c-heading align-center font-normal margin_none">HIGHLIGHTS</h2></div></div></div></div><div id="lazy_22859" class="lazy_container"><div class="b-flex-chain"><div class="b-flex-chain__grid-container b-flex-chain__grid-container__444 gap"><div class="c-stack grid-item " data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="unset" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><div class="c-stack b-flex-promo-list-block" data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="unset" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap" style="--c-stack-gap:1rem"><article class="b-flex-promo-card b-flex-promo-card__top c-it-border__bottom c-it-border--mobile c-it-border--tablet c-it-border--desktop"><figure class="c-media-item"><a class="c-link b-flex-promo-card__link" href="/world/middle-east/2025/03/09/hebrew-graffiti-and-a-mass-funeral-in-a-lebanese-village-on-the-israeli-border/" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><img fetchpriority="low" data-chromatic="ignore" alt="Hebrew graffiti and a mass funeral in a Lebanese village on the Israeli border" class="c-image b-flex-promo-card__mobile-image-3-2 b-flex-promo-card__desktop-image-3-2" loading="lazy" src="https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/ZYKZNRJVZFGX5PUQYS57XCFDPE.jpg?smart=true&auth=d13c8dcbdd239e8b863ae6aa795018cfa67d0f1a52e5138f884a30824a41bfa4&width=800&height=533" 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height="533"/></a></figure><div class="b-flex-promo-card__text"><div class="b-flex-promo-card__text-no-overline"><h3 class="c-heading c-heading__md-sm text-align_center"><a class="c-link font-normal" href="/world/middle-east/2025/03/09/hebrew-graffiti-and-a-mass-funeral-in-a-lebanese-village-on-the-israeli-border/">Hebrew graffiti and a mass funeral in a Lebanese village on the Israeli border</a></h3></div></div></article><article class="b-flex-promo-card b-flex-promo-card__top c-it-border__bottom c-it-border--mobile"><figure class="c-media-item"><a class="c-link b-flex-promo-card__link" href="/world/middle-east/2025/03/08/hamas-leaders-release-reopens-old-wounds-in-israel/" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><img fetchpriority="low" data-chromatic="ignore" alt="Hamas leader’s release reopens old wounds in Israel" class="c-image b-flex-promo-card__mobile-image-3-2 b-flex-promo-card__desktop-image-3-2" loading="lazy" src="https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/ZCYXQE6DJGN4Z7QGVTW7Y6SU7E.jpg?smart=true&auth=3fa954f9a4d1dbcde69c97f421faddf6e834f36ec096d39e712af69637dbb0a2&width=800&height=533" srcSet="https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/ZCYXQE6DJGN4Z7QGVTW7Y6SU7E.jpg?smart=true&auth=3fa954f9a4d1dbcde69c97f421faddf6e834f36ec096d39e712af69637dbb0a2&width=200&height=133 200w, https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/ZCYXQE6DJGN4Z7QGVTW7Y6SU7E.jpg?smart=true&auth=3fa954f9a4d1dbcde69c97f421faddf6e834f36ec096d39e712af69637dbb0a2&width=400&height=266 400w, https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/ZCYXQE6DJGN4Z7QGVTW7Y6SU7E.jpg?smart=true&auth=3fa954f9a4d1dbcde69c97f421faddf6e834f36ec096d39e712af69637dbb0a2&width=600&height=399 600w, https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/ZCYXQE6DJGN4Z7QGVTW7Y6SU7E.jpg?smart=true&auth=3fa954f9a4d1dbcde69c97f421faddf6e834f36ec096d39e712af69637dbb0a2&width=800&height=533 800w, https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/ZCYXQE6DJGN4Z7QGVTW7Y6SU7E.jpg?smart=true&auth=3fa954f9a4d1dbcde69c97f421faddf6e834f36ec096d39e712af69637dbb0a2&width=1200&height=799 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 400px, (max-width: 800px) 50vw, 100vw" width="800" height="533"/></a></figure><div class="b-flex-promo-card__text"><div class="b-flex-promo-card__text-no-overline"><h3 class="c-heading c-heading__md-sm text-align_center"><a class="c-link font-normal" href="/world/middle-east/2025/03/08/hamas-leaders-release-reopens-old-wounds-in-israel/">Hamas leader’s release reopens old wounds in Israel</a></h3></div></div></article></div></div><div class="c-stack grid-item " data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="unset" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><div class="c-stack b-flex-promo-list-block" data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="unset" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap" style="--c-stack-gap:1rem"><article class="b-flex-promo-card b-flex-promo-card__top c-it-border__bottom c-it-border--mobile c-it-border--tablet c-it-border--desktop"><figure class="c-media-item"><a class="c-link b-flex-promo-card__link" href="/world/europe/2025/03/08/europes-trump-whisperers-starmer-macron-and-meloni/" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><img fetchpriority="low" data-chromatic="ignore" alt="Europe’s Trump whisperers: Starmer, Macron and Meloni seem like an odd grouping" class="c-image b-flex-promo-card__mobile-image-3-2 b-flex-promo-card__desktop-image-3-2" loading="lazy" src="https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/KEIZI7FTOBD7LNMHAXMHZGSWCU.jpg?smart=true&auth=44a7b10cfa2088e174c90f9ecec72c9c8dbe30c99454fd89a751a3460dd0ea3c&width=800&height=533" srcSet="https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/KEIZI7FTOBD7LNMHAXMHZGSWCU.jpg?smart=true&auth=44a7b10cfa2088e174c90f9ecec72c9c8dbe30c99454fd89a751a3460dd0ea3c&width=200&height=133 200w, 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href="/world/europe/2025/03/08/europes-trump-whisperers-starmer-macron-and-meloni/">Europe’s Trump whisperers: Starmer, Macron and Meloni seem like an odd grouping</a></h3></div></div></article><article class="b-flex-promo-card b-flex-promo-card__top c-it-border__bottom c-it-border--mobile"><figure class="c-media-item"><a class="c-link b-flex-promo-card__link" href="/world/us/2025/03/07/they-would-force-the-largest-medicaid-cuts-in-us-history-to-pay-for-tax-cuts-for-billionaires/" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><img fetchpriority="low" data-chromatic="ignore" alt="‘This is a complete betrayal of the middle class’: Democrats rail against Trump’s plans for Medicaid" class="c-image b-flex-promo-card__mobile-image-3-2 b-flex-promo-card__desktop-image-3-2" loading="lazy" src="https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/6DMFT5W4AZVMZGXSR7KHRFTZDI.jpg?smart=true&auth=620340b6a4750f8279ff8340d47e8df6aac0a13607b9c630cf7c8469ad2d97aa&width=800&height=533" srcSet="https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/6DMFT5W4AZVMZGXSR7KHRFTZDI.jpg?smart=true&auth=620340b6a4750f8279ff8340d47e8df6aac0a13607b9c630cf7c8469ad2d97aa&width=200&height=133 200w, https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/6DMFT5W4AZVMZGXSR7KHRFTZDI.jpg?smart=true&auth=620340b6a4750f8279ff8340d47e8df6aac0a13607b9c630cf7c8469ad2d97aa&width=400&height=266 400w, https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/6DMFT5W4AZVMZGXSR7KHRFTZDI.jpg?smart=true&auth=620340b6a4750f8279ff8340d47e8df6aac0a13607b9c630cf7c8469ad2d97aa&width=600&height=399 600w, https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/6DMFT5W4AZVMZGXSR7KHRFTZDI.jpg?smart=true&auth=620340b6a4750f8279ff8340d47e8df6aac0a13607b9c630cf7c8469ad2d97aa&width=800&height=533 800w, https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/6DMFT5W4AZVMZGXSR7KHRFTZDI.jpg?smart=true&auth=620340b6a4750f8279ff8340d47e8df6aac0a13607b9c630cf7c8469ad2d97aa&width=1200&height=799 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 400px, (max-width: 800px) 50vw, 100vw" width="800" height="533"/></a></figure><div class="b-flex-promo-card__text"><div class="b-flex-promo-card__text-no-overline"><h3 class="c-heading c-heading__md-sm text-align_center"><a class="c-link font-normal" href="/world/us/2025/03/07/they-would-force-the-largest-medicaid-cuts-in-us-history-to-pay-for-tax-cuts-for-billionaires/">‘This is a complete betrayal of the middle class’: Democrats rail against Trump’s plans for Medicaid</a></h3></div></div></article></div></div><div class="c-stack grid-item " data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="unset" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><div id="arcad-feature-f0fqxzho6sMH66A-14457dae64bdf3" class="default__StyledAdUnit-sc-1moicrg-0 kjbLvz arcad-feature" style="--mobile-display:block;--tablet-display:block;--desktop-display:block"><div class="arcad-container width_100" style="max-width:fluidpx"><div id="arcad_f0fqxzho6sMH66A-14457dae64bdf3" class="arcad ad-fluid"></div></div></div><div id="fusion-static-enter:html-block-f0fuMJ29mbuP7CU" style="display:none" data-fusion-component="html-block-f0fuMJ29mbuP7CU"></div><div><hr class></div><div id="fusion-static-exit:html-block-f0fuMJ29mbuP7CU" style="display:none" data-fusion-component="html-block-f0fuMJ29mbuP7CU"></div><div class="c-stack b-flex-promo-list-block" data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="unset" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap" style="--c-stack-gap:1rem"><article class="b-flex-promo-card b-flex-promo-card__top"><figure class="c-media-item"><a class="c-link b-flex-promo-card__link" href="/world/middle-east/2025/03/07/civilians-put-themselves-in-firing-line-between-turkey-and-northeast-syria/" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><img fetchpriority="low" data-chromatic="ignore" alt="Civilians put themselves in firing line between Turkey and northeast Syria" class="c-image b-flex-promo-card__mobile-image-3-2 b-flex-promo-card__desktop-image-3-2" loading="lazy" src="https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/2GSZ4CAI6NB7LN4VVXH5LGNZOQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=fbcff88d4f54f72e0f5794fa5d830a8e1b067c46ef6e04a4e66a7eccb85a7771&width=800&height=533" srcSet="https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/2GSZ4CAI6NB7LN4VVXH5LGNZOQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=fbcff88d4f54f72e0f5794fa5d830a8e1b067c46ef6e04a4e66a7eccb85a7771&width=200&height=133 200w, https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/2GSZ4CAI6NB7LN4VVXH5LGNZOQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=fbcff88d4f54f72e0f5794fa5d830a8e1b067c46ef6e04a4e66a7eccb85a7771&width=400&height=266 400w, https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/2GSZ4CAI6NB7LN4VVXH5LGNZOQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=fbcff88d4f54f72e0f5794fa5d830a8e1b067c46ef6e04a4e66a7eccb85a7771&width=600&height=399 600w, https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/2GSZ4CAI6NB7LN4VVXH5LGNZOQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=fbcff88d4f54f72e0f5794fa5d830a8e1b067c46ef6e04a4e66a7eccb85a7771&width=800&height=533 800w, https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/2GSZ4CAI6NB7LN4VVXH5LGNZOQ.jpg?smart=true&auth=fbcff88d4f54f72e0f5794fa5d830a8e1b067c46ef6e04a4e66a7eccb85a7771&width=1200&height=799 1200w" sizes="(max-width: 400px) 400px, (max-width: 800px) 50vw, 100vw" width="800" height="533"/></a></figure><div class="b-flex-promo-card__text"><div class="b-flex-promo-card__text-no-overline"><h3 class="c-heading c-heading__md-sm text-align_center"><a class="c-link font-normal" href="/world/middle-east/2025/03/07/civilians-put-themselves-in-firing-line-between-turkey-and-northeast-syria/">Civilians put themselves in firing line between Turkey and northeast Syria</a></h3></div></div></article></div></div></div></div></div><hr class="c-divider b-it-divider-block"/><div class="c-grid b-it-header-block"><div class="b-it-header-block__header-block align-center font-normal "><div class="c-stack b-it-header-block__heading-h5 align-center font-normal" data-style-direction="horizontal" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="center" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><div class="c-stack headline-block" data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="unset" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap" style="--c-stack-gap:0"><h2 as="h5" class="c-heading align-center font-normal margin_none">FROM OUR CORRESPONDENTS </h2></div></div></div></div><div id="lazy_82457" class="lazy_container"><div class="b-flex-chain"><div class="b-flex-chain__grid-container b-flex-chain__grid-container__444 gap"><div class="c-stack grid-item " data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="unset" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><div direction="vertical" wrap="wrap" class="c-grid b-it-our-writers"><div class="c-stack b-it-our-writers__writer" data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="start" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><div class="c-stack b-it-our-writers__writer_promo image_hide" data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="unset" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><a class="c-link" href="/world/us/2025/03/08/america-letter-selma-still-struggles-60-years-on-from-march-for-civil-rights/"><div style="aspect-ratio:1.7777777777777777;background-color:var(--global-neutral-1)" class=""><img data-chromatic="ignore" alt="Promo Image" class="c-image" loading="lazy" src="https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/FTBJUHG5YVDOHKK674ZDNJNLC4.jpg?focal=819%2C421&auth=6066a5d0a42b45df0b43029325857d7852da853c096417ec9a6e642a0491bb27&width=800&height=450" srcSet="https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/FTBJUHG5YVDOHKK674ZDNJNLC4.jpg?focal=819%2C421&auth=6066a5d0a42b45df0b43029325857d7852da853c096417ec9a6e642a0491bb27&width=400&height=225 400w, 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Duggan</h3></a><a class="c-link" href="/world/us/2025/03/08/america-letter-selma-still-struggles-60-years-on-from-march-for-civil-rights/"><h4 class="c-heading b-it-our-writers__writer_description">America Letter: Selma still struggles 60 years on from march for civil rights</h4></a></div><div class="c-stack b-it-our-writers__writer_image" data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="center" data-style-alignment="start" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><a class="c-link" href="/world/us/2025/03/08/america-letter-selma-still-struggles-60-years-on-from-march-for-civil-rights/"><img data-chromatic="ignore" alt="Keith Duggan" class="c-image" loading="lazy" src="https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/https%3A%2F%2Fs3.amazonaws.com%2Farc-authors%2Firishtimes%2F142e9869-5a99-49bd-a9f5-90adedbadb25.png?auth=1c06bc7c835e4be10e82a2801f2f5eedf66f511cf61e427371c21f70fb071728&width=118" 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data-style-direction="vertical" data-style-justification="start" data-style-alignment="unset" data-style-inline="false" data-style-wrap="nowrap"><div class="b-results-list b-results-list--show-image"><figure class="c-media-item"><a class="c-link" href="/world/australia/2025/03/09/storm-alfred-australia-experiences/" aria-hidden="true" tabindex="-1"><img data-chromatic="ignore" alt="‘Half the city is without power’: Readers in Australia share their storm experiences" class="c-image" loading="eager" src="https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/WXV5STKNPZON6YEHPMOHNNKQLY.jpg?smart=true&auth=d0355721eaa762b5c73fe5549f458b4493275c6605d0e7f67edbcf3b11e783f1&width=500&height=333" srcSet="https://www.irishtimes.com/resizer/v2/WXV5STKNPZON6YEHPMOHNNKQLY.jpg?smart=true&auth=d0355721eaa762b5c73fe5549f458b4493275c6605d0e7f67edbcf3b11e783f1&width=250&height=166 250w, 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","type":"text"},{"_id":"XQLBALP7NVHC3IDA4EFM5CCELE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Asked in a radio interview about the hot-button migration issue, which saw the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) surge to second place in last month’s election, Merz said he was open to “European solidarity ... but Germany also naturally has a right to defend its own security and order”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4VNW7C5UH5BBNPZJW6GCQNURFE","additional_properties":{},"content":"CDU leaders are under pressure to reduce irregular migration, days after performing a big U-turn on campaign promises and agreeing to nearly €1 trillion in borrowing for defence and infrastructure.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BRFJHAHCSBEL7MBXLSFDVJ7UWE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Concern about European security following the election of Donald Trump as US president has seen Merz, a lifelong Atlanticist, warm to the idea of a shared nuclear deterrent in Europe.","type":"text"},{"_id":"L4M4UAGXKRCSNHBXLR52IVDI5A","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We have to become stronger together in nuclear deterrence,” said Merz in his radio interview. He promised to talk to France and the UK about sharing their nuclear deterrent to “supplement the American nuclear shield, which we of course want to see maintained”. Merz said he would stand by postwar agreements binding Germany to non-nuclear defence. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"ELLPTKNSLRE2TG6IZ4NKJW5R7E","additional_properties":{},"content":"The CDU leader’s plan, to form a coalition by Easter Sunday, which falls on April 20th, hinges now on two key votes in the coming fortnight for infrastructure and defence spending ","type":"text"},{"_id":"64XY5XDXSZFOLCURCQ2SZGAYWE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Both require a supermajority in the German parliament to modify the so-called “debt brake”, requiring in turn the backing of the Green Party. It has been non-committal so far and on Sunday Merz promised to “integrate climate protection measures” into the two deals going before the Bundestag.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5SZETSTZ2JGE5BZFROEK2KBNBY","additional_properties":{},"content":"On Saturday, Green leaders said the incoming coalition’s hardline migration promises meant their party was “further from agreement than in recent days”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HRLTA3WYRFDVHMFBWLISUXZCUM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Rubbing salt into CDU wounds, Green co-leader Felix Banaszak accused the incoming coalition of wanting to “throw money at everything” in order to fulfil their election promises “without tackling any structural reforms”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"USD3RHX6MFG2PNW7S5UILLMQKA","additional_properties":{},"content":"This is a key concern of many CDU backbenchers, who face claims of misleading voters for campaigning on a structural reform platform, not a trillion-euro giveaway. In his radio interview Merz insisted his government was “not opening the floodgates” to unlimited spending.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3ZWPD2NY3BB67HBZHQ6TPRZTNY","additional_properties":{},"content":"With an eye on <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\">Ukraine</a>, Merz sounded hopeful that “in the coming days and weeks there may be a prospect of lasting peace, or at least a temporary ceasefire”.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Derek Scally"}},"name":"Derek Scally"}]},"description":{"basic":"CDU leader indicates he is open to common European nuclear umbrella"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T19:00:01Z","headlines":{"basic":"Incoming German coalition promises crack down on immigration","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"2RKRR2I3I5TEYZ7H6QFGXP6L4E","auth":{"1":"b71774fd6b43b13cea69cc4aaf419d323a7ede606c1237d11ae5154beb6e3956"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/2RKRR2I3I5TEYZ7H6QFGXP6L4E.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/09/incoming-german-coalition-promises-crack-down-on-immigration/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"NMLGLDTIEBAN7ODHQ2MAEDCJPE","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":153,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/480b35a8-b911-48ad-923d-4c1149836807/versions/1741540282/media/a505a77783c20f879c5d364b961f66a6_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/2025/03/09/new-gaza-ceasefire-and-hostage-deal-possible-in-weeks-says-us-envoy/","content_elements":[{"_id":"RDDUFGAOKZBR7HILUQLGV7TUFU","additional_properties":{},"content":"A new <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza-strip/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza-strip/\">Gaza</a> ceasefire deal under which <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\">Israel</a> would recover all hostages held by <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas/\">Hamas</a> is possible, even within weeks, a US negotiator said after holding rare direct talks with the Palestinian militant group.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6IT2VXL2DRFGFGSS6WA2REOBOE","additional_properties":{},"content":"A six-week truce mediated by Qatar and Egypt expired on March 2nd, leaving the sides on the verge of resuming a 17-month-old war that has shaken the region. Efforts to secure an open-ended suspension of hostilities have stumbled over Israel’s demand, backed by the US, for an end to Hamas’s rule and arsenal in the Gaza Strip.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RDB4R3L6Y5G75DY26QJFSKJBJU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I think something could come together within weeks,” Adam Boehler, the US envoy for hostages, said on Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union. “I will say that I believe there is enough there to make a deal between what Hamas wants and what they’ve accepted and what Israel wants and it’s accepted.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"3EXMT2Z4E5H2FPPBR75ZLTUFYU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Such a deal, he said, could allow Israel to repatriate all 59 remaining Gaza hostages, and “not just the Americans”, he added, referring to a handful of US dual nationals.","type":"text"},{"_id":"N3TDJ3EJABFPFIHF6N5T2KKCQM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israel plans to send envoys to Doha on Monday for potential new Gaza negotiations, prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s office said. His spokesperson, Omer Dostri, said on Sunday that there was no progress to report for now.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FNCY7FVWQVDT5O6QJJ3M5G7B3E","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hamas has signalled willingness to cede some power, but not its rockets and rifles.","type":"text"},{"_id":"627Y4CQH6NBRHIZIC5KR6NHLJQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The White House confirmed last week that Boehler had direct contacts with Hamas, which is on a terrorism blacklist of the US and other western powers.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BD5EXQJZWJHV5N3QKEVIFYLNYM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I actually think they were very productive talks,” Boehler said on Fox News Sunday. “They identified some opportunity to come together.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"QEFD5WAUSNC2LH5XAMOG4CTXHQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israel had “raised some concerns” about the US-Hamas contacts, Boehler said. But he played these down, saying: “There’s no question in my mind that our greatest ally is Israel.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"XIVE523S3RAS7MRSYM7D42YQHM","additional_properties":{},"content":"On Sunday, Israeli energy minister Eli Cohen said he had ordered an immediate halt to the supply of electricity to Gaza, as a tool to gain the hostages’ release.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KIXXAHSL2JGYTN7JWFW7INNFNU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Asked about missing American Austin Tice, Boehler told CNN that he would travel soon to Syria, where Tice has been missing since 2012.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M7P7WGT2UNDR3JERQXATYIQ3TI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Austin is on my list, and I’m going to go to Syria,” he said. – Bloomberg","type":"text"},{"_id":"JPDR45WLXRCPJKFD4Z5NVE6DHM","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Israel cuts off electricity supply to Gaza"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T17:06:13.812Z","headlines":{"basic":"New Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal possible in weeks, says US envoy","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"SAYFLYZO5BDL5GC2WLLEYVBAGI","auth":{"1":"5956dbad9fdee879246e0438459382aca26562bcd026f642229f4e44d1c2e305"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/SAYFLYZO5BDL5GC2WLLEYVBAGI.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"World"},{"name":"Middle East"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/2025/03/09/new-gaza-ceasefire-and-hostage-deal-possible-in-weeks-says-us-envoy/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"World"}}}},{"_id":"LBWM5DRIZNE45G77YS2F45BGFY","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":248,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/3dd8af01-367f-4ca2-9503-dd2eb6938f24/versions/1741539686/media/fbad1be5528ca642cd2adf254650ed36_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/03/09/china-russia-and-iran-to-hold-joint-naval-drills-as-tehran-rejects-us-call-for-nuclear-talks/","content_elements":[{"_id":"JKK7DUBYMZEWXCJOKEC3PBUP5I","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"5XL54CBYXBE37EH3SX7B2BF3AU","additional_properties":{},"content":"China will conduct a joint naval exercise with Iran and Russia this week, days after Tehran rejected US president Donald Trump’s call for nuclear talks. The drills in the Gulf of Oman come amid speculation in Washington that Mr Trump’s embrace of Russian president Vladimir Putin could drive a diplomatic wedge between Moscow and Beijing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EXWNSWQRWRF5HMK7T4B43UUGPU","additional_properties":{},"content":"This is the fifth time since 2019 that the Chinese, Russian and Iranian navies have conducted a joint exercise; similar drills last year involved more than 20 ships, combat boats, support carriers and navy helicopters. This week’s exercise will take place off the Iranian port of Chabahar in the Gulf of Oman, between the Strait of Hormuz and the Indian Ocean, a key shipping route for oil.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TC56SMHOHFDR3BWHTJVJXVEPLI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The exercise plan includes drills on striking maritime targets, damage control, as well as joint search and rescue. The aim is to strengthen military mutual trust and foster pragmatic co-operation among the naval forces of the participating countries,” China’s defence ministry said on Sunday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MHN6ZQ4BWVDDXK6PP74HXGDXE4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Iran’s supreme leader said on Saturday that calls for negotiations by “bully states” were not aimed at resolving issues but at dominating others and imposing their own solution. He was speaking after Mr Trump said he had written to him proposing fresh talks over Iran’s nuclear programme, which international experts say is close to the threshold for developing nuclear weapons.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FHAYCDYSVRBNXMDPZNGXLQNKQM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily or you make a deal. I would prefer to make a deal, because I’m not looking to hurt Iran,” the US president told Fox News last week.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UDTZZRDSJJE7NGQ6LLD32B6GCM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I said, ‘I hope you’re going to negotiate, because it’s going to be a lot better for Iran,’ and I think they want to get that letter – the alternative is we have to do something, because you can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"BWOLKGKZSFEX3FVAPMV4A2I4QI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The US, along with China, Russia, Britain, France, Germany and the European Union, in 2015 signed a deal with Iran that put restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. The agreement came into force in 2016 but Mr Trump withdrew from it two years later and reinstated banking and financial sanctions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AXKHKMZBFJDCJBHTNXV2NJUFYQ","content":"Trump’s foreign policy risks ‘regress to the law of the jungle’, China warns","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"G6PVPNKA6FG4JNUK22QLCBYXCU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Germany, France and Britain established Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (Instex), a special purpose vehicle designed to facilitate transactions with Iran that did not use the US dollar or the Swift payments system. But European countries terminated Instex, which the US saw as a threat to the dominance of the dollar, in March 2023 after it had been used to make just one transaction.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VTZ2SMBINZETVJVR2RY4KWAPXU","additional_properties":{},"content":"US secretary of state Marco Rubio warned last week against allowing Russia to become a “permanent junior partner” to China, although he said he was not sure Washington could “ever be successful completely at peeling them off of a relationship with the Chinese”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"I7LRRBHPRNEIJEFTASWCB2VLKY","additional_properties":{},"content":"China’s president Xi Jinping will travel to Moscow in May to attend an 80th anniversary commemoration of the end of the second World War, and Mr Putin is expected to attend a commemoration in Beijing later this year. China’s foreign minister Wang Yi told journalists attending the Two Sessions legislative meeting in Beijing last week that no matter how the international landscape evolves, the partnership between Beijing and Moscow would not change and its internal force would not diminish.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2CFWTQ7CDZE2BOAW7WQU7YQ34Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"The sap rises and barriers go up as China prepares for the year’s biggest political event","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"RHZNDIBI5VCOVPLWAOXUV5OCDM","additional_properties":{},"content":"<i>“</i>The two countries have found a path of ‘non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party’ in developing their relations. It is a pioneering effort in forging a new model of major-country relations, and has set a fine example for relations between neighbouring countries,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HLGZMKPWUZCZNEFQEONJGWJ53Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"“A mature, resilient and stable China-Russia relationship will not be swayed by any turn of events, let alone be subject to interference by any third party. It is a constant in a turbulent world rather than a variable in geopolitical games.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"N6QFEIWOEBFCFOHGW24PFNHQRM","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Denis Staunton"}},"name":"Denis Staunton"}]},"description":{"basic":"Beijing and Moscow keen to show mutual co-operation will not be affected by Trump’s embrace of Putin"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T16:56:15.292Z","headlines":{"basic":"China, Russia and Iran to hold joint naval drills as Tehran rejects US call for nuclear talks","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"2P7VL3X44U4LKGZQD3FPOJ3A7U","auth":{"1":"14d21cb323c0c755ac410872d0b36306b7afa362df41a5f62bc104357a095489"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/2P7VL3X44U4LKGZQD3FPOJ3A7U.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Asia-Pacific"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/03/09/china-russia-and-iran-to-hold-joint-naval-drills-as-tehran-rejects-us-call-for-nuclear-talks/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/asia-pacific","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Asia-Pacific"}}}},{"_id":"TLRY5AAJQRB2LMRPJ5WWRNMNPQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":70,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/7989b416-e5db-4b9b-85d4-ab4aed84aed5/versions/1741538800/media/5314d0606cc0ec706aa8d21884464a4b_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/us/2025/03/09/armed-man-shot-by-us-secret-service-near-white-house-say-authorities/","content_elements":[{"_id":"2S3FX42TWZDKPEUW6JSN2FDPKQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"An armed man believed to have travelled from Indiana was shot by US Secret Service agents near the White House after a confrontation early on Sunday, authorities have said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"47BVTANP6JHQFM25PJ3LH7RD2A","additional_properties":{},"content":"No one else was injured in the shooting, which happened around midnight about a block from the White House, according to a Secret Service statement. President <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a> was in Florida at the time of the incident.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7WLNONAEHJGBVLRBX74NAFFXHM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Secret Service received information from local police about an alleged “suicidal individual” who was travelling from Indiana and found the man’s car and a person matching his description nearby.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IADBWLQ7JVCHVK7N27ECLENT3Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"“As officers approached, the individual brandished a firearm and an armed confrontation ensued, during which shots were fired by our personnel,” the Secret Service said in a statement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WWRUBERFLNG3FBJIFVYUZ6XAUI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The man was admitted to hospital. The Secret Service said his condition was “unknown”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F4M4PFAECZAWVD4IKIEB532OSA","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Metropolitan Police Department will investigate because the shooting involved law enforcement officers, and declined to provide more details. - AP","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"President Donald Trump was in Florida at the time"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T16:41:27.24Z","headlines":{"basic":"Armed man shot by US Secret Service near White House, say authorities ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"MQEPZGBWGFIKB7DKEWQSASHW54","auth":{"1":"1a7a6210b4f152455e83265d6c95eb985bd91fd21c0e4f02c007fd4a6a278666"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/MQEPZGBWGFIKB7DKEWQSASHW54.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/us/2025/03/09/armed-man-shot-by-us-secret-service-near-white-house-say-authorities/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/us","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"US"}}}},{"_id":"K73GUS3Y3VCF3GFY753MFZ7LIM","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/world/australia/2025/03/09/storm-alfred-australia-experiences/","content_elements":[{"_id":"CXFDNPCQBNHJRAL3YY4YH6APCI","additional_properties":{},"content":"As darkness fell over <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/australia/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/australia/\">Brisbane</a> on Sunday night rain continued to batter the city, hampering efforts to remove trees felled by <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/weather-events/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/weather-events/\">Storm Alfred</a>, with flash floods and ongoing power outages reported across the region.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LX5FMKCZ5ZAZ3CABWWTN4FDUWY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Doireann O Bradaigh from Byron Shire Council in New South Wales (NSW) was one of those without power, having seen the lights first go out on Friday night.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ADHWPGFA4BGTNOV6S3SPHS5IAQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"It had been a tense few days before that, with her community watching the cyclone swell come in since.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HA5HG6Z6K5GXDKS2QMMPVVMTUM","additional_properties":{},"content":"She said the eye of the storm had been predicted to make landfall near Brisbane but the real impact was felt further south across the border in northern NSW, with severe flooding reported. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"QJAPN5U34BE4HIN5SXFMOIPBTE","additional_properties":{},"content":"She expressed concern that the continuing rain would bring more flooding and more evacuations in the area. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"GPMKOBFF6JC5BJXIGTVZFF76PY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Stephen Hanley moved to Brisbane as the curtain came down on 2020 and he told The Irish Times that the level of disruption in Queensland this week reminded him of the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/health/covid-19/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/health/covid-19/\">Covid</a> lockdowns in Dublin before he left. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"E7SDHITGBNG2ZBV5VJ56BUTWV4","subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"2KO2QXY2ZNCKXNGRG5C3FTWELQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"He, his wife and three children live on the crest of a hill at the edge of an extensive bushland reserve that had borne the brunt of a cyclone in 1974 when three nearby houses were destroyed. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"RH4NWYHLNFA2DHDISEAVEA3V4I","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Their vacant blocks sit as an evergreen reminder,” he said. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"ASMRL7YR3NAMVAMZFNFQMGOIRY","additional_properties":{},"content":"A “rain bomb” in 2022 damaged many of his neighbours’ homes, with some only just finishing the repairs now. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YIKPAUXXVZGHNGMVSMQXSL64QA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Ex-Cyclone Alfred: One dead and mass blackouts after tropical low hits Australia","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"F5EPSLKXIZBEHGVKT6YQQKPLBI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“At least this time round we got warning, and earlier this week we were told to prepare our properties – in particular clearing anything that might become a missile,” he said. “The din of hammers and drills filled the air for much of the week [and] cars queued at the local State Emergency Service depot for sandbags.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"A4YSOSMETVGJ5D47QBSF6ERPYQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"He said Cyclone Alfred’s arrival was “delayed several times as he danced around the coral sea, and by Friday evening videos were emerging of bored surfers on the swells of the Gold Coast, much to the annoyance of authorities”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YQM7KNUOBJEBJKRQJ6LEH3KHYU","additional_properties":{},"content":"He recalled how high winds rattled his windows on Friday night, and expressed relief that his family escaped the worst of the storm – with flooding the primary concern now. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YSP523D2KFFHBHQ5FPEBNU5HRM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Baz McAlister has been living in Brisbane for 20 years and expected chaos, based on all the early warnings. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"6FWF5XETAFGC7C4GGWR47TRQFY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“What we got was a very strange weather system that was nowhere near as bad as I was envisioning. We were well prepared for it, and our leaders, weather agencies and emergency services approached the situation with an overabundance of caution. In the end, though, it seemed a lot of fuss over a bit of wind and rain that would be considered fairly unremarkable for the Causeway Coast on any given dirty winter night! A lucky escape for most.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"EHMJJEIOMSY4NVCRXM2MRLMRDM","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"OER3KR2TDZEVZOVXCOUYBMLSPU","additional_properties":{},"content":"He said flooding in the region was “getting pretty bad even where I am and the system is sitting over us and will be for the rest of the night, but in terms of the wind, I think we have been spared the worst of it”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MJYS4YQFP5H7XIZIN2OT6RI63M","additional_properties":{},"content":"Nicola Holly of the Irish Australian Support Association of Queensland said the cyclone has had “a significant impact on many communities”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4HHKHB5L25EWJMQWEMEMOYEDIA","additional_properties":{},"content":"She said things have been “a bit manic” since late last week, with “a lot of flooding around the place. The rain has been non-stop and there are a lot of trees down. And half the city is without power”. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7EWAU5Y2RRBI7B5VPCAKCGYZF4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Her association has been forced to close its offices, with staff working remotely, and they “had to make the difficult decision to cancel our annual charity ball which was scheduled for March 8th. Everyone was worried about the impending weather event”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MOBQSX5725FBVEJQ7TIZQZWV7Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"She said it had been an “eerie few days, with the anticipation of the cyclone affecting basically every facet of people’s lives, but we are grateful that it taught us how to be more prepared”.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Conor Pope"}},"name":"Conor Pope"}]},"description":{"basic":"It was an ‘eerie few days’ in Brisbane as a strange weather system named Alfred came calling"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T14:29:12.406Z","headlines":{"basic":"‘Half the city is without power’: Readers in Australia share their storm experiences","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"WXV5STKNPZON6YEHPMOHNNKQLY","auth":{"1":"d0355721eaa762b5c73fe5549f458b4493275c6605d0e7f67edbcf3b11e783f1"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/WXV5STKNPZON6YEHPMOHNNKQLY.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Australia"},{"name":"Abroad"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/australia/2025/03/09/storm-alfred-australia-experiences/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/australia","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Australia"}}}},{"_id":"65KX6XGJQFATFEQSLUJTOQIWV4","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/09/pope-francis-thanks-doctors-and-nurses-for-miracle-of-tenderness-as-his-condition-improves/","content_elements":[{"_id":"WXLMA62SNFEFJDMGTV2U7O7SHY","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/pope-francis/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/pope-francis/\">Pope Francis</a> issued a message on Sunday thanking volunteers for the “miracle of tenderness” they offer the sick, as he continued his recovery from double pneumonia and doctors reported some positive news. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"RUZJTTZR6NERNDUMQSZ6KADLFY","additional_properties":{},"content":"After more than three weeks in the hospital, the 88-year-old pope is responding well to treatment and has shown a “gradual, slight improvement” in recent days.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JHLX76SXKBGZHCKTANC6UYQP7E","additional_properties":{},"content":"For the fourth Sunday in a row, the 88-year-old Francis didn’t appear for his weekly noon blessing, but the Vatican distributed the text he would have delivered if he were well enough. In it, the Argentine pope thanked all those who were caring for him and others who are sick and experiencing a “night of pain”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R7TT33JYYKNIZSZY5DLUWSNCIQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"SMM5LHXELFCQLE2THQU2FKNM7I","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Brothers and sisters, during my prolonged hospitalisation here, I too experience the thoughtfulness of service and the tenderness of care, in particular from the doctors and health care workers, whom I thank from the bottom of my heart,” read the message from Gemelli hospital.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QH5W6SZBXNDRZHCFBKKAMTU3CA","additional_properties":{},"content":"The complex medical factors undermining the health of Pope Francis","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"XW3I7YW4VJBNXJYWCONGCRW7KU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“And while I am here, I think of the many people who in various ways are close to the sick, and who are, for them, a sign of the Lord’s presence. We need this, the ‘miracle of tenderness’ which accompanies those who are in adversity, bringing a little light into the night of pain,” he wrote.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NQ7SPSEBYVGBPMPXB34IJG4XNQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Argentine pope, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, has remained in stable condition, with no fever and good oxygen levels in his blood for several days, doctors reported in a <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/vatican\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/vatican\">Vatican</a> statement on Saturday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZNSNT2OITBEVVP73IFMVQY2M24","additional_properties":{},"content":"The doctors said that such stability “as a consequence testifies to a good response to therapy”. It was the first time the doctors had reported that Francis was responding positively to the treatment for the complex lung infection that was diagnosed after he was admitted to hospital on February 14th.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CBG7NPRHRWC35IQCYKU5UNMKGI","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"5BVL4W3VO5GCPGGDNRSDGUKXU4","additional_properties":{},"content":"But they kept his prognosis as “guarded”, meaning he’s not out of danger. On Sunday morning, the Vatican reported he was resting after a quiet night.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OAYEHAPWDBGCZNPMPZYHORKTII","additional_properties":{},"content":"In his absence, the Vatican’s day-to-day operations continued alongside celebrations of its Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century Jubilee that brings millions of pilgrims to Rome. On Sunday, Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny, who is close to Francis, celebrated the Holy Year Mass for volunteers that Francis was supposed to have celebrated.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SJX4WEJJOFHGHPFT4S34SQJJCY","additional_properties":{},"content":"During the Mass in St Peter’s Square, the giant banner bearing Francis’s papal coat of arms fluttered from the loggia of the basilica above. Even while in the hospital, Francis is very much still the pope and in charge of the Catholic Church.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7XQC4G4D75ACXD6KINQT5IZNME","additional_properties":{},"content":"Francis has been using high flows of supplemental oxygen to help him breathe during the day and a non-invasive mechanical ventilation mask at night.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AZSAZHTCYNBFNNFTWPAMDR24IQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Francis was admitted to hospital on February 14th for what was then just a bad case of bronchitis. The infection progressed into a complex respiratory tract infection and double pneumonia that has sidelined Francis for the longest period of his 12-year papacy and raised questions about the future. - AP","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"The 88-year-old issued a message from Gemelli hospital on Sunday"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T12:53:31.121Z","headlines":{"basic":"Pope Francis thanks doctors and nurses for ‘miracle of tenderness’ as his condition improves","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"YYYYQ4HK7LS6MVTAT6NEYUNUBU","auth":{"1":"4f50cbb78295b1d8c7468da0ea98b8ec0c595377743b00e3d8866126bfd00206"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YYYYQ4HK7LS6MVTAT6NEYUNUBU.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/09/pope-francis-thanks-doctors-and-nurses-for-miracle-of-tenderness-as-his-condition-improves/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"B5CECNWDIRC5LFCG2UBOOTKGAY","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":592,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/02261837-1eaa-4c9f-9ca0-97c95a059e35/versions/1741454369/media/2bd264d55a7fc5ff3430f09c596fd3c8_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/09/hebrew-graffiti-and-a-mass-funeral-in-a-lebanese-village-on-the-israeli-border/","content_elements":[{"_id":"66U5ROAO6FFEFPX2SV6EBPZZ64","additional_properties":{},"content":"Anisa sat on a plastic chair, a framed portrait of her son, Mouhamad, on another chair beside her. In front was a building turned mostly to rubble. At her back was her own blackened home, the floors of the rooms inside thick with ash; Hebrew graffiti marking the walls; empty cans and water bottles with Hebrew-language labels scattered around.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EBL5LVKCHVCTZA3IMSYJWVFM3Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"Anisa’s palms were dark from ash too – she had no running water to clean them, she explained. An <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\">Israeli</a> drone buzzed overhead as she spoke.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2HDNSRAPKFAZBEHKAOMF2CBQ6U","additional_properties":{},"content":"Anisa’s home, in Aitaroun, is right beside the Israeli border. This village – one of the largest in southern <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/lebanon/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/lebanon/\">Lebanon</a> – was devastated during the war. Until recently it was partially occupied by Israeli forces, who launched a land invasion of Lebanon on the night of September 30th last year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZH4EYS2X7VE2ZBWZHF5MEISI5A","additional_properties":{},"content":"Friday, February 28th saw a mass funeral in Aitaroun for 95 people – so many that their coffins arrived in the town on four flatbed trucks, three or four coffins wide and six long. One of them belonged to Anisa’s son, Mouhamad. Two of her other sons had also died as fighters, she said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BQN43YB67ZDIVG6FQXQPQX2ALU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Among those being laid to rest that day were also civilians, including 16 women, five children and 10 civil defence workers. Many people who died during the war – both from Israeli attacks and of natural causes<b> </b>– were temporarily buried elsewhere until their villages and towns were safe to return to and funerals could be finally held. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"67ZURJPQDBB5XDSNWNHZET4B7M","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"Y7RXWXCDAJHMXCBBDJ25JG2TKA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israeli troops remain in several “strategic points” in south Lebanon, in what locals criticise as a violation of the ceasefire agreement that was reached in November, which saw most of Israel’s forces withdraw by February 18th. Israeli defence minister Israel Katz recently said they will <a href=\"https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20250227-israeli-troops-staying-indefinitely-in-lebanon-border-buffer-zone-defence-minister-says\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20250227-israeli-troops-staying-indefinitely-in-lebanon-border-buffer-zone-defence-minister-says\">stay</a> in what he called a “buffer zone” “indefinitely”, in what Hizbullah has <a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/world/middleeast/lebanon-israel-forces-hezbollah.html\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/world/middleeast/lebanon-israel-forces-hezbollah.html\">condemned</a> as an occupation. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"PXSRM6POY5G2ZFSO2FKRMJLCZI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Still, the Israeli troops’ further withdrawal means more people from Lebanon’s southern borders have finally<b> </b>been able to return home, even if only to<b> </b>discover how little remains.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JI7ZDZGEVBBXTMJA66J55F2LDY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The dead are being grieved and celebrated. Visitors approaching Aitaroun are now met by a banner reading “paradise of the martyrs”, stretched across the road. Pictures of slain men have been tied to<b> </b>trees, along with Hizbullah flags. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YZJJ4G3HWBGRDKVWHO57YLBPZM","additional_properties":{},"content":"On October 8th, 2023, Hizbullah launched rockets towards Israeli-controlled territory “in solidarity” with Hamas, sparking the latest conflict between Israel and the militant group. The war<b> </b>saw a huge escalation in September 2024, when Israel began an aerial campaign which experts called one of the most <a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/10/02/israeli-strikes-lebanon-deadliest/\" rel=\"\">intense</a> in contemporary history. Close to 4,000 people in Lebanon were killed between October 2023 and November 2024, according to the Lebanese health ministry. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"DCW7ZADPJJDKNBHU3A2V3ZEPDE","additional_properties":{},"content":"In pictures: The rubble of Lebanon by Sally Hayden","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"VS3LOXRYRZE4BFH5FT3R6Q2VEU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sally Hayden: South Lebanon after the ceasefire","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"X4OAE4UKVBE7JLFSLFRWR2WC2Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sally Hayden: 'We have no windows, no doors, but we can live. Not like other people.'","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"OFBU4PYXMFH4RBHGLRP5NGN2DQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Some of the recently buried fled Aitaroun during the war, taking shelter in Aitou, a Christian town in the north. More than 20 people were <a href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crej40034r2o\" rel=\"\">killed</a> in an Israeli strike on a residential building there last October.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OKD7AUFG65BZVH7NDX67APE2DI","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"SZBGIXQ6KZDG3IHS375WHYCX3Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"Walking around Aitaroun, graffiti was clearly visible<b> </b>on many homes. A lot seemingly referenced the names of military units or insider jokes among soldiers, but there was also writing that said “death to Arabs”, and “Kahane was right,” an apparent reference to the late Meir David Kahane, a far-right ultranationalist American-born Israeli and founder of the Jewish Defense League, which was designated a <a href=\"https://www.splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files/jewish-defense-league/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files/jewish-defense-league/\">terrorist</a> group in the US. Kahane publicly called Arabs “<a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/06/obituaries/meir-kahane-58-israeli-militant-and-founder-of-the-jewish-defense-league.html\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/06/obituaries/meir-kahane-58-israeli-militant-and-founder-of-the-jewish-defense-league.html\">dogs</a>” and advocated for the <a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/05/world/kahane-appeal-oust-arabs-gains-israel-israel-revived-policies-detention.html\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/05/world/kahane-appeal-oust-arabs-gains-israel-israel-revived-policies-detention.html\">mass expulsion</a> of Palestinians, along with violence to protect Jewish people. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"OKZU2NEDJBHGNPCSXKDEZOUUYM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Star of David had also been painted in multiple places, though an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokeswoman said graffiti in combat zones is “strictly prohibited and goes against the values of the IDF”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RFTUTLVLQBEXZKFX7FLNGMZ7IY","additional_properties":{},"content":"There were more reminders of Israeli soldiers. Food and drink cans, and water bottles with Hebrew labels, were scattered around the insides of multiple partially destroyed houses. On one upper floor appeared to be the remains of a fire where food was cooked. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"R2JDZUO4XVB27CKRSKTYV6W7NA","additional_properties":{},"content":"In one building, which locals said Israeli soldiers had been killed inside, The Irish Times saw the remains of a wound dressing, including Celox haemostatic gauze with blood on it.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HF5KAUKLYBAK7MBWSJ66U5SI2Q","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"QHIDKVO6Z5F6XEFOTGEDJZZVBQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hizbullah is paying reconstruction money to people who had their homes damaged or destroyed during the conflict, though some told The Irish Times that the latest payments were delayed as Hizbullah struggles with its finances. In a report released on Friday, the World Bank <a href=\"https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-world-bank-damages-israel-hezbollah-war-reconstruction-33dc0fe973d5fbd3fd3d3fc6ff2e82ff?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=share\" rel=\"\">estimated</a> the cost of reconstruction and recovery from the war in Lebanon to be €10.15 billion. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"SNKYXHRSPZEX5K7OSRF7OEM3LY","additional_properties":{},"content":"That same day, Israel launched further air strikes across southern Lebanon, <a href=\"https://x.com/AvichayAdraee/status/1898099791520747667\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://x.com/AvichayAdraee/status/1898099791520747667\">saying</a> it was attacking Hizbullah military sites. Israeli media also reported that the IDF <a href=\"https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-845144\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-845144\">escorted</a> hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jews to a tomb inside Lebanese territory, in what Lebanon’s army called “a <a href=\"https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-world-bank-damages-israel-hezbollah-war-reconstruction-33dc0fe973d5fbd3fd3d3fc6ff2e82ff?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=share\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-world-bank-damages-israel-hezbollah-war-reconstruction-33dc0fe973d5fbd3fd3d3fc6ff2e82ff?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=share\">blatant</a> violation of Lebanese national sovereignty”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"K5APASS2ZBEPJEQTUKC4V26KJE","additional_properties":{},"content":"At the mass funeral in Aitaroun a week before, people sat on the caved roofs of bombed houses and walked carefully over rubble, balancing as they found a footing . ","type":"text"},{"_id":"55P2GYOD5BFMFODAISHUO4R334","additional_properties":{},"content":"Below<b> </b>them were<b> </b>stalls with cake, water and soup in plastic bowls for mourners, crowds of whom had gathered, dressed in black. Drops of disinfectant wafted through the air as medics sprayed it on the coffins.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M7T23WOGFNG5DFCYWKAFN5Z4EQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Some women carried the boots of dead fighters filled with flowers; others held photos of their dead in the air.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KR3HX4OPZNHXBKCVXN643WEHCI","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"ZHUTF4XO2ZG7VC256YGN3667JY","additional_properties":{},"content":"A voice on a loudspeaker began shouting above dramatic music: “We support Palestine, the young people there are fighting for their freedom”. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"L4AGYPGVOJCWRA4ULBHH5LZBJY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Farmer Hamad Saleh (40) said he left home at 7am and travelled about 140km from Baalbek, in eastern Lebanon, to show his support to the residents of Aitaroun. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"QYJC444JWVF57MGBXCJBGCCEJM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We’re here to prove that we’re from the resistance. Everybody from the resistance is celebrating today,” he said, referring to the belief that now the “martyrs” will be in paradise. The invitation called the event both a funeral and a “wedding”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6475RNCXHBAF3CQCUM4KNGPOOU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Every village that was against Israel, that has martyrs, they are important for the world. Not just in Gaza but in Yemen, in Lebanon, in Iraq,” Saleh said. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"KBH62CQPQFH6TFSLPZQYKMHI2U","additional_properties":{},"content":"He said he lost his uncle and some neighbours in the war. In Aitaroun, “obviously it’s sad to see the damage”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JQQSQYWIEZAEVDJUTH7NQPG4DY","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"DF3Z52M3XJHPLH7V37BUWINQQI","additional_properties":{},"content":"A 55-year-old woman from the village, who gave her name as Um Hassan, said it was a “happy day.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"YOESMMNRCBFDPNBKDRDKTYGBDQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"“It’s a day to be proud because the blood of the martyrs is why we’re standing here and why the Israelis will never take this land. The Israeli army invaded, then they left, and they were humiliated because of us.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"D5ZCQC4Z3JHHFNTIYAMYD5GH3E","additional_properties":{},"content":"She had tears in her eyes as she explained she lost nine members of her family and her home in the war, “but I don’t care because I’m back now”. She originally escaped the village on October 8th, 2023, and had only returned once since, during a brief ceasefire, to bury her aunt. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7QCSEHK6IVGBPHRPXWJWMRDYH4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Now, she hoped to rebuild. “Bigger and better,” chimed her husband, who gave his name as Bou Hassan. He said Aitaroun had been known for its tobacco, and “now the farmers are coming back, replanting”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D5QQV3FWEJHZFLEWF7IL45J57I","additional_properties":{},"content":"Still, he said they were shocked by what they had found. “They were disrespecting homes, robbing them, looting them, making graffiti, burning them. Every home they were going into, if they didn’t find anything worth taking they were burning it. They took out a lot of olive trees and burnt them. Or took them to Israel.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"K7UZQMOWQBGBLHZMHSLJXL76ZA","additional_properties":{},"content":"An IDF spokeswoman said the IDF “remains committed to defend Israel and its citizens, while operating in accordance with international law.” She said strikes were on Hizbullah-related targets and made “in accordance with international law, taking all feasible precautions to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure. It is important to emphasise that Hizbullah consistently violates international law by integrating its military assets within civilian areas, and systematically exploits civilian infrastructure for terrorist purposes, using Lebanese civilians as human shields.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"WWKY25DROJCSJMGAF5PYXSXHTI","additional_properties":{},"content":"She also said the IDF “does not seek to harm the environment”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4SLAL7TSEFBHHMRBFTAEQNANXM","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"NY3ABORY4RFDBL255IGFYQAIPQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sitting slumped in front of her broken home, Anisa – who did not want her surname published – said she was too “tired” to attend the full funeral of her son, and the 94 others.","type":"text"},{"_id":"URRJDVDUEFF6VM3AWTTFGI2X6I","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I don’t see hope, look at my house,” said Anisa, throwing her palms upwards. She also accused Israeli soldiers of stealing her olive trees; of burning the home she had lived in for decades and raised her children in. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"PLEVXUJIQZA3FHXXM7JYUTWG5A","additional_properties":{},"content":"“My husband is a cab driver. We lost everyone, there’s no one helping us,” Anisa said. She has one daughter and son still alive, she added, but she mourns her three sons who died fighting Israeli forces. Part of that sadness seemed to come from recognising that there could have been another path for them besides joining Hizbullah. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"6CC2ZULXKJFOPD3W7WFODJHAT4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“My sons, they’re all educated,” she said. “They went to school, they had jobs. But it was the environment around them that meant they had to fight.”","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Sally Hayden"}},"name":"Sally Hayden"}]},"description":{"basic":"Ninety five coffins are brought back to a village marked by Israeli military occupation"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T12:21:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Hebrew graffiti and a mass funeral in a Lebanese village on the Israeli border","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"ZYKZNRJVZFGX5PUQYS57XCFDPE","auth":{"1":"d13c8dcbdd239e8b863ae6aa795018cfa67d0f1a52e5138f884a30824a41bfa4"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/ZYKZNRJVZFGX5PUQYS57XCFDPE.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/09/hebrew-graffiti-and-a-mass-funeral-in-a-lebanese-village-on-the-israeli-border/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"NSF7SBPITZB7BEEFU76L2BGP4A","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":198,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/ef1bae68-1f00-4d2b-a7d0-f90a293bfbb1/versions/1741516019/media/13791d36640cbb592594916912a85e85_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/09/zelenskiy-says-ukraine-fully-committed-to-talks-ahead-of-us-meeting-in-saudi-arabia/","content_elements":[{"_id":"4HTNKM6XYRABRMS7UMIRAYAXWU","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/volodymyr-zelenskiy/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/volodymyr-zelenskiy/\">Volodymyr Zelenskiy</a> said <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\">Ukraine</a> is “fully committed” to having a constructive dialogue with US representatives in Saudi Arabia next week, even as <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a> said he found it “easier” to deal with <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\">Russia</a> than with Ukraine in efforts to end the war. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"P5FKPLM2XREQNPXJMPSGZUDCCI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively,” the Ukrainian president said on X ahead of his trip to Saudi Arabia next week. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"RZLLQZYE4BCJFBZHZBGPNJZOEU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Zelenskiy said that after his meeting with Crown Prince <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/mohammad-bin-salman/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/mohammad-bin-salman/\">Mohammad bin Salman</a> on Monday, Ukrainian diplomatic and military representatives would stay for a meeting on Tuesday with the US team. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"LFUQDU26NNFQXCLXRKKYR6RRBQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"“On our side, we are fully committed to constructive dialogue, and we hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps,” he said. However, he also called for sanctions on Russia to be increased after a devastating attack on Saturday. Two ballistic missiles hit the centre of Dobropillia in the eastern Donetsk region, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens more. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZHASIVTBMZE6NFRTFFGS3ZUXYE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Such strikes show that Russia’s objectives have not changed,” Mr Zelenskiy wrote on Facebook. “Therefore, it is crucial to continue to do our best to protect lives, strengthen our air defences, and increase sanctions against Russia. Everything that helps Putin finance the war must collapse.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"HKFFRMMLUZGEPKRP5P3LRVKPJ4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Trump’s supporters count themselves as conservatives, but what he’s doing is radical","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"2NHVQZ2HJRCR3AKBWQXOJ7BQDM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Polish prime minister <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-tusk/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-tusk/\">Donald Tusk</a> said on Saturday that appeasement towards Russia was leading to more tragedy in Ukraine. “This is what happens when someone appeases barbarians,” Tusk wrote on X. “More bombs, more aggression, more victims. Another tragic night in Ukraine.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"CYHI2E7EGVBTNEEKMFNBYCU3ZM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Russia on Sunday claimed the capture of the village of Novenke in Ukraine’s Sumy region after mounting a cross-border offensive while battling Ukrainian troops in its Kursk region. The Guardian has been unable to independently verify the report.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AFMZHCI4OJHTPFHHZU2WWM6AMY","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"EXZ2XSZW7JDDLAH7KQ3XTAVLXQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"In the US on Sunday, there was an audible gasp in the room at the Council on Foreign Relations as Keith Kellogg, White House special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, characterised the US decision to cut off intelligence sharing and military aid to Kyiv as like beating a farm animal with a piece of wood. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"FIBXGOIKFBCB3CP76RNGRQGSHI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Finnish minister in Dublin: ‘We never were under the illusion that Russia is no longer a threat’","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"HH4A6CVE3JG67IOOCRGC4YHRO4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Very candidly, they brought it on themselves, the Ukrainians,” Kellogg said as the veteran diplomats, academics, and journalists in the room recoiled in surprise. Several held their hands in their faces. “I think the best way I can describe it is sort of like hitting a mule with a two-by-four across the nose,” he continued. “You got their attention, and it’s very significant, obviously, because of the support that we give.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"JHT4XYC2VVEPNB3ABUS6YPTECI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The collapse in US-Ukraine relations since the White House summit between Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskiy has been precipitous. Those around Mr Trump viewed as the strongest supporters of Ukraine – including secretary of state Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Mr Kellogg – have become vocal sceptics of continued US support or been sidelined entirely. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"WTIEWMENKREZNCX7GGVLI443TI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We know that [the Maga wing] are just waiting for something they can use to pounce,” said a former senior US diplomat. “And I think that’s where you get the posturing by Rubio, Kellogg and also Waltz, which disturbs people who understand America’s interest in preventing a Putin win in Ukraine.” – The Guardian","type":"text"},{"_id":"DSOHLSUD6BCORGNRBFGBV5WJTA","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"CPGQJBUTEFB3BGHQEHUJSCZVNM","additional_properties":{},"content":" ","type":"text"},{"_id":"R5BGOB7MUJATDBDSJIBDIWLZTM","additional_properties":{},"content":" ","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"name":"Amy Sedghi"}]},"description":{"basic":"Ukrainian president backs negotiations despite Trump’s remarks on Russia being ‘easier’ to deal with"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T10:21:50.788Z","headlines":{"basic":"Zelenskiy says Ukraine 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href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\">Syrian</a> leader Ahmed Sharaa called for peace on Sunday after hundreds were killed in coastal areas in the worst communal violence since the fall of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/bashar-al-assad/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/bashar-al-assad/\">Bashar al-Assad</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MC22IEPNZJHRVOI5FYBGYZXDCA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We have to preserve national unity and domestic peace, we can live together,” Mr Sharaa, the interim president, said as clashes continued between forces linked to the new Islamist rulers and fighters from Mr Assad’s Alawite sect.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MLEQ652ASJEABDYBFZI5E3WRUA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Rest assured about Syria, this country has the characteristics for survival,” Mr Sharaa said in a circulated video, speaking at a mosque in his childhood neighbourhood of Mazzah in Damascus. “What is currently happening in Syria is within the expected challenges.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"XI6CBESEHNAODDEAL3EWRJ6FII","additional_properties":{},"content":"Syrian security sources said at least two hundred of their members were killed in the clashes with former army personnel owing allegiance to Mr Assad after co-ordinated attacks and ambushes on their forces that were waged on Thursday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JTJUCUGAZNAXPCZALWNUXGORD4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The attacks spiralled into revenge killings when thousands of armed supporters of Syria’s new leaders from across the country descended to the coastal areas to support beleaguered forces of the new administration","type":"text"},{"_id":"6PAZEJDJRNBRFIX32OU7JLYK4E","additional_properties":{},"content":"The authorities blamed summary executions of dozens of youths and deadly raids on homes in villages and towns inhabited by Syria’s once ruling minority on unruly armed militias who came to help the security forces and have long blamed Mr Assad’s supporters for past crimes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OKXC2UDAE5BOTBZQZLZQE5QTPA","additional_properties":{},"content":"The <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syrian-observatory-for-human-rights/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syrian-observatory-for-human-rights/\">Syrian Observatory for Human Rights</a>, a UK-based war monitor, said on Saturday the two days of fighting in the Mediterranean coastal region amounted to some of the worst violence for years in a 13-year-old civil conflict.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UH2LY2D6MZGTHPESO3CU22I34Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"Clashes continued overnight in several towns where armed groups fired on security forces and ambushed cars on highways leading to main towns in the coastal area, a Syrian security source told Reuters on Sunday. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"GTSUWD3ALVHX7LUOWIMKWMA46I","additional_properties":{},"content":"Civilians put themselves in firing line between Turkey and northeast Syria","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"TSPCWYVIVBHANP42UMGZPRODVM","additional_properties":{},"content":"More than 1,000 people have been killed in two days of clashes between gunmen and security forces, the war monitor said on Saturday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WYP4WQ5K7BABPK6ZJDHEZXTRCE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The casualties included 745 civilians, 125 members of the Syrian security forces and 148 fighters loyal to Assad, the war monitor said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F3IUBLHAZ5GBFNUALV6ZFU3UK4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Reuters could not independently verify the reports.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XPLMUAKSUVHUBNLSNHC3LENZTY","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"LF2CTWKKPVGVDIN4CMUEWNPXLI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The new ruling authority on Thursday began a crackdown on what it said was a nascent insurgency after deadly ambushes by militants linked to former president Mr Assad’s government.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R33D6M24XZG3ZBDNSXD7ZJON7U","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"2YUPZL5QXRC2ZPM4SLDIQMGWKU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Officials have acknowledged violations during the operation, which they have blamed on unorganised masses of civilians and fighters who sought to support official security forces or commit crimes amid the chaos of the fighting.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GNYYZCTYMZC37MBM53ZMQUL3YQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"A defence ministry source told state media that all roads leading to the coast had been blocked to stop violations and help return calm, with security forces deploying in streets of coastal cities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"53M6CQNV7JF2JMTWT3BERRIERM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The source added that an emergency committee set up to monitor violations would refer anyone found not to have obeyed the orders of the military command to a military court.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PYOP3YFGEBCEFFANWSFNU7TWMA","additional_properties":{},"content":"‘Guantánamo on steroids’: Inside a prison for suspected Islamic State members in Syria","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"7AZUNBYRP5DSPOOQNVEMJSAKLY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The reported scale of the violence, which includes reports of an execution-style killing of dozens of Alawite men in one village, puts into further question the Islamist ruling authority’s ability to govern in an inclusive manner, which western and Arab capitals have said is a key concern.","type":"text"},{"_id":"B26LNGBKIREITPUWCGOQDS5OO4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Sharaa, while backing the crackdown in a televised address late on Friday, said security forces should not allow anyone to “exaggerate in their response ... because what differentiates us from our enemy is our commitment to our values”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"U37R4UWJLNCODAILGR3UB424GI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“When we give up on our morals, us and our enemy end up on the same side,” he said, adding that civilians and captives should not be mistreated.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OZBBOUR5TNB73NX5I3ZNAZHUCI","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"C3REGUM4RZDSBORN6HAS3SRNQQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Syrian Facebook on Saturday was filled with images and obituaries of people from the coastal area being mourned by family and friends who said they had been killed.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YQNAY4TZFZA3DF3BIN3XGXE7XE","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/rami-abdulrahman/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/rami-abdulrahman/\">Rami Abdulrahman</a>, head of the war monitor and a leading critical voice against the Assad-led government who documented its alleged killings for more than a decade, said: “This is not about being pro or against the former Assad regime. These are sectarian massacres that aim to expel the Alawite population from their homes.” – Reuters","type":"text"},{"_id":"G4LJ5RZUZFBNJAG6EW6TFNIW6I","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"More than 1,000 people have been killed in two days of fighting in Alawite region, war monitor says"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T09:05:46.064Z","headlines":{"basic":"Syria’s Sharaa pleas for communal peace as clashes continue","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"RKQQYITI4K2WKQRLQ72OC7Z5GQ","auth":{"1":"668e0c3c7f04e0bfbb70853f75a2e3b7a2958aa66ace019a7c9d8d35c092c69f"},"focal_point":{"x":1953,"y":1403},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/RKQQYITI4K2WKQRLQ72OC7Z5GQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/09/syrias-sharaa-pleas-for-communal-peace-as-clashes-continue/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"RAD2Y7EVDNBVVA2JHWQDTERHJA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":215,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/6640afae-b7a1-4d12-9194-1d23bc7165d6/versions/1741508479/media/e3728b7ab9420a9c3d83cd30822ae6fc_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/09/hamas-urges-immediate-start-of-talks-for-second-phase-of-gaza-ceasefire/","content_elements":[{"_id":"XZWLCQWSWND5TEXCHSPKQPBRI4","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas/\">Hamas</a> urged, in a statement on early Sunday, the “immediate” start of talks for the second phase of the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\">Gaza</a> ceasefire deal.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QN32W5IWCBDZVIRIQUEPYLHUIY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hamas said its delegation held discussions with the head of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/egypt/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/egypt/\">Egypt</a>’s general intelligence agency, Hassan Mahmoud Rashad, in Cairo on the Gaza ceasefire and the hostages-for-prisoners deal in all its stages. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q4RXTQFPTJBZ3ILW6OSSCVZKVU","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\">Israel</a> will send a delegation to Qatar’s Doha on Monday to advance ceasefire negotiations after accepting an invitation from the mediators, prime minister <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\">Binyamin Netanyahu</a>’s office said in a statement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZKT2XPBIANDBHF2LVGMEPMPPVM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israel and Hamas both signalled on Saturday they were preparing for the next phase of ceasefire negotiations, as mediators pushed ahead with talks to extend the fragile 42-day truce that began in January.","type":"text"},{"_id":"E2VENUT3UBCHJLWCV2VJAKWMZI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hamas said there were “positive indicators” for the start of the second-phase talks but did not elaborate.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DAZP6AY265ACJBS25CJZGCYBAU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israel also said it was preparing for talks. “Israel has accepted the invitation of the mediators backed by the US, and will send a delegation to Doha on Monday in an effort to advance the negotiations,” Mr Netanyahu’s office said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M7OYPX2FSBH6RKFRMNWNHMJEBA","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"NVYXTOKJ4FEAFBZH6LGDBXVCCE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua said in a statement, “We affirm our readiness to engage in the second-phase negotiations in a way that meets the demands of our people, and we call for intensified efforts to aid the Gaza Strip and lift the blockade on our suffering people.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"KSBR46BO3NBJTMSON25YW7K3VU","additional_properties":{},"content":"In a later statement reporting its delegation’s meeting with the head of Egypt’s general intelligence agency, Hamas affirmed the group’s approval of forming a committee of what it described as “national and independent” characters to run Gaza until elections.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4JUJDFFOBVCFZPME56AXS23BMU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hamas leader’s release reopens old wounds in Israel","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"22BEBRZLDNC4RIHJIL3LVDJFTM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi earlier said Cairo had worked in co-operation with Palestinians on creating an administrative committee of independent, professional Palestinian technocrats entrusted with the governance of Gaza after the end of the Israel-Gaza war.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6TG4I7EZAFH3NA3RJKN3E5DDYA","additional_properties":{},"content":"His remarks came during the Arab summit which adopted Egypt’s alternative reconstruction plan for Gaza, as opposed to US president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a>’s “Middle East Riviera” vision.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DFG5VEJLQNEIROFRXVXIF4MX5M","additional_properties":{},"content":"Arab League had no choice but to find alternative to Trump’s proposal to resettle 2.3m Gazans in Egypt and Jordan","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"C6O6OBAQIZD6HHFKQGZNA3NLVU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Even as diplomacy continued, an Israeli airstrike killed two Palestinians in Rafah in southern Gaza on Saturday, medical sources said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CH2VKMCHD5BKLBMS2FMQ475BZU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Israeli military said its aircraft struck a drone that crossed from Israel into southern Gaza and “several suspects” who tried to collect it in what appeared to be a botched smuggling attempt.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YSNNITWIWZFZXO3MF6XRNVDXL4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The airstrike came after an Israeli drone strike killed two people in Gaza on Friday. The Israeli military said it attacked a group of suspected militants operating near its troops in northern Gaza and planting an explosive device in the ground.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4IJVM6XW3VBQPHWU4ESFF6FP2Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Gaza ceasefire deal that took effect in January calls for the remaining 59 hostages in Hamas captivity to be freed in a second phase, during which final plans would be negotiated for an end to the war.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SCUTPU3FXFDUNG3BOKRRJ4ERUM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The first phase of the ceasefire ended last week. Israel has since imposed a total blockade on all goods entering the enclave, demanding that Hamas free the remaining hostages without beginning the negotiations to end the Gaza war.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2WUX6ZVH2RCDDK2MY2KBGPOQM4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Fighting has been halted since January 19 and Hamas has released 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Israeli authorities believe fewer than half of the remaining 59 hostages are still alive. – Reuters","type":"text"},{"_id":"T2AVJE2A35F3HJA6MNO27MAPOU","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"RUMEGNZGMFDLBGUXCEM5ENEWPA","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Israel to send delegation to Doha on Monday as mediators push ahead with discussions to extend fragile truce"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T08:16:11.192Z","headlines":{"basic":"Hamas urges ‘immediate’ start of talks for second phase of Gaza ceasefire","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"HGRQ5UPVQ5GVDBGAYZ7UE3QTKI","auth":{"1":"cf1e253c0593bc01582ec8c03b3f77de9e3bb79be4fce47330f6fe51349ccc8c"},"focal_point":{"x":2550,"y":2000},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/HGRQ5UPVQ5GVDBGAYZ7UE3QTKI.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/09/hamas-urges-immediate-start-of-talks-for-second-phase-of-gaza-ceasefire/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"Z4G47BRBFVFR3DA5536VVN23PY","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":198,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/24894b45-5b3c-42ba-91e3-ca9819e6c84a/versions/1741467274/media/fba7701587830f2914d3c0c5437926cc_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/08/pope-francis-showing-slight-improvement-vatican-says/","content_elements":[{"_id":"3MNIAWUR3BAS5EX24WBYZQ4IVM","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/pope-francis/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/pope-francis/\">Pope Francis</a> is showing a “good response” to his treatment in hospital for double pneumonia and his overall condition is gradually improving, the Vatican said on Saturday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7LGLXUWWYNAXVBHML7XJAEJIXU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Francis (88) has been in Rome’s Gemelli hospital for more than three weeks with a severe respiratory infection that has required continuously evolving treatment.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HWROZPNKBNEYBM5DHHFXXIOGQI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The clinical condition of the Holy Father in recent days has remained stable and, consequently, indicates a good response to the treatment,” the latest detailed medical update said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"C6JRUQOIBJHS5JIWMAFDYBOZUQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The pope, it said, has continued to have no fever and his blood tests have remained stable.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CIXB43SKUNA5ZIRJASJJQJIXZQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Although the doctors said they had seen “a gradual, slight improvement” in the pope’s overall condition, they maintained a guarded prognosis “in order to ensure these initial improvements continue in the coming days”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OB3VKCE4HVHKJBOA6H2SKBC66A","additional_properties":{},"content":"The pope is continuing to receive oxygen to help with his breathing, the Vatican press office said. During the day, he uses a small oxygen hose under his nose. At night, he has been using non-invasive mechanical ventilation as he sleeps.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EWUWDZNYDJCMJCPXGRPKPDSLRM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Francis has experienced several bouts of ill health over the last two years and is prone to lung infections because he had pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WWMOT34OVZEFJHEJQEAGW6GSEA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Double pneumonia is a serious infection in both lungs that can inflame and scar them, making it difficult to breathe.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BKF4PORI2BHUJEBZG6E4WXOSHI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Francis has not been seen in public since entering hospital, his longest such absence since his papacy started nearly 12 years ago.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NUVHWEQO2JAXJMKAV2QDJK7MIY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The pope’s doctors have not said how long the treatment might last. 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They placed candles, prayer beads and other items at the base of a statue of the late Pope John Paul II, who was treated at the facility many times over his 1978-2005 papacy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MZFTBJMTFFBMLH3MCC2MIEOEFE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Maria Neve, from Naples, Italy, left a small bouquet of yellow flowers. “He is an incredible person who gives so much to others, and we, in turn, must give back to him,” she said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"J5CTLPEVFBGIZKLXFP5B65TP6U","additional_properties":{},"content":"Francis, who is known to work himself to exhaustion, has continued to work from hospital. On Saturday, the Vatican announced the appointments of four bishops that would have required his approval.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TN7Y35A4QZH2BGPCQ3HBZ626ZY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Francis on Saturday also sent a message to an anti-<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/abortion/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/abortion/\">abortion</a> group in Italy that was undertaking a pilgrimage to the Vatican.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XH5YLOXO6NDKBPXFVQNO4U6FVI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The message, read aloud to the group by Cardinal Pietro Parolin in St. Peter’s Basilica, was signed by Francis with a note to say it was sent “from Gemelli hospital”. – Reuters ","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Francis (88) has been in Rome’s Gemelli hospital for more than three weeks with a severe respiratory infection"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T20:49:22.336Z","headlines":{"basic":"Pope Francis showing ‘slight’ improvement, Vatican says","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"CUNPKBAQ3ZLX3VR322XEIN3FNQ","auth":{"1":"4b1de5f2d78f1b6eee984708682ba31202c4c3da428aec539280c7d21cf23c58"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/CUNPKBAQ3ZLX3VR322XEIN3FNQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/08/pope-francis-showing-slight-improvement-vatican-says/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"MUSBNTCLPJHWXNE6WH5GL5D2IY","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":93,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/3ab5546b-c174-4fa0-9f20-5c86dbb60ec5/versions/1741421656/media/2769e6bbdb1caa25bac3e879d3fcfd9a_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/08/russian-strikes-kill-at-least-14-injure-dozens-in-ukraine-says-kyiv/","content_elements":[{"_id":"Z6S4ST3QBRFCXBSC2TPDQGFVIM","additional_properties":{},"content":"At least 14 people were killed, including five children, and 37 wounded in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" target=\"_blank\">Russian</a> missile and drone attacks on <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\" target=\"_blank\">Ukraine</a>’s eastern city of Dobropillia overnight and on a settlement in the Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian interior ministry said on Saturday. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"AHCJ2GSYTNHFBKJRIECKLDVE4I","additional_properties":{},"content":"President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said later that Ukraine is “fully committed” to having a constructive dialogue with US representatives in Saudi Arabia next week over ways to end the war with Russia","type":"text"},{"_id":"SZ32Q7EX4JHEPAA2JF46JFCHB4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491092},"content":"Russian forces attacked Dobropillia overnight with ballistic missiles, multiple rockets and drones, causing damage to eight multistorey buildings and 30 vehicles, the ministry said. The assault resulted in the deaths of 11 people, including five children, and left 30 others wounded.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WK3O2YH3RBAS3JPNY464BSSRLQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491093},"content":"The ministry also reported that three civilians were killed and seven wounded in a separate drone attack on the Kharkiv region in the northeast.","type":"text"},{"_id":"G6UINKH7NZBWHGUQZMGCHC5UNM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491094},"content":"“While extinguishing the fire, the occupiers struck again, damaging the fire truck,” the ministry said on the Telegram messenger app.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2FXWU34AOBHYTL446USPOHKTMY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491095},"content":"Photographs of partially destroyed buildings engulfed in flames and rescue workers clearing debris were also published by the ministry.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5Y3GCMXMZRHU5GMYXV2TBH4RNE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491096},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"WHQQGZCYLFAXNANNOPYCTAELVY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491097},"content":"“Such strikes show that Russia’s objectives have not changed. Therefore, it is crucial to continue to do our best to protect lives, strengthen our air defences, and increase sanctions against Russia. Everything that helps Putin finance the war must collapse,” said on Facebook.","type":"text"},{"_id":"X72LA3JE3BNRFCHWLOY5FVDUPU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491098},"type":"image"},{"_id":"Y3PRNK4BRVHHNNJLHH6CYKDN2I","additional_properties":{},"content":"Since taking office in January, US president Donald Trump has paused American military aid to Ukraine as well as intelligence-sharing with Kyiv. He has accused Zelenskiy of not being serious about reaching a peace agreement with Russia.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M3ATEMPGZ5HJZA3CVVSHGXZ3ZM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of this war. Realistic proposals are on the table. 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If you do, you are DEAD!”","type":"text"},{"_id":"ILFEPO5D7ZBNHFHBFFDGOBAANA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432508},"content":"The Trump administration recently signed off on the shipment of 40,000 bombs to Israel.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XZSCE7HH7FC7VM2D2S62ANZKEU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432509},"content":"A spokesperson from Palestine Action said: “Palestine Action rejects Donald Trump’s treatment of Gaza as though it were his property to dispose of as he likes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HACMU53OEZESLABNX5JCP54WGI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432510},"content":"“To make that clear, we have shown him that his own property is not safe from acts of resistance.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZMD72QZUQFEX5NBUCN5AK4XSKE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432511},"content":"“We will continue to take action against US-Israeli colonialism in the Palestinian homeland.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"VQR2FY4QG5HB3IXR24CXD5PO7U","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432512},"content":"A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 4.40am on Saturday, March 8th, 2025, we received a report of damage to the golf course and a premises on Maidens Road, Turnberry. 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The woman was one of 21 people who were evacuated from the building.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DXTCRGMJNJDCLFTNDQLRBTMENM","additional_properties":{},"content":"A couple sustained minor injuries when a tree crashed through the ceiling of their Gold Coast bedroom during strong winds and rain on Thursday night, officials said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"L3GNIRGUJ5HCJES37ANCDT3PUA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Queensland premier David Crisafulli said 330,000 homes and businesses had lost power due to the storm since Thursday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FME4VPS5WAXTCHKVLYBGCJYPZI","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"LYD57Z7NKBBBZG2R4CNNWBDMBA","additional_properties":{},"content":"No other natural disaster had created a bigger blackout in the state’s history.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3YOPQ7Z74VA5ZJPFPKEXYFZEVM","additional_properties":{},"content":"New South Wales reported as many as 45,000 premises without electricity on Saturday. But tens of thousands had been reconnected by late in the day, officials said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UGQBS67S2JC3HGLY5T6JTHVVN4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Rivers were flooding in Queensland and New South Wales after days of heavy rain, the meteorology bureau said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XITYL6GAIZATPHKT7DFOCFULGY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The missing man was the only failure among 36 flood rescues carried out by emergency teams in northern New South Wales in recent days, most involving vehicles attempting to cross floodwaters, police said. – AP","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Cyclone weakens to tropical low, but ‘intense’ rainfall threatens flooding, says expert"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T11:55:40.409Z","headlines":{"basic":"Ex-Cyclone Alfred: One dead and mass blackouts after tropical low hits Australia","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"AZ77ASVUD3V4MYKA5W64JZRH7A","auth":{"1":"a5365569a26fdf37524c7b6f5d5d65b78877969b47baec6a0a4ba59d8a77a571"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/AZ77ASVUD3V4MYKA5W64JZRH7A.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Australia"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/australia/2025/03/08/ex-cyclone-alfred-one-dead-and-mass-blackouts-after-tropical-low-hits-australia/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/australia","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Australia"}}}},{"_id":"MTHFDSUGPRCYDEWB3O5Q5JXBVE","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":205,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/72ee15e6-3c43-4dd6-9181-f60ead97aef4/versions/1741432600/media/07d71b2524f6da931e02560f15a5a933_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/03/08/north-korea-unveils-nuclear-powered-submarine-for-the-first-time/","content_elements":[{"_id":"VAPDNAV6WNB4TFONZ5VN2YDTRU","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/north-korea/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/north-korea/\">North Korea</a> has unveiled for the first time a nuclear-powered submarine under construction, a weapons system that can pose a major security threat to <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/south-korea/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/south-korea/\">South Korea</a> and the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/\">US</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OQTCRPKMP5AURFSMIS2YAIE5XY","additional_properties":{},"content":"On Saturday, state media released photographs showing what it called “a nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine”, as it reported leader <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/kim-jong-un/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/kim-jong-un/\">Kim Jong-un</a>’s visits to major shipyards where warships are built.","type":"text"},{"_id":"B7Y6V2CXCNHFTFYOEAUAPBJVF4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) did not provide details on the submarine, but said Mr Kim was briefed on its construction.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4GIDH35LKNDRRDAY7Z2AKKKK54","additional_properties":{},"content":"Moon Keun-sik, a South Korean submarine expert who teaches at Seoul’s Hanyang University, said the naval vessel appears to be a 6,000-tonne-class or 7,000-tonne-class one which can carry about 10 missiles.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2MCVRGAE7RFJPLIVHPFQMKFJCM","additional_properties":{},"content":"He said the use of the term “the strategic guided missiles” meant it would carry nuclear-capable weapons.","type":"text"},{"_id":"K2C6CVAEVFGXFLCSMBLWRRNUOE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“It would be absolutely threatening to us and the US,” Mr Moon said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ABVUI6KVG5FNFBGJK56W446FHU","additional_properties":{},"content":"A nuclear-powered submarine was among a long wishlist of sophisticated weaponry that Mr Kim vowed to introduce during a major political conference in 2021 to cope with what he called escalating US-led military threats.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TE7CU4MVTCX3RHSN3C2PO67BWA","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"VFINLBED4VERVDFX7IWPXBMWSQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Other weapons were solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, spy satellites and multi-warhead missiles.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YLAJ6UD7JNEFNGE65JIU7IQYXU","additional_properties":{},"content":"North Korea has since performed a run of testing activities to acquire them.","type":"text"},{"_id":"B3ZMHM6SD5DZNBDJKT5HPCSUJA","additional_properties":{},"content":"The North obtaining a greater ability to fire missiles from underwater is a worrying development because it is difficult for its rivals to detect such launches in advance.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZLDDEZFNRJCQVPMNKIGLL3AQAQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Questions about how North Korea, a heavily sanctioned and impoverished country, could get resources and technology to build nuclear-powered submarines have surfaced.","type":"text"},{"_id":"77PRUXQ7YZCGXBO3M6CZ3QCKEI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Moon said North Korea may have received Russian technological assistance to build a nuclear reactor to be used in the submarine in return for supplying conventional weapons and troops to support <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\">Russia</a>’s war efforts against <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\">Ukraine</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7HBEE5M53ZDSZOKUN2FIW2Y7KA","additional_properties":{},"content":"He also said North Korea could launch the submarine in one or two years to test its capability before its actual deployment.