Protesters in a small town in Russia’s central Bashkortostan region clashed with riot police after a court sentenced an activist to four years in prison. Street protests are a rarity in Russia, which has clamped down on dissent since launching its military offensive in Ukraine and has strict anti-demonstration laws. …

The HSE and a GP have apologised to the mother of a boy over injuries he suffered after a battery was stuck in his throat for nine days before an X-ray was carried out. Aaron Sikorski from Tuam in Co Galway was 14 months old when his mother sought medical …

The number of new electric vehicles sold in Ireland jumped 45% in 2023 when compared to the previous year, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show. A total of 22,493 new EVs were licensed last year, up from 15,462 in 2022. Meanwhile, the number of new diesel cars sold …

A record number of people used public transport last year. New figures from the National Transport Authority show public transport use rose by almost a quarter in a year. Some 308 million passengers journeys were made last year, which is higher than pre-Covid levels. Dublin Bus and Irish Rail say …

Pakistan has said that Iran launched an airstrike on its territory that killed two children, after Tehran launched attacks in Iraq and Syria against what it called “anti-Iranian terrorist groups”. Pakistan denounced the strike, near the nations’ shared border late yesterday, as “completely unacceptable”, saying it was unprovoked. Iran offered …

A Kenyan court gave prosecutors two weeks to conduct mental health assessments of a cult leader and suspected accomplices before charging them with murder over