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RD252VMP6BGRTKM6BFVHH4NBGY","additional_properties":{},"content":"North Korea has an estimated 70-90 diesel-powered submarines in one of the world’s largest fleets.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BBG45RYK25HXZDQRBZMC3AIZYU","additional_properties":{},"content":"However, they are mostly aging vessels capable of launching only torpedoes and mines, not missiles.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3SNGVQJ7JVEFBLNSLDO6WMFECM","additional_properties":{},"content":"In 2023, North Korea said it had launched what it called its first “tactical nuclear attack submarine”, but foreign experts doubted the North’s announcement and speculated it was likely a diesel-powered submarine disclosed in 2019.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M67SEI6TB5ASRFNADV6R4FTBDI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Moon said there has been no confirmation that it has been deployed.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TW3VJ6Y3HRFW5ENU3EEBHM6MWY","additional_properties":{},"content":"North Korea has conducted a slew of underwater-launched ballistic missile tests since 2016, but all launches were made from the same 2,000-tonne-class submarine which has a single launch tube. Many experts call it a test platform, rather than an operational submarine in active service.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5UGLXANHYJH3JMGANYNOPOVGZE","additional_properties":{},"content":"In recent days, North Korea has been dialling up its fiery rhetoric against the US and South Korea ahead of their upcoming annual military drills set to start Monday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TTHXJOFURJDT5LMX5QWIZZTVPY","additional_properties":{},"content":"During his visits to the shipyards, Mr Kim said North Korea aims to modernise water-surface and underwater warships simultaneously.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UARHMASNSRDWJKKRQXBOHEFEIQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"He stressed the need to make “the incomparably overwhelming warships fulfil their mission” to contain “the inveterate gunboat diplomacy of the hostile forces”, KCNA reported on Saturday. – AP","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Weapons system can pose a major security threat to South Korea and US"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T11:11:29.891Z","headlines":{"basic":"North Korea unveils ‘nuclear-powered submarine’ for the first time ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"PPMCMYZNSVJQESPULLWBTTHNHA","auth":{"1":"3026ca625d36437b0edc2863d1aaad126dcec4dfffcc90a361debf93cd0068db"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/PPMCMYZNSVJQESPULLWBTTHNHA.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Asia-Pacific"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/03/08/north-korea-unveils-nuclear-powered-submarine-for-the-first-time/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/asia-pacific","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Asia-Pacific"}}}},{"_id":"DUNJ6CURUJG4BBSHKFJF463NJ4","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/08/hamas-leaders-release-reopens-old-wounds-in-israel/","content_elements":[{"_id":"EDNYTN6LLVGRLCHHJEF5SQ2TKY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The moment Ashraf Zughayer, a <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas/\">Hamas</a> leader in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\">Israeli</a> prison, heard in October 2023 that Palestinian militants had taken hostages, he knew his life sentence for murdering six people in Tel Aviv could soon be wiped away, he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DHTTNUNW7ZDZVLJYS7FAUUA2RE","additional_properties":{},"content":"It took more than a year. But in late January, as part of the ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, Zughayer (46), rode through the streets of East Jerusalem on a truck festooned with green Hamas flags, surrounded by jubilant supporters.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KSVUGEOYPBF3PIEJ35EVYB4KME","additional_properties":{},"content":"Thirty miles away, Tova Sisso, whose mother was killed in the Tel Aviv attack, watched with horror. Her mother, Rozana, had survived the Holocaust only to be killed in a 2002 suicide bombing that Zughayer helped orchestrate.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5IGD3MT6RFA4VNQ5KPM2UADYUA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Seeing him being celebrated like this tears open a deep wound all over again,” Sisso said. “My joy in life was stolen from me that day.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"IYRWF2NNNZFSNBRY6EL4DZCMFI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Since the truce began last month, Israelis and Palestinians have been gripped by images of emotional homecomings that have summoned a welter of pain, happiness, frustration and grief. The scenes cut to the heart of how many on both sides understand the cycle of violence that has haunted their families for decades.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7XTUFW3IDREYTFDWLX56H56NLE","additional_properties":{},"content":"For Israelis, watching freed hostages reunite with relatives has been a rare moment of national catharsis since the October 7th, 2023 attack that killed 1,200 people, saw 250 taken hostage and ignited the devastating war in Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. But they have also been angered and deeply dismayed by the release of Palestinian prisoners like Zughayer in exchange.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UUPUW7S7ZJA5XIUOEBM4YZKRKE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Palestinians have greeted hundreds of prisoners released by Israel. They included some detained without charges or for minor offences, a group that Palestinians often view as effectively hostages themselves. Under the deal, Israel committed to releasing 1,000 Gazans, most of whom had been held without anything resembling a criminal trial.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RYGSKVKTYZAF7FJHWCEZ7AIVR4","additional_properties":{},"content":"But Hamas also secured the release of hundreds of prisoners like Zughayer – militants convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis. More than 200 of those freed were serving life sentences for murder and other offences for their role in bombings, shootings and other acts of violence.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MHQXKIC6VZF47HGBMEFQKCSARU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israelis see them as murderous terrorists, noting many deliberately targeted civilians. Many Palestinians call them heroes in a struggle against Israel’s decades-long occupation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EB6JYMVVS5GCDBSTAXJSCVGWBU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“A nation that wants to break free must fight for it,” Zughayer said shortly after his release, sitting in his parents’ front yard. He refused to discuss whether the October 7th attacks had successfully advanced the Palestinian national cause.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CPT6WKBUQ7N2JSDRC7Z2CP4CWQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"ASSWLQU5ZNEQ5NYZWIGDMMJ5ME","additional_properties":{},"content":"Palestinians are split over the 2023 attacks led by his organisation. At least some say they were a devastating mistake for having prompted Israel’s sweeping military response, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed much of Gaza.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JZM5TWMSTBD3LKY5WYUETL3SP4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“It’s good that there is a prisoner deal, but it did not require all this bloodshed and destruction,” Ahmed Yousef, a veteran Hamas member, said in a phone interview from southern Gaza. “October 7th, in my opinion, was a terrible error. In late January, Zughayer’s family held a subdued celebration at their East Jerusalem home to welcome him back, wary of Israeli restrictions on “expressions of joy” for freed militants. Israel annexed East Jerusalem after the 1967 war in a move not recognised by most of the international community.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JDOJIZHZ7ZGKXHYGOHQZ2QJDN4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Teenage relatives bustled around a quiet courtyard, pouring coffee and handing out sweets. Others hung on every word uttered by the skinny, black-bearded Mr. Zughayer, who appeared slightly dazed to be seeing the outside world for the first time in years. A slim green scarf emblazoned with a Hamas logo hung around his neck, until a child took it away.","type":"text"},{"_id":"B2D5V4DHPVAVXOIQ7SGJVJXHSI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“My son’s imprisonment was a badge of honour,” said Zughayer’s father, Munir, a community organiser who liaises between residents and Israeli authorities. “You could enter prison for thieving or criminality. But I’m not the father of a criminal, I’m the father of a hero.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"WWUO6TQN2NHV3FGGDI45COQIE4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The 2002 bombing that Ashraf Zughayer helped carry out killed six civilians: five Israelis and a British Jew. The bomber, wearing an explosive vest, had mounted a bus in Tel Aviv and detonated his cargo as soon as the bus began to move, according to court filings.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R2EE7XMO3VDEHOYHVQXOLNUZH4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Yoni Jesner, a 19-year-old religious student from Scotland, was one of those killed in the explosion. His family chose to donate his organs, one of which was given to a young Palestinian girl, his brother Ari said in an interview. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"WE54SQ6SCNDMNLCQZAFH7MYHIY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Zughayer was convicted of driving the bomber to his target. As a resident of Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, he held an Israeli ID that allowed him to easily slip in and out of the West Bank. He was involved in planning another attack when he was arrested, according to Israeli court filings.","type":"text"},{"_id":"L7AXO2IER5B7BAAUMS4SNY255I","additional_properties":{},"content":"Munir Zughayer said he hoped for a normal life for his son and a peaceful resolution to the conflict – one that would allow both Israelis and Palestinians to live “in equality and with human rights”. His son said that he hoped to pursue a doctorate in political science, and was exploring options in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PIR2F2SIRRC3LIKZXZGKO6357Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"As night fell, Israeli soldiers raided the home, guns drawn and loaded, and then assaulted the elder Zughayer, as well as a disabled relative <a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/26/world/middleeast/israel-army-palestinian-prisoners.html\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/26/world/middleeast/israel-army-palestinian-prisoners.html\">and a reporter for The New York Times</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MAUSFRLRXJBUPCUOJARIHTTBMU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The soldiers detained several of Ashraf Zughayer’s siblings, accusing them of waving Hamas flags and shooting in the air. The family denies the allegations, and no one was visibly armed at the event.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T24ISCWQGBF5DDWJDXC7JI7GTI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Nearly a month later, the Israeli police released them, but charged Zughayer and two of his relatives with riding unsecured in the back of a pickup truck on the afternoon of his release, according to a police statement. They face possible fines for the charge.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UZLN3KYPJFD37BPKXDEH2FXT7M","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israeli prison interrogators frequently asked Zughayer whether he felt any remorse, he said. He had once believed in the peace process, he said, but lost hope after watching reports of Palestinian civilians, including children, shot dead by Israeli soldiers with apparent impunity.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3Z7E4BTTKNE2VOXL7GLZMNDLLU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Our goal isn’t to hurt civilians. We were forced into it,” he said, declining to extensively discuss the attack. “If the legal system here were just, I would see this whole thing differently.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"US23C5RKXVGQXPVG2DMQWNVY4Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"Once convicted, Zughayer was assigned to a prison wing dominated by Hamas detainees. One was <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/yahya-sinwar/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/yahya-sinwar/\">Yahya Sinwar</a>, the Hamas leader who later masterminded the 2023 attack. Sinwar taught his fellow inmates Hebrew to better understand their shared enemy, Zughayer recounted.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AZITIA2A4NHGZK377VU4EF3YVE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I used to think that Israeli society was a monolith,” he said. Through studying the language and history of the Jewish people, he realised that Israelis were not of one mind. “Some want peace, and some do not,” he said. During his time in prison, Zughayer learned fluent Hebrew, earning a master’s degree from an Israeli university. He also became a top member of Hamas’s prison leadership, charged with conveying demands in negotiations with their jailers.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F7NWESYVHRABJOT2JZLQ4AMW5Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"But he said he was as shocked as his Israeli guards when Hamas fighters swarmed into Israel on October 7th, 2023.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5GDRCBWBVVBCLDB33GYNMLG2FU","additional_properties":{},"content":"That morning, Palestinian prisoners hunched over small televisions in their cells, watching in disbelief as Israeli news outlets showed Hamas gunmen driving through the Israeli city of Sderot.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ATKCDMWF6ZEERFP4XIBYAJAREY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hours into the attack, the guards took away the televisions. Prisoners then huddled around a radio, where they heard that Hamas had seized Israeli hostages before it too was taken away.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PRR2XYZYSJAHNBXXGTB76PM3CM","additional_properties":{},"content":"After the Hamas-led attack, the guards began treating imprisoned Palestinians much more harshly, said Zughayer. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"5D3APNAT3NH35MCPQ3F5UXKDS4","additional_properties":{},"content":"At least 10 Palestinian prisoners died in Israeli jail last year, according to the Israeli prison service; autopsies showed at least some bore signs of physical trauma, according to postmortem reports.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7ZK54MIDCNFSTPRVMPQRKLB6JQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israeli hostages who were freed during the ceasefire also emerged gaunt, some having lost dozens of pounds during their captivity.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PDRLE6RKMBF4HLE7DKSOJRGHYA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Since Zughayer’s release, Israel and Hamas have completed several more transfers of hostages and prisoners, each of which has elicited intense, conflicting emotions among Israelis and Palestinians.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LWLJZJ4G5ZEWFBRXFSJBWHDME4","additional_properties":{},"content":"When one of the hostages was freed, “it felt like a family member coming home,” said Jesner, despite his mixed feelings over Zughayer’s release.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WG74OMVXLVGM5FMAF3ONDR54UY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Nir Zinger, whose brother was killed in the Tel Aviv bombing, vividly remembers the moment in 2002 that he picked up the phone and heard about the attack. He said he thinks about his brother, Ofer, almost every day.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OK2JF276GZCW7FOAYXJKLXV4LE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Seeing Zughayer walk free was difficult, he said, but he called it worth it to save more of the living hostages.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SAQAOQUWSNAKHBKJ5DG67BEQ6I","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We know the meaning of grief,” Zinger said. “We don’t want other families to have to endure that pain.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"X6AJ5DYMLVCOJHRMI4J7QAXSAE","additional_properties":{},"content":"– This article originally appeared in the <a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/world/middleeast/hamas-israel-prisoner-release-ashraf-zughayer.html\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/world/middleeast/hamas-israel-prisoner-release-ashraf-zughayer.html\">New York Times</a>","type":"text"},{"_id":"WZ4UNQKAURHB3A6HY4DL2OYPT4","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"RPRDFWIYJFGG7GN755TSPH2PDE","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"VDYMMPL5T5BFLC3GWK5ZYOCXLU","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"OOX5PIQHVRDP7ISY6DIKESJROA","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"ER3I4TDWSFHHVCS3HXDBQCRBZA","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Natan Odenheimer and Aaron Boxerman in East Jerusalem"}]},"description":{"basic":"A man convicted over his role in a deadly 2002 bombing was released in one of the recent ceasefire exchanges"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T11:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Hamas leader’s release reopens old wounds in Israel","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"ZCYXQE6DJGN4Z7QGVTW7Y6SU7E","auth":{"1":"3fa954f9a4d1dbcde69c97f421faddf6e834f36ec096d39e712af69637dbb0a2"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/ZCYXQE6DJGN4Z7QGVTW7Y6SU7E.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/08/hamas-leaders-release-reopens-old-wounds-in-israel/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"F2ZVQTWOVFHTZF6AAPEKDZRNJA","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/abroad/2025/03/08/cyclone-alfred-share-your-story/","content_elements":[{"_id":"MQ6IJIXNE5AVNOJWRYCPBANUAE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred has battered the eastern regions of Australia, bringing heavy rain, huge waves and strong winds that cut power and shut airports.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CV5RD74PLFHJJEGOZUF7HJCGNM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Although it has been downgraded to a ‘tropical low’, reports are rolling in detailing the extent of the destruction and The Irish Times would like to hear from Irish expats living in or near Brisbane, or any Australian region impacted by the cyclone.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CRCJD5P5BNDCZNNYGIGDCY3YIQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Were you directly impacted by the weather conditions? Did you have to flee an area for your own safety, or cancel travel plans? Has Cyclone Alfred left property damaged, or negatively affected you in some other way? We would like to hear your story. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"IMJHZ25ABJDATKB7OAJNIPPC6M","additional_properties":{},"content":"You can let us know what you think using the form below, and share any photographs or video clips you think might help tell your story. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"VAEM623XK5C7BBUT6DXEZFNVSI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Please limit your submissions to 400 words or less. Please include a phone number for verification purposes only. If you would prefer to remain anonymous, please indicate this in your submission – we will keep your name and contact details confidential. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"R4KL3SYQI5DJPBFRZTLAYX4EPQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"We will curate a selection of submissions for an article but please note we may not publish every submission we receive.","type":"text"},{"_id":"I6XYNWCRMNHORKA4QPNI5JJVIE","content":"<span class=\"contribly-contribute-v2\" data-client=\"9fc0f2a4-9bf9-4464-8b77-ec351ad0db03\" data-assignment=\"862886db-94a6-4b04-ac68-e272c1dedd4d\" data-display=\"inline\"></span><script type=\"text/javascript\" src=\"https://s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/contribly-widgets/contribute/contribute-v2.js\"><\/script>","type":"raw_html"},{"_id":"5BGWNWVUIZA75DASD363ZKIDNI","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"free"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Were you negatively impacted by weather conditions that struck Australia’s eastern regions this weekend?"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T09:22:12.361Z","headlines":{"basic":"Ex-Cyclone Alfred: Are you Irish and living near Brisbane? Tell us your story ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"UT2Z74DNMRDKXC5AMXEFMOQE3Q","auth":{"1":"f58aeee86758b5b62919876bfa87775cf0de115883ab5c0bbb204b5c19da41f5"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/UT2Z74DNMRDKXC5AMXEFMOQE3Q.png"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Abroad"},{"name":"Environment"},{"name":"World"},{"name":"Australia"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/abroad/2025/03/08/cyclone-alfred-share-your-story/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/abroad","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Abroad"}}}},{"_id":"DLYKICF75ZBYTF6U24U3Y4JRBI","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":848,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/38319d82-a9f0-4b5e-a33f-1af5b4cfbc17/versions/1741261498/media/b91058e69630724b814a709721f91fc5_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/08/europes-trump-whisperers-starmer-macron-and-meloni/","content_elements":[{"_id":"A523ST37RNHKVHWU7VOYO5PLCA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072395},"content":"The impetus for the rapport between <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/keir-starmer/\" target=\"_self\">Keir Starmer</a> and <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" target=\"_self\">Donald Trump</a> arrived in the wake of an assassin’s bullet.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D5RPY3W2X5GEJEAUXBKIP6Q4C4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072396},"content":"Gunman <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2024/07/14/profile-thomas-matthew-crooks-the-suspected-trump-rally-gunman/\" target=\"_self\">Thomas Matthew Crooks</a> fired at Trump, then running as a candidate to be US president, at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania just after 11pm British/Irish time (6pm in the eastern US) last July 13th. A quarter of an inch from changing history, Crooks grazed his target’s ear and killed a man in the crowd. Over the following hours, shocked world leaders sent Trump their best wishes, mostly online.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CJALSTHAORF6TJXJV5LJJDWDG4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072397},"content":"Starmer, then on just his eighth full day as UK prime minister, was among them. But as he watched footage that night of a bloodied Trump rising triumphantly to his feet, fist clenched in what became a defining image of his election victory over Kamala Harris, the prime minister felt he should do more.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SGAKVLQ5XRGPNFC45U5UGLAIEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072398},"content":"He turned to Karen Pierce, then Britain’s ambassador in Washington. She was respected in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/republican-party/\" target=\"_self\">Republican</a> circles and, unlike some of her diplomatic peers, had maintained close links with Trump’s allies even after the rancorous end of his first term in office.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SHUXD3MVSRC5NDAY2PE247B3GE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072399},"content":"The day after the shooting, Starmer headed to Berlin for the final of the Euros football tournament. England would go on to lose 2-1 to Spain, but Starmer would win Trump’s attention and respect.","type":"text"},{"_id":"L7TXX2T5OBHPJCHUU7VN2QT3ZI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072400},"content":"That afternoon as he travelled to the match, he stopped for a 10-minute phone call with the US politician that had been personally arranged by Pierce. It was the first time the two men had ever spoken. Even <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/nigel-farage/\" target=\"_self\">Nigel Farage</a>, who portrays himself as Trump’s “best friend” in Britain, had only texted him since the shooting.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KEGQ6DH25NA5HI5LARG2NORJ2M","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072401},"content":"Trump was struck by Starmer’s kindness towards him, setting the tone for a political relationship that has stayed warm since, even as glacial winds have buffeted the traditional US-Europe transatlantic alliance. Their rapport was crucial this week as Starmer shuttled between Trump and Ukraine’s president, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/volodymyr-zelenskiy/\" target=\"_self\">Volodymyr Zelenskiy</a>, trying to patch things up between them following their public falling out in the Oval Office over the war with <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" target=\"_self\">Russia</a>. British media have dubbed their prime minister Europe’s “Trump whisperer”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VO7LD2EYA5BZBGWHR3JDJHCAGU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741351177977},"type":"image"},{"_id":"XOCJ5CDL4ZA5LJMF4LXFRFNRCY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072402},"content":"Writer and former <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/labour-party-uk/\" target=\"_self\">Labour</a> adviser Tom Baldwin, with whom Starmer co-operated last year on a revealing biography, told The Irish Times this week that he has since spoken to the prime minister about that crucial first phone call last July. What was it about that conversation that so endeared the UK prime minister to Trump, the most unpredictable and disruptive US president in history?","type":"text"},{"_id":"23F2KX4XVFHGRKRLEWIKO23SFU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072403},"content":"“Starmer felt he made a personal connection with him when he spoke about how difficult it must have been for Trump’s family to watch him almost get killed on television,” said Baldwin. “They spoke about each other’s families. That was the moment he felt a different mood down the line, that this wasn’t just two men in politics talking business to each other.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"BT5A3V5MWBCPREINYYMIDES5JQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072404},"content":"They met for the first time two months later at the height of the US election campaign. Starmer and his foreign secretary, David Lammy, held a two-hour dinner with the US politician in September at his gilded Trump Tower in New York, when they were in town for a United Nations meeting. Lammy said the dinner went so well, Trump gave them a second helping of chicken.","type":"text"},{"_id":"P63TBO7OONH2PKTTMPY4QCR34I","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072405},"content":"Lammy had invested separately, and heavily, in courting Trump’s vice-president (then running mate) <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/jd-vance/\" target=\"_self\">JD Vance</a>. Starmer, meanwhile, made no effort to also meet Harris during that US trip last September. He was all-in on Trump, who thinks he is a “really nice guy”. Now they speak often on the phone.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MX5I75Z5GJABFCWEIXX2SSRYDQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072406},"content":"Last week they met for only the second time – the first with both in office – in Washington. Amid an air of real bonhomie, Starmer produced a letter from his pocket from King Charles inviting Trump to Britain for an unprecedented second full state visit. The US president almost levitated with glee.","type":"text"},{"_id":"C7DNV3K3ZNGMVJH7TFVYRSH5OQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072407},"content":"Anand Menon, professor of European politics and foreign affairs at King’s College in London, was unalloyed this week in his admiration for what he sees as Starmer’s stellar job of liaising with Trump.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MDRWOFTJK5FTNOI2LK2UHMEF4M","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072408},"content":"“Oh God yeah,” he says, when asked if the UK prime minister has been deft in his diplomacy. “But there are still risks for him. If Trump keeps going like this [for example, by displaying unpredictable behaviour over Ukraine] an element of anti-Americanism might creep in on the Continent – ‘you’re either with us or against us.’” Starmer soon may have to manage that dynamic as well as his relationship with Trump, says Menon.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PJ4FHAYGDLRMDVLZC7EAVWWMQE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741351177985},"type":"image"},{"_id":"VCNUNCVDGNA33LDNHEOO4DGVDY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072409},"content":"For Italy’s prime minister <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/giorgia-meloni/\" target=\"_self\">Giorgia Meloni</a>, meanwhile, her close personal connection with Trump was born in December, weeks after he beat Harris in the race for the White House. They were already politically compatible as fellow radical right-wingers. But Meloni, a cautious operator, had previously maintained an air of neutrality during the campaign – she wanted to also keep a good relationship with outgoing US president Joe Biden, and also with <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/kamala-harris/\" target=\"_self\">Harris</a> in case she won.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3ZZ7I6AVK5ATRBZMVVWKRHEQEM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072410},"content":"But by December, Trump was the president-elect and Meloni knew who she needed to court. They met for the first time at the ceremony in Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral, which was destroyed by fire during Trump’s first term. Meloni tweeted a picture of the pair laughing in a semi-embrace, thumbs up at the camera. Trump said she was a “real live wire” and they hit it off. Meloni is also close to the billionaire <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/elon-musk/\" target=\"_self\">Elon Musk</a>, Trump’s closest political ally.","type":"text"},{"_id":"24PRJE3OD5EFTEQVOSE2HOYA3Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072411},"content":"Weeks later, Meloni made <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/01/05/giorgia-meloni-meets-trump-at-mar-a-lago-resort-as-italian-pm-seeks-to-strengthen-ties/\" target=\"_self\">a surprise trip</a> to see Trump during the first week of January at his Mar-a Lago resort in Florida. As well as Ukraine, over five hours they also discussed the case of Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist arrested in Iran after Italian authorities had arrested an Iranian engineer at the request of the US. The Iranians released Sala three days after Meloni met Trump.","type":"text"},{"_id":"J4WLDKNDR5HLDOLPP5AS6FMEOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072412},"content":"Later that month, Meloni was the only European national leader to be invited to attend Trump’s second inauguration in Washington. In February, she was also invited to remotely address the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, a right-wing jamboree where Trump was feted as a hero.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YDC3WAMPBRDKVES4OC5W5Q7JKI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072413},"content":"“She spoke out against wokeness and in favour of the family – things like that,” said Daniele Abertazzi, professor of politics at the University of Surrey and co-author of a forthcoming new book on the radical right in Europe, Populist Radical Right Parties in Action.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XBM3WM63KBCRBEB3FAG4M2J34Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072414},"content":"“There is no political cost in saying such things at CPAC. Meloni knew how to push the right buttons. But she also stood there and told the conference that <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\" target=\"_self\">Ukraine</a> was a victim of Russian aggression.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"E7FU3YPC4RHTRBOUTEFAX7IM7U","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072415},"content":"Meloni, along with Starmer, has pushed for Europe to maintain close ties with Trump’s White House, even as the US president roils the continent with his unpredictable behaviour such as cutting aid to Ukraine and his growing closeness to Vladimir Putin’s Russia, seen as a threat to Europe’s security.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OOVMMQ3Y4FGIDFQRCYEJX2OD54","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072416},"content":"The Italian prime minister helped her UK counterpart to convene the summit last week of European and certain Nato members held in London on Sunday to discuss Ukraine and Europe’s future security. That morning in advance of the summit, she also met Starmer at Downing Street for a one-to-one, the only European leader to do so. They compared notes on their relationships with Trump.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LPNU3R7CURADZDE3IHXWMJ4GAA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741351177994},"type":"image"},{"_id":"7SCMSJJBKBFHNM6HPWD555SS6E","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072417},"content":"The night before, both leaders spoke to Trump over the phone, a day after the US president’s disastrous White House meeting with Zelenskiy on the Friday, which ended in a shouting match. Speaking afterwards, Meloni said it was “very important to avoid the risk of the West splitting”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ETR2JMJXUFBWBLVRIFD44LRKPY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072418},"content":"Meloni has proposed a wide-ranging US-Europe security summit, with Starmer’s full support. She has said their nations must work to “build bridges” to Trump’s Washington.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JFPNATAY5ZAXBIEVGIFJE4AQXU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072419},"content":"“Being seen to be this bridge to Trump is very important for Meloni,” said Abertazzi. “A bridge is between two points. But sometimes it seems like now we have two different planets. How do you bridge that? It seems to me like it might be too far.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"AJX7DTWJFRFKDPOVWGZRIY7B6I","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072420},"content":"Charles Grant, a security policy expert and director of the Centre for European Reform, is one of the best-connected British analysts in Brussels, while he also has strong links to Paris. He says he “isn’t a fan” of the bridge-building [or in this case, Trump whispering] approach to international affairs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BSVBJALMRNBEPMHVOMFTKBD6ZE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072421},"content":"“It can seem vainglorious. It can also be a mistake. Starmer has done reasonably well at it, but not if it ends up lapsing into something where Britain pretends to have this unique relationship with the Americans, because it thinks Europeans are too stupid to understand them properly.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"SCPXK62OTNANVFSXTODMEATODE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741351178000},"content":"Fintan O'Toole: European leaders seem astounded by Trump’s bullying and blatant aggression","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"3DMKGOTBYFFDHO2Z3WSIQT7CKA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072422},"content":"European unity is more important than bridge-building to Washington, according to Grant. “And Meloni, to her credit, is not undermining European unity in any way.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"XKD43ACZ4FA65GS7I5PR7GSC7A","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072423},"content":"While he doesn’t care too much for bridges, Grant says he is a fan, however, of the third European leader who has also tried to be a sort of Trump whisperer, France’s president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/emmanuel-macron/\" target=\"_self\">Emmanuel Macron</a>. He was the first European leader to meet Trump after his inauguration – the two shared a mercurial, but occasionally close, relationship during Trump’s first term from January 2017 to 2021.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PTZINNEDOFC4BBLULGAAYB4J7Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072424},"content":"Macron visited Trump in the White House two days before Starmer, and the France and US presidents engaged in touchy-feely diplomacy and a textbook display of their famous power handshakes. Macron, however, also corrected Trump when he downplayed the importance of European financial support for Ukraine. Starmer has done similar, but more gently. Both leaders have balanced out their Trump-wooing by also being openly enthusiastic in their backing for Zelenskiy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"52HHSWAW7HRAVUXHEOUWDYKEUY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741351178004},"type":"image"},{"_id":"HTDNSB4U4RCOPC2V5XSVSL6C3Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072425},"content":"“Macron is a supremely self-confident political leader. I am impressed by this aspect of him,” said Grant. “He uses a lot of savoir faire in his relations with Trump. Starmer is perhaps more polite to Trump, maybe even more obsequious. He is much more careful not to say anything that could be construed as criticism. But both have done fairly well at it.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"5KBAYOA7W5FFPAGXB57HYG3Y6E","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072426},"content":"Grant says it is “up to them [Macron and Starmer]” to lead Europe in its relations with Trump, because <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/germany/\" target=\"_self\">Germany</a>’s incoming chancellor, Friedrich Merz, appears to be adopting a different tone. The European Commission president, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ursula-von-der-leyen/\" target=\"_self\">Ursula von der Leyen</a>, also can’t lead Europe’s relations with Trump, because the US president dislikes European Union institutions, says Grant. This post-Brexit reality is an aspect of Starmer’s dynamic with Trump that his Number 10 team play up in private.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KXFJN2OCJBG25J4EV6LVV3R5RI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072427},"content":"“Meloni can also play a useful role. I think it’s right to highlight that Italy has a huge trade surplus with the US, which might become an issue some day in the relationship. But the link between her and Musk is also important. They like each other, or at least Musk certainly likes Meloni,” says Grant.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q4BAEDQ7GZAVNCZXNXK5SLVUNE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741351178008},"content":"Patrick Smyth: Giorgia Meloni masquerades as the ‘acceptable’ face of the far right, but nobody should be fooled","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"QTR43JXYZZCYVMEMF5TLKKBWLY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072428},"content":"The trio of European leaders vying, and frequently co-operating, to be Trump whisperers seem an odd grouping when set side by side.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SCTPRS436RH37GLDQU36M3C5F4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072429},"content":"There is Starmer, a stodgy, emotionally constipated social democrat falling down with political problems at home, but who appears to have found his calling as a transatlantic statesman in recent weeks. Baldwin says that despite Starmer’s reputation for eschewing the personal side of politics, his methodical cultivation of a close connection with Trump is fully in line with what he knows of him.","type":"text"},{"_id":"K2IXTA6WRZFWXAKH76Q755SFQQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072430},"content":"Meloni, meanwhile, is an adherent of the sort of radical nationalism that ought to make her an ideological bedfellow of the EU-sceptic Trump. Yet somehow, she has emerged as a defender of European unity while at the same time remaining close to the US president.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T5NXFQT45NC4XJN55DFQUYRRCY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072431},"content":"“I feel the moment will eventually come when she must choose between them,” says Abertazzi. “She will go for Europe because Italy must. But she’ll still massage Trump’s ego.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"WP2G7HFUJ5G5HCD7LBW3IIKIGQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072432},"content":"As for Macron, the effervescent centrist whose domestic political career has floundered, he can still make a valedictory contribution by helping to shape the future security of the European continent. He has even <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2025/03/05/macron-open-to-extending-french-nuclear-protection-to-european-allies/\" target=\"_self\">floated the idea of using France’s nuclear weapons as a shield for Europe</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BZHGOR2D65HGHI4T2ALW4ADRGI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741351178014},"content":"Micheál Martin should follow Macron’s playbook for handling Trump","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"TYUMLXX4PZDO7ACMXHIZWGXVHE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072433},"content":"While admiring Macron’s diplomatic skills, Grant spies the potential for tension between him and some of the other Trump whisperers. For example there is a clear gap, he says, between Macron’s evangelism for complete European strategic autonomy on security and Starmer’s insistence that a US security guarantee in Ukraine is the only way forward.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q4KAT2UTSNDJTARRFKEGVSPNVU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072434},"content":"There may also disagreements on how European money is spent on buttressing defence, with Macron wanting it to all to be spent through EU entities. “There is potential for disruption there. But overall, I think Starmer and Macron are still appreciative of each other’s virtues,” says Grant.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HCZSMX2EHVAY5A5POWZOZQN35U","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072435},"content":"A France-UK plan to convince the US to sign up to a Ukraine peace plan that deters Russia remained at the whim this weekend of the disrupter president, Trump.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SC67FLIBZZEMJBYD24MHQ74HRM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072436},"content":"But whatever noise Trump makes in Washington, whatever he does next, there will still be a trio of patient European leaders lobbying him gently by whispering quietly in his ear.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Mark Paul"}},"name":"Mark Paul"}]},"description":{"basic":"Keir Starmer, Giorgia Meloni and Emmanuel Macron are trying to keep the mercurial US president onside over Europe’s security"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T09:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Europe’s Trump whisperers: Starmer, Macron and Meloni seem like an odd grouping","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"KEIZI7FTOBD7LNMHAXMHZGSWCU","auth":{"1":"44a7b10cfa2088e174c90f9ecec72c9c8dbe30c99454fd89a751a3460dd0ea3c"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/KEIZI7FTOBD7LNMHAXMHZGSWCU.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"Life & Style"},{"name":"People"},{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/08/europes-trump-whisperers-starmer-macron-and-meloni/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"Z6BQRB76INHW3AOD7Z6BVLZMOU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":265,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/2215e157-7fa6-4806-9f0f-3955d41d29dc/versions/1741420202/media/70816dec2d64322e4109fed3299d5b69_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/us/2025/03/08/what-is-hantavirus-pulmonary-syndrome-the-rare-illness-that-killed-betsy-arakawa-wife-of-gene-hackman/","content_elements":[{"_id":"76J7ME5VJNCQDPAJ5RXIRQ7CNE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Authorities said on Friday that actor <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gene-hackman/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gene-hackman/\">Gene Hackman</a> died of heart disease days after his wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. But what exactly is this rare illness?","type":"text"},{"_id":"VL5O4ITEMJCWNC7XQ3AP4HTDOI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a rare but serious viral disease that can damage the heart, lungs and other organs. The syndrome progresses quickly and can be fatal, according to the Cleveland Clinic, one of the largest and most respected medical centres in the US.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UTNHYF6NJNEQLFBNMSZMPGX6SQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hantaviruses cause two syndromes, including HPS and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People can contract HPS by inhaling, eating, drinking or coming into contact with infected mouse or rat faeces, urine or saliva. Although not all mice and rats carry hantaviruses, some species, including deer mice, white-footed mice, rice rats and cotton rats, are known carriers in North America.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4I3CJBDIH5B4FETVNP5LUTH2TE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Between one and eight weeks after that exposure, someone might begin to feel like they have a flu-like illness,” said Dr Sonja Bartolome of UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LPMVS4WAUVDELMGRYLMCH4CWAA","additional_properties":{},"content":"In the United States, most cases of HPS occur in states west of the Mississippi river.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PPB7NYW3T5HENODU6SFIKSWLOI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“It’s mostly in rural areas, because that’s where most of the rodents carrying the disease live,” Dr Bartolome said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FI5SZKOVN5C5XHTRTJCRSKK6VY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Gene Hackman died of heart disease a week after rare disease killed wife Betsy Arakawa, pathologist says","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"WQ4CLZQZUFADLEO7MXD74MTTJE","additional_properties":{},"content":"HPS remains rare in the US despite its severe symptoms. Between 1993 and 2022, there were 864 reported US cases. New Mexico had the highest number over that time, at 122, followed by Colorado at 119.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7CZPAYLPPJG7XB7XBCEXGALMDU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Person-to-person transmission is extremely rare and has only been documented in cases of a hantavirus strain found in Argentina and Chile.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D6NEWPN7RBFSLNIIYYKPUBF2QE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Once the hantavirus enters the body, it replicates and spreads, which can cause a severe amount of damage in the lungs. The virus weakens blood vessels and causes leakage and fluid build-up in the air sacs, making breathing difficult.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QEF7LGUGCJA7FK5WMX6Q26CC6A","additional_properties":{},"content":"In the heart, it damages the heart muscle and weakens blood vessels while reducing the heart’s ability to pump oxygen-rich blood to the body’s organs. If untreated, these effects can lead to shock, organ failure and death.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QEUDPRDIAVA63LAPQRXDZMWPFI","additional_properties":{},"content":"HPS symptoms work in three phases. The first is the incubation phase, lasting up to eight weeks, during which the virus is present in the body but no noticeable symptoms are present.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HZLEABNLB5CQZH5DUMZVJA2GPU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The second phase develops quickly and includes fever, chills, fatigue, muscle aches, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, dry cough, headache and dizziness. This stage lasts between two and eight days.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BA57ZWJ4KNDOBJWS3NNFH5WATA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Gene Hackman obituary: One of the most prolific and respected character stars of late 1980s and 90s","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"UNNAJLCS4BGWHMV6DWSR6M6TLU","additional_properties":{},"content":"About four to 10 days after these initial symptoms, the third and most severe phase begins. This last phase includes internal bleeding, fluid-filled lungs, difficulty breathing, a rapid heartbeat and chest tightness. These symptoms can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BJZGLWGKORGB5MNUU2IBTF7EW4","additional_properties":{},"content":"There is no specific treatment or cure, but early medical attention can increase the chance of survival. Patients usually require oxygen therapy, fluid replacement, medications to stabilise blood pressure, antiviral medications such as ribavirin, among other care. If patients survive the late-stage symptoms, recovery typically takes a few weeks.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PQOIFVMW4JANFMDMH56AB2LRKA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Video: Remembering some of Gene Hackman's most famous roles","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"TPVDAFUHIVHZ5FU2SGVCYX6TSM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Although no vaccine exists for HPS, the Cleveland Clinic recommends taking prevention strategies to help reduce risk. These include avoiding wild rodents, sealing entry points in homes, properly cleaning and disinfecting rodent-contaminated areas, using protective gear when handling droppings and keeping food securely stored.","type":"text"},{"_id":"P5SFIYMBMFBHJCEV3IKXLG2NHM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sweeping or vacuuming droppings is not recommended because it could release virus particles into the air. – Guardian","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"name":"Coral Murphy Marcos"}]},"description":{"basic":"Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is an uncommon but serious viral disease that can damage the heart, lungs and other organs"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T07:44:51.49Z","headlines":{"basic":"What is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, the rare illness that killed Betsy Arakawa, wife of Gene Hackman?","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"D66RHXTMIFCZVN5WGD4VBUAPDY","auth":{"1":"6141b6ac30ab75cbeea825c52c156920b11076809d23ef536e33b292d9988747"},"focal_point":{"x":1004,"y":509},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/D66RHXTMIFCZVN5WGD4VBUAPDY.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/us/2025/03/08/what-is-hantavirus-pulmonary-syndrome-the-rare-illness-that-killed-betsy-arakawa-wife-of-gene-hackman/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/us","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"US"}}}},{"_id":"PLXXMY2PYJGAPMYYXO4ZBH6664","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":289,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/4f290f40-1609-4d90-b890-72e43d9b1599/versions/1741252066/media/b26ef1ba642a64395ea0d58977790eb0_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/business/2025/03/08/no-kings-skiing-in-jeans-and-apologies-to-canada-in-a-week-of-inventive-protest-signs-in-trumps-us/","content_elements":[{"_id":"DXARWEA6FBHBVHCAGKJZVKFMX4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741255590863},"content":"Image of the week: ‘Dear Canada, we’re sorry’","type":"header"},{"_id":"KW337OGLAZG25B5LTWLLIKX2Y4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741190513853},"content":"This sign, seen at Tuesday’s protest in Boston, suggests there might be an exhausting future ahead for Americans appalled by their president and his administration. How many more apologies will they feel necessary to issue by the end of this?","type":"text"},{"_id":"P2E45MPLJJEEZORN45JAZT3DWY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741190513854},"content":"In the dizzying White House-dictated news cycle, Donald Trump’s love of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/us-tariffs/\">tariffs</a> surged to the top of the agenda for a spell this week, as he went ahead with his 25 per tariff on most imports from Mexico and Canada, only to pause some of them two days later.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VK62FWT6URHHDHQG7DMUVCKO6U","additional_properties":{"_id":1741190513855},"content":"Canada had promptly announced retaliatory tariffs, but its response was most notable for the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/2025/03/04/trudeau-accuses-trump-of-trying-to-annex-canada-and-appease-putin/\">scathing speech</a> by outgoing prime minister Justin Trudeau, who seemed unbound by any long-term requirement to be personally diplomatic.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6NUGSUW7QVHULBZO7FCYWPEY2I","additional_properties":{"_id":1741190513856},"content":"His tone went well beyond “not angry, just disappointed” to full contempt as he contrasted the US’s apparent bid to trigger the economic collapse of Canada with its appeasement of murderous dictator Vladimir Putin. “Make that make sense,” he despaired, before adding that Canadians, though “reasonable” and “polite”, would not be backing down from the fight. He then spoke directly to Americans: “Your government has chosen to do this to you.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"SGRUUWEE65FGNAZQXTMBI6AX7E","additional_properties":{},"content":"After Canadian foreign affairs minister Mélanie Joly described the to-and-fro on tariffs as a “psychodrama”, public broadcaster CBC asked Trudeau how he would characterise it.","type":"text"},{"_id":"C6RI53YDPBHO7HBYAWLFW4WK4Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"His answer? “Thursday.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"T235EODLSRGYDICGGRSGS7UJYA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741255590868},"type":"image"},{"_id":"LWPQSZA5HVCF3ECXEADH73VP2I","additional_properties":{"_id":1741255590869},"content":"In numbers: Vowel surgery","type":"header"},{"_id":"KPUV6DODGVCONILQG5OORO4IMU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741190513858},"content":"<b>4</b>","type":"text"},{"_id":"YQKRKLKF6FEZPBCJX3W7VGGPWU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741190513859},"content":"Years since life assurance and investment company Standard Life Aberdeen became Abrdn under a much-mocked rebrand that its then chief executive claimed was “modern, dynamic and, most importantly, engaging”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6RIIL43WAVFNRP353D6EW4J4PM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741190513860},"content":"<b>1</b>","type":"text"},{"_id":"PJMVGFNT7VEL5EUQPOWBXXLF6Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741190513861},"content":"Year since Abrdn’s chief investment officer Peter Branner accused the press of “corporate bullying” for making “childish jokes” about its vowelless state, thereby sparking a new round of “irritable vowel syndrome” jokes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VNHI66CDEVDBPLKNTSSCMI5D3Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741190513862},"content":"<b>3</b>","type":"text"},{"_id":"XRDRQV3V3RHRLK3NWJ7CK3AABU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741190513863},"content":"Vowels that the UK company will now regain. Its main trading name will become Aberdeen in a reversal of its prior “disemvowelling” after new chief executive Jason Windsor said the vowelless brand had become a “distraction”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UJWVVRY5UZCZXHH7R7EH35R5DU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741255590876},"content":"Getting to know: ExpectAI","type":"header"},{"_id":"LCU2754ZLBHY7AZPZ6F7DH2D6A","additional_properties":{"_id":1741190513865},"content":"ExpectAI is a climate-focused artificial intelligence start-up founded and led by Dr Anand Verma and now chaired by <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/bernard-looney/\">Bernard Looney</a>, the Irish former chief executive of BP. Whereas BP last week announced that it would be pivoting away from the renewable energy investment targets set under Looney’s reign, going back to its climate-harming oil and gas mainstays, Looney is – in this role, anyway – concentrating on encouraging smaller companies to reduce their carbon emissions while also boosting profitability. That, at least, is what ExpectAI’s AI-driven climate action platform, known as Una, claims it can help businesses do. In 2023, after a 32-year career at BP, the Kerry man was obliged to resign from the oil giant for failing to disclose past relationships with colleagues, but last year he said he was “thinking about the next 32 years”. Let’s hope the planet is still functioning then.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZKQLBIB54JBJTFFWOB3DYF65JU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741255590878},"content":"The list: Protest time","type":"header"},{"_id":"65Q4VQGDYNEFNLFW2X6ETUHF3A","additional_properties":{"_id":1741190513867},"content":"The Trump-Vance <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/02/28/just-say-thank-you-how-trump-zelenskiy-meeting-descended-into-slanging-match/\">attack</a> on Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy in the Oval Office, combined with Trump’s big address to Congress on Tuesday and his various machinations to date, have inspired a wave of demonstrations across the US with the protest signs to match. Apologies to Canada were the least of it. Here are five others spotted by photographers.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T34BS5V3XBDDNHMJ3VXM2HNGKM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741190513868},"content":"1. Putin love: “Trump chooses Putin over democracy and our allies. This is cowardly and treasonous,” stated one matter-of-fact sign seen at a rally in Boston.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RZEFVGGZS5ARXDLDYMC6MVELPQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741190513869},"content":"2. Feline excrement: Another demonstrator in Boston struck a slightly different tone, with the blunt assessment “My cat s**ts better ideas than JD Vance”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OUKQQ4KSHZCEDIH4JRS7DDINZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741190513870},"content":"3. Anti-monarchist feeling: “We don’t kiss the rings of wannabe kings” was seen at a pro-LGBTQ demonstration in Atlanta, Georgia. “No king” was also held up during Trump’s speech by congresswoman Rashida Tlaib.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2XSCPGBJT5GHPBLLLK6YZ6WEDI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741190513871},"content":"4. Acronym time: “Epic Loser Obvious Nazi” declared a sign in New York City. It was illustrated with an image from a recent occasion in which Elon Musk performed what looked extremely like a Hitler salute.","type":"text"},{"_id":"W2WPRXPLONARNN3EV5ZOWFZLQQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741190513872},"content":"5. Style choices: “Vance skis in jeans” was the assertion of one placard in Vermont last weekend as the holidaying vice-president fled hundreds of pro-Ukraine protesters. This, apparently, is an insult meted out to arrogant, clueless people who simply can’t be told.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Laura Slattery"}},"name":"Laura Slattery"}]},"description":{"basic":"Planet Business: Bernard Looney gets a new gig, Abrdn relocates its missing vowels and Justin Trudeau gets angry"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T06:15:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"No kings, skiing in jeans and apologies to Canada in a week of inventive protest signs in Trump’s US","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"AL4NG6KUP5VUTNU4YF6EJBLMKA","auth":{"1":"f9cb5dcf398fe91066aa9433b40ba2e6f5fd7b4020d97d3e6b6bccfdcd0fcc85"},"focal_point":{"x":1419,"y":1498},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/AL4NG6KUP5VUTNU4YF6EJBLMKA.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Business"},{"name":"World"},{"name":"US"},{"name":"Economy"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/business/2025/03/08/no-kings-skiing-in-jeans-and-apologies-to-canada-in-a-week-of-inventive-protest-signs-in-trumps-us/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/business","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Business"}}}},{"_id":"OZWWDECERRBZHHWYW7ISLXAXXM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":326,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/3c47c728-0588-4b9a-9c4d-2a25e38d996e/versions/1741364718/media/0670e79060dc1e410162436c16f28e15_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/us/2025/03/08/america-letter-selma-still-struggles-60-years-on-from-march-for-civil-rights/","content_elements":[{"_id":"HUJURATYNBFL5JAHPHY6LJ3I5Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741362283903},"content":"Few countries buffet and shine their historical landmarks and dates with the pride and precision of the United States. The artefacts and documents and battle sites of the civil war are so meticulously preserved that visitors can’t help but wonder if the participants did not have half an eye on history even as they tried to obliterate the other side.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MVEE3DMML5B3FPQPCXQ5JA7BI4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741362283904},"content":"This weekend marks a return to one of enduring touchstones of the civil rights movement. It is the 60th anniversary of Selma. A march across the town’s chunky metal bridge will take place tomorrow to mark the events of Alabama’s Bloody Sunday. The remaining participants in the 1965 struggle will return, along with several prominent members of Congress and other guests. The sign as you enter the city says it all: Est 1820. Welcome to historic Selma. Queen City of the Blackbelt.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DW5ESD57GNFXBKPRWIHFHJYB4Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741362283905},"content":"But its sacred place in modern US history has not been able to stall the town’s rapid decline.","type":"text"},{"_id":"V6VFXVVNQFHLFKSHUFFGW6EJOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741362283906},"content":"Selma continues to hold the unwanted first place in Alabama’s list of fastest shrinking cities. It has lost 20 per cent of its population since 2010 and its 16,000 residents are struggling to find ways to reverse the fall.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EPF2PAE54RG5LKJEYX6WH3VJXA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741362283907},"content":"The closure of the nearby Craig air force base, in 1977, is often cited as the turning point. The reopening four years ago of the St James Hotel, an intact waterfront hotel built in 1837, offered a glimpse of Selma’s potential as a historical tourist beacon. But many of the once-thriving waterfront stores have been abandoned.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4WHEBV7ZSNHJBMF6UG73JAIR5Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741362283908},"content":"Ironically, Selma was thriving economically when it acquired global fame. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 had done little to encourage the black community to register to vote. The Dallas County Voters League organised talks and protests, which led to the shooting dead of Jimmy Lee Jackson, a 25-year-old Baptist church deacon in Marion, by a state trooper. In response, the idea of a mass march from Selma to Alabama, the state capital, was conceived.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3Q75LCGPBRHTNOZOU2LLGF4FEQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741362283909},"content":"State troopers and “possemen” with batons and tear gas charged about 600 marchers at the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Amelia Boynton, one of the organisers, was beaten unconscious and a photograph of a state trooper standing over her as she lay on a grass verge would soon appear on news pages around the world.","type":"text"},{"_id":"E5ODNHABYBGRDD4FP45WRKB2IE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741362283910},"content":"Two days later, James Reeb, a Unitarian minister who arrived in Selma after the attacks to support the protest, was severely beaten after leaving an integrated restaurant on the evening of March 9th. He died from his injuries in a hospital in Birmingham two nights later.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QC2GJJ6LOBF2PNHESDAAU55WOA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741362283911},"content":"In Washington, president Johnson referenced the minister when he delivered his American Promise speech to congress on March 15th, at once fiery and mournful. The language was of its time but the sentiment, from a white Texan president, was sensational.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NQCZIS3RVFDC3NWUIWF5E7AB2U","additional_properties":{"_id":1741362283912},"content":"“Their cause must be our cause too. Because it is not just Negroes, but really it is all of us, who must overcome the crippling legacy of bigotry and injustice. And we shall overcome. As a man whose roots go deeply into Southern soil, I know how agonising racial feelings are. I know how difficult it is to reshape the attitudes and the structure of our society. But a century has passed, more than a hundred years, since the Negro was freed. And he is not fully free tonight. It was more than a hundred years ago that Abraham Lincoln, a great president of another party, signed the Emancipation Proclamation, but emancipation is a proclamation and not a fact.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"6OVKY2GJ2BB6VFYOUZHB4Z5PSI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741362283914},"content":"The slow walk from Selma was officially completed on March 24th, 1965, by thousands who covered 10 miles a day along Route 80 before gathering at the state capitol. Fifty years later, president Barack Obama held the hand of the wheelchair-bound Boynton as they led a ceremonial walk across the bridge.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VLNVYBNF55FFJE6BVK7UTYDH4M","additional_properties":{"_id":1741362283915},"content":"The emotions and characteristics of that extraordinary month – the dignity and the courage and the relentless insistence that enough was enough – had, by the 50th anniversary, been elevated into the realms of American sacred history. The bridge – never the prettiest piece of architecture – stood now as a symbol of the aching, endless struggle of the black American community for equality.","type":"text"},{"_id":"E3ZEPDASDQC3SU54QMOXYACS7E","additional_properties":{"_id":1741362283916},"type":"image"},{"_id":"3R35I555BVELFBE7MPNPSFWTKA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741362283917},"content":"A major film, Selma, released just ahead of the 50th anniversary, with David Oyelowo, Oprah Winfrey, Tim Roth and Tom Wilkinson caused heated debate over its portrayal of LBJ’s role in that period.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NXN3ICSUIVBOBORBV5O5CENKTA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741362283918},"content":"Hopes that the film would revive Selma’s economic fortunes never fully materialised. For all its geographical beauty and history, Selma is too far removed from the Alabama interstates to prosper in the 21st century.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DLO4NBBEXRHRBJPJQG3NABUUGI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741362283919},"content":"Now, this year’s anniversary march takes place against the ominous backdrop of the gleeful assault on diversity, equity and inclusion by President Trump’s administration. It coincides with a period in which the US has become almost perfectly split down the middle on either side of Trump’s political manifesto. But the public seems simply too disheartened or fatigued to engage in the mass protests. The spirit of Selma is weak, at least for now.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WS7TIPSRKVEZ3DAC72WHRAVVG4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741362283920},"content":"And the irony of the fact that Selma’s busiest weekend of the year is to mark those turbulent few days six decades ago will be lost on nobody. For Selma, each year brings a renewed struggle.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2OIBOWE6SVB3FAIEBFSHRF5FTI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741362283921},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Keith Duggan"}},"name":"Keith Duggan"}]},"description":{"basic":"The Alabama city that achieved infamy because of state troopers’ violence towards peaceful protesters in 1965 is struggling to find ways to reverse its steep decline"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"America Letter: Selma still struggles 60 years on from march for civil rights","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"FTBJUHG5YVDOHKK674ZDNJNLC4","auth":{"1":"6066a5d0a42b45df0b43029325857d7852da853c096417ec9a6e642a0491bb27"},"focal_point":{"x":819,"y":421},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/FTBJUHG5YVDOHKK674ZDNJNLC4.jpg"},"lead_art":{"_id":"XZQDRFEWD3DAN7J4ZJ5YPDSWWE","type":"image"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/us/2025/03/08/america-letter-selma-still-struggles-60-years-on-from-march-for-civil-rights/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/us","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"US"}}}},{"_id":"LN6LCROMOVGW7C3HBUXKYMUEUA","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/world/us/2025/03/08/south-carolina-man-executed-by-firing-squad/","content_elements":[{"_id":"R4HBKTIQ2NA35OAJK2DRJFIXZA","additional_properties":{},"content":"A South Carolina man convicted of murder has been executed by firing squad, the first US prisoner to die by that method in 15 years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2NEYW6ILOJGSBECEA5QGIXOHXA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Brad Sigmon, 67, was pronounced dead at 6.08pm local time after being shot by three volunteer prison employees wielding rifles loaded with live ammunition.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5AENNIV7GZDINPZTZL2AABJPRY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sigmon killed his ex-girlfriend’s parents with a baseball bat in their Greenville County home in 2001 in a botched plot to kidnap their daughter. He told police he planned to take her for a romantic weekend, then kill her and himself.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QTHSEYBPQZFVDDCFM7TCLBP5P4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sigmon’s lawyers said he chose the firing squad because the electric chair would “cook him alive”, and he feared that a lethal injection of pentobarbital into his veins would send a rush of fluid and blood into his lungs and drown him.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZZQXI7HOSRAVJFXZUF7YUUTUGU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The details of South Carolina’s lethal injection method are kept secret in South Carolina, and Sigmon unsuccessfully asked the state Supreme Court on Thursday to pause his execution because of that.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YPHPJFZ4PNJAVO2RE7BCGR6MGA","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"FOV6UZOI7VAMHOL6CKYANP6HIY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The armed prison employees stood 15 feet from where Sigmon sat in the state’s death chamber — the same distance as the backboard is from the free-throw line on a basketball court.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JFI5TP4NWNGKVFB7FYVHMG2MIM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The firing squad is an execution method with a long and violent history in the US and around the world. Death in a hail of bullets has been used to punish mutinies and desertion in armies, as frontier justice in America’s Old West and as a tool of terror and political repression in the former Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LXC6WCSIJFHE3E7BVZGVEW4LOE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Since 1977, only three other prisoners in the US have been executed by firing squad. All were in Utah, most recently Ronnie Lee Gardner in 2010. Another Utah man, Ralph Menzies, could be next; he is awaiting the result of a hearing in which his lawyers argued that his dementia makes him unfit for execution.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DWYAOLSZY5FKXMRJHEJSELWVQY","additional_properties":{},"content":"In South Carolina on Friday, a group of protesters holding signs with messages such as “All life is precious” and “Execute justice not people” gathered outside the prison before Sigmon’s execution.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ISPXTHLFQNDZLPXGC5JI44UMFQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Supporters and lawyers for Sigmon asked Republican governor Henry McMaster to commute his sentence to life in prison.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JU6S44I3N5FFJHAE6C2VHD6IMM","additional_properties":{},"content":"They said he was a model prisoner trusted by guards and worked every day to atone for the killings and also that he committed the killings after succumbing to severe mental illness.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FVGZITUFDRBWTNECMIO4BOR75Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"But Mr McMaster denied the clemency plea. No governor has ever commuted a death sentence in the state, where 46 other prisoners have been executed since the death penalty resumed in the US in 1976.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QOA27EQRVRECFKCQ7XMNCO7N4U","additional_properties":{},"content":"Seven have died in the electric chair and 39 others by lethal injection.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JEMNNG4H3RD2LDRKZ4XAOYSSIE","additional_properties":{},"content":"In the early 2000s, South Carolina was among the busiest death penalty states, carrying out an average of three executions a year. But officials suspended executions for 13 years, in part because they were unable to obtain lethal injection drugs.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"name":"Jeffrey Collins, Associated Press"}]},"description":{"basic":"Brad Sigmon killed his ex-girlfriend’s parents in 2001 in a botched plot to kidnap their daughter"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T00:21:54.49Z","headlines":{"basic":"South Carolina man executed by firing squad","native":""},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"OKP7B25IPI3UDXIZGJCBAS6I2M","auth":{"1":"d04ab9f851712ad14bdcc772876a1f54dba088f8d1c62d883d5030eadb0ef357"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/OKP7B25IPI3UDXIZGJCBAS6I2M.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/us/2025/03/08/south-carolina-man-executed-by-firing-squad/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/us","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"US"}}}},{"_id":"M2WGOJJVLZEPVLHVQPNCVMSQDI","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":122,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/b40ea5ec-dd98-4f61-b148-7ca0d1cc745d/versions/1741383965/media/788ee8d3c52925ed59788e6d8fb0761a_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/us/2025/03/07/gene-hackman-died-of-heart-disease-a-week-after-rare-disease-killed-wife-betsy-arakawa-pathologist-says/","content_elements":[{"_id":"IHUTUZBTIRD6HFK7T6DRYY4CYE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a week after his wife Betsy Arakawa died of a rare infectious disease at their home, a pathologist has said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HA6HGPETLNBPFLDJGCWNFUAMAA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Dr Heather Jarrell, chief medical examiner for New Mexico, told a press conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico, it was “reasonable to conclude” that Ms Arakawa (65), also known as Betsy Hackman, died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome on February 11th at the couple’s home in Santa Fe.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MZNCBJZX3NHCBG4P2NXDJGSHCA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Two-time Oscar winner Hackman (95) died a week later on February 18th of “hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributory factor”, she said. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4GMQKKWGWZDRTCQKUIMOMOCARA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Officials speculated that Hackman may have been unaware Ms Arakawa had died. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"PUUZNZJCRVFFPKBIV37AGWBBHI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The couple’s partially mummified bodies were discovered in their home on February 26th and police said there were no apparent signs of foul play.","type":"text"},{"_id":"P5HHQZQYSJBSJJF3ZBTAUA4SZ4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The alarm had been raised by a maintenance person doing pest control at the property, who was concerned because he had not seen the couple, police said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VQNCRSBUJNFHJDSFSRTJMFXRAA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hackman’s body was found in a mud room, and his wife was found next to a space heater in a bathroom, detectives said in a warrant after a search of their home.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JIT63WQGGVFOTDZYTVEUBTKETM","additional_properties":{},"content":"What is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, the rare illness that killed Betsy Arakawa, wife of Gene Hackman?","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"76LO4UYSZ5FQNLTLO4VORVZ5JM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Santa Fe sheriff Adan Mendoza, and state fire, health and forensics officials, held a news conference on Friday to provide updates on the case.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GH2AJ44OANFQLIWVA3G5T72YHE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Mendoza revealed that investigators had been able to piece together Ms Arakawa’s final days and found that she picked up her dog, who was also found dead nearby, from a veterinary appointment on February 9th. She responded to emails and went out shopping on February 11th and her last known activity was on that day, the sheriff said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YYLI7XZSWBGGDAYHXLBSO6XSOE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hackman’s pacemaker last showed activity on February 17th, nine days before maintenance and security workers showed up at the home and alerted police.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VLNTI7CR4RFRXITZFMZ6JGRWI4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Following his death, Hackman’s daughters Elizabeth and Leslie, and his granddaughter Annie, said they would miss the actor “sorely” and are “devastated by the loss”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HQSIQ67YB5E3BNCXGAUAHR4BGU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy,” they said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TI4Q43PHBVEW5FFQEQHNY3D6ZM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"EJXZSEUPVNEUPGETKXMQO3XIM4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hackman and Ms Arakawa, a classical pianist, married in 1991. The couple had lived in New Mexico since 2004 when Hackman retired from Hollywood. – AP","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Actor (95) and pianist (65) found dead in their New Mexico home at end of February"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T21:41:02.393Z","headlines":{"basic":"Gene Hackman died of heart disease a week after rare disease killed wife Betsy Arakawa, pathologist says","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"D66RHXTMIFCZVN5WGD4VBUAPDY","auth":{"1":"6141b6ac30ab75cbeea825c52c156920b11076809d23ef536e33b292d9988747"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/D66RHXTMIFCZVN5WGD4VBUAPDY.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/us/2025/03/07/gene-hackman-died-of-heart-disease-a-week-after-rare-disease-killed-wife-betsy-arakawa-pathologist-says/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/us","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"US"}}}},{"_id":"TWKXAS72I5GRTO724I27N4OEWQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":198,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/18cabac3-7a8b-44bc-b51c-d2e6bfa54f36/versions/1741376393/media/f5e67cdeea35fc5a0eb5d413747d5103_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/eu-defence-ukraine-russia-latest-updates/","content_elements":[{"_id":"STRJXDUZCRCGRN5WWXYI2V3UIY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741349596747},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/poland/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/poland/\">Poland</a> must consider acquiring nuclear weapons capabilities, its prime minister has said, as the country confronts <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\">Russia</a> and the possibility of a United States retreat from Europe.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OQEHB65YMBC27I4UUZHRI4EANU","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-tusk/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-tusk/\">Donald Tusk</a> said that Poland “must reach for the most modern possibilities, also related to nuclear weapons and modern unconventional weapons”, in a landmark speech to parliament that made stark the country’s need to increase its defence capabilities to confront a much more threatening global environment.","type":"text"},{"_id":"V54KGZKUJBGSRB42HE2QHL4V5E","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I say this with full responsibility, it is not enough to purchase conventional weapons, the most traditional ones. The battlefield is changing before our eyes from month to month,” said Mr Tusk. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4NTDCNMQ6ZA2JBNBFRNYVUZ23M","additional_properties":{},"content":"US president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a>’s threats to stop protecting European allies and his decision to cut off military aid to <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\">Ukraine</a> in an attempt to force immediate peace talks with Russia have spooked European capitals and prompted a drive to drastically increase defence spending and military capabilities that for generations have been provided by Washington.","type":"text"},{"_id":"53RIZKMXWRCCNCFGXGML6HRKGA","additional_properties":{},"content":"French president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/emmanuel-macron/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/emmanuel-macron/\">Emmanuel Macron</a> this week said he was willing to open a “strategic debate” with European countries interested in whether and how France’s nuclear deterrence capabilities could benefit the region. Mr Macron made the offer on Wednesday in response to a call from Germany’s chancellor in waiting Friedrich Merz. Countries such as Lithuania, Latvia and others also said expressed interest in exploring the options.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WOYFWK7Y6FFKBFMUHGFGM7CDWU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Warsaw was “talking seriously with the French about their idea of a nuclear umbrella over Europe”, said Mr Tusk.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HBYIK5232VDJDNRGZFHJJMOHFQ","embed":{"config":{},"id":"acast_podcast-30559","url":"/"},"subtype":"acast_podcast","type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"WWHHGSGSMNFLZC2RCY2OPPGDCE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The French nuclear arsenal is smaller than that of the United States and the country’s doctrine says the president’s choice of whether to ever use them is guided by its “vital interests” that have a “European dimension”. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"34GVA3MQFBBS7KHRPR6PG3LPKI","additional_properties":{},"content":"In contrast, US nuclear weapons help secure Europe through a more fleshed-out nuclear sharing agreement that is part of Nato and positions warheads in countries including Germany and Italy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MWUVZCZ2VZGLLGDRX3J6F7NSYA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We also need to look more boldly into the future in terms of arms technology,” said Mr Tusk. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"UZJWE4PNANCUPOCMJRBQ6G4IDM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“It is high time for Poland, using both the means it has, as well as its own experience, as well as experience on the battlefield, the Ukrainian experience, to look boldly at our capabilities regarding the most modern weapons.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YIDTJ6WR2JGATJDL5OMTQSOHMM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We are facing a very serious race. And this is a race for security, not a race to war,” said Mr Tusk.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EFE3N3FX6ZBIDDW6TDS2APYXSU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Polish PM also proposed to more than double the size of the country’s army to 500,000 troops and introduce compulsory military training for all adult men by the end of the year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"36GA3C7N5FBSVA4KBRXBWI46WU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Poland will spend an expected 4.7 per cent of gross domestic product on defence this year, the highest in Nato. Mr Tusk told parliament that increasing it to 5 per cent, as Mr Trump has demanded, appeared “a necessity”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TB7JH7TIPVDC7IXMFTHAESQVLY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I deeply believe that we will all pass ... this exam,” said Mr Tusk. “That Poland will be safe and ... invincible.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"OHYARUEDFJDLRJ74TT2UQKOSWQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"– Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025","type":"text"},{"_id":"RFSR2KL5FBHGFAKHQTRGACSV6A","additional_properties":{"_id":1741342812575},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Henry Foy in Brussels and Leila Abboud in Paris"}]},"description":{"basic":"PM signals conventional ordnance insufficient and intends to ensure eastern European state ‘safe and ... invincible’ "},"display_date":"2025-03-07T19:39:50.516Z","headlines":{"basic":"Time for Poland to consider nuclear weapons option, says prime minister Donald Tusk","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"GBJXNGLSYTGVBYBD64UJMSZTPM","auth":{"1":"226e267d73e874ff1cae501dcc41d6e61529fc1d6d008cd4a3ea74a7b8d12ac5"},"focal_point":{"x":3044,"y":1390},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/GBJXNGLSYTGVBYBD64UJMSZTPM.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/eu-defence-ukraine-russia-latest-updates/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"RU7RV3X53RBVHNSIYFP45AKIRU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":236,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/695d54e7-9c36-4ccc-b4d6-6e6f516dcf4e/versions/1741364703/media/7e06f1b0a546d8d27013bd52e880b368_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/trump-considering-more-financial-steps-against-russia-in-push-to-end-its-war-on-ukraine/","content_elements":[{"_id":"VYPRG5VV5RFM3MTEPFUHSJETAQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"US president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a> threatened to impose more sanctions and tariffs on <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\">Moscow</a> until it agreed to a ceasefire and peace deal with Kyiv, as <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\">Ukraine</a> called again for a partial truce following another huge Russian air strike on its energy infrastructure.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QL2G3IHNFJGWDNESETL6UWLPOI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED. To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!” Mr Trump wrote on social media.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SGOLYEP5IBHW5PE363EHQUESDM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Trump did not go into detail on the possible sanctions against Russia and said later at an Oval Office media briefing that he was finding it more difficult to deal with Ukraine.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WKNXBKYWQJEZFFYBPQFKZW6GKE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The US president says he wants to broker a quick end to Europe’s biggest war since 1945 but, since returning to the White House in January, he has sought to improve ties with Russia while putting intense pressure on Ukraine, and this week halted the supply of US military aid and intelligence to Kyiv.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XVGN4YDS4JFJTPBPSRLTDRVQEA","additional_properties":{},"content":"US and Ukrainian officials are expected to hold talks on bilateral relations and the Russia-Ukraine war in Saudi Arabia next week, after Ukrainian president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/volodymyr-zelenskiy\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/volodymyr-zelenskiy\">Volodymyr Zelenskiy</a> visits Riyadh on Monday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MQDKMNNFANDW7HX53545L4TNVI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Earlier on Friday, Ukraine said Russia had targeted energy facilities across the country with an overnight barrage of more than 250 missiles and attack drones, and that French-supplied Mirage fighter planes were scrambled for the first time to intercept incoming threats alongside US-made F-16 jets provided by other EU states.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M7UJKW4TWBDLRAS5QV2HNJ6I7Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The first steps toward real peace must include forcing the sole source of this war, Russia, to stop such attacks against life,” Mr Zelenskiy said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YANQTKODHRBFHARMCWTZPXENY4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Silence in the skies – banning the use of missiles, long-range drones, and aerial bombs. And silence at sea – a real guarantee of normal navigation. Ukraine is ready to pursue the path to peace, and it is Ukraine that strives for peace from the very first second of this war. The task is to force Russia to stop the war.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"OPFZVA2HJNH6ZBKWPGOZSLZLO4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Russia accuses Europe of stoking more war with vow to support Ukraine as US backs away","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"67H4ZE44ABEJRM67IMIRH5QLQA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Zelenskiy praised his country’s air defence forces and drone-jamming units and said that “in particular, the Mirages successfully intercepted Russian cruise missiles.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"OMBP4KICGBEPBBLI65AXRPKE4Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"The idea of an initial air-and-sea ceasefire was first mooted by France, which has angered Russia by calling for a surge in domestic and Europe-wide defence spending, suggesting that it could use its nuclear arsenal to defend other European states and by saying it could provide troops to a peacekeeping force in Ukraine.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4Q553MQDVBAOZLKSDNMEMSQNMU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“This militarisation [of the EU] is happening mainly against the Russian Federation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. “This, of course, could potentially be a topic of deep concern for us and require us to take appropriate countermeasures to ensure our security.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"XBXQJC2U4RCO7HXBVHA355NABM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Moscow has accused France of “threatening” Russia by suggesting that its so-called nuclear umbrella could <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2025/03/05/macron-open-to-extending-french-nuclear-protection-to-european-allies/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2025/03/05/macron-open-to-extending-french-nuclear-protection-to-european-allies/\">protect</a> Europe, and denounced Paris and London for proposing a possible peacekeeping mission to Ukraine, which the Kremlin says it would not accept.","type":"text"},{"_id":"E5DPVZKD4VERRGYKDLMIFIWDYI","additional_properties":{},"content":"European states are also discussing how best to use frozen Russian funds to help Ukraine, and Kyiv said it had received more than €900 million from Britain as part of a loan from G7 states that is backed by income from the Russian assets.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZQUBE3FGKFDSNLHYR6YNHJJM34","additional_properties":{},"content":"“England’s transfer to Ukraine of funds that belong to Russia is a gross violation of international law. They will have to return to Russia what they are now so generously handing out,” said Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5FEA7FDTDZALHITYLXE2GXSEWU","additional_properties":{},"content":"He claimed the move would “undermine trust in the British financial system forever,” and gave Russia “every reason to respond in a similar manner and confiscate British property” on its territory. - Additional reporting: Reuters","type":"text"},{"_id":"5M2BR53TDBDXTKFYYPRUDN5ADE","additional_properties":{},"content":" ","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Daniel McLaughlin"}},"name":"Daniel McLaughlin"}]},"description":{"basic":"Ukraine scrambles French-supplied jets for first time to counter big Russian strike on infrastructure"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T19:33:46.477Z","headlines":{"basic":"Trump ‘considering’ more financial steps against Russia in push to end its war on Ukraine","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"MVIU4B5D7HTR3JWQOX7GPYH46U","auth":{"1":"44790608390ad7048f1b00019b22b629d15fd84aad7214ecab8f73b25c4e76a4"},"focal_point":{"x":958,"y":639},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/MVIU4B5D7HTR3JWQOX7GPYH46U.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/trump-considering-more-financial-steps-against-russia-in-push-to-end-its-war-on-ukraine/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"VBWFRRVVANHENLYMZ2TSOAO2BA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":102,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/bb962f5f-ba91-4ed8-a80c-0639fe90017f/versions/1741374011/media/11634823e18fa94b219adac9988b8864_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/abroad/2025/03/07/irish-tourist-escapes-with-minor-injuries-after-paragliding-crash-in-peru/","content_elements":[{"_id":"MTXYGB7IV5AMRNTY5Q7POLRSRA","additional_properties":{},"content":"An Irish tourist escaped with minor injuries after the paraglider she was travelling in was forced to make an emergency landing on a busy road in the Peruvian capital of Lima. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"NTH46GUSNFAANLRFP2UAHORWEY","additional_properties":{},"content":"In the incident, which was captured on video, the woman and her instructor got into difficulty in crosswinds and crash-landed on a Costa Verde highway roundabout.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CNRVIOLTJBBEHPZBJZOWE4Y2AM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Video footage shows the tourist lying on the road for some time while being examined by paramedics who arrived on the scene shortly afterwards.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TACISZFRA5GWFOPSRUUHDEYP7Q","subtype":"instagram","type":"oembed_response"},{"_id":"ZGEAIK7FBVEOTLRHG4O3EUEWTY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The instructor and tourist were treated for injuries at a local clinic where their condition was described as “stable” with “minor injuries” and in “good general physical condition” by the local association for aero sports tourism.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PX7QOGWMK5HT5E4L74QYEW2LDI","additional_properties":{},"content":"A Department of Foreign Affairs spokesman said it was ready to provide consular assistance.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MIHAVVD77VFALBEEIM35SDWX7Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"The incident occurred in the Miraflores area of the city, where paragliding and hang-gliding tours of the coastline are popular with tourists.","type":"text"},{"_id":"K23MB6HYABFL7MQDY77EPFWYAE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Peruvian association of aero sports tourism said the incident occurred at about 5pm on Thursday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XE4N5DQ2KZCPTJIXREKFM6KXQM","additional_properties":{},"content":"It said wind conditions prevented a planned landing in the Miraflores area and the crash occurred while attempting to find an alternative location to land.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JVXPXFPSDBDRHLPHUV5QAHUUF4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The association said the pilot had more than 10 years of experience and attempted to manoeuvre the paraglider to safety. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y55NXFYHOVD47FMGOJLLJ42ZPY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The association announced the suspension of paragliding at the Miraflores area for three days to review safety procedures and evaluate risks. It said authorities were evaluating safety protocols for paragliding in the area and an investigation was continuing.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Video footage shows glider falling to earth on busy Lima road"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T18:54:48.044Z","headlines":{"basic":"Irish tourist escapes with minor injuries after paragliding crash in Peru","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"XAOCQ6FFVZFSTEAUQEJQVUE2YY","auth":{"1":"d4fafed9fa795332ebff8680d3681d85d43d8d84a0297921ddfddcf0e91f0ce9"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/XAOCQ6FFVZFSTEAUQEJQVUE2YY.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Abroad"},{"name":"World"},{"name":"Ireland"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/abroad/2025/03/07/irish-tourist-escapes-with-minor-injuries-after-paragliding-crash-in-peru/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/abroad","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Abroad"}}}},{"_id":"M27NHZUDS5CZVAOPPEH4PG2DKQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":170,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/ff1dd81c-ab35-451f-a480-e09e4b1999cd/versions/1741373108/media/b64eeba7a52f6fc7b7d67dfa016d3221_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/07/more-than-130-die-in-syria-as-loyalists-of-deposed-assad-regime-clash-with-government-forces/","content_elements":[{"_id":"2WF62BXR2BCKNFGS372MIKYNMU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Syrian security forces battled for a second day on Friday against a nascent insurgency by fighters from <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/bashar-al-assad/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/bashar-al-assad/\">Bashar al-Assad</a>’s Alawite sect, with scores reported killed, as the Islamist-led government faced the biggest challenge yet to its authority.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CYSAWRYTRVHNHCP3GVFOD7X5B4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that almost 200 people had been killed in two days of violence in the coastal region of western <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\">Syria</a>, which is heavily populated by the members of the Alawite minority.","type":"text"},{"_id":"S4QZMIORIZCVVAZI6RB4BCLHNY","additional_properties":{},"content":"They included at least two dozen male residents of the Alawite town of Al Mukhtareyah killed by gunmen on Friday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VZ3OWJUJGVBFHL3325SCEGUFSE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Syrian authorities said the violence began when remnants loyal to Assad – the leader who was ousted three months ago – launched a deadly and well-planned attack on their forces on Thursday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WYS4L24C7RGD3JEJA6DG37LUDU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The violence has shaken interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa’s efforts to consolidate control as his administration struggles to get <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/united–states\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/united–states\">US</a> sanctions lifted and grapples with wider security challenges, notably in the southwest, where <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel\">Israel</a> has said it will prevent Damascus from deploying forces.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PQ6HI5IE2RGL5C3CMJR3H2XL7Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"A source in Syria told the BBC on Friday that the ruling Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) security forces have sparked clashes by carrying out search-and-arrest operations among members of the minority Alawite community to which the Assads belong. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"IWWRT5IPGRFGLAKYIN3SURFULE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Supreme Alawite Islamic Council has urged an end to the air campaign in the Latakia region. Demonstrations were staged in Tartus to back up the council’s call.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KUD5HOO4XZAWBABPIIG2FT4T5Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"Alawite families and individuals in Latakia and Tartus have been attacked by anti-Assad gunmen despite HTS’s efforts to discourage retaliation for 54 years of Assad rule. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"VCBGC7J7EFDJZIWMJY3YWAXJZ4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Insecurity has impaired efforts of the HTS government to revive the Syrian economy, which has been devastated by civil conflict and US and European sanctions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XTPO3TSWWZD65JEHTHHPQVYEOI","additional_properties":{},"content":"While the US, Britain and the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/european-union/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/european-union/\">European Union</a> have eased restrictions, Syria remains in the tight grip of the comprehensive sanctions regime. By retaining key sanctions, they argue pressure can be exerted on the new government to respect minority and women’s rights and reconstruct and redevelop the country,","type":"text"},{"_id":"4FPLMLYUY5BLDJ6Y4I6EXY5YDI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/united-nations-un/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/united-nations-un/\">United Nations</a> Development Programme reported last month that the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has fallen to less than half of its value before the war. Nearly 25 per cent of Syrians are jobless. The poverty rate has risen from 33 per cent to 90 per cent. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"HMHMJ5BGNZHBNIYPEMUBQO5G5Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"One-third of housing units have been damaged or destroyed, leaving 5.7 million homeless. As 70 per cent of power plants and lines have been damaged, electricity outages are frequent. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"RJ3YI7GCKZCF5ITN3GSNJZD7KM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/world-food-programme/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/world-food-programme/\">World Food Programme</a> has started an emergency appeal for donations during the Muslim holy month of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ramadan/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ramadan/\">Ramadan</a> to aid 50 per cent of Syrians “in the grip of hunger”. <i>– Additional reporting: Reuters</i>","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Michael Jansen"}},"name":"Michael Jansen"}]},"description":{"basic":"Violence deals blow to interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa’s rule of shattered country"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T18:40:04.35Z","headlines":{"basic":"Almost 200 die in Syria as loyalists of deposed Assad regime clash with government forces","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"6FJV7XKSTJSX57OEVYQH647VKM","auth":{"1":"746f47417d2c91db183ef6d3671a0b92fe0a445d65d62b7710f956b52be310ea"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/6FJV7XKSTJSX57OEVYQH647VKM.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/07/more-than-130-die-in-syria-as-loyalists-of-deposed-assad-regime-clash-with-government-forces/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"SOHOA6IBMZFMDGHDIMR627TXHI","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":225,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/e7706b5c-787f-4917-adb0-652510e90748/versions/1741367134/media/336a611a2dfc5e518edf5cc9c6476223_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/03/07/trumps-foreign-policy-risks-regress-to-the-law-of-the-jungle-china-warns/","content_elements":[{"_id":"D643ML64VREC7EIREWKOR4HMGA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713969},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/chna/\">China</a> has warned that <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a>’s America First foreign policy could lead to the law of the jungle in international affairs with the strong bullying the weak and small countries paying the greatest price. Speaking to reporters during China’s annual legislative meeting known as the Two Sessions, foreign minister Wang Yi noted that there were more than 190 countries in the world.","type":"text"},{"_id":"C5TRWXE4DFHSZF5E2IJKGF66CQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713970},"content":"“If every country emphasises its own national priorities and believes in strength and status, the world will regress to the law of the jungle, small and weak countries will bear the brunt,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WN3EMI6JGRHYFKSUPR4ZEL7LZY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713971},"content":"“A big country should honour its international obligations and fulfil its due responsibilities. It should not put selfish interests before principles, still less should it wield the power to bully the weak.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"LNOTCYLAYZFLPKIGGBS4NBDHYA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713972},"content":"Trump has imposed a 20 per cent tariff on all goods imported from China, asserting that Beijing is not doing enough to stop the export of chemicals used to make the drug fentanyl. Mr Wang said China had the toughest anti-drugs regime in the world, adding that the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/united-states/\" target=\"_blank\">United States</a> should address the roots of its substance abuse problem.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F4NBIMFQZNGWTERIAC73CQ56UI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713973},"content":"Despite the tariffs, Mr Trump has said he wants better relations with China and its leader <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/xi-jinping/\" target=\"_blank\">Xi Jinping</a> but Mr Wang warned against sending mixed signals.","type":"text"},{"_id":"546JKFXGPFBL5I4AXTCXPID75I","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713974},"content":"“No country should fantasise that it can suppress China on the one hand and develop good relations with China on the other,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZQTPU377QJC2TKV4WHFLY5DJXU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713975},"content":"“This two-faced approach is not only not conducive to the stability of bilateral relations, but also unable to establish mutual trust.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"5GVR3ZGRBRBFNJTOGR445COTKY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713976},"content":"Mr Wang, who declined to identify the US by name, faced questions about Washington’s withdrawal from international bodies such as the World Health Organisation and global treaties including the Paris climate accords. He sought to present China as a stable and reliable partner that remains committed to a system of global governance with the United Nations at its core, asserting that Beijing did not want to replace the current multilateral system but to make it more representative and inclusive.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KTXJEL6FTNB7NKOB3HIKEVW5HQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"T2OXVGR435C7ZEV745LVPPR26E"},"content":"China says it will ‘fight to the end’ with US ‘in tariff war, trade war or any other war’","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"Q7XTAU33D5HITNLZOMEDL44OYU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713977},"content":"Since the start of Trump’s second term, there have been signs of a thaw in relations between China and the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/european-union/\" target=\"_blank\">European Union</a>, which have worsened since the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" target=\"_blank\">Russian</a> <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\" target=\"_blank\">invasion of Ukraine</a> three years ago. <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/european-commission/\" target=\"_blank\">European Commission</a> president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ursula-von-der-leyen/\" target=\"_blank\">Ursula von der Leyen</a> has held out the prospect of new agreements with China and Mr Wang said the two sides should intensify their strategic dialogue.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2YI3CKR3HNCPFODFRZ4RNOUEGQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713978},"content":"“China still has confidence in Europe,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PSCE2GNQUFGGJATCNVJNFUK3G4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713979},"content":"“We also believe that Europe can be a reliable partner. Both sides have the ability and wisdom to properly handle existing issues through friendly consultations.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"CPGB3D43TBE4VHZS72GZQIXQKQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713980},"content":"Mr Wang dismissed the idea that Mr Trump’s embrace of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/vladimir-putin/\" target=\"_blank\">Vladimir Putin</a> might lead to Washington prising Moscow away from Beijing, declaring that the Sino-Russian friendship was based on a logic that was not affected by third parties. He said that in hindsight, the Ukraine war could have been avoided, suggesting that Nato expansion was among the causes of the conflict.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3RBOQVSJMVCFFHNHHHAP5IFHAM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713981},"content":"“All parties should learn something from the crisis,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XRLWJGAMSZASTJMB6LBVZ5H7EA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713982},"content":"“Among many other things, security should be mutual and equal, and no country should build its security on the insecurity of another.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"V6F7M56ARZAERCGQRMXSZROUXU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713983},"content":"Wang was uncompromising about China’s security interests in its own neighbourhood, however, characterising Philippines as a pawn of the US in its territorial dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea. And he warned Japan that encouraging Taiwanese independence was playing with fire.","type":"text"},{"_id":"56GTI3Q4FNGBZJWQSDOALKDYRU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713984},"content":"“<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/taiwan/\" target=\"_blank\">Taiwan</a> has never been a country; it was not in the past, and it will never be in the future,” he said.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Denis Staunton"}},"name":"Denis Staunton"}]},"description":{"basic":"China and the European Union should intensify their strategic dialogue, says foreign minister Wang Yi"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T17:00:29.61Z","headlines":{"basic":"Trump’s foreign policy risks ‘regress to the law of the jungle’, China warns","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"CMACKYFEXDTR6Z4ORUB3R3WOOY","auth":{"1":"e789866e2f048f0e69b4988e22a75c38629765b200c769a966aae9ba9b53c762"},"focal_point":{"x":2376,"y":1386},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/CMACKYFEXDTR6Z4ORUB3R3WOOY.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Asia-Pacific"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/03/07/trumps-foreign-policy-risks-regress-to-the-law-of-the-jungle-china-warns/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/asia-pacific","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Asia-Pacific"}}}},{"_id":"VEVEZMWRHNBZ3IVW3DTXFRRTOM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":84,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/879c3f7f-45d1-47fb-a4c1-82f3423d6dee/versions/1741365717/media/c84133063c65c75b18ce9f9f789cec09_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/07/more-than-180-people-missing-after-migrant-boats-capsize-in-rough-seas-off-yemen/","content_elements":[{"_id":"EJKUX3NF6VB6HJWKAVJPH5MQ4Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"More than 180 migrants are missing and feared dead after two boats they were travelling in capsized in rough seas off <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/yemen/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/yemen/\">Yemen</a> on Thursday, the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/international-organisation-for-migration/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/international-organisation-for-migration/\">International Organisation for Migration</a> (IOM) said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZZVURGR62JDUVHZROPODQ2TONE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The boats were carrying migrants from a Horn of Africa country and capsized off Yemen’s Dhubab district in Ta’iz governorate, the organisation said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FFGRER3FNNCPPAT2MK7UBDKTYQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Despite weather warnings, the boats sank in rough seas. Only two Yemeni crew members were rescued, while all passengers and the remaining crew are feared dead, with no bodies recovered yet,” IOM spokesperson Tamim Elyan said on Friday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ROTLDZ5745AQXLH2VCFKI6YNNU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Earlier on Friday the IOM had said in a post on X that at least 186 people were missing after four boats carrying migrants capsized off the coasts of Yemen and Djibouti overnight, referring to the same incident.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2HHM4XL2NRF37ORNSIAUHVPKPQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The IOM, which runs a tally of migrants who are killed or missing on migration routes, said in the post that 558 people lost their lives on the route between the Eastern Horn of Africa and Yemen last year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BGFZ4VFKZVDEHN42NC2JSWKBDI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Every year, hundreds of thousands of people leave the Horn of Africa, which is plagued by chronic instability, to pursue better economic prospects in Gulf nations via the so-called Eastern Route, described by the IOM as one of the world’s busiest and riskiest migration corridors. – Reuters","type":"text"},{"_id":"WAJDL2QHDRDEBEQJ3XVYAFSU6M","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"International Organisation for Migration says all passengers and all but two crew members are feared dead"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T16:36:45.431Z","headlines":{"basic":"More than 180 people missing after migrant boats capsize in rough seas off Yemen","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"UF2L4XFO6JEP2TRCZQ5XDXIEBA","auth":{"1":"77c8f1918a493f6b5b9dea7d508f4972e376dece493cf8ad0170628459f400ba"},"focal_point":{"x":298,"y":253},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/UF2L4XFO6JEP2TRCZQ5XDXIEBA.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/07/more-than-180-people-missing-after-migrant-boats-capsize-in-rough-seas-off-yemen/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"MB5UJSQN6NDQTDB2YBAKYFXZL4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":236,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/0ed6fc2d-4dfa-4f86-8867-4544750f7f52/versions/1741365208/media/34bfcfd74e44ccef12e58074c336e808_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/hungary-drifts-further-from-eu-consensus-on-ukraine-war/","content_elements":[{"_id":"UZY6WSPPTRBIRA3WBM6WBUR2CQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sometimes one of the hardest numbers to count to when the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/eu/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/eu/\">European Union</a>’s national leaders gather together inside a room can be 27. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"S75IBETZ6NHERGMRPQKL2WSRS4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Behind the closed doors of the emergency EU summit on Thursday, the prime ministers and heads of state got as far as 26, when totting-up those in favour of a joint statement expressing support for <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\">Ukraine in its war with Russia</a>. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"GSVJNYMRQFC5FHQZFBIOFRDIIE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hungary’s populist right-wing prime minister Viktor Orban was the sole holdout of the 27 leaders, refusing to add his name to the negotiated statement. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4KAN4LC74VDU7L5PFUV7GTEW54","additional_properties":{},"content":"Orban has been United States president Donald Trump’s biggest fan inside the European leaders club. He has also been the most sceptical, and frequently actively obstructive, of EU efforts to send military and financial aid to Ukraine. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4F4DZLHE4ZANZLV2S4KWKBAUJ4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Decisions on foreign policy at EU level need to be unanimously agreed by all 27 member states. This means a lot of work goes into finding a consensus. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"6ZT4SGQ4UBCBHFLIZYGWDFFAEA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Orban has made liberal use of veto powers, to stop the rest of the EU sending aid to Ukraine. Hungary has also threatened to block the renewal of economic sanctions levelled on Russia, which need to be rolled over every six months. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7LPFHWDYARDZRNV3EBGROX6QJU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The crunch meeting of leaders this week debated how EU states could put more money into their own militaries, as well as do more to help Ukraine in its war with Russia. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"2H22IVQGORDHXJU3H4MDZMMR7U","additional_properties":{},"content":"Moves by Trump’s US administration to freeze the huge flow of weapons and funds it sends Ukraine gave the talks a real sense of jeopardy. Leaders recognised the possibility that Europe could soon find itself supporting Ukraine without US support. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"LVZQDXLCINBSXGXTNDRGZLCOFA","additional_properties":{},"content":"There is anxiety about Trump’s push for a speedy settlement to end the war. The fear is any deal on terms favourable to Russia might undermine the future security of Ukraine, and possibly Europe. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"3N4YFOXH5JDUXBVD5VJKNEUHAQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"A joint statement by the 27 leaders reiterating the EU’s full backing for Ukraine was to be symbolic. This summit was not due to vote on any concrete proposals. There is a plan for a new multibillion euro package of military aid, but that is still in the works. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"WPLG2CAONJB7TG57JYYUBQYRM4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Slovakia’s populist prime minister Robert Fico had been in Orban’s camp heading into the summit. Fico’s support for Kyiv is lukewarm at best. He has been unhappy about Ukraine refusing to allow Russia to transit gas across its territory to central Europe. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"VVSHBVS3L5EDBJVYY4S3G522AQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Slovakia came around after getting some concessions that EU and Ukrainian officials would try to find “workable solutions” to the gas supply issue. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZJBWOTTQHNFDFBUUWHAPCVSXVU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Orban was not budging. The result was a joint statement from the other 26 leaders, stating Ukraine and Europe needed to be involved in any peace talks. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BRWB5F7JCZAPBBJIOT5GWSFKU4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The text gave a nod to EU states who were ready to “urgently step up efforts to address Ukraine’s pressing military and defence needs”. It is understood €15 billion has been pledged by a group of capitals, with more set to come on board as part of a joint proposal. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"H2IM6R4RFVDIZF5GQPHVX6OS6A","additional_properties":{},"content":"One EU source said if Orban blocked this money being funnelled to Ukraine, they could look at ways to get it to Kyiv outside of formal EU channels. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"W645KWLZAFEX3A4WW6Q6H76N2U","additional_properties":{},"content":"Former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa, who chairs the EU summits, said Hungary had “isolated” itself from the rest of the union. “We respect Hungary’s position, but it’s one out of 27, and 26 are more than one,” he told a press conference afterwards. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"PT27DJFKJRB45E5R7QZXSBRO4A","additional_properties":{},"content":"In response Orban said he felt Europe could not “afford” to continue supporting Ukraine’s army and economy. It was not Hungary, but the EU, who was out in the cold, having isolated itself from the US, China and Russia, he said. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YOXPZNLZGFGJHMHCZQZKRXII4Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Jack Power"}},"name":"Jack Power"}]},"description":{"basic":"European capitals likely to look at ways to bypass ‘isolated’ member state to get support for Kyiv "},"display_date":"2025-03-07T16:33:24.598Z","headlines":{"basic":"Hungary drifts further from EU consensus on Ukraine war","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"7XZFT2SUHVI7MHT5MXYIBVOCZY","auth":{"1":"c1bbd6fe93a1f5d5d7f7a1b603fb7f31cc791b4806712268689b7b45d76f1d49"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/7XZFT2SUHVI7MHT5MXYIBVOCZY.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/hungary-drifts-further-from-eu-consensus-on-ukraine-war/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"ZKOTQUQBTNC6XISWU7VWHODAS4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":339,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/86ce3782-1523-4e0f-b1ca-e14e5fe5e94a/versions/1741363952/media/418d68a65fdf4a23f920e29464ad6d06_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/us/2025/03/07/they-would-force-the-largest-medicaid-cuts-in-us-history-to-pay-for-tax-cuts-for-billionaires/","content_elements":[{"_id":"NRZCJEM5EVEDDBZIYJTLIC3DOI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Although <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a>’s address to a turbulent and bitterly divided <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/03/05/trump-declares-america-is-back-as-speech-sparks-republican-rapture-and-democrats-departure/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/03/05/trump-declares-america-is-back-as-speech-sparks-republican-rapture-and-democrats-departure/\">Congress on Tuesday night</a> lasted as long a Premier League soccer match plus stoppage time, he scarcely touched on the issue of his administration’s plans for Medicaid. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"37ADRKR3Y5DJZEHI5WYIXSHCAA","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Democrats were quick to remind him of its presence, so much so that one veteran representative, Al Green, made history after he was removed from the chamber by the sergeant-at-arms for continually heckling the US president about the issue. “You don’t have a mandate to cut Medicaid,” Green shouted repeatedly at Trump, his voice drowned out by boos from the Republican side of house.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HUD3R6XVEJEOTBKW5ZESC7W7DU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Green left the room, but the issue he raised will not go away quietly. On the eve of Trump’s address, a request for information was issued to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) director Phillip Swagel by Pennsylvania Democrat congressman Brendan Boyle, a ranking member of the House budget committee, and Frank Pallone, his New Jersey party colleague who sits on the energy and commerce committee.","type":"text"},{"_id":"J42D3NEJDJEK3DDPO4DWDIC2OM","additional_properties":{},"content":"They sought clarity on the implications of cutting a planned $880 billion (€811 billion) over the next decade in the Republican budget resolution. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"SDFM2ITQXBFBVJMHGZJP75SCT4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Their analysis of the response led to their conclusion that if Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Programme are, as promised, left untouched, then $381 billion becomes available and from that, only $135 billion can be targeted for potential cuts – far short of the $880 billion sought. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"T44HBRYU2ZC4FGDMETNW6HME4Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"“This analysis from the non-partisan CBO confirms what we’ve been saying all along: Republicans are lying about their budget,” congressman Boyle said in a statement. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"WM4AECBNIBECFEKQVU4KEIBBGU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Their plan would force the largest Medicaid cuts in American history – all to pay for more tax giveaways to billionaires. This is a complete betrayal of the middle class, and Democrats will keep fighting to stop them. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"JK4OAE66VZEKFB5K4Y4WS4XLO4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The American people deserve to know just how much pain Republicans are willing to inflict on their own constituents to reward their billionaire donors.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"UZN6QCTAGVALJE6EXQRZ3JNBT4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The issue gets to the heart of Trump’s spoken desire for “one big, beautiful bill” designed to achieve the ambition of chopping a total figure of $1.5 trillion in spending over the next decade. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"AIA7OHSNR4ELOF3GLA6CIQOOS4","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"W7LH4HUCYZCENJXAUN4L3JF2UU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Late last month, the framework for the budget bill narrowly passed through the House on a vote of 217-213. Every Democrat representative voted against it. Thomas Massie of Kentucky was the lone Republican to join them in voting it down, arguing that “even under the rosiest of scenarios” the framework will end up increasing the national federal debt by hundreds of billions a year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"G26HKKLCOFARPKIPCLH3CWY5L4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The only way they get to this magic thing where it’s not going to kill our country is that five years from now they imagine 2.5 per cent growth accumulates,” Massie said immediately after that vote.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YNJXBPWWZFHSDI6ME4G35OS2AE","subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"7HKGT5MM2JCFRM2KUTC6IQFDKE","additional_properties":{},"content":"But Trump is adamant that the spending cuts can be achieved through the elimination of fraud and wasted spending, which has led to <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/elon-musk/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/elon-musk/\">Elon Musk</a>’s startling arrival on the Washington political scene. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"VMOJIDPXVREQNNN63WII7ZCJGM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Asked about the issue at his first cabinet meeting last month, the day after the budget resolution was passed, Trump replied: “I have said it so many times you shouldn’t be asking me that question ... We’re not gonna touch it. Now we are going to look for fraud. I’m sure you are okay with that – people who shouldn’t be on; people that are illegal aliens and others, and that’s with social security. When you see people that are 200 years old that are being sent cheques for social security – we are chasing that down and I’ve a feeling that Pam [Bondi, the attorney general] is going to do a very good job with that. But you’ve a lot of fraud. But, no, we’re not doing anything.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"YKEKUPJ5FVGUVL3KAFI23ZC764","additional_properties":{},"content":"Medicaid, has, since its inception during Lyndon Johnson’s administration, come to provide healthcare for 82 million Americans categorised as low-income. Within two decades, all states had joined the programme – Arizona was the last, in 1982.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SDKWMFRCUFCTPPXQ3IWVBFUF2Y","subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"34FZ2CBLHNFYDAQC2HUOIWU7QQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"During his last state of the union address a year ago, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/joe-biden/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/joe-biden/\">Joe Biden</a>, then president, had one of his more memorable moments by taking the Republican side of the House to task over the budget blueprint they had set out in the election year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZZWFVU44MFBHJEEPMMV65QPIQE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“If anyone here tries to cut social security, Medicare or raise the retirement age, I will stop you. The working people who built this country paid more into social security than millionaires and billionaires do. It’s not fair.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"FUHERYOILRBZZDZU2OJIS7COF4","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"J7BHNGO6NBGZNJVROVUSSF5ZSU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Republican budget plan allows for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts as well as increasing defence spending. And the basic maths and rationale as to how they will lower taxes while preserving public welfare programmes are coming under harsher scrutiny from the Democratic opposition. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"XTGPV3KBPZE2HBNQIW6GC32XN4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Last month the Musk-created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) accessed the data systems for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the beginning of its effort to identify the errant spending that has become central to the Trump administration’s fiscal policy. The Democrats are adamant it marks the beginning of the end for aid that tens of millions of Americans rely upon.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZOZNYAZP6BHL5D53V5TW2R2Q6U","additional_properties":{},"content":"On Thursday, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/tim-walz/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/tim-walz/\">Tim Walz</a>, Minnesota governor and <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/kamala-harris/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/kamala-harris/\">Kamala Harris’s</a> running mate in last year’s presidential election, said: “Donald Trump’s cuts to Medicaid will blow a massive hole in our state budget and leave thousands without care. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"25UJIS336ZBVDDL5KOFKVSAUAU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“There’s a storm coming from Washington.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"IFDMAHQGBZBNNKPT35LBIJKU2M","additional_properties":{},"content":"Republicans are adamant that all of this is just fearmongering from a Democratic movement that has lost its bearings and its message. Democrats are insistent that the Republican budget marks the beginning of the end of a crucial welfare health programme – and the beginning of a privatised replacement. Time will tell and the argument will grow louder.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Keith Duggan"}},"name":"Keith Duggan"}]},"description":{"basic":"Republican budget marks the beginning of the end of a crucial welfare health programme, say Democrats"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T16:06:47.552Z","headlines":{"basic":"‘This is a complete betrayal of the middle class’: Democrats rail against Trump’s plans for Medicaid","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"6DMFT5W4AZVMZGXSR7KHRFTZDI","auth":{"1":"620340b6a4750f8279ff8340d47e8df6aac0a13607b9c630cf7c8469ad2d97aa"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/6DMFT5W4AZVMZGXSR7KHRFTZDI.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/us/2025/03/07/they-would-force-the-largest-medicaid-cuts-in-us-history-to-pay-for-tax-cuts-for-billionaires/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/us","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"US"}}}},{"_id":"P4BIJ2O5BBHXVIFFVQ2HDB6JOE","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":332,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/c1a5fb71-8b7e-4393-ab91-01f619d43c94/versions/1741357612/media/859b3c58da99e5a71da0662f66fc2e56_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/2025/03/07/pope-francis-faces-long-recovery-as-he-continues-to-struggle-to-shake-off-pneumonia-doctors-say/","content_elements":[{"_id":"K3V5J4ZEXFAIPL5CDNQAT72EJY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833932},"content":"Three weeks to the day after being admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/pope-francis/\" target=\"_blank\">Pope Francis</a> is still struggling to shake off the double pneumonia that has battered his already fragile health.","type":"text"},{"_id":"46SVFHBAVFGJVOOK36JYCOULMY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833942},"content":"The 88-year-old pontiff has not been seen in public since entering hospital, and the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/vatican/\" target=\"_blank\">Vatican</a> has given no indication of when he might come out, or when he could resume anything like his usually demanding work schedule.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NNZ3U4LDORB4DFH3ZNRN63SVWI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833943},"content":"The road to recovery is likely to be long and fraught with danger, said medical experts who are not involved in his care and were speaking in general terms about his condition.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FJE35USI2JEBDHQITLZYJRFIHI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833944},"content":"“I’ve seen patients who have spent months in hospital in this sort of situation. Of course he can recover, but the chances for a negative outcome are high,” said Professor Christoph Lange, secretary general of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SM5OWWLN4ZBCTAELDOPWL42TG4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833945},"content":"“The best advice would be to let him rest, let him take whatever time he needs to get well again,” he told Reuters.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZIKZFIPTBRFBDOEMAVKO63YWGY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833946},"content":"Underscoring his diminished condition, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2025/03/06/i-thank-you-from-the-bottom-of-my-heart-pope-francis-sends-first-audio-message-from-hospital/\" target=\"_blank\">the pope released a brief audio message</a> on Thursday night giving thanks to all those praying for him. His voice was broken, breathless and hard to understand.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TDWO33C7IVCLTAE2DMJ4LO3LKQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833947},"content":"The Vatican has released daily updates from the pope’s medical team, breaking previous church taboos by providing a detailed, real-time assessment of the pontiff’s health.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LYOASV7SOFFTRL5JIICLQSMHKY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833948},"content":"In what was seen as a positive development, his doctors said on Thursday that given his clinical stability, they would provide their next bulletin on Saturday, skipping Friday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3JK2HICFYZDBRAZ5UD62QPWQUM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833949},"content":"However, they continued to caution that his overall prognosis remained guarded, as they have each day since February 22nd, meaning he is not yet out of danger.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MMXYBDW6IVGEVNNTP3HR52VAMU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833950},"content":"Loredana Sarmati, professor of infectious diseases at Rome's Tor Vergata University, said it would be possible to start talking about recovery only once the guarded prognosis was lifted.","type":"text"},{"_id":"52PL572LANERJEMVEZJRZMV4EI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833951},"content":"“Pneumonia of this magnitude is challenging, even for a young person. Here we are talking about an elderly man and above all a man who already in previous months had respiratory problems,” Prof Sarmati said. “Pneumonia can take weeks and weeks to heal.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"72CYPAVFPZCC7MKLHOZH3WMYQU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833952},"content":"The current illness is the most serious of several respiratory ailments the pope has had in recent years. He had part of a lung removed as a young man after suffering pleurisy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DID4ESLVQVE3TGDMMDAI4AU6PQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833954},"content":"The Vatican has said the pope has suffered four attacks of breathlessness since February 22nd. The last was on March 3rd, caused by a significant accumulation of mucus in his lungs, suggesting he did not have the muscle strength to expel the secretions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MT7RDS76ONCNTCMYKYFFKYD2MY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833955},"content":"Doctors observing the situation drew comfort from the fact he has not had a repeat episode since Monday. Likewise, they said it was reassuring he has not had any reported fever since February 14th and that, according to the Vatican, his blood tests have remained stable.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VSRD7NA6ENGVRESM24NF6XCNAE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833956},"content":"However, the fact that his overall condition was stationary after three weeks of intensive treatment, including antibiotics, was not reassuring, said a senior physician who recently retired from Gemelli and declined to give his name because of his ties to the hospital that is caring for the pope.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FYQUIT2GIBDS5J7CNI5LNWZSMM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833957},"content":"The physician, who has not seen Francis' medical record, said doctors would normally hope to see an improvement after so many days and added that each breathing crisis would have put a huge strain on the pope's heart. The Vatican has repeatedly said parameters measuring his circulatory system remain stable.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ITYMXBOZJJBAPCNOHVRNSNKJ7I","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833958},"content":"Francis has been receiving almost constant supplemental oxygen for the past two weeks, either through a breathing mask or a small hose under his nose.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JX3P52ZS6ZHSBNSOIBCSGGQBIQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833959},"content":"If his condition did deteriorate, the next step could involve sedating him and placing an oxygen tube into his throat.","type":"text"},{"_id":"G7EKZKKFYJARXCBPQMOG7BHEUM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833960},"content":"However, this would be a last resort for such an elderly man, medical experts said. It would also need the pope's authorisation, raising questions about what level of treatment he would be prepared to accept.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FDVSI6GEJZBK5LK3XR6AXAIVQE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833961},"content":"It is not known if Francis has given any instructions about his future care. In a message to the World Medical Association in 2017 he addressed end-of-life issues, saying it was morally legitimate to withdraw “overzealous treatment”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YOBYRN6XSZA7NNKVQQ7MMR5HUI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833962},"content":"The <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/catholic-church/\" target=\"_blank\">Catholic Church</a> teaches that it is obligatory to give patients life-saving care, but it also allows for a patient or their carers to reject “burdensome” or “disproportionate” procedures to keep a terminally ill person alive.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JN3Y5OWYMJGMZG24N54IJLNFYU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833964},"content":"As a step towards his rehabilitation, the Vatican has said the pope has been getting respiratory therapy to improve his lung function since at least February 26th. He is also receiving physical therapy to try to overcome the effects of his longest hospital stay since he became pope 12 years ago.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NMOL6GS35ZG3RLY67QM3DXIHCQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833965},"content":"“It is a race against time for the loss of muscle structure,” said Prof Lange.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LBRP67SNQ5EMLLEBCNMPL5GUDU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833966},"content":"While the Vatican says Francis has spent long spells in an armchair, it is not clear if he can walk or stand unaided.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IOBLS2HVQBHDFJIQCJX277YWP4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833967},"content":"If and when he is able to return to the Vatican, doctors cautioned he might never regain his former strength.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RW6YNTJEWJBHTK7XEPGU5QGT4A","additional_properties":{"_id":1741355833968},"content":"“He can be healed, but it is possible that some damage will remain in the lungs, so maybe there won’t be a 100 per cent recovery,” said Carlo Vancheri, professor of respiratory diseases at the University of Catania in Sicily. – Reuters","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"name":"Crispian Balmer"},{"name":"Alvise Armellini"}]},"description":{"basic":"Francis has hit the three-week mark in hospital with no indication of when he may return to the Vatican"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T14:21:41.17Z","headlines":{"basic":"Pope Francis faces long recovery as he continues to struggle to shake off pneumonia, doctors say","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"STUU7NVFQBKOYHXGMBBL2VPZUM","auth":{"1":"de166268c7fe114b64e3fc3a742b4ed0dafa57422f10b7884956fe4761553926"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/STUU7NVFQBKOYHXGMBBL2VPZUM.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/2025/03/07/pope-francis-faces-long-recovery-as-he-continues-to-struggle-to-shake-off-pneumonia-doctors-say/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"World"}}}},{"_id":"7YUNCAOTJBDDRCAVJCPMFD4NU4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":206,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/f70c8138-adcd-4eca-9f36-b5c1e492c3b0/versions/1741371879/media/a6c77e3e2b713b0de2d2b6c31abd445e_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/03/07/south-korean-court-cancels-impeached-president-yoons-arrest-warrant/","content_elements":[{"_id":"RQZXUKUCOZBSJADDIEHOVUKIQY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741335937542},"content":"A <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/south-korea/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/south-korea/\">South Korean</a> court cancelled impeached president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/yoon-suk-yeol/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/yoon-suk-yeol/\">Yoon Suk Yeol</a>’s arrest warrant on Friday, potentially paving the way for his release from jail while he faces trial on insurrection charges over a brief imposition of martial law.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KSMFT6PAK5DYRFB2NEUE43RJN4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Seoul central district court said in a statement that its ruling was based on the timing of the indictment that came after the initial detention period had expired, and noted “questions about the legality” of the investigation process that involved two separate agencies.","type":"text"},{"_id":"33BX6FYZ4BAJ3HGHPUEOOESTYE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The ruling did not dismiss the criminal charges that led to Mr Yoon’s arrest on January 15th, and the case is separate from his impeachment, which is still pending before the constitutional court.","type":"text"},{"_id":"543GZHHH2VFCJPDYKWCH765EZA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Both were triggered by his December 3rd martial law declaration that also led to the impeachment of the prime minister, who had taken over as acting president.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YVLP7T5ES5E67GZLTTG57RH4CU","additional_properties":{},"content":"South Korea’s finance minister Choi Sang-mok is now acting head of state.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WKRTDO5OQVHVTIFLBO6C3N2GKU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Yoon’s lawyers and his presidential office welcomed the district court decision, saying it showed the case against Yoon had been pursued for political purposes with no legal justification.","type":"text"},{"_id":"57WM3LCDQBGTLEDP53M7QQCHAA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The court’s decision to cancel the arrest showed this country’s rule of law is still alive,” Mr Yoon’s lawyers said in a statement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WOXJR3ZYCNHRJGAGG2DVI23SLY","additional_properties":{},"content":"They called for his immediate release, though conceded he may not be immediately freed because prosecutors could appeal. The prosecutors' office did not immediately comment on the ruling.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LT5ORMVO3JFUJBULFIKZ56FPDA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Protesters, both in support of and against Mr Yoon, soon gathered in Seoul following the court decision.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RLPUL6HIGZBHFEQT2TMM2NPLIQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"LJBOMOPOCJDAZBMJYRTAQ3PB4I","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Yoon’s defence team had argued that a warrant issued on January 19th that extended Mr Yoon’s detention was invalid because the request filed by prosecutors was procedurally flawed.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GDNUIWGTCFBCVDLCTPN243SRGE","additional_properties":{},"content":"It has also claimed that the corruption investigation office for high-ranking officials, which conducted the first stage of the criminal investigation against Mr Yoon, had no legal authority to do so on insurrection charges.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YNJB7U4ZWJCP3AWIUUH5SSCQT4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Legal experts said that, while Friday’s decision by the district court was not a vindication for Mr Yoon, it did raise questions about the integrity of the indictment and touched on legal issues that do not have a clear precedent.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZT3PH7TJYJGA5OJWO6QDHLAFMQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"If “questions about the legality of the investigation process” are not cleared up, it may become grounds for a higher court to overturn any trial court ruling, the Seoul Central District Court said in its statement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MVH3PRHNAZA2TMFREA4SU3OI3M","additional_properties":{},"content":"Arguments ended in the separate impeachment trial last week and the court was expected to issue a decision in the next few days on whether to remove Mr Yoon from office permanently or reinstate him.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5CCHI3CY6RH6TG73WMY2U5SAT4","additional_properties":{},"content":"If Yoon is removed, a new presidential election will be held within 60 days to elect a new leader.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6X7CVJ6XFJBIBLQZBS7C2M4EAY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“This court decision has nothing to do with the constitutional court’s impeachment trial of Yoon Suk Yeol,” opposition Democratic Party spokesman Han Min-soo said. “There will be no impact.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"V7KFZJD2F5G6FCUHBCLTZUWRV4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Yoon said his martial law declaration was needed to root out “anti-state” elements but lifted the decree six hours later after parliament voted to reject it. He has said he never intended to fully impose emergency military rule.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DNDCK3HY35A2HJDWY3EAYI6ZMM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Weeks later he was impeached by the opposition-led parliament on accusations he had violated his constitutional duty by declaring martial law. -Reuters","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"name":"Ju-min Park"},{"name":"Hyunsu Yim"}]},"description":{"basic":"Ruling paves way for Yoon’s release from jail following arrest over brief imposition of martial law"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T08:50:28.876Z","headlines":{"basic":"South Korean court cancels impeached president Yoon’s arrest warrant","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"R47DHHALS2MHAPTPVIZDFRJY54","auth":{"1":"25f273a36e104fe90b5bb2690996f611692a03bab4090863a326447bb0534e52"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/R47DHHALS2MHAPTPVIZDFRJY54.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Asia-Pacific"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/03/07/south-korean-court-cancels-impeached-president-yoons-arrest-warrant/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/asia-pacific","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Asia-Pacific"}}}},{"_id":"TDJTGBJA4VDAZDDAKL77C542WI","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":354,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/af29f9b5-e405-4913-a703-81deb922bc06/versions/1741296620/media/d1b6bfc9feea4d43c28781aaf225dcf8_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/politics/2025/03/06/warm-winds-of-co-operation-blow-through-british-irish-relations/","content_elements":[{"_id":"JFIVIEGQ7VAZ5LDNF5FUVGBZ5U","additional_properties":{"_id":1741294542610},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"MBWS6NQD2VCDXNNLZTB5IANQR4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741294542611},"content":"The last time a Taoiseach met a British prime minister at a wedding venue on Merseyside’s Wirral peninsula, they announced a diplomatic breakthrough on trade rules, only for the UK government to unilaterally junk the agreement soon afterwards.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CAGON54KTVFFVDAM7MZORGCWAI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741294542612},"content":"On Thursday at Inglewood Manor, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/micheal-martin/\" target=\"_blank\">Micheál Martin</a> and <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/keir-starmer/\" target=\"_blank\">Keir Starmer</a> seemed determined to ensure that, this time, the mutual bonhomie stuck, unlike the ill-fated Brexit meeting in 2019 of their predecessors Leo Varadkar and Boris Johnson, who met at Thornton Manor just up the road.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JP7OSMQFNZFKVPPIWJUGVWL27Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1741294542613},"content":"Back then, and after winning election soon after, Johnson effectively set fire to the Brexit solution he cooked up with Varadkar at Thornton Manor. Even the hotel burned down sometime afterwards.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VEEIRIQHN5CJ3DNCR2DMJ42O54","additional_properties":{"_id":1741294542614},"content":"Two different Edwardian estates on the splendid Wirral, two different political atmospheres under new regimes, one glaring difference: Starmer is no Johnson. Britain’s Labour prime minister opened Thursday’s UK-Ireland summit at Inglewood with the declaration of a “new era” in relations.","type":"text"},{"_id":"I6BNFZSCSNHZ7H4VRNEEBTYN3A","additional_properties":{"_id":1741294542615},"content":"“We have turned the page on the turbulent years,” said Starmer. Across the table in the hotel’s wood-panelled Burton suite, Martin almost cooed with satisfaction, as did his four Cabinet colleagues who also made the trip – Tánaiste <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/simon-harris/\" target=\"_blank\">Simon Harris</a>, Minister for the Environment <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/darragh-obrien/\" target=\"_blank\">Darragh O’Brien</a>, Minister for Education <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/helen-mcentee/\" target=\"_blank\">Helen McEntee</a> and Minister for Justice <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/jim-ocallaghan/\" target=\"_blank\">Jim O’Callaghan</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3LDMM7P6YJFWVEHN26RNWB6ZHA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741294542616},"content":"In this game of geopolitical five-a-side, Starmer lined out alongside his deputy Angela Rayner, climate secretary Ed Miliband, home secretary Yvette Cooper and Northern Ireland secretary <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hilary-benn/\" target=\"_blank\">Hilary Benn</a>. It was soon their turn to listen as the Irish delegation lauded the improved relations. Miliband’s head almost fell from his shoulders, he was nodding along so furiously as the Taoiseach spoke about deepening co-operation on energy – borne out in the joint statement issued later on.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q75ZM7OU72FE6DA2NZGYUBS53A","additional_properties":{"_id":"2XRMZQHB6BGRDPIEGOY7BJL7J4"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"EUGGB3EQPZCLPDWBPSZGSLXJFE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741294542617},"content":"“We’re both windy spots. Therein lies our potential,” said Martin. Blowing for power instead of blowing hard makes such a political difference.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5F2AJEI3QRF67DCZUJB3M63CJM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741294542618},"content":"The formalities of Thursday’s summit were preceded on Wednesday evening by a cultural reception in the Museum of Liverpool, a half-hour drive from Inglewood in the Scouse city. Attendees included executives from organisations such as the Football Association of Ireland, assorted business executives, community leaders and local politicians – the great and the good of the Irish in Britain.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TPRN274QM5GNTPQIFDPQOEVHQM","additional_properties":{"_id":"KO6FANVNABEEHJHR52KJACFETI"},"content":"Keir Starmer hails ‘new era’ in British-Irish relations as governments meet to discuss security and economy","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"TNRWPS2AFVH2HBY4PJD5U7K4NE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741294542619},"content":"Starmer is often – and arguably unfairly – accused by his critics in British media of being robotic. If so, at the museum reception he had been programmed to say the word “fantastic”. He incessantly applied it to everything from the food by London-based chef Anna Haugh, from Tallaght; the venue; the city and the very idea that Irish and British leaders could meet in such an era of warm relations.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2GM3UGWAGRFDJJ5K3OURA3OOKA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741294542620},"content":"Afterwards, the prime minister and the Taoiseach moved on to a nearby restaurant where, it is understood, they dined together while their delegations ate in an adjacent room. A few of the Irish attendees then retired to the Hilton Hotel on the waterfront to watch Liverpool’s Champions League match in Paris, where victory for the away team must have put Ireland’s ambassador to Britain, Reds fan Martin Fraser, in even better form than the convivial political atmosphere on all sides.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7V5NP2QGZBHAHBBJJYVU3CPNM4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741294542621},"content":"Next morning, the two leaders attended a breakfast with business leaders before convening on the Wirral, where their ministerial colleagues had already gathered to await their arrival. Starmer arrived shortly before 9.30am, traipsing through the lobby in discombobulated fashion seeking a room in which to deposit his briefcase. Rayner nipped outside to take a call. Miliband popped his head around a door. Benn peered through the windows before, finally, the Taoiseach arrived in one of the fleet of UK government Range Rovers crawling around the 38-acre estate grounds.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3A7VXPNOKFGJLO3WAYVP5ZL7U4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741294542622},"content":"They lined up for their five-a-side with a few non-playing civil servants at each end of the table, and after remarks for the cameras – Starmer was still in “fantastic” mode – they got down to business.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BEAKO5P3JNHRHFKBIP52LEJ4VE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741294542623},"content":"Much of the spade work had been done beforehand by the political teams in Westminster, Dublin and at the Irish Embassy in London, as well the British embassy in Dublin. The result was a detailed 38-point joint statement from Martin and Starmer. They spoke about working together to buttress “the global multilateral system and international law”, relevant in the context of the conflicts in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza-strip/\" target=\"_blank\">Gaza</a> and also Ukraine.","type":"text"},{"_id":"B3S7UQZVU5DUVABU2ULJU3KWEY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741294542624},"content":"They promised co-operation on maritime security, such as the protection of the subsea cables that land in Ireland carrying digital data between the US and Europe, and which the Russians have been openly snooping around for several years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VKZCJHCO2RC23L5H5UJYETJ3X4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741294542625},"content":"The two states will co-operate further on the building of wind energy assets in the Irish and Celtic seas – energy was one of the dominant issues discussed across the table in the Burtin suite. They will set up an “economic security exchange to share good practices and experiences”. They also agreed to establish a joint youth forum to drive ideas for the future.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SNRCNPTD6NECXFWBNPXU5GRQKU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741294542626},"content":"Starmer also mentioned that he saw the British-Irish alliance as critical for helping to improve the UK’s co-operation with the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/european-union/\" target=\"_blank\">European Union</a>. Afterwards, Martin headed for Brussels for a meeting of EU leaders. Starmer, meanwhile, did not go to Brussels as he did last month but instead will dial in on Friday – domestically he can’t be seen to be attending too many EU meetings just yet.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6H274CWNW5HPTGHUVWASZQX3GM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741294542627},"content":"When it comes to repairing the damage of recent years, it must be one step at a time.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4NESDOSTYBB4FGKUOSRTF27SEY","additional_properties":{},"type":"list"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Mark Paul"}},"name":"Mark Paul"}]},"description":{"basic":"The two governments on message as joint initiatives on everything from wind energy to security abound at convivial UK-Ireland summit"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T08:47:12.814Z","headlines":{"basic":"UK-Ireland summit: How it sought to repair diplomatic damage of recent years","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"VGML43K5EBCTRPDGXWBTCKDMGY","auth":{"1":"d2fcc713858d05ba1e5289e73285822bcc8335f73823b0b2601f4a462be31bc3"},"focal_point":{"x":2379,"y":672},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/VGML43K5EBCTRPDGXWBTCKDMGY.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Politics"},{"name":"World"},{"name":"UK"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/politics/2025/03/06/warm-winds-of-co-operation-blow-through-british-irish-relations/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/politics","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Politics"}}}},{"_id":"BURHSYPOKZBF3OAFGYEMK4MWLQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":94,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/4a3fbdd4-be02-41e6-b354-012ba01b26b5/versions/1741336163/media/47c97d2ee54e8dd53eb8e45ebbe6063d_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/discovery-of-second-world-war-bomb-in-paris-causes-major-disruption-to-train-services/","content_elements":[{"_id":"VUQIWNUZHJHXXECO6U6O43HG2Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741334845253},"content":"The discovery of an unexploded bomb dating back to the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/second-world-war/\" target=\"_blank\">second World War</a> has disrupted morning traffic to and from <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/paris/\" target=\"_blank\">Paris’s</a> bustling Gare du Nord train station, the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/france/\" target=\"_blank\">French</a> national railway company said on Friday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"37LNEUI2ONCL7P3YOSLOFYLQDA","additional_properties":{},"content":"The disruption is affecting local metro lines, commuter rails and national and international trains, including Eurostar services.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DTM6BY4QMVERJKMH5O5AETLFIM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Due to the discovery last night of an unexploded bomb from the second World War during work carried out near Paris Gare du Nord, traffic is interrupted to and from Gare du Nord,” one of the network’s train lines, the H Line, said in a post on X.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YXJKPZMEQRESVLX74MV2GJHPOM","additional_properties":{},"content":"It said the move was requested by the Paris police.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JWFWYK3AGVDAHDKWILVIZYJ4IY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The bomb was found 2.5km from the train station, in the middle of the train tracks, the H line said. Train traffic would be disrupted until the demining operation was completed.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LOC4O4SRPFEQXO4YSSIY7NKASI","additional_properties":{},"content":"French police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6JBKYIBYBZAL5PWVS5YE2H7U4Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"Gare du Nord is the world’s third-busiest train station and serves trains going to and from destinations in the north of France, London, Belgium and the Netherlands, according to the Paris tourist office.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QFPXBHMLLZFFBGB4BUSZ42ENAM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Eurostar’s website showed that at least four trains scheduled to depart from Gare du Nord on Friday morning had been cancelled and advised travellers to reschedule their trips.","type":"text"},{"_id":"J7TDMZYVZFESXHQWVL3K2XUAJY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The international train company did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment. – Reuters","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"At least four Eurostar trains cancelled after discovery of bomb 2.5km from Gare du Nord train station"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T08:24:17.907Z","headlines":{"basic":"Discovery of second World War bomb in Paris causes major disruption to train services","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"2ONEQV7SUDYFWIM2UREQWWVUFQ","auth":{"1":"0e868e3a2e0588b854d6fc2ca063e90c8d0e15b9403c22cec5abde05675b4dc7"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/2ONEQV7SUDYFWIM2UREQWWVUFQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/discovery-of-second-world-war-bomb-in-paris-causes-major-disruption-to-train-services/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"3RLUIC43YRBDTB3VME3R3BRNEA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":127,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/bc18704f-af2f-4cc5-9cfd-19021c2eff5a/versions/1741334119/media/9397269dcaa84fa41496b0c85ac6b1a8_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/ukraine-russia-war-latest-updates/","content_elements":[{"_id":"RFDT27MIHBAXNICNRHJYHGVX2I","additional_properties":{"_id":1741332510732},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" target=\"_blank\">Russian</a> forces targeted <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\" target=\"_blank\">Ukraine’s</a> energy and gas infrastructure in their latest drone and missile attack, Ukraine’s minister for energy said on Friday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LNET7QN3VNEWPFQ7BVCHZUXB2A","additional_properties":{"_id":1741332510734},"content":"“Once again, energy and gas infrastructure in various regions of Ukraine has come under massive missile and drone fire,” minister for energy German Galushchenko said in a statement on Facebook.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2H3C2255XBD2XA6ZEAUI4OPAE4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741332510735},"content":"“Wherever possible, rescuers and power engineers are working to eliminate the consequences. All necessary measures are being taken to stabilise power and gas supplies,” Mr Galushchenko said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R4G5S2V4CVELVCBDJ6C3UQ6KYU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741332510736},"content":"The attack damaged natural gas production facilities of Ukraine's state-run oil and gas firm Naftogaz, the company said in a statement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JWI3Z2AJGNGQDEYWQQ2WXKJQXU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741332510737},"content":"“Production facilities that ensure gas production were damaged. Fortunately, there were no casualties,” Naftogaz said via the Telegram messaging app.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TSG33JUD4VA7FOKXBFOIVRI65A","additional_properties":{"_id":1741332510738},"content":"Ternopil governor Viacheslav Nehoda said the attack struck a critical industrial facility in the western region and announced possible limits on gas supplies. Ukraine’s air defence shot down a missile and there were no reported casualties, he said in a post on the Telegram messaging app.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KZPCSIKCBNDCRD36EHBVUBZQPU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741332510739},"content":"In the northeastern city of Kharkiv, Russian forces struck a civilian enterprise and injured at least five people, according to its governor Oleh Syniehubov.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DHEKUEDZS5AXBIA4WMXNSPO3GE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741332510740},"content":"In the northern region of Chernihiv, an attack damaged one of the production facilities, according to its governor Viacheslav Chaus who did not provide additional details.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KVAGOFLBCRB55PR3BGMTAME7GI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741332510741},"content":"The governor of the western region of Ivano-Frankivsk, Svitlana Onyshchuk, said the air defence repelled an attack on infrastructure facilities. She reported no damage or casualties.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QM23QNHEZ5H5PKMRAVT3EQUUPY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741332510742},"content":"Russia, which previously focused its missile and drone attacks on the Ukrainian electricity sector, has in recent months sharply stepped up its attacks on Ukrainian gas storage facilities and production fields. – Reuters","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Russian forces strike civilian enterprise in Kharkiv, injuring at least five people, governor says"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T07:50:14.262Z","headlines":{"basic":"Russian missiles target Ukrainian energy infrastructure, damaging gas production facility","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"LR24KV6VRSCF77OMKL3Y7SIMXI","auth":{"1":"33dd1f1059f7abcc9be419d136d9b7d8c0f53b1cd533351aaa93ec9b69fa7728"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/LR24KV6VRSCF77OMKL3Y7SIMXI.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/ukraine-russia-war-latest-updates/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"56XEP4S23FASPNTW76XBSWDRII","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/us-and-ukrainian-officials-to-hold-talks-in-saudi-arabia-on-path-to-end-war/","content_elements":[{"_id":"GIMJLEDCNVEXLGBPU4QNYHIAJI","additional_properties":{},"content":"US and Ukrainian officials are planning to meet next week to discuss the first steps of a deal that could seek an end to the war in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine\">Ukraine</a>, after a week of US moves casting doubt on its support for the country.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YOYM6R5EMVEHLBWI56DSYCKJ4I","additional_properties":{},"content":"Both US president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a> and Ukrainian president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/volodymyr-zelenskiy/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/volodymyr-zelenskiy/\">Volodymyr Zelenskiy</a> confirmed the meeting, which is expected to take place in Saudi Arabia.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VWPT4374RVAGVM72OXPNKMM53E","additional_properties":{},"content":"The planned meeting was announced just under a week after an Oval Office blowup between the two men in which Mr Trump attacked Mr Zelenskiy as ungrateful for US support and threatened to abandon Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s invasion. Mr Trump later paused all military aid to Ukraine.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SOEKUPLJVBAY5C3ZDRYBIWOQ2Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"Since then, Mr Zelenskiy has expressed regret in general terms over how that meeting went, and both sides have showed willingness to sign a deal in which the United States would share in revenue from Ukraine’s mineral resources.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EBIOZRBK2RDWFBWPBREZWVCGOY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Ukrainian and American teams have resumed work, and we hope that next week we will have a meaningful meeting,” the Ukrainian leader said in a statement on Thursday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F2F7TOCYQZDQXPYMEPIHVFOVXU","additional_properties":{},"content":"He said that Ukraine would send a delegation to meet with “military representatives of countries that are ready to make greater efforts to reliably guarantee security within the framework of ending this war.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"JDZ7MBGPBJHSLKE4ZBLPHJ5HYQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"He said the meeting was scheduled for Tuesday but did not specify who would attend.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OO3NMV67LNHZPIEZ4VRHN75Z3A","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"YZPMB334URF6NMDRDBNPICWXQM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Russian missiles target Ukrainian energy infrastructure, damaging gas production facility","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"PYTKLYJBGJHARDOBNP4IPEG5Y4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Russian officials met top Trump officials in Saudi Arabia last month, as Russia has signaled an openness to talks, though it has not said if it would accept a ceasefire or an agreement to end the war.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MHMPQVHSYREXNGIGAAJCVUGTNY","additional_properties":{},"content":"There remains significant doubt among European leaders as to whether they can serve as the ultimate security backstop for Ukraine if America abandons the war-torn country.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HB2XTSKF7VEW7MUD6V2PS5W4PI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Trump administration suspended military assistance and intelligence sharing with Ukraine this week in a bid to pressure Ukraine to negotiate on its terms, although it has not outlined any specific peace plan.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KWY3W6D4U5CHRM6OAVT3G3KWB4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Outside the White House on Thursday, Steve Witkoff, the Trump administration’s special envoy to the Middle East, told reporters that the negotiations would take place in Saudi Arabia.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AREF6EVHIFG6JOU5TWLXV6IQDE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We are now in discussions to coordinate a meeting with the Ukrainians in Riyadh or even potentially Jeddah; the city is moving around a little bit,” Mr Witkoff said. “The idea is to get down a framework for a peace agreement and an initial ceasefire as well.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"7AL2TER3DFFZVFWGKNIAY5J5RA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Witkoff said Mr Zelenskiy’s comments after the Oval Office showdown, praising the strength of Trump’s leadership, had helped Ukraine’s standing with America. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"2VQJZ47Z6VGQNLQURDZDZNQO2Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"Last Friday, Mr Trump and his vice president, JD Vance, lectured the Ukrainian president for not showing enough gratitude to the US for its military support.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SW53WMZMJNDKHK3JWJUDIFCQKM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“He felt that Zelenskiy’s letter is a very positive first step,” Mr Witkoff said. “President Zelenskiy has demonstrated that he’s intent on that good-faith path back. He’s apologised. He’s said he’s grateful. He said he wants to work toward peace.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"VC333HFHSZHAJEHVLXRUN6U2ZY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Witkoff added that he believed Mr Zelenskiy was willing to sign a minerals deal to create a US-controlled fund that would receive revenue from Ukraine’s natural resources.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UN6XDNEEOFHCZNKEJPRUCXLQ5U","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Zelenskiy said the Ukrainians would insist at next week’s meeting on a number of commitments from Russia to test whether a lasting peace could ultimately be reached. Those demands include Russian pledges not to attack Ukraine’s energy or other civilian infrastructure; a truce for missiles, bombs and long-range drones; and no military operations in the Black Sea.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AHDSPLPT7BGQZDFKPZ36JNFNII","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Ukrainians truly want peace, but not at the cost of giving up Ukraine,” he said. “The real question for any negotiations is whether Russia is capable of giving up the war.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"TYU4SNCBSNAILEPHFPYWZGCZ7A","additional_properties":{},"content":"Moscow has given no public indication it would accept any truce, ceasefire or end to the war it launched three years ago. - This article originally appeared in <a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/06/us/politics/ukraine-zelensky-trump-russia.html\">The New York Times</a>.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Development comes after a week of US moves casting doubt on its support for war-torn country"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T07:23:48.932Z","headlines":{"basic":"US and Ukrainian officials to hold talks in Saudi Arabia on path to end war","native":""},"label":{},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"TEFYCTYZYZZKQTEPY5HKRSNOMQ","auth":{"1":"918f84847fa911bcf4304e335b6ce74cfbf737b0fd8ef8c73437687e321fb599"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/TEFYCTYZYZZKQTEPY5HKRSNOMQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/us-and-ukrainian-officials-to-hold-talks-in-saudi-arabia-on-path-to-end-war/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"7JEAS3VK6ZDCNGVLSVYSFRCWVA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":273,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/25cfc4c5-8f4a-4d1e-87aa-ec41f61a5c44/versions/1741330495/media/91498ad456cfbd9256e7dc129cffd1f8_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/2025/03/07/im-not-going-to-defend-them-trump-warns-nato-members-lagging-on-defence-spending/","content_elements":[{"_id":"JHN7FS2EXVBU3PT3W44Z7227RU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741328470865},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/\" target=\"_blank\">US</a> president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" target=\"_blank\">Donald Trump</a> has cast doubt on his willingness to defend Washington’s <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/north-atlantic-treaty-organisation-nato/\" target=\"_blank\">Nato</a> allies, saying he would not do so if they are not paying enough for their own defence.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OXCOPXTBHFGLRJBE7K5DO7D7UQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741328470874},"content":"“It’s common sense, right,” Mr Trump told reporters in the Oval Office. “If they don’t pay, I’m not going to defend them. No, I’m not going to defend them.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"5VVREPQQIJEIJJGIAEYGQYMLHI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741328470875},"content":"Mr Trump said he has been of this view for years and shared it with Nato allies during his 2017-2021 presidential term. Those efforts prompted more spending from other members of the 75-year-old transatlantic alliance, he said, but “even now, it’s not enough.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"5FSIINPQFFEK5MLKM7VD3NP4OQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741328470876},"content":"He added: “They should be paying more.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"7P7MA7IGLNDHZJ4LVUGPGIDNSY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741328470877},"content":"A mutual assistance clause lies at the heart of the Nato alliance, which was formed in 1949 with the primary aim of countering the risk of a Soviet attack on allied territory.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KQVVYX6GHVDHZOD3Y72TRK75WY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741328470878},"content":"Mr Trump’s remarks could trigger alarm bells in capitals from <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/\" target=\"_blank\">Europe</a> to <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/asia-pacific/\" target=\"_blank\">Asia</a>, where leaders were already worried about a withdrawal of US security support after Mr Trump clashed with <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\" target=\"_blank\">Ukrainian</a> president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/volodymyr-zelenskiy/\" target=\"_blank\">Volodymyr Zelenskiy</a> and showed greater willingness to deal with Russian president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/vladimir-putin/\" target=\"_blank\">Vladimir Putin</a>. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"N2U3JC56JVCHRGF4DKPBWJKZCQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Earlier on Thursday, concerned <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2025/03/06/eu-defence-ukraine-brussels-summit-latest-updates/\" target=\"_blank\">European leaders backed plans to spend more on defence</a> and pledged to continue to stand by Ukraine. “I know some may have concerns about Nato’s future,” Nato secretary general Mark Rutte said earlier on Thursday. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"XH47K34XPZGKZJ7UQDBAVSQRQ4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“So let me be clear, the transatlantic relationship and the transatlantic partnership remains the bedrock of our alliance. President [Donald] Trump has made clear the commitment of the US and his commitment personally to Nato, and it has also made clear the expectation that we in Europe must do more in terms of defence spending.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"LJSD2I43IVC6XM2YOAMHXXVCTM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741328470879},"content":"In the Oval Office, Mr Trump said Nato members were friends of his but questioned whether <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/france/\" target=\"_blank\">France</a> or a “couple of others” would protect the US in a moment of crisis.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CUMCLVEFDZBPFKVVSXAT7AVNL4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741328470880},"content":"“You think they’re going to come and protect us? They’re supposed to,” Mr Trump said. “I’m not so sure.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"GG3L37AKWFCZZM6O4AQ53UH624","additional_properties":{"_id":"DADRFVX4SBACLO5V6YNFIYDJIU"},"content":"Burning question for Europe now is how to deal with an elected American tyrant","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"G5XDH23KQNHDBOO2O3B5P3KUPY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741328470881},"content":"Mr Trump said he viewed Nato as “potentially good” if what he saw as the spending issue could be fixed. “They’re screwing us on trade,” he said of the security alliance. Mr Trump had affirmed the US’ commitments to the mutual defence of Nato as recently as last week during a press conference alongside British prime minister <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/keir-starmer/\" target=\"_blank\">Keir Starmer</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WBJC5I6J3ZA6DH64MSYKDCTZZ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741328470882},"content":"At a meeting of European leaders in Brussels, French president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/emmanuel-macron/\" target=\"_blank\">Emmanuel Macron</a> responded to Mr Trump’s comments by saying France and other European countries had joined US troops in fighting in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/afghanistan/\" target=\"_blank\">Afghanistan</a> after 9/11.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3OTCVY2NYFHSNGEPJIXT6FKAIQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741328470885},"content":"“Not only the French, but the Europeans were there when we were called for Afghanistan. And by the way, they weren’t politely warned when (the US left Afghanistan),” Mr Macron said. “We are loyal and faithful allies.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"MYYI6ZZEBND5DLVVG46MXL6F34","additional_properties":{"_id":1741328470886},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"YOQ6TRPYWJDLLKJ3KU37HK7DKY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741328470887},"content":"Mr Trump also mused on the US treaty alliance with <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/japan/\" target=\"_blank\">Japan</a>, which he affirmed in a joint statement with Tokyo last month as poised “to grow stronger than ever”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6O6J3LAWYVCOBNFBQDRYB2MLXQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741328470888},"content":"The collective defence arrangement dates back to agreements made after the conclusion of hostilities during the second World War.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MZC64BLSH5CDPPMASXWQ6EXE5Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741328470889},"content":"“We have a great relationship with Japan, but we have an interesting deal with Japan that we have to protect them, but they don’t have to protect us. You know that? That’s the way the deal reads,” Mr Trump said on Thursday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5GQPQ5XUEZBRHALA6KX76GL5QI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741328470890},"content":"“And by the way, they make a fortune with us economically... Who makes these deals?” The remarks echoed comments Mr Trump made during a 2019 visit to the country. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"3YPQ6IS4PRD6FE4R5WOTKGWG5Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"Japan’s embassy did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but Nicholas Szechenyi, a Japan expert at Washington’s Center for Strategic and International Studies, called Mr Trump’s remarks “technically inaccurate”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DYEL5HBAZJC3JMZVZ6V7NLI3Y4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741328470891},"content":"While Japan’s post-second World War constitution long restricted its military activities, reforms have meant it could exercise collective self-defence and help protect the US under certain circumstances, Mr Szechenyi said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MBGLY2IQUJC5VBBOWR3WHBFQZ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741328470892},"content":"Such circumstances included if an armed attack against a foreign state that is in a close relationship with Japan threatened Japan’s survival, he said. – Reuters","type":"text"},{"_id":"KOMEZ42JYRABLICJNQDZNOATU4","additional_properties":{"_id":"3URAR3QCBFF7NBXFJGAY5PT4W4"},"embed":{"config":{},"id":"acast_podcast-47672","url":"/"},"subtype":"acast_podcast","type":"custom_embed"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"name":"Trevor Hunnicutt"},{"name":"David Brunnstrom"}]},"description":{"basic":"Trump’s remarks could raise alarm in Europe and Asia where there is already concern over US support"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T06:49:49.822Z","headlines":{"basic":" ‘I’m not going to defend them’: Trump warns Nato members lagging on defence 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has ordered thousands of people in its eastern regions to flee to safety before Tropical Cyclone Alfred makes landfall on Saturday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QH3JJBASEVC4DKJE7F353QBBKE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741341402213},"content":"The storm has brought heavy rain, huge waves and strong winds that cut off power, swamped beaches and shut airports.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IXVN2UL3SJAU3EPMSIWR6WHJKQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741341402214},"content":"Alfred’s slow progress toward the coast fed concern it could bring a prolonged period of heavy rain and is expected to hit land as a Category 2 storm north of Brisbane, Australia’s third-most populous city, the Bureau of Meteorology said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PXSMX5BDVJGQ5JTYVRKAGBGUNI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741341402215},"content":"“The evacuation centres are a last resort,” Queensland premier David Crisafulli told a news conference on Friday, adding that dozens had been opened.","type":"text"},{"_id":"O4K6ZTY37FFEVB2KIM5GI65ULM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741341402216},"content":"“Have an evacuation plan if you are in one of those areas,” he urged those in the cyclone’s path, advising them to secure their homes before leaving. “If in doubt, go and stay with friends and families.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"LDZ63YBXLBDRPLBYYIBQKRYCHI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741341402217},"content":"Wind gusts of more than 100km/h lashed the coastal regions of Queensland and New South Wales states overnight.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HOTDBID4HBDHBHHIV5LS2QYDLM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741341402218},"content":"The storm moved slowly west 120km from Brisbane and 85km from the Gold Coast tourist area, the weather bureau said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5I3ONBSGERGALEHQCF3SCHOJPY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741341402219},"content":"It brought turmoil that snapped power links to more than 80,000 homes across the two states, electricity firms said, around half of them in Gold Coast.","type":"text"},{"_id":"C7TON45MA5CKHKWISPCPR6KZIM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741341402220},"content":"Television images showed surfers riding the huge seas and people strolling near beaches, forcing officials to warn residents to stay indoors or prepare to leave.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KXGBYI65SNDRTFDUAKVP2HCAUY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741341402221},"content":"“This isn’t a time for sightseeing or for seeing what it’s like to experience these conditions firsthand,” said prime minister Anthony Albanese. “Please stay safe. Be sensible.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"H4LSMDZXFQEWE5BSDUV5ZOJV6Y","additional_properties":{"_id":"WK4T44HGJZCRDHSL2JF7HKXLDY"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"KKMACSTAF2Z26UVE7F6ZZEMEXQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"SHU7GKAMNFB6TKPAI5ETOSSCIM"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"TEWJU6AIRXI37NSFGP2Y33KIY4","additional_properties":{"_id":"5ZFAUTBAEFA6PPLI43KMIAOSL4"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"2HEAHKAYB36XS5ZUF77K755BL4","additional_properties":{"_id":"T6O2QWZJNNFPPJXRKJCOQ65ZYY"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"OU2KP3DRXG6SBQFG2HYS2F5FTE","additional_properties":{"_id":"D7TUFOISJNHTJH63AFYODA3JJ4"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"ZY3MFR2AW7SZTGYZKBO7S7QKNI","additional_properties":{"_id":"4WFKOL454NHOJES3QZNHI5REZE"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"42OEFM6OMY4FVNCQYAMZRJA7DQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"OCFNDVSMONAZPIOITWP3HQCJVU"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"4CU23YY2RERE37KPFY5MYIV3IQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"GCGUVKDGYFBZBN5VGK3JU5AGMQ"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"BULVBGKMXXNC2XVPU65NJTLUSY","additional_properties":{"_id":"AFDYE257RZCFJDEUOIRBN2AHFY"},"type":"image"},{"_id":"OAPQCZQAHBCYLMV5XXKKNEYSUQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741341402222},"content":"Mr Albanese told reporters that 120 defence personnel would help emergency crews in rescue and relief efforts.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MGMCUXIXTVASLGO7AX3VBIUKRI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741341402223},"content":"Heavy rains dumped more than 400mm of rain in some parts of northern New South Wales over the last 48 hours, exceeding the mean total for March, data showed, as residents scrambled to save properties from the risk of floods.","type":"text"},{"_id":"U5D5PBHIGRGFXLAVM4GUAOA5WU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741341402224},"content":"Brisbane Airport shut operations on Thursday and the city suspended public transport. More than 1,000 schools in southeast Queensland and 280 in northern New South Wales have been closed.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4GYAKV2JLJG5DDHK2EXNSSRS5U","additional_properties":{"_id":1741341402225},"content":"Officials have described Alfred as a “very rare event” for Brisbane, the capital of Queensland, which was last hit by a cyclone more than half a century ago in 1974. The city of about 2.7 million had near misses from cyclones in 1990 and 2019.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FUHVRTF7HBCAXI7FUWGMSHUHVA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741341402226},"content":"New South Wales business owner Thomas Gough was busy stacking sandbags at his shop in Lismore, a rural town about 700km north of Sydney, which was devastated by major floods in 2022.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PYYA3HOGA5AYZDNE4EQ7EFRXFE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741341402227},"content":"“It’s a beautiful place to live most of the time, but it feels like we have one-in-100-year events every five years - there’s nothing we can do about it,” Mr Gough told broadcaster ABC News. - Reuters","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"name":"Renju Jose"},{"name":"Alasdair Pal"}]},"description":{"basic":"Massive storm due to make landfall early on Saturday near Brisbane"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T06:42:17.261Z","headlines":{"basic":"Australia warns thousands to move to safety as tropical Cyclone Alfred nears ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"JNFGQ653TCS74776NW5ZCMIW2M","auth":{"1":"55c62e0eb6a2117d1c588be042b3e1c831ac38f2ef47ace0cb8222bf5bdcf10c"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/JNFGQ653TCS74776NW5ZCMIW2M.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Asia-Pacific"},{"name":"Environment"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/03/07/australia-warns-thousands-to-move-to-safety-as-tropical-cyclone-alfred-nears-clone/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/asia-pacific","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Asia-Pacific"}}}},{"_id":"4IJ2P4Q2MRFBZE2ZS632UKNSLU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":340,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/c363c913-90c7-44d0-b80a-ed54de151f1d/versions/1741283980/media/fc1631e734a77414471685daa6f5f1fd_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/07/bid-to-oust-attorney-general-a-renewal-of-israeli-governments-judicial-overhaul-plan/","content_elements":[{"_id":"YBTNH4BAVJFBFLQCSOSNJUHV74","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\">Israel</a>’s justice minister Yariv Levin has initiated proceedings to remove attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara from office, accusing her of thwarting the will of the government. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"3AO6TRYJR5H4VBJWNVYSHHS22I","additional_properties":{},"content":"The move paved the way for an unprecedented constitutional crisis and was the clearest indication to date that the judicial overhaul, pursued by prime minister <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\">Binyamin Netanyahu</a>’s right wing government, is back.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7PGHR2FCPVHNZP5X4KR3QEQJRE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The first year of Netanyahu’s government was dominated by efforts to shift the balance of power away from the judiciary to the executive.","type":"text"},{"_id":"J7AEAOMFLFBL3K6ZDD2ATHKJ7E","additional_properties":{},"content":"Opponents of the radical reforms claimed the measures would undermine Israeli democracy and hundreds of thousands took part in weekly protests. The country was in turmoil, divided as never before. Thousands of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reservists, including pilots and intelligence personnel, threatened to refuse to volunteer for military service.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6JV6TDDGOFE4TFLR6QJHUH42SA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Then came<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\"> the October 7th, 2023 Hamas attack</a> and the start of an unprecedented, prolonged, multi-front war. Citizens rushed to join their army reserve units and the government ditched the divisive legislation, instead promoting national unity to achieve victory. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7RMGUWYQ4JFFVOEACQ3DQPWAXA","additional_properties":{},"content":"By the end of 2024 the war had shifted in Israel’s favour with the defeat of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas/\">Hamas</a> in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza/\">Gaza</a> and <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hizbullah/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hizbullah/\">Hizbullah</a> in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/lebanon/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/lebanon/\">Lebanon</a> (although both groups maintain limited fighting capabilities), the fall of the Assad regime in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\">Syria</a> and the weakening of Iran’s regional axis.","type":"text"},{"_id":"REF4Q4IEJ5ADRBB3NDHRD5WRE4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Now, the judicial overhaul is back. Big time. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"HJEDU57NSZOKVLEMLNDZVJ4CTU","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"YODLWPIRWZB4BEEKP5L5E5SOVE","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"5QHL7EGACVBPNELOFRIHS7KVNY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Baharav-Miara has ruled on dozens of occasions that moves planned by the government were illegal. Most recently she ruled that the coalition could no longer delay drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the army. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"5FZGSGI2SJESNDAALE23RVWAJU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The attorney general acts as the long arm of the government’s opponents,” argued Levin, “and spares no effort to thwart the will of the voter.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"NM6F7JAQPRAL3DCG5SKE6JVNJY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Opposition leader Yair Lapid termed the move against the attorney general as “criminal, violent and unconstitutional”. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"K3KIFMQM3JBU3H4T6WCFY3AQOI","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"7H45UUPCUNFHHJAK7UGPP2CHJE","additional_properties":{},"content":"So far, the attorney general has resisted the pressure to resign, which has made her a hate figure for right-wing activists.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3EBRX2YCS5FUHGBDB55ETGSTKE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Proponents of the judicial overhaul argue that it will realign the system of checks and balances that has given the liberal courts too much say in how legislation is crafted and decisions are made, undermining the will of the electorate. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"6V6AQT7UCJAJ3HPICGL5RJPND4","additional_properties":{},"content":"In January, Levin refused to recognise the appointment of liberal judge Yitzhak Amit as Israel’s new supreme court president after trying for months to block the appointment. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YYYQ5WJAWFF5FLZCC2RJRKZWHA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Levin, backed by foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar, is also moving ahead with another controversial piece of the judicial overhaul: the government takeover of the judicial appointments committee. If he succeeds, the government will have control over judicial appointments from the lowest courts up to the supreme court. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"PK42URFQ2RCDJOSPUAB5LBM2E4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Career-minded judges will be reluctant to block laws passed by politicians who decide on their professional future. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"C4IMV5UMTVGNHFO57YU4SR6Y7U","additional_properties":{},"content":"On Sunday, the attorney general called for the Bill to be revised and the move is expected to be challenged in the high court, if passed into law. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"WMDBEP2KD5AGTILFMWZOJUZ3RI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Baharav-Miara argued that an independent judiciary is the central guarantor in the Israeli system of government to prevent the abuse of governmental power. She also argued that the proposed method of selecting judges would be tainted by political bargaining.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OB57DS5FINH6XNGHMNZD5EVTLQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Netanyahu dismissed any link between the attacks on the attorney general and his ongoing corruption trial, where he is fighting charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IQKGCIYFJ5FEFORU3ILG2JF2XE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The judiciary is not the only target for the Netanyahu government. Communications minister Shlomo Karhi is pushing through legislation to privatise or close down Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster. Separate legislation will give the Knesset parliament control over Kan’s annual budget. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"QSGK4PID6JFXJFB5UWBX5FFEFY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Other institutions are also under attack. A bill to ban people from displaying the Palestinian flag in the space of a publicly funded institution is aimed at universities. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"6L2G2YNCYJFSXGLSGNS6DB5UUY","additional_properties":{},"content":"In November the Knesset passed a law allowing the education minister to fire teachers who allow any expression of “sympathy with a terror organisation or incident” with a vague definition of what constitutes terror.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Z723MJ4HY5HA3CVMG6C3YLLIKI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The irresponsible weakening of institutions that have served as a source of Israel’s strength and prosperity for decades is a dangerous phenomenon, especially in time of war. Our leaders have much work to do, and time is of the essence,” said Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, after presenting his organisation’s annual report to president Yitzhak Herzog. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"MD3A4GKDCZAVZI6UL5XFRYZXDE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The report found that Israelis’ sense that democratic rule in the country is under threat is at an almost record high.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KHWV3TCGHNGOBCM2MTIPAEAB7M","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The trust we have in ourselves, in our people, and in our state, has always been a cornerstone for us. When trust is shaken, when the foundations are destabilised, the nation is in danger,” said Herzog. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y4L2BATJPRBCBK4SLVPSODZGRQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The year of protests against the judicial overhaul has been followed by weekly demonstrations urging the government to do more to bring back the hostages from Gaza and set up a state commission of inquiry to investigate the failures of October 7th.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2HR2HPKFAFFLZDFCZ4WT4OPX4E","additional_properties":{},"content":"The opposition forces are exhausted and this is what the government is banking on, buoyed by Israel’s recent military victories, as it returns to its divisive domestic agenda.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Mark Weiss"}},"name":"Mark Weiss"}]},"description":{"basic":"Netanyahu’s right wing regime keen to further curb independent judicial powers"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Bid to oust attorney general a renewal of Israeli government’s judicial overhaul plan","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"X5QCMRVHU7LLCAKDVNHHHH7CQY","auth":{"1":"371e817e67e1ebb108964e98fceefdb4dd5e3d3af227109d88374dc6ff2e9794"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/X5QCMRVHU7LLCAKDVNHHHH7CQY.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/07/bid-to-oust-attorney-general-a-renewal-of-israeli-governments-judicial-overhaul-plan/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"SSYKEKEXF5BSDI2WHVJL234354","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":259,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/29790eba-bbe8-46ad-9810-779df2993380/versions/1741277215/media/53ae2453fd823d3423e6a9c49c86493f_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/03/07/beijing-letter-its-therapeutic-for-people-to-relate-to-horses-new-effort-to-promote-equestrian-links/","content_elements":[{"_id":"AW55BBNK4RCR5G6QZIC26U2HBQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The video showed an Arcadian idyll with foals and their mothers galloping across lush meadows and splashing through crystalline streams as a voice-over rhapsodised on the lifestyle of the Irish horse. It was part of a new effort to promote the equestrian industry that saw the Irish Horse Board sign a memorandum of understanding with the Chinese Horse Industry Association at the Irish Embassy in Beijing this week.","type":"text"},{"_id":"57TJVLJJOBCDZNZTQ5TP3GHAOQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mainland China has a few racecourses, notably in Wuhan and Guangzhou but betting is banned and racing struggles to make money. Even Macau, where gambling is allowed, saw its racecourse close last year although the sport flourishes in neighbouring Hong Kong, which has two courses.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DXO3A42XRVH6HMGQ4WLBDHNPVU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Other forms of equestrian sport have fared better, seeing rapid growth since the Chinese equestrian team made its Olympic debut at the Beijing games in 2008. China has yet to win an Olympic medal in the sport, but its equestrian team won a gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games and Irish Horse Board chairman Tiernan Gill believes Ireland can help the next generation of Chinese riders.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ICTBSME3UNAZXOJE3TZ6ZMAO4I","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We want to nurture them the all the way up to be where they want to be,” he said. “They do need education, they do need horses, they do need knowledge. People tried before, but they were at a different level. They tried to get in too much on top, but the people have to get education and grow with it from the ground up.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"ORKXK6LGAZBFFKTVFRDLRAC5MU","additional_properties":{},"content":"China has almost 2,500 equestrian clubs with about 700,000 members and the number of enthusiasts has grown with the country’s prosperity. The market surrounding horses for leisure and competition was estimated to be worth almost RMB 17 billion (€2.17bn).","type":"text"},{"_id":"YP43VDU7MBHFZM234BT76FHQ5Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"Much of the growth has been driven by parents encouraging their children to take riding lessons as an alternative to spending most of their time looking at screens. French, Dutch and German horses have tried to break into this segment of the Chinese market but Gill believes that Ireland has some advantages.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NRHAIHQO7JAVVBKJNIKIU46TSQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The other people who maybe have tried to come in here to China, their animals aren’t bred for what they need, the requirements at the moment, whereas the Irish horse has the mentality. It’s docile, it’s easy to ride, and it’s very simple to get with, whereas the other countries did try to come in here and sell them horses, but they’re at a different level. We have the horses that they need at the moment,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BAZGIIGFKNG6PDWWJKV7ABLYPI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Irish Horse Board is hoping that this week’s event will see more Chinese buyers coming to Ireland, and they would like the Government to extend the Inward Buyer Programme to include sport horses as well as thoroughbreds. This allows overseas buyers to claim a contribution towards their travel expenses, usually a relatively small sum compared to the price of a horse but apparently enough to make a difference.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NFDP56JZBNEPHOKYIMMXWX4PVA","additional_properties":{},"content":"The man who made this week’s event in Beijing happen is Jimmy Quinn from Cappa Stud in Corrandulla, Co Galway, who has been visiting China for many years. He is leading an ambitious project to build an equestrian centre in Huzhou, 250km west of Shanghai, that will include a five-star hotel and an Irish cultural village.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RXXK4MJJ6RBILERBVIQA3DEJRQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"“This will showcase the Irish horse industry. I think as a small country we punch way above our weight, and we don’t appreciate the reputation of Irish horsemanship throughout the world,” he said. “I think it’s part of our DNA, it’s part of our culture. From the very small-time single farm breeder to the very top professional, we cover all aspects.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"RZIM4I3B5RB2XE4NNHNQXMM7BY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The holiday resort will feature high-end Irish brands and hospitality but at its heart will be the equestrian centre Quinn hopes will host international competitions but will also offer lessons for beginners. He thinks the market in China for the Irish horse industry is a niche one but that the high-pressure education system is creating an appetite for connecting with the natural world.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FE57YNRYIZHAXOLPA7T7VNAAIU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I see a lot of the young people and the pressure on them to do well with education. And with modern technology a lot of young people nowadays, they don’t really reflect back with nature. They don’t live it,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"I5X6INWJZJF2TOTH4C3BR756VI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“You never see kids playing in the ground and the dirt, for instance. Everyone seems to be on their iPhone or their Xbox or whatever it is. I just think with the pressures of education and doing well with exams, it’s therapeutic for people to relate to horses.”","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Denis Staunton"}},"name":"Denis Staunton"}]},"description":{"basic":"The market surrounding horses for leisure and competition was estimated to be worth almost €2.17bn"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"‘It’s therapeutic for people to relate to horses’: New effort to promote equestian links in China","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"EOPUGWS74ZCDZGYMBWVGXAOLJY","auth":{"1":"2462b3e849fa69feb6bacab13c84e93ac54826b8c022f1f1a786e4f495b65501"},"focal_point":{"x":719,"y":358},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/EOPUGWS74ZCDZGYMBWVGXAOLJY.jpg"},"lead_art":{"_id":"Z3RNEJBZWJF4PHC5DX7GG2GMFE","type":"image"}},"subtype":"columnist","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Asia-Pacific"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/03/07/beijing-letter-its-therapeutic-for-people-to-relate-to-horses-new-effort-to-promote-equestrian-links/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/asia-pacific","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Asia-Pacific"}}}},{"_id":"BOQJK32CMRFDXHDRASBQQNXXLQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":217,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/65499e0c-366b-42be-865a-3e8c80cbbb09/versions/1741288370/media/5e6e081bbe1141b855b84baa24bd1168_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/politics/2025/03/06/tanaiste-contradicts-white-house-account-of-his-conversation-with-marco-rubio/","content_elements":[{"_id":"HRQ6J65G3VFILEZ56FHVVGW7CA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Tánaiste Simon Harris has directly <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2025/03/05/rubio-raises-us-ireland-trade-imbalance-in-phone-call-with-harris/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2025/03/05/rubio-raises-us-ireland-trade-imbalance-in-phone-call-with-harris/\">contradicted the US account of a call this week</a> between himself and Marco Rubio, the secretary of state in US president Donald Trump’s administration.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JUG3IZM3YBG33AOYR4N5KHIVD4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Harris, who is also Minister for Foreign Affairs, spoke to Mr Rubio by phone on Tuesday. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"KL6F24XRKVHQZADPLX6WLL7MRI","additional_properties":{},"content":"A readout of the call provided by US State Department officials afterwards said that the two men had “discussed the US priority to address the US-Ireland trade imbalance”. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"OU2JHAIEERHPBO4O57PJAMTVJU","additional_properties":{},"content":"This was a reference to the fact that the US buys more goods from the State than it sells to the Republic, also called a “trade deficit” – a key gripe of Mr Trump’s administration in its relations with several European countries.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CYHDSTDC4NEFRKVD54QRRAXR6I","additional_properties":{},"content":"However, speaking in Britain on Thursday after a UK-Ireland political summit, the Tánaiste denied the State’s trade surplus with the US had been discussed at all.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2YIK3XWBW5BPBD5VD5AOSQLQRE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The trade imbalance wasn’t specifically referenced. I was on the call. I was on it for over 20 minutes. It was a very good conversation,” said Mr Harris.","type":"text"},{"_id":"26PE7XUELJDM5ECPITPBT2HJAI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Tánaiste said he was the one to bring up trade in the call with Mr Rubio, but only in the context of the extensive trade links between the Republic and the US.","type":"text"},{"_id":"J6VVHHWF4FAMXFLSID32YMXHFE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I didn’t bring up the trade imbalance, I brought up the importance of the transatlantic relationship,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R7JCMNA2OJF2BPLWNRQOVQOUYE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“[Mr Rubio] actually said to me: ‘I’m aware that Ireland is one of the top investors in the US.’ ","type":"text"},{"_id":"UEOSYGQTIBB5JCVSGSK2NXKSFI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I was able to say: ‘We’re actually number six.’ That was the extent of the discussion on trade.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"HUR2AS55CRE2LKNFTPBD3N6CEI","additional_properties":{},"content":"In a readout of the call supplied by the US State Department, officials said that they had “expressed eagerness to work together to address our shared interests. They discussed the US priority to address the US-Ireland trade imbalance and reaffirmed the importance of our partnership in addressing issues like Gaza, the conflict in Ukraine, and space co-operation”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LFVVO42ENFGS3LT7PM4RGN2DGI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“They also discussed energy security and co-operation with US companies operating in Ireland, two areas of increasing interconnectedness between our two nations.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"5627AJRVKBG3LPVPLVPCU6BFWM","additional_properties":{},"content":"There was no mention of the discussion on the trade imbalance in a statement supplied by Mr Harris’s office after the call. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"CV6XBPLWUZAX7KUAQPNHCWUBO4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Harris’s statement said only: “We agreed on the mutually beneficial nature of the dynamic US-Ireland relationship today, which we look forward to celebrating across the United States during our St Patrick’s Day programmes. Ireland is the sixth largest investor in the United States, with the top 10 Irish companies alone in the US employing 115,000 people.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"OTJTLTCHQVBTJD73B275AK2NMQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Ireland exports about €50 billion more goods than it imports from the US every year, a number driven principally by pharmaceutical exports. The US president and many of the senior figures in his administration regard the existence of trade deficits as evidence of the US being exploited by its partners – and have vowed to end the practice, partly through the imposition of tariffs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"753TJYU5EVCMZCSK2Z2TYAHGO4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Trump has imposed tariffs on goods from Mexico, Canada and China, and has promised that tariffs on EU imports are also on the way.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QMMAVSFRCRGV3PTR4HWINFI7VU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Irish officials are nervous that Mr Rubio’s comments signal that Mr Trump will seek to corner Taoiseach Micheál Martin on the Irish trade surplus when he visits Washington next week for the St Patrick’s Day engagements in the White House and on Capitol Hill.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BMCLMDDCZFCMLLZ7OLBA37WVFQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Continuing a White House tradition, Mr Trump struck what the Taoiseach’s office will interpret as an encouraging tone on Thursday afternoon when signing an executive order. It proclaimed this month as “Irish-American heritage month to commemorate our amazing friendship between America and Ireland and just honour all of the Irish-Americans”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UPVV3RIRRNEGPLQ4PJAPRLDEAI","additional_properties":{},"content":"As he signed his name, Mr Trump said, “Yeah, well, great people”, though he concentrated his remarks on Irish-Americans in the US rather than on Ireland, or the upcoming visit of Mr Martin.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NNXI74ZTSZGE7C4L7AQRUJAEKI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“And they voted for me in heavy numbers, so I like them even more. You’re not supposed to but you have to like that.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"D5F362IRBNHZVIZSHJN6BVCLEQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"March has been the designated Irish-American heritage month since 1991. Mr Trump signed a similar order during his first term, noting that “over generations, millions of Irish have crossed the ocean in search of the American Dream, and their contributions continue to enrich our country today”.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Mark Paul"}},"name":"Mark Paul"},{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Pat Leahy"}},"name":"Pat Leahy"},{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Keith Duggan"}},"name":"Keith Duggan"}]},"description":{"basic":"Simon Harris insists US-Irish trade deficit was not discussed in call with secretary of state"},"display_date":"2025-03-06T21:54:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Tánaiste contradicts US account of his conversation with Marco Rubio ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"7MRV625MES2WOBMNAI3KFIBJ2E","auth":{"1":"92867a67a1757669b52d79fe0a4c5ebb7d5e4e7ac2155bb218ec900971bd0a70"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/7MRV625MES2WOBMNAI3KFIBJ2E.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Politics"},{"name":"World"},{"name":"US"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/politics/2025/03/06/tanaiste-contradicts-white-house-account-of-his-conversation-with-marco-rubio/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/politics","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Politics"}}}},{"_id":"BMZMS2G6NFEOLKDIH6MQQ6FPC4","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/06/i-thank-you-from-the-bottom-of-my-heart-pope-francis-sends-first-audio-message-from-hospital/","content_elements":[{"_id":"OTJ4GSATV5BG5PW3OSVLEKDEGE","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/pope-francis/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/pope-francis/\">Pope Francis</a> on Thursday sent his first audio message since being hospitalized for double pneumonia nearly three weeks ago, expressing thanks “from the bottom of my heart” to well-wishers around the world who have offered their support.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5X7DLIMN4RACNDN6GMQLKZ365U","additional_properties":{},"content":"A brief, two-line message recorded by Francis from Rome’s Gemelli hospital earlier on Thursday was played during a nightly prayer service for the pope in St Peter’s Square at the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/vatican/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/vatican/\">Vatican</a>. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"6EKXB24GX5CDBHHONIQKDFWXGI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The message was the first public sign of life from the 88-year-old pope since he was admitted to hospital three weeks ago with double pneumonia.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4N6D6L7V7RCN3CSM3SSAUUXFXQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Francis’s weak voice, discernible through his laboured breaths and in his native Spanish, was broadcast to the faithful in St Peter’s Square who had gathered for the nightly recitation of the rosary prayer.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MAFZCXKWMBHPTCGFIWHJEEQO44","additional_properties":{},"content":"Pope Francis increases physical activity and celebrates start of Lent, Vatican says","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"RDQ6JVMQMLACMK55Q7R62CA3IM","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"4RLLGDO6QNDSBNITNBGMVMQCMY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your prayers for my health from the square, I accompany you from here,” he said, his soft voice piercing the hushed square.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F7ESWUKZYZHBTMMV4F5TKLBNQE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“May God bless you and the Virgin protect you. Thank you.”","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"The brief message was played during a nightly prayer service in St Peter’s Square"},"display_date":"2025-03-06T20:37:51.2Z","headlines":{"basic":"‘I thank you from the bottom of my heart’: Pope Francis sends first audio message from hospital","native":""},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"P77LKMJGMHTXX5FFO6RDBWQWZU","auth":{"1":"a3d6927316162202279c2c52ea3b01246b87b0f6d005e62128f1f615c4711eaa"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/P77LKMJGMHTXX5FFO6RDBWQWZU.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/06/i-thank-you-from-the-bottom-of-my-heart-pope-francis-sends-first-audio-message-from-hospital/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"4TWZTV7SRFAM5HVGJV2K2ZSR4A","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":175,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/5576b045-0152-4065-8571-38d8210aaf44/versions/1741288411/media/8ef98bad0b57bc9517815e12ed95512e_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/06/romania-arrests-six-over-vlad-the-impaler-pro-russia-treason-plot/","content_elements":[{"_id":"UPPNLQ2MZRDHPI2IOTB72GORNI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741287477433},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/romania/\">Romanian</a> prosecutors have arrested six men on charges of treason for allegedly seeking <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\">Russian</a> help for a plot to overthrow the government in Bucharest.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZWNQBHIZOFGEBB2YNCGMZIKUHE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741287477434},"content":"The group, named “Vlad the Impaler Command” after Romania’s medieval ruler who served as inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, included a 101-year-old retired general named Radu Theodoru, who is known in Romania for his virulent anti-Semitism.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YCYR5WJKHVCPXPPTOIDSWTGUKM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741287477435},"content":"They “repeatedly contacted agents of a foreign power, located both on the territory of Romania and the Russian Federation”, antiterrorism prosecutors and the Romanian domestic spy agency SRI said on Thursday. The men were charged with “crimes of constituting an organised criminal group and treason”, they said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OTZX5AE5HJAUTG2DO6DEBK3UCY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741287477436},"content":"Two high-ranking Russian diplomats, the military attache and his deputy, were also expelled from Romania on Wednesday after being in contact with the plotters, SRI said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JQFVOYVE5ZBAHCRY2YCFI5DFLU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741287477437},"content":"“The two Russian diplomats carried out intelligence-gathering actions in areas of strategic interest and took actions to support the group’s anti-constitutional actions,” it added.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3S3EANPW7FEZXHFPSM7M5DISQY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741287477438},"content":"The arrests and expulsions come as authorities in Bucharest step up efforts aimed at curtailing Moscow’s attempts to meddle in its domestic politics after the unprecedented move in December to cancel a presidential vote because of alleged Russian influence.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SGLFCFY6HFFZXCGQMFFEULCILU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741287477439},"content":"Russia has denied meddling in the election, with its spy agency saying this week that those behind the “attack” on Calin Georgescu, the candidate who allegedly benefited from a Moscow-led campaign, were doing the bidding of the European Union.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NM22H2SIHJFZXMYJQWZKHEBOUI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741287477440},"content":"Mr Georgescu himself is under criminal investigation for his alleged links to fascist groups and attempting to subvert the constitutional order, which carry a sentence of more than 10 years in prison.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D376BZU5MVEJXKYERWAK4JV5KA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741287477441},"content":"He has denied having benefited from any Russian help, although he declared he spent no money on last year’s campaign.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7N4DP2K6NJHDXEMNV3MO2RIL2U","additional_properties":{"_id":1741287477442},"content":"Romanian authorities have not implicated Mr Georgescu in the alleged plot being prepared by the Vlad the Impaler Command group.","type":"text"},{"_id":"V47ACJ32SRA2FH2SE4UIEHLKMY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741287477443},"content":"The defendants are accused of discussing with Russian spies Romania’s withdrawal from Nato, the removal of the current constitution and the constitutional order, the dissolution of political parties, as well as “the removal of all employees from state institutions ... the change of the country’s name, flag and anthem”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ROJPD5NJBZDDFP2OYIZAXC73BQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741287477444},"content":"Two of the defendants travelled to Moscow in January, where they came into contact with “people willing to support the organisation’s efforts to take over state power in Romania”, prosecutors said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UGLZLUZ3GREXLGVWMVSD72WA5M","additional_properties":{"_id":1741287477445},"content":"Mr Theodoru, the retired general, published a book in 2000 called Zionist nazism, in which he claimed that the Holocaust became “the most profitable Jewish business ever”. – Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Retired general aged 101 among those detained for plotting to overthrow Bucharest government with help of Moscow\n"},"display_date":"2025-03-06T19:08:27.168Z","headlines":{"basic":"Romania arrests six over ‘Vlad the Impaler’ pro-Russia treason 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href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/sudan/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/sudan/\">Sudan</a> has filed a case against the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/sudan/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/sudan/\">United Arab Emirates</a> (UAE) at the World Court for allegedly violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention by arming the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/sudan/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/sudan/\">International Court of Justice</a> (ICJ) said on Thursday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"23F3A6K7JFGLXCD7XTVRNG7W7E","additional_properties":{},"content":"The United Arab Emirates said it would seek immediate dismissal of the case, which it said lacked “any legal or factual basis”, a UAE official said in a statement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SGUHKOU7BRAINJNP6WZFPM3ARU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The charges are in connection with intense ethnic-based attacks by the RSF and allied Arab militias against the non-Arab Masalit tribe in 2023 in West Darfur, documented in detail by Reuters. Those attacks were determined to be genocide by the United States in January.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NMVRU4VTIJHDPMSZECDUOPFM7E","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Sudanese foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Reuters has seen a copy of the government’s application.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BM456JIWVFDG5LP22H44LMHPZE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sudanese officials have frequently accused the UAE of supporting the RSF, the government’s rivals in an almost two-year-old civil war, charges the UAE denies but UN experts and US lawmakers have found credible.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HZMCQ42LXNGRFDHQQMX7O7HNRE","additional_properties":{},"content":"At the ICJ, Sudan alleges the RSF committed “genocide, murder, theft of property, rape, forcible displacement, trespassing, vandalism of public properties, and violation of human rights”, according to a statement by the ICJ, also known as the World Court.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Z2JJKMJBJ5CZ3FFAPZOPVUD5XE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“According to Sudan, all such acts have been ‘perpetrated and enabled by the direct support given to the rebel RSF militia and related militia groups by the United Arab Emirates’,” it said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FN2MBTBDZBH6HPJBP3LS7XNWWQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The UAE official said: “The UAE is aware of the recent application by the Sudanese Armed Force’s representative to the International Court of Justice, which is nothing more than a cynical publicity stunt aimed at diverting attention from the established complicity of the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) in the widespread atrocities that continue to devastate Sudan and its people.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"PNOEQAK755DLBCAQGRXDOW4QRI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The war between the Sudanese army and the RSF, which erupted after a power struggle over integrating the forces in April 2023, has devastated the country, spreading hunger and disease while risking its fragmentation, and has drawn in several foreign powers.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CK4CPVD2NNHQ7FO6DQB2BR3244","additional_properties":{},"content":"It has sparked ethnic attacks in multiple areas, but the bloodiest were in West Darfur, where survivors told Reuters that Masalit boys were targeted for killing while young women were targeted for rapes over waves of attacks soon after the war began.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SUOLSWDPCZCIJOFOVMSTDYFEDE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The ICJ is the UN‘s highest court that deals with disputes between states and violations of international treaties. Sudan and the UAE are both signatories of the 1948 Genocide Convention.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XKUMWYT2LRHYRCRVRM47UFSWP4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sudan is asking the court to impose emergency measures and to order the UAE to prevent such genocidal acts.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7S5VNY63DFDPDJCC2I2LO3UDZA","additional_properties":{},"content":"While a hearing on the emergency measures should come before the ICJ within weeks, it will take years before the court will issue a final ruling which could determine if a genocide had been committed in Darfur.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q2L3QPAR5ZEYTB45RKERJKMOR4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The RSF and allied political groups are in the process of setting up a parallel government to the army-aligned one which has taken Port Sudan on the Red Sea, a move rejected by Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. - Reuters","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"United Arab Emirates accused of violating obligations by arming paramilitary group"},"display_date":"2025-03-06T18:43:15.946Z","headlines":{"basic":"Sudan files case against UAE at World Court alleging Genocide Convention violations","native":""},"label":{},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"VWKPTKKIGI2Q73UK6QELMSXXAU","auth":{"1":"be2448ad67530d89921c8fae4f67428b4bed387e8cbe753cc2775b5734331e74"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/VWKPTKKIGI2Q73UK6QELMSXXAU.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Africa"},{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/africa/2025/03/06/sudan-files-case-against-uae-at-world-court-alleging-genocide-convention-violations/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/africa","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Africa"}}}},{"_id":"2JQCT2XSSRFKNNO6TWVAV6AW3Y","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/06/trumps-gaza-development-plans-worth-a-closer-look-says-germanys-commissioner-against-anti-semitism/","content_elements":[{"_id":"WFTSP5BFAVGOBJTU4C54Z6YHPI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Germany’s federal commissioner against anti-Semitism has praised Donald Trump’s <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza-strip/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza-strip/\">Gaza</a> development plans as worth “a closer look”, but insisted the region’s future structure must be in line with international law.","type":"text"},{"_id":"E7CI2XDRJFH7LJHUHQDX7222ZI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The federal government has said remarks by Commissioner Felix Klein, made in a newspaper interview, do “not represent government policy” and were of a “personal nature”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PTAPMFN645BDTBIQ57UMJYQ44Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I don’t think it’s preposterous to think radically and in a completely new way,” said Mr Klein when asked about the Trump plan for Gaza.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7TAQ2GLUBNDLLO5A5M3DLISEOM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Klein insisted the US president was “not talking about expulsion”, but “resettlement while the Gaza Strip is being rebuilt”. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"XQQDIOHC3RCE7IBWTP6UQAYCLY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“You don’t sleep in your house while you are renovating it,” he said, adding the region requires “comprehensive construction of a completely new infrastructure”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FG7U757PFRDWLIFX7HDYDF6EMI","additional_properties":{},"content":"In January Mr Trump called Gaza “a phenomenal location on the sea”, and said the US would take “long-term ownership” – but sent mixed signals on whether Palestinians would live there under this future plan.","type":"text"},{"_id":"O5Y65KRA35EXRFPYUQMOO337RE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I don’t think people should be going back to Gaza,” said Mr Trump, adding moments later that “Palestinians will live there, many people will live there”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3NVKL5GXJJE2BLDPKWLPQQGSPM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israel’s large strikes in the region, in response to the Hamas October 7th attacks, have cost an estimated 48,000 lives but, Mr Klein said, had “not succeeded” in its stated aim to eradicate Hamas.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5RB5BFE72RETVCQCITRBAVKKZY","additional_properties":{},"content":"On Tuesday Egypt presented an alternative $53 billion reconstruction plan, dismissed by Israel and the Trump White House. The latter said the president stands by his “vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7YOAEFWCINAZZO3CEGBVUFG3YY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Contacted by The Irish Times, Mr Klein said that “any proposal that can help alleviate the suffering in Gaza should be seriously discussed”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"APPKDTDI5BG5RIHTYJMODSTRGU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“President Trump’s plan has helped Egypt, with the support of many other states in the region, put forward its own plan for the future of Gaza,” he added. “Needless to say, I only support proposals that are in line with international law and oppose any form of displacement.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"UT5HUTVAUNESBODSNBH6UGTSPI","additional_properties":{},"content":"His original remarks have attracted widespread criticism in Germany and were described as “intolerable” by Left (Linke) politician Janine Wissler. “This is not about renovation, tens of thousands are dead,” she wrote on Twitter/X.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JVRVGZDG3ZANLKJX5NXFGZTMVQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"In 2018 Mr Klein, a career diplomat, was appointed the federal government’s commissioner for Jewish life in Germany and the fight against anti-Semitism. In this role, devised to co-ordinate and develop the state response to rising anti-Semitism in Germany, Mr Klein has become a divisive figure in public debates, in particular since the October 7th attacks.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2EP5YW7YSRA57JQXRZKFETT5D4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Klein’s criticisms of Israel critics in Germany, including Netanyahu-critical Jews in Germany, has generated pushback with Germany public radio describing him a would-be “discourse gatekeeper”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZER5V54LGRHJ5BDEUEQIMZKUK4","additional_properties":{},"content":"In 2020 the left-wing Tageszeitung said Mr Klein’s “careless labelling of Jews with the anti-Semitism badge” amounted to “abuse of office”. ","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Derek Scally"}},"name":"Derek Scally"}]},"description":{"basic":"Commissioner Felix Klein said ‘any proposal that can help alleviate the suffering in Gaza should be seriously discussed’"},"display_date":"2025-03-06T17:55:41.83Z","headlines":{"basic":"Trump’s Gaza development plans worth ‘a closer look’, says Germany’s commissioner against anti-Semitism","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"LHUBTF2K64OJCWADOADXUHSFQ4","auth":{"1":"3987ebcecb3c9a4f0c70991d4095de24e1a55f5c46524e2af09b0d688ed916e9"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/LHUBTF2K64OJCWADOADXUHSFQ4.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/06/trumps-gaza-development-plans-worth-a-closer-look-says-germanys-commissioner-against-anti-semitism/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"5B4GJQJVN5G2NI6OIPPMJOVB7A","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/06/dominique-pelicots-daughter-presses-charges-accusing-him-of-sexual-abuse/","content_elements":[{"_id":"CL6CFTZIY5A3RBNE7OJGXDGTRE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The daughter of the convicted French rapist Dominique Pelicot has filed a legal complaint against her father accusing him of drugging and sexually abusing her, months after <a href=\"https://horrific rape trial\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://horrific rape trial\">he was jailed</a> for drugging and raping her mother, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gisele-pelicot/\" rel=\"\">Gisèle Pelicot</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y53LSE3GLNDIDGMSMYZ6LWXEZA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Caroline Darian (46) believes she was sedated and sexually assaulted or raped by her father over a period of potentially 10 years between 2010 and 2020, when she was in her 30s. She said she had filed a legal complaint for sexual abuse with the prosecutor “as a message to all victims” that “you must never give up”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"A7CRLUDD7NC5TKGY5W4OUJTFIA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Gisèle Pelicot became a feminist hero last year for insisting on a public trial for her ex-husband who was sentenced to 20 years in prison for drugging and raping her and inviting dozens of men to rape her when she was unconscious in her home in the south of France over almost a decade of their marriage.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HE2UJM7SFJGFBO76KNNYL5JE7E","additional_properties":{},"content":"I’ll Never Call Him Dad Again: Account by daughter of Gisèle and Dominique Pelicot contains chilling detail","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"PPDR6IKBHJAYDISFH3IJLQGECA","additional_properties":{},"content":"A total of 50 other men, including a nurse, soldier, journalist and prison warden, were convicted of rape, attempted rape or sexual assault after Dominique Pelicot made contact with men online inviting them to rape his then wife, who he had drugged.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KLFVBPZMIJDZJLQOTHEE5IG2EM","additional_properties":{},"content":" ","type":"text"},{"_id":"ANBMX6WO5ZHXBETNH32JLHYTI4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Among the detailed records that Dominique Pelicot kept were pictures of his daughter, Ms Darian, naked or semi-naked. She told the court that in two photos she was unconscious on a bed and was wearing underwear she did not recognise as her own, in a position she never slept in. She said she felt certain she had been drugged and probably abused.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ROAZQDZFQFC4LN543LBWFS5PSI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Dominique Pelicot was convicted for taking indecent images of Caroline Darian that invaded her privacy, but he was not charged with drugging, raping or sexually abusing her.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BHQRBUAMOVGQ7LFVJIGOKWP2FE","additional_properties":{},"content":"At the trial he repeatedly said he had “never touched” his daughter. She told him in court: “I know you abused me. You don’t have the courage to tell me.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"4Z4A62LINJGQFESICXXPOEHILA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Ms Darian told Agence France-Presse: “Yes, he denied it, but he also lied several times and gave different versions of the story during the two and a half years of the investigation.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"5Z2KTK3CJFHYFJ5RWDAAORBCQM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Ms Darian has said the initial investigation did not prioritise her case or sufficiently look into her allegations of drugging and sexual abuse. She said she was given no expert toxicological testing or gynaecological testing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GXGRB3XH3FAQVKZBD5IYTUK7XA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Her lawyer, Florence Rault, said this week that the allegations must now be pursued with “serious and detailed investigations”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NSQOPB2SZFEIVOWTMWKKX37JKI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Beatrice Zavarro, Dominique Pelicot’s lawyer, told BFMTV that the complaint was “not a surprise” because Ms Darian had made the allegations at the trial.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UV5CYCNKZVAMHIRPFDN67ZELUY","additional_properties":{},"content":"s MZavarro said that, before last year’s trial, the state prosecutor had said there were not sufficient elements to pursue a charge against Pelicot on the allegations. - Guardian","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Caroline Darian (46) believes she was sedated and sexually assaulted or raped by her father"},"display_date":"2025-03-06T17:47:05.4Z","headlines":{"basic":"Dominique Pelicot’s daughter presses charges accusing him of sexual abuse ","native":""},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"4M5HTELID252C4BZMWXGTGNKIY","auth":{"1":"74cf09b0c84ba8f2e76ee6bae9c8afcadb420af475a0a198f20fd534be396088"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/4M5HTELID252C4BZMWXGTGNKIY.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/06/dominique-pelicots-daughter-presses-charges-accusing-him-of-sexual-abuse/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"ZYYVB47VNZEVJP222CLE6YCMIA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":199,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/9584c611-6249-4e3c-8f66-6446f61b6ba2/versions/1741282778/media/60f771a01eef441db5c2b8935cf24cad_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/03/06/hong-kongs-top-court-quashes-convictions-of-pro-democracy-tiananmen-group/","content_elements":[{"_id":"5E2ZDHJW6JAYZDZ74KJYL6BFTQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hong-kong/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hong-kong/\">Hong Kong</a>’s top court unanimously overturned on Thursday the convictions of three former members of a pro-democracy group that organised an annual candlelight vigil to mark <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/china/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/china/\">China</a>’s 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, citing a miscarriage of justice.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GNAKO72ZI5C5LEJKPG22UKBSYU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The ruling is a rare victory for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement in which scores of activists have been jailed or forced into exile, with many liberal and popular civil society groups shuttered.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SIHOYGNHDBFEJK4K6DD672KNXM","additional_properties":{},"content":"In their judgment, the five judges of the court of final appeal, led by chief justice Andrew Cheung, said government prosecutors had redacted key facts.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OSWLQJQLSVA45I2IWAWBTUDCMY","additional_properties":{},"content":"That had “deprived the appellants of a fair trial, so that their convictions involved a miscarriage of justice”, they added.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KCGYXRKC6VGLBJNWIOPL66JLTM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The now disbanded Hong Kong Alliance in Support of Patriotic Democratic Movements of China used to organise the annual candlelight vigil to commemorate those who died in the bloody crackdown in and around Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MBOF7JDGHFAQ5JNK2PEVQUKSA4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Former vice-chairperson Chow Hang Tung (40), and two other former executive committee members Tang Ngok-kwan and Tsui Hon-kwong were sentenced to 4½months in March 2023.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IYBGEZOG2JAADFGNLOKT6FZRTM","additional_properties":{},"content":"They had been found guilty of not complying with a national security police request for information on the alliance’s members, donors and finances.","type":"text"},{"_id":"URIVSU2OIBAABOJD2S7NWE4F7Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"Ms Chow’s mother expressed gratitude for Thursday’s ruling.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OBTSU5GEDZD63HLDWYWZBGIJ7Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I hope the world will become better,” Medina Chow Lau added. “Everyone should be kind and uphold justice persistently.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"MTO3EL76PZH4VI5ZXVYGDD47IY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Tang welcomed the ruling, saying: “Today we can prove that the alliance is not a foreign agent ... justice is in the hearts of the people,” in remarks to reporters outside the court.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DO5GQ2QKKNC4BD3NT6C3XWVPYQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Competitive parenting in China: ‘School starts at 7.30am and I pick him up at 9.30 in the evening. We usually arrive home around 10pm. Then he studies again’","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"6UXR2X25IJHIVBCRWZGMRE5JX4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The group was designated a “foreign agent” for an unidentified organisation after being accused of receiving 20,000 Hong Kong dollars from it.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DEM6JFBBU5BU5FK5WHKV2MUSIM","additional_properties":{},"content":"But some key details of the case, such as the identity of overseas organisations and individuals alleged to have ties to the group, were redacted, drawing criticism from the judges.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QJUDROTK7FAGHIDISVC35WSYBA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“By redacting the only potential evidential basis for establishing such facts, the prosecution disabled itself from proving its case,” the judges wrote.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HOIFTYOTQZFJHFBK7NOSQO57A4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The national security law imposed by Beijing allows the police chief to seek information believed to be necessary for the prevention and investigation of offences.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M4XLL2ARRBCKVFJM4QP2LHQA7Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"During the appeal hearing, however, Ms Chow, who represented herself, said the claim that the alliance was a foreign agent had been difficult to prove because it was untrue.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KUFUIKDUXVDQLLWKBVPVXWBAFE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“A deer cannot become a horse just because someone believes it to be,” she said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CI6XWUGZ3ZHMJAEBRVUFMKDYQI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Ms Chow urged the courts to end complicity in police abuse.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JU3V4BOE6BDDNMGVGIIFHETASI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“A police state is created by the complicity of the court in endorsing such abuses,” she said. “This kind of complicity must stop now.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"O44C7M3GHBFKFGZ6KQBUBQEB3M","additional_properties":{},"content":"Detained since September 2021, Ms Chow has also been charged with incitement to subversion, along with two former alliance leaders, Albert Ho and Lee Cheuk-yan, in a case expected to begin in November. – Reuters","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Convictions struck down on grounds of miscarriage of justice"},"display_date":"2025-03-06T17:29:34.738Z","headlines":{"basic":"Hong Kong’s top court quashes convictions of pro-democracy Tiananmen group ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"FYSII6UCEVUIYX72GBW4E47BQE","auth":{"1":"3560bf28a3e1d6fdafb8aaecccabc996c896d3ca52aa447e3570a783ab7181b1"},"focal_point":{"x":2574,"y":1023},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/FYSII6UCEVUIYX72GBW4E47BQE.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Asia-Pacific"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/03/06/hong-kongs-top-court-quashes-convictions-of-pro-democracy-tiananmen-group/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/asia-pacific","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Asia-Pacific"}}}},{"_id":"BOGVXJUBH5HOVAONL3VTSZNKHU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":575,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/f554e4c4-6487-418e-babd-041d21e7dbbb/versions/1741268717/media/c681924d9db5b6679aa70923ea12b34c_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/07/civilians-put-themselves-in-firing-line-between-turkey-and-northeast-syria/","content_elements":[{"_id":"2HWUW34X7VCTRCQK3AI66LO4GI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Crowds lined the road close to Hasaka, northeast <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\">Syria</a>, waiting for the civilian convoy to come back. They waved flags; women dancing in a straight line; children craning their necks to squint into the distance, the final rays of the setting sun casting them in golden light.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BS2NCSIOVVCC5HTCJLOAO2FXSM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The vehicles came slowly, then all at once. The occupants were men, women and some children, who had driven hundreds of kilometres, after spending the previous few days on Tishreen Dam.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EDLPWT5USJDOTNPAOE2IIAPUEE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The dam, on the Euphrates river, has become a flashpoint in the conflict between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/turkey/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/turkey/\">Turkish</a>-backed Syrian National Army (SNA). The SNA’s latest offensive began amid the fall of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\">Syria</a>’s Assad regime in December, which saw various powers, including Israel in the south, push to increase their control of Syrian territory. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YBRZM4CUQZGMXBYN3M77R6BBEE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Local civilians have been travelling to the Tishreen Dam, hundreds at a time. “We were volunteers, people of the region ... We were there to protest and protect the dam,” said Khadija Asam Ibrahim (34), apologising because her voice was hoarse from chanting. She said they witnessed “attacks and bombing by the jets”. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"F4IQC4KSGJGDZJ7KWLTIV72W6M","additional_properties":{},"content":" “It’s a happy feeling because we are safe right now but we would be ready to go back for a second, third, fourth time,” she said. “My life is not worth more [than this].”","type":"text"},{"_id":"HKDZA2YNRVCUHHFA347PACXLAA","content":"<iframe title=\"\" aria-label=\"Locator map\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-TsUOs\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/TsUOs/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"635\" data-external=\"1\"></iframe><script type=\"text/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var t in a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][t]+\"px\";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();\n<\/script>","type":"raw_html"},{"_id":"U6HO3LF34JEEBLRNV5OCLYHOWU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Not everyone arrived safely. A car in the convoy was hit by a drone, witnesses said – one holding out his phone which showed a video of a vehicle on fire. Inside was Kurdish journalist Egîd Roj. Colleagues said Roj had been reporting at the dam for the previous week, both his flak jacket and the vehicle he was in marked with the word “PRESS”. Roj’s death was later confirmed by <a href=\"https://anfenglishmobile.com/freedom-of-the-press/turkish-drone-targets-and-kills-journalist-egid-roj-in-tishrin-77959\" rel=\"\">local media</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZWNS7FQBP5DTDF2AOYS3K32U6Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"The SDF’s head of media, Farhad Shami, says Turkey and Turkish-backed militias want to capture Tishreen Dam because it is a strategic point, the “gate” to the city of Kobani. By mid-February there was fighting both north and south of the dam, he said, with 260 SDF soldiers killed and at least 41 civilians. He said the SDF cannot “prevent” civilians from going there. “It’s kind of like a revolutionary position for the people. At the end, they’ve been bombed, they’ve been hurt.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"WU5E55HDXVEADJ47NTGOKYXPBU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The dam has not been functional since December 10th, with Shami saying there are cracks in it. He said the SDF is also using drones to fight back. “The Turks have advanced weapons, drones, warplanes ... we had to do the same.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"EIFMQ5WNLVEIZNGP7WIMB3R3O4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The International Committee of the Red Cross in Syria issued a <a href=\"https://x.com/ICRC_sy/status/1881278316633882928\" rel=\"\">statement</a> on January 20th saying dams are “critical infrastructure”, meaning they are specially protected under international humanitarian law. The Turkish government has <a href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g0w0x28yxo\" rel=\"\">denied</a> targeting civilians and infrastructure, and accuses the SDF of using human shields.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VW63CKIVUJE23HTUNOUHFANNCI","additional_properties":{},"content":"This comes at a momentous time for Syria’s northeast. The SDF is the military arm of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), a de facto autonomous administration that controls large areas, including the majority of the country’s oil and natural gasfields. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"AOU6EHJGMRA2LPSKSUOYQPTRRE","additional_properties":{},"content":"It is in talks with the interim government in Damascus about dissolving into the broader Syrian armed forces, but SDF officials say it cannot do so without guarantees, including that it remains a distinct bloc. Some told The Irish Times their talks with the interim government have been positive, but they also mistrust its close relationship with Turkey. Interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa has <a href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/syrian-president-invited-turkeys-erdogan-visit-syria-soon-2025-02-04/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/syrian-president-invited-turkeys-erdogan-visit-syria-soon-2025-02-04/\">visited</a> Turkish president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/recep-tayyip-erdogan/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/recep-tayyip-erdogan/\">Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a> in Ankara. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"54FS465OG5HSFKEVODCDTES6LY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Resentment against the SDF is building in other parts of Syria, with many repeating the accusation that the SDF is bringing “human shields” to the Tishreen Dam. All of the civilians who spoke to The Irish Times said they were volunteers going as part of a community-organised effort, though other reports have suggested that the SDF’s civil wing arranged some transportation and <a href=\"https://syriadirect.org/what-happened-to-the-tishreen-dam-protest-convoy/\" rel=\"\">encouraged</a> civilians, including its employees, to go.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4TLG2N6DUVHXDFPJSPQDZHGLXU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The SDF led the fight against <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/islamic-state/2/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/islamic-state/2/\">Islamic State</a>, which once controlled huge swathes of this region and was declared defeated in early 2019. For that reason, the SDF is backed by the US, which still has troops in the area – though US president Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw them.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KEVXLSLM4BHYRBG4VAEVXYKQW4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Turkey considers the SDF to be an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which it designates as a terrorist group. Last week, the PKK’s imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan called on the group to dissolve and lay down arms. The implications of this on Syria’s northeast is yet unclear. SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said this announcement was “not related to us in Syria”, though “if there is peace in Turkey, that means there is no excuse to keep attacking us here in Syria”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4EVAYV5M3ZHYVJ3AX7TBUM3GZI","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"NWL2ABB24FHCNBHUSR3SXTERUE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hospital","type":"header"},{"_id":"JUEIS76VGJC4NDXNJP4S34LTRQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"At the Sari Military Hospital in Hasaka, an administrator said 300 wounded soldiers had come in the previous two months, and a smaller number of civilians. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"R2VHZMXN5JGOZMWYCLQWHBV2WI","additional_properties":{},"content":"In one room was an SDF soldier who lost an eye and broke his hand as a result of a drone attack at the dam, less than a fortnight before. Four of his colleagues were killed, he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"24ODO6FFMRH3VIT2RMMBUTBVZU","additional_properties":{},"content":"In another room lay a 19-year-old from Raqqa, a scar up his neck and cheek. Doctors said he had been there more than a month. He was partially paralysed and was missing a finger. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"6YJ2CORSQRFJNCTX3Q6WBJHXMY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I joined the SDF to help my family,” he said – referring to both his salary of $330 a month, and his belief that his family needed protection. Of 11 soldiers, he was the only survivor, he said, tearing up. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"GJBHK2L2IRAPJEEXV3AY7ISZKM","additional_properties":{},"content":"A 26-year-old man with two fractured hands wrapped in plastic lay in a dark room. He had undergone surgery on his stomach, but now had an infection. A “border guard” with the SDF, he was the victim of a drone attack.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SDXE4MSIHBBONGWKVLWF7ZISGY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“As many times as they bomb, even 10, it doesn’t matter, when we get better we will go to the front line,” he said defiantly. “When I get better I will go, we will never surrender.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"KIIVMRNQUFAKHLDDYAAVZ2KSZM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The man – who did not give his name – joined the SDF in 2017. Fighting Islamic State, also known as Isis, “wasn’t as horrific because there were no drones bombing us, there were no air strikes”, he said. But “this is normal for us now”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GKV6EOSLMFGKZIAK4VRMOUNCWI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Recovering in another room was Lea Bunse, a 27-year-old German environmental activist. She said she was <a href=\"https://syriacpress.com/blog/2025/01/22/syria-turkish-proxy-forces-publish-video-of-their-drone-attack-on-dancing-civilian-demonstrators-at-tishrin-dam/\" rel=\"\">dancing on the dam</a> itself when a drone attack occurred; she was hit by shrapnel in her stomach, chest and leg. The SDF says six people were killed and many more injured. Human Rights Watch verified drone footage that Bunse also showed The Irish Times. It was published by a Telegram account affiliated with the SNA, and showed two projectiles being dropped by a line of dancers on the dam, though Human Rights Watch said it <a href=\"https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/01/30/northeast-syria-apparent-war-crime-turkiye-backed-forces\" rel=\"\">could</a> not determine whether the drone strikes were conducted by the SNA or Turkish Armed Forces. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"J3QXYH53TJCWLP4DBH7V5CRVBE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Bunse said she first came to northeast Syria 2½ years ago, and decided to travel to the dam in January after feeling “there’s no international attention” on the issue. About 100 cars left together. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"OTWKQIBA5RBKNKAFQTYYBIVBXE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I think it’s such a big struggle for the whole humanity, for the whole world, that I saw it as important to witness,” she said. “One of the main wars [globally] at this time is water. Water is life. Water is the future.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"CVIMLGCPDRF5NCB6BOC2DYN6S4","additional_properties":{},"content":"If the dam broke it would put the surrounding cities in danger and “cost a lot of lives” she said. “Bombs falling on the dam, next to the dam, is a big danger.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BPQMC6BYCRD2DJIULZSJXQ5VZM","additional_properties":{},"content":"An attack, before the one that injured her, led to two people being killed and more than 20 injured, Bunse said. An ambulance that tried to take them away was attacked by a drone, she added.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OIFWW7B2G5HBJIFQJCSLBDCNH4","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"TDTCWZ45ZJBSFAZFMOBUSR273M","additional_properties":{},"content":"In an interview in a Kurdish Red Crescent base in the city of Kobani, a 270km drive northwest, nurse Abdi Ali explained how medics had been accompanying the convoys. One ambulance had been hit directly, he said, with one staff member killed and three wounded. Human Rights Watch <a href=\"https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/01/30/northeast-syria-apparent-war-crime-turkiye-backed-forces\" rel=\"\">called</a> this attack, on January 18th, an “apparent war crime”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TTEDTRGJHRE4HJLN7N5DXDM5ZE","additional_properties":{},"content":" A second strike landed in front of an ambulance. “I believe they hit in front of the ambulances to stop them from treating the wounded,” he said. Two ambulances were now completely out of service.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T7YVY6Z6KZA5DCKUM4DC3HKND4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The job we do is a humanitarian job ... but despite all this we are being targeted,” said Ali. “Of course, there’s no doubt this is war crimes ... 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","type":"text"},{"_id":"XSRYI3YOFJDZDHPSBUJ72L5VOQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Trump administration set to revoke legal status of Ukrainians who fled war, sources say","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"KHQPHOXKEZBQNHBBQF44DFE5DE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We have to put Ukraine in a position to protect itself and to push for a lasting and just peace,” Dr von der Leyen said. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BDS5M2OPOFDOFGZOFSZY6BRFVQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The rush to do more to help to Ukraine comes as the US paused its military aid to Kyiv, which has been a vital support on the battlefield since the start of Russia’s full scale invasion three years ago. 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target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/immigration/\">migration</a> overall,” said the CDU chairman. “We will also significantly increase the number of rejections with these border controls.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"6B5EFQDN7ZGTPIV73PSRLCDAAY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Government will order border police to reject asylum seekers arriving from other EU countries. It remains unclear whether this will see a significant change in German asylum practices given that the coalition’s agreement promises efforts “in co-ordination with our European neighbours”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OO7G4VBU4NAHTKE4ZQXVJTEBJE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Last year almost 251,000 people sought asylum in Germany, down from 746,000 in 2016. At almost 2.5 million in total in the last decade, however, immigration has increased pressure on social services and housing stock in particular.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GYTQQBDS7RFGBEOKB5OXKLAHTM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Months before a common EU asylum policy comes into affect, CDU and SPD negotiators disagreed on Sunday what their agreement would mean in practice.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ITT4IMPKRVGCDE2KUCFW5ESWKE","additional_properties":{},"content":"While SPD officials insisted nothing could happen without neighbouring countries’ consent, one senior CDU official said, “‘co-ordinate’ doesn’t mean our neighbours have to agree”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"W6CTDG637BHM5KD27B37A3QCZM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Legal analysts have warned that rejecting asylum seekers – or imposing national border controls – can only happen as a temporary measure, such as in a time of increased security concerns. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"XQLBALP7NVHC3IDA4EFM5CCELE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Asked in a radio interview about the hot-button migration issue, which saw the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) surge to second place in last month’s election, Merz said he was open to “European solidarity ... but Germany also naturally has a right to defend its own security and order”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4VNW7C5UH5BBNPZJW6GCQNURFE","additional_properties":{},"content":"CDU leaders are under pressure to reduce irregular migration, days after performing a big U-turn on campaign promises and agreeing to nearly €1 trillion in borrowing for defence and infrastructure.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BRFJHAHCSBEL7MBXLSFDVJ7UWE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Concern about European security following the election of Donald Trump as US president has seen Merz, a lifelong Atlanticist, warm to the idea of a shared nuclear deterrent in Europe.","type":"text"},{"_id":"L4M4UAGXKRCSNHBXLR52IVDI5A","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We have to become stronger together in nuclear deterrence,” said Merz in his radio interview. He promised to talk to France and the UK about sharing their nuclear deterrent to “supplement the American nuclear shield, which we of course want to see maintained”. Merz said he would stand by postwar agreements binding Germany to non-nuclear defence. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"ELLPTKNSLRE2TG6IZ4NKJW5R7E","additional_properties":{},"content":"The CDU leader’s plan, to form a coalition by Easter Sunday, which falls on April 20th, hinges now on two key votes in the coming fortnight for infrastructure and defence spending ","type":"text"},{"_id":"64XY5XDXSZFOLCURCQ2SZGAYWE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Both require a supermajority in the German parliament to modify the so-called “debt brake”, requiring in turn the backing of the Green Party. It has been non-committal so far and on Sunday Merz promised to “integrate climate protection measures” into the two deals going before the Bundestag.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5SZETSTZ2JGE5BZFROEK2KBNBY","additional_properties":{},"content":"On Saturday, Green leaders said the incoming coalition’s hardline migration promises meant their party was “further from agreement than in recent days”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HRLTA3WYRFDVHMFBWLISUXZCUM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Rubbing salt into CDU wounds, Green co-leader Felix Banaszak accused the incoming coalition of wanting to “throw money at everything” in order to fulfil their election promises “without tackling any structural reforms”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"USD3RHX6MFG2PNW7S5UILLMQKA","additional_properties":{},"content":"This is a key concern of many CDU backbenchers, who face claims of misleading voters for campaigning on a structural reform platform, not a trillion-euro giveaway. In his radio interview Merz insisted his government was “not opening the floodgates” to unlimited spending.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3ZWPD2NY3BB67HBZHQ6TPRZTNY","additional_properties":{},"content":"With an eye on <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\">Ukraine</a>, Merz sounded hopeful that “in the coming days and weeks there may be a prospect of lasting peace, or at least a temporary ceasefire”.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Derek Scally"}},"name":"Derek Scally"}]},"description":{"basic":"CDU leader indicates he is open to common European nuclear umbrella"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T19:00:01Z","headlines":{"basic":"Incoming German coalition promises crack down on immigration","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"2RKRR2I3I5TEYZ7H6QFGXP6L4E","auth":{"1":"b71774fd6b43b13cea69cc4aaf419d323a7ede606c1237d11ae5154beb6e3956"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/2RKRR2I3I5TEYZ7H6QFGXP6L4E.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/09/incoming-german-coalition-promises-crack-down-on-immigration/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"NMLGLDTIEBAN7ODHQ2MAEDCJPE","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":153,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/480b35a8-b911-48ad-923d-4c1149836807/versions/1741540282/media/a505a77783c20f879c5d364b961f66a6_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/2025/03/09/new-gaza-ceasefire-and-hostage-deal-possible-in-weeks-says-us-envoy/","content_elements":[{"_id":"RDDUFGAOKZBR7HILUQLGV7TUFU","additional_properties":{},"content":"A new <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza-strip/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza-strip/\">Gaza</a> ceasefire deal under which <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\">Israel</a> would recover all hostages held by <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas/\">Hamas</a> is possible, even within weeks, a US negotiator said after holding rare direct talks with the Palestinian militant group.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6IT2VXL2DRFGFGSS6WA2REOBOE","additional_properties":{},"content":"A six-week truce mediated by Qatar and Egypt expired on March 2nd, leaving the sides on the verge of resuming a 17-month-old war that has shaken the region. Efforts to secure an open-ended suspension of hostilities have stumbled over Israel’s demand, backed by the US, for an end to Hamas’s rule and arsenal in the Gaza Strip.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RDB4R3L6Y5G75DY26QJFSKJBJU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I think something could come together within weeks,” Adam Boehler, the US envoy for hostages, said on Sunday on CNN’s State of the Union. “I will say that I believe there is enough there to make a deal between what Hamas wants and what they’ve accepted and what Israel wants and it’s accepted.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"3EXMT2Z4E5H2FPPBR75ZLTUFYU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Such a deal, he said, could allow Israel to repatriate all 59 remaining Gaza hostages, and “not just the Americans”, he added, referring to a handful of US dual nationals.","type":"text"},{"_id":"N3TDJ3EJABFPFIHF6N5T2KKCQM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israel plans to send envoys to Doha on Monday for potential new Gaza negotiations, prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s office said. His spokesperson, Omer Dostri, said on Sunday that there was no progress to report for now.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FNCY7FVWQVDT5O6QJJ3M5G7B3E","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hamas has signalled willingness to cede some power, but not its rockets and rifles.","type":"text"},{"_id":"627Y4CQH6NBRHIZIC5KR6NHLJQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The White House confirmed last week that Boehler had direct contacts with Hamas, which is on a terrorism blacklist of the US and other western powers.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BD5EXQJZWJHV5N3QKEVIFYLNYM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I actually think they were very productive talks,” Boehler said on Fox News Sunday. “They identified some opportunity to come together.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"QEFD5WAUSNC2LH5XAMOG4CTXHQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israel had “raised some concerns” about the US-Hamas contacts, Boehler said. But he played these down, saying: “There’s no question in my mind that our greatest ally is Israel.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"XIVE523S3RAS7MRSYM7D42YQHM","additional_properties":{},"content":"On Sunday, Israeli energy minister Eli Cohen said he had ordered an immediate halt to the supply of electricity to Gaza, as a tool to gain the hostages’ release.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KIXXAHSL2JGYTN7JWFW7INNFNU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Asked about missing American Austin Tice, Boehler told CNN that he would travel soon to Syria, where Tice has been missing since 2012.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M7P7WGT2UNDR3JERQXATYIQ3TI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Austin is on my list, and I’m going to go to Syria,” he said. – Bloomberg","type":"text"},{"_id":"JPDR45WLXRCPJKFD4Z5NVE6DHM","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Israel cuts off electricity supply to Gaza"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T17:06:13.812Z","headlines":{"basic":"New Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal possible in weeks, says US envoy","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"SAYFLYZO5BDL5GC2WLLEYVBAGI","auth":{"1":"5956dbad9fdee879246e0438459382aca26562bcd026f642229f4e44d1c2e305"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/SAYFLYZO5BDL5GC2WLLEYVBAGI.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"World"},{"name":"Middle East"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/2025/03/09/new-gaza-ceasefire-and-hostage-deal-possible-in-weeks-says-us-envoy/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"World"}}}},{"_id":"LBWM5DRIZNE45G77YS2F45BGFY","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":248,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/3dd8af01-367f-4ca2-9503-dd2eb6938f24/versions/1741539686/media/fbad1be5528ca642cd2adf254650ed36_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/03/09/china-russia-and-iran-to-hold-joint-naval-drills-as-tehran-rejects-us-call-for-nuclear-talks/","content_elements":[{"_id":"JKK7DUBYMZEWXCJOKEC3PBUP5I","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"5XL54CBYXBE37EH3SX7B2BF3AU","additional_properties":{},"content":"China will conduct a joint naval exercise with Iran and Russia this week, days after Tehran rejected US president Donald Trump’s call for nuclear talks. The drills in the Gulf of Oman come amid speculation in Washington that Mr Trump’s embrace of Russian president Vladimir Putin could drive a diplomatic wedge between Moscow and Beijing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EXWNSWQRWRF5HMK7T4B43UUGPU","additional_properties":{},"content":"This is the fifth time since 2019 that the Chinese, Russian and Iranian navies have conducted a joint exercise; similar drills last year involved more than 20 ships, combat boats, support carriers and navy helicopters. This week’s exercise will take place off the Iranian port of Chabahar in the Gulf of Oman, between the Strait of Hormuz and the Indian Ocean, a key shipping route for oil.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TC56SMHOHFDR3BWHTJVJXVEPLI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The exercise plan includes drills on striking maritime targets, damage control, as well as joint search and rescue. The aim is to strengthen military mutual trust and foster pragmatic co-operation among the naval forces of the participating countries,” China’s defence ministry said on Sunday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MHN6ZQ4BWVDDXK6PP74HXGDXE4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Iran’s supreme leader said on Saturday that calls for negotiations by “bully states” were not aimed at resolving issues but at dominating others and imposing their own solution. He was speaking after Mr Trump said he had written to him proposing fresh talks over Iran’s nuclear programme, which international experts say is close to the threshold for developing nuclear weapons.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FHAYCDYSVRBNXMDPZNGXLQNKQM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily or you make a deal. I would prefer to make a deal, because I’m not looking to hurt Iran,” the US president told Fox News last week.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UDTZZRDSJJE7NGQ6LLD32B6GCM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I said, ‘I hope you’re going to negotiate, because it’s going to be a lot better for Iran,’ and I think they want to get that letter – the alternative is we have to do something, because you can’t let them have a nuclear weapon.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"BWOLKGKZSFEX3FVAPMV4A2I4QI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The US, along with China, Russia, Britain, France, Germany and the European Union, in 2015 signed a deal with Iran that put restrictions on Tehran’s nuclear programme in return for sanctions relief. The agreement came into force in 2016 but Mr Trump withdrew from it two years later and reinstated banking and financial sanctions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AXKHKMZBFJDCJBHTNXV2NJUFYQ","content":"Trump’s foreign policy risks ‘regress to the law of the jungle’, China warns","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"G6PVPNKA6FG4JNUK22QLCBYXCU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Germany, France and Britain established Instrument in Support of Trade Exchanges (Instex), a special purpose vehicle designed to facilitate transactions with Iran that did not use the US dollar or the Swift payments system. But European countries terminated Instex, which the US saw as a threat to the dominance of the dollar, in March 2023 after it had been used to make just one transaction.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VTZ2SMBINZETVJVR2RY4KWAPXU","additional_properties":{},"content":"US secretary of state Marco Rubio warned last week against allowing Russia to become a “permanent junior partner” to China, although he said he was not sure Washington could “ever be successful completely at peeling them off of a relationship with the Chinese”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"I7LRRBHPRNEIJEFTASWCB2VLKY","additional_properties":{},"content":"China’s president Xi Jinping will travel to Moscow in May to attend an 80th anniversary commemoration of the end of the second World War, and Mr Putin is expected to attend a commemoration in Beijing later this year. China’s foreign minister Wang Yi told journalists attending the Two Sessions legislative meeting in Beijing last week that no matter how the international landscape evolves, the partnership between Beijing and Moscow would not change and its internal force would not diminish.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2CFWTQ7CDZE2BOAW7WQU7YQ34Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"The sap rises and barriers go up as China prepares for the year’s biggest political event","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"RHZNDIBI5VCOVPLWAOXUV5OCDM","additional_properties":{},"content":"<i>“</i>The two countries have found a path of ‘non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting any third party’ in developing their relations. It is a pioneering effort in forging a new model of major-country relations, and has set a fine example for relations between neighbouring countries,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HLGZMKPWUZCZNEFQEONJGWJ53Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"“A mature, resilient and stable China-Russia relationship will not be swayed by any turn of events, let alone be subject to interference by any third party. It is a constant in a turbulent world rather than a variable in geopolitical games.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"N6QFEIWOEBFCFOHGW24PFNHQRM","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Denis Staunton"}},"name":"Denis Staunton"}]},"description":{"basic":"Beijing and Moscow keen to show mutual co-operation will not be affected by Trump’s embrace of Putin"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T16:56:15.292Z","headlines":{"basic":"China, Russia and Iran to hold joint naval drills as Tehran rejects US call for nuclear talks","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"2P7VL3X44U4LKGZQD3FPOJ3A7U","auth":{"1":"14d21cb323c0c755ac410872d0b36306b7afa362df41a5f62bc104357a095489"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/2P7VL3X44U4LKGZQD3FPOJ3A7U.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Asia-Pacific"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/03/09/china-russia-and-iran-to-hold-joint-naval-drills-as-tehran-rejects-us-call-for-nuclear-talks/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/asia-pacific","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Asia-Pacific"}}}},{"_id":"TLRY5AAJQRB2LMRPJ5WWRNMNPQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":70,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/7989b416-e5db-4b9b-85d4-ab4aed84aed5/versions/1741538800/media/5314d0606cc0ec706aa8d21884464a4b_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/us/2025/03/09/armed-man-shot-by-us-secret-service-near-white-house-say-authorities/","content_elements":[{"_id":"2S3FX42TWZDKPEUW6JSN2FDPKQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"An armed man believed to have travelled from Indiana was shot by US Secret Service agents near the White House after a confrontation early on Sunday, authorities have said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"47BVTANP6JHQFM25PJ3LH7RD2A","additional_properties":{},"content":"No one else was injured in the shooting, which happened around midnight about a block from the White House, according to a Secret Service statement. President <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a> was in Florida at the time of the incident.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7WLNONAEHJGBVLRBX74NAFFXHM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Secret Service received information from local police about an alleged “suicidal individual” who was travelling from Indiana and found the man’s car and a person matching his description nearby.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IADBWLQ7JVCHVK7N27ECLENT3Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"“As officers approached, the individual brandished a firearm and an armed confrontation ensued, during which shots were fired by our personnel,” the Secret Service said in a statement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WWRUBERFLNG3FBJIFVYUZ6XAUI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The man was admitted to hospital. The Secret Service said his condition was “unknown”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F4M4PFAECZAWVD4IKIEB532OSA","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Metropolitan Police Department will investigate because the shooting involved law enforcement officers, and declined to provide more details. - AP","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"President Donald Trump was in Florida at the time"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T16:41:27.24Z","headlines":{"basic":"Armed man shot by US Secret Service near White House, say authorities ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"MQEPZGBWGFIKB7DKEWQSASHW54","auth":{"1":"1a7a6210b4f152455e83265d6c95eb985bd91fd21c0e4f02c007fd4a6a278666"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/MQEPZGBWGFIKB7DKEWQSASHW54.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/us/2025/03/09/armed-man-shot-by-us-secret-service-near-white-house-say-authorities/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/us","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"US"}}}},{"_id":"K73GUS3Y3VCF3GFY753MFZ7LIM","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/world/australia/2025/03/09/storm-alfred-australia-experiences/","content_elements":[{"_id":"CXFDNPCQBNHJRAL3YY4YH6APCI","additional_properties":{},"content":"As darkness fell over <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/australia/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/australia/\">Brisbane</a> on Sunday night rain continued to batter the city, hampering efforts to remove trees felled by <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/weather-events/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/weather-events/\">Storm Alfred</a>, with flash floods and ongoing power outages reported across the region.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LX5FMKCZ5ZAZ3CABWWTN4FDUWY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Doireann O Bradaigh from Byron Shire Council in New South Wales (NSW) was one of those without power, having seen the lights first go out on Friday night.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ADHWPGFA4BGTNOV6S3SPHS5IAQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"It had been a tense few days before that, with her community watching the cyclone swell come in since.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HA5HG6Z6K5GXDKS2QMMPVVMTUM","additional_properties":{},"content":"She said the eye of the storm had been predicted to make landfall near Brisbane but the real impact was felt further south across the border in northern NSW, with severe flooding reported. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"QJAPN5U34BE4HIN5SXFMOIPBTE","additional_properties":{},"content":"She expressed concern that the continuing rain would bring more flooding and more evacuations in the area. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"GPMKOBFF6JC5BJXIGTVZFF76PY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Stephen Hanley moved to Brisbane as the curtain came down on 2020 and he told The Irish Times that the level of disruption in Queensland this week reminded him of the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/health/covid-19/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/health/covid-19/\">Covid</a> lockdowns in Dublin before he left. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"E7SDHITGBNG2ZBV5VJ56BUTWV4","subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"2KO2QXY2ZNCKXNGRG5C3FTWELQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"He, his wife and three children live on the crest of a hill at the edge of an extensive bushland reserve that had borne the brunt of a cyclone in 1974 when three nearby houses were destroyed. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"RH4NWYHLNFA2DHDISEAVEA3V4I","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Their vacant blocks sit as an evergreen reminder,” he said. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"ASMRL7YR3NAMVAMZFNFQMGOIRY","additional_properties":{},"content":"A “rain bomb” in 2022 damaged many of his neighbours’ homes, with some only just finishing the repairs now. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YIKPAUXXVZGHNGMVSMQXSL64QA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Ex-Cyclone Alfred: One dead and mass blackouts after tropical low hits Australia","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"F5EPSLKXIZBEHGVKT6YQQKPLBI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“At least this time round we got warning, and earlier this week we were told to prepare our properties – in particular clearing anything that might become a missile,” he said. “The din of hammers and drills filled the air for much of the week [and] cars queued at the local State Emergency Service depot for sandbags.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"A4YSOSMETVGJ5D47QBSF6ERPYQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"He said Cyclone Alfred’s arrival was “delayed several times as he danced around the coral sea, and by Friday evening videos were emerging of bored surfers on the swells of the Gold Coast, much to the annoyance of authorities”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YQM7KNUOBJEBJKRQJ6LEH3KHYU","additional_properties":{},"content":"He recalled how high winds rattled his windows on Friday night, and expressed relief that his family escaped the worst of the storm – with flooding the primary concern now. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YSP523D2KFFHBHQ5FPEBNU5HRM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Baz McAlister has been living in Brisbane for 20 years and expected chaos, based on all the early warnings. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"6FWF5XETAFGC7C4GGWR47TRQFY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“What we got was a very strange weather system that was nowhere near as bad as I was envisioning. We were well prepared for it, and our leaders, weather agencies and emergency services approached the situation with an overabundance of caution. In the end, though, it seemed a lot of fuss over a bit of wind and rain that would be considered fairly unremarkable for the Causeway Coast on any given dirty winter night! A lucky escape for most.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"EHMJJEIOMSY4NVCRXM2MRLMRDM","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"OER3KR2TDZEVZOVXCOUYBMLSPU","additional_properties":{},"content":"He said flooding in the region was “getting pretty bad even where I am and the system is sitting over us and will be for the rest of the night, but in terms of the wind, I think we have been spared the worst of it”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MJYS4YQFP5H7XIZIN2OT6RI63M","additional_properties":{},"content":"Nicola Holly of the Irish Australian Support Association of Queensland said the cyclone has had “a significant impact on many communities”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4HHKHB5L25EWJMQWEMEMOYEDIA","additional_properties":{},"content":"She said things have been “a bit manic” since late last week, with “a lot of flooding around the place. The rain has been non-stop and there are a lot of trees down. And half the city is without power”. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7EWAU5Y2RRBI7B5VPCAKCGYZF4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Her association has been forced to close its offices, with staff working remotely, and they “had to make the difficult decision to cancel our annual charity ball which was scheduled for March 8th. Everyone was worried about the impending weather event”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MOBQSX5725FBVEJQ7TIZQZWV7Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"She said it had been an “eerie few days, with the anticipation of the cyclone affecting basically every facet of people’s lives, but we are grateful that it taught us how to be more prepared”.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Conor Pope"}},"name":"Conor Pope"}]},"description":{"basic":"It was an ‘eerie few days’ in Brisbane as a strange weather system named Alfred came calling"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T14:29:12.406Z","headlines":{"basic":"‘Half the city is without power’: Readers in Australia share their storm experiences","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"WXV5STKNPZON6YEHPMOHNNKQLY","auth":{"1":"d0355721eaa762b5c73fe5549f458b4493275c6605d0e7f67edbcf3b11e783f1"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/WXV5STKNPZON6YEHPMOHNNKQLY.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Australia"},{"name":"Abroad"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/australia/2025/03/09/storm-alfred-australia-experiences/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/australia","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Australia"}}}},{"_id":"65KX6XGJQFATFEQSLUJTOQIWV4","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/09/pope-francis-thanks-doctors-and-nurses-for-miracle-of-tenderness-as-his-condition-improves/","content_elements":[{"_id":"WXLMA62SNFEFJDMGTV2U7O7SHY","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/pope-francis/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/pope-francis/\">Pope Francis</a> issued a message on Sunday thanking volunteers for the “miracle of tenderness” they offer the sick, as he continued his recovery from double pneumonia and doctors reported some positive news. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"RUZJTTZR6NERNDUMQSZ6KADLFY","additional_properties":{},"content":"After more than three weeks in the hospital, the 88-year-old pope is responding well to treatment and has shown a “gradual, slight improvement” in recent days.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JHLX76SXKBGZHCKTANC6UYQP7E","additional_properties":{},"content":"For the fourth Sunday in a row, the 88-year-old Francis didn’t appear for his weekly noon blessing, but the Vatican distributed the text he would have delivered if he were well enough. In it, the Argentine pope thanked all those who were caring for him and others who are sick and experiencing a “night of pain”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R7TT33JYYKNIZSZY5DLUWSNCIQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"SMM5LHXELFCQLE2THQU2FKNM7I","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Brothers and sisters, during my prolonged hospitalisation here, I too experience the thoughtfulness of service and the tenderness of care, in particular from the doctors and health care workers, whom I thank from the bottom of my heart,” read the message from Gemelli hospital.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QH5W6SZBXNDRZHCFBKKAMTU3CA","additional_properties":{},"content":"The complex medical factors undermining the health of Pope Francis","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"XW3I7YW4VJBNXJYWCONGCRW7KU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“And while I am here, I think of the many people who in various ways are close to the sick, and who are, for them, a sign of the Lord’s presence. We need this, the ‘miracle of tenderness’ which accompanies those who are in adversity, bringing a little light into the night of pain,” he wrote.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NQ7SPSEBYVGBPMPXB34IJG4XNQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Argentine pope, who has chronic lung disease and had part of one lung removed as a young man, has remained in stable condition, with no fever and good oxygen levels in his blood for several days, doctors reported in a <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/vatican\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/vatican\">Vatican</a> statement on Saturday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZNSNT2OITBEVVP73IFMVQY2M24","additional_properties":{},"content":"The doctors said that such stability “as a consequence testifies to a good response to therapy”. It was the first time the doctors had reported that Francis was responding positively to the treatment for the complex lung infection that was diagnosed after he was admitted to hospital on February 14th.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CBG7NPRHRWC35IQCYKU5UNMKGI","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"5BVL4W3VO5GCPGGDNRSDGUKXU4","additional_properties":{},"content":"But they kept his prognosis as “guarded”, meaning he’s not out of danger. On Sunday morning, the Vatican reported he was resting after a quiet night.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OAYEHAPWDBGCZNPMPZYHORKTII","additional_properties":{},"content":"In his absence, the Vatican’s day-to-day operations continued alongside celebrations of its Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century Jubilee that brings millions of pilgrims to Rome. On Sunday, Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny, who is close to Francis, celebrated the Holy Year Mass for volunteers that Francis was supposed to have celebrated.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SJX4WEJJOFHGHPFT4S34SQJJCY","additional_properties":{},"content":"During the Mass in St Peter’s Square, the giant banner bearing Francis’s papal coat of arms fluttered from the loggia of the basilica above. Even while in the hospital, Francis is very much still the pope and in charge of the Catholic Church.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7XQC4G4D75ACXD6KINQT5IZNME","additional_properties":{},"content":"Francis has been using high flows of supplemental oxygen to help him breathe during the day and a non-invasive mechanical ventilation mask at night.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AZSAZHTCYNBFNNFTWPAMDR24IQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Francis was admitted to hospital on February 14th for what was then just a bad case of bronchitis. The infection progressed into a complex respiratory tract infection and double pneumonia that has sidelined Francis for the longest period of his 12-year papacy and raised questions about the future. - AP","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"The 88-year-old issued a message from Gemelli hospital on Sunday"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T12:53:31.121Z","headlines":{"basic":"Pope Francis thanks doctors and nurses for ‘miracle of tenderness’ as his condition improves","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"YYYYQ4HK7LS6MVTAT6NEYUNUBU","auth":{"1":"4f50cbb78295b1d8c7468da0ea98b8ec0c595377743b00e3d8866126bfd00206"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/YYYYQ4HK7LS6MVTAT6NEYUNUBU.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/09/pope-francis-thanks-doctors-and-nurses-for-miracle-of-tenderness-as-his-condition-improves/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"NSF7SBPITZB7BEEFU76L2BGP4A","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":198,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/ef1bae68-1f00-4d2b-a7d0-f90a293bfbb1/versions/1741516019/media/13791d36640cbb592594916912a85e85_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/09/zelenskiy-says-ukraine-fully-committed-to-talks-ahead-of-us-meeting-in-saudi-arabia/","content_elements":[{"_id":"4HTNKM6XYRABRMS7UMIRAYAXWU","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/volodymyr-zelenskiy/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/volodymyr-zelenskiy/\">Volodymyr Zelenskiy</a> said <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\">Ukraine</a> is “fully committed” to having a constructive dialogue with US representatives in Saudi Arabia next week, even as <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a> said he found it “easier” to deal with <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\">Russia</a> than with Ukraine in efforts to end the war. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"P5FKPLM2XREQNPXJMPSGZUDCCI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively,” the Ukrainian president said on X ahead of his trip to Saudi Arabia next week. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"RZLLQZYE4BCJFBZHZBGPNJZOEU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Zelenskiy said that after his meeting with Crown Prince <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/mohammad-bin-salman/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/mohammad-bin-salman/\">Mohammad bin Salman</a> on Monday, Ukrainian diplomatic and military representatives would stay for a meeting on Tuesday with the US team. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"LFUQDU26NNFQXCLXRKKYR6RRBQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"“On our side, we are fully committed to constructive dialogue, and we hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps,” he said. However, he also called for sanctions on Russia to be increased after a devastating attack on Saturday. Two ballistic missiles hit the centre of Dobropillia in the eastern Donetsk region, killing at least 14 people and injuring dozens more. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZHASIVTBMZE6NFRTFFGS3ZUXYE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Such strikes show that Russia’s objectives have not changed,” Mr Zelenskiy wrote on Facebook. “Therefore, it is crucial to continue to do our best to protect lives, strengthen our air defences, and increase sanctions against Russia. Everything that helps Putin finance the war must collapse.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"HKFFRMMLUZGEPKRP5P3LRVKPJ4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Trump’s supporters count themselves as conservatives, but what he’s doing is radical","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"2NHVQZ2HJRCR3AKBWQXOJ7BQDM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Polish prime minister <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-tusk/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-tusk/\">Donald Tusk</a> said on Saturday that appeasement towards Russia was leading to more tragedy in Ukraine. “This is what happens when someone appeases barbarians,” Tusk wrote on X. “More bombs, more aggression, more victims. Another tragic night in Ukraine.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"CYHI2E7EGVBTNEEKMFNBYCU3ZM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Russia on Sunday claimed the capture of the village of Novenke in Ukraine’s Sumy region after mounting a cross-border offensive while battling Ukrainian troops in its Kursk region. The Guardian has been unable to independently verify the report.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AFMZHCI4OJHTPFHHZU2WWM6AMY","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"EXZ2XSZW7JDDLAH7KQ3XTAVLXQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"In the US on Sunday, there was an audible gasp in the room at the Council on Foreign Relations as Keith Kellogg, White House special envoy for Ukraine and Russia, characterised the US decision to cut off intelligence sharing and military aid to Kyiv as like beating a farm animal with a piece of wood. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"FIBXGOIKFBCB3CP76RNGRQGSHI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Finnish minister in Dublin: ‘We never were under the illusion that Russia is no longer a threat’","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"HH4A6CVE3JG67IOOCRGC4YHRO4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Very candidly, they brought it on themselves, the Ukrainians,” Kellogg said as the veteran diplomats, academics, and journalists in the room recoiled in surprise. Several held their hands in their faces. “I think the best way I can describe it is sort of like hitting a mule with a two-by-four across the nose,” he continued. “You got their attention, and it’s very significant, obviously, because of the support that we give.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"JHT4XYC2VVEPNB3ABUS6YPTECI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The collapse in US-Ukraine relations since the White House summit between Mr Trump and Mr Zelenskiy has been precipitous. Those around Mr Trump viewed as the strongest supporters of Ukraine – including secretary of state Marco Rubio, national security adviser Mike Waltz, and Mr Kellogg – have become vocal sceptics of continued US support or been sidelined entirely. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"WTIEWMENKREZNCX7GGVLI443TI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We know that [the Maga wing] are just waiting for something they can use to pounce,” said a former senior US diplomat. “And I think that’s where you get the posturing by Rubio, Kellogg and also Waltz, which disturbs people who understand America’s interest in preventing a Putin win in Ukraine.” – The Guardian","type":"text"},{"_id":"DSOHLSUD6BCORGNRBFGBV5WJTA","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"CPGQJBUTEFB3BGHQEHUJSCZVNM","additional_properties":{},"content":" ","type":"text"},{"_id":"R5BGOB7MUJATDBDSJIBDIWLZTM","additional_properties":{},"content":" ","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"name":"Amy Sedghi"}]},"description":{"basic":"Ukrainian president backs negotiations despite Trump’s remarks on Russia being ‘easier’ to deal with"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T10:21:50.788Z","headlines":{"basic":"Zelenskiy says Ukraine 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","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"NANOI6KI3S4X57Q6XZJKLG2ZXA","auth":{"1":"3eb7517f49585c6f1c136e6fef8d5688e903c047b8d7e8a8de1f11a8f0c7c4b1"},"focal_point":{"x":1633,"y":1462},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/NANOI6KI3S4X57Q6XZJKLG2ZXA.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/09/zelenskiy-says-ukraine-fully-committed-to-talks-ahead-of-us-meeting-in-saudi-arabia/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"6ZG4KPEIYZELHG4WWIHB6CD6PU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":240,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/c707d17b-16f6-4c40-a482-e6724d7dfb17/versions/1741511456/media/659d85e0e4d218163727ea5b19090080_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/09/syrias-sharaa-pleas-for-communal-peace-as-clashes-continue/","content_elements":[{"_id":"LMBZQGF4K5GULEEDVOAHE2C5DY","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\">Syrian</a> leader Ahmed Sharaa called for peace on Sunday after hundreds were killed in coastal areas in the worst communal violence since the fall of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/bashar-al-assad/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/bashar-al-assad/\">Bashar al-Assad</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MC22IEPNZJHRVOI5FYBGYZXDCA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We have to preserve national unity and domestic peace, we can live together,” Mr Sharaa, the interim president, said as clashes continued between forces linked to the new Islamist rulers and fighters from Mr Assad’s Alawite sect.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MLEQ652ASJEABDYBFZI5E3WRUA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Rest assured about Syria, this country has the characteristics for survival,” Mr Sharaa said in a circulated video, speaking at a mosque in his childhood neighbourhood of Mazzah in Damascus. “What is currently happening in Syria is within the expected challenges.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"XI6CBESEHNAODDEAL3EWRJ6FII","additional_properties":{},"content":"Syrian security sources said at least two hundred of their members were killed in the clashes with former army personnel owing allegiance to Mr Assad after co-ordinated attacks and ambushes on their forces that were waged on Thursday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JTJUCUGAZNAXPCZALWNUXGORD4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The attacks spiralled into revenge killings when thousands of armed supporters of Syria’s new leaders from across the country descended to the coastal areas to support beleaguered forces of the new administration","type":"text"},{"_id":"6PAZEJDJRNBRFIX32OU7JLYK4E","additional_properties":{},"content":"The authorities blamed summary executions of dozens of youths and deadly raids on homes in villages and towns inhabited by Syria’s once ruling minority on unruly armed militias who came to help the security forces and have long blamed Mr Assad’s supporters for past crimes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OKXC2UDAE5BOTBZQZLZQE5QTPA","additional_properties":{},"content":"The <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syrian-observatory-for-human-rights/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syrian-observatory-for-human-rights/\">Syrian Observatory for Human Rights</a>, a UK-based war monitor, said on Saturday the two days of fighting in the Mediterranean coastal region amounted to some of the worst violence for years in a 13-year-old civil conflict.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UH2LY2D6MZGTHPESO3CU22I34Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"Clashes continued overnight in several towns where armed groups fired on security forces and ambushed cars on highways leading to main towns in the coastal area, a Syrian security source told Reuters on Sunday. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"GTSUWD3ALVHX7LUOWIMKWMA46I","additional_properties":{},"content":"Civilians put themselves in firing line between Turkey and northeast Syria","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"TSPCWYVIVBHANP42UMGZPRODVM","additional_properties":{},"content":"More than 1,000 people have been killed in two days of clashes between gunmen and security forces, the war monitor said on Saturday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WYP4WQ5K7BABPK6ZJDHEZXTRCE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The casualties included 745 civilians, 125 members of the Syrian security forces and 148 fighters loyal to Assad, the war monitor said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F3IUBLHAZ5GBFNUALV6ZFU3UK4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Reuters could not independently verify the reports.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XPLMUAKSUVHUBNLSNHC3LENZTY","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"LF2CTWKKPVGVDIN4CMUEWNPXLI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The new ruling authority on Thursday began a crackdown on what it said was a nascent insurgency after deadly ambushes by militants linked to former president Mr Assad’s government.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R33D6M24XZG3ZBDNSXD7ZJON7U","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"2YUPZL5QXRC2ZPM4SLDIQMGWKU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Officials have acknowledged violations during the operation, which they have blamed on unorganised masses of civilians and fighters who sought to support official security forces or commit crimes amid the chaos of the fighting.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GNYYZCTYMZC37MBM53ZMQUL3YQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"A defence ministry source told state media that all roads leading to the coast had been blocked to stop violations and help return calm, with security forces deploying in streets of coastal cities.","type":"text"},{"_id":"53M6CQNV7JF2JMTWT3BERRIERM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The source added that an emergency committee set up to monitor violations would refer anyone found not to have obeyed the orders of the military command to a military court.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PYOP3YFGEBCEFFANWSFNU7TWMA","additional_properties":{},"content":"‘Guantánamo on steroids’: Inside a prison for suspected Islamic State members in Syria","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"7AZUNBYRP5DSPOOQNVEMJSAKLY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The reported scale of the violence, which includes reports of an execution-style killing of dozens of Alawite men in one village, puts into further question the Islamist ruling authority’s ability to govern in an inclusive manner, which western and Arab capitals have said is a key concern.","type":"text"},{"_id":"B26LNGBKIREITPUWCGOQDS5OO4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Sharaa, while backing the crackdown in a televised address late on Friday, said security forces should not allow anyone to “exaggerate in their response ... because what differentiates us from our enemy is our commitment to our values”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"U37R4UWJLNCODAILGR3UB424GI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“When we give up on our morals, us and our enemy end up on the same side,” he said, adding that civilians and captives should not be mistreated.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OZBBOUR5TNB73NX5I3ZNAZHUCI","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"C3REGUM4RZDSBORN6HAS3SRNQQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Syrian Facebook on Saturday was filled with images and obituaries of people from the coastal area being mourned by family and friends who said they had been killed.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YQNAY4TZFZA3DF3BIN3XGXE7XE","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/rami-abdulrahman/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/rami-abdulrahman/\">Rami Abdulrahman</a>, head of the war monitor and a leading critical voice against the Assad-led government who documented its alleged killings for more than a decade, said: “This is not about being pro or against the former Assad regime. These are sectarian massacres that aim to expel the Alawite population from their homes.” – Reuters","type":"text"},{"_id":"G4LJ5RZUZFBNJAG6EW6TFNIW6I","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"More than 1,000 people have been killed in two days of fighting in Alawite region, war monitor says"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T09:05:46.064Z","headlines":{"basic":"Syria’s Sharaa pleas for communal peace as clashes continue","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"RKQQYITI4K2WKQRLQ72OC7Z5GQ","auth":{"1":"668e0c3c7f04e0bfbb70853f75a2e3b7a2958aa66ace019a7c9d8d35c092c69f"},"focal_point":{"x":1953,"y":1403},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/RKQQYITI4K2WKQRLQ72OC7Z5GQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/09/syrias-sharaa-pleas-for-communal-peace-as-clashes-continue/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"RAD2Y7EVDNBVVA2JHWQDTERHJA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":215,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/6640afae-b7a1-4d12-9194-1d23bc7165d6/versions/1741508479/media/e3728b7ab9420a9c3d83cd30822ae6fc_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/09/hamas-urges-immediate-start-of-talks-for-second-phase-of-gaza-ceasefire/","content_elements":[{"_id":"XZWLCQWSWND5TEXCHSPKQPBRI4","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas/\">Hamas</a> urged, in a statement on early Sunday, the “immediate” start of talks for the second phase of the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\">Gaza</a> ceasefire deal.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QN32W5IWCBDZVIRIQUEPYLHUIY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hamas said its delegation held discussions with the head of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/egypt/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/egypt/\">Egypt</a>’s general intelligence agency, Hassan Mahmoud Rashad, in Cairo on the Gaza ceasefire and the hostages-for-prisoners deal in all its stages. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q4RXTQFPTJBZ3ILW6OSSCVZKVU","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\">Israel</a> will send a delegation to Qatar’s Doha on Monday to advance ceasefire negotiations after accepting an invitation from the mediators, prime minister <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\">Binyamin Netanyahu</a>’s office said in a statement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZKT2XPBIANDBHF2LVGMEPMPPVM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israel and Hamas both signalled on Saturday they were preparing for the next phase of ceasefire negotiations, as mediators pushed ahead with talks to extend the fragile 42-day truce that began in January.","type":"text"},{"_id":"E2VENUT3UBCHJLWCV2VJAKWMZI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hamas said there were “positive indicators” for the start of the second-phase talks but did not elaborate.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DAZP6AY265ACJBS25CJZGCYBAU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israel also said it was preparing for talks. “Israel has accepted the invitation of the mediators backed by the US, and will send a delegation to Doha on Monday in an effort to advance the negotiations,” Mr Netanyahu’s office said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M7OYPX2FSBH6RKFRMNWNHMJEBA","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"NVYXTOKJ4FEAFBZH6LGDBXVCCE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hamas spokesman Abdel-Latif Al-Qanoua said in a statement, “We affirm our readiness to engage in the second-phase negotiations in a way that meets the demands of our people, and we call for intensified efforts to aid the Gaza Strip and lift the blockade on our suffering people.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"KSBR46BO3NBJTMSON25YW7K3VU","additional_properties":{},"content":"In a later statement reporting its delegation’s meeting with the head of Egypt’s general intelligence agency, Hamas affirmed the group’s approval of forming a committee of what it described as “national and independent” characters to run Gaza until elections.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4JUJDFFOBVCFZPME56AXS23BMU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hamas leader’s release reopens old wounds in Israel","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"22BEBRZLDNC4RIHJIL3LVDJFTM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi earlier said Cairo had worked in co-operation with Palestinians on creating an administrative committee of independent, professional Palestinian technocrats entrusted with the governance of Gaza after the end of the Israel-Gaza war.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6TG4I7EZAFH3NA3RJKN3E5DDYA","additional_properties":{},"content":"His remarks came during the Arab summit which adopted Egypt’s alternative reconstruction plan for Gaza, as opposed to US president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a>’s “Middle East Riviera” vision.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DFG5VEJLQNEIROFRXVXIF4MX5M","additional_properties":{},"content":"Arab League had no choice but to find alternative to Trump’s proposal to resettle 2.3m Gazans in Egypt and Jordan","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"C6O6OBAQIZD6HHFKQGZNA3NLVU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Even as diplomacy continued, an Israeli airstrike killed two Palestinians in Rafah in southern Gaza on Saturday, medical sources said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CH2VKMCHD5BKLBMS2FMQ475BZU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Israeli military said its aircraft struck a drone that crossed from Israel into southern Gaza and “several suspects” who tried to collect it in what appeared to be a botched smuggling attempt.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YSNNITWIWZFZXO3MF6XRNVDXL4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The airstrike came after an Israeli drone strike killed two people in Gaza on Friday. The Israeli military said it attacked a group of suspected militants operating near its troops in northern Gaza and planting an explosive device in the ground.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4IJVM6XW3VBQPHWU4ESFF6FP2Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Gaza ceasefire deal that took effect in January calls for the remaining 59 hostages in Hamas captivity to be freed in a second phase, during which final plans would be negotiated for an end to the war.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SCUTPU3FXFDUNG3BOKRRJ4ERUM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The first phase of the ceasefire ended last week. Israel has since imposed a total blockade on all goods entering the enclave, demanding that Hamas free the remaining hostages without beginning the negotiations to end the Gaza war.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2WUX6ZVH2RCDDK2MY2KBGPOQM4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Fighting has been halted since January 19 and Hamas has released 33 Israeli hostages and five Thais for some 2,000 Palestinian prisoners and detainees. Israeli authorities believe fewer than half of the remaining 59 hostages are still alive. – Reuters","type":"text"},{"_id":"T2AVJE2A35F3HJA6MNO27MAPOU","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"RUMEGNZGMFDLBGUXCEM5ENEWPA","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Israel to send delegation to Doha on Monday as mediators push ahead with discussions to extend fragile truce"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T08:16:11.192Z","headlines":{"basic":"Hamas urges ‘immediate’ start of talks for second phase of Gaza ceasefire","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"HGRQ5UPVQ5GVDBGAYZ7UE3QTKI","auth":{"1":"cf1e253c0593bc01582ec8c03b3f77de9e3bb79be4fce47330f6fe51349ccc8c"},"focal_point":{"x":2550,"y":2000},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/HGRQ5UPVQ5GVDBGAYZ7UE3QTKI.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/09/hamas-urges-immediate-start-of-talks-for-second-phase-of-gaza-ceasefire/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"Z4G47BRBFVFR3DA5536VVN23PY","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":198,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/24894b45-5b3c-42ba-91e3-ca9819e6c84a/versions/1741467274/media/fba7701587830f2914d3c0c5437926cc_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/08/pope-francis-showing-slight-improvement-vatican-says/","content_elements":[{"_id":"3MNIAWUR3BAS5EX24WBYZQ4IVM","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/pope-francis/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/pope-francis/\">Pope Francis</a> is showing a “good response” to his treatment in hospital for double pneumonia and his overall condition is gradually improving, the Vatican said on Saturday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7LGLXUWWYNAXVBHML7XJAEJIXU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Francis (88) has been in Rome’s Gemelli hospital for more than three weeks with a severe respiratory infection that has required continuously evolving treatment.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HWROZPNKBNEYBM5DHHFXXIOGQI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The clinical condition of the Holy Father in recent days has remained stable and, consequently, indicates a good response to the treatment,” the latest detailed medical update said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"C6JRUQOIBJHS5JIWMAFDYBOZUQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The pope, it said, has continued to have no fever and his blood tests have remained stable.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CIXB43SKUNA5ZIRJASJJQJIXZQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Although the doctors said they had seen “a gradual, slight improvement” in the pope’s overall condition, they maintained a guarded prognosis “in order to ensure these initial improvements continue in the coming days”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OB3VKCE4HVHKJBOA6H2SKBC66A","additional_properties":{},"content":"The pope is continuing to receive oxygen to help with his breathing, the Vatican press office said. During the day, he uses a small oxygen hose under his nose. At night, he has been using non-invasive mechanical ventilation as he sleeps.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EWUWDZNYDJCMJCPXGRPKPDSLRM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Francis has experienced several bouts of ill health over the last two years and is prone to lung infections because he had pleurisy as a young adult and had part of one lung removed.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WWMOT34OVZEFJHEJQEAGW6GSEA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Double pneumonia is a serious infection in both lungs that can inflame and scar them, making it difficult to breathe.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BKF4PORI2BHUJEBZG6E4WXOSHI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Francis has not been seen in public since entering hospital, his longest such absence since his papacy started nearly 12 years ago.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NUVHWEQO2JAXJMKAV2QDJK7MIY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The pope’s doctors have not said how long the treatment might last. He will miss a weekly prayer with pilgrims for the fourth week in a row on Sunday, the Vatican said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5RZKMTJQH5CYXCXCVFJOJKA6PY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Doctors not involved in Francis' care have said the pope is likely to face a long, fraught road to recovery, given his age and other long-standing medical conditions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6K6JXHSR65GZFKLQC56JR7GGIY","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"4HRTBQPRMNG6RN224CXOI2U7YM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The tone of the updates from the Vatican has been cautiously upbeat in recent days, after the pope suffered what was described as two episodes of “acute respiratory insufficiency” on March 3rd.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KLDMDBUVBVCLTLY74QHNTQSFO4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Groups gathered outside Gemelli hospital throughout the day on Saturday to pray for Francis. They placed candles, prayer beads and other items at the base of a statue of the late Pope John Paul II, who was treated at the facility many times over his 1978-2005 papacy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MZFTBJMTFFBMLH3MCC2MIEOEFE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Maria Neve, from Naples, Italy, left a small bouquet of yellow flowers. “He is an incredible person who gives so much to others, and we, in turn, must give back to him,” she said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"J5CTLPEVFBGIZKLXFP5B65TP6U","additional_properties":{},"content":"Francis, who is known to work himself to exhaustion, has continued to work from hospital. On Saturday, the Vatican announced the appointments of four bishops that would have required his approval.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TN7Y35A4QZH2BGPCQ3HBZ626ZY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Francis on Saturday also sent a message to an anti-<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/abortion/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/abortion/\">abortion</a> group in Italy that was undertaking a pilgrimage to the Vatican.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XH5YLOXO6NDKBPXFVQNO4U6FVI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The message, read aloud to the group by Cardinal Pietro Parolin in St. Peter’s Basilica, was signed by Francis with a note to say it was sent “from Gemelli hospital”. – Reuters ","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Francis (88) has been in Rome’s Gemelli hospital for more than three weeks with a severe respiratory infection"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T20:49:22.336Z","headlines":{"basic":"Pope Francis showing ‘slight’ improvement, Vatican says","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"CUNPKBAQ3ZLX3VR322XEIN3FNQ","auth":{"1":"4b1de5f2d78f1b6eee984708682ba31202c4c3da428aec539280c7d21cf23c58"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/CUNPKBAQ3ZLX3VR322XEIN3FNQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/08/pope-francis-showing-slight-improvement-vatican-says/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"MUSBNTCLPJHWXNE6WH5GL5D2IY","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":93,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/3ab5546b-c174-4fa0-9f20-5c86dbb60ec5/versions/1741421656/media/2769e6bbdb1caa25bac3e879d3fcfd9a_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/08/russian-strikes-kill-at-least-14-injure-dozens-in-ukraine-says-kyiv/","content_elements":[{"_id":"Z6S4ST3QBRFCXBSC2TPDQGFVIM","additional_properties":{},"content":"At least 14 people were killed, including five children, and 37 wounded in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" target=\"_blank\">Russian</a> missile and drone attacks on <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\" target=\"_blank\">Ukraine</a>’s eastern city of Dobropillia overnight and on a settlement in the Kharkiv region, the Ukrainian interior ministry said on Saturday. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"AHCJ2GSYTNHFBKJRIECKLDVE4I","additional_properties":{},"content":"President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said later that Ukraine is “fully committed” to having a constructive dialogue with US representatives in Saudi Arabia next week over ways to end the war with Russia","type":"text"},{"_id":"SZ32Q7EX4JHEPAA2JF46JFCHB4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491092},"content":"Russian forces attacked Dobropillia overnight with ballistic missiles, multiple rockets and drones, causing damage to eight multistorey buildings and 30 vehicles, the ministry said. The assault resulted in the deaths of 11 people, including five children, and left 30 others wounded.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WK3O2YH3RBAS3JPNY464BSSRLQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491093},"content":"The ministry also reported that three civilians were killed and seven wounded in a separate drone attack on the Kharkiv region in the northeast.","type":"text"},{"_id":"G6UINKH7NZBWHGUQZMGCHC5UNM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491094},"content":"“While extinguishing the fire, the occupiers struck again, damaging the fire truck,” the ministry said on the Telegram messenger app.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2FXWU34AOBHYTL446USPOHKTMY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491095},"content":"Photographs of partially destroyed buildings engulfed in flames and rescue workers clearing debris were also published by the ministry.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5Y3GCMXMZRHU5GMYXV2TBH4RNE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491096},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"WHQQGZCYLFAXNANNOPYCTAELVY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491097},"content":"“Such strikes show that Russia’s objectives have not changed. Therefore, it is crucial to continue to do our best to protect lives, strengthen our air defences, and increase sanctions against Russia. Everything that helps Putin finance the war must collapse,” said on Facebook.","type":"text"},{"_id":"X72LA3JE3BNRFCHWLOY5FVDUPU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491098},"type":"image"},{"_id":"Y3PRNK4BRVHHNNJLHH6CYKDN2I","additional_properties":{},"content":"Since taking office in January, US president Donald Trump has paused American military aid to Ukraine as well as intelligence-sharing with Kyiv. He has accused Zelenskiy of not being serious about reaching a peace agreement with Russia.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M3ATEMPGZ5HJZA3CVVSHGXZ3ZM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Ukraine has been seeking peace from the very first second of this war. Realistic proposals are on the table. The key is to move quickly and effectively,” Zelenskiy said on social media network X.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SYV7L3TP5BEYRPB2ZLCYZXHQVE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Zelenskiy said he would visit Saudi Arabia next week and that after meeting with Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman on Monday, Ukrainian diplomatic and military representatives would stay for a meeting on Tuesday with the US team.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YBIKNUF6FNAE3GWK2FZUJR7C54","additional_properties":{},"content":"“On our side, we are fully committed to constructive dialogue, and we hope to discuss and agree on the necessary decisions and steps,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AY23WVLOEZDVPOHIT7RYIIXQAY","additional_properties":{},"content":"On Friday, Russian forces damaged Ukrainian energy and gas infrastructure in their first major missile attack since the US paused intelligence sharing with Ukraine, piling pressure on Kyiv as President <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" target=\"_blank\">Donald Trump</a> seeks a swift end to the war.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AZD6LCNJERDC3NW6VF5ZNYBDB4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491100},"content":"The pause in US military aid and intelligence may undermine Ukraine’s air defences as it runs low on advanced missiles and struggles to track attacks as effectively, military analysts say.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MNQDR42PJFHRPBFTLH5JDAOA7M","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491101},"content":"Dobropillia, home to about 28,000 people before the war, is in the Donetsk region of eastern Ukraine, 22km from the front line north of the key hub of Pokrovsk, which the Russian troops have been attacking for weeks. - Reuters","type":"text"},{"_id":"VKTW36MXDBHRFMEDBBZFFRKDHE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491102},"content":"US cuts off intelligence sharing with Ukraine","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"475PDZIIARE5XF2QS4PG7UY3FY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491103},"content":".","type":"text"},{"_id":"4XQAYEQOGJDXNIFIDMGG3BD3GA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491104},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"CL2HWOIOYZGXXDVLEAKITWLBRE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741465491105},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"At least 14 killed in missile and drone attacks, including five children, says Kyiv"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T20:02:15.07Z","headlines":{"basic":"Zelenskiy: Latest strikes on Ukraine show Russia’s objectives have not changed","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"Z7DASVYYJRUK4L7ERDFUJWXPAQ","auth":{"1":"daf87b7a20d9a79d18abb640935112cbf40fb97e349ea77c889fe081d03bb63a"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/Z7DASVYYJRUK4L7ERDFUJWXPAQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/08/russian-strikes-kill-at-least-14-injure-dozens-in-ukraine-says-kyiv/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"FIKG2KAPJZDZ5I3FWWGZP7QH7Y","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":144,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/aa7d4104-2fff-4194-87f6-2192e73b842c/versions/1741447275/media/98a773f7993b7206d3d2296cb5dc0355_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/2025/03/08/donald-trumps-scottish-golf-resort-vandalised-by-pro-palestine-group/","content_elements":[{"_id":"Q4UF6AXBERBITPSGP7UWFIH5PE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432500},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" target=\"_self\">Donald Trump</a>’s Turnberry golf resort in Scotland has been vandalised by activists in response to the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/\" target=\"_self\">US</a> president’s statements on <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza-strip/\" target=\"_self\">Gaza</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MSHN6RFGIFFEBPHAZY62SVQ6J4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432501},"content":"The golf course in South Ayrshire, owned by the US president, was targeted overnight, with activists painting Gaza Is Not For Sale in three-metre high letters on the lawn, and damaging the greens including the course’s most prestigious hole, used in Open championships.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SSUCFJS7PJECBP25W5JN4UTMBQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432502},"content":"Red spray paint was used to deface the elite club house at the 800-acre resort on Friday night.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EC6ITHESLRFKVOD2A73BBHPJJ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432503},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/palestine/\" target=\"_self\">Palestine</a> Action described it as a “direct response to the US administration’s stated intent to ethnically cleanse Gaza”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ICI636AWBBEI3EORBIMTLM4EXI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432504},"content":"Mr Trump’s recent comments include plans to “clean out the whole thing”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MJL26X5XFZCPZPYOXJ6LWLFW4Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432505},"content":"The US president last week published an AI video on Truth Social, advertising his plans for the strip, which included himself and <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\" target=\"_self\">Israel</a>’s president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\" target=\"_self\">Binyamin Netanyahu</a>, shirtless, drinking at the “Trump Gaza” resort.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NHEJQPDBMVDF7P5JD7FGYVXJPM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432506},"content":"The creator of the AI video, which shows a gold balloon shaped like Mr Trump’s head, in a satire inspired by comparing the Las Vegas Strip with the Gaza Strip, revealed it was a joke and there were concerns it might offend the White House.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QFF2EITGL5C7HLBJLRP266HH5U","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432507},"content":"Mr Trump sent a message to the two million population on his Truth Social platform, writing: “To the People of Gaza: A beautiful Future awaits, but not if you hold Hostages. If you do, you are DEAD!”","type":"text"},{"_id":"ILFEPO5D7ZBNHFHBFFDGOBAANA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432508},"content":"The Trump administration recently signed off on the shipment of 40,000 bombs to Israel.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XZSCE7HH7FC7VM2D2S62ANZKEU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432509},"content":"A spokesperson from Palestine Action said: “Palestine Action rejects Donald Trump’s treatment of Gaza as though it were his property to dispose of as he likes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HACMU53OEZESLABNX5JCP54WGI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432510},"content":"“To make that clear, we have shown him that his own property is not safe from acts of resistance.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZMD72QZUQFEX5NBUCN5AK4XSKE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432511},"content":"“We will continue to take action against US-Israeli colonialism in the Palestinian homeland.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"VQR2FY4QG5HB3IXR24CXD5PO7U","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432512},"content":"A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “Around 4.40am on Saturday, March 8th, 2025, we received a report of damage to the golf course and a premises on Maidens Road, Turnberry. Inquiries are ongoing.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"AWWETYMTDJEO3MWSI66KNNFQUI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432513},"content":"A spokesman for Trump Turnberry said: “This was a childish, criminal act but the incredible team at Trump Turnberry will ensure it does not impact business.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QH7IWYTMJBBBVICXLEYE5BSJU4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741448432514},"content":"“Turnberry is a national treasure and will continue to be the number one beacon of luxury and excellence in the world of golf.” - PA","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"‘Gaza Is Not For Sale’ painted in three-metre high letters on the lawn"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T15:16:07.275Z","headlines":{"basic":"Donald Trump’s Scottish golf resort vandalised by pro-Palestine group","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"EEKUPWT4LW3ERF6LPTWQTJ3ZSA","auth":{"1":"63ece1f7d0b8f836624ef140b99c57be0516728943f689120bc37cc9b68bd160"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/EEKUPWT4LW3ERF6LPTWQTJ3ZSA.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"World"},{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"US"},{"name":"UK"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/2025/03/08/donald-trumps-scottish-golf-resort-vandalised-by-pro-palestine-group/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"World"}}}},{"_id":"P45BQUDVNJANNIZRDYDY3PGQC4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":169,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/634ce068-338a-4137-a845-70630acdbb53/versions/1741435250/media/8cba7e110d7b2ec5cb78881c66f8251a_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/australia/2025/03/08/ex-cyclone-alfred-one-dead-and-mass-blackouts-after-tropical-low-hits-australia/","content_elements":[{"_id":"637MFWYAIFC7HBQFF6WZB2E4PQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Heavy rain will continue to lash a region of the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/australia/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/australia/\">Australian</a> east coast for days, even though it avoided the destructive winds of its first tropical cyclone in 51 years, officials have said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2MOJDGANNZHONBHHLLIZMTSAH4","additional_properties":{},"content":"One person was confirmed dead and several others were injured during the bad weather.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SOFJBSQP2FCHXID2OIFT5Y3JLA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Tropical Cyclone Alfred had been expected to become the first cyclone to cross the Australian coast near the Queensland state capital, Brisbane, Australia’s third-most populous city, since 1974.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UHMDNLGBS5B3BN4M7MVKCY5OZI","additional_properties":{},"content":"But the cyclone weakened on Saturday to a tropical low, which is defined as carrying sustained winds of less than 63km/h then came to a near-standstill off the Brisbane coast for several hours.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AZSEDSSK4JAZPL724BNX7DALPY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The cyclone’s remnant is forecast to track west across the Australian mainland in the coming days bringing heavy rain, Bureau of Meteorology manager Matt Collopy said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QW7DPHAZORE75AZQRYE35BNTBI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The real threat now is from that locally heavy-to-intense rainfall, which may lead to flash and riverine flooding,” Mr Collopy said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NAYE2YM3VBEQLM47D64N42BSOY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Are you Irish, living in Australia and affected by Ex-Cyclone Alfred? Tell us your story","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"TXREROK7HBA75NIUE5AS6U6FPM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Cyclones are common in Queensland’s tropical north but are rare in the state’s temperate and densely populated southeast corner that borders New South Wales state.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UOHW5BAJ5JGTXCIG7EZNYY37TA","additional_properties":{},"content":"A 61-year-old man who disappeared in a flooded river near the New South Wales town of Dorrigo was confirmed as the first fatality of the crisis when his body was recovered on Saturday, police said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"E3OWTIGJISCS4BL5UELF3CDDJY","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"EQDGLSTVBBGWBBXIJZGAIENNPU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Several defence personnel were injured when two military trucks involved in the emergency response collided at the town of Tregeagle in New South Wales on Saturday, police said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NDCAD2SFKNCCRI2Q7TAPBR7CWU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Nine Network television and other media reported that 36 people had been injured, eight seriously, with two people trapped in the trucks.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EMWXBIP3IBFV7IZ5CG3JP7L5VU","additional_properties":{},"content":"A woman sustained minor injuries when an apartment building lost its roof in the Queensland border city of Gold Coast on Friday, police said. The woman was one of 21 people who were evacuated from the building.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DXTCRGMJNJDCLFTNDQLRBTMENM","additional_properties":{},"content":"A couple sustained minor injuries when a tree crashed through the ceiling of their Gold Coast bedroom during strong winds and rain on Thursday night, officials said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"L3GNIRGUJ5HCJES37ANCDT3PUA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Queensland premier David Crisafulli said 330,000 homes and businesses had lost power due to the storm since Thursday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FME4VPS5WAXTCHKVLYBGCJYPZI","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"LYD57Z7NKBBBZG2R4CNNWBDMBA","additional_properties":{},"content":"No other natural disaster had created a bigger blackout in the state’s history.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3YOPQ7Z74VA5ZJPFPKEXYFZEVM","additional_properties":{},"content":"New South Wales reported as many as 45,000 premises without electricity on Saturday. But tens of thousands had been reconnected by late in the day, officials said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UGQBS67S2JC3HGLY5T6JTHVVN4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Rivers were flooding in Queensland and New South Wales after days of heavy rain, the meteorology bureau said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XITYL6GAIZATPHKT7DFOCFULGY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The missing man was the only failure among 36 flood rescues carried out by emergency teams in northern New South Wales in recent days, most involving vehicles attempting to cross floodwaters, police said. – AP","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Cyclone weakens to tropical low, but ‘intense’ rainfall threatens flooding, says expert"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T11:55:40.409Z","headlines":{"basic":"Ex-Cyclone Alfred: One dead and mass blackouts after tropical low hits 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href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/north-korea/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/north-korea/\">North Korea</a> has unveiled for the first time a nuclear-powered submarine under construction, a weapons system that can pose a major security threat to <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/south-korea/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/south-korea/\">South Korea</a> and the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/\">US</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OQTCRPKMP5AURFSMIS2YAIE5XY","additional_properties":{},"content":"On Saturday, state media released photographs showing what it called “a nuclear-powered strategic guided missile submarine”, as it reported leader <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/kim-jong-un/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/kim-jong-un/\">Kim Jong-un</a>’s visits to major shipyards where warships are built.","type":"text"},{"_id":"B7Y6V2CXCNHFTFYOEAUAPBJVF4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) did not provide details on the submarine, but said Mr Kim was briefed on its construction.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4GIDH35LKNDRRDAY7Z2AKKKK54","additional_properties":{},"content":"Moon Keun-sik, a South Korean submarine expert who teaches at Seoul’s Hanyang University, said the naval vessel appears to be a 6,000-tonne-class or 7,000-tonne-class one which can carry about 10 missiles.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2MCVRGAE7RFJPLIVHPFQMKFJCM","additional_properties":{},"content":"He said the use of the term “the strategic guided missiles” meant it would carry nuclear-capable weapons.","type":"text"},{"_id":"K2C6CVAEVFGXFLCSMBLWRRNUOE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“It would be absolutely threatening to us and the US,” Mr Moon said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ABVUI6KVG5FNFBGJK56W446FHU","additional_properties":{},"content":"A nuclear-powered submarine was among a long wishlist of sophisticated weaponry that Mr Kim vowed to introduce during a major political conference in 2021 to cope with what he called escalating US-led military threats.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TE7CU4MVTCX3RHSN3C2PO67BWA","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"VFINLBED4VERVDFX7IWPXBMWSQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Other weapons were solid-fuelled intercontinental ballistic missiles, hypersonic weapons, spy satellites and multi-warhead missiles.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YLAJ6UD7JNEFNGE65JIU7IQYXU","additional_properties":{},"content":"North Korea has since performed a run of testing activities to acquire them.","type":"text"},{"_id":"B3ZMHM6SD5DZNBDJKT5HPCSUJA","additional_properties":{},"content":"The North obtaining a greater ability to fire missiles from underwater is a worrying development because it is difficult for its rivals to detect such launches in advance.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZLDDEZFNRJCQVPMNKIGLL3AQAQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Questions about how North Korea, a heavily sanctioned and impoverished country, could get resources and technology to build nuclear-powered submarines have surfaced.","type":"text"},{"_id":"77PRUXQ7YZCGXBO3M6CZ3QCKEI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Moon said North Korea may have received Russian technological assistance to build a nuclear reactor to be used in the submarine in return for supplying conventional weapons and troops to support <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\">Russia</a>’s war efforts against <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\">Ukraine</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7HBEE5M53ZDSZOKUN2FIW2Y7KA","additional_properties":{},"content":"He also said North Korea could launch the submarine in one or two years to test its capability before its actual deployment.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RD252VMP6BGRTKM6BFVHH4NBGY","additional_properties":{},"content":"North Korea has an estimated 70-90 diesel-powered submarines in one of the world’s largest fleets.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BBG45RYK25HXZDQRBZMC3AIZYU","additional_properties":{},"content":"However, they are mostly aging vessels capable of launching only torpedoes and mines, not missiles.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3SNGVQJ7JVEFBLNSLDO6WMFECM","additional_properties":{},"content":"In 2023, North Korea said it had launched what it called its first “tactical nuclear attack submarine”, but foreign experts doubted the North’s announcement and speculated it was likely a diesel-powered submarine disclosed in 2019.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M67SEI6TB5ASRFNADV6R4FTBDI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Moon said there has been no confirmation that it has been deployed.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TW3VJ6Y3HRFW5ENU3EEBHM6MWY","additional_properties":{},"content":"North Korea has conducted a slew of underwater-launched ballistic missile tests since 2016, but all launches were made from the same 2,000-tonne-class submarine which has a single launch tube. Many experts call it a test platform, rather than an operational submarine in active service.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5UGLXANHYJH3JMGANYNOPOVGZE","additional_properties":{},"content":"In recent days, North Korea has been dialling up its fiery rhetoric against the US and South Korea ahead of their upcoming annual military drills set to start Monday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TTHXJOFURJDT5LMX5QWIZZTVPY","additional_properties":{},"content":"During his visits to the shipyards, Mr Kim said North Korea aims to modernise water-surface and underwater warships simultaneously.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UARHMASNSRDWJKKRQXBOHEFEIQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"He stressed the need to make “the incomparably overwhelming warships fulfil their mission” to contain “the inveterate gunboat diplomacy of the hostile forces”, KCNA reported on Saturday. – AP","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Weapons system can pose a major security threat to South Korea and US"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T11:11:29.891Z","headlines":{"basic":"North Korea unveils ‘nuclear-powered submarine’ for the first time ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"PPMCMYZNSVJQESPULLWBTTHNHA","auth":{"1":"3026ca625d36437b0edc2863d1aaad126dcec4dfffcc90a361debf93cd0068db"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/PPMCMYZNSVJQESPULLWBTTHNHA.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Asia-Pacific"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/03/08/north-korea-unveils-nuclear-powered-submarine-for-the-first-time/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/asia-pacific","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Asia-Pacific"}}}},{"_id":"LN6LCROMOVGW7C3HBUXKYMUEUA","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/world/us/2025/03/08/south-carolina-man-executed-by-firing-squad/","content_elements":[{"_id":"R4HBKTIQ2NA35OAJK2DRJFIXZA","additional_properties":{},"content":"A South Carolina man convicted of murder has been executed by firing squad, the first US prisoner to die by that method in 15 years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2NEYW6ILOJGSBECEA5QGIXOHXA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Brad Sigmon, 67, was pronounced dead at 6.08pm local time after being shot by three volunteer prison employees wielding rifles loaded with live ammunition.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5AENNIV7GZDINPZTZL2AABJPRY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sigmon killed his ex-girlfriend’s parents with a baseball bat in their Greenville County home in 2001 in a botched plot to kidnap their daughter. He told police he planned to take her for a romantic weekend, then kill her and himself.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QTHSEYBPQZFVDDCFM7TCLBP5P4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sigmon’s lawyers said he chose the firing squad because the electric chair would “cook him alive”, and he feared that a lethal injection of pentobarbital into his veins would send a rush of fluid and blood into his lungs and drown him.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZZQXI7HOSRAVJFXZUF7YUUTUGU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The details of South Carolina’s lethal injection method are kept secret in South Carolina, and Sigmon unsuccessfully asked the state Supreme Court on Thursday to pause his execution because of that.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YPHPJFZ4PNJAVO2RE7BCGR6MGA","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"FOV6UZOI7VAMHOL6CKYANP6HIY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The armed prison employees stood 15 feet from where Sigmon sat in the state’s death chamber — the same distance as the backboard is from the free-throw line on a basketball court.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JFI5TP4NWNGKVFB7FYVHMG2MIM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The firing squad is an execution method with a long and violent history in the US and around the world. Death in a hail of bullets has been used to punish mutinies and desertion in armies, as frontier justice in America’s Old West and as a tool of terror and political repression in the former Soviet Union and Nazi Germany.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LXC6WCSIJFHE3E7BVZGVEW4LOE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Since 1977, only three other prisoners in the US have been executed by firing squad. All were in Utah, most recently Ronnie Lee Gardner in 2010. Another Utah man, Ralph Menzies, could be next; he is awaiting the result of a hearing in which his lawyers argued that his dementia makes him unfit for execution.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DWYAOLSZY5FKXMRJHEJSELWVQY","additional_properties":{},"content":"In South Carolina on Friday, a group of protesters holding signs with messages such as “All life is precious” and “Execute justice not people” gathered outside the prison before Sigmon’s execution.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ISPXTHLFQNDZLPXGC5JI44UMFQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Supporters and lawyers for Sigmon asked Republican governor Henry McMaster to commute his sentence to life in prison.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JU6S44I3N5FFJHAE6C2VHD6IMM","additional_properties":{},"content":"They said he was a model prisoner trusted by guards and worked every day to atone for the killings and also that he committed the killings after succumbing to severe mental illness.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FVGZITUFDRBWTNECMIO4BOR75Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"But Mr McMaster denied the clemency plea. No governor has ever commuted a death sentence in the state, where 46 other prisoners have been executed since the death penalty resumed in the US in 1976.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QOA27EQRVRECFKCQ7XMNCO7N4U","additional_properties":{},"content":"Seven have died in the electric chair and 39 others by lethal injection.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JEMNNG4H3RD2LDRKZ4XAOYSSIE","additional_properties":{},"content":"In the early 2000s, South Carolina was among the busiest death penalty states, carrying out an average of three executions a year. But officials suspended executions for 13 years, in part because they were unable to obtain lethal injection drugs.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"name":"Jeffrey Collins, Associated Press"}]},"description":{"basic":"Brad Sigmon killed his ex-girlfriend’s parents in 2001 in a botched plot to kidnap their daughter"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T00:21:54.49Z","headlines":{"basic":"South Carolina man executed by firing squad","native":""},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"OKP7B25IPI3UDXIZGJCBAS6I2M","auth":{"1":"d04ab9f851712ad14bdcc772876a1f54dba088f8d1c62d883d5030eadb0ef357"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/OKP7B25IPI3UDXIZGJCBAS6I2M.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/us/2025/03/08/south-carolina-man-executed-by-firing-squad/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/us","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"US"}}}},{"_id":"M2WGOJJVLZEPVLHVQPNCVMSQDI","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":122,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/b40ea5ec-dd98-4f61-b148-7ca0d1cc745d/versions/1741383965/media/788ee8d3c52925ed59788e6d8fb0761a_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/us/2025/03/07/gene-hackman-died-of-heart-disease-a-week-after-rare-disease-killed-wife-betsy-arakawa-pathologist-says/","content_elements":[{"_id":"IHUTUZBTIRD6HFK7T6DRYY4CYE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Actor Gene Hackman died of heart disease a week after his wife Betsy Arakawa died of a rare infectious disease at their home, a pathologist has said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HA6HGPETLNBPFLDJGCWNFUAMAA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Dr Heather Jarrell, chief medical examiner for New Mexico, told a press conference in Santa Fe, New Mexico, it was “reasonable to conclude” that Ms Arakawa (65), also known as Betsy Hackman, died of hantavirus pulmonary syndrome on February 11th at the couple’s home in Santa Fe.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MZNCBJZX3NHCBG4P2NXDJGSHCA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Two-time Oscar winner Hackman (95) died a week later on February 18th of “hypertensive and atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease, with Alzheimer’s disease as a significant contributory factor”, she said. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4GMQKKWGWZDRTCQKUIMOMOCARA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Officials speculated that Hackman may have been unaware Ms Arakawa had died. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"PUUZNZJCRVFFPKBIV37AGWBBHI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The couple’s partially mummified bodies were discovered in their home on February 26th and police said there were no apparent signs of foul play.","type":"text"},{"_id":"P5HHQZQYSJBSJJF3ZBTAUA4SZ4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The alarm had been raised by a maintenance person doing pest control at the property, who was concerned because he had not seen the couple, police said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VQNCRSBUJNFHJDSFSRTJMFXRAA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hackman’s body was found in a mud room, and his wife was found next to a space heater in a bathroom, detectives said in a warrant after a search of their home.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JIT63WQGGVFOTDZYTVEUBTKETM","additional_properties":{},"content":"What is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, the rare illness that killed Betsy Arakawa, wife of Gene Hackman?","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"76LO4UYSZ5FQNLTLO4VORVZ5JM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Santa Fe sheriff Adan Mendoza, and state fire, health and forensics officials, held a news conference on Friday to provide updates on the case.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GH2AJ44OANFQLIWVA3G5T72YHE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Mendoza revealed that investigators had been able to piece together Ms Arakawa’s final days and found that she picked up her dog, who was also found dead nearby, from a veterinary appointment on February 9th. She responded to emails and went out shopping on February 11th and her last known activity was on that day, the sheriff said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YYLI7XZSWBGGDAYHXLBSO6XSOE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hackman’s pacemaker last showed activity on February 17th, nine days before maintenance and security workers showed up at the home and alerted police.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VLNTI7CR4RFRXITZFMZ6JGRWI4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Following his death, Hackman’s daughters Elizabeth and Leslie, and his granddaughter Annie, said they would miss the actor “sorely” and are “devastated by the loss”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HQSIQ67YB5E3BNCXGAUAHR4BGU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of our father, Gene Hackman and his wife, Betsy,” they said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TI4Q43PHBVEW5FFQEQHNY3D6ZM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“He was loved and admired by millions around the world for his brilliant acting career, but to us he was always just Dad and Grandpa. We will miss him sorely and are devastated by the loss.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"EJXZSEUPVNEUPGETKXMQO3XIM4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hackman and Ms Arakawa, a classical pianist, married in 1991. The couple had lived in New Mexico since 2004 when Hackman retired from Hollywood. – AP","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[]},"description":{"basic":"Actor (95) and pianist (65) found dead in their New Mexico home at end of February"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T21:41:02.393Z","headlines":{"basic":"Gene Hackman died of heart disease a week after rare disease killed wife Betsy Arakawa, pathologist says","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"D66RHXTMIFCZVN5WGD4VBUAPDY","auth":{"1":"6141b6ac30ab75cbeea825c52c156920b11076809d23ef536e33b292d9988747"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/D66RHXTMIFCZVN5WGD4VBUAPDY.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/us/2025/03/07/gene-hackman-died-of-heart-disease-a-week-after-rare-disease-killed-wife-betsy-arakawa-pathologist-says/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/us","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"US"}}}},{"_id":"TWKXAS72I5GRTO724I27N4OEWQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":198,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/18cabac3-7a8b-44bc-b51c-d2e6bfa54f36/versions/1741376393/media/f5e67cdeea35fc5a0eb5d413747d5103_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/eu-defence-ukraine-russia-latest-updates/","content_elements":[{"_id":"STRJXDUZCRCGRN5WWXYI2V3UIY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741349596747},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/poland/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/poland/\">Poland</a> must consider acquiring nuclear weapons capabilities, its prime minister has said, as the country confronts <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\">Russia</a> and the possibility of a United States retreat from Europe.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OQEHB65YMBC27I4UUZHRI4EANU","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-tusk/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-tusk/\">Donald Tusk</a> said that Poland “must reach for the most modern possibilities, also related to nuclear weapons and modern unconventional weapons”, in a landmark speech to parliament that made stark the country’s need to increase its defence capabilities to confront a much more threatening global environment.","type":"text"},{"_id":"V54KGZKUJBGSRB42HE2QHL4V5E","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I say this with full responsibility, it is not enough to purchase conventional weapons, the most traditional ones. The battlefield is changing before our eyes from month to month,” said Mr Tusk. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4NTDCNMQ6ZA2JBNBFRNYVUZ23M","additional_properties":{},"content":"US president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a>’s threats to stop protecting European allies and his decision to cut off military aid to <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\">Ukraine</a> in an attempt to force immediate peace talks with Russia have spooked European capitals and prompted a drive to drastically increase defence spending and military capabilities that for generations have been provided by Washington.","type":"text"},{"_id":"53RIZKMXWRCCNCFGXGML6HRKGA","additional_properties":{},"content":"French president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/emmanuel-macron/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/emmanuel-macron/\">Emmanuel Macron</a> this week said he was willing to open a “strategic debate” with European countries interested in whether and how France’s nuclear deterrence capabilities could benefit the region. Mr Macron made the offer on Wednesday in response to a call from Germany’s chancellor in waiting Friedrich Merz. Countries such as Lithuania, Latvia and others also said expressed interest in exploring the options.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WOYFWK7Y6FFKBFMUHGFGM7CDWU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Warsaw was “talking seriously with the French about their idea of a nuclear umbrella over Europe”, said Mr Tusk.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HBYIK5232VDJDNRGZFHJJMOHFQ","embed":{"config":{},"id":"acast_podcast-30559","url":"/"},"subtype":"acast_podcast","type":"custom_embed"},{"_id":"WWHHGSGSMNFLZC2RCY2OPPGDCE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The French nuclear arsenal is smaller than that of the United States and the country’s doctrine says the president’s choice of whether to ever use them is guided by its “vital interests” that have a “European dimension”. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"34GVA3MQFBBS7KHRPR6PG3LPKI","additional_properties":{},"content":"In contrast, US nuclear weapons help secure Europe through a more fleshed-out nuclear sharing agreement that is part of Nato and positions warheads in countries including Germany and Italy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MWUVZCZ2VZGLLGDRX3J6F7NSYA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We also need to look more boldly into the future in terms of arms technology,” said Mr Tusk. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"UZJWE4PNANCUPOCMJRBQ6G4IDM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“It is high time for Poland, using both the means it has, as well as its own experience, as well as experience on the battlefield, the Ukrainian experience, to look boldly at our capabilities regarding the most modern weapons.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YIDTJ6WR2JGATJDL5OMTQSOHMM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We are facing a very serious race. And this is a race for security, not a race to war,” said Mr Tusk.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EFE3N3FX6ZBIDDW6TDS2APYXSU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Polish PM also proposed to more than double the size of the country’s army to 500,000 troops and introduce compulsory military training for all adult men by the end of the year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"36GA3C7N5FBSVA4KBRXBWI46WU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Poland will spend an expected 4.7 per cent of gross domestic product on defence this year, the highest in Nato. Mr Tusk told parliament that increasing it to 5 per cent, as Mr Trump has demanded, appeared “a necessity”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TB7JH7TIPVDC7IXMFTHAESQVLY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I deeply believe that we will all pass ... this exam,” said Mr Tusk. “That Poland will be safe and ... invincible.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"OHYARUEDFJDLRJ74TT2UQKOSWQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"– Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025","type":"text"},{"_id":"RFSR2KL5FBHGFAKHQTRGACSV6A","additional_properties":{"_id":1741342812575},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Henry Foy in Brussels and Leila Abboud in Paris"}]},"description":{"basic":"PM signals conventional ordnance insufficient and intends to ensure eastern European state ‘safe and ... invincible’ "},"display_date":"2025-03-07T19:39:50.516Z","headlines":{"basic":"Time for Poland to consider nuclear weapons option, says prime minister Donald Tusk","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"GBJXNGLSYTGVBYBD64UJMSZTPM","auth":{"1":"226e267d73e874ff1cae501dcc41d6e61529fc1d6d008cd4a3ea74a7b8d12ac5"},"focal_point":{"x":3044,"y":1390},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/GBJXNGLSYTGVBYBD64UJMSZTPM.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/eu-defence-ukraine-russia-latest-updates/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"RU7RV3X53RBVHNSIYFP45AKIRU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":236,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/695d54e7-9c36-4ccc-b4d6-6e6f516dcf4e/versions/1741364703/media/7e06f1b0a546d8d27013bd52e880b368_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/trump-considering-more-financial-steps-against-russia-in-push-to-end-its-war-on-ukraine/","content_elements":[{"_id":"VYPRG5VV5RFM3MTEPFUHSJETAQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"US president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a> threatened to impose more sanctions and tariffs on <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\">Moscow</a> until it agreed to a ceasefire and peace deal with Kyiv, as <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\">Ukraine</a> called again for a partial truce following another huge Russian air strike on its energy infrastructure.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QL2G3IHNFJGWDNESETL6UWLPOI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Based on the fact that Russia is absolutely ‘pounding’ Ukraine on the battlefield right now, I am strongly considering large scale Banking Sanctions, Sanctions, and Tariffs on Russia until a Cease Fire and FINAL SETTLEMENT AGREEMENT ON PEACE IS REACHED. To Russia and Ukraine, get to the table right now, before it is too late. Thank you!!!” Mr Trump wrote on social media.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SGOLYEP5IBHW5PE363EHQUESDM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Trump did not go into detail on the possible sanctions against Russia and said later at an Oval Office media briefing that he was finding it more difficult to deal with Ukraine.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WKNXBKYWQJEZFFYBPQFKZW6GKE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The US president says he wants to broker a quick end to Europe’s biggest war since 1945 but, since returning to the White House in January, he has sought to improve ties with Russia while putting intense pressure on Ukraine, and this week halted the supply of US military aid and intelligence to Kyiv.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XVGN4YDS4JFJTPBPSRLTDRVQEA","additional_properties":{},"content":"US and Ukrainian officials are expected to hold talks on bilateral relations and the Russia-Ukraine war in Saudi Arabia next week, after Ukrainian president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/volodymyr-zelenskiy\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/volodymyr-zelenskiy\">Volodymyr Zelenskiy</a> visits Riyadh on Monday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MQDKMNNFANDW7HX53545L4TNVI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Earlier on Friday, Ukraine said Russia had targeted energy facilities across the country with an overnight barrage of more than 250 missiles and attack drones, and that French-supplied Mirage fighter planes were scrambled for the first time to intercept incoming threats alongside US-made F-16 jets provided by other EU states.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M7UJKW4TWBDLRAS5QV2HNJ6I7Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The first steps toward real peace must include forcing the sole source of this war, Russia, to stop such attacks against life,” Mr Zelenskiy said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YANQTKODHRBFHARMCWTZPXENY4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Silence in the skies – banning the use of missiles, long-range drones, and aerial bombs. And silence at sea – a real guarantee of normal navigation. Ukraine is ready to pursue the path to peace, and it is Ukraine that strives for peace from the very first second of this war. The task is to force Russia to stop the war.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"OPFZVA2HJNH6ZBKWPGOZSLZLO4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Russia accuses Europe of stoking more war with vow to support Ukraine as US backs away","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"67H4ZE44ABEJRM67IMIRH5QLQA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Mr Zelenskiy praised his country’s air defence forces and drone-jamming units and said that “in particular, the Mirages successfully intercepted Russian cruise missiles.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"OMBP4KICGBEPBBLI65AXRPKE4Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"The idea of an initial air-and-sea ceasefire was first mooted by France, which has angered Russia by calling for a surge in domestic and Europe-wide defence spending, suggesting that it could use its nuclear arsenal to defend other European states and by saying it could provide troops to a peacekeeping force in Ukraine.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4Q553MQDVBAOZLKSDNMEMSQNMU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“This militarisation [of the EU] is happening mainly against the Russian Federation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday. “This, of course, could potentially be a topic of deep concern for us and require us to take appropriate countermeasures to ensure our security.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"XBXQJC2U4RCO7HXBVHA355NABM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Moscow has accused France of “threatening” Russia by suggesting that its so-called nuclear umbrella could <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2025/03/05/macron-open-to-extending-french-nuclear-protection-to-european-allies/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2025/03/05/macron-open-to-extending-french-nuclear-protection-to-european-allies/\">protect</a> Europe, and denounced Paris and London for proposing a possible peacekeeping mission to Ukraine, which the Kremlin says it would not accept.","type":"text"},{"_id":"E5DPVZKD4VERRGYKDLMIFIWDYI","additional_properties":{},"content":"European states are also discussing how best to use frozen Russian funds to help Ukraine, and Kyiv said it had received more than €900 million from Britain as part of a loan from G7 states that is backed by income from the Russian assets.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZQUBE3FGKFDSNLHYR6YNHJJM34","additional_properties":{},"content":"“England’s transfer to Ukraine of funds that belong to Russia is a gross violation of international law. They will have to return to Russia what they are now so generously handing out,” said Vyacheslav Volodin, the speaker of Russia’s lower house of parliament.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5FEA7FDTDZALHITYLXE2GXSEWU","additional_properties":{},"content":"He claimed the move would “undermine trust in the British financial system forever,” and gave Russia “every reason to respond in a similar manner and confiscate British property” on its territory. - Additional reporting: Reuters","type":"text"},{"_id":"5M2BR53TDBDXTKFYYPRUDN5ADE","additional_properties":{},"content":" ","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Daniel McLaughlin"}},"name":"Daniel McLaughlin"}]},"description":{"basic":"Ukraine scrambles French-supplied jets for first time to counter big Russian strike on infrastructure"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T19:33:46.477Z","headlines":{"basic":"Trump ‘considering’ more financial steps against Russia in push to end its war on Ukraine","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"MVIU4B5D7HTR3JWQOX7GPYH46U","auth":{"1":"44790608390ad7048f1b00019b22b629d15fd84aad7214ecab8f73b25c4e76a4"},"focal_point":{"x":958,"y":639},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/MVIU4B5D7HTR3JWQOX7GPYH46U.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/trump-considering-more-financial-steps-against-russia-in-push-to-end-its-war-on-ukraine/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"M27NHZUDS5CZVAOPPEH4PG2DKQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":170,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/ff1dd81c-ab35-451f-a480-e09e4b1999cd/versions/1741373108/media/b64eeba7a52f6fc7b7d67dfa016d3221_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/07/more-than-130-die-in-syria-as-loyalists-of-deposed-assad-regime-clash-with-government-forces/","content_elements":[{"_id":"2WF62BXR2BCKNFGS372MIKYNMU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Syrian security forces battled for a second day on Friday against a nascent insurgency by fighters from <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/bashar-al-assad/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/bashar-al-assad/\">Bashar al-Assad</a>’s Alawite sect, with scores reported killed, as the Islamist-led government faced the biggest challenge yet to its authority.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CYSAWRYTRVHNHCP3GVFOD7X5B4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reported that almost 200 people had been killed in two days of violence in the coastal region of western <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\">Syria</a>, which is heavily populated by the members of the Alawite minority.","type":"text"},{"_id":"S4QZMIORIZCVVAZI6RB4BCLHNY","additional_properties":{},"content":"They included at least two dozen male residents of the Alawite town of Al Mukhtareyah killed by gunmen on Friday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VZ3OWJUJGVBFHL3325SCEGUFSE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Syrian authorities said the violence began when remnants loyal to Assad – the leader who was ousted three months ago – launched a deadly and well-planned attack on their forces on Thursday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WYS4L24C7RGD3JEJA6DG37LUDU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The violence has shaken interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa’s efforts to consolidate control as his administration struggles to get <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/united–states\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/united–states\">US</a> sanctions lifted and grapples with wider security challenges, notably in the southwest, where <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel\">Israel</a> has said it will prevent Damascus from deploying forces.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PQ6HI5IE2RGL5C3CMJR3H2XL7Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"A source in Syria told the BBC on Friday that the ruling Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) security forces have sparked clashes by carrying out search-and-arrest operations among members of the minority Alawite community to which the Assads belong. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"IWWRT5IPGRFGLAKYIN3SURFULE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Supreme Alawite Islamic Council has urged an end to the air campaign in the Latakia region. Demonstrations were staged in Tartus to back up the council’s call.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KUD5HOO4XZAWBABPIIG2FT4T5Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"Alawite families and individuals in Latakia and Tartus have been attacked by anti-Assad gunmen despite HTS’s efforts to discourage retaliation for 54 years of Assad rule. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"VCBGC7J7EFDJZIWMJY3YWAXJZ4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Insecurity has impaired efforts of the HTS government to revive the Syrian economy, which has been devastated by civil conflict and US and European sanctions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XTPO3TSWWZD65JEHTHHPQVYEOI","additional_properties":{},"content":"While the US, Britain and the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/european-union/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/european-union/\">European Union</a> have eased restrictions, Syria remains in the tight grip of the comprehensive sanctions regime. By retaining key sanctions, they argue pressure can be exerted on the new government to respect minority and women’s rights and reconstruct and redevelop the country,","type":"text"},{"_id":"4FPLMLYUY5BLDJ6Y4I6EXY5YDI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/united-nations-un/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/united-nations-un/\">United Nations</a> Development Programme reported last month that the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has fallen to less than half of its value before the war. Nearly 25 per cent of Syrians are jobless. The poverty rate has risen from 33 per cent to 90 per cent. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"HMHMJ5BGNZHBNIYPEMUBQO5G5Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"One-third of housing units have been damaged or destroyed, leaving 5.7 million homeless. As 70 per cent of power plants and lines have been damaged, electricity outages are frequent. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"RJ3YI7GCKZCF5ITN3GSNJZD7KM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/world-food-programme/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/world-food-programme/\">World Food Programme</a> has started an emergency appeal for donations during the Muslim holy month of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ramadan/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ramadan/\">Ramadan</a> to aid 50 per cent of Syrians “in the grip of hunger”. <i>– Additional reporting: Reuters</i>","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Michael Jansen"}},"name":"Michael Jansen"}]},"description":{"basic":"Violence deals blow to interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa’s rule of shattered country"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T18:40:04.35Z","headlines":{"basic":"Almost 200 die in Syria as loyalists of deposed Assad regime clash with government forces","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"6FJV7XKSTJSX57OEVYQH647VKM","auth":{"1":"746f47417d2c91db183ef6d3671a0b92fe0a445d65d62b7710f956b52be310ea"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/6FJV7XKSTJSX57OEVYQH647VKM.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/07/more-than-130-die-in-syria-as-loyalists-of-deposed-assad-regime-clash-with-government-forces/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"SOHOA6IBMZFMDGHDIMR627TXHI","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":225,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/e7706b5c-787f-4917-adb0-652510e90748/versions/1741367134/media/336a611a2dfc5e518edf5cc9c6476223_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/03/07/trumps-foreign-policy-risks-regress-to-the-law-of-the-jungle-china-warns/","content_elements":[{"_id":"D643ML64VREC7EIREWKOR4HMGA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713969},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/chna/\">China</a> has warned that <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a>’s America First foreign policy could lead to the law of the jungle in international affairs with the strong bullying the weak and small countries paying the greatest price. Speaking to reporters during China’s annual legislative meeting known as the Two Sessions, foreign minister Wang Yi noted that there were more than 190 countries in the world.","type":"text"},{"_id":"C5TRWXE4DFHSZF5E2IJKGF66CQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713970},"content":"“If every country emphasises its own national priorities and believes in strength and status, the world will regress to the law of the jungle, small and weak countries will bear the brunt,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WN3EMI6JGRHYFKSUPR4ZEL7LZY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713971},"content":"“A big country should honour its international obligations and fulfil its due responsibilities. It should not put selfish interests before principles, still less should it wield the power to bully the weak.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"LNOTCYLAYZFLPKIGGBS4NBDHYA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713972},"content":"Trump has imposed a 20 per cent tariff on all goods imported from China, asserting that Beijing is not doing enough to stop the export of chemicals used to make the drug fentanyl. Mr Wang said China had the toughest anti-drugs regime in the world, adding that the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/united-states/\" target=\"_blank\">United States</a> should address the roots of its substance abuse problem.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F4NBIMFQZNGWTERIAC73CQ56UI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713973},"content":"Despite the tariffs, Mr Trump has said he wants better relations with China and its leader <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/xi-jinping/\" target=\"_blank\">Xi Jinping</a> but Mr Wang warned against sending mixed signals.","type":"text"},{"_id":"546JKFXGPFBL5I4AXTCXPID75I","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713974},"content":"“No country should fantasise that it can suppress China on the one hand and develop good relations with China on the other,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZQTPU377QJC2TKV4WHFLY5DJXU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713975},"content":"“This two-faced approach is not only not conducive to the stability of bilateral relations, but also unable to establish mutual trust.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"5GVR3ZGRBRBFNJTOGR445COTKY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713976},"content":"Mr Wang, who declined to identify the US by name, faced questions about Washington’s withdrawal from international bodies such as the World Health Organisation and global treaties including the Paris climate accords. He sought to present China as a stable and reliable partner that remains committed to a system of global governance with the United Nations at its core, asserting that Beijing did not want to replace the current multilateral system but to make it more representative and inclusive.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KTXJEL6FTNB7NKOB3HIKEVW5HQ","additional_properties":{"_id":"T2OXVGR435C7ZEV745LVPPR26E"},"content":"China says it will ‘fight to the end’ with US ‘in tariff war, trade war or any other war’","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"Q7XTAU33D5HITNLZOMEDL44OYU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713977},"content":"Since the start of Trump’s second term, there have been signs of a thaw in relations between China and the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/european-union/\" target=\"_blank\">European Union</a>, which have worsened since the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" target=\"_blank\">Russian</a> <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\" target=\"_blank\">invasion of Ukraine</a> three years ago. <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/european-commission/\" target=\"_blank\">European Commission</a> president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ursula-von-der-leyen/\" target=\"_blank\">Ursula von der Leyen</a> has held out the prospect of new agreements with China and Mr Wang said the two sides should intensify their strategic dialogue.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2YI3CKR3HNCPFODFRZ4RNOUEGQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713978},"content":"“China still has confidence in Europe,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PSCE2GNQUFGGJATCNVJNFUK3G4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713979},"content":"“We also believe that Europe can be a reliable partner. Both sides have the ability and wisdom to properly handle existing issues through friendly consultations.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"CPGB3D43TBE4VHZS72GZQIXQKQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713980},"content":"Mr Wang dismissed the idea that Mr Trump’s embrace of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/vladimir-putin/\" target=\"_blank\">Vladimir Putin</a> might lead to Washington prising Moscow away from Beijing, declaring that the Sino-Russian friendship was based on a logic that was not affected by third parties. He said that in hindsight, the Ukraine war could have been avoided, suggesting that Nato expansion was among the causes of the conflict.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3RBOQVSJMVCFFHNHHHAP5IFHAM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713981},"content":"“All parties should learn something from the crisis,” he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XRLWJGAMSZASTJMB6LBVZ5H7EA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713982},"content":"“Among many other things, security should be mutual and equal, and no country should build its security on the insecurity of another.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"V6F7M56ARZAERCGQRMXSZROUXU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713983},"content":"Wang was uncompromising about China’s security interests in its own neighbourhood, however, characterising Philippines as a pawn of the US in its territorial dispute with Beijing in the South China Sea. And he warned Japan that encouraging Taiwanese independence was playing with fire.","type":"text"},{"_id":"56GTI3Q4FNGBZJWQSDOALKDYRU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741364713984},"content":"“<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/taiwan/\" target=\"_blank\">Taiwan</a> has never been a country; it was not in the past, and it will never be in the future,” he said.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Denis Staunton"}},"name":"Denis Staunton"}]},"description":{"basic":"China and the European Union should intensify their strategic dialogue, says foreign minister Wang Yi"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T17:00:29.61Z","headlines":{"basic":"Trump’s foreign policy risks ‘regress to the law of the jungle’, China warns","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"CMACKYFEXDTR6Z4ORUB3R3WOOY","auth":{"1":"e789866e2f048f0e69b4988e22a75c38629765b200c769a966aae9ba9b53c762"},"focal_point":{"x":2376,"y":1386},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/CMACKYFEXDTR6Z4ORUB3R3WOOY.jpg"}},"subtype":"default","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Asia-Pacific"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/asia-pacific/2025/03/07/trumps-foreign-policy-risks-regress-to-the-law-of-the-jungle-china-warns/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/asia-pacific","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Asia-Pacific"}}}}],"count":10000,"_id":"1036cabc4ddd74d027a6b91830b7bf8661d955de16566c6d24e8c857400f995e"},"expires":1741558176036,"lastModified":1741557875835},"{\"feedOffset\":0,\"feedSize\":10,\"offset\":0,\"query\":\"(taxonomy.primary_section._id:\\\\/world*) AND (subtype:\\\"Analysis\\\" OR subtype:\\\"Opinion\\\")\",\"size\":10}":{"data":{"content_elements":[{"_id":"Z6BQRB76INHW3AOD7Z6BVLZMOU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":265,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/2215e157-7fa6-4806-9f0f-3955d41d29dc/versions/1741420202/media/70816dec2d64322e4109fed3299d5b69_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/us/2025/03/08/what-is-hantavirus-pulmonary-syndrome-the-rare-illness-that-killed-betsy-arakawa-wife-of-gene-hackman/","content_elements":[{"_id":"76J7ME5VJNCQDPAJ5RXIRQ7CNE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Authorities said on Friday that actor <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gene-hackman/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gene-hackman/\">Gene Hackman</a> died of heart disease days after his wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. But what exactly is this rare illness?","type":"text"},{"_id":"VL5O4ITEMJCWNC7XQ3AP4HTDOI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a rare but serious viral disease that can damage the heart, lungs and other organs. The syndrome progresses quickly and can be fatal, according to the Cleveland Clinic, one of the largest and most respected medical centres in the US.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UTNHYF6NJNEQLFBNMSZMPGX6SQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hantaviruses cause two syndromes, including HPS and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People can contract HPS by inhaling, eating, drinking or coming into contact with infected mouse or rat faeces, urine or saliva. Although not all mice and rats carry hantaviruses, some species, including deer mice, white-footed mice, rice rats and cotton rats, are known carriers in North America.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4I3CJBDIH5B4FETVNP5LUTH2TE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Between one and eight weeks after that exposure, someone might begin to feel like they have a flu-like illness,” said Dr Sonja Bartolome of UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LPMVS4WAUVDELMGRYLMCH4CWAA","additional_properties":{},"content":"In the United States, most cases of HPS occur in states west of the Mississippi river.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PPB7NYW3T5HENODU6SFIKSWLOI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“It’s mostly in rural areas, because that’s where most of the rodents carrying the disease live,” Dr Bartolome said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FI5SZKOVN5C5XHTRTJCRSKK6VY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Gene Hackman died of heart disease a week after rare disease killed wife Betsy Arakawa, pathologist says","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"WQ4CLZQZUFADLEO7MXD74MTTJE","additional_properties":{},"content":"HPS remains rare in the US despite its severe symptoms. Between 1993 and 2022, there were 864 reported US cases. New Mexico had the highest number over that time, at 122, followed by Colorado at 119.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7CZPAYLPPJG7XB7XBCEXGALMDU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Person-to-person transmission is extremely rare and has only been documented in cases of a hantavirus strain found in Argentina and Chile.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D6NEWPN7RBFSLNIIYYKPUBF2QE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Once the hantavirus enters the body, it replicates and spreads, which can cause a severe amount of damage in the lungs. The virus weakens blood vessels and causes leakage and fluid build-up in the air sacs, making breathing difficult.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QEF7LGUGCJA7FK5WMX6Q26CC6A","additional_properties":{},"content":"In the heart, it damages the heart muscle and weakens blood vessels while reducing the heart’s ability to pump oxygen-rich blood to the body’s organs. If untreated, these effects can lead to shock, organ failure and death.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QEUDPRDIAVA63LAPQRXDZMWPFI","additional_properties":{},"content":"HPS symptoms work in three phases. The first is the incubation phase, lasting up to eight weeks, during which the virus is present in the body but no noticeable symptoms are present.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HZLEABNLB5CQZH5DUMZVJA2GPU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The second phase develops quickly and includes fever, chills, fatigue, muscle aches, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, dry cough, headache and dizziness. This stage lasts between two and eight days.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BA57ZWJ4KNDOBJWS3NNFH5WATA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Gene Hackman obituary: One of the most prolific and respected character stars of late 1980s and 90s","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"UNNAJLCS4BGWHMV6DWSR6M6TLU","additional_properties":{},"content":"About four to 10 days after these initial symptoms, the third and most severe phase begins. This last phase includes internal bleeding, fluid-filled lungs, difficulty breathing, a rapid heartbeat and chest tightness. These symptoms can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BJZGLWGKORGB5MNUU2IBTF7EW4","additional_properties":{},"content":"There is no specific treatment or cure, but early medical attention can increase the chance of survival. Patients usually require oxygen therapy, fluid replacement, medications to stabilise blood pressure, antiviral medications such as ribavirin, among other care. If patients survive the late-stage symptoms, recovery typically takes a few weeks.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PQOIFVMW4JANFMDMH56AB2LRKA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Video: Remembering some of Gene Hackman's most famous roles","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"TPVDAFUHIVHZ5FU2SGVCYX6TSM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Although no vaccine exists for HPS, the Cleveland Clinic recommends taking prevention strategies to help reduce risk. These include avoiding wild rodents, sealing entry points in homes, properly cleaning and disinfecting rodent-contaminated areas, using protective gear when handling droppings and keeping food securely stored.","type":"text"},{"_id":"P5SFIYMBMFBHJCEV3IKXLG2NHM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sweeping or vacuuming droppings is not recommended because it could release virus particles into the air. – Guardian","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"name":"Coral Murphy Marcos"}]},"description":{"basic":"Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is an uncommon but serious viral disease that can damage the heart, lungs and other organs"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T07:44:51.49Z","headlines":{"basic":"What is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, the rare illness that killed Betsy Arakawa, wife of Gene Hackman?","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"D66RHXTMIFCZVN5WGD4VBUAPDY","auth":{"1":"6141b6ac30ab75cbeea825c52c156920b11076809d23ef536e33b292d9988747"},"focal_point":{"x":1004,"y":509},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/D66RHXTMIFCZVN5WGD4VBUAPDY.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/us/2025/03/08/what-is-hantavirus-pulmonary-syndrome-the-rare-illness-that-killed-betsy-arakawa-wife-of-gene-hackman/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/us","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"US"}}}},{"_id":"MB5UJSQN6NDQTDB2YBAKYFXZL4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":236,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/0ed6fc2d-4dfa-4f86-8867-4544750f7f52/versions/1741365208/media/34bfcfd74e44ccef12e58074c336e808_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/hungary-drifts-further-from-eu-consensus-on-ukraine-war/","content_elements":[{"_id":"UZY6WSPPTRBIRA3WBM6WBUR2CQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sometimes one of the hardest numbers to count to when the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/eu/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/eu/\">European Union</a>’s national leaders gather together inside a room can be 27. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"S75IBETZ6NHERGMRPQKL2WSRS4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Behind the closed doors of the emergency EU summit on Thursday, the prime ministers and heads of state got as far as 26, when totting-up those in favour of a joint statement expressing support for <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\">Ukraine in its war with Russia</a>. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"GSVJNYMRQFC5FHQZFBIOFRDIIE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hungary’s populist right-wing prime minister Viktor Orban was the sole holdout of the 27 leaders, refusing to add his name to the negotiated statement. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4KAN4LC74VDU7L5PFUV7GTEW54","additional_properties":{},"content":"Orban has been United States president Donald Trump’s biggest fan inside the European leaders club. He has also been the most sceptical, and frequently actively obstructive, of EU efforts to send military and financial aid to Ukraine. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4F4DZLHE4ZANZLV2S4KWKBAUJ4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Decisions on foreign policy at EU level need to be unanimously agreed by all 27 member states. This means a lot of work goes into finding a consensus. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"6ZT4SGQ4UBCBHFLIZYGWDFFAEA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Orban has made liberal use of veto powers, to stop the rest of the EU sending aid to Ukraine. Hungary has also threatened to block the renewal of economic sanctions levelled on Russia, which need to be rolled over every six months. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7LPFHWDYARDZRNV3EBGROX6QJU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The crunch meeting of leaders this week debated how EU states could put more money into their own militaries, as well as do more to help Ukraine in its war with Russia. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"2H22IVQGORDHXJU3H4MDZMMR7U","additional_properties":{},"content":"Moves by Trump’s US administration to freeze the huge flow of weapons and funds it sends Ukraine gave the talks a real sense of jeopardy. Leaders recognised the possibility that Europe could soon find itself supporting Ukraine without US support. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"LVZQDXLCINBSXGXTNDRGZLCOFA","additional_properties":{},"content":"There is anxiety about Trump’s push for a speedy settlement to end the war. The fear is any deal on terms favourable to Russia might undermine the future security of Ukraine, and possibly Europe. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"3N4YFOXH5JDUXBVD5VJKNEUHAQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"A joint statement by the 27 leaders reiterating the EU’s full backing for Ukraine was to be symbolic. This summit was not due to vote on any concrete proposals. There is a plan for a new multibillion euro package of military aid, but that is still in the works. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"WPLG2CAONJB7TG57JYYUBQYRM4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Slovakia’s populist prime minister Robert Fico had been in Orban’s camp heading into the summit. Fico’s support for Kyiv is lukewarm at best. He has been unhappy about Ukraine refusing to allow Russia to transit gas across its territory to central Europe. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"VVSHBVS3L5EDBJVYY4S3G522AQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Slovakia came around after getting some concessions that EU and Ukrainian officials would try to find “workable solutions” to the gas supply issue. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZJBWOTTQHNFDFBUUWHAPCVSXVU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Orban was not budging. The result was a joint statement from the other 26 leaders, stating Ukraine and Europe needed to be involved in any peace talks. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BRWB5F7JCZAPBBJIOT5GWSFKU4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The text gave a nod to EU states who were ready to “urgently step up efforts to address Ukraine’s pressing military and defence needs”. It is understood €15 billion has been pledged by a group of capitals, with more set to come on board as part of a joint proposal. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"H2IM6R4RFVDIZF5GQPHVX6OS6A","additional_properties":{},"content":"One EU source said if Orban blocked this money being funnelled to Ukraine, they could look at ways to get it to Kyiv outside of formal EU channels. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"W645KWLZAFEX3A4WW6Q6H76N2U","additional_properties":{},"content":"Former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa, who chairs the EU summits, said Hungary had “isolated” itself from the rest of the union. “We respect Hungary’s position, but it’s one out of 27, and 26 are more than one,” he told a press conference afterwards. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"PT27DJFKJRB45E5R7QZXSBRO4A","additional_properties":{},"content":"In response Orban said he felt Europe could not “afford” to continue supporting Ukraine’s army and economy. It was not Hungary, but the EU, who was out in the cold, having isolated itself from the US, China and Russia, he said. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YOXPZNLZGFGJHMHCZQZKRXII4Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Jack Power"}},"name":"Jack Power"}]},"description":{"basic":"European capitals likely to look at ways to bypass ‘isolated’ member state to get support for Kyiv "},"display_date":"2025-03-07T16:33:24.598Z","headlines":{"basic":"Hungary drifts further from EU consensus on Ukraine war","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"7XZFT2SUHVI7MHT5MXYIBVOCZY","auth":{"1":"c1bbd6fe93a1f5d5d7f7a1b603fb7f31cc791b4806712268689b7b45d76f1d49"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/7XZFT2SUHVI7MHT5MXYIBVOCZY.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/hungary-drifts-further-from-eu-consensus-on-ukraine-war/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"4IJ2P4Q2MRFBZE2ZS632UKNSLU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":340,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/c363c913-90c7-44d0-b80a-ed54de151f1d/versions/1741283980/media/fc1631e734a77414471685daa6f5f1fd_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/07/bid-to-oust-attorney-general-a-renewal-of-israeli-governments-judicial-overhaul-plan/","content_elements":[{"_id":"YBTNH4BAVJFBFLQCSOSNJUHV74","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\">Israel</a>’s justice minister Yariv Levin has initiated proceedings to remove attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara from office, accusing her of thwarting the will of the government. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"3AO6TRYJR5H4VBJWNVYSHHS22I","additional_properties":{},"content":"The move paved the way for an unprecedented constitutional crisis and was the clearest indication to date that the judicial overhaul, pursued by prime minister <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\">Binyamin Netanyahu</a>’s right wing government, is back.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7PGHR2FCPVHNZP5X4KR3QEQJRE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The first year of Netanyahu’s government was dominated by efforts to shift the balance of power away from the judiciary to the executive.","type":"text"},{"_id":"J7AEAOMFLFBL3K6ZDD2ATHKJ7E","additional_properties":{},"content":"Opponents of the radical reforms claimed the measures would undermine Israeli democracy and hundreds of thousands took part in weekly protests. The country was in turmoil, divided as never before. Thousands of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reservists, including pilots and intelligence personnel, threatened to refuse to volunteer for military service.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6JV6TDDGOFE4TFLR6QJHUH42SA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Then came<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\"> the October 7th, 2023 Hamas attack</a> and the start of an unprecedented, prolonged, multi-front war. Citizens rushed to join their army reserve units and the government ditched the divisive legislation, instead promoting national unity to achieve victory. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7RMGUWYQ4JFFVOEACQ3DQPWAXA","additional_properties":{},"content":"By the end of 2024 the war had shifted in Israel’s favour with the defeat of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas/\">Hamas</a> in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza/\">Gaza</a> and <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hizbullah/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hizbullah/\">Hizbullah</a> in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/lebanon/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/lebanon/\">Lebanon</a> (although both groups maintain limited fighting capabilities), the fall of the Assad regime in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\">Syria</a> and the weakening of Iran’s regional axis.","type":"text"},{"_id":"REF4Q4IEJ5ADRBB3NDHRD5WRE4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Now, the judicial overhaul is back. Big time. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"HJEDU57NSZOKVLEMLNDZVJ4CTU","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"YODLWPIRWZB4BEEKP5L5E5SOVE","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"5QHL7EGACVBPNELOFRIHS7KVNY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Baharav-Miara has ruled on dozens of occasions that moves planned by the government were illegal. Most recently she ruled that the coalition could no longer delay drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the army. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"5FZGSGI2SJESNDAALE23RVWAJU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The attorney general acts as the long arm of the government’s opponents,” argued Levin, “and spares no effort to thwart the will of the voter.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"NM6F7JAQPRAL3DCG5SKE6JVNJY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Opposition leader Yair Lapid termed the move against the attorney general as “criminal, violent and unconstitutional”. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"K3KIFMQM3JBU3H4T6WCFY3AQOI","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"7H45UUPCUNFHHJAK7UGPP2CHJE","additional_properties":{},"content":"So far, the attorney general has resisted the pressure to resign, which has made her a hate figure for right-wing activists.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3EBRX2YCS5FUHGBDB55ETGSTKE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Proponents of the judicial overhaul argue that it will realign the system of checks and balances that has given the liberal courts too much say in how legislation is crafted and decisions are made, undermining the will of the electorate. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"6V6AQT7UCJAJ3HPICGL5RJPND4","additional_properties":{},"content":"In January, Levin refused to recognise the appointment of liberal judge Yitzhak Amit as Israel’s new supreme court president after trying for months to block the appointment. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YYYQ5WJAWFF5FLZCC2RJRKZWHA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Levin, backed by foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar, is also moving ahead with another controversial piece of the judicial overhaul: the government takeover of the judicial appointments committee. If he succeeds, the government will have control over judicial appointments from the lowest courts up to the supreme court. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"PK42URFQ2RCDJOSPUAB5LBM2E4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Career-minded judges will be reluctant to block laws passed by politicians who decide on their professional future. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"C4IMV5UMTVGNHFO57YU4SR6Y7U","additional_properties":{},"content":"On Sunday, the attorney general called for the Bill to be revised and the move is expected to be challenged in the high court, if passed into law. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"WMDBEP2KD5AGTILFMWZOJUZ3RI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Baharav-Miara argued that an independent judiciary is the central guarantor in the Israeli system of government to prevent the abuse of governmental power. She also argued that the proposed method of selecting judges would be tainted by political bargaining.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OB57DS5FINH6XNGHMNZD5EVTLQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Netanyahu dismissed any link between the attacks on the attorney general and his ongoing corruption trial, where he is fighting charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IQKGCIYFJ5FEFORU3ILG2JF2XE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The judiciary is not the only target for the Netanyahu government. Communications minister Shlomo Karhi is pushing through legislation to privatise or close down Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster. Separate legislation will give the Knesset parliament control over Kan’s annual budget. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"QSGK4PID6JFXJFB5UWBX5FFEFY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Other institutions are also under attack. A bill to ban people from displaying the Palestinian flag in the space of a publicly funded institution is aimed at universities. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"6L2G2YNCYJFSXGLSGNS6DB5UUY","additional_properties":{},"content":"In November the Knesset passed a law allowing the education minister to fire teachers who allow any expression of “sympathy with a terror organisation or incident” with a vague definition of what constitutes terror.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Z723MJ4HY5HA3CVMG6C3YLLIKI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The irresponsible weakening of institutions that have served as a source of Israel’s strength and prosperity for decades is a dangerous phenomenon, especially in time of war. Our leaders have much work to do, and time is of the essence,” said Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, after presenting his organisation’s annual report to president Yitzhak Herzog. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"MD3A4GKDCZAVZI6UL5XFRYZXDE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The report found that Israelis’ sense that democratic rule in the country is under threat is at an almost record high.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KHWV3TCGHNGOBCM2MTIPAEAB7M","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The trust we have in ourselves, in our people, and in our state, has always been a cornerstone for us. When trust is shaken, when the foundations are destabilised, the nation is in danger,” said Herzog. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y4L2BATJPRBCBK4SLVPSODZGRQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The year of protests against the judicial overhaul has been followed by weekly demonstrations urging the government to do more to bring back the hostages from Gaza and set up a state commission of inquiry to investigate the failures of October 7th.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2HR2HPKFAFFLZDFCZ4WT4OPX4E","additional_properties":{},"content":"The opposition forces are exhausted and this is what the government is banking on, buoyed by Israel’s recent military victories, as it returns to its divisive domestic agenda.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Mark Weiss"}},"name":"Mark Weiss"}]},"description":{"basic":"Netanyahu’s right wing regime keen to further curb independent judicial powers"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Bid to oust attorney general a renewal of Israeli government’s judicial overhaul plan","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"X5QCMRVHU7LLCAKDVNHHHH7CQY","auth":{"1":"371e817e67e1ebb108964e98fceefdb4dd5e3d3af227109d88374dc6ff2e9794"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/X5QCMRVHU7LLCAKDVNHHHH7CQY.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/07/bid-to-oust-attorney-general-a-renewal-of-israeli-governments-judicial-overhaul-plan/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"7JTWHRMJSVHD7GDE6PSYGC6BUM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":221,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/edc291a4-28c9-47fa-b3b9-2f1067ce4a33/versions/1741205132/media/7074a8f609153a1589b920581d17cf32_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/05/israeli-security-services-point-finger-at-netanyahu-as-they-own-up-to-errors-over-hamass-october-7-incursion/","content_elements":[{"_id":"TK7LN5UZM5H7ZBPIRFNYLBVIB4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The blame game continues over responsibility for the October 7th, 2023, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas\">Hamas</a> attack on southern <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\">Israel</a> which, Israeli tallies say, left 1,200 people dead and 251 kidnapped to <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza-strip/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza-strip/\">Gaza</a>. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4YOME54CAJH2NAPIWL24F4VRO4","additional_properties":{},"content":"It was the worst moment in Israel’s history and the trauma may never be fully erased. Fifty-nine hostages remain in Gaza and with efforts to bring about their release deadlocked, a resumption of the Israel-Hamas war remains a distinct possibility.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FU56QG3RKJASNCJDTAW2PC2JLQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"On Tuesday, the Israel Security Agency (ISA) Shin Bet released a detailed report outlining its role in the security failure. It was a damning self-indictment. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7XJAYHDFAFCWLEJODXRJBYMNGY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The renowned intelligence body admitted it had failed to correctly interpret numerous indications that Hamas was planning the attack and had failed to warn the military and political leadership. But the ISA also pointed the finger of blame at Israel’s leadership. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"NGIANL7JGBBQZEBLYMZLDOQZ4E","additional_properties":{},"content":"The report cited policies that were enacted by prime minister <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\">Binyamin Netanyahu</a> over more than a decade as contributing factors to the failure: “A policy of quiet that allowed Hamas’s massive build-up; the flow of Qatari funds and their delivery to Hamas’s military wing; the ongoing erosion of Israeli deterrence; the effort to cope with a terrorist organisation on the basis of intelligence and defence, while refraining from offensive initiative; the cumulative weight of violations on the Temple Mount, the treatment of [Palestinian] prisoners and the perception that Israeli society had been weakened because of the damage to social cohesion.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"HBBBQ2EUNFBTTBZ3PIPLTE2LR4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The response from Netanyahu’s close circle was immediate: ISA director Ronen Bar needed to resign immediately. A statement, broadly reported by Israeli media outlets, accused him of having “failed completely in everything that pertains to how the Shin Bet coped with the Hamas organisation in general and specifically to the event of October 7″. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"IXBPQJDKVRAHVPTTNTVFTIBIYY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The unnamed authors of the statement also asserted that the ISA failures had kept Netanyahu in the dark. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YNT4JW3S7FXMMDKWOXTWMIYVEE","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"KZLI3U65PVFAJFBGWRFYW4JARU","additional_properties":{},"content":"It accused Bar of failing to “read the intelligence picture correctly” and of being a “slave to the preconception [that Hamas was deterred and did not seek conflict]. In routine intelligence assessments, including a few days before the massacre, the chief thesis in the ISA was that Hamas wanted to maintain the quiet and that there would not be a war”. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"VVDVXBIWP5COBHS2CEVBAJJ7IE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Specifically, Bar was criticised for deciding not to contact Netanyahu in the early hours of October 7th, 2023, when worrying signs were being picked up from Gaza, including Hamas fighters inserting Israeli Sim cards into their phones.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D56EED3PUZBFXDV2ZTF2LRCVSA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Bar is resisting the pressure to resign, arguing he needs to stay in his role until all the hostages return home.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QK3IVDSMLRCPJH4A23X5V4JW7E","subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"QWQUYVQQT5ET3IWI74ZIFGMMJU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Tuesday’s report followed a number of reports from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in recent weeks in which military chiefs also admitted their responsibility for the October 7th security failure. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"3KYPN77XZJG3ZJK5V4CHPR5RBA","additional_properties":{},"content":"On Wednesday the army’s top general, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, stepped down. “This happened on my watch. What happened is my responsibility. And I bear this and will always bear it. In the name of responsibility, I am ending my term. A lot is said about responsibility, but the significance is in the eye of the beholder,” he said, looking at the table where Netanyahu was sitting.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T26KQ2D2IJFODJFQ3RDAIN4HGE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The ISA report essentially argued that without a comprehensive external investigation it will be impossible to investigate fully the reasons that brought about the Hamas attack. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"NTF3VUIN5VFQXNB3IOU4ZF62PI","additional_properties":{},"content":"But Netanyahu continues to resist the establishment of a state commission of inquiry in the hope that the responsibility will stick with the IDF and the ISA. ","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Mark Weiss"}},"name":"Mark Weiss"}]},"description":{"basic":"The prime minister is resisting an inquiry into what brought about the devasting attack by Palestinian militants"},"display_date":"2025-03-05T19:55:09.48Z","headlines":{"basic":"Israeli security services point finger at Netanyahu as they own up to errors over Hamas’s October 7th incursion","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"TXHC2JAOPLDT77PONWBMNIJDS4","auth":{"1":"cf69f472960e8949357aebbe27c4daee826e4860214593bfe7256ff5e906e3f4"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/TXHC2JAOPLDT77PONWBMNIJDS4.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/05/israeli-security-services-point-finger-at-netanyahu-as-they-own-up-to-errors-over-hamass-october-7-incursion/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"D5JZLWI7ZBHTTORZOXHPGGJDSE","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":288,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/2e1a632c-f2cb-43d5-8e1f-d0b7b6d6127f/versions/1741182510/media/63f13bda00d1efa1ed894ee4743d792f_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/05/arab-league-had-no-choice-but-to-find-alternative-to-trumps-proposal-to-resettle-23-million-gazans-in-egypt-and-jordan/","content_elements":[{"_id":"6BWEPO5XVNC7LLIBCXTI2XTWUA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597731},"content":"The <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2025/03/04/arab-leaders-agree-to-egyptian-plan-for-gaza-reconstruction-avoiding-palestinian-resettlement/\" target=\"_self\">agreement on Tuesday</a> by Arab leaders to adopt a reconstruction plan for <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza-strip/\" target=\"_self\">Gaza</a> occurred one month after <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a> proposed transforming the enclave into the “<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2025/02/06/gaza-strip-ceasefire-donald-trump-plan-latest-news/\">Riviera of the Middle East</a>”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"27LHK3YTZJEBHDSJWHDDVXLPJQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597732},"content":"Often criticised for chronic disunity, the Arab League, which met in Cairo, had no choice but to stand against the US president’s demand that 2.3 million Gazans would be resettled in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/egypt/\" target=\"_self\">Egypt</a> and Jordan. Cairo and Amman would have faced economic pain and popular protests if they had agreed to such a proposal.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FIL6RUQIHVD4RLZFUOWFJUL43A","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597733},"content":"This was the first time an Arab summit has been called upon to approve such an ambitious programme.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ANQ5YDRLT5HDVCOW7EWDW4UV7Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597734},"content":"Gaza’s recovery has been linked to direct negotiations between Palestine and Israel on the emergence of a Palestinian state alongside <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel\" target=\"_self\">Israel</a> in line with the two-state solution. The plan called upon the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/united-nations-un/\" target=\"_self\">United Nations</a> Security Council to deploy international peacekeeping forces to Gaza and the West Bank to enhance security “for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XZDLFLPU7JE6VEGLBPUQUSJL7Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597735},"content":"Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who leads al-Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which has been branded as a terrorist group, attended the summit.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RWIEDLO4ANETZENO64IADOOY5Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597736},"content":"For the first time since Egypt’s 1979 peace treaty with Israel, Cairo has been called upon to draft the Arab plan and lead the effort to implement it. Egypt had been censured, ostracised and suspended from the Arab League for a decade for concluding what was the first Arab peace treaty with Israel. After Israel had occupied East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza in 1967, Arab leaders held a summit in Khartoum and said: “No peace with Israel, no negotiations with Israel, no recognition of Israel.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"RKBYRD73GZHEXJAWJIO3N64YTA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597737},"content":"‘We’ll own it’: Trump’s shocking plan to take over Gaza and displace two million Palestinians","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"5SZA5D56PFE5FJ2LHEI2WBBEAY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597738},"content":"Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said his country had worked with Palestinians on creating an administrative committee of independent, professional Palestinian technocrats entrusted with the governance of Gaza after the end of the Israel-Gaza war.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AEM7MK4HPNGZHI5MLXSMSRQXR4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597739},"content":"The committee would be responsible for the oversight of humanitarian aid and managing Gaza’s affairs for a temporary period, in preparation for the return of the Palestinian Authority (PA), he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5HGZZOGHDRFIZCBJSVNXTYFDU4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597740},"content":"The 91-page $53 billion (€50 billion) Egyptian plan itself was drawn up in fewer than 30 days. Its framework was presented last month to a mini-summit in Saudi Arabia of the Gulf countries, Egypt and Jordan, and was approved on Monday by Arab foreign ministers before the summit.","type":"text"},{"_id":"K2UIFHP72VHZDLSAXBGPB6ILDQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597741},"content":"The plan unfolds in three stages.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YHWDNPYP4RGL3OZEELO3YPGI3Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597742},"content":"During the first six-month stage, projected to cost $3 billion, the committee of neutral Palestinian technocrats – operating under the West Bank Palestinian Authority oversight – would oversee the clearance the rubble from the main north-south highway in Gaza. Palestinians would be moved to seven sites where 200,000 temporary housing units would be built to shelter 1.2 million people, while 60,000 damaged buildings would be repaired.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GWO32MIUC5EXNJDOFQCWGWJHSY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597743},"content":"Egypt and Jordan would train a Palestinian police force to enable the reformed <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/palestinian-authority/\" target=\"_self\">Palestinian Authority</a> to take over Gaza’s governance from <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas\" target=\"_self\">Hamas</a>, which has backed the plan although the fate of its arms remains unsettled. On Tuesday senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri rejected Israeli and US calls for the group to disarm, saying its right to resist was not negotiable.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OIVI2NQ7WJFFFJUAOCE4COC4TI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597744},"content":"The second two-year reconstruction phase, estimated to cost $20 billion, would focus on permanent housing and the rehabilitation of agricultural land as well as the restoration of electricity, water, sewerage and telecommunications.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GOJ76E4SOBBDHMHJWJDL3RF5PQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597745},"content":"The third 30-month phase – expected to cost $30 billion- would continue with housing and build an industrial zone, a fishing port, a commercial seaport and an international airport.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NQ27REQSERGMPCYHPK3HSF4X4E","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597746},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"AAV7R3HQWFGTDMLGM6GHTMI2RQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597747},"content":"Funding would be raised from donors in the Gulf, Europe, the US and international financial institutions. Disbursement and investment would be internationally supervised.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DEXLZPQJRVGIPHDUKENNYIWW4Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597748},"content":"The US and Israel have rejected the Arab plan. US National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement: “The current proposal does not address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable, and residents cannot humanely live in a territory covered in debris and unexploded ordnance. President Trump stands by his vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas. We look forward to further talks to bring peace and prosperity to the region.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"HVSOIOUGQZCVXGGD4KLK5SSWIE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597749},"content":"The Israeli foreign ministry said the Egyptian plan “fails to address the realities of the situation” such as the raid on October 7th, 2023, by Hamas which killed about 1,200 in Israel.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NVPRJ3XGOJEE5LEVV2MFFK2AUY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597750},"content":"The ministry reiterated Israel’s support for Trump’s plan as “an opportunity for the Gazans to have free choice based on their free will”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4RR73EOGJJFGBMIG4T2QYRF33I","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597751},"content":"<i>Additional reporting: Reuters</i>","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Michael Jansen"}},"name":"Michael Jansen"}]},"description":{"basic":"Long criticised for disunity, the bloc now has a $53bn plan to rebuild Gaza Strip, boost its economy and replace Hamas"},"display_date":"2025-03-05T13:43:26.117Z","headlines":{"basic":"Arab League had no choice but to find alternative to Trump’s proposal to resettle 2.3m Gazans in Egypt and Jordan","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"FJ6XUVCZKSPRN3QDE4GBWZD2RI","auth":{"1":"0053c74ff82140549e3e2b84c86794d608821fee841d3cf6c4a3fd85060770a7"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/FJ6XUVCZKSPRN3QDE4GBWZD2RI.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/05/arab-league-had-no-choice-but-to-find-alternative-to-trumps-proposal-to-resettle-23-million-gazans-in-egypt-and-jordan/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"5JOXMUVUYRB2NMD4KJRNLERKUU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":601,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/1f75b536-310a-481c-9730-866414da360d/versions/1741158453/media/e81e0b774354e9a0431e849d0e402a79_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/us/2025/03/05/trump-declares-america-is-back-as-speech-sparks-republican-rapture-and-democrats-departure/","content_elements":[{"_id":"RU2V7QB4E5GF3HAX3M665K2FQI","additional_properties":{},"content":"For a few minutes on Tuesday night, president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a>’s address to a joint session of the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/united-states\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/united-states\">119th Congress</a> threatened to disintegrate into bedlam. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"FI5NYGCR65BJTP5XCMAJQLCH3E","additional_properties":{},"content":"It was shortly after nine o’clock and Trump had just begun speaking when all eyes were drawn to a lone figure rising from his seat in the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/democratic-party/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/democratic-party/\">Democratic side</a> of the House chamber. Al Green, the Texas Democratic congressman, raised a gold-handled cane and shouted repeatedly at <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/trump-presidency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/trump-presidency\">the president</a> in the opening minutes of his address from the lectern.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UCHE3LJC7ZGH7O2F76GDHMUDLE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“You don’t have a mandate to cut Medicaid,” Green called out, loudly, sternly, repeatedly. To the left, a lusty chorus of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/republican-party\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/republican-party\">Republican</a> booing alchemised to a full-blooded chant of “USA! USA! USA!” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"G3SLZHQ3NRC7HEKOKFJT75HBFQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Once it subsided, Trump resumed reading from the autocue only to have the Texan interrupt him again – and then again. The speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, issued a warning. But still Green heckled and persisted until he was finally removed the chamber. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"JYRL74EKSFFTDIVXUR4VW6CYCE","additional_properties":{},"content":"News report: Trump welcomes Ukraine’s willingness to sign minerals deal and talk peace","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"JVNYBL2BRZHLDKQZOH3VNJ4YI4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The president said he had a mandate,” Green said a few minutes later as he made his way through the ghostly corridors of the Capitol. “And I was making it clear to the president that he had no mandate to cut Medicaid. I have people who are very fearful. These are poor people, and they have only Medicaid in their lives when it comes to their healthcare. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"LKPFFW2DEREJLGAMKQGVP52U34","additional_properties":{},"content":"“And I want him to know that his budget calls for deep cuts in Medicaid. I am willing to suffer whatever punishment is available to me. It is worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are willing to stand up against this president’s desire to cut Medicaid. This is the richest country in the world, and we have people who don’t have good healthcare. This president is unfit. He should not hold the office.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"C7VM3W2F6BBQNDLTE22KNLBUDM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Inside, Trump warmed to what turned into a record-setting 99-minute speech which was a condensed version of election-campaign riffs and post-inauguration shocks and promises, riddled with the familiar exaggerations and factual inaccuracies. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"AXD7JVWBYNBIBIIYTKBWQCQYZY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“America is back,” he opened, as on the floor and in the gallery, elected Republicans and chosen guests chanted “USA! USA!”","type":"text"},{"_id":"M3AF6UWDLVCX3KNYV562UQ32OE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Among my very highest priorities is to rescue our economy and get dramatic and immediate relief to working families. As you know, we inherited, from the last administration, an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare. Their policies drove up energy prices, pushed up the cost of groceries and drove the necessities of life out of reach for millions of Americans. We suffered the worst inflation in 48 years, but perhaps even in the history of our country. As president, I am fighting every day to reverse this damage and make America affordable again.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"6A42AFS6DRI4SUB4YLNTYPGNEM","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"LE4FPG5IK5GPDN7QIYA2WYOXSQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"To Trump’s right, the Democrats adopted an attitude of studied indifference. A handful rose from their seats as a courtesy when he entered the room but that was it. Many caught up on their text messages. Democratic congresswomen wore pink but the party mood was sombre. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7GETEW3SLFFU5PD3E6QPFR7JUQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The main intrigue about the occasion revolved around the concerted Democratic response in what was their first opportunity to confront the president directly. After Green’s startling intervention, the night was alive with the possibility that the defeated and fractured party had found an anarchic streak and would break Trump’s address with a series of radical interruptions. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"ON6CVUOHX5FR5FBOIUSBZ42S7Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"Instead, they remained silent and registered their beliefs with hand-held signs carrying their messages – “Save Medicaid”; “Musk Steals”. As a protest, it respected the rules of the evening. But given that the camera was fixed on the president and the enthusiastic nodding of vice-president JD Vance and speaker Johnson, who went full bobble-head with every utterance, the impact was muted.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PBY2SDMXQZBLDHG2IYWHWLAFE4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Nancy Pelosi, the party grandee and former House speaker, was a picture of contained fury but overall the Democratic Party was reminiscent of a lethargic humanities class enduring a punishingly dull philosophy lecture. Yet again they had time, through Trump’s rambling delivery, to reflect on the stunning turn their world has taken since January 6th, 2021, after which Trump left Washington friendless and finished. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4J4X7VVJFFFO5LTRGV5N63LD24","additional_properties":{},"content":"To witness a Republican Party in choreographed shows of rapture must have been demoralising and intimidating even as they experienced, at close range, the full sensory overload of a Trump rally speech.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EAM2UHND7NGOJN2QCOJMBI2EAU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We have accomplished more in 34 days than most administrations do in four years, in eight years. And we are just ... getting started ... our spirit is back and our confidence is back and the American dream is bigger and better than ever before ... a comeback the likes of which the world has never witnessed and perhaps will never witness again.” And on, and on.","type":"text"},{"_id":"COUSFBKA2FDRJMM7ZKN445BJUU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Jasmine Crockett, another Texan Democrat, walked out midway through his address. Others followed. But the Republicans didn’t care. Trump illuminated the evening by introducing several guests to the chamber with moving and often heartbreaking stories, including the family of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/01/30/what-it-would-take-for-america-to-deport-11-million-immigrants/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/01/30/what-it-would-take-for-america-to-deport-11-million-immigrants/\">Laken Riley</a>, whose murder last summer led to the passing of new law in her name, and also the family of Corey Comperatore, who was killed by one of the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2024/07/14/donald-trump-assassination-attempt-sparks-dread-and-fear-in-america/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2024/07/14/donald-trump-assassination-attempt-sparks-dread-and-fear-in-america/\">bullets fired at Donald Trump</a> during last July’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7XFJWX5FQVGY3NCXFZIX3FEBBE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The loudest cheer of the night was reserved for Devarjaye Taylor, a 13-year-old boy who is battling a diagnosis of brain cancer. He was presented with a badge by Sean Curran, Trump’s new Secret Service director, to make him “an agent of the United States”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AVTNGD74SVGHBMH3Y2RLGM7XEI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The boy’s face, in that moment, was an expression of pure joy. Something in its innocence and purity reflected the pomp and pomposity of the night as though the chamber was for an instant transformed into a house of mirrors.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IBF47CPCLRAMFFHB6GV24ISQNY","additional_properties":{},"content":"At one stage, Trump referred to “unelected bureaucrats”. Elon Musk arose from his seat to applaud and at once, several Democrats stood and pointed in accusatory silence at the world’s richest man. Had you forecast this surreal image to veteran politicians on either side of the House a year ago, they could not have imagined it.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QXUUWB5VRNEJFHJDLCC6NKXXUE","additional_properties":{},"content":"But as well as everything else, this period in American political life has altered the perception of time. Tuesday night’s address fell just two days before the one-year anniversary of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2024/03/08/state-of-the-union-sleepy-joe-nowhere-in-evidence-as-canny-well-versed-biden-outlines-vision-in-blistering-speech/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2024/03/08/state-of-the-union-sleepy-joe-nowhere-in-evidence-as-canny-well-versed-biden-outlines-vision-in-blistering-speech/\">Joe Biden’s final state of the union speech </a>to Congress. In retrospect, that hour turned out to be the last unblemished experience of Biden’s 50-year political career. It’s customary for the speechwriters to rifle through the pages of darker history for occasions like this and on that evening, Biden fell on the winter of 1941, when the burden of the office weighed heavily on Franklin Roosevelt.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y24ZA23XOCDLNUE5QZIH52YFZY","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"3CYAFMULCFEAFN7P2V6SFRPHXQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"“President Roosevelt’s purpose was to wake up the Congress and alert the American people that this was no ordinary moment. Freedom and democracy were under assault in the world. Tonight, I come to the same chamber to address the nation. Now it is we who face an unprecedented moment in the history of the union.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"HHYOJO35KBCJTKARPEH5JXSKHA","additional_properties":{},"content":"That was Biden’s rallying cry for the election year ahead. Now, like many millions of Americans, the former president found himself watching on television (there is no way he could have spent the evening in his Delaware livingroom flicking between college basketball games) as his nemesis made a triumphant return to the House chamber.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SDYOPOM5Z5FULGBOXHYEBDZBNU","additional_properties":{},"content":"If he watched, he would have found himself mocked and goaded by Trump once more even as the new faces of the Republican power base – Robert Kennedy Jr and Tulsi Gabbard and the other cabinet members – beamed up at the president.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NQI4EKKU5ZFXFC2YLPMKFV6SSI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Musk, suited for once and content to make an unobtrusive entrance, sat in the gallery alongside too many Trumps to count. There, too, was Kash Patel and directly in front of him stood Chris LaCivita, who along with Susie Wiles was the chief strategist behind Trump’s election campaign.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7IB6P36YTVBYNJD6EOMYVYVZKU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I look at the Democrats in front of me and realise there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy, or stand or applaud ... these people sitting right here will not clap, will not stand and will not cheer, no matter what,” Trump lamented at one point.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RLHOD34XXZDZNITTVJWDGXSNRY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“For just this one night why not join us in celebrating so many wins for America?”","type":"text"},{"_id":"2VSLAG5Q7BCTFMAORVW2JKAVUU","additional_properties":{},"content":"When Trump admitted “there will be a little disturbance” from tariffs but “we’re okay with that”, a Democrat objected: “No, we’re not!” A Republican retorted loudly: “We’re good, we’re good.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"WCOESQAABVA6PAGSJ32CDRUX2A","additional_properties":{},"content":"Trump gave this address on an evening when the stock market – a barometer he cherishes – tanked after his announcement of punitive 25 per cent tariffs against Canada and Mexico, threatening even higher prices for Americans who voted for the opposite. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BWDQYSPEMVE3DLB362UOPBE5RQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"His startling detente with Russia looks set to continue at pace as he vowed to deliver a fast peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"R2DWMRVLP5G6ND33DJ473L4DIM","additional_properties":{},"content":"He said he appreciated Ukrainian president<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/volodymyr-zelenskiy/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/volodymyr-zelenskiy/\"> Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s</a> willingness to sign a minerals deal with the United States and <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/03/05/trump-welcomes-ukraines-willingness-to-sign-minerals-deal-and-talk-peace/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/03/05/trump-welcomes-ukraines-willingness-to-sign-minerals-deal-and-talk-peace/\">come to the negotiating table</a> in a bid to end the war with Russia.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HJY66WQSFZH2ZLBCHX2NZPVYLM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Earlier today, I received an important letter from President Zelenskiy of Ukraine. The letter reads: ‘Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer,” Mr Trump said. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4PVJH57NV5FNNOOKZGF3U7TZYI","additional_properties":{},"content":"And once again he found time to remind his party that the conquest of Greenland has not been forgotten. But still he promised his version of the golden dream,","type":"text"},{"_id":"XIJZVQO54VDVNKWXBWROA7QLHU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Get ready for an incredible future because the golden age of America has only just begun. It will be like nothing that has ever been seen before. Thank you and God bless you.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"XZ7OKRMXIJGGNJIXACTXI5AJYE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The remaining Democrats had scuttled out the chamber doors before he had even finished his final salute. Half the room was empty, the other half rapturous. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7FUMEBGH4RGBLDBIBKNF3CZ2TY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Lincoln’s old refrain – “A house divided against itself cannot stand” – came roaring from the Illinois summer of 1858 to this new and alien moment where the two governing parties of the United States look across the aisle in mutual contempt and mistrust and bewilderment.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Keith Duggan"}},"name":"Keith Duggan"}]},"description":{"basic":"President offers up shocks and promises, riddled with exaggerations and factual inaccuracies, during address to Congress"},"display_date":"2025-03-05T06:55:02.435Z","headlines":{"basic":"Trump says ‘golden age of America has only just begun’ in speech riddled with exaggerations and inaccuracies ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"2RT3QJIXYX7HEHI5W5NU6TADJQ","auth":{"1":"492c77e50925f6d40eed7c1d4ef6ce3f7b731f5305abcc7604a9ba07fbaf8479"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/2RT3QJIXYX7HEHI5W5NU6TADJQ.jpg"},"lead_art":{"_id":"ad9f44e2-e5bb-4ea9-b645-22b3426af856","embed_html":"<div class=\"powa\" id=\"powa-ad9f44e2-e5bb-4ea9-b645-22b3426af856\" data-org=\"irishtimes\" data-env=\"prod\" data-uuid=\"ad9f44e2-e5bb-4ea9-b645-22b3426af856\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.562\" data-api=\"prod\"><script 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suspension of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/us/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/us/\">US</a> military support to <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\">Ukraine</a> is unlikely to trigger a sudden collapse in its defences, but it will allow <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\">Russia</a> to exert more pressure at the front line and inflict more casualties and damage on the country’s towns and cities, analysts say.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JKQTALDUZBF4JNPSMG5J4MIJSY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Many Ukrainians now regard US president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a> as a de-facto enabler of Russia in its invasion of their country, after the White House halted military aid to Kyiv and demanded that it show more gratitude to Washington for previous assistance and be more open to making peace with the Kremlin regardless of the terms of any deal.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UYQB4SA3EJEINEQTYDHL5PKPSI","additional_properties":{},"content":"After 11 years of fighting with Russia and three years of all-out war, Ukraine hopes that its own growing arms production and European pledges to dramatically increase defence investment and manufacturing will cover many of its needs, while acknowledging that there is no ready replacement for some key US weapons.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3NEF7L5LB5B6ZKU5WK6VDK4TZA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Ukraine says forces can hold frontline as Trump halts US military aid","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"HNXC4LWL4ZFMXH774NZA76IKNU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Contrary to exaggerated claims of US largesse from Trump, data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy shows that the US has given Ukraine €64 billion in military aid since 2022, compared to €62 billion provided by Europe.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YX66SWFIZFHPPCEGHWIFTIFKT4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Thanks in part to financial help and investment from the West, Ukraine is now thought to produce or purchase more than half of the weaponry it needs, while Europe supplies about a quarter and the US about 20 per cent.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OSOEE7XHLFFQTEVUXLNBRFA4BU","additional_properties":{},"content":"When Trump’s allies in Congress blocked US military aid for Ukraine for several months at the start of last year, Russia gained ground in eastern Ukraine as Kyiv’s troops were forced to ration their use of artillery shells.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JRRFHJJGKVB2FFMMBGFCNO4BCY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Ukrainian officials say their country can now produce about 2.5 million artillery and mortar shells a year, however. Europe made 1.4 million last year and – even before calling for a surge in arms manufacturing in recent days – planned to make two million during 2025. The US, by comparison, said last August that it had sent about three million shells to Ukraine since 2022.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BUWOYIUPLNGW3MA7GOALGNTSQY","subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"NLMPZG3G75GSFHXWZXVSL74Z2Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"Traditional artillery and armour have also become less important during this war as drones that blow up on impact or drop explosives on to their targets have assumed a vital role. Ukraine is now a world leader in drone warfare and it made more than a million drones in 2024 and aims to make several million this year – as does Russia.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3U72VOCWSVCKTMSTQ7N6KNNIVI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Our defence industry has come a long way in the past three years. We’ve built up significant capabilities and can counter many risks and threats,” Fedir Venislavskyi, a member of the Ukrainian parliament’s defence committee, told the RBC-Ukraina news outlet on Tuesday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"63A2Q4LV2JFBPHHOIA2K456YUI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I think Ukraine definitely has a safety buffer of about six months, even without systematic assistance from the United States – but it will be much more difficult, of course.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"DW6NYQNZIFEDNET5Q7XDJILISE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Military analyst Ihor Romanenko said: “The Europeans will help us, but they will not be able to fully cover everything the US supplies. So we must rely on our own forces and reserves. This does not mean we should despair. We are still a long way from that.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"NIK2OXNV45BMXEAZXSLW3FETXY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Ukraine relies heavily on some high-tech US hardware, however, particularly the Patriot air defence systems that can take down even Russia’s most advanced missiles – shielding city centres and critical infrastructure – and guided rockets for powerful longer-range systems such as Himars and Atacms.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GXS5MJADQZFCXOOOMURWW6SHHM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Any disruption to US intelligence sharing and provision of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet system – owned by Trump ally and Ukraine critic <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/elon-musk\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/elon-musk\">Elon Musk</a> – would also significantly hamper Ukraine’s troops and aid Russia’s invasion force.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Daniel McLaughlin"}},"name":"Daniel McLaughlin"}]},"description":{"basic":"Domestic and European supplies will plug holes, but some high-tech US systems irreplaceable"},"display_date":"2025-03-04T14:38:53.203Z","headlines":{"basic":"Trump’s halt in US arms likely to deplete Ukraine’s defences, not devastate them","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"GP6WZ3P47ZRRMA5AHHFPDWF66Y","auth":{"1":"cc552118514fd7a12413798f266e357413e5152f468c39282b75fcb852e02192"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/GP6WZ3P47ZRRMA5AHHFPDWF66Y.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/04/trumps-halt-in-us-arms-likely-to-deplete-ukraines-defences-not-devastate-them/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"L7C4OI6UAZEQPF7UXBUQMFAOMM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":227,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/3e68ff8c-754a-4822-a2d7-2520eb35d289/versions/1741029548/media/9f5612386c424a80cd8d838e0dd1dd10_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/03/tensions-remain-as-austria-finally-gets-a-new-government-and-germans-start-talking-about-one/","content_elements":[{"_id":"47PJBCVVPZAHRMU4SFEVMXX4WM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Five months and two failed coalition attempts after <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/austria/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/austria/\">Austria</a>’s federal election in September, president Alexander Van der Bellen swore in a new centrist government on Monday with an amused note of warning: “All’s well that ends well”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NWD35MVHTNDEHCGJ35DZVLNC6E","additional_properties":{},"content":"It took two attempts for a new coalition to come together in Vienna that avoided postwar Austria’s first extreme-right chancellor.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YU2264BZKRH6RC2BNLERGNSED4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The government will be led by the centre-right People’s Party (OVP) and its 64-year-old interim leader Christian Stocker. A low-profile electrician-turned party functionary, Stocker only entered parliament in 2019. Now he is heading a government backed by the Social Democrats (SPO) and, in a first, the liberal Neos.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4UKDWIWZV5APRJCD42RHP27KIY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Probably it would have been more tempting to remain stubborn but stubborn does not a government make,” said Van der Bellen, a nod to the collapse of the three parties’ first round of talks.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ACUAHE4SXFCJDIZTSJXXGDUQIU","additional_properties":{},"content":"That opened the door to the prospect of a OVP-backed coalition lead by the nationalist populist Freedom Party (FPO), until those talks collapsed as well.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FYDX753MXVDJ3CSQSLYPGQ6NPE","additional_properties":{},"content":"At Vienna’s hulking Hofburg Palace on Monday, Austria’s president made clear that the country’s democracy had dodged a bullet. Without naming the FPO, he urged the new coalition to address the pressing issues and do more to defend liberal democracy against its enemies.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2U6JPBYBN5H3THYYIUF7ETLTKI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The president demanded a “clear, just line” on <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/immigration/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/immigration/\">migration</a> that balanced asylum rights with “consistent measures against irregular migration” as well as new, fairer balances on economic competitiveness and social security.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QGZSQ2ZKV5D43I253NDTYV7UDI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The new government takes office at a time of recession with rising unemployment and budget tensions. The OVP will control interior and defence ministries while the Social Democrats have taken the finance and justice portfolios with the liberal Neos leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger heading foreign affairs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7VFBQ2UPDRBGJKH5JFVAVMZA4U","additional_properties":{},"content":"Its 200-page second attempt at a coalition agreements leaves many key policy points open, however, with political analyst Thomas Hofer predicting tensions given the far-right FPO is now in opposition despite winning last September’s election.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WWIJTYPCQ5FKPBAJYZO5QSICZ4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The rise and dominance of the FPO is derived from the fact that the previously dominant parties have created a leadership vacuum, they were just too defensive like a rabbit staring at a snake,” he said, resulting in the kind of voter loss of confidence in the mainstream palpable across Europe.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YIQTIMGNG5C5XLSXEYZYJZYOWQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Across the border in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/germany/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/germany/\">Germany,</a> preliminary coalition talks began on Monday with a row over debt and borrowing between the first-placed Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and third-placed Social Democratic Party (SPD).","type":"text"},{"_id":"UUT546NOGVA5TL76OUSN5BDMTI","additional_properties":{},"content":"CDU leader Friedrich Merz, Germany’s likely next chancellor, is pushing for a last-minute meeting of the old Bundestag to rush through emergency spending measures.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OOGV6POAGNFV3KDYQUKZVN6ALE","additional_properties":{},"content":"According to Merz officials, MPs will be presented either with a plan to top up or replace the so-called “special fund”, a €100 billion off-balance sheet vehicle established three years ago by Germany for urgent military spending.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FTLBGTFYEBBP3BPQBUCAZXN4GM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The leaked CDU plan has annoyed the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), which has been pushing for a shift away from ad-hoc spending to a reform of stringent debt rules that limit borrowing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"J3277NUP2FGSDIFH4GPQC3DSJY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Time is tight for the incoming coalition: any such measures would require a two-thirds supermajority, which the parties have in the old but not the new Bundestag, expected to hold its first sitting at the end of March.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BTLZIEPN6JBI3EJRJWRUYKI2DU","additional_properties":{},"content":"SPD co-leader Saskia Esken was said to be furious at the CDU leaks and on Monday promised to “be joyfully annoying” in the evening round of preliminary talks.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OLSPKAVS2NFSZNS4XDSRHBLXLM","additional_properties":{},"content":"A CDU-SPD coalition is the only viable centrist alliance after a surge in support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Unlike in Vienna, there is as yet no guarantee in Berlin that all will end well.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Derek Scally"}},"name":"Derek Scally"}]},"description":{"basic":"Far-right FPO finds itself in opposition in Austria despite winning last September’s election"},"display_date":"2025-03-03T19:10:57.111Z","headlines":{"basic":"Tensions remain as Austria finally gets a new government and Germans start talking about one","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"QG7BILZ57CHRUBOHHI2TMTI72A","auth":{"1":"75ccd6114ab1689f4696bd618d81208f877345a7d9b97ef82bcb37442f377207"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/QG7BILZ57CHRUBOHHI2TMTI72A.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/03/tensions-remain-as-austria-finally-gets-a-new-government-and-germans-start-talking-about-one/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"4DKLLUCJSJEQ3ETA2B4VGACU3M","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":230,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/0d170433-7098-4cc4-9684-4d1634043d62/versions/1741027585/media/f4d31cb6fa600b5238b13a3a2db4cadc_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/03/halting-humanitarian-aid-to-gaza-is-a-risky-strategy-by-netanyahu/","content_elements":[{"_id":"ZKTMERRTLZAXBBL5RQO5VMZJM4","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\">Israel</a>’s decision over the weekend to stop the flow of goods and equipment into the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza/\">Gaza Strip</a> is only the first stage of a strategy designed to pressure <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\">Hamas</a> into releasing more hostages – particularly among the 24 of the 59 captives still believed to be alive. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"PL26P5J26VHOJGO3JPACTWU54A","additional_properties":{},"content":"Prime minister <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\">Binyamin Netanyahu</a> is reportedly preparing to resume the war against Hamas if the militant group refuses to accept the latest proposal by US envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, but is inclined first to increase the pressure gradually, using other means. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YDQJGQPWGRCB5K35D2QEZVC5LI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The strategy, dubbed the Hell Plan, includes following up the decision to halt the delivery of humanitarian aid with (again) displacing residents from the northern Gaza Strip to the south, and halting the supply of electricity.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IBTY27OWLBARNE7NNXQQNSBIUI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Netanyahu has defended the decision – reportedly co-ordinated in advance with US president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a>’s administration – to stop the humanitarian aid. “Israel has decided to stop letting goods and supplies in to Gaza, something we’ve done for the past 42 days,” he said. “We’ve done that because Hamas steals the supplies and prevents the people of Gaza from getting them. It uses these supplies to finance its terror machine, which is aimed directly at Israel and our civilians – and this we cannot accept.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"5GPKKVHAC5FA5AYAEN5V6A3IUQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"He accused Hamas of rejecting the latest Witkoff plan, which calls for extending the ceasefire until mid-April, covering the Muslim holy month of Ramadan (which started at the weekend) and the Jewish Passover festival (which ends on April 19th) with a release of half the hostages at the start of the period and the remaining half after 50 days, the deadline for a permanent settlement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"72AHVCSY7VH5LI7RZ624CYDUYI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hamas rejected extending the first stage of the ceasefire, insisting that additional hostages would only be released in keeping with the agreement that was signed, which calls for an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza at the end of the second stage.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ET3KS3YYC5DDPDINYAJPIHSFKM","additional_properties":{},"content":"However, Arab diplomatic sources involved in mediation efforts indicated that Hamas has no desire to renew hostilities during Ramadan and is willing to continue to negotiate. All the parties are waiting for Witkoff’s arrival in the region, but no date has been confirmed for that. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"FLGB73MIA5ETXARGYRUNHKWURQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Another critical piece of the jigsaw is Tuesday’s Arab summit in Cairo aimed at presenting an alternative to Trump’s radical postwar Gaza plan, which has been rejected unanimously across the Arab world. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"V32HWR2BNNG5JKB5TUXZ4GMW6E","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israel’s policy of gradually stepping up the pressure on Hamas is not without risk. The first involves the fate of the hostages. Every day Israeli media air interviews with recently freed hostages and the message is consistent: the days in captivity were “hell on earth” and each day there puts the hostages in greater danger.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EM3KQMDZQ5ECRKNZ7SGZXRWJCU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israel and Hamas pushing for delivery on each other’s promises before second phase of Gaza ceasefire begins","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"45PAK5CJ6JERHICBCEKRK6HIYU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The second risk involves Israel’s reputation in the international community. Hamas claims the cutting of aid, even without stopping electricity, is a war crime aimed at starving the Gazan population. Israel claims there are enough supplies in Hamas warehouses to last at least four months, but the turning back of aid lorries is never a good look – even though, this time, the measure has US backing. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"5MDQWC5FAJFWDAYKIA5ET2BIXQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"There is also a clear political risk for Netanyahu. There is a widespread consensus in Israel that Hamas must be defeated and must never be allowed to rule Gaza again. However, there is an even wider consensus that getting back the hostages, while there is still time, must take priority. The resumption of a war that endangers the hostages and is perceived as an attempt to save Israel’s right-wing coalition will be a hard sell, even for Netanyahu.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Mark Weiss"}},"name":"Mark Weiss"}]},"description":{"basic":"Analysis: Israeli prime minister reportedly prepared to resume war with Hamas but wants to first increase pressure gradually"},"display_date":"2025-03-03T18:41:18.515Z","headlines":{"basic":"Halting humanitarian aid to Gaza is a risky strategy by Netanyahu ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"BN4YLCNHGD5T6VDHWSDXXHKEQQ","auth":{"1":"fdb39ddeef68ab6d7fb8144d97c175579220b5b41d0c5bda6868641c68d59d0e"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/BN4YLCNHGD5T6VDHWSDXXHKEQQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/03/halting-humanitarian-aid-to-gaza-is-a-risky-strategy-by-netanyahu/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"4H6HXJWLMNBYVGXJNWJJFZJE44","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":357,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/3221fabf-b749-4283-9d9a-44e5961a29c6/versions/1741008719/media/2f372e924b7ef09fc3a4091f425503c9_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/03/europe-buys-zelenskiy-some-time-and-wrests-initiative-from-trump-and-putin/","content_elements":[{"_id":"WLGQOFPUYBAQ5GG44RI2SUV3HY","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"DI7ERQFNSRF5TCBMZJLCUAIKXE","additional_properties":{},"content":"After the verbal assault on <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/vladimir-putin/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/vladimir-putin/\">Volodymyr Zelenskiy </a>by <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a> and his vice-president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/jd-vance/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/jd-vance/\">JD Vance</a>, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\">Ukraine</a> was facing catastrophe. The obvious risk was that Trump would work with <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/vladimir-putin/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/vladimir-putin/\">Vladimir Putin</a> to force an isolated Ukraine to accept a de facto <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\">Russian</a> victory.","type":"text"},{"_id":"72M2HMDKFZAT5OYNGELSE5WDBM","additional_properties":{},"content":"That risk still remains. But some highly adept diplomacy by Britain’s prime minister, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/keir-starmer/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/keir-starmer/\">Keir Starmer</a>, working closely with France’s <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/emmanuel-macron/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/emmanuel-macron/\">Emmanuel Macron</a>, has staved off the worst for now. At a meeting in London, Zelenskiy was warmly embraced by European political leaders and later met King Charles – who seemed unconcerned that the Ukrainian leader was not wearing a suit. The message was clear. Zelenskiy and Ukraine are not alone.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YECXRJC4PZC5NAQTKDQ67NKXZY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Even more important, Starmer and Macron may have temporarily wrested the diplomatic initiative from Trump and Putin. By announcing that European nations will work with Ukraine on a peace proposal – which will then be presented to the US – they have made it harder for Trump to treat peace in Ukraine as something to be negotiated between the US and Russia alone.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DCHKSHNPRBEERG42XPCVFFWAWU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Rather than simply bleating that Europe and Ukraine must be at the table, Starmer and Macron have taken important steps to make sure that happens. The French are also pushing for a temporary ceasefire, which underlines that they are working for peace.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YDJFMK2ZHNCKHLHA4VUOXCWCI4","additional_properties":{},"content":"But any excitement about these developments needs to be heavily qualified. It is still likely that the peace initiatives will founder. There is no real sign that Russia is prepared to stop fighting. In fact, Putin’s incentives to cut a deal are diminishing fast, since he now has a realistic hope that the US may soon end military aid for Ukraine.","type":"text"},{"_id":"W7RTMCLWYZENDHKJVOGOWTYJMI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Daniel McLaughlin: Ukrainians look to Europe after White House chaos","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"WGE6AEPTQJEYLFKEISGQUIGIMY","additional_properties":{},"content":"It also seems very unlikely that the US will agree to provide a military backstop to an Anglo-French “reassurance force” in Ukraine. Trump’s obsessive fear of a third world war will make him extremely reluctant to take that risk. And yet Starmer is insistent that no deal can work without an American backstop.","type":"text"},{"_id":"G524ZRSMGZGLDETO37WVDFFN7E","additional_properties":{},"content":"Even if a peace deal is achieved, it will take many months to negotiate. In the meantime, Ukraine is likely to have to fight on against an emboldened Russia. Even before last week’s showdown between Trump and Zelenskiy, it was already evident that Trump will not agree to another package of US aid for Ukraine. In the row’s immediate aftermath, there was even talk that the US would immediately cut off all shipments of military aid to Ukraine","type":"text"},{"_id":"SFUCFYJFPFGLNCKNVTKEFQBSTQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Kelly Magsamen, who was chief of staff to Lloyd Austin when he was US defence secretary, responded to those reports by commenting: “This could cripple Ukraine within weeks ... We would basically be handing Ukraine to Putin.” Another former Biden official reckons Ukraine could fight on without American support for months – but probably not years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SK3TRLHFFVDKZOVYSIE7C5QWZE","additional_properties":{},"content":"However, the mood among many Ukrainians involved in the war effort is more positive – as I discovered in Kyiv last week. This is not mere bravado. It is based on a reasoned assessment of how the war is being fought.","type":"text"},{"_id":"O5T5BCYYBJBXLDYJRTS532AT3Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"Ukraine’s expertise in drone warfare, developed during three years of fighting, has changed the nature of the conflict. Oleksandr Khomiak, who runs Drone Space Labs, believes it would now be impossible for Russia to mount an assault on Kyiv of the sort that Putin attempted at the beginning of the war. Any large concentration of troops or tanks would be decimated by Ukrainian drone attacks.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JIWN5NRAWBDIPCNRQWPQU3ILYU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The impact of drones, manufactured in Ukraine, largely accounts for the shocking losses that Russia has taken over the past year. Western sources reckon that Russia lost 400,000 troops killed or wounded and gained just 0.5 per cent of Ukrainian land in return.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UN6SMFY2FJBGTILUFCGOKLGXHA","additional_properties":{},"content":"The snag is that the Ukrainian military uses Elon Musk’s Starlink service to help connect and fly their drones. American intelligence also provides Ukraine with real-time information that helps identify targets. Those services could be cut off. But Khomiak believes that – with European assistance and domestic expertise – Ukraine could find workarounds to keep fighting.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FOSIRV7KSNCUJLILA464OQRAUU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Rather than physically conquering all of Ukraine, Russia’s preferred outcome at this point is probably the installation of a pro-Moscow puppet government in Kyiv. That is why Putin – with Trump’s support – is pressing for elections in Ukraine. But even massive Russian interference might not be enough to deprive Zelenskiy of victory in a vote. Trump has inadvertently given the Ukrainian president a huge boost in the opinion polls.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QWWDIXBUCBEAZKHKWMZSAUP5ME","additional_properties":{},"content":"By standing up to Trump and Vance in the Oval Office, Zelenskiy once again demonstrated that he is capable of withstanding pressures that would crush other leaders. Trump and Vance enjoyed playing the tough guys on home turf. But Zelenskiy is the real thing. He stayed in Kyiv, when Russian forces were closing in and the city was under bombardment. Vance, by contrast, chose to move to a secure location when confronted with a few hecklers on a skiing trip this weekend.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VKLY64USVJEQ5KIILCZ77NKWRE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The western imagination – and its approach to the war – is still understandably haunted by the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in 2021. But Ukraine is not Afghanistan and Kyiv is not Kabul. Zelenskiy’s nation is in a perilous situation. But with Europe’s help, it can stay in the fight long enough to achieve a real peace – one that guarantees its independence and sovereignty.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WUQ3SVCZJBAPTCD44TOYR3ZWEQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"– Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Gideon Rachman"}]},"description":{"basic":"The big question remains whether Ukraine can survive without American assistance"},"display_date":"2025-03-03T13:26:43.615Z","headlines":{"basic":"Europe buys Zelenskiy some time and wrests initiative from Trump and Putin","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"I2BVCUKWHH7BSR3W22YVYH7K44","auth":{"1":"99cc9089a7f2961bef8e2c44252ffb1017c4f4f86882d8a5b5aa67fb4fb9fdab"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/I2BVCUKWHH7BSR3W22YVYH7K44.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/03/europe-buys-zelenskiy-some-time-and-wrests-initiative-from-trump-and-putin/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}}],"count":6231,"_id":"5509d0b0bc3a36b8b43d7941fade3d6a6ec19eba455e3b839b1d6c56ec840446"},"expires":1741557997342,"lastModified":1741557697088},"{\"feedOffset\":0,\"feedSize\":10,\"offset\":\"\",\"query\":\"(taxonomy.primary_section._id:\\\\/world*) AND (subtype:\\\"Analysis\\\" OR subtype:\\\"Opinion\\\")\",\"size\":10}":{"data":{"content_elements":[{"_id":"Z6BQRB76INHW3AOD7Z6BVLZMOU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":265,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/2215e157-7fa6-4806-9f0f-3955d41d29dc/versions/1741420202/media/70816dec2d64322e4109fed3299d5b69_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/us/2025/03/08/what-is-hantavirus-pulmonary-syndrome-the-rare-illness-that-killed-betsy-arakawa-wife-of-gene-hackman/","content_elements":[{"_id":"76J7ME5VJNCQDPAJ5RXIRQ7CNE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Authorities said on Friday that actor <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gene-hackman/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gene-hackman/\">Gene Hackman</a> died of heart disease days after his wife, Betsy Arakawa, died from hantavirus pulmonary syndrome. But what exactly is this rare illness?","type":"text"},{"_id":"VL5O4ITEMJCWNC7XQ3AP4HTDOI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS) is a rare but serious viral disease that can damage the heart, lungs and other organs. The syndrome progresses quickly and can be fatal, according to the Cleveland Clinic, one of the largest and most respected medical centres in the US.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UTNHYF6NJNEQLFBNMSZMPGX6SQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hantaviruses cause two syndromes, including HPS and haemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. People can contract HPS by inhaling, eating, drinking or coming into contact with infected mouse or rat faeces, urine or saliva. Although not all mice and rats carry hantaviruses, some species, including deer mice, white-footed mice, rice rats and cotton rats, are known carriers in North America.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4I3CJBDIH5B4FETVNP5LUTH2TE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Between one and eight weeks after that exposure, someone might begin to feel like they have a flu-like illness,” said Dr Sonja Bartolome of UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LPMVS4WAUVDELMGRYLMCH4CWAA","additional_properties":{},"content":"In the United States, most cases of HPS occur in states west of the Mississippi river.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PPB7NYW3T5HENODU6SFIKSWLOI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“It’s mostly in rural areas, because that’s where most of the rodents carrying the disease live,” Dr Bartolome said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FI5SZKOVN5C5XHTRTJCRSKK6VY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Gene Hackman died of heart disease a week after rare disease killed wife Betsy Arakawa, pathologist says","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"WQ4CLZQZUFADLEO7MXD74MTTJE","additional_properties":{},"content":"HPS remains rare in the US despite its severe symptoms. Between 1993 and 2022, there were 864 reported US cases. New Mexico had the highest number over that time, at 122, followed by Colorado at 119.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7CZPAYLPPJG7XB7XBCEXGALMDU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Person-to-person transmission is extremely rare and has only been documented in cases of a hantavirus strain found in Argentina and Chile.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D6NEWPN7RBFSLNIIYYKPUBF2QE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Once the hantavirus enters the body, it replicates and spreads, which can cause a severe amount of damage in the lungs. The virus weakens blood vessels and causes leakage and fluid build-up in the air sacs, making breathing difficult.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QEF7LGUGCJA7FK5WMX6Q26CC6A","additional_properties":{},"content":"In the heart, it damages the heart muscle and weakens blood vessels while reducing the heart’s ability to pump oxygen-rich blood to the body’s organs. If untreated, these effects can lead to shock, organ failure and death.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QEUDPRDIAVA63LAPQRXDZMWPFI","additional_properties":{},"content":"HPS symptoms work in three phases. The first is the incubation phase, lasting up to eight weeks, during which the virus is present in the body but no noticeable symptoms are present.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HZLEABNLB5CQZH5DUMZVJA2GPU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The second phase develops quickly and includes fever, chills, fatigue, muscle aches, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, rash, dry cough, headache and dizziness. This stage lasts between two and eight days.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BA57ZWJ4KNDOBJWS3NNFH5WATA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Gene Hackman obituary: One of the most prolific and respected character stars of late 1980s and 90s","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"UNNAJLCS4BGWHMV6DWSR6M6TLU","additional_properties":{},"content":"About four to 10 days after these initial symptoms, the third and most severe phase begins. This last phase includes internal bleeding, fluid-filled lungs, difficulty breathing, a rapid heartbeat and chest tightness. These symptoms can be life-threatening and require immediate medical attention.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BJZGLWGKORGB5MNUU2IBTF7EW4","additional_properties":{},"content":"There is no specific treatment or cure, but early medical attention can increase the chance of survival. Patients usually require oxygen therapy, fluid replacement, medications to stabilise blood pressure, antiviral medications such as ribavirin, among other care. If patients survive the late-stage symptoms, recovery typically takes a few weeks.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PQOIFVMW4JANFMDMH56AB2LRKA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Video: Remembering some of Gene Hackman's most famous roles","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"TPVDAFUHIVHZ5FU2SGVCYX6TSM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Although no vaccine exists for HPS, the Cleveland Clinic recommends taking prevention strategies to help reduce risk. These include avoiding wild rodents, sealing entry points in homes, properly cleaning and disinfecting rodent-contaminated areas, using protective gear when handling droppings and keeping food securely stored.","type":"text"},{"_id":"P5SFIYMBMFBHJCEV3IKXLG2NHM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sweeping or vacuuming droppings is not recommended because it could release virus particles into the air. – Guardian","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"name":"Coral Murphy Marcos"}]},"description":{"basic":"Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome is an uncommon but serious viral disease that can damage the heart, lungs and other organs"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T07:44:51.49Z","headlines":{"basic":"What is hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, the rare illness that killed Betsy Arakawa, wife of Gene Hackman?","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"D66RHXTMIFCZVN5WGD4VBUAPDY","auth":{"1":"6141b6ac30ab75cbeea825c52c156920b11076809d23ef536e33b292d9988747"},"focal_point":{"x":1004,"y":509},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/D66RHXTMIFCZVN5WGD4VBUAPDY.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/us/2025/03/08/what-is-hantavirus-pulmonary-syndrome-the-rare-illness-that-killed-betsy-arakawa-wife-of-gene-hackman/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/us","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"US"}}}},{"_id":"MB5UJSQN6NDQTDB2YBAKYFXZL4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":236,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/0ed6fc2d-4dfa-4f86-8867-4544750f7f52/versions/1741365208/media/34bfcfd74e44ccef12e58074c336e808_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/hungary-drifts-further-from-eu-consensus-on-ukraine-war/","content_elements":[{"_id":"UZY6WSPPTRBIRA3WBM6WBUR2CQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sometimes one of the hardest numbers to count to when the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/eu/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/eu/\">European Union</a>’s national leaders gather together inside a room can be 27. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"S75IBETZ6NHERGMRPQKL2WSRS4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Behind the closed doors of the emergency EU summit on Thursday, the prime ministers and heads of state got as far as 26, when totting-up those in favour of a joint statement expressing support for <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\">Ukraine in its war with Russia</a>. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"GSVJNYMRQFC5FHQZFBIOFRDIIE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hungary’s populist right-wing prime minister Viktor Orban was the sole holdout of the 27 leaders, refusing to add his name to the negotiated statement. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4KAN4LC74VDU7L5PFUV7GTEW54","additional_properties":{},"content":"Orban has been United States president Donald Trump’s biggest fan inside the European leaders club. He has also been the most sceptical, and frequently actively obstructive, of EU efforts to send military and financial aid to Ukraine. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4F4DZLHE4ZANZLV2S4KWKBAUJ4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Decisions on foreign policy at EU level need to be unanimously agreed by all 27 member states. This means a lot of work goes into finding a consensus. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"6ZT4SGQ4UBCBHFLIZYGWDFFAEA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Orban has made liberal use of veto powers, to stop the rest of the EU sending aid to Ukraine. Hungary has also threatened to block the renewal of economic sanctions levelled on Russia, which need to be rolled over every six months. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7LPFHWDYARDZRNV3EBGROX6QJU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The crunch meeting of leaders this week debated how EU states could put more money into their own militaries, as well as do more to help Ukraine in its war with Russia. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"2H22IVQGORDHXJU3H4MDZMMR7U","additional_properties":{},"content":"Moves by Trump’s US administration to freeze the huge flow of weapons and funds it sends Ukraine gave the talks a real sense of jeopardy. Leaders recognised the possibility that Europe could soon find itself supporting Ukraine without US support. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"LVZQDXLCINBSXGXTNDRGZLCOFA","additional_properties":{},"content":"There is anxiety about Trump’s push for a speedy settlement to end the war. The fear is any deal on terms favourable to Russia might undermine the future security of Ukraine, and possibly Europe. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"3N4YFOXH5JDUXBVD5VJKNEUHAQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"A joint statement by the 27 leaders reiterating the EU’s full backing for Ukraine was to be symbolic. This summit was not due to vote on any concrete proposals. There is a plan for a new multibillion euro package of military aid, but that is still in the works. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"WPLG2CAONJB7TG57JYYUBQYRM4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Slovakia’s populist prime minister Robert Fico had been in Orban’s camp heading into the summit. Fico’s support for Kyiv is lukewarm at best. He has been unhappy about Ukraine refusing to allow Russia to transit gas across its territory to central Europe. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"VVSHBVS3L5EDBJVYY4S3G522AQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Slovakia came around after getting some concessions that EU and Ukrainian officials would try to find “workable solutions” to the gas supply issue. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZJBWOTTQHNFDFBUUWHAPCVSXVU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Orban was not budging. The result was a joint statement from the other 26 leaders, stating Ukraine and Europe needed to be involved in any peace talks. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BRWB5F7JCZAPBBJIOT5GWSFKU4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The text gave a nod to EU states who were ready to “urgently step up efforts to address Ukraine’s pressing military and defence needs”. It is understood €15 billion has been pledged by a group of capitals, with more set to come on board as part of a joint proposal. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"H2IM6R4RFVDIZF5GQPHVX6OS6A","additional_properties":{},"content":"One EU source said if Orban blocked this money being funnelled to Ukraine, they could look at ways to get it to Kyiv outside of formal EU channels. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"W645KWLZAFEX3A4WW6Q6H76N2U","additional_properties":{},"content":"Former Portuguese prime minister Antonio Costa, who chairs the EU summits, said Hungary had “isolated” itself from the rest of the union. “We respect Hungary’s position, but it’s one out of 27, and 26 are more than one,” he told a press conference afterwards. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"PT27DJFKJRB45E5R7QZXSBRO4A","additional_properties":{},"content":"In response Orban said he felt Europe could not “afford” to continue supporting Ukraine’s army and economy. It was not Hungary, but the EU, who was out in the cold, having isolated itself from the US, China and Russia, he said. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YOXPZNLZGFGJHMHCZQZKRXII4Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Jack Power"}},"name":"Jack Power"}]},"description":{"basic":"European capitals likely to look at ways to bypass ‘isolated’ member state to get support for Kyiv "},"display_date":"2025-03-07T16:33:24.598Z","headlines":{"basic":"Hungary drifts further from EU consensus on Ukraine war","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"7XZFT2SUHVI7MHT5MXYIBVOCZY","auth":{"1":"c1bbd6fe93a1f5d5d7f7a1b603fb7f31cc791b4806712268689b7b45d76f1d49"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/7XZFT2SUHVI7MHT5MXYIBVOCZY.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/07/hungary-drifts-further-from-eu-consensus-on-ukraine-war/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"4IJ2P4Q2MRFBZE2ZS632UKNSLU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":340,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/c363c913-90c7-44d0-b80a-ed54de151f1d/versions/1741283980/media/fc1631e734a77414471685daa6f5f1fd_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/07/bid-to-oust-attorney-general-a-renewal-of-israeli-governments-judicial-overhaul-plan/","content_elements":[{"_id":"YBTNH4BAVJFBFLQCSOSNJUHV74","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\">Israel</a>’s justice minister Yariv Levin has initiated proceedings to remove attorney general Gali Baharav-Miara from office, accusing her of thwarting the will of the government. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"3AO6TRYJR5H4VBJWNVYSHHS22I","additional_properties":{},"content":"The move paved the way for an unprecedented constitutional crisis and was the clearest indication to date that the judicial overhaul, pursued by prime minister <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\">Binyamin Netanyahu</a>’s right wing government, is back.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7PGHR2FCPVHNZP5X4KR3QEQJRE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The first year of Netanyahu’s government was dominated by efforts to shift the balance of power away from the judiciary to the executive.","type":"text"},{"_id":"J7AEAOMFLFBL3K6ZDD2ATHKJ7E","additional_properties":{},"content":"Opponents of the radical reforms claimed the measures would undermine Israeli democracy and hundreds of thousands took part in weekly protests. The country was in turmoil, divided as never before. Thousands of Israel Defense Forces (IDF) reservists, including pilots and intelligence personnel, threatened to refuse to volunteer for military service.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6JV6TDDGOFE4TFLR6QJHUH42SA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Then came<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\"> the October 7th, 2023 Hamas attack</a> and the start of an unprecedented, prolonged, multi-front war. Citizens rushed to join their army reserve units and the government ditched the divisive legislation, instead promoting national unity to achieve victory. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7RMGUWYQ4JFFVOEACQ3DQPWAXA","additional_properties":{},"content":"By the end of 2024 the war had shifted in Israel’s favour with the defeat of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas/\">Hamas</a> in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza/\">Gaza</a> and <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hizbullah/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hizbullah/\">Hizbullah</a> in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/lebanon/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/lebanon/\">Lebanon</a> (although both groups maintain limited fighting capabilities), the fall of the Assad regime in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\">Syria</a> and the weakening of Iran’s regional axis.","type":"text"},{"_id":"REF4Q4IEJ5ADRBB3NDHRD5WRE4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Now, the judicial overhaul is back. Big time. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"HJEDU57NSZOKVLEMLNDZVJ4CTU","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"YODLWPIRWZB4BEEKP5L5E5SOVE","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"5QHL7EGACVBPNELOFRIHS7KVNY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Baharav-Miara has ruled on dozens of occasions that moves planned by the government were illegal. Most recently she ruled that the coalition could no longer delay drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the army. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"5FZGSGI2SJESNDAALE23RVWAJU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The attorney general acts as the long arm of the government’s opponents,” argued Levin, “and spares no effort to thwart the will of the voter.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"NM6F7JAQPRAL3DCG5SKE6JVNJY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Opposition leader Yair Lapid termed the move against the attorney general as “criminal, violent and unconstitutional”. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"K3KIFMQM3JBU3H4T6WCFY3AQOI","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"7H45UUPCUNFHHJAK7UGPP2CHJE","additional_properties":{},"content":"So far, the attorney general has resisted the pressure to resign, which has made her a hate figure for right-wing activists.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3EBRX2YCS5FUHGBDB55ETGSTKE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Proponents of the judicial overhaul argue that it will realign the system of checks and balances that has given the liberal courts too much say in how legislation is crafted and decisions are made, undermining the will of the electorate. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"6V6AQT7UCJAJ3HPICGL5RJPND4","additional_properties":{},"content":"In January, Levin refused to recognise the appointment of liberal judge Yitzhak Amit as Israel’s new supreme court president after trying for months to block the appointment. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YYYQ5WJAWFF5FLZCC2RJRKZWHA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Levin, backed by foreign minister Gideon Sa’ar, is also moving ahead with another controversial piece of the judicial overhaul: the government takeover of the judicial appointments committee. If he succeeds, the government will have control over judicial appointments from the lowest courts up to the supreme court. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"PK42URFQ2RCDJOSPUAB5LBM2E4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Career-minded judges will be reluctant to block laws passed by politicians who decide on their professional future. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"C4IMV5UMTVGNHFO57YU4SR6Y7U","additional_properties":{},"content":"On Sunday, the attorney general called for the Bill to be revised and the move is expected to be challenged in the high court, if passed into law. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"WMDBEP2KD5AGTILFMWZOJUZ3RI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Baharav-Miara argued that an independent judiciary is the central guarantor in the Israeli system of government to prevent the abuse of governmental power. She also argued that the proposed method of selecting judges would be tainted by political bargaining.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OB57DS5FINH6XNGHMNZD5EVTLQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Netanyahu dismissed any link between the attacks on the attorney general and his ongoing corruption trial, where he is fighting charges of bribery, fraud and breach of trust.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IQKGCIYFJ5FEFORU3ILG2JF2XE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The judiciary is not the only target for the Netanyahu government. Communications minister Shlomo Karhi is pushing through legislation to privatise or close down Kan, Israel’s public broadcaster. Separate legislation will give the Knesset parliament control over Kan’s annual budget. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"QSGK4PID6JFXJFB5UWBX5FFEFY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Other institutions are also under attack. A bill to ban people from displaying the Palestinian flag in the space of a publicly funded institution is aimed at universities. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"6L2G2YNCYJFSXGLSGNS6DB5UUY","additional_properties":{},"content":"In November the Knesset passed a law allowing the education minister to fire teachers who allow any expression of “sympathy with a terror organisation or incident” with a vague definition of what constitutes terror.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Z723MJ4HY5HA3CVMG6C3YLLIKI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The irresponsible weakening of institutions that have served as a source of Israel’s strength and prosperity for decades is a dangerous phenomenon, especially in time of war. Our leaders have much work to do, and time is of the essence,” said Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, after presenting his organisation’s annual report to president Yitzhak Herzog. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"MD3A4GKDCZAVZI6UL5XFRYZXDE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The report found that Israelis’ sense that democratic rule in the country is under threat is at an almost record high.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KHWV3TCGHNGOBCM2MTIPAEAB7M","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The trust we have in ourselves, in our people, and in our state, has always been a cornerstone for us. When trust is shaken, when the foundations are destabilised, the nation is in danger,” said Herzog. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y4L2BATJPRBCBK4SLVPSODZGRQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The year of protests against the judicial overhaul has been followed by weekly demonstrations urging the government to do more to bring back the hostages from Gaza and set up a state commission of inquiry to investigate the failures of October 7th.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2HR2HPKFAFFLZDFCZ4WT4OPX4E","additional_properties":{},"content":"The opposition forces are exhausted and this is what the government is banking on, buoyed by Israel’s recent military victories, as it returns to its divisive domestic agenda.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Mark Weiss"}},"name":"Mark Weiss"}]},"description":{"basic":"Netanyahu’s right wing regime keen to further curb independent judicial powers"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T06:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Bid to oust attorney general a renewal of Israeli government’s judicial overhaul plan","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"X5QCMRVHU7LLCAKDVNHHHH7CQY","auth":{"1":"371e817e67e1ebb108964e98fceefdb4dd5e3d3af227109d88374dc6ff2e9794"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/X5QCMRVHU7LLCAKDVNHHHH7CQY.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/07/bid-to-oust-attorney-general-a-renewal-of-israeli-governments-judicial-overhaul-plan/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"7JTWHRMJSVHD7GDE6PSYGC6BUM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":221,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/edc291a4-28c9-47fa-b3b9-2f1067ce4a33/versions/1741205132/media/7074a8f609153a1589b920581d17cf32_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/05/israeli-security-services-point-finger-at-netanyahu-as-they-own-up-to-errors-over-hamass-october-7-incursion/","content_elements":[{"_id":"TK7LN5UZM5H7ZBPIRFNYLBVIB4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The blame game continues over responsibility for the October 7th, 2023, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas\">Hamas</a> attack on southern <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\">Israel</a> which, Israeli tallies say, left 1,200 people dead and 251 kidnapped to <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza-strip/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza-strip/\">Gaza</a>. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4YOME54CAJH2NAPIWL24F4VRO4","additional_properties":{},"content":"It was the worst moment in Israel’s history and the trauma may never be fully erased. Fifty-nine hostages remain in Gaza and with efforts to bring about their release deadlocked, a resumption of the Israel-Hamas war remains a distinct possibility.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FU56QG3RKJASNCJDTAW2PC2JLQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"On Tuesday, the Israel Security Agency (ISA) Shin Bet released a detailed report outlining its role in the security failure. It was a damning self-indictment. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7XJAYHDFAFCWLEJODXRJBYMNGY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The renowned intelligence body admitted it had failed to correctly interpret numerous indications that Hamas was planning the attack and had failed to warn the military and political leadership. But the ISA also pointed the finger of blame at Israel’s leadership. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"NGIANL7JGBBQZEBLYMZLDOQZ4E","additional_properties":{},"content":"The report cited policies that were enacted by prime minister <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\">Binyamin Netanyahu</a> over more than a decade as contributing factors to the failure: “A policy of quiet that allowed Hamas’s massive build-up; the flow of Qatari funds and their delivery to Hamas’s military wing; the ongoing erosion of Israeli deterrence; the effort to cope with a terrorist organisation on the basis of intelligence and defence, while refraining from offensive initiative; the cumulative weight of violations on the Temple Mount, the treatment of [Palestinian] prisoners and the perception that Israeli society had been weakened because of the damage to social cohesion.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"HBBBQ2EUNFBTTBZ3PIPLTE2LR4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The response from Netanyahu’s close circle was immediate: ISA director Ronen Bar needed to resign immediately. A statement, broadly reported by Israeli media outlets, accused him of having “failed completely in everything that pertains to how the Shin Bet coped with the Hamas organisation in general and specifically to the event of October 7″. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"IXBPQJDKVRAHVPTTNTVFTIBIYY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The unnamed authors of the statement also asserted that the ISA failures had kept Netanyahu in the dark. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YNT4JW3S7FXMMDKWOXTWMIYVEE","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"KZLI3U65PVFAJFBGWRFYW4JARU","additional_properties":{},"content":"It accused Bar of failing to “read the intelligence picture correctly” and of being a “slave to the preconception [that Hamas was deterred and did not seek conflict]. In routine intelligence assessments, including a few days before the massacre, the chief thesis in the ISA was that Hamas wanted to maintain the quiet and that there would not be a war”. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"VVDVXBIWP5COBHS2CEVBAJJ7IE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Specifically, Bar was criticised for deciding not to contact Netanyahu in the early hours of October 7th, 2023, when worrying signs were being picked up from Gaza, including Hamas fighters inserting Israeli Sim cards into their phones.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D56EED3PUZBFXDV2ZTF2LRCVSA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Bar is resisting the pressure to resign, arguing he needs to stay in his role until all the hostages return home.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QK3IVDSMLRCPJH4A23X5V4JW7E","subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"QWQUYVQQT5ET3IWI74ZIFGMMJU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Tuesday’s report followed a number of reports from the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in recent weeks in which military chiefs also admitted their responsibility for the October 7th security failure. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"3KYPN77XZJG3ZJK5V4CHPR5RBA","additional_properties":{},"content":"On Wednesday the army’s top general, Lt Gen Herzi Halevi, stepped down. “This happened on my watch. What happened is my responsibility. And I bear this and will always bear it. In the name of responsibility, I am ending my term. A lot is said about responsibility, but the significance is in the eye of the beholder,” he said, looking at the table where Netanyahu was sitting.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T26KQ2D2IJFODJFQ3RDAIN4HGE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The ISA report essentially argued that without a comprehensive external investigation it will be impossible to investigate fully the reasons that brought about the Hamas attack. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"NTF3VUIN5VFQXNB3IOU4ZF62PI","additional_properties":{},"content":"But Netanyahu continues to resist the establishment of a state commission of inquiry in the hope that the responsibility will stick with the IDF and the ISA. ","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Mark Weiss"}},"name":"Mark Weiss"}]},"description":{"basic":"The prime minister is resisting an inquiry into what brought about the devasting attack by Palestinian militants"},"display_date":"2025-03-05T19:55:09.48Z","headlines":{"basic":"Israeli security services point finger at Netanyahu as they own up to errors over Hamas’s October 7th incursion","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"TXHC2JAOPLDT77PONWBMNIJDS4","auth":{"1":"cf69f472960e8949357aebbe27c4daee826e4860214593bfe7256ff5e906e3f4"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/TXHC2JAOPLDT77PONWBMNIJDS4.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/05/israeli-security-services-point-finger-at-netanyahu-as-they-own-up-to-errors-over-hamass-october-7-incursion/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"D5JZLWI7ZBHTTORZOXHPGGJDSE","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":288,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/2e1a632c-f2cb-43d5-8e1f-d0b7b6d6127f/versions/1741182510/media/63f13bda00d1efa1ed894ee4743d792f_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/05/arab-league-had-no-choice-but-to-find-alternative-to-trumps-proposal-to-resettle-23-million-gazans-in-egypt-and-jordan/","content_elements":[{"_id":"6BWEPO5XVNC7LLIBCXTI2XTWUA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597731},"content":"The <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2025/03/04/arab-leaders-agree-to-egyptian-plan-for-gaza-reconstruction-avoiding-palestinian-resettlement/\" target=\"_self\">agreement on Tuesday</a> by Arab leaders to adopt a reconstruction plan for <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza-strip/\" target=\"_self\">Gaza</a> occurred one month after <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a> proposed transforming the enclave into the “<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2025/02/06/gaza-strip-ceasefire-donald-trump-plan-latest-news/\">Riviera of the Middle East</a>”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"27LHK3YTZJEBHDSJWHDDVXLPJQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597732},"content":"Often criticised for chronic disunity, the Arab League, which met in Cairo, had no choice but to stand against the US president’s demand that 2.3 million Gazans would be resettled in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/egypt/\" target=\"_self\">Egypt</a> and Jordan. Cairo and Amman would have faced economic pain and popular protests if they had agreed to such a proposal.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FIL6RUQIHVD4RLZFUOWFJUL43A","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597733},"content":"This was the first time an Arab summit has been called upon to approve such an ambitious programme.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ANQ5YDRLT5HDVCOW7EWDW4UV7Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597734},"content":"Gaza’s recovery has been linked to direct negotiations between Palestine and Israel on the emergence of a Palestinian state alongside <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel\" target=\"_self\">Israel</a> in line with the two-state solution. The plan called upon the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/united-nations-un/\" target=\"_self\">United Nations</a> Security Council to deploy international peacekeeping forces to Gaza and the West Bank to enhance security “for the Palestinian and Israeli peoples”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XZDLFLPU7JE6VEGLBPUQUSJL7Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597735},"content":"Syria’s new president, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who leads al-Qaeda offshoot Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, which has been branded as a terrorist group, attended the summit.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RWIEDLO4ANETZENO64IADOOY5Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597736},"content":"For the first time since Egypt’s 1979 peace treaty with Israel, Cairo has been called upon to draft the Arab plan and lead the effort to implement it. Egypt had been censured, ostracised and suspended from the Arab League for a decade for concluding what was the first Arab peace treaty with Israel. After Israel had occupied East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza in 1967, Arab leaders held a summit in Khartoum and said: “No peace with Israel, no negotiations with Israel, no recognition of Israel.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"RKBYRD73GZHEXJAWJIO3N64YTA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597737},"content":"‘We’ll own it’: Trump’s shocking plan to take over Gaza and displace two million Palestinians","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"5SZA5D56PFE5FJ2LHEI2WBBEAY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597738},"content":"Egyptian president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said his country had worked with Palestinians on creating an administrative committee of independent, professional Palestinian technocrats entrusted with the governance of Gaza after the end of the Israel-Gaza war.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AEM7MK4HPNGZHI5MLXSMSRQXR4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597739},"content":"The committee would be responsible for the oversight of humanitarian aid and managing Gaza’s affairs for a temporary period, in preparation for the return of the Palestinian Authority (PA), he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5HGZZOGHDRFIZCBJSVNXTYFDU4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597740},"content":"The 91-page $53 billion (€50 billion) Egyptian plan itself was drawn up in fewer than 30 days. Its framework was presented last month to a mini-summit in Saudi Arabia of the Gulf countries, Egypt and Jordan, and was approved on Monday by Arab foreign ministers before the summit.","type":"text"},{"_id":"K2UIFHP72VHZDLSAXBGPB6ILDQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597741},"content":"The plan unfolds in three stages.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YHWDNPYP4RGL3OZEELO3YPGI3Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597742},"content":"During the first six-month stage, projected to cost $3 billion, the committee of neutral Palestinian technocrats – operating under the West Bank Palestinian Authority oversight – would oversee the clearance the rubble from the main north-south highway in Gaza. Palestinians would be moved to seven sites where 200,000 temporary housing units would be built to shelter 1.2 million people, while 60,000 damaged buildings would be repaired.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GWO32MIUC5EXNJDOFQCWGWJHSY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597743},"content":"Egypt and Jordan would train a Palestinian police force to enable the reformed <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/palestinian-authority/\" target=\"_self\">Palestinian Authority</a> to take over Gaza’s governance from <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas\" target=\"_self\">Hamas</a>, which has backed the plan although the fate of its arms remains unsettled. On Tuesday senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri rejected Israeli and US calls for the group to disarm, saying its right to resist was not negotiable.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OIVI2NQ7WJFFFJUAOCE4COC4TI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597744},"content":"The second two-year reconstruction phase, estimated to cost $20 billion, would focus on permanent housing and the rehabilitation of agricultural land as well as the restoration of electricity, water, sewerage and telecommunications.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GOJ76E4SOBBDHMHJWJDL3RF5PQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597745},"content":"The third 30-month phase – expected to cost $30 billion- would continue with housing and build an industrial zone, a fishing port, a commercial seaport and an international airport.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NQ27REQSERGMPCYHPK3HSF4X4E","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597746},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"AAV7R3HQWFGTDMLGM6GHTMI2RQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597747},"content":"Funding would be raised from donors in the Gulf, Europe, the US and international financial institutions. Disbursement and investment would be internationally supervised.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DEXLZPQJRVGIPHDUKENNYIWW4Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597748},"content":"The US and Israel have rejected the Arab plan. US National Security Council spokesman Brian Hughes said in a statement: “The current proposal does not address the reality that Gaza is currently uninhabitable, and residents cannot humanely live in a territory covered in debris and unexploded ordnance. President Trump stands by his vision to rebuild Gaza free from Hamas. We look forward to further talks to bring peace and prosperity to the region.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"HVSOIOUGQZCVXGGD4KLK5SSWIE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597749},"content":"The Israeli foreign ministry said the Egyptian plan “fails to address the realities of the situation” such as the raid on October 7th, 2023, by Hamas which killed about 1,200 in Israel.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NVPRJ3XGOJEE5LEVV2MFFK2AUY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597750},"content":"The ministry reiterated Israel’s support for Trump’s plan as “an opportunity for the Gazans to have free choice based on their free will”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4RR73EOGJJFGBMIG4T2QYRF33I","additional_properties":{"_id":1741184597751},"content":"<i>Additional reporting: Reuters</i>","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Michael Jansen"}},"name":"Michael Jansen"}]},"description":{"basic":"Long criticised for disunity, the bloc now has a $53bn plan to rebuild Gaza Strip, boost its economy and replace Hamas"},"display_date":"2025-03-05T13:43:26.117Z","headlines":{"basic":"Arab League had no choice but to find alternative to Trump’s proposal to resettle 2.3m Gazans in Egypt and Jordan","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"FJ6XUVCZKSPRN3QDE4GBWZD2RI","auth":{"1":"0053c74ff82140549e3e2b84c86794d608821fee841d3cf6c4a3fd85060770a7"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/FJ6XUVCZKSPRN3QDE4GBWZD2RI.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/05/arab-league-had-no-choice-but-to-find-alternative-to-trumps-proposal-to-resettle-23-million-gazans-in-egypt-and-jordan/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"5JOXMUVUYRB2NMD4KJRNLERKUU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":601,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/1f75b536-310a-481c-9730-866414da360d/versions/1741158453/media/e81e0b774354e9a0431e849d0e402a79_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/us/2025/03/05/trump-declares-america-is-back-as-speech-sparks-republican-rapture-and-democrats-departure/","content_elements":[{"_id":"RU2V7QB4E5GF3HAX3M665K2FQI","additional_properties":{},"content":"For a few minutes on Tuesday night, president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a>’s address to a joint session of the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/united-states\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/united-states\">119th Congress</a> threatened to disintegrate into bedlam. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"FI5NYGCR65BJTP5XCMAJQLCH3E","additional_properties":{},"content":"It was shortly after nine o’clock and Trump had just begun speaking when all eyes were drawn to a lone figure rising from his seat in the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/democratic-party/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/democratic-party/\">Democratic side</a> of the House chamber. Al Green, the Texas Democratic congressman, raised a gold-handled cane and shouted repeatedly at <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/trump-presidency\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/trump-presidency\">the president</a> in the opening minutes of his address from the lectern.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UCHE3LJC7ZGH7O2F76GDHMUDLE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“You don’t have a mandate to cut Medicaid,” Green called out, loudly, sternly, repeatedly. To the left, a lusty chorus of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/republican-party\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/republican-party\">Republican</a> booing alchemised to a full-blooded chant of “USA! USA! USA!” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"G3SLZHQ3NRC7HEKOKFJT75HBFQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Once it subsided, Trump resumed reading from the autocue only to have the Texan interrupt him again – and then again. The speaker of the House, Mike Johnson, issued a warning. But still Green heckled and persisted until he was finally removed the chamber. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"JYRL74EKSFFTDIVXUR4VW6CYCE","additional_properties":{},"content":"News report: Trump welcomes Ukraine’s willingness to sign minerals deal and talk peace","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"JVNYBL2BRZHLDKQZOH3VNJ4YI4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The president said he had a mandate,” Green said a few minutes later as he made his way through the ghostly corridors of the Capitol. “And I was making it clear to the president that he had no mandate to cut Medicaid. I have people who are very fearful. These are poor people, and they have only Medicaid in their lives when it comes to their healthcare. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"LKPFFW2DEREJLGAMKQGVP52U34","additional_properties":{},"content":"“And I want him to know that his budget calls for deep cuts in Medicaid. I am willing to suffer whatever punishment is available to me. It is worth it to let people know that there are some of us who are willing to stand up against this president’s desire to cut Medicaid. This is the richest country in the world, and we have people who don’t have good healthcare. This president is unfit. He should not hold the office.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"C7VM3W2F6BBQNDLTE22KNLBUDM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Inside, Trump warmed to what turned into a record-setting 99-minute speech which was a condensed version of election-campaign riffs and post-inauguration shocks and promises, riddled with the familiar exaggerations and factual inaccuracies. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"AXD7JVWBYNBIBIIYTKBWQCQYZY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“America is back,” he opened, as on the floor and in the gallery, elected Republicans and chosen guests chanted “USA! USA!”","type":"text"},{"_id":"M3AF6UWDLVCX3KNYV562UQ32OE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Among my very highest priorities is to rescue our economy and get dramatic and immediate relief to working families. As you know, we inherited, from the last administration, an economic catastrophe and an inflation nightmare. Their policies drove up energy prices, pushed up the cost of groceries and drove the necessities of life out of reach for millions of Americans. We suffered the worst inflation in 48 years, but perhaps even in the history of our country. As president, I am fighting every day to reverse this damage and make America affordable again.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"6A42AFS6DRI4SUB4YLNTYPGNEM","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"LE4FPG5IK5GPDN7QIYA2WYOXSQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"To Trump’s right, the Democrats adopted an attitude of studied indifference. A handful rose from their seats as a courtesy when he entered the room but that was it. Many caught up on their text messages. Democratic congresswomen wore pink but the party mood was sombre. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7GETEW3SLFFU5PD3E6QPFR7JUQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"The main intrigue about the occasion revolved around the concerted Democratic response in what was their first opportunity to confront the president directly. After Green’s startling intervention, the night was alive with the possibility that the defeated and fractured party had found an anarchic streak and would break Trump’s address with a series of radical interruptions. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"ON6CVUOHX5FR5FBOIUSBZ42S7Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"Instead, they remained silent and registered their beliefs with hand-held signs carrying their messages – “Save Medicaid”; “Musk Steals”. As a protest, it respected the rules of the evening. But given that the camera was fixed on the president and the enthusiastic nodding of vice-president JD Vance and speaker Johnson, who went full bobble-head with every utterance, the impact was muted.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PBY2SDMXQZBLDHG2IYWHWLAFE4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Nancy Pelosi, the party grandee and former House speaker, was a picture of contained fury but overall the Democratic Party was reminiscent of a lethargic humanities class enduring a punishingly dull philosophy lecture. Yet again they had time, through Trump’s rambling delivery, to reflect on the stunning turn their world has taken since January 6th, 2021, after which Trump left Washington friendless and finished. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4J4X7VVJFFFO5LTRGV5N63LD24","additional_properties":{},"content":"To witness a Republican Party in choreographed shows of rapture must have been demoralising and intimidating even as they experienced, at close range, the full sensory overload of a Trump rally speech.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EAM2UHND7NGOJN2QCOJMBI2EAU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We have accomplished more in 34 days than most administrations do in four years, in eight years. And we are just ... getting started ... our spirit is back and our confidence is back and the American dream is bigger and better than ever before ... a comeback the likes of which the world has never witnessed and perhaps will never witness again.” And on, and on.","type":"text"},{"_id":"COUSFBKA2FDRJMM7ZKN445BJUU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Jasmine Crockett, another Texan Democrat, walked out midway through his address. Others followed. But the Republicans didn’t care. Trump illuminated the evening by introducing several guests to the chamber with moving and often heartbreaking stories, including the family of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/01/30/what-it-would-take-for-america-to-deport-11-million-immigrants/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/01/30/what-it-would-take-for-america-to-deport-11-million-immigrants/\">Laken Riley</a>, whose murder last summer led to the passing of new law in her name, and also the family of Corey Comperatore, who was killed by one of the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2024/07/14/donald-trump-assassination-attempt-sparks-dread-and-fear-in-america/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2024/07/14/donald-trump-assassination-attempt-sparks-dread-and-fear-in-america/\">bullets fired at Donald Trump</a> during last July’s rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7XFJWX5FQVGY3NCXFZIX3FEBBE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The loudest cheer of the night was reserved for Devarjaye Taylor, a 13-year-old boy who is battling a diagnosis of brain cancer. He was presented with a badge by Sean Curran, Trump’s new Secret Service director, to make him “an agent of the United States”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AVTNGD74SVGHBMH3Y2RLGM7XEI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The boy’s face, in that moment, was an expression of pure joy. Something in its innocence and purity reflected the pomp and pomposity of the night as though the chamber was for an instant transformed into a house of mirrors.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IBF47CPCLRAMFFHB6GV24ISQNY","additional_properties":{},"content":"At one stage, Trump referred to “unelected bureaucrats”. Elon Musk arose from his seat to applaud and at once, several Democrats stood and pointed in accusatory silence at the world’s richest man. Had you forecast this surreal image to veteran politicians on either side of the House a year ago, they could not have imagined it.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QXUUWB5VRNEJFHJDLCC6NKXXUE","additional_properties":{},"content":"But as well as everything else, this period in American political life has altered the perception of time. Tuesday night’s address fell just two days before the one-year anniversary of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2024/03/08/state-of-the-union-sleepy-joe-nowhere-in-evidence-as-canny-well-versed-biden-outlines-vision-in-blistering-speech/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2024/03/08/state-of-the-union-sleepy-joe-nowhere-in-evidence-as-canny-well-versed-biden-outlines-vision-in-blistering-speech/\">Joe Biden’s final state of the union speech </a>to Congress. In retrospect, that hour turned out to be the last unblemished experience of Biden’s 50-year political career. It’s customary for the speechwriters to rifle through the pages of darker history for occasions like this and on that evening, Biden fell on the winter of 1941, when the burden of the office weighed heavily on Franklin Roosevelt.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y24ZA23XOCDLNUE5QZIH52YFZY","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"3CYAFMULCFEAFN7P2V6SFRPHXQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"“President Roosevelt’s purpose was to wake up the Congress and alert the American people that this was no ordinary moment. Freedom and democracy were under assault in the world. Tonight, I come to the same chamber to address the nation. Now it is we who face an unprecedented moment in the history of the union.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"HHYOJO35KBCJTKARPEH5JXSKHA","additional_properties":{},"content":"That was Biden’s rallying cry for the election year ahead. Now, like many millions of Americans, the former president found himself watching on television (there is no way he could have spent the evening in his Delaware livingroom flicking between college basketball games) as his nemesis made a triumphant return to the House chamber.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SDYOPOM5Z5FULGBOXHYEBDZBNU","additional_properties":{},"content":"If he watched, he would have found himself mocked and goaded by Trump once more even as the new faces of the Republican power base – Robert Kennedy Jr and Tulsi Gabbard and the other cabinet members – beamed up at the president.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NQI4EKKU5ZFXFC2YLPMKFV6SSI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Musk, suited for once and content to make an unobtrusive entrance, sat in the gallery alongside too many Trumps to count. There, too, was Kash Patel and directly in front of him stood Chris LaCivita, who along with Susie Wiles was the chief strategist behind Trump’s election campaign.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7IB6P36YTVBYNJD6EOMYVYVZKU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I look at the Democrats in front of me and realise there is absolutely nothing I can say to make them happy, or stand or applaud ... these people sitting right here will not clap, will not stand and will not cheer, no matter what,” Trump lamented at one point.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RLHOD34XXZDZNITTVJWDGXSNRY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“For just this one night why not join us in celebrating so many wins for America?”","type":"text"},{"_id":"2VSLAG5Q7BCTFMAORVW2JKAVUU","additional_properties":{},"content":"When Trump admitted “there will be a little disturbance” from tariffs but “we’re okay with that”, a Democrat objected: “No, we’re not!” A Republican retorted loudly: “We’re good, we’re good.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"WCOESQAABVA6PAGSJ32CDRUX2A","additional_properties":{},"content":"Trump gave this address on an evening when the stock market – a barometer he cherishes – tanked after his announcement of punitive 25 per cent tariffs against Canada and Mexico, threatening even higher prices for Americans who voted for the opposite. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BWDQYSPEMVE3DLB362UOPBE5RQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"His startling detente with Russia looks set to continue at pace as he vowed to deliver a fast peace deal between Ukraine and Russia. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"R2DWMRVLP5G6ND33DJ473L4DIM","additional_properties":{},"content":"He said he appreciated Ukrainian president<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/volodymyr-zelenskiy/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/volodymyr-zelenskiy/\"> Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s</a> willingness to sign a minerals deal with the United States and <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/03/05/trump-welcomes-ukraines-willingness-to-sign-minerals-deal-and-talk-peace/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/03/05/trump-welcomes-ukraines-willingness-to-sign-minerals-deal-and-talk-peace/\">come to the negotiating table</a> in a bid to end the war with Russia.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HJY66WQSFZH2ZLBCHX2NZPVYLM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Earlier today, I received an important letter from President Zelenskiy of Ukraine. The letter reads: ‘Ukraine is ready to come to the negotiating table as soon as possible to bring lasting peace closer,” Mr Trump said. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"4PVJH57NV5FNNOOKZGF3U7TZYI","additional_properties":{},"content":"And once again he found time to remind his party that the conquest of Greenland has not been forgotten. But still he promised his version of the golden dream,","type":"text"},{"_id":"XIJZVQO54VDVNKWXBWROA7QLHU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Get ready for an incredible future because the golden age of America has only just begun. It will be like nothing that has ever been seen before. Thank you and God bless you.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"XZ7OKRMXIJGGNJIXACTXI5AJYE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The remaining Democrats had scuttled out the chamber doors before he had even finished his final salute. Half the room was empty, the other half rapturous. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7FUMEBGH4RGBLDBIBKNF3CZ2TY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Lincoln’s old refrain – “A house divided against itself cannot stand” – came roaring from the Illinois summer of 1858 to this new and alien moment where the two governing parties of the United States look across the aisle in mutual contempt and mistrust and bewilderment.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Keith Duggan"}},"name":"Keith Duggan"}]},"description":{"basic":"President offers up shocks and promises, riddled with exaggerations and factual inaccuracies, during address to Congress"},"display_date":"2025-03-05T06:55:02.435Z","headlines":{"basic":"Trump says ‘golden age of America has only just begun’ in speech riddled with exaggerations and inaccuracies ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"2RT3QJIXYX7HEHI5W5NU6TADJQ","auth":{"1":"492c77e50925f6d40eed7c1d4ef6ce3f7b731f5305abcc7604a9ba07fbaf8479"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/2RT3QJIXYX7HEHI5W5NU6TADJQ.jpg"},"lead_art":{"_id":"ad9f44e2-e5bb-4ea9-b645-22b3426af856","embed_html":"<div class=\"powa\" id=\"powa-ad9f44e2-e5bb-4ea9-b645-22b3426af856\" data-org=\"irishtimes\" data-env=\"prod\" data-uuid=\"ad9f44e2-e5bb-4ea9-b645-22b3426af856\" data-aspect-ratio=\"0.562\" data-api=\"prod\"><script 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suspension of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/us/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/us/\">US</a> military support to <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\">Ukraine</a> is unlikely to trigger a sudden collapse in its defences, but it will allow <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\">Russia</a> to exert more pressure at the front line and inflict more casualties and damage on the country’s towns and cities, analysts say.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JKQTALDUZBF4JNPSMG5J4MIJSY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Many Ukrainians now regard US president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a> as a de-facto enabler of Russia in its invasion of their country, after the White House halted military aid to Kyiv and demanded that it show more gratitude to Washington for previous assistance and be more open to making peace with the Kremlin regardless of the terms of any deal.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UYQB4SA3EJEINEQTYDHL5PKPSI","additional_properties":{},"content":"After 11 years of fighting with Russia and three years of all-out war, Ukraine hopes that its own growing arms production and European pledges to dramatically increase defence investment and manufacturing will cover many of its needs, while acknowledging that there is no ready replacement for some key US weapons.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3NEF7L5LB5B6ZKU5WK6VDK4TZA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Ukraine says forces can hold frontline as Trump halts US military aid","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"HNXC4LWL4ZFMXH774NZA76IKNU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Contrary to exaggerated claims of US largesse from Trump, data from the Kiel Institute for the World Economy shows that the US has given Ukraine €64 billion in military aid since 2022, compared to €62 billion provided by Europe.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YX66SWFIZFHPPCEGHWIFTIFKT4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Thanks in part to financial help and investment from the West, Ukraine is now thought to produce or purchase more than half of the weaponry it needs, while Europe supplies about a quarter and the US about 20 per cent.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OSOEE7XHLFFQTEVUXLNBRFA4BU","additional_properties":{},"content":"When Trump’s allies in Congress blocked US military aid for Ukraine for several months at the start of last year, Russia gained ground in eastern Ukraine as Kyiv’s troops were forced to ration their use of artillery shells.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JRRFHJJGKVB2FFMMBGFCNO4BCY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Ukrainian officials say their country can now produce about 2.5 million artillery and mortar shells a year, however. Europe made 1.4 million last year and – even before calling for a surge in arms manufacturing in recent days – planned to make two million during 2025. The US, by comparison, said last August that it had sent about three million shells to Ukraine since 2022.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BUWOYIUPLNGW3MA7GOALGNTSQY","subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"NLMPZG3G75GSFHXWZXVSL74Z2Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"Traditional artillery and armour have also become less important during this war as drones that blow up on impact or drop explosives on to their targets have assumed a vital role. Ukraine is now a world leader in drone warfare and it made more than a million drones in 2024 and aims to make several million this year – as does Russia.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3U72VOCWSVCKTMSTQ7N6KNNIVI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Our defence industry has come a long way in the past three years. We’ve built up significant capabilities and can counter many risks and threats,” Fedir Venislavskyi, a member of the Ukrainian parliament’s defence committee, told the RBC-Ukraina news outlet on Tuesday.","type":"text"},{"_id":"63A2Q4LV2JFBPHHOIA2K456YUI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I think Ukraine definitely has a safety buffer of about six months, even without systematic assistance from the United States – but it will be much more difficult, of course.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"DW6NYQNZIFEDNET5Q7XDJILISE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Military analyst Ihor Romanenko said: “The Europeans will help us, but they will not be able to fully cover everything the US supplies. So we must rely on our own forces and reserves. This does not mean we should despair. We are still a long way from that.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"NIK2OXNV45BMXEAZXSLW3FETXY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Ukraine relies heavily on some high-tech US hardware, however, particularly the Patriot air defence systems that can take down even Russia’s most advanced missiles – shielding city centres and critical infrastructure – and guided rockets for powerful longer-range systems such as Himars and Atacms.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GXS5MJADQZFCXOOOMURWW6SHHM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Any disruption to US intelligence sharing and provision of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet system – owned by Trump ally and Ukraine critic <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/elon-musk\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/elon-musk\">Elon Musk</a> – would also significantly hamper Ukraine’s troops and aid Russia’s invasion force.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Daniel McLaughlin"}},"name":"Daniel McLaughlin"}]},"description":{"basic":"Domestic and European supplies will plug holes, but some high-tech US systems irreplaceable"},"display_date":"2025-03-04T14:38:53.203Z","headlines":{"basic":"Trump’s halt in US arms likely to deplete Ukraine’s defences, not devastate them","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"GP6WZ3P47ZRRMA5AHHFPDWF66Y","auth":{"1":"cc552118514fd7a12413798f266e357413e5152f468c39282b75fcb852e02192"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/GP6WZ3P47ZRRMA5AHHFPDWF66Y.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/04/trumps-halt-in-us-arms-likely-to-deplete-ukraines-defences-not-devastate-them/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"L7C4OI6UAZEQPF7UXBUQMFAOMM","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":227,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/3e68ff8c-754a-4822-a2d7-2520eb35d289/versions/1741029548/media/9f5612386c424a80cd8d838e0dd1dd10_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/03/tensions-remain-as-austria-finally-gets-a-new-government-and-germans-start-talking-about-one/","content_elements":[{"_id":"47PJBCVVPZAHRMU4SFEVMXX4WM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Five months and two failed coalition attempts after <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/austria/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/austria/\">Austria</a>’s federal election in September, president Alexander Van der Bellen swore in a new centrist government on Monday with an amused note of warning: “All’s well that ends well”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"NWD35MVHTNDEHCGJ35DZVLNC6E","additional_properties":{},"content":"It took two attempts for a new coalition to come together in Vienna that avoided postwar Austria’s first extreme-right chancellor.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YU2264BZKRH6RC2BNLERGNSED4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The government will be led by the centre-right People’s Party (OVP) and its 64-year-old interim leader Christian Stocker. A low-profile electrician-turned party functionary, Stocker only entered parliament in 2019. Now he is heading a government backed by the Social Democrats (SPO) and, in a first, the liberal Neos.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4UKDWIWZV5APRJCD42RHP27KIY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Probably it would have been more tempting to remain stubborn but stubborn does not a government make,” said Van der Bellen, a nod to the collapse of the three parties’ first round of talks.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ACUAHE4SXFCJDIZTSJXXGDUQIU","additional_properties":{},"content":"That opened the door to the prospect of a OVP-backed coalition lead by the nationalist populist Freedom Party (FPO), until those talks collapsed as well.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FYDX753MXVDJ3CSQSLYPGQ6NPE","additional_properties":{},"content":"At Vienna’s hulking Hofburg Palace on Monday, Austria’s president made clear that the country’s democracy had dodged a bullet. Without naming the FPO, he urged the new coalition to address the pressing issues and do more to defend liberal democracy against its enemies.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2U6JPBYBN5H3THYYIUF7ETLTKI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The president demanded a “clear, just line” on <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/immigration/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/immigration/\">migration</a> that balanced asylum rights with “consistent measures against irregular migration” as well as new, fairer balances on economic competitiveness and social security.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QGZSQ2ZKV5D43I253NDTYV7UDI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The new government takes office at a time of recession with rising unemployment and budget tensions. The OVP will control interior and defence ministries while the Social Democrats have taken the finance and justice portfolios with the liberal Neos leader Beate Meinl-Reisinger heading foreign affairs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7VFBQ2UPDRBGJKH5JFVAVMZA4U","additional_properties":{},"content":"Its 200-page second attempt at a coalition agreements leaves many key policy points open, however, with political analyst Thomas Hofer predicting tensions given the far-right FPO is now in opposition despite winning last September’s election.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WWIJTYPCQ5FKPBAJYZO5QSICZ4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The rise and dominance of the FPO is derived from the fact that the previously dominant parties have created a leadership vacuum, they were just too defensive like a rabbit staring at a snake,” he said, resulting in the kind of voter loss of confidence in the mainstream palpable across Europe.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YIQTIMGNG5C5XLSXEYZYJZYOWQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Across the border in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/germany/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/germany/\">Germany,</a> preliminary coalition talks began on Monday with a row over debt and borrowing between the first-placed Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and third-placed Social Democratic Party (SPD).","type":"text"},{"_id":"UUT546NOGVA5TL76OUSN5BDMTI","additional_properties":{},"content":"CDU leader Friedrich Merz, Germany’s likely next chancellor, is pushing for a last-minute meeting of the old Bundestag to rush through emergency spending measures.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OOGV6POAGNFV3KDYQUKZVN6ALE","additional_properties":{},"content":"According to Merz officials, MPs will be presented either with a plan to top up or replace the so-called “special fund”, a €100 billion off-balance sheet vehicle established three years ago by Germany for urgent military spending.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FTLBGTFYEBBP3BPQBUCAZXN4GM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The leaked CDU plan has annoyed the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), which has been pushing for a shift away from ad-hoc spending to a reform of stringent debt rules that limit borrowing.","type":"text"},{"_id":"J3277NUP2FGSDIFH4GPQC3DSJY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Time is tight for the incoming coalition: any such measures would require a two-thirds supermajority, which the parties have in the old but not the new Bundestag, expected to hold its first sitting at the end of March.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BTLZIEPN6JBI3EJRJWRUYKI2DU","additional_properties":{},"content":"SPD co-leader Saskia Esken was said to be furious at the CDU leaks and on Monday promised to “be joyfully annoying” in the evening round of preliminary talks.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OLSPKAVS2NFSZNS4XDSRHBLXLM","additional_properties":{},"content":"A CDU-SPD coalition is the only viable centrist alliance after a surge in support for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD). Unlike in Vienna, there is as yet no guarantee in Berlin that all will end well.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Derek Scally"}},"name":"Derek Scally"}]},"description":{"basic":"Far-right FPO finds itself in opposition in Austria despite winning last September’s election"},"display_date":"2025-03-03T19:10:57.111Z","headlines":{"basic":"Tensions remain as Austria finally gets a new government and Germans start talking about one","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"QG7BILZ57CHRUBOHHI2TMTI72A","auth":{"1":"75ccd6114ab1689f4696bd618d81208f877345a7d9b97ef82bcb37442f377207"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/QG7BILZ57CHRUBOHHI2TMTI72A.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/03/tensions-remain-as-austria-finally-gets-a-new-government-and-germans-start-talking-about-one/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"4DKLLUCJSJEQ3ETA2B4VGACU3M","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":230,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/0d170433-7098-4cc4-9684-4d1634043d62/versions/1741027585/media/f4d31cb6fa600b5238b13a3a2db4cadc_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/03/halting-humanitarian-aid-to-gaza-is-a-risky-strategy-by-netanyahu/","content_elements":[{"_id":"ZKTMERRTLZAXBBL5RQO5VMZJM4","additional_properties":{},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\">Israel</a>’s decision over the weekend to stop the flow of goods and equipment into the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza/\">Gaza Strip</a> is only the first stage of a strategy designed to pressure <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\">Hamas</a> into releasing more hostages – particularly among the 24 of the 59 captives still believed to be alive. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"PL26P5J26VHOJGO3JPACTWU54A","additional_properties":{},"content":"Prime minister <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/binyamin-netanyahu/\">Binyamin Netanyahu</a> is reportedly preparing to resume the war against Hamas if the militant group refuses to accept the latest proposal by US envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff, but is inclined first to increase the pressure gradually, using other means. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YDQJGQPWGRCB5K35D2QEZVC5LI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The strategy, dubbed the Hell Plan, includes following up the decision to halt the delivery of humanitarian aid with (again) displacing residents from the northern Gaza Strip to the south, and halting the supply of electricity.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IBTY27OWLBARNE7NNXQQNSBIUI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Netanyahu has defended the decision – reportedly co-ordinated in advance with US president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a>’s administration – to stop the humanitarian aid. “Israel has decided to stop letting goods and supplies in to Gaza, something we’ve done for the past 42 days,” he said. “We’ve done that because Hamas steals the supplies and prevents the people of Gaza from getting them. It uses these supplies to finance its terror machine, which is aimed directly at Israel and our civilians – and this we cannot accept.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"5GPKKVHAC5FA5AYAEN5V6A3IUQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"He accused Hamas of rejecting the latest Witkoff plan, which calls for extending the ceasefire until mid-April, covering the Muslim holy month of Ramadan (which started at the weekend) and the Jewish Passover festival (which ends on April 19th) with a release of half the hostages at the start of the period and the remaining half after 50 days, the deadline for a permanent settlement.","type":"text"},{"_id":"72AHVCSY7VH5LI7RZ624CYDUYI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hamas rejected extending the first stage of the ceasefire, insisting that additional hostages would only be released in keeping with the agreement that was signed, which calls for an end to the war and a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza at the end of the second stage.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ET3KS3YYC5DDPDINYAJPIHSFKM","additional_properties":{},"content":"However, Arab diplomatic sources involved in mediation efforts indicated that Hamas has no desire to renew hostilities during Ramadan and is willing to continue to negotiate. All the parties are waiting for Witkoff’s arrival in the region, but no date has been confirmed for that. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"FLGB73MIA5ETXARGYRUNHKWURQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Another critical piece of the jigsaw is Tuesday’s Arab summit in Cairo aimed at presenting an alternative to Trump’s radical postwar Gaza plan, which has been rejected unanimously across the Arab world. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"V32HWR2BNNG5JKB5TUXZ4GMW6E","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israel’s policy of gradually stepping up the pressure on Hamas is not without risk. The first involves the fate of the hostages. Every day Israeli media air interviews with recently freed hostages and the message is consistent: the days in captivity were “hell on earth” and each day there puts the hostages in greater danger.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EM3KQMDZQ5ECRKNZ7SGZXRWJCU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israel and Hamas pushing for delivery on each other’s promises before second phase of Gaza ceasefire begins","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"45PAK5CJ6JERHICBCEKRK6HIYU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The second risk involves Israel’s reputation in the international community. Hamas claims the cutting of aid, even without stopping electricity, is a war crime aimed at starving the Gazan population. Israel claims there are enough supplies in Hamas warehouses to last at least four months, but the turning back of aid lorries is never a good look – even though, this time, the measure has US backing. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"5MDQWC5FAJFWDAYKIA5ET2BIXQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"There is also a clear political risk for Netanyahu. There is a widespread consensus in Israel that Hamas must be defeated and must never be allowed to rule Gaza again. However, there is an even wider consensus that getting back the hostages, while there is still time, must take priority. The resumption of a war that endangers the hostages and is perceived as an attempt to save Israel’s right-wing coalition will be a hard sell, even for Netanyahu.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Mark Weiss"}},"name":"Mark Weiss"}]},"description":{"basic":"Analysis: Israeli prime minister reportedly prepared to resume war with Hamas but wants to first increase pressure gradually"},"display_date":"2025-03-03T18:41:18.515Z","headlines":{"basic":"Halting humanitarian aid to Gaza is a risky strategy by Netanyahu ","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"BN4YLCNHGD5T6VDHWSDXXHKEQQ","auth":{"1":"fdb39ddeef68ab6d7fb8144d97c175579220b5b41d0c5bda6868641c68d59d0e"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/BN4YLCNHGD5T6VDHWSDXXHKEQQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/03/halting-humanitarian-aid-to-gaza-is-a-risky-strategy-by-netanyahu/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"4H6HXJWLMNBYVGXJNWJJFZJE44","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":357,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/3221fabf-b749-4283-9d9a-44e5961a29c6/versions/1741008719/media/2f372e924b7ef09fc3a4091f425503c9_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/03/europe-buys-zelenskiy-some-time-and-wrests-initiative-from-trump-and-putin/","content_elements":[{"_id":"WLGQOFPUYBAQ5GG44RI2SUV3HY","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"DI7ERQFNSRF5TCBMZJLCUAIKXE","additional_properties":{},"content":"After the verbal assault on <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/vladimir-putin/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/vladimir-putin/\">Volodymyr Zelenskiy </a>by <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a> and his vice-president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/jd-vance/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/jd-vance/\">JD Vance</a>, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\">Ukraine</a> was facing catastrophe. The obvious risk was that Trump would work with <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/vladimir-putin/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/vladimir-putin/\">Vladimir Putin</a> to force an isolated Ukraine to accept a de facto <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\">Russian</a> victory.","type":"text"},{"_id":"72M2HMDKFZAT5OYNGELSE5WDBM","additional_properties":{},"content":"That risk still remains. But some highly adept diplomacy by Britain’s prime minister, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/keir-starmer/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/keir-starmer/\">Keir Starmer</a>, working closely with France’s <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/emmanuel-macron/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/emmanuel-macron/\">Emmanuel Macron</a>, has staved off the worst for now. At a meeting in London, Zelenskiy was warmly embraced by European political leaders and later met King Charles – who seemed unconcerned that the Ukrainian leader was not wearing a suit. The message was clear. Zelenskiy and Ukraine are not alone.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YECXRJC4PZC5NAQTKDQ67NKXZY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Even more important, Starmer and Macron may have temporarily wrested the diplomatic initiative from Trump and Putin. By announcing that European nations will work with Ukraine on a peace proposal – which will then be presented to the US – they have made it harder for Trump to treat peace in Ukraine as something to be negotiated between the US and Russia alone.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DCHKSHNPRBEERG42XPCVFFWAWU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Rather than simply bleating that Europe and Ukraine must be at the table, Starmer and Macron have taken important steps to make sure that happens. The French are also pushing for a temporary ceasefire, which underlines that they are working for peace.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YDJFMK2ZHNCKHLHA4VUOXCWCI4","additional_properties":{},"content":"But any excitement about these developments needs to be heavily qualified. It is still likely that the peace initiatives will founder. There is no real sign that Russia is prepared to stop fighting. In fact, Putin’s incentives to cut a deal are diminishing fast, since he now has a realistic hope that the US may soon end military aid for Ukraine.","type":"text"},{"_id":"W7RTMCLWYZENDHKJVOGOWTYJMI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Daniel McLaughlin: Ukrainians look to Europe after White House chaos","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"WGE6AEPTQJEYLFKEISGQUIGIMY","additional_properties":{},"content":"It also seems very unlikely that the US will agree to provide a military backstop to an Anglo-French “reassurance force” in Ukraine. Trump’s obsessive fear of a third world war will make him extremely reluctant to take that risk. And yet Starmer is insistent that no deal can work without an American backstop.","type":"text"},{"_id":"G524ZRSMGZGLDETO37WVDFFN7E","additional_properties":{},"content":"Even if a peace deal is achieved, it will take many months to negotiate. In the meantime, Ukraine is likely to have to fight on against an emboldened Russia. Even before last week’s showdown between Trump and Zelenskiy, it was already evident that Trump will not agree to another package of US aid for Ukraine. In the row’s immediate aftermath, there was even talk that the US would immediately cut off all shipments of military aid to Ukraine","type":"text"},{"_id":"SFUCFYJFPFGLNCKNVTKEFQBSTQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Kelly Magsamen, who was chief of staff to Lloyd Austin when he was US defence secretary, responded to those reports by commenting: “This could cripple Ukraine within weeks ... We would basically be handing Ukraine to Putin.” Another former Biden official reckons Ukraine could fight on without American support for months – but probably not years.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SK3TRLHFFVDKZOVYSIE7C5QWZE","additional_properties":{},"content":"However, the mood among many Ukrainians involved in the war effort is more positive – as I discovered in Kyiv last week. This is not mere bravado. It is based on a reasoned assessment of how the war is being fought.","type":"text"},{"_id":"O5T5BCYYBJBXLDYJRTS532AT3Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"Ukraine’s expertise in drone warfare, developed during three years of fighting, has changed the nature of the conflict. Oleksandr Khomiak, who runs Drone Space Labs, believes it would now be impossible for Russia to mount an assault on Kyiv of the sort that Putin attempted at the beginning of the war. Any large concentration of troops or tanks would be decimated by Ukrainian drone attacks.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JIWN5NRAWBDIPCNRQWPQU3ILYU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The impact of drones, manufactured in Ukraine, largely accounts for the shocking losses that Russia has taken over the past year. Western sources reckon that Russia lost 400,000 troops killed or wounded and gained just 0.5 per cent of Ukrainian land in return.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UN6SMFY2FJBGTILUFCGOKLGXHA","additional_properties":{},"content":"The snag is that the Ukrainian military uses Elon Musk’s Starlink service to help connect and fly their drones. American intelligence also provides Ukraine with real-time information that helps identify targets. Those services could be cut off. But Khomiak believes that – with European assistance and domestic expertise – Ukraine could find workarounds to keep fighting.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FOSIRV7KSNCUJLILA464OQRAUU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Rather than physically conquering all of Ukraine, Russia’s preferred outcome at this point is probably the installation of a pro-Moscow puppet government in Kyiv. That is why Putin – with Trump’s support – is pressing for elections in Ukraine. But even massive Russian interference might not be enough to deprive Zelenskiy of victory in a vote. Trump has inadvertently given the Ukrainian president a huge boost in the opinion polls.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QWWDIXBUCBEAZKHKWMZSAUP5ME","additional_properties":{},"content":"By standing up to Trump and Vance in the Oval Office, Zelenskiy once again demonstrated that he is capable of withstanding pressures that would crush other leaders. Trump and Vance enjoyed playing the tough guys on home turf. But Zelenskiy is the real thing. He stayed in Kyiv, when Russian forces were closing in and the city was under bombardment. Vance, by contrast, chose to move to a secure location when confronted with a few hecklers on a skiing trip this weekend.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VKLY64USVJEQ5KIILCZ77NKWRE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The western imagination – and its approach to the war – is still understandably haunted by the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban in 2021. But Ukraine is not Afghanistan and Kyiv is not Kabul. Zelenskiy’s nation is in a perilous situation. But with Europe’s help, it can stay in the fight long enough to achieve a real peace – one that guarantees its independence and sovereignty.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WUQ3SVCZJBAPTCD44TOYR3ZWEQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"– Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Gideon Rachman"}]},"description":{"basic":"The big question remains whether Ukraine can survive without American assistance"},"display_date":"2025-03-03T13:26:43.615Z","headlines":{"basic":"Europe buys Zelenskiy some time and wrests initiative from Trump and Putin","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"I2BVCUKWHH7BSR3W22YVYH7K44","auth":{"1":"99cc9089a7f2961bef8e2c44252ffb1017c4f4f86882d8a5b5aa67fb4fb9fdab"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/I2BVCUKWHH7BSR3W22YVYH7K44.jpg"}},"subtype":"analysis","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/03/europe-buys-zelenskiy-some-time-and-wrests-initiative-from-trump-and-putin/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}}],"count":6231,"_id":"5509d0b0bc3a36b8b43d7941fade3d6a6ec19eba455e3b839b1d6c56ec840446"},"expires":1741557997218,"lastModified":1741557697086},"{\"feedOffset\":0,\"feedSize\":10,\"offset\":0,\"query\":\"(taxonomy.primary_section._id:\\\\/world*) AND (subtype:\\\"Showcase\\\" OR subtype:\\\"Feature\\\")\",\"size\":10}":{"data":{"content_elements":[{"_id":"B5CECNWDIRC5LFCG2UBOOTKGAY","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":592,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/02261837-1eaa-4c9f-9ca0-97c95a059e35/versions/1741454369/media/2bd264d55a7fc5ff3430f09c596fd3c8_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/09/hebrew-graffiti-and-a-mass-funeral-in-a-lebanese-village-on-the-israeli-border/","content_elements":[{"_id":"66U5ROAO6FFEFPX2SV6EBPZZ64","additional_properties":{},"content":"Anisa sat on a plastic chair, a framed portrait of her son, Mouhamad, on another chair beside her. In front was a building turned mostly to rubble. At her back was her own blackened home, the floors of the rooms inside thick with ash; Hebrew graffiti marking the walls; empty cans and water bottles with Hebrew-language labels scattered around.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EBL5LVKCHVCTZA3IMSYJWVFM3Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"Anisa’s palms were dark from ash too – she had no running water to clean them, she explained. An <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel/\">Israeli</a> drone buzzed overhead as she spoke.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2HDNSRAPKFAZBEHKAOMF2CBQ6U","additional_properties":{},"content":"Anisa’s home, in Aitaroun, is right beside the Israeli border. This village – one of the largest in southern <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/lebanon/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/lebanon/\">Lebanon</a> – was devastated during the war. Until recently it was partially occupied by Israeli forces, who launched a land invasion of Lebanon on the night of September 30th last year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZH4EYS2X7VE2ZBWZHF5MEISI5A","additional_properties":{},"content":"Friday, February 28th saw a mass funeral in Aitaroun for 95 people – so many that their coffins arrived in the town on four flatbed trucks, three or four coffins wide and six long. One of them belonged to Anisa’s son, Mouhamad. Two of her other sons had also died as fighters, she said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BQN43YB67ZDIVG6FQXQPQX2ALU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Among those being laid to rest that day were also civilians, including 16 women, five children and 10 civil defence workers. Many people who died during the war – both from Israeli attacks and of natural causes<b> </b>– were temporarily buried elsewhere until their villages and towns were safe to return to and funerals could be finally held. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"67ZURJPQDBB5XDSNWNHZET4B7M","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"Y7RXWXCDAJHMXCBBDJ25JG2TKA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israeli troops remain in several “strategic points” in south Lebanon, in what locals criticise as a violation of the ceasefire agreement that was reached in November, which saw most of Israel’s forces withdraw by February 18th. Israeli defence minister Israel Katz recently said they will <a href=\"https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20250227-israeli-troops-staying-indefinitely-in-lebanon-border-buffer-zone-defence-minister-says\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20250227-israeli-troops-staying-indefinitely-in-lebanon-border-buffer-zone-defence-minister-says\">stay</a> in what he called a “buffer zone” “indefinitely”, in what Hizbullah has <a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/world/middleeast/lebanon-israel-forces-hezbollah.html\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/18/world/middleeast/lebanon-israel-forces-hezbollah.html\">condemned</a> as an occupation. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"PXSRM6POY5G2ZFSO2FKRMJLCZI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Still, the Israeli troops’ further withdrawal means more people from Lebanon’s southern borders have finally<b> </b>been able to return home, even if only to<b> </b>discover how little remains.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JI7ZDZGEVBBXTMJA66J55F2LDY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The dead are being grieved and celebrated. Visitors approaching Aitaroun are now met by a banner reading “paradise of the martyrs”, stretched across the road. Pictures of slain men have been tied to<b> </b>trees, along with Hizbullah flags. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YZJJ4G3HWBGRDKVWHO57YLBPZM","additional_properties":{},"content":"On October 8th, 2023, Hizbullah launched rockets towards Israeli-controlled territory “in solidarity” with Hamas, sparking the latest conflict between Israel and the militant group. The war<b> </b>saw a huge escalation in September 2024, when Israel began an aerial campaign which experts called one of the most <a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/10/02/israeli-strikes-lebanon-deadliest/\" rel=\"\">intense</a> in contemporary history. Close to 4,000 people in Lebanon were killed between October 2023 and November 2024, according to the Lebanese health ministry. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"DCW7ZADPJJDKNBHU3A2V3ZEPDE","additional_properties":{},"content":"In pictures: The rubble of Lebanon by Sally Hayden","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"VS3LOXRYRZE4BFH5FT3R6Q2VEU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sally Hayden: South Lebanon after the ceasefire","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"X4OAE4UKVBE7JLFSLFRWR2WC2Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sally Hayden: 'We have no windows, no doors, but we can live. Not like other people.'","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"OFBU4PYXMFH4RBHGLRP5NGN2DQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Some of the recently buried fled Aitaroun during the war, taking shelter in Aitou, a Christian town in the north. More than 20 people were <a href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crej40034r2o\" rel=\"\">killed</a> in an Israeli strike on a residential building there last October.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OKD7AUFG65BZVH7NDX67APE2DI","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"SZBGIXQ6KZDG3IHS375WHYCX3Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"Walking around Aitaroun, graffiti was clearly visible<b> </b>on many homes. A lot seemingly referenced the names of military units or insider jokes among soldiers, but there was also writing that said “death to Arabs”, and “Kahane was right,” an apparent reference to the late Meir David Kahane, a far-right ultranationalist American-born Israeli and founder of the Jewish Defense League, which was designated a <a href=\"https://www.splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files/jewish-defense-league/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.splcenter.org/resources/extremist-files/jewish-defense-league/\">terrorist</a> group in the US. Kahane publicly called Arabs “<a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/06/obituaries/meir-kahane-58-israeli-militant-and-founder-of-the-jewish-defense-league.html\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.nytimes.com/1990/11/06/obituaries/meir-kahane-58-israeli-militant-and-founder-of-the-jewish-defense-league.html\">dogs</a>” and advocated for the <a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/05/world/kahane-appeal-oust-arabs-gains-israel-israel-revived-policies-detention.html\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.nytimes.com/1985/08/05/world/kahane-appeal-oust-arabs-gains-israel-israel-revived-policies-detention.html\">mass expulsion</a> of Palestinians, along with violence to protect Jewish people. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"OKZU2NEDJBHGNPCSXKDEZOUUYM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Star of David had also been painted in multiple places, though an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) spokeswoman said graffiti in combat zones is “strictly prohibited and goes against the values of the IDF”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RFTUTLVLQBEXZKFX7FLNGMZ7IY","additional_properties":{},"content":"There were more reminders of Israeli soldiers. Food and drink cans, and water bottles with Hebrew labels, were scattered around the insides of multiple partially destroyed houses. On one upper floor appeared to be the remains of a fire where food was cooked. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"R2JDZUO4XVB27CKRSKTYV6W7NA","additional_properties":{},"content":"In one building, which locals said Israeli soldiers had been killed inside, The Irish Times saw the remains of a wound dressing, including Celox haemostatic gauze with blood on it.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HF5KAUKLYBAK7MBWSJ66U5SI2Q","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"QHIDKVO6Z5F6XEFOTGEDJZZVBQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hizbullah is paying reconstruction money to people who had their homes damaged or destroyed during the conflict, though some told The Irish Times that the latest payments were delayed as Hizbullah struggles with its finances. In a report released on Friday, the World Bank <a href=\"https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-world-bank-damages-israel-hezbollah-war-reconstruction-33dc0fe973d5fbd3fd3d3fc6ff2e82ff?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=share\" rel=\"\">estimated</a> the cost of reconstruction and recovery from the war in Lebanon to be €10.15 billion. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"SNKYXHRSPZEX5K7OSRF7OEM3LY","additional_properties":{},"content":"That same day, Israel launched further air strikes across southern Lebanon, <a href=\"https://x.com/AvichayAdraee/status/1898099791520747667\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://x.com/AvichayAdraee/status/1898099791520747667\">saying</a> it was attacking Hizbullah military sites. Israeli media also reported that the IDF <a href=\"https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-845144\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-845144\">escorted</a> hundreds of ultra-Orthodox Hasidic Jews to a tomb inside Lebanese territory, in what Lebanon’s army called “a <a href=\"https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-world-bank-damages-israel-hezbollah-war-reconstruction-33dc0fe973d5fbd3fd3d3fc6ff2e82ff?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=share\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://apnews.com/article/lebanon-world-bank-damages-israel-hezbollah-war-reconstruction-33dc0fe973d5fbd3fd3d3fc6ff2e82ff?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=share\">blatant</a> violation of Lebanese national sovereignty”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"K5APASS2ZBEPJEQTUKC4V26KJE","additional_properties":{},"content":"At the mass funeral in Aitaroun a week before, people sat on the caved roofs of bombed houses and walked carefully over rubble, balancing as they found a footing . ","type":"text"},{"_id":"55P2GYOD5BFMFODAISHUO4R334","additional_properties":{},"content":"Below<b> </b>them were<b> </b>stalls with cake, water and soup in plastic bowls for mourners, crowds of whom had gathered, dressed in black. Drops of disinfectant wafted through the air as medics sprayed it on the coffins.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M7T23WOGFNG5DFCYWKAFN5Z4EQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Some women carried the boots of dead fighters filled with flowers; others held photos of their dead in the air.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KR3HX4OPZNHXBKCVXN643WEHCI","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"ZHUTF4XO2ZG7VC256YGN3667JY","additional_properties":{},"content":"A voice on a loudspeaker began shouting above dramatic music: “We support Palestine, the young people there are fighting for their freedom”. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"L4AGYPGVOJCWRA4ULBHH5LZBJY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Farmer Hamad Saleh (40) said he left home at 7am and travelled about 140km from Baalbek, in eastern Lebanon, to show his support to the residents of Aitaroun. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"QYJC444JWVF57MGBXCJBGCCEJM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We’re here to prove that we’re from the resistance. Everybody from the resistance is celebrating today,” he said, referring to the belief that now the “martyrs” will be in paradise. The invitation called the event both a funeral and a “wedding”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6475RNCXHBAF3CQCUM4KNGPOOU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Every village that was against Israel, that has martyrs, they are important for the world. Not just in Gaza but in Yemen, in Lebanon, in Iraq,” Saleh said. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"KBH62CQPQFH6TFSLPZQYKMHI2U","additional_properties":{},"content":"He said he lost his uncle and some neighbours in the war. In Aitaroun, “obviously it’s sad to see the damage”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JQQSQYWIEZAEVDJUTH7NQPG4DY","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"DF3Z52M3XJHPLH7V37BUWINQQI","additional_properties":{},"content":"A 55-year-old woman from the village, who gave her name as Um Hassan, said it was a “happy day.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"YOESMMNRCBFDPNBKDRDKTYGBDQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"“It’s a day to be proud because the blood of the martyrs is why we’re standing here and why the Israelis will never take this land. The Israeli army invaded, then they left, and they were humiliated because of us.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"D5ZCQC4Z3JHHFNTIYAMYD5GH3E","additional_properties":{},"content":"She had tears in her eyes as she explained she lost nine members of her family and her home in the war, “but I don’t care because I’m back now”. She originally escaped the village on October 8th, 2023, and had only returned once since, during a brief ceasefire, to bury her aunt. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"7QCSEHK6IVGBPHRPXWJWMRDYH4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Now, she hoped to rebuild. “Bigger and better,” chimed her husband, who gave his name as Bou Hassan. He said Aitaroun had been known for its tobacco, and “now the farmers are coming back, replanting”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D5QQV3FWEJHZFLEWF7IL45J57I","additional_properties":{},"content":"Still, he said they were shocked by what they had found. “They were disrespecting homes, robbing them, looting them, making graffiti, burning them. Every home they were going into, if they didn’t find anything worth taking they were burning it. They took out a lot of olive trees and burnt them. Or took them to Israel.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"K7UZQMOWQBGBLHZMHSLJXL76ZA","additional_properties":{},"content":"An IDF spokeswoman said the IDF “remains committed to defend Israel and its citizens, while operating in accordance with international law.” She said strikes were on Hizbullah-related targets and made “in accordance with international law, taking all feasible precautions to mitigate harm to civilians and civilian infrastructure. It is important to emphasise that Hizbullah consistently violates international law by integrating its military assets within civilian areas, and systematically exploits civilian infrastructure for terrorist purposes, using Lebanese civilians as human shields.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"WWKY25DROJCSJMGAF5PYXSXHTI","additional_properties":{},"content":"She also said the IDF “does not seek to harm the environment”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4SLAL7TSEFBHHMRBFTAEQNANXM","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"NY3ABORY4RFDBL255IGFYQAIPQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Sitting slumped in front of her broken home, Anisa – who did not want her surname published – said she was too “tired” to attend the full funeral of her son, and the 94 others.","type":"text"},{"_id":"URRJDVDUEFF6VM3AWTTFGI2X6I","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I don’t see hope, look at my house,” said Anisa, throwing her palms upwards. She also accused Israeli soldiers of stealing her olive trees; of burning the home she had lived in for decades and raised her children in. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"PLEVXUJIQZA3FHXXM7JYUTWG5A","additional_properties":{},"content":"“My husband is a cab driver. We lost everyone, there’s no one helping us,” Anisa said. She has one daughter and son still alive, she added, but she mourns her three sons who died fighting Israeli forces. Part of that sadness seemed to come from recognising that there could have been another path for them besides joining Hizbullah. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"6CC2ZULXKJFOPD3W7WFODJHAT4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“My sons, they’re all educated,” she said. “They went to school, they had jobs. But it was the environment around them that meant they had to fight.”","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"premium"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Sally Hayden"}},"name":"Sally Hayden"}]},"description":{"basic":"Ninety five coffins are brought back to a village marked by Israeli military occupation"},"display_date":"2025-03-09T12:21:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Hebrew graffiti and a mass funeral in a Lebanese village on the Israeli border","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"ZYKZNRJVZFGX5PUQYS57XCFDPE","auth":{"1":"d13c8dcbdd239e8b863ae6aa795018cfa67d0f1a52e5138f884a30824a41bfa4"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/ZYKZNRJVZFGX5PUQYS57XCFDPE.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/09/hebrew-graffiti-and-a-mass-funeral-in-a-lebanese-village-on-the-israeli-border/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"DUNJ6CURUJG4BBSHKFJF463NJ4","additional_properties":{},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/08/hamas-leaders-release-reopens-old-wounds-in-israel/","content_elements":[{"_id":"EDNYTN6LLVGRLCHHJEF5SQ2TKY","additional_properties":{},"content":"The moment Ashraf Zughayer, a <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/hamas/\">Hamas</a> leader in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/israel-hamas-conflict/\">Israeli</a> prison, heard in October 2023 that Palestinian militants had taken hostages, he knew his life sentence for murdering six people in Tel Aviv could soon be wiped away, he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DHTTNUNW7ZDZVLJYS7FAUUA2RE","additional_properties":{},"content":"It took more than a year. But in late January, as part of the ceasefire and hostage release deal between Israel and Hamas, Zughayer (46), rode through the streets of East Jerusalem on a truck festooned with green Hamas flags, surrounded by jubilant supporters.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KSVUGEOYPBF3PIEJ35EVYB4KME","additional_properties":{},"content":"Thirty miles away, Tova Sisso, whose mother was killed in the Tel Aviv attack, watched with horror. Her mother, Rozana, had survived the Holocaust only to be killed in a 2002 suicide bombing that Zughayer helped orchestrate.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5IGD3MT6RFA4VNQ5KPM2UADYUA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Seeing him being celebrated like this tears open a deep wound all over again,” Sisso said. “My joy in life was stolen from me that day.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"IYRWF2NNNZFSNBRY6EL4DZCMFI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Since the truce began last month, Israelis and Palestinians have been gripped by images of emotional homecomings that have summoned a welter of pain, happiness, frustration and grief. The scenes cut to the heart of how many on both sides understand the cycle of violence that has haunted their families for decades.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7XTUFW3IDREYTFDWLX56H56NLE","additional_properties":{},"content":"For Israelis, watching freed hostages reunite with relatives has been a rare moment of national catharsis since the October 7th, 2023 attack that killed 1,200 people, saw 250 taken hostage and ignited the devastating war in Gaza, according to Israeli tallies. But they have also been angered and deeply dismayed by the release of Palestinian prisoners like Zughayer in exchange.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UUPUW7S7ZJA5XIUOEBM4YZKRKE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Palestinians have greeted hundreds of prisoners released by Israel. They included some detained without charges or for minor offences, a group that Palestinians often view as effectively hostages themselves. Under the deal, Israel committed to releasing 1,000 Gazans, most of whom had been held without anything resembling a criminal trial.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RYGSKVKTYZAF7FJHWCEZ7AIVR4","additional_properties":{},"content":"But Hamas also secured the release of hundreds of prisoners like Zughayer – militants convicted of deadly attacks against Israelis. More than 200 of those freed were serving life sentences for murder and other offences for their role in bombings, shootings and other acts of violence.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MHQXKIC6VZF47HGBMEFQKCSARU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israelis see them as murderous terrorists, noting many deliberately targeted civilians. Many Palestinians call them heroes in a struggle against Israel’s decades-long occupation.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EB6JYMVVS5GCDBSTAXJSCVGWBU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“A nation that wants to break free must fight for it,” Zughayer said shortly after his release, sitting in his parents’ front yard. He refused to discuss whether the October 7th attacks had successfully advanced the Palestinian national cause.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CPT6WKBUQ7N2JSDRC7Z2CP4CWQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"ASSWLQU5ZNEQ5NYZWIGDMMJ5ME","additional_properties":{},"content":"Palestinians are split over the 2023 attacks led by his organisation. At least some say they were a devastating mistake for having prompted Israel’s sweeping military response, which has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians and destroyed much of Gaza.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JZM5TWMSTBD3LKY5WYUETL3SP4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“It’s good that there is a prisoner deal, but it did not require all this bloodshed and destruction,” Ahmed Yousef, a veteran Hamas member, said in a phone interview from southern Gaza. “October 7th, in my opinion, was a terrible error. In late January, Zughayer’s family held a subdued celebration at their East Jerusalem home to welcome him back, wary of Israeli restrictions on “expressions of joy” for freed militants. Israel annexed East Jerusalem after the 1967 war in a move not recognised by most of the international community.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JDOJIZHZ7ZGKXHYGOHQZ2QJDN4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Teenage relatives bustled around a quiet courtyard, pouring coffee and handing out sweets. Others hung on every word uttered by the skinny, black-bearded Mr. Zughayer, who appeared slightly dazed to be seeing the outside world for the first time in years. A slim green scarf emblazoned with a Hamas logo hung around his neck, until a child took it away.","type":"text"},{"_id":"B2D5V4DHPVAVXOIQ7SGJVJXHSI","additional_properties":{},"content":"“My son’s imprisonment was a badge of honour,” said Zughayer’s father, Munir, a community organiser who liaises between residents and Israeli authorities. “You could enter prison for thieving or criminality. But I’m not the father of a criminal, I’m the father of a hero.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"WWUO6TQN2NHV3FGGDI45COQIE4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The 2002 bombing that Ashraf Zughayer helped carry out killed six civilians: five Israelis and a British Jew. The bomber, wearing an explosive vest, had mounted a bus in Tel Aviv and detonated his cargo as soon as the bus began to move, according to court filings.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R2EE7XMO3VDEHOYHVQXOLNUZH4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Yoni Jesner, a 19-year-old religious student from Scotland, was one of those killed in the explosion. His family chose to donate his organs, one of which was given to a young Palestinian girl, his brother Ari said in an interview. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"WE54SQ6SCNDMNLCQZAFH7MYHIY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Zughayer was convicted of driving the bomber to his target. As a resident of Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem, he held an Israeli ID that allowed him to easily slip in and out of the West Bank. He was involved in planning another attack when he was arrested, according to Israeli court filings.","type":"text"},{"_id":"L7AXO2IER5B7BAAUMS4SNY255I","additional_properties":{},"content":"Munir Zughayer said he hoped for a normal life for his son and a peaceful resolution to the conflict – one that would allow both Israelis and Palestinians to live “in equality and with human rights”. His son said that he hoped to pursue a doctorate in political science, and was exploring options in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PIR2F2SIRRC3LIKZXZGKO6357Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"As night fell, Israeli soldiers raided the home, guns drawn and loaded, and then assaulted the elder Zughayer, as well as a disabled relative <a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/26/world/middleeast/israel-army-palestinian-prisoners.html\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/26/world/middleeast/israel-army-palestinian-prisoners.html\">and a reporter for The New York Times</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MAUSFRLRXJBUPCUOJARIHTTBMU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The soldiers detained several of Ashraf Zughayer’s siblings, accusing them of waving Hamas flags and shooting in the air. The family denies the allegations, and no one was visibly armed at the event.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T24ISCWQGBF5DDWJDXC7JI7GTI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Nearly a month later, the Israeli police released them, but charged Zughayer and two of his relatives with riding unsecured in the back of a pickup truck on the afternoon of his release, according to a police statement. They face possible fines for the charge.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UZLN3KYPJFD37BPKXDEH2FXT7M","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israeli prison interrogators frequently asked Zughayer whether he felt any remorse, he said. He had once believed in the peace process, he said, but lost hope after watching reports of Palestinian civilians, including children, shot dead by Israeli soldiers with apparent impunity.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3Z7E4BTTKNE2VOXL7GLZMNDLLU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Our goal isn’t to hurt civilians. We were forced into it,” he said, declining to extensively discuss the attack. “If the legal system here were just, I would see this whole thing differently.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"US23C5RKXVGQXPVG2DMQWNVY4Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"Once convicted, Zughayer was assigned to a prison wing dominated by Hamas detainees. One was <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/yahya-sinwar/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/yahya-sinwar/\">Yahya Sinwar</a>, the Hamas leader who later masterminded the 2023 attack. Sinwar taught his fellow inmates Hebrew to better understand their shared enemy, Zughayer recounted.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AZITIA2A4NHGZK377VU4EF3YVE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I used to think that Israeli society was a monolith,” he said. Through studying the language and history of the Jewish people, he realised that Israelis were not of one mind. “Some want peace, and some do not,” he said. During his time in prison, Zughayer learned fluent Hebrew, earning a master’s degree from an Israeli university. He also became a top member of Hamas’s prison leadership, charged with conveying demands in negotiations with their jailers.","type":"text"},{"_id":"F7NWESYVHRABJOT2JZLQ4AMW5Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"But he said he was as shocked as his Israeli guards when Hamas fighters swarmed into Israel on October 7th, 2023.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5GDRCBWBVVBCLDB33GYNMLG2FU","additional_properties":{},"content":"That morning, Palestinian prisoners hunched over small televisions in their cells, watching in disbelief as Israeli news outlets showed Hamas gunmen driving through the Israeli city of Sderot.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ATKCDMWF6ZEERFP4XIBYAJAREY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hours into the attack, the guards took away the televisions. Prisoners then huddled around a radio, where they heard that Hamas had seized Israeli hostages before it too was taken away.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PRR2XYZYSJAHNBXXGTB76PM3CM","additional_properties":{},"content":"After the Hamas-led attack, the guards began treating imprisoned Palestinians much more harshly, said Zughayer. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"5D3APNAT3NH35MCPQ3F5UXKDS4","additional_properties":{},"content":"At least 10 Palestinian prisoners died in Israeli jail last year, according to the Israeli prison service; autopsies showed at least some bore signs of physical trauma, according to postmortem reports.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7ZK54MIDCNFSTPRVMPQRKLB6JQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Israeli hostages who were freed during the ceasefire also emerged gaunt, some having lost dozens of pounds during their captivity.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PDRLE6RKMBF4HLE7DKSOJRGHYA","additional_properties":{},"content":"Since Zughayer’s release, Israel and Hamas have completed several more transfers of hostages and prisoners, each of which has elicited intense, conflicting emotions among Israelis and Palestinians.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LWLJZJ4G5ZEWFBRXFSJBWHDME4","additional_properties":{},"content":"When one of the hostages was freed, “it felt like a family member coming home,” said Jesner, despite his mixed feelings over Zughayer’s release.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WG74OMVXLVGM5FMAF3ONDR54UY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Nir Zinger, whose brother was killed in the Tel Aviv bombing, vividly remembers the moment in 2002 that he picked up the phone and heard about the attack. He said he thinks about his brother, Ofer, almost every day.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OK2JF276GZCW7FOAYXJKLXV4LE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Seeing Zughayer walk free was difficult, he said, but he called it worth it to save more of the living hostages.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SAQAOQUWSNAKHBKJ5DG67BEQ6I","additional_properties":{},"content":"“We know the meaning of grief,” Zinger said. “We don’t want other families to have to endure that pain.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"X6AJ5DYMLVCOJHRMI4J7QAXSAE","additional_properties":{},"content":"– This article originally appeared in the <a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/world/middleeast/hamas-israel-prisoner-release-ashraf-zughayer.html\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2025/03/07/world/middleeast/hamas-israel-prisoner-release-ashraf-zughayer.html\">New York Times</a>","type":"text"},{"_id":"WZ4UNQKAURHB3A6HY4DL2OYPT4","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"RPRDFWIYJFGG7GN755TSPH2PDE","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"VDYMMPL5T5BFLC3GWK5ZYOCXLU","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"OOX5PIQHVRDP7ISY6DIKESJROA","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"ER3I4TDWSFHHVCS3HXDBQCRBZA","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Natan Odenheimer and Aaron Boxerman in East Jerusalem"}]},"description":{"basic":"A man convicted over his role in a deadly 2002 bombing was released in one of the recent ceasefire exchanges"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T11:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Hamas leader’s release reopens old wounds in Israel","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"ZCYXQE6DJGN4Z7QGVTW7Y6SU7E","auth":{"1":"3fa954f9a4d1dbcde69c97f421faddf6e834f36ec096d39e712af69637dbb0a2"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/ZCYXQE6DJGN4Z7QGVTW7Y6SU7E.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/08/hamas-leaders-release-reopens-old-wounds-in-israel/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"DLYKICF75ZBYTF6U24U3Y4JRBI","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":848,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/38319d82-a9f0-4b5e-a33f-1af5b4cfbc17/versions/1741261498/media/b91058e69630724b814a709721f91fc5_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/08/europes-trump-whisperers-starmer-macron-and-meloni/","content_elements":[{"_id":"A523ST37RNHKVHWU7VOYO5PLCA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072395},"content":"The impetus for the rapport between <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/keir-starmer/\" target=\"_self\">Keir Starmer</a> and <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" target=\"_self\">Donald Trump</a> arrived in the wake of an assassin’s bullet.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D5RPY3W2X5GEJEAUXBKIP6Q4C4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072396},"content":"Gunman <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2024/07/14/profile-thomas-matthew-crooks-the-suspected-trump-rally-gunman/\" target=\"_self\">Thomas Matthew Crooks</a> fired at Trump, then running as a candidate to be US president, at a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania just after 11pm British/Irish time (6pm in the eastern US) last July 13th. A quarter of an inch from changing history, Crooks grazed his target’s ear and killed a man in the crowd. Over the following hours, shocked world leaders sent Trump their best wishes, mostly online.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CJALSTHAORF6TJXJV5LJJDWDG4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072397},"content":"Starmer, then on just his eighth full day as UK prime minister, was among them. But as he watched footage that night of a bloodied Trump rising triumphantly to his feet, fist clenched in what became a defining image of his election victory over Kamala Harris, the prime minister felt he should do more.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SGAKVLQ5XRGPNFC45U5UGLAIEE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072398},"content":"He turned to Karen Pierce, then Britain’s ambassador in Washington. She was respected in <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/republican-party/\" target=\"_self\">Republican</a> circles and, unlike some of her diplomatic peers, had maintained close links with Trump’s allies even after the rancorous end of his first term in office.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SHUXD3MVSRC5NDAY2PE247B3GE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072399},"content":"The day after the shooting, Starmer headed to Berlin for the final of the Euros football tournament. England would go on to lose 2-1 to Spain, but Starmer would win Trump’s attention and respect.","type":"text"},{"_id":"L7TXX2T5OBHPJCHUU7VN2QT3ZI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072400},"content":"That afternoon as he travelled to the match, he stopped for a 10-minute phone call with the US politician that had been personally arranged by Pierce. It was the first time the two men had ever spoken. Even <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/nigel-farage/\" target=\"_self\">Nigel Farage</a>, who portrays himself as Trump’s “best friend” in Britain, had only texted him since the shooting.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KEGQ6DH25NA5HI5LARG2NORJ2M","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072401},"content":"Trump was struck by Starmer’s kindness towards him, setting the tone for a political relationship that has stayed warm since, even as glacial winds have buffeted the traditional US-Europe transatlantic alliance. Their rapport was crucial this week as Starmer shuttled between Trump and Ukraine’s president, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/volodymyr-zelenskiy/\" target=\"_self\">Volodymyr Zelenskiy</a>, trying to patch things up between them following their public falling out in the Oval Office over the war with <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" target=\"_self\">Russia</a>. British media have dubbed their prime minister Europe’s “Trump whisperer”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VO7LD2EYA5BZBGWHR3JDJHCAGU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741351177977},"type":"image"},{"_id":"XOCJ5CDL4ZA5LJMF4LXFRFNRCY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072402},"content":"Writer and former <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/labour-party-uk/\" target=\"_self\">Labour</a> adviser Tom Baldwin, with whom Starmer co-operated last year on a revealing biography, told The Irish Times this week that he has since spoken to the prime minister about that crucial first phone call last July. What was it about that conversation that so endeared the UK prime minister to Trump, the most unpredictable and disruptive US president in history?","type":"text"},{"_id":"23F2KX4XVFHGRKRLEWIKO23SFU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072403},"content":"“Starmer felt he made a personal connection with him when he spoke about how difficult it must have been for Trump’s family to watch him almost get killed on television,” said Baldwin. “They spoke about each other’s families. That was the moment he felt a different mood down the line, that this wasn’t just two men in politics talking business to each other.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"BT5A3V5MWBCPREINYYMIDES5JQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072404},"content":"They met for the first time two months later at the height of the US election campaign. Starmer and his foreign secretary, David Lammy, held a two-hour dinner with the US politician in September at his gilded Trump Tower in New York, when they were in town for a United Nations meeting. Lammy said the dinner went so well, Trump gave them a second helping of chicken.","type":"text"},{"_id":"P63TBO7OONH2PKTTMPY4QCR34I","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072405},"content":"Lammy had invested separately, and heavily, in courting Trump’s vice-president (then running mate) <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/jd-vance/\" target=\"_self\">JD Vance</a>. Starmer, meanwhile, made no effort to also meet Harris during that US trip last September. He was all-in on Trump, who thinks he is a “really nice guy”. Now they speak often on the phone.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MX5I75Z5GJABFCWEIXX2SSRYDQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072406},"content":"Last week they met for only the second time – the first with both in office – in Washington. Amid an air of real bonhomie, Starmer produced a letter from his pocket from King Charles inviting Trump to Britain for an unprecedented second full state visit. The US president almost levitated with glee.","type":"text"},{"_id":"C7DNV3K3ZNGMVJH7TFVYRSH5OQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072407},"content":"Anand Menon, professor of European politics and foreign affairs at King’s College in London, was unalloyed this week in his admiration for what he sees as Starmer’s stellar job of liaising with Trump.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MDRWOFTJK5FTNOI2LK2UHMEF4M","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072408},"content":"“Oh God yeah,” he says, when asked if the UK prime minister has been deft in his diplomacy. “But there are still risks for him. If Trump keeps going like this [for example, by displaying unpredictable behaviour over Ukraine] an element of anti-Americanism might creep in on the Continent – ‘you’re either with us or against us.’” Starmer soon may have to manage that dynamic as well as his relationship with Trump, says Menon.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PJ4FHAYGDLRMDVLZC7EAVWWMQE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741351177985},"type":"image"},{"_id":"VCNUNCVDGNA33LDNHEOO4DGVDY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072409},"content":"For Italy’s prime minister <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/giorgia-meloni/\" target=\"_self\">Giorgia Meloni</a>, meanwhile, her close personal connection with Trump was born in December, weeks after he beat Harris in the race for the White House. They were already politically compatible as fellow radical right-wingers. But Meloni, a cautious operator, had previously maintained an air of neutrality during the campaign – she wanted to also keep a good relationship with outgoing US president Joe Biden, and also with <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/kamala-harris/\" target=\"_self\">Harris</a> in case she won.","type":"text"},{"_id":"3ZZ7I6AVK5ATRBZMVVWKRHEQEM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072410},"content":"But by December, Trump was the president-elect and Meloni knew who she needed to court. They met for the first time at the ceremony in Paris for the reopening of the Notre Dame cathedral, which was destroyed by fire during Trump’s first term. Meloni tweeted a picture of the pair laughing in a semi-embrace, thumbs up at the camera. Trump said she was a “real live wire” and they hit it off. Meloni is also close to the billionaire <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/elon-musk/\" target=\"_self\">Elon Musk</a>, Trump’s closest political ally.","type":"text"},{"_id":"24PRJE3OD5EFTEQVOSE2HOYA3Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072411},"content":"Weeks later, Meloni made <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/01/05/giorgia-meloni-meets-trump-at-mar-a-lago-resort-as-italian-pm-seeks-to-strengthen-ties/\" target=\"_self\">a surprise trip</a> to see Trump during the first week of January at his Mar-a Lago resort in Florida. As well as Ukraine, over five hours they also discussed the case of Cecilia Sala, an Italian journalist arrested in Iran after Italian authorities had arrested an Iranian engineer at the request of the US. The Iranians released Sala three days after Meloni met Trump.","type":"text"},{"_id":"J4WLDKNDR5HLDOLPP5AS6FMEOM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072412},"content":"Later that month, Meloni was the only European national leader to be invited to attend Trump’s second inauguration in Washington. In February, she was also invited to remotely address the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, a right-wing jamboree where Trump was feted as a hero.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YDC3WAMPBRDKVES4OC5W5Q7JKI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072413},"content":"“She spoke out against wokeness and in favour of the family – things like that,” said Daniele Abertazzi, professor of politics at the University of Surrey and co-author of a forthcoming new book on the radical right in Europe, Populist Radical Right Parties in Action.","type":"text"},{"_id":"XBM3WM63KBCRBEB3FAG4M2J34Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072414},"content":"“There is no political cost in saying such things at CPAC. Meloni knew how to push the right buttons. But she also stood there and told the conference that <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\" target=\"_self\">Ukraine</a> was a victim of Russian aggression.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"E7FU3YPC4RHTRBOUTEFAX7IM7U","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072415},"content":"Meloni, along with Starmer, has pushed for Europe to maintain close ties with Trump’s White House, even as the US president roils the continent with his unpredictable behaviour such as cutting aid to Ukraine and his growing closeness to Vladimir Putin’s Russia, seen as a threat to Europe’s security.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OOVMMQ3Y4FGIDFQRCYEJX2OD54","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072416},"content":"The Italian prime minister helped her UK counterpart to convene the summit last week of European and certain Nato members held in London on Sunday to discuss Ukraine and Europe’s future security. That morning in advance of the summit, she also met Starmer at Downing Street for a one-to-one, the only European leader to do so. They compared notes on their relationships with Trump.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LPNU3R7CURADZDE3IHXWMJ4GAA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741351177994},"type":"image"},{"_id":"7SCMSJJBKBFHNM6HPWD555SS6E","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072417},"content":"The night before, both leaders spoke to Trump over the phone, a day after the US president’s disastrous White House meeting with Zelenskiy on the Friday, which ended in a shouting match. Speaking afterwards, Meloni said it was “very important to avoid the risk of the West splitting”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ETR2JMJXUFBWBLVRIFD44LRKPY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072418},"content":"Meloni has proposed a wide-ranging US-Europe security summit, with Starmer’s full support. She has said their nations must work to “build bridges” to Trump’s Washington.","type":"text"},{"_id":"JFPNATAY5ZAXBIEVGIFJE4AQXU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072419},"content":"“Being seen to be this bridge to Trump is very important for Meloni,” said Abertazzi. “A bridge is between two points. But sometimes it seems like now we have two different planets. How do you bridge that? It seems to me like it might be too far.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"AJX7DTWJFRFKDPOVWGZRIY7B6I","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072420},"content":"Charles Grant, a security policy expert and director of the Centre for European Reform, is one of the best-connected British analysts in Brussels, while he also has strong links to Paris. He says he “isn’t a fan” of the bridge-building [or in this case, Trump whispering] approach to international affairs.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BSVBJALMRNBEPMHVOMFTKBD6ZE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072421},"content":"“It can seem vainglorious. It can also be a mistake. Starmer has done reasonably well at it, but not if it ends up lapsing into something where Britain pretends to have this unique relationship with the Americans, because it thinks Europeans are too stupid to understand them properly.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"SCPXK62OTNANVFSXTODMEATODE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741351178000},"content":"Fintan O'Toole: European leaders seem astounded by Trump’s bullying and blatant aggression","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"3DMKGOTBYFFDHO2Z3WSIQT7CKA","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072422},"content":"European unity is more important than bridge-building to Washington, according to Grant. “And Meloni, to her credit, is not undermining European unity in any way.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"XKD43ACZ4FA65GS7I5PR7GSC7A","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072423},"content":"While he doesn’t care too much for bridges, Grant says he is a fan, however, of the third European leader who has also tried to be a sort of Trump whisperer, France’s president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/emmanuel-macron/\" target=\"_self\">Emmanuel Macron</a>. He was the first European leader to meet Trump after his inauguration – the two shared a mercurial, but occasionally close, relationship during Trump’s first term from January 2017 to 2021.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PTZINNEDOFC4BBLULGAAYB4J7Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072424},"content":"Macron visited Trump in the White House two days before Starmer, and the France and US presidents engaged in touchy-feely diplomacy and a textbook display of their famous power handshakes. Macron, however, also corrected Trump when he downplayed the importance of European financial support for Ukraine. Starmer has done similar, but more gently. Both leaders have balanced out their Trump-wooing by also being openly enthusiastic in their backing for Zelenskiy.","type":"text"},{"_id":"52HHSWAW7HRAVUXHEOUWDYKEUY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741351178004},"type":"image"},{"_id":"HTDNSB4U4RCOPC2V5XSVSL6C3Q","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072425},"content":"“Macron is a supremely self-confident political leader. I am impressed by this aspect of him,” said Grant. “He uses a lot of savoir faire in his relations with Trump. Starmer is perhaps more polite to Trump, maybe even more obsequious. He is much more careful not to say anything that could be construed as criticism. But both have done fairly well at it.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"5KBAYOA7W5FFPAGXB57HYG3Y6E","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072426},"content":"Grant says it is “up to them [Macron and Starmer]” to lead Europe in its relations with Trump, because <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/germany/\" target=\"_self\">Germany</a>’s incoming chancellor, Friedrich Merz, appears to be adopting a different tone. The European Commission president, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ursula-von-der-leyen/\" target=\"_self\">Ursula von der Leyen</a>, also can’t lead Europe’s relations with Trump, because the US president dislikes European Union institutions, says Grant. This post-Brexit reality is an aspect of Starmer’s dynamic with Trump that his Number 10 team play up in private.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KXFJN2OCJBG25J4EV6LVV3R5RI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072427},"content":"“Meloni can also play a useful role. I think it’s right to highlight that Italy has a huge trade surplus with the US, which might become an issue some day in the relationship. But the link between her and Musk is also important. They like each other, or at least Musk certainly likes Meloni,” says Grant.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q4BAEDQ7GZAVNCZXNXK5SLVUNE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741351178008},"content":"Patrick Smyth: Giorgia Meloni masquerades as the ‘acceptable’ face of the far right, but nobody should be fooled","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"QTR43JXYZZCYVMEMF5TLKKBWLY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072428},"content":"The trio of European leaders vying, and frequently co-operating, to be Trump whisperers seem an odd grouping when set side by side.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SCTPRS436RH37GLDQU36M3C5F4","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072429},"content":"There is Starmer, a stodgy, emotionally constipated social democrat falling down with political problems at home, but who appears to have found his calling as a transatlantic statesman in recent weeks. Baldwin says that despite Starmer’s reputation for eschewing the personal side of politics, his methodical cultivation of a close connection with Trump is fully in line with what he knows of him.","type":"text"},{"_id":"K2IXTA6WRZFWXAKH76Q755SFQQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072430},"content":"Meloni, meanwhile, is an adherent of the sort of radical nationalism that ought to make her an ideological bedfellow of the EU-sceptic Trump. Yet somehow, she has emerged as a defender of European unity while at the same time remaining close to the US president.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T5NXFQT45NC4XJN55DFQUYRRCY","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072431},"content":"“I feel the moment will eventually come when she must choose between them,” says Abertazzi. “She will go for Europe because Italy must. But she’ll still massage Trump’s ego.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"WP2G7HFUJ5G5HCD7LBW3IIKIGQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072432},"content":"As for Macron, the effervescent centrist whose domestic political career has floundered, he can still make a valedictory contribution by helping to shape the future security of the European continent. He has even <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2025/03/05/macron-open-to-extending-french-nuclear-protection-to-european-allies/\" target=\"_self\">floated the idea of using France’s nuclear weapons as a shield for Europe</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BZHGOR2D65HGHI4T2ALW4ADRGI","additional_properties":{"_id":1741351178014},"content":"Micheál Martin should follow Macron’s playbook for handling Trump","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"TYUMLXX4PZDO7ACMXHIZWGXVHE","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072433},"content":"While admiring Macron’s diplomatic skills, Grant spies the potential for tension between him and some of the other Trump whisperers. For example there is a clear gap, he says, between Macron’s evangelism for complete European strategic autonomy on security and Starmer’s insistence that a US security guarantee in Ukraine is the only way forward.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Q4KAT2UTSNDJTARRFKEGVSPNVU","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072434},"content":"There may also disagreements on how European money is spent on buttressing defence, with Macron wanting it to all to be spent through EU entities. “There is potential for disruption there. But overall, I think Starmer and Macron are still appreciative of each other’s virtues,” says Grant.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HCZSMX2EHVAY5A5POWZOZQN35U","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072435},"content":"A France-UK plan to convince the US to sign up to a Ukraine peace plan that deters Russia remained at the whim this weekend of the disrupter president, Trump.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SC67FLIBZZEMJBYD24MHQ74HRM","additional_properties":{"_id":1741181072436},"content":"But whatever noise Trump makes in Washington, whatever he does next, there will still be a trio of patient European leaders lobbying him gently by whispering quietly in his ear.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Mark Paul"}},"name":"Mark Paul"}]},"description":{"basic":"Keir Starmer, Giorgia Meloni and Emmanuel Macron are trying to keep the mercurial US president onside over Europe’s security"},"display_date":"2025-03-08T09:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"Europe’s Trump whisperers: Starmer, Macron and Meloni seem like an odd grouping","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"KEIZI7FTOBD7LNMHAXMHZGSWCU","auth":{"1":"44a7b10cfa2088e174c90f9ecec72c9c8dbe30c99454fd89a751a3460dd0ea3c"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/KEIZI7FTOBD7LNMHAXMHZGSWCU.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"Life & Style"},{"name":"People"},{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/08/europes-trump-whisperers-starmer-macron-and-meloni/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"ZKOTQUQBTNC6XISWU7VWHODAS4","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":339,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/5469/podcasts/86ce3782-1523-4e0f-b1ca-e14e5fe5e94a/versions/1741363952/media/418d68a65fdf4a23f920e29464ad6d06_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/us/2025/03/07/they-would-force-the-largest-medicaid-cuts-in-us-history-to-pay-for-tax-cuts-for-billionaires/","content_elements":[{"_id":"NRZCJEM5EVEDDBZIYJTLIC3DOI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Although <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a>’s address to a turbulent and bitterly divided <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/03/05/trump-declares-america-is-back-as-speech-sparks-republican-rapture-and-democrats-departure/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/us/2025/03/05/trump-declares-america-is-back-as-speech-sparks-republican-rapture-and-democrats-departure/\">Congress on Tuesday night</a> lasted as long a Premier League soccer match plus stoppage time, he scarcely touched on the issue of his administration’s plans for Medicaid. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"37ADRKR3Y5DJZEHI5WYIXSHCAA","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Democrats were quick to remind him of its presence, so much so that one veteran representative, Al Green, made history after he was removed from the chamber by the sergeant-at-arms for continually heckling the US president about the issue. “You don’t have a mandate to cut Medicaid,” Green shouted repeatedly at Trump, his voice drowned out by boos from the Republican side of house.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HUD3R6XVEJEOTBKW5ZESC7W7DU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Green left the room, but the issue he raised will not go away quietly. On the eve of Trump’s address, a request for information was issued to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) director Phillip Swagel by Pennsylvania Democrat congressman Brendan Boyle, a ranking member of the House budget committee, and Frank Pallone, his New Jersey party colleague who sits on the energy and commerce committee.","type":"text"},{"_id":"J42D3NEJDJEK3DDPO4DWDIC2OM","additional_properties":{},"content":"They sought clarity on the implications of cutting a planned $880 billion (€811 billion) over the next decade in the Republican budget resolution. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"SDFM2ITQXBFBVJMHGZJP75SCT4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Their analysis of the response led to their conclusion that if Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Programme are, as promised, left untouched, then $381 billion becomes available and from that, only $135 billion can be targeted for potential cuts – far short of the $880 billion sought. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"T44HBRYU2ZC4FGDMETNW6HME4Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"“This analysis from the non-partisan CBO confirms what we’ve been saying all along: Republicans are lying about their budget,” congressman Boyle said in a statement. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"WM4AECBNIBECFEKQVU4KEIBBGU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Their plan would force the largest Medicaid cuts in American history – all to pay for more tax giveaways to billionaires. This is a complete betrayal of the middle class, and Democrats will keep fighting to stop them. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"JK4OAE66VZEKFB5K4Y4WS4XLO4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The American people deserve to know just how much pain Republicans are willing to inflict on their own constituents to reward their billionaire donors.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"UZN6QCTAGVALJE6EXQRZ3JNBT4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The issue gets to the heart of Trump’s spoken desire for “one big, beautiful bill” designed to achieve the ambition of chopping a total figure of $1.5 trillion in spending over the next decade. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"AIA7OHSNR4ELOF3GLA6CIQOOS4","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"W7LH4HUCYZCENJXAUN4L3JF2UU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Late last month, the framework for the budget bill narrowly passed through the House on a vote of 217-213. Every Democrat representative voted against it. Thomas Massie of Kentucky was the lone Republican to join them in voting it down, arguing that “even under the rosiest of scenarios” the framework will end up increasing the national federal debt by hundreds of billions a year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"G26HKKLCOFARPKIPCLH3CWY5L4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The only way they get to this magic thing where it’s not going to kill our country is that five years from now they imagine 2.5 per cent growth accumulates,” Massie said immediately after that vote.","type":"text"},{"_id":"YNJXBPWWZFHSDI6ME4G35OS2AE","subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"7HKGT5MM2JCFRM2KUTC6IQFDKE","additional_properties":{},"content":"But Trump is adamant that the spending cuts can be achieved through the elimination of fraud and wasted spending, which has led to <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/elon-musk/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/elon-musk/\">Elon Musk</a>’s startling arrival on the Washington political scene. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"VMOJIDPXVREQNNN63WII7ZCJGM","additional_properties":{},"content":"Asked about the issue at his first cabinet meeting last month, the day after the budget resolution was passed, Trump replied: “I have said it so many times you shouldn’t be asking me that question ... We’re not gonna touch it. Now we are going to look for fraud. I’m sure you are okay with that – people who shouldn’t be on; people that are illegal aliens and others, and that’s with social security. When you see people that are 200 years old that are being sent cheques for social security – we are chasing that down and I’ve a feeling that Pam [Bondi, the attorney general] is going to do a very good job with that. But you’ve a lot of fraud. But, no, we’re not doing anything.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"YKEKUPJ5FVGUVL3KAFI23ZC764","additional_properties":{},"content":"Medicaid, has, since its inception during Lyndon Johnson’s administration, come to provide healthcare for 82 million Americans categorised as low-income. Within two decades, all states had joined the programme – Arizona was the last, in 1982.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SDKWMFRCUFCTPPXQ3IWVBFUF2Y","subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"34FZ2CBLHNFYDAQC2HUOIWU7QQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"During his last state of the union address a year ago, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/joe-biden/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/joe-biden/\">Joe Biden</a>, then president, had one of his more memorable moments by taking the Republican side of the House to task over the budget blueprint they had set out in the election year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZZWFVU44MFBHJEEPMMV65QPIQE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“If anyone here tries to cut social security, Medicare or raise the retirement age, I will stop you. The working people who built this country paid more into social security than millionaires and billionaires do. It’s not fair.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"FUHERYOILRBZZDZU2OJIS7COF4","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"J7BHNGO6NBGZNJVROVUSSF5ZSU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The Republican budget plan allows for $4.5 trillion in tax cuts as well as increasing defence spending. And the basic maths and rationale as to how they will lower taxes while preserving public welfare programmes are coming under harsher scrutiny from the Democratic opposition. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"XTGPV3KBPZE2HBNQIW6GC32XN4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Last month the Musk-created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) accessed the data systems for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the beginning of its effort to identify the errant spending that has become central to the Trump administration’s fiscal policy. The Democrats are adamant it marks the beginning of the end for aid that tens of millions of Americans rely upon.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZOZNYAZP6BHL5D53V5TW2R2Q6U","additional_properties":{},"content":"On Thursday, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/tim-walz/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/tim-walz/\">Tim Walz</a>, Minnesota governor and <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/kamala-harris/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/kamala-harris/\">Kamala Harris’s</a> running mate in last year’s presidential election, said: “Donald Trump’s cuts to Medicaid will blow a massive hole in our state budget and leave thousands without care. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"25UJIS336ZBVDDL5KOFKVSAUAU","additional_properties":{},"content":"“There’s a storm coming from Washington.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"IFDMAHQGBZBNNKPT35LBIJKU2M","additional_properties":{},"content":"Republicans are adamant that all of this is just fearmongering from a Democratic movement that has lost its bearings and its message. Democrats are insistent that the Republican budget marks the beginning of the end of a crucial welfare health programme – and the beginning of a privatised replacement. Time will tell and the argument will grow louder.","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Keith Duggan"}},"name":"Keith Duggan"}]},"description":{"basic":"Republican budget marks the beginning of the end of a crucial welfare health programme, say Democrats"},"display_date":"2025-03-07T16:06:47.552Z","headlines":{"basic":"‘This is a complete betrayal of the middle class’: Democrats rail against Trump’s plans for Medicaid","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"5469"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"6DMFT5W4AZVMZGXSR7KHRFTZDI","auth":{"1":"620340b6a4750f8279ff8340d47e8df6aac0a13607b9c630cf7c8469ad2d97aa"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/6DMFT5W4AZVMZGXSR7KHRFTZDI.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"US"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/us/2025/03/07/they-would-force-the-largest-medicaid-cuts-in-us-history-to-pay-for-tax-cuts-for-billionaires/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/us","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"US"}}}},{"_id":"BOGVXJUBH5HOVAONL3VTSZNKHU","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":575,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/f554e4c4-6487-418e-babd-041d21e7dbbb/versions/1741268717/media/c681924d9db5b6679aa70923ea12b34c_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/07/civilians-put-themselves-in-firing-line-between-turkey-and-northeast-syria/","content_elements":[{"_id":"2HWUW34X7VCTRCQK3AI66LO4GI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Crowds lined the road close to Hasaka, northeast <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\">Syria</a>, waiting for the civilian convoy to come back. They waved flags; women dancing in a straight line; children craning their necks to squint into the distance, the final rays of the setting sun casting them in golden light.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BS2NCSIOVVCC5HTCJLOAO2FXSM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The vehicles came slowly, then all at once. The occupants were men, women and some children, who had driven hundreds of kilometres, after spending the previous few days on Tishreen Dam.","type":"text"},{"_id":"EDLPWT5USJDOTNPAOE2IIAPUEE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The dam, on the Euphrates river, has become a flashpoint in the conflict between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/turkey/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/turkey/\">Turkish</a>-backed Syrian National Army (SNA). The SNA’s latest offensive began amid the fall of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\">Syria</a>’s Assad regime in December, which saw various powers, including Israel in the south, push to increase their control of Syrian territory. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"YBRZM4CUQZGMXBYN3M77R6BBEE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Local civilians have been travelling to the Tishreen Dam, hundreds at a time. “We were volunteers, people of the region ... We were there to protest and protect the dam,” said Khadija Asam Ibrahim (34), apologising because her voice was hoarse from chanting. She said they witnessed “attacks and bombing by the jets”. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"F4IQC4KSGJGDZJ7KWLTIV72W6M","additional_properties":{},"content":" “It’s a happy feeling because we are safe right now but we would be ready to go back for a second, third, fourth time,” she said. “My life is not worth more [than this].”","type":"text"},{"_id":"HKDZA2YNRVCUHHFA347PACXLAA","content":"<iframe title=\"\" aria-label=\"Locator map\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-TsUOs\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/TsUOs/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"635\" data-external=\"1\"></iframe><script type=\"text/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var t in a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][t]+\"px\";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();\n<\/script>","type":"raw_html"},{"_id":"U6HO3LF34JEEBLRNV5OCLYHOWU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Not everyone arrived safely. A car in the convoy was hit by a drone, witnesses said – one holding out his phone which showed a video of a vehicle on fire. Inside was Kurdish journalist Egîd Roj. Colleagues said Roj had been reporting at the dam for the previous week, both his flak jacket and the vehicle he was in marked with the word “PRESS”. Roj’s death was later confirmed by <a href=\"https://anfenglishmobile.com/freedom-of-the-press/turkish-drone-targets-and-kills-journalist-egid-roj-in-tishrin-77959\" rel=\"\">local media</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZWNS7FQBP5DTDF2AOYS3K32U6Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"The SDF’s head of media, Farhad Shami, says Turkey and Turkish-backed militias want to capture Tishreen Dam because it is a strategic point, the “gate” to the city of Kobani. By mid-February there was fighting both north and south of the dam, he said, with 260 SDF soldiers killed and at least 41 civilians. He said the SDF cannot “prevent” civilians from going there. “It’s kind of like a revolutionary position for the people. At the end, they’ve been bombed, they’ve been hurt.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"WU5E55HDXVEADJ47NTGOKYXPBU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The dam has not been functional since December 10th, with Shami saying there are cracks in it. He said the SDF is also using drones to fight back. “The Turks have advanced weapons, drones, warplanes ... we had to do the same.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"EIFMQ5WNLVEIZNGP7WIMB3R3O4","additional_properties":{},"content":"The International Committee of the Red Cross in Syria issued a <a href=\"https://x.com/ICRC_sy/status/1881278316633882928\" rel=\"\">statement</a> on January 20th saying dams are “critical infrastructure”, meaning they are specially protected under international humanitarian law. The Turkish government has <a href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4g0w0x28yxo\" rel=\"\">denied</a> targeting civilians and infrastructure, and accuses the SDF of using human shields.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VW63CKIVUJE23HTUNOUHFANNCI","additional_properties":{},"content":"This comes at a momentous time for Syria’s northeast. The SDF is the military arm of the Kurdish-led Autonomous Administration of North and East Syria (AANES), a de facto autonomous administration that controls large areas, including the majority of the country’s oil and natural gasfields. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"AOU6EHJGMRA2LPSKSUOYQPTRRE","additional_properties":{},"content":"It is in talks with the interim government in Damascus about dissolving into the broader Syrian armed forces, but SDF officials say it cannot do so without guarantees, including that it remains a distinct bloc. Some told The Irish Times their talks with the interim government have been positive, but they also mistrust its close relationship with Turkey. Interim president Ahmed al-Sharaa has <a href=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/syrian-president-invited-turkeys-erdogan-visit-syria-soon-2025-02-04/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/syrian-president-invited-turkeys-erdogan-visit-syria-soon-2025-02-04/\">visited</a> Turkish president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/recep-tayyip-erdogan/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/recep-tayyip-erdogan/\">Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a> in Ankara. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"54FS465OG5HSFKEVODCDTES6LY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Resentment against the SDF is building in other parts of Syria, with many repeating the accusation that the SDF is bringing “human shields” to the Tishreen Dam. All of the civilians who spoke to The Irish Times said they were volunteers going as part of a community-organised effort, though other reports have suggested that the SDF’s civil wing arranged some transportation and <a href=\"https://syriadirect.org/what-happened-to-the-tishreen-dam-protest-convoy/\" rel=\"\">encouraged</a> civilians, including its employees, to go.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4TLG2N6DUVHXDFPJSPQDZHGLXU","additional_properties":{},"content":"The SDF led the fight against <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/islamic-state/2/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/islamic-state/2/\">Islamic State</a>, which once controlled huge swathes of this region and was declared defeated in early 2019. For that reason, the SDF is backed by the US, which still has troops in the area – though US president Donald Trump has threatened to withdraw them.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KEVXLSLM4BHYRBG4VAEVXYKQW4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Turkey considers the SDF to be an extension of the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK), which it designates as a terrorist group. Last week, the PKK’s imprisoned leader Abdullah Ocalan called on the group to dissolve and lay down arms. The implications of this on Syria’s northeast is yet unclear. SDF commander Mazloum Abdi said this announcement was “not related to us in Syria”, though “if there is peace in Turkey, that means there is no excuse to keep attacking us here in Syria”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4EVAYV5M3ZHYVJ3AX7TBUM3GZI","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"NWL2ABB24FHCNBHUSR3SXTERUE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Hospital","type":"header"},{"_id":"JUEIS76VGJC4NDXNJP4S34LTRQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"At the Sari Military Hospital in Hasaka, an administrator said 300 wounded soldiers had come in the previous two months, and a smaller number of civilians. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"R2VHZMXN5JGOZMWYCLQWHBV2WI","additional_properties":{},"content":"In one room was an SDF soldier who lost an eye and broke his hand as a result of a drone attack at the dam, less than a fortnight before. Four of his colleagues were killed, he said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"24ODO6FFMRH3VIT2RMMBUTBVZU","additional_properties":{},"content":"In another room lay a 19-year-old from Raqqa, a scar up his neck and cheek. Doctors said he had been there more than a month. He was partially paralysed and was missing a finger. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"6YJ2CORSQRFJNCTX3Q6WBJHXMY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I joined the SDF to help my family,” he said – referring to both his salary of $330 a month, and his belief that his family needed protection. Of 11 soldiers, he was the only survivor, he said, tearing up. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"GJBHK2L2IRAPJEEXV3AY7ISZKM","additional_properties":{},"content":"A 26-year-old man with two fractured hands wrapped in plastic lay in a dark room. He had undergone surgery on his stomach, but now had an infection. A “border guard” with the SDF, he was the victim of a drone attack.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SDXE4MSIHBBONGWKVLWF7ZISGY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“As many times as they bomb, even 10, it doesn’t matter, when we get better we will go to the front line,” he said defiantly. “When I get better I will go, we will never surrender.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"KIIVMRNQUFAKHLDDYAAVZ2KSZM","additional_properties":{},"content":"The man – who did not give his name – joined the SDF in 2017. Fighting Islamic State, also known as Isis, “wasn’t as horrific because there were no drones bombing us, there were no air strikes”, he said. But “this is normal for us now”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GKV6EOSLMFGKZIAK4VRMOUNCWI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Recovering in another room was Lea Bunse, a 27-year-old German environmental activist. She said she was <a href=\"https://syriacpress.com/blog/2025/01/22/syria-turkish-proxy-forces-publish-video-of-their-drone-attack-on-dancing-civilian-demonstrators-at-tishrin-dam/\" rel=\"\">dancing on the dam</a> itself when a drone attack occurred; she was hit by shrapnel in her stomach, chest and leg. The SDF says six people were killed and many more injured. Human Rights Watch verified drone footage that Bunse also showed The Irish Times. It was published by a Telegram account affiliated with the SNA, and showed two projectiles being dropped by a line of dancers on the dam, though Human Rights Watch said it <a href=\"https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/01/30/northeast-syria-apparent-war-crime-turkiye-backed-forces\" rel=\"\">could</a> not determine whether the drone strikes were conducted by the SNA or Turkish Armed Forces. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"J3QXYH53TJCWLP4DBH7V5CRVBE","additional_properties":{},"content":"Bunse said she first came to northeast Syria 2½ years ago, and decided to travel to the dam in January after feeling “there’s no international attention” on the issue. About 100 cars left together. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"OTWKQIBA5RBKNKAFQTYYBIVBXE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“I think it’s such a big struggle for the whole humanity, for the whole world, that I saw it as important to witness,” she said. “One of the main wars [globally] at this time is water. Water is life. Water is the future.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"CVIMLGCPDRF5NCB6BOC2DYN6S4","additional_properties":{},"content":"If the dam broke it would put the surrounding cities in danger and “cost a lot of lives” she said. “Bombs falling on the dam, next to the dam, is a big danger.” ","type":"text"},{"_id":"BPQMC6BYCRD2DJIULZSJXQ5VZM","additional_properties":{},"content":"An attack, before the one that injured her, led to two people being killed and more than 20 injured, Bunse said. An ambulance that tried to take them away was attacked by a drone, she added.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OIFWW7B2G5HBJIFQJCSLBDCNH4","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"TDTCWZ45ZJBSFAZFMOBUSR273M","additional_properties":{},"content":"In an interview in a Kurdish Red Crescent base in the city of Kobani, a 270km drive northwest, nurse Abdi Ali explained how medics had been accompanying the convoys. One ambulance had been hit directly, he said, with one staff member killed and three wounded. Human Rights Watch <a href=\"https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/01/30/northeast-syria-apparent-war-crime-turkiye-backed-forces\" rel=\"\">called</a> this attack, on January 18th, an “apparent war crime”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TTEDTRGJHRE4HJLN7N5DXDM5ZE","additional_properties":{},"content":" A second strike landed in front of an ambulance. “I believe they hit in front of the ambulances to stop them from treating the wounded,” he said. Two ambulances were now completely out of service.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T7YVY6Z6KZA5DCKUM4DC3HKND4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The job we do is a humanitarian job ... but despite all this we are being targeted,” said Ali. “Of course, there’s no doubt this is war crimes ... For now our job has been restricted because we’re so afraid.”","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Sally Hayden"}},"name":"Sally Hayden"}]},"description":{"basic":"Tishreen Dam, on the Euphrates river, has become a flashpoint in the conflict between the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces and the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army "},"display_date":"2025-03-06T16:58:06.715Z","headlines":{"basic":"Civilians put themselves in firing line between Turkey and northeast Syria","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"2GSZ4CAI6NB7LN4VVXH5LGNZOQ","auth":{"1":"fbcff88d4f54f72e0f5794fa5d830a8e1b067c46ef6e04a4e66a7eccb85a7771"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/2GSZ4CAI6NB7LN4VVXH5LGNZOQ.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/07/civilians-put-themselves-in-firing-line-between-turkey-and-northeast-syria/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"ZSJ256Z6LJFGXN4DQYVBHK3PGQ","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":65,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/90c87c46-4a18-4be3-a40f-a9d083c93470/versions/1741107754/media/7f2a1b3d0277a282640e1ec456af4bee_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/04/military-aid-for-ukraine-in-graphics/","content_elements":[{"_id":"KRN6RPSW5ZFOFMENJAPIFM25CI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The United States has paused military aid to <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/ukraine-war/\" rel=\"\">Ukraine</a> following Donald Trump’s Oval Office clash with Ukrainian president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/volodymyr-zelenskiy/\" rel=\"\">Volodymyr Zelenskiy</a> last week. The move comes after Trump upended US policy on Ukraine and <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/russia/\" rel=\"\">Russia</a> upon taking office.","type":"text"},{"_id":"H6YVINYIGZEJDHYVD3VOFXHEBQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"But how much does the United States give to assist Ukraine and what are European Union countries giving? The <a href=\"https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.ifw-kiel.de/topics/war-against-ukraine/ukraine-support-tracker/\">Ukraine Support Tracker</a> lists and quantifies military, financial and humanitarian support by governments to Ukraine since February 2022. It covers 41 countries, specifically the EU member states, other members of the G7, as well as Australia, South Korea, Turkiye, Norway, New Zealand, Switzerland, China, Taiwan, India, and Iceland. The tracker is compiled by Kiel Institute for the World Economy, a research institute in Germany for globalisation issues.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7IIXITC7ZFH3LMP6MGTW3ZRXLU","additional_properties":{},"content":"Here are some of the key data sets from the tracker findings:","type":"text"},{"_id":"BTR76TXJZBD6RGU5HJURHRHCUI","content":"<iframe title=\"Tanks Allocated to Ukraine, by donor country\n\n\" aria-label=\"Table\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-JW2Bv\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/JW2Bv/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"584\" data-external=\"1\"></iframe><script type=\"text/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var t in a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][t]+\"px\";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();\n<\/script>","type":"raw_html"},{"_id":"XXI26SGEJBEN3ADXEXD52UROCI","content":"<iframe title=\"Infantry Fighting Vehicles Allocated to Ukraine, by donor country\" aria-label=\"Table\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-QURd0\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/QURd0/2/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"686\" data-external=\"1\"></iframe><script type=\"text/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var t in a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][t]+\"px\";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();\n<\/script>","type":"raw_html"},{"_id":"DXYX55TWNBBXPDTOTXKFYRHF6I","content":"<iframe title=\"Howitzers Allocated to Ukraine, by donor country\" aria-label=\"Table\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-X5Yia\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/X5Yia/2/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"904\" data-external=\"1\"></iframe><script type=\"text/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var t in a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][t]+\"px\";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();\n<\/script>","type":"raw_html"},{"_id":"UV73PMCYRZGNZF7ENIJZGKPYZQ","content":"<iframe title=\"Multiple Launch Rocket Systems Allocated to Ukraine, by donor country\" aria-label=\"Table\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-MtSYO\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/MtSYO/1/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"443\" data-external=\"1\"></iframe><script type=\"text/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var t in a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][t]+\"px\";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();\n<\/script>","type":"raw_html"},{"_id":"QUISOQQCUVE5TEZDLU5QHMLMCU","content":"<iframe title=\"Air Defense Systems Allocated to Ukraine, by donor country\" aria-label=\"Table\" id=\"datawrapper-chart-2JFzP\" src=\"https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/2JFzP/2/\" scrolling=\"no\" frameborder=\"0\" style=\"width: 0; min-width: 100% !important; border: none;\" height=\"664\" data-external=\"1\"></iframe><script type=\"text/javascript\">!function(){\"use strict\";window.addEventListener(\"message\",(function(a){if(void 0!==a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"]){var e=document.querySelectorAll(\"iframe\");for(var t in a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"])for(var r=0;r<e.length;r++)if(e[r].contentWindow===a.source){var i=a.data[\"datawrapper-height\"][t]+\"px\";e[r].style.height=i}}}))}();\n<\/script>","type":"raw_html"},{"_id":"SAKRAKNBABFSPID3AKV66XK7PI","additional_properties":{},"content":"","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Paul Scott"}},"name":"Paul Scott"}]},"description":{"basic":"What types of military hardware does the United States, Europe and other countries give to Ukraine and at what cost?"},"display_date":"2025-03-04T16:45:33.908Z","headlines":{"basic":"Military aid for Ukraine: in graphics","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"OQG3IQCPFND2FCZ2D43BTHB6PA","auth":{"1":"7e04989998064668297f4a73bcd9ba2fcc98a7e37cc83e369bd3ae74ef145ec0"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/OQG3IQCPFND2FCZ2D43BTHB6PA.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/04/military-aid-for-ukraine-in-graphics/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"CRIXAJ6DGBAH5NTM5JMKAVK55M","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":419,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/c62fac0f-9b45-4f5c-91d5-2cf593f7fa69/versions/1740931033/media/01c5d562f410aec0988ee981bb5fce86_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/02/turkeys-erdogan-makes-risky-bet-on-peace-with-kurds/","content_elements":[{"_id":"WAWGZDUIUBBW3L6WGNK73L6P2Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352951},"content":"The day after president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/recep-tayipp-erdogan\" target=\"_blank\">Recep Tayyip Erdogan</a>’s governing ally raised the prospect of a deal to end the four-decade Kurdish insurgency last year, a man and woman armed with assault rifles and explosives entered one of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/turkey/\" target=\"_blank\">Turkey</a>’s biggest defence companies, killing seven people.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DIPPLPXOERH57JISAUXYGFAB6M","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352952},"content":"The October attack on the headquarters of Turkish Aerospace Industries was a stark reminder that the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK) still posed a deadly threat despite a relentless military campaign against the militants.","type":"text"},{"_id":"7DKPDDBMVVHMNHDQHMCYMGK2YE","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352953},"content":"Now, after four decades of fighting and 40,000 lives lost, there is cautious hope that the conflict haunting Turkey could end. On Thursday, Abdullah Öcalan, who founded the PKK in 1978 and is serving a life sentence, called on his followers to lay down their guns and disband the group.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AN5PJAPVIZEXDPG6UDUOMIKKWU","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352954},"content":"If Öcalan’s call is heeded by the PKK, it would deliver Erdogan a political coup, potentially securing Turkey’s longest-serving leader vital support from pro-Kurdish lawmakers to pursue possible pathways to extending his rule into a third decade when his term expires in 2028.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QDKWO3JIRFBXXHGLQUU3ILBOQM","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352955},"content":"The need to resolve the conflict has become more acute after Turkish-backed forces overthrew the Assad regime in Syria, where a powerful militant group dominated by Kurds could undermine Erdogan’s efforts to help stabilise the country.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SZLB5QU24JHFDD5L47S7S5XCZQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352956},"content":"Yet the endeavour is fraught with pitfalls. Erdogan’s last attempt to negotiate a political solution with the PKK in 2015 collapsed into the worst fighting in decades.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CQ5MXCPDURE4TCFSABFRSJXL5M","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352957},"content":"The latest talks with Öcalan have taken place behind a wall of secrecy, and it is unknown what either side is willing to concede. The PKK has said it hopes for Öcalan’s release, and in the past sought a broad amnesty for fighters in its ranks.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PDWYEXMYDVGVDE7IQRCD66VPZA","additional_properties":{"_id":"VPG2DK4YNJH4TOOOQRRDMKEUIQ"},"content":"Kurdish militants declare ceasefire in 40-year insurgency in Turkey","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"EJL73NWHAZB6FALWZJV2M2SGKA","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352958},"content":"The group said on Saturday it will declare a ceasefire in response to the call but that disarmament required Öcalan’s “practical leadership,” according to a statement from the PKK’s executive committee that was published on news sites close to the group.“ We completely agree with the content of the call and declare that we will comply and implement the call on our own front. However, we would like to underscore that success will require suitable democratic politics and a legal foundation,” it said.","type":"text"},{"_id":"A3LCDQRBOZGM3EKIATFXWLE3GU","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352959},"content":"Öcalan (75) is viewed by many of Turkey’s 17 million ethnic Kurds as the iconic leader in a struggle for Kurdish rights. In his appeal, he said the PKK was established when “democratic politics” were closed off to Kurds, but Turkey’s acceptance of a Kurdish identity and other improvements mean the PKK “has completed its lifespan and made its dissolution necessary”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"UMCBGDXY2ZHMFKAPQIHWK3EOZU","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352960},"content":"Öcalan’s ability to sway the 5,000 or so PKK fighters, holed up mostly in the Qandil mountains of Iraq, and their affiliates in Syria will now be put to the test.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MS5ZV2QORRCIXM4OK6JDKLPOJA","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352961},"content":"The last attempt to secure peace included discussions on boosting Kurdish cultural and political rights. It fell apart after a pro-Kurdish political party won its largest-ever vote share and deprived Erdogan’s government of single-party rule. The Turkish military responded with a ferocious offensive in the country’s predominantly Kurdish southeast, driving out a vastly diminished PKK.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BMGNVD6EBFCLLDPVX5U6477ZFU","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352962},"content":"A decade-long crackdown on the non-violent Kurdish political movement followed, with thousands of activists jailed and more than 150 elected mayors dismissed from their posts over the years. Kurdish politician Selahattin Demirtaş, who challenged Erdogan for the presidency, has been in prison since 2016 for his political speeches, despite a European Court of Human Rights order that he be freed.","type":"text"},{"_id":"N2KW7CRCQJCCHB7AMHZYIHVZCU","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352963},"content":"Focusing just on the disarmament of the PKK without addressing Kurdish grievances could doom this effort to secure long-term peace, said Cuma Cicek, a researcher at the French Institute of Anatolian Studies in Istanbul.","type":"text"},{"_id":"35VCW7U2MZEIRAJI6JDQZN7LQQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352964},"content":"“The Kurdish issue is bigger than just the PKK,” said Cicek, who wrote a book on the conflict and previous attempts to forge peace. “For a lasting solution, there has to be democratisation and elimination of the economic inequalities and discrimination Kurds face.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"AJLKZAU6NBHMTFVF6RRN52FT4U","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352965},"content":"Öcalan stopped short of making any demands from the government. But the Peoples’ Democracy and Equality Party, or Dem, parliament’s third-biggest grouping whose base is overwhelmingly Kurdish, has long pushed for education in the Kurdish language and the release of thousands of politicians and activists from prisons.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SXXEOTZLZ5ERNK4KBVJ4FRA55I","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352966},"content":"“Öcalan has now done what he can. This is a first step, and progress will come after we see what steps the government and state will take,” said Dem lawmaker Saruhan Oluc.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OQZ5YTBZ7RFY7OGQGMK5KAHWAY","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352967},"content":"Analysts say Erdogan may be compelled to meet some of Dem’s objectives in order to win its support for either changing the constitution to abolish term limits or calling snap elections, if he were to run for president again.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6N7YZTN4HBBSDAOKO6LBUVVQAQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352968},"content":"Making peace with the PKK could also lead to a big advance in Erdogan’s mission to stabilise Syria under a friendly new government, as the biggest threat to those new rulers is the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), which is dominated by Kurds and close to the PKK.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GN3F6AFPKNCNXAGD5KUW4DSG3M","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352969},"content":"Success with the PKK “will pave the way for reconciliation” with Syria’s Kurds, said Reha Ruhavioğlu, director of the Kurdish Studies Centre in Diyarbakir, the largest city in Turkey’s southeast.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FTFJFIRFOFAUDLGPUJ25O3CTUQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352970},"content":"Getting the SDF to back down will not be easy either, however. Its commander Mazloum Abdi said on Thursday that while he welcomed Öcalan’s “historic” call, it “was not related to us in Syria”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RO6FUUVDONEW3IH4X6INGYQQU4","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352971},"content":"But Erdogan probably hopes that peace at home could at least help persuade Washington to drop its support for the SDF. The Trump administration said it hoped that Öcalan’s call would ease Turkey’s concerns about the Syrian group.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FE4KCBUIPNASPKKFLB6YRJBLIE","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352972},"content":"Whether Erdogan’s gambit succeeded or ended in more violence, the Turkish president would end up “the biggest winner”, said Gönül Tol, director of the Middle East Institute’s Turkey programme in Washington.","type":"text"},{"_id":"COWQJUXWA5GC3APLCASP7TUN5E","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352973},"content":"“If he can say that he was the one to end this insurgency, it will boost his prospects in 2028,” she said. “And if things don’t go smoothly, he can still say he tried, then increase pressure on Kurds [and] have a more sympathetic international audience.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"DSBKCCUFL5CBRPS3GXKO2DQQLY","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352974},"content":"But for Fatma, a 42-year-old textile worker whose brother died fighting for the PKK in southeast Turkey in 2016, Öcalan’s message offers the first ray of hope in a decade for “Kurds and Turks tired of war”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"H3DC3W35KZBJHDU37LOINWOTPM","additional_properties":{"_id":1740929352975},"content":"“Just as my heart burns for my brother, then the families of soldiers ache for theirs. It’s time for the guns to be silent,” she said. − Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2025","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Ayla Jean Yackley in Istanbul"}]},"description":{"basic":"Call for peace by Kurdish leader being held in Turkish jail is first step in complex web of negotiations"},"display_date":"2025-03-02T15:52:05.764Z","headlines":{"basic":"Turkey’s Erdogan makes risky bet on peace with Kurds","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"WGQK3YYAQKYMZFCS6NSWB5EGOY","auth":{"1":"4105b899c767732733dc2d1a8d01f24a8f88998b13f07344a6094301e506d9ea"},"focal_point":{"x":2620,"y":1450},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/WGQK3YYAQKYMZFCS6NSWB5EGOY.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/02/turkeys-erdogan-makes-risky-bet-on-peace-with-kurds/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"HBY52EWEKFHXHHL2L3AN4MBY5Q","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":635,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/e1299ac6-9697-40eb-846b-f472efdf5276/versions/1740769681/media/8cee5b3d254d81f3d7b76e3a1f87a351_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/02/weve-become-used-to-being-betrayed-us-aid-cuts-affect-camps-for-people-accused-of-isis-affiliation/","content_elements":[{"_id":"72TQFIOYGNGKTHHR7J3J3D64EU","additional_properties":{},"content":"A woman uses her crutch to knock on the door of a medical centre, but no one answers. Two education centres are shuttered. Residents wonder aloud whether they will continue receiving bread and water. Camp management worries about the residents rioting or even escaping.","type":"text"},{"_id":"J27SLHU2B5AUXOIWYS7M2F7ITQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"This is Al Hol camp in northeast <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\">Syria</a>. It is home to about 40,000 people, many of them suspected of affiliation to the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/islamic-state/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/islamic-state/\">Islamic State</a> terror group. They are largely women and children, and are not allowed to leave.","type":"text"},{"_id":"42LXB6YKXVEYFLZVUSJ6PTRUII","additional_properties":{},"content":"Tents stretch out along the dry ground, surrounded by high fences.<b> </b>Medical charity Médecins Sans Frontières has described Al Hol – which is run by the US-backed, Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) – as a “<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2022/11/08/syrian-detainee-camp-a-massive-outdoor-prison/\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/middle-east/2022/11/08/syrian-detainee-camp-a-massive-outdoor-prison/\">massive outdoor prison</a>”. Among the residents are people of 43 nationalities, including 6,300 foreigners not from <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/iraq/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/iraq/\">Iraq</a> or Syria, says Jihan Hanan, the camp’s co-head. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"3QCPB4H75JHZVHEXJV6OR3DQSQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"While the camp initially housed other refugees displaced from conflicts in Iraq and Syria, tens of thousands of people who left Baghouz – the last big Islamic State stronghold in the region – were herded into there in March 2019, vastly increasing Al Hol’s population. They included the families of Islamic State fighters alongside supporters and sympathisers.","type":"text"},{"_id":"RR3X4WU7PRF2ZOIDX6IA7B2R3Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"This created a conundrum for the authorities, who worry about the incubation of extremism among those living there and say the children in the camp could become the “next generation” of Islamic State, also known as Isis. They readily admit that it is problematic to keep people detained without a legal process, but argue there is too much of a threat to let them all out.","type":"text"},{"_id":"Y4XB5CCU6RB3FDP6U65IYMYJZQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Like other Kurdish officials who spoke to The Irish Times, Hanan asks why other countries have not repatriated their citizens, leaving them as the responsibility of authorities in this Kurdish-led, de-facto autonomous war-torn part of Syria. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"NWURF3XWYFDT3G6UJEXNGPJN7Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"While this is a long-standing issue, a new challenge has emerged from US president <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/donald-trump/\">Donald Trump</a>’s shutdown of global American aid. “During the night they tell you they’ve stopped the bread and the water and these other things,” Hanan says, recalling the three days in late January when assistance came almost to a halt. “I have been working in the camp’s management for five years and this is the my first time they did such a rushed decision.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"5JAMDBHUEBG2NAAA2E5IH52QMA","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"NWURF3XWYFDT3G6UJEXNGPJN7Y","additional_properties":{},"content":"She believes the impact of the aid cuts have not “been researched or studied well from all aspects”, and that the camp’s management should have received advance warning. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"XGHJ3H3OSVF2XH2VDOB7HSDRDQ","additional_properties":{},"content":"Asked if she feels betrayed, Hanan smiles. “We’ve become used to being betrayed,” she says, adding that the US is “betraying its own forces who are here on the ground”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PUA4CSGJDVE4PMWHXF2LIP3YOE","additional_properties":{},"content":"The United States Agency for International Development (<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/usaid/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/usaid/\">USAid</a>) aid freeze has caused global chaos, with staff laid off en masse, programmes halted and organisations that receive US funding struggling to figure out how to proceed.","type":"text"},{"_id":"TQ4G7YJOYRDSXJEASJM6OLYCHI","additional_properties":{},"content":"While the freeze was initially announced for a period of 90 days, as evaluations take place, billionaire <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/elon-musk\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/elon-musk\">Elon Musk</a>, whom Trump has appointed as head of the Department of Government Efficiency, says he wants USAid to “die”, calling it a “criminal organisation”. Almost all USAid staff have been put on leave globally, with the Trump administration saying it will eliminate 2,000 US-based positions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CW2KCH2VWFHGFLZVQHZOAYICPY","additional_properties":{},"content":"USAid was running programmes in about 120 countries, with American aid making up about 40 per cent of global aid money. In Syria, the US provides one quarter of all foreign funding, says Imrul Islam, the policy and advocacy manager for the Syria INGO Regional Forum, which represents more than 70 international NGOs. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"6OYU2GJGYBCZ7F5CQV6EKVRKQA","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Things are stopping. It’s really hard to track because there are lay-offs everywhere. Some partners have had to lay off 600-700 people already ... Humanitarian pipelines, water and food to camps, health and medicine, are on the verge of collapse. This decision has unleashed unnecessary suffering for people who have already endured over a decade of brutal conflict,” he says.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OCODBKCT3FBYFNGDCSHRNEJEM4","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"KP5IRIAFM5EYTFFLY2EOYMUL5Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"The timing of the aid freeze could not be worse, given the fall of the Assad regime in December, Islam says. “Now is the moment to scale up support to Syrians. Instead, the rug has been pulled out from under us, and we have been left fighting for scraps. The brunt of this betrayal will be borne by Syrians themselves, and it will have spiralling consequences.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"4ZRFICGBCRHMLO3QYGT4OJVLIY","additional_properties":{},"content":"Analysts have warned about the security implications of the aid freeze. In northeast Syria, local authorities say they are worried about a resurgence of Islamic State, which controlled swathes of territory in this area between 2014 and 2019.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BPHJTAVC4NBBPEFVELEJE5YGC4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Al Hol is roughly a 40km drive, across flat and empty stretches of land, from the city of Hasaka. Even some of its security guards get payments from USAid money, Hanan says. “Honestly, regarding the people on the ground ... Americans were also frustrated by this decision.” She praised them for staying late to produce reports that resulted in some exceptions being made, though she is not sure for how long they will hold. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"JOHODGM2WFAQLLWDDYNJENNFPE","subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"7GCBJZJGSZCH5OU3SCKZLRXBH4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Blumont, the US international development organisation that manages the camp and provides “all basic needs”, withdrew hundreds of staff, Hanan says, as well as the security guarding their centres. Blumont did not respond to a request for comment.","type":"text"},{"_id":"M5MDG4ZQIRDFXJJHZT37GXLKMI","additional_properties":{},"content":"Other NGOs have also been visibly affected: a refuse burning centre was closed and a medical laboratory and clinic stopped, she says. “Regarding health and education it will be a big problem.” Even NGOs not hit by funding cuts reduced work, she says, because they are worried about staff security.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZVCXDY2CTNAH3AUV6KLO5YE2PE","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The daily life conditions will impact the security, if there’s no support,” Hanan says. “The issue regarding Al Hol camp is that it’s closed, we don’t allow [residents] out, so we have to provide whatever they need ... The first day people said, ‘If you cannot provide the bread open the door, so we can go out and manage ourselves’.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"CL5SVZWVABFMHEXDYHNPE7RJDY","additional_properties":{},"content":"A walk around the camp later establishes that the aid cuts are clearly on people’s minds. Firas Rad (36), from Iraq, has five children and says he is worried about getting care for them. The paediatrician he goes to in the camp normally treats 30 children a day, he says, but “after this decision [the Trump administration order to halt aid] they shrunk it to 15″.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZQXGRYHU3VHRHHSBLGEOKRJUIM","additional_properties":{},"content":"“When Blumont stopped the funding for the camp it was huge chaos and the life in the camp has been paralysed,” says Fahad Mahmoud (30), also from Iraq. “Of course people are getting ready for a total cut. They’re stockpiling. I’m worried about the situation. If there’s a total cut people would be crazy and we’d start rioting and doing chaos.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"RKSNWZEVIREOTM4OZZKURWBXU4","additional_properties":{},"content":"Each of them gets two pieces of bread a day, Mahmoud says. “It’s not enough, but we can manage it.” Residents are allocated about 20 litres of water a day – the <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/united-nations-un/\" target=\"_self\" rel=\"\" title=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/united-nations-un/\">United Nations</a> minimum standard – and get a food basket every two months with goods including oil, rice, sugar, lentils, bulgar, butter and cleaning material.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D4TCFQIZRJDE5HAHDLWMMRZRGY","additional_properties":{},"content":"“Of course” they feel like they’re in prison, she adds. “It’s sort of like a big prison, there’s no access to outside. The big issue is for the people who get sick. Sometimes people die. I don’t know how to explain the situation. Isis, it was a dirty game, and the ones who paid the price were the poor people like us.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"P5MRI77T7RBZZHCJYSNK5K3WEQ","additional_properties":{},"type":"image"},{"_id":"IIIJKHX4YNGL7CU6TXPENOMENI","additional_properties":{},"content":"The camp has a busy stretch of market, where some residents operate shops with abundant supplies and others have stalls with a meagre few products. One woman, who gives her name as Um Omar, stands behind a stall with toiletries, including “green tea whitening invisible foundation” and wet wipes. ","type":"text"},{"_id":"43QNBSKHVRCURMNOYSXLTHIN3A","additional_properties":{},"content":"She is from Anbar governorate in Iraq, and says she has heard nothing from her husband – a fighter – since they left Baghouz. “Regarding the conditions in the camp, it’s hard, we have to do some business otherwise we couldn’t live,” she says. She cares for her seven-year-old child.","type":"text"},{"_id":"R3OPVYA6EREQBHBIL5F7CS2EXI","subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"X3H6F57WANBLPGZQCDZJBWICG4","additional_properties":{},"content":"All of the women are fully covered, with just their eyes showing. Huda Omar (34), says she has five children and wants to return with them to Damascus as soon as possible. Her husband was killed seven years ago, in an air strike in Raqqa, once the capital of Islamic State’s so-called caliphate. “My husband was not a fighter,” she says, then reconsiders. “Actually, he was, but he left [Islamic State] and then was a civilian. The children are innocent; they have the right to go home ”","type":"text"},{"_id":"LDSA5QCZANFPRHY7WA5VJYRXOI","additional_properties":{},"content":"On February 12th, acting US ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Shea, told the Security Council that US assistance for managing and securing camps in northeastern Syria “cannot last forever”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WAWKN4FUW5AJRG5ZGNXYSWE6Q4","additional_properties":{},"content":"“The United States has shouldered too much of this burden for too long. Ultimately, the camps cannot remain a direct US financial responsibility,” she said, referencing Al Hol camp and a smaller camp, Roj, where many foreign women and their children accused of links to Islamic State are held.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KMLR24DCQBGOXMXEU6LUBE654I","additional_properties":{},"content":"In response, Hanan says: “This is an international responsibility. This is the remnants of Daesh [Islamic State] ... The creation of this camp was something we didn’t want, it was de facto.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"XM2AY4L7SVH4DJ6SS6ELSVQD3E","additional_properties":{},"content":"She suggests Donald Trump should visit. “He has to,” she says, because the camp “really got hurt” by this decision.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KMX6ODUWRBCLXCFRY2YAKEVA3Q","additional_properties":{},"content":"<i>Jiwan Mirzo contributed to this report</i>","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Sally Hayden"}},"name":"Sally Hayden"}]},"description":{"basic":"Trump spending freeze threatens security arrangements and could make it harder to stop resurgence of Islamic State"},"display_date":"2025-03-02T11:00:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"‘We’ve become used to being betrayed’: US aid cuts affect camps for people accused of Isis affiliation","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"UTC3F56OGNGPLJSDYYFPOMWRRM","auth":{"1":"e43cbae50e94db3c92f626691261fdd4d57b0593f021ada1b374bb9789f47c79"},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/UTC3F56OGNGPLJSDYYFPOMWRRM.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Middle East"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/02/weve-become-used-to-being-betrayed-us-aid-cuts-affect-camps-for-people-accused-of-isis-affiliation/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/middle-east","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Middle East"}}}},{"_id":"M7T3OQ3U3ZBF7PTPTQCA5WU3RE","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":475,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/91d3ad86-9dfa-4331-b4b3-1ab559ba6548/versions/1740759937/media/f1e774bac6e56d8cab69167354483c34_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/01/well-rest-when-we-win-no-let-up-for-ukraines-medics-and-rescue-teams-as-war-with-russia-grinds-on/","content_elements":[{"_id":"R7Z7P6T2TRCYTHK7BOYZ3HMLYU","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689871},"content":"<a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/ukraine-crisis/\">Russia’s 11-year war on Ukraine</a>, which started with militia attacks on the eastern Donbas region in 2014 and became a full-scale invasion in 2022, has forced many of its people to acquire skills that they wish their nation had never needed.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QSK5JZ5OQZHJTF5WFRKZXPNSJY","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689872},"content":"The Mechnikov hospital in the city of Dnipro is the closest major medical centre to Donbas, the main theatre of fighting throughout the war, and hard experience has made its staff expert in treating injured soldiers, tens of thousands of whom have passed through its wards.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KVC3CCSYSVDQNHD3O4ILFZD5N4","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689873},"content":"“Mechnikov has been providing care to the wounded since 2014, so we were ready in 2022. We understood that the number of wounded would be much higher. In 2014 ... when the first wounded began to arrive, neither military nor civilian medicine was ready,” says Oleksandr Tolubaiev, the hospital’s medical director.","type":"text"},{"_id":"KB4WHIPUIVE2DIUEVR7AWNC3MI","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689874},"content":"“In 2014, casualties were brought directly from the battlefield by whatever vehicles were available. Not a single organised medical evacuation route existed at that time. Patients arrived to us with little or no medical care, or it was given in improvised ways – for example, a severed leg was strapped with tape or a broken leg was tied to some stick as a makeshift splint, and patients were loaded into cars and brought a long way to Mechnikov,” he explains.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IEIAXCG4J5BLRBCYY6LUIZ2644","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689875},"content":"“No surgery was performed on the battlefield or at nearby stabilisation points, because there were none ... But very quickly, in a few months, Mechnikov improved its readiness and military doctors introduced a system of evacuation and first aid provision, so by the end of 2014 the system was more or less working.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"3L442EKUVNC3JM4GXSTIO3HNNY","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689876},"type":"image"},{"_id":"5DXRRCARONGBBJEJXMJCHEHJFY","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689877},"content":"Now a casualty is usually treated at stabilisation point near the front line and a field hospital before being moved by ambulance to Mechnikov, which has grown to have some 2,500 staff – including 500 doctors – and several intensive care units with a total of nearly 200 beds.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MAFTEGN5ENBGZKJ5HTUIISK2YU","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689878},"content":"“The hospital is designed to accommodate 1,200 beds, and we are almost always 1½ times over capacity. This includes not only wounded soldiers. There are also civilians from our region ... and people who come from areas where it is no longer possible to provide medical care,” says Tolubaiev.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2FIS7FZI5JEWHK6HHMWIJOCWNI","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689879},"content":"'A new and horrible feeling': Recalling Russian occupation three years on","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"GTCRLIFLBFDSTCK2YB4K7G62D4","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689880},"content":"Mechnikov also employs doctors and nurses from places that Russia has occupied, including some, such as the small Donbas city of Bakhmut, that it obliterated in the process.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QHM6WTXE2NAWRNVURASEBGWJ5U","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689881},"content":"“They have joined our team very effectively and they provide the highest level of care to the wounded. They hope the time will come when they can return and work again in their hometowns,” says Tolubaiev. “Some of them realise they will never return because those places have already been utterly destroyed. For example, we have a doctor from Bakhmut who will never return there, because Bakhmut has ceased to exist.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"QK7TE2BNTJAMZPDVVI6YJPHVOA","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689882},"type":"image"},{"_id":"GPLITY4XFFH6DLGNX7UJMXIU34","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689883},"content":"Oleksandr Lavrenyuk spent part of his childhood in Bakhmut and returned there as a member of a Ukrainian Red Cross evacuation team before its ruins finally fell to Russia in May 2023.","type":"text"},{"_id":"4WEFPS2IYBCZJFQBTB7ASFJVOE","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689884},"content":"“I went back there on a Red Cross mission in 2022, taking in humanitarian aid and evacuating the injured and elderly. And the last time I was there was in January 2023, when we went in under shelling to evacuate someone,” he says.","type":"text"},{"_id":"WNWMUG23XBDOBJGMZNA3KZ44HE","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689885},"content":"Despite the danger and looming threat of occupation to Bakhmut, Lavrenyuk says it “was good to go back, to see the yard of the building where we used to live, to deliver aid to the cultural centre where I did traditional dancing. But of course it was painful to see how the city was being destroyed.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"4JWRKFIETBGCXHK5PYNTRAW66U","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689886},"content":"Lavrenyuk was working in radio in Kyiv and volunteering for the Ukrainian Red Cross when Russia began its full-scale invasion on February 24th, 2022, and joined the organisation’s staff later that year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6TYPMJSOFVFSDGTN2QUHVAT4PY","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689887},"content":"He quickly took his family to a safer part of Ukraine and returned to the capital, where he joined a Red Cross rapid reaction team that set up a field hospital, distributed aid to people taking refuge from missile attacks in metro stations and other shelters, and then launched evacuation missions to help people escape the advancing Russian troops.","type":"text"},{"_id":"OSVRH4H46BBHFETF2WJMGN344U","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689888},"type":"image"},{"_id":"L5TH6V3KINHEXJ2VUQQEDAM4UU","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689889},"content":"Amid frequent shelling and gunfire, the team evacuated locals who streamed over a rickety makeshift crossing on the Irpin river, in the suburb of the same name just 25km northwest of central Kyiv, after Ukrainian forces blew the road bridge to slow Russia’s progress.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HPRT3AXW4ZBENNJVVX4FQ4Z6YA","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689890},"content":"“During pauses in the shelling people would come across. But it was dangerous. Snipers were shooting nearby. We took as many people as we could each time, cramming 10 or more into our car with their belongings and their pets,” says Lavrenyuk.","type":"text"},{"_id":"CGGL7S6HE5AJXKPOTZRQMMODTA","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689891},"content":"Fierce Ukrainian defence stopped Russian troops in northern suburbs of Kyiv such as Bucha, <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/world/europe/2023/02/27/bucha-remembers-i-walked-into-the-garden-and-found-him-lying-there-face-down-where-they-had-shot-him/\">where they committed atrocities including war crimes</a> against residents whose homes they raided, looted and commandeered.","type":"text"},{"_id":"N4MDOAW6ZBC2TIMPFQVBPHG3KM","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689892},"type":"image"},{"_id":"SPEZ6RUAABCDRCZ4B235GIUVPM","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689893},"content":"“We organised evacuation convoys from occupied areas, and it was scary going in there. You didn’t know what to expect, how the Russians would behave and react to what you were doing and saying. It felt like a gamble every time,” says Lavrenyuk (37).","type":"text"},{"_id":"EPD3OV2A4FDPDHHLEAHPBZMNZE","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689894},"content":"Now he is a field mission specialist for the Ukrainian Red Cross and works in towns and villages near the eastern front line that are under heavy Russian missile and drone fire.","type":"text"},{"_id":"5NBLFSOVQRCAPIAK4NNP5BYEYE","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689895},"content":"“You feel the danger, you’re worried about your own loved ones, the situation is constantly changing and you have to adapt fast all the time,” he says. “But it’s been three years now and it feels like this is our job. It doesn’t hit you as hard as at the start – people can get used to anything.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"HFOZD22LCJBUVCJLSBMJZT22WA","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689896},"content":"Europe’s biggest conflict since 1945 has triggered the rapid development of drone warfare, and explosive-laden attack drones are now a constant threat to Red Cross and other civilian evacuation teams and to soldiers trying to get wounded comrades off the battlefield.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BXEDVLYNZBH3VFMHBBVTP5I5PE","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689897},"content":"“When a wounded man is down in the field, an enemy drone is hovering over him and waiting for someone to come and evacuate him,” says Tolubaiev.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ONZ4WU7WVJA4FPOUJ4GOHAPMSQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689898},"content":"“And sometimes it is impossible to evacuate a patient from the battlefield, not just for a few hours ... but for several days. And particularly now, when it is very cold, their injuries can be accompanied by frostbite,” he adds.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HTRPK3TWPRDFVIHPI4ETCBUKWY","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689899},"content":"“A big problem now is ‘tourniquet syndrome’. Because it may be impossible to evacuate a wounded patient quickly, they can end up having a tourniquet in place not for the recommended two hours, but much, much longer.” A tourniquet can stop blood loss, but prolonged lack of circulation may irreparably damage a limb, making amputation inevitable.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LYLES3SQI5DN3NFXXBGT7P6CMQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689900},"content":"Foreign specialists frequently visit Mechnikov, which was damaged in a missile attack last October that killed at least five people in Dnipro.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2FDDM737WZFVTFIE454ERCE7HI","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689901},"type":"image"},{"_id":"WAUKQSB3IJCBXEGLALZVSOWPOQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689902},"content":"“We adopted some skills from the military, we learned some skills from our American and Israeli colleagues who visit us quite often, and we teach our foreign colleagues a few things – it’s an exchange of experience,” says Tolubaiev.","type":"text"},{"_id":"T4BBMLK3KVFCTIRVS7JS4PEFNU","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689903},"content":"“We all know that this is our war, our country, that this is about defending our country and ... we are fulfilling our professional duty here. That’s why we cannot just say, ‘That’s it, I can’t work any more,’” he adds.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6FZNV6FX6VEY3CZND73XBRLU4U","additional_properties":{"_id":1740757689904},"content":"“Of course, stress and fatigue have been extremely high for a long time, but there is no other way – we have to stand strong, endure and keep going until we win. And then we will rest.”","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Daniel McLaughlin"}},"name":"Daniel McLaughlin"}]},"description":{"basic":"Eleven years of conflict have forced Ukrainians to master many daunting and dangerous tasks"},"display_date":"2025-03-01T09:54:00Z","headlines":{"basic":"‘We’ll rest when we win’: No let-up for Ukraine’s medics and rescue teams as war with Russia grinds on","native":""},"label":{"audio_project_id":{"text":"8948"}},"promo_items":{"basic":{"_id":"JXJFXQ7DFNHH7H27TAYKEK7PWM","auth":{"1":"bf6756e8f9eb008b3514320d68ce75677886898493824d57424a86cc711c9de2"},"focal_point":{"x":1099,"y":955},"type":"image","url":"https://cloudfront-eu-central-1.images.arcpublishing.com/irishtimes/JXJFXQ7DFNHH7H27TAYKEK7PWM.jpg"}},"subtype":"feature","taxonomy":{"sections":[{"name":"Europe"},{"name":"World"}]},"type":"story","website_url":"/world/europe/2025/03/01/well-rest-when-we-win-no-let-up-for-ukraines-medics-and-rescue-teams-as-war-with-russia-grinds-on/","websites":{"irishtimes":{"website_section":{"_id":"/world/europe","additional_properties":{"original":{}},"name":"Europe"}}}},{"_id":"QALAGY6XLRES7EGIIG4SWD57KA","additional_properties":{"audio_duration":1103,"audio_url":"https://beyondwords-cdn-b7fyckdeejejb6dj.a03.azurefd.net/audio/projects/8948/podcasts/23bf94e7-73f5-4246-9a2e-96cad5871350/versions/1740575240/media/6f805a0e04453a979f066db3af8f1e2c_compiled.mp3"},"canonical_url":"/world/middle-east/2025/03/01/guantanamo-on-steroids-inside-a-prison-for-suspected-islamic-state-members-in-syria/","content_elements":[{"_id":"STD5LKGPM5ECFEBKXLPLZRDDOQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753339},"content":"","type":"text"},{"_id":"ROMVKBRECJCYVCGBLW2DEZYW3A","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753340},"content":"The guards line the corridor, numbers emblazoned in black lettering on each grey cell door behind them. They wear balaclavas and have thick batons hanging from their hips. Five, six, 14, 24: the cell numbers climb. A heavy metal gate is unbolted, then a hatch, revealing a pungent smell and an unexpected view. It is a rare glimpse at the environment that thousands of men accused of affiliation with the so-called <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/islamic-state/9/\" target=\"_self\">Islamic State</a>, or Daesh, have been disappeared into in northeast Syria.","type":"text"},{"_id":"D7SI36V3XRDZZADCVNSQUQUURI","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753341},"content":"Panorama prison in the northern <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/syria/\" target=\"_self\">Syrian</a> city of Hasaka is only one of many detention facilities across the region, where tens of thousands of people accused of affiliation with Islamic State, also known as Isis, have been held, following the collapse of their so-called caliphate. The sites include “closed” camps, mostly for women and children, and so-called rehabilitation centres for boys authorities say are at risk of becoming the “next generation” of Islamic State.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ANS6DIIKKZDKPDLD65Z7CZPJUY","additional_properties":{"_id":1740675193906},"type":"image"},{"_id":"YRS2NXZJKRER7L47I3XNHSOBAU","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753342},"content":"Panorama prison contains the “most dangerous” fighters, an administrator tells me – the people who stuck with the group until its last stand in Baghouz in 2019. To enter, we pass a military vehicle with an anti-aircraft gun on it; anti blast barricades; multiple gates; and barbed wire curled above barricades. Prison administrators, who asked not to be identified for their own safety, say there are 4,500 detainees in the prison at the moment, of 46 different nationalities. They have been mostly incommunicado for years, without charge or trial.","type":"text"},{"_id":"BZKXKDOK4RHIPNQNYDXVR22FEQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753343},"content":"“Northeast Syria is like <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/guantanamo-bay/\" target=\"_self\">Guantánamo</a> on steroids. It’s a place of absolute lawlessness because there’s no legal framework justifying [imprisoning] these men, whatever they are alleged to have done,” says Fionnuala Ní Aoláin, the former UN special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, when I speak to her later.","type":"text"},{"_id":"HLHHWNKII5DUNE7KOK6XXSMBBQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753344},"content":"Administrators claimed there were no minors in the prison, though a <a href=\"https://www.ohchr.org/sites/default/files/documents/issues/terrorism/sr/statements/EoM-Visit-to-Syria-20230721.pdf\">report</a> by Ní Aoláin found there were 500 being held there in October 2023. Someone else who worked there recently told me he interacted with underage boys being held there.","type":"text"},{"_id":"DMVT52KXC5AKTFJ6VACMWRDHII","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753345},"content":"I was not given a full tour of the prison complex, but I was told I could speak to two detainees through a hatch in their cell door. There was a list of preconditions, including that I was forbidden to ask how they were being treated or who else was in the cell with them.","type":"text"},{"_id":"63SMSDXYCRGMDHJ4EG2O2BBILE","additional_properties":{"_id":1740675193911},"content":"Looking through the first hatch, I make out about 14 people. The men are barefoot, dressed in short-sleeve brown T-shirts and matching trousers that expose their ankles. There appears to be one thin mattress per person, with one open toilet and shower at the back. Their hair is newly shorn. Plastic cups dot the ground, and there is what looks like a big bowl to hold food. One man is hunched over, eating from a tupperware container.","type":"text"},{"_id":"H2KFEUPETVFR7K6Q72BNU3PENU","additional_properties":{"_id":1740675193912},"subtype":"pullquote","type":"quote"},{"_id":"SAFHXLMCY5CWDNN7JJSKGX3PTM","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753346},"content":"Someone steps forward to speak to me, his face half hidden, his British accent a shock. He introduces himself as Ibrahim, a 30-year-old from Leicester, and I later determine this to be Ibrahim Ageed. News reports said the medical student was 20 or 21 when he travelled to Syria in June 2015, with his brother, Mohamed. They made the trip a fortnight <a href=\"https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3145577/Two-British-brothers-Leicester-identified-second-medical-student-group-believed-joined-ISIS.html\">after</a> Islamic State released a propaganda video showing a British doctor urging Muslims with medical skills to join them.","type":"text"},{"_id":"2SGNY6AELFEHJH4IGEK3UBE2AQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753347},"content":"As many as 22 British medics from Ageed’s university in Khartoum travelled to Syria, the Times of London <a href=\"https://www.thetimes.com/article/british-medics-studying-in-sudan-flock-to-join-isis-80vcjvkcj\">reported</a>, with the BBC <a href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-33502534\">calling</a> them the “single largest UK group known to have joined IS”. It was a time when the Islamic State’s atrocities were already widely known, such as the beheading of journalist James Foley and other Western hostages the previous year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"52BKEIFARBDCPJFTNGEKF6X3QM","additional_properties":{"_id":1740675193915},"content":"Eight years after James Foley’s murder by Isis, his mother sat down with his captor. Why?","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"GG325GCPCBHOBCOUZPVAIXGSEY","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753348},"content":"Ageed says he wanted “to provide aid for the injured”. There was a “strong media campaign” at the time that “had an affect on me”. He believed “people were suffering”, they “need help”, they were “dying”. When he got there, he says he worked in a hospital, overwhelmed by injuries from bombings and war. He says most prisoners realise “what they did” is “not the way they should have acted”, but he would not take responsibility for everything Islamic State did. “Isis had their reasons to do what they did. I’m responsible for my own actions only.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"OSZM6M6JRFG7VKGPL47BAZH5X4","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753349},"content":"As Islamic State fell, he was arrested in 2019, attempting to escape to Turkey. Since then, he tells me, he has had no access to a lawyer, no contact with his relatives, and no communication with his embassy. Prison guards, administrators and his fellow prisoners looked on as we spoke.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZELSIE5KUFDIFB56C5CQW7JG5M","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753350},"content":"Ageed’s <a href=\"https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/syria-tens-thousands-marooned-detention-camps-and-facilities-where-death-torture-and\">government</a> may not have communicated with him, but it is playing a role in his detention. <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/amnesty-international/\" target=\"_self\">Amnesty International</a> said that the UK government provided more than £15 million (€18.09 million) in funding to expand Panorama prison, which was built in a project managed by the US-led international coalition. The Irish Times sent a detailed list of questions to the UK Foreign Office and received this statement in response: “Ensuring the safety of the UK is our top priority. All requests for UK consular assistance from Syria are considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account all relevant circumstances, including, but not limited to, national security.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"4HUE32BRPZCNZE3WQOW7PTFA2Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1740675193919},"type":"image"},{"_id":"3XNWT4WRTFAMTNMOGE7HU4BL4A","additional_properties":{"_id":1740675193920},"content":"The outside world","type":"header"},{"_id":"KUWBWNGAOZHLZPYIB4YINP52GU","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753352},"content":"Another condition of the interviews was that I could not tell detainees details about the outside world. This included the news that Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham, which evolved from Islamic State’s Islamist rival Jabhat al-Nusra, had led a rebel coalition forcing the fall of the Assad regime. Panorama prison administrators believed learning this fact would give detainees morale, prompting them to riot. It also meant that other details, such as the destruction of <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/gaza-strip/\" target=\"_self\">Gaza</a> over the past 17 months, were deemed unmentionable.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ZG6XJ5T5FBBZJAKN7MQZI4EEKU","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753353},"content":"This is uncomfortable while talking to Zakaria Mohammed Ismail, a thin, grey-haired man in his late-50s from Gaza, who says he once ran a restaurant in northern Germany. He says he was on a trip between Turkey and Gaza when he met a Syrian who described “problems” and asked for assistance. “I went in and then didn’t leave. I didn’t join [Islamic State] officially, I was just helping,” he says. Ismail says his family had followed him there: his son was later killed in a bombing and he says he has no contact with the rest now. He calls himself a prisoner of war. “I’ve spent enough time in prison and that has to be my punishment.” He is not willing to say whether he regretted it.","type":"text"},{"_id":"AZJEDA4HAVFZVIUAVG2JM3KB2I","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753354},"content":"He says he would like to go back to Germany, or Gaza, or “any safe place”. To stay sane “I think about my family and children, going home, having a normal life.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"36VZXFI2DZDGNPCQT4X3QAKEEQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1740675193924},"content":"A European problem","type":"header"},{"_id":"Q7LXVU2PJNFPNIYEWHHLVF4LGI","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753356},"content":"In Iraq and Syria, Islamic State was largely defeated by a US-led coalition, though the group – and its ideology – continues to have a global presence, <a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2025/02/09/somalia-islamic-state-puntland-terrorism/\">particularly</a> in parts of Africa. While there have been various attacks across Europe in the past year, with similarities to the horrific ones that occurred when Islamic State was at its height, most have not been found to have direct links to the group and its offshoots. Islamic State did claim responsibility for an attack in Solingen, Germany last August, during which three people were <a href=\"https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crlr2z23ykno\">stabbed</a> to death and eight injured. It also claimed responsibility for attacks elsewhere, including in <a href=\"https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/22/europe/crocus-moscow-shooting/index.html\">Russia</a>, <a href=\"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/7/16/four-shot-dead-near-mosque-in-oman#:~:text=ISIL%20claimed%20responsibility%20for%20the,attack%20on%20its%20Telegram%20site.\">Oman</a> and <a href=\"https://www.dw.com/en/islamic-state-claims-responsibility-for-bombings-in-iran/a-67741932\">Iran</a>, while an Islamic State flag was <a href=\"https://news.sky.com/story/new-orleans-attack-is-flag-linked-to-deadly-attack-is-stark-reminder-dangerous-extremist-islamist-ideology-has-never-gone-away-13282768\">found</a> in the vehicle used to ram into partygoers in New Orleans on New Year’s Day this year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"VXFQXVYQJFDYFIH66NYDKRLPG4","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753357},"content":"In Syria, the group could be again gaining ground. One respected analyst <a href=\"https://www.syriaweekly.com/p/nov-2024-isis-attacks-rise-30-in\">calculated</a> that Islamic State carried out almost 700 attacks there last year.","type":"text"},{"_id":"MDIA64JQFJFVTA2IRHPCR2HMZE","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753358},"content":"Yet Islamic State is still very much a European problem. As it expanded its territory amid the chaos of Syria’s war, foreign fighters – including those home-grown in Western countries – flooded in, calling the journey making “hijrah”, meaning pilgrimage. About <a href=\"https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/european-political-science-review/article/incentives-and-constraints-a-configurational-account-of-european-involvement-in-the-antidaesh-coalition/8FEB909EA744514EC01E88649A4E0A87\">30,000</a> foreign fighters were estimated to be in Syria by September 2015, coming from more than 100 countries, including about 5,000 from the EU.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SCQPEOWIX5AW3M3A2BI7ZOH3LQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1740675193928},"type":"image"},{"_id":"OAXEWDNSPRFYPIFNY7TDFKGA44","additional_properties":{"_id":1740675193929},"content":"Now, many of those states are accused of not repatriating their citizens, keen to avoid the risk of further attacks or a domestic political backlash, instead leaving Syrians – who mostly did not choose for them to come in the first place – grappling with what to do next. Some, like the UK and Australia, have even stripped detainees of citizenship.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IOZFDTPWDRFOFLE6PIKB6EUFUM","additional_properties":{"_id":1740675193930},"content":"I’m Not a Monster: The knotty story of Shamima Begum, a London teen turned exiled terrorist","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"YKCBWCNU3FGOBAOYQNXJ7N2QOQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753360},"content":"Critics accuse northeast Syria’s Kurdish-led de facto autonomous administration of using these detainees as an “insurance policy” to ensure international support while fending off opponents, particularly Turkey. That includes US troops stationed in Syria’s northeast, though new president Donald Trump is threatening to <a href=\"https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/2/5/sdf-says-it-has-not-been-notified-of-reported-us-plan-for-syria-withdrawal\">withdraw</a> them. But all officials to whom I spoke said they were adamant they would like to have these people off their hands. Without repatriation, they see the only option as being the establishment of an international court where detainees could be put to trial, invoking images of Nuremberg, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda or the Special Court for Sierra Leone. This would be good for victims and most notably end what has become a legal black hole, they say.","type":"text"},{"_id":"64AFXCQKCFF65A4BEYSZGF23K4","additional_properties":{"_id":1740675193932},"content":"Deaths at an alarming rate","type":"header"},{"_id":"IPYGU3EXD5DNTHBP3F7K6HXFEA","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753362},"content":"In the meantime, authorities here in Syria say prisons are key to whether Islamic State resurges. Prisons have also been a focus of Islamic State’s own propaganda, with assassinated leader Abu Bakr al-<a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/inside-syrias-teeming-isis-prisons-broken-men-child-inmates-and-orders-to-break-free/2019/11/01/25219bda-fb39-11e9-9e02-1d45cb3dfa8f_story.html\">Baghdadi</a> emphasising the need to “tear down the walls” in his final recording back in 2019. The prison complex I visited was attacked in <a href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/live/2022/01/25/world/syria-news-isis-us\">January</a> 2022, with Islamic State fighters using a truck bombing to blast a hole in an outer wall, beginning a <a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/03/syria-hasakah-isis-prison-attack/\">10-day battle</a> in which they managed to take control of sections for days. Hundreds of people were killed and an unknown number <a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2022/02/03/syria-hasakah-isis-prison-attack/\">escaped</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"ND4VBXZ4PZDHVCASH7XKKTJLUQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753363},"content":"During a late-night meeting at a military base in the city of Raqqa, a city once the capital of Islamic State’s caliphate, Farhad Shami, the head of media for the Kurdish-led, US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), says Islamic State still has “very smart people” who are “trying to take advantage of what’s happening” in the northeast, where the SDF is fighting Turkish-backed forces, and in Damascus, with the fall of the regime. He says the SDF continues to act against Islamic State. “Yesterday, the SDF dismantled a cell with seven members. Two blew themselves up. They were planning an attack on the prison,” he says. In the days after my visit, an SDF official says another attempt was foiled.","type":"text"},{"_id":"X4AL3HX42JBOHGYZAFUOUDVO6I","additional_properties":{"_id":1740675193935},"content":"Searching for Syria’s disappeared: ‘We can’t always give answers, but we can give part of the story'","type":"interstitial_link"},{"_id":"O7WRYB4GPZDG5IR62SVKQILM7I","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753364},"content":"Without any legal process, it is difficult to say what is supposed to happen to the detainees, other than waiting for them to die. And, despite the eldest being in his 50s, according to administrators, death seems to be occurring at an alarming rate.","type":"text"},{"_id":"B3W2BW4WUBDSDPNTDQNMRNPYO4","additional_properties":{"_id":1740675193937},"type":"image"},{"_id":"3VJMXO6HVRDMNKUDUXX7D3G5PA","additional_properties":{"_id":1740675193938},"content":"A tuberculosis outbreak has been ongoing in Panorama prison for years. Amnesty International said it was causing on average the deaths of one or two detainees every week there in 2023. The human rights organisation said authorities told its staff, in March 2024, that “nearly 600 male detainees” had died as a result of tuberculosis and other diseases since the facility was established. When Ní Aoláin visited in 2023, “starvation was rife”, she observes, “and starvation, combined with TB, is a death sentence in a place where nobody has any legal process”.","type":"text"},{"_id":"QS6PL2ETFBENXCLBP6KMN6GBXM","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753366},"content":"During my visit, an administrator says “that’s correct” when I asked if many detainees had died from tuberculosis, and “no answer” when I requested the exact figure. The cells I saw appeared far less crowded than <a href=\"https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/middle_east/inside-syrias-teeming-isis-prisons-broken-men-child-inmates-and-orders-to-break-free/2019/11/01/25219bda-fb39-11e9-9e02-1d45cb3dfa8f_story.html\">photos</a> documenting prison cells five years ago, though that could be for a number of reasons. The men did appear to be better fed. I received no official comment on where the dead were buried.","type":"text"},{"_id":"N76ZKZVHPBCZBCHXLQLIB7UHBU","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753367},"content":"While administrators told me that when a foreigner dies they inform the US-led coalition, which should pass that information on to their country, Ní Aoláin suggests that “these men, they’re effectively disappeared. [Many of their families] have had no confirmation if their family member is alive or dead: that, under international law, is an enforced disappearance.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"FYBZCR2B4RGNZMWFDUM5L7VILQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753368},"content":"In Raqqa, I met a 40-year-old Syrian woman who suspects her husband has been dead since 2022. He was a detained Islamic State member from Saudi Arabia whom she married 11 years ago. In his absence, she supports both their children alone through a dessert-making business.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PQ3KNH3LW5B73NSKLVT3JB6BCM","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753369},"content":"An international court “has to be here because we have the victims, the documents, and also we have the criminals”, says Shami.","type":"text"},{"_id":"U3NC2ZIEZRA2VGGCE637ZIFBNU","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753370},"content":"“Of course we support this idea because there are many foreigners here in the prison, there is no solution for them,” agrees a prison administrator, who says they have gathered all the evidence needed to ensure convictions.","type":"text"},{"_id":"SAO3GSMR55ERRPRXHCQUYB63LM","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753371},"content":"But Ní Aoláin says she doubts that for various reasons, calling the idea of an international court a “pink elephant” or “like the emperor’s new clothes.","type":"text"},{"_id":"GUEHCQFRYRDDRL7Q25MEXWV7XM","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753372},"content":"“Everybody knows there’s not going to be any trials. It’s a way to sort of implicitly justify detention, holding out something that is so unrealistic and unlikely politically, to make it look like there’s a rationale for justifying detention, when, in fact, as a legal matter, there’s no rationale ... because they haven’t had any process.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"4LRC54YVDBB7JAAFKBDGGAPLXY","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753373},"content":"She says at a <a href=\"https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/02/imposing-sanctions-on-the-international-criminal-court/\">time</a> when the US president, for example, is imposing sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC), appetite for more international courts is effectively non-existent. The ICC itself has <a href=\"https://www.culawreview.org/current-events-2/international-criminal-court-jurisdiction-over-isis-leaders\">said</a> it does not have jurisdiction over many Islamic State leaders, with Ní Aoláin noting that Syria is not a party to the ICC so its involvement would require a UN Security Council resolution or referral. Alongside that, “one of the problems for the international community is you cannot run international crimes against people who’ve been tortured”, Ní Aoláin says, “the definition of which includes systematic starvation and untreated exposure to TB”. This means a “Catch 22″ has been created, she says. “If you’ve held thousands of men [experiencing] torture, cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment under international law, you may be stopped from trial.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"MZHWSEZISZEHRLRSSKOQZCBMDE","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753374},"content":"She accuses the international community of “playing a role in this by failing to address the totality of the detention situation properly”, including by declining to take back their own nationals. This is “particularly egregious when you have a coalition which includes many democratic states who are enabling the non-lawful confinement of people”, she says.","type":"text"},{"_id":"FP7NX5G35VENFPQVYGEVEYIWGA","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753375},"content":"Ní Aoláin was referring to the Global Coalition against Daesh, which SDF officials repeatedly say they work in tandem with. It lists 87 members on its website, <a href=\"https://theglobalcoalition.org/en/mission/\">including</a> Ireland. The coalition did not respond to a list of questions by the publication deadline. Neither did the Irish <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/tags/department-of-foreign-affairs/\" target=\"_self\">Department of Foreign Affairs</a>, including one asking what exactly Ireland’s “partnership” with the coalition entails.","type":"text"},{"_id":"IHSLNNCZONF6BBX5GBI27LVEG4","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753376},"content":"Yet Ní Aoláin says Ireland led by example by bringing back Lisa Smith early on. Former Irish soldier Smith and her young child were repatriated in late 2019, after reportedly coming into the custody of a Turkish-backed militia. Smith was put on trial in the Special Criminal Court in Dublin in 2022, found guilty of Islamic State membership, and <a href=\"https://www.irishtimes.com/crime-law/courts/2022/07/22/lisa-smith-sentenced-to-15-months-for-membership-of-the-islamic-state/\" target=\"_self\">given a 15-month prison sentence</a>.","type":"text"},{"_id":"6NRBIOC5NRD27F2OWLYJOJWDEU","additional_properties":{"_id":1740675193950},"type":"image"},{"_id":"OLUYTDHY4FHXPDO2HZODEUSJ4Y","additional_properties":{"_id":1740675193952},"content":"‘A never-ending tunnel’","type":"header"},{"_id":"RFVNNKQLD5CGBC7VNC5YSY2QJY","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753378},"content":"In a broader sense, Islamic State may have shocked and mobilised the West through its actions, but one of its legacies may be the legal black hole that critics say could fuel recruitment as well as putting the West – and its stated values – to shame.","type":"text"},{"_id":"LCCDNPWWFVASTNXKF7YHZBZMQ4","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753379},"content":"“There was a global mobilisation about the harm and the threat of [Islamic State],” notes Ní Aoláin. “So states are quite willing to use kinetic force ... but actually they’re not prepared to address either the conditions on the ground that produce the violence ... nor is there a willingness to address the rights of victims.” She says this “short-term thinking” is “a pretty predictable pattern in the way states have addressed the challenge of terrorism ... And there’s nothing new in that. It’s just that it’s really repeated on a grand scale in northeast Syria.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"VXS34LNVPJHITHCADL5FLVNLLI","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753380},"content":"When I ask Ageed why he is speaking to me, he says he wanted to send a “live signal” to his family. He has two daughters and a wife now in Germany, and his parents, brother and sisters are in the UK, he says, “I’ve had no news for six years,” he adds.","type":"text"},{"_id":"B4I5P7COABD57AFNOFW7XTD6SI","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753381},"content":"He, too, wants to be part of a judicial process. “I don’t think it’s appropriate” for there to be none, he says. “It’s a never-ending tunnel.”","type":"text"},{"_id":"5CP537O7JZB3BDKCX3CZLYV4YQ","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753382},"content":"Though I had more questions, the conversation ended abruptly with a guard slamming the hatch shut again.","type":"text"},{"_id":"PYYNVFCMJJCEHJBQXC27WII2H4","additional_properties":{"_id":1740564753383},"content":"<i>– Jiwan Mirzo contributed to this report</i>","type":"text"}],"content_restrictions":{"content_code":"metered"},"credits":{"by":[{"additional_properties":{"original":{"byline":"Sally Hayden"}},"name":"Sally Hayden"}]},"description":{"basic":"During my visit, an 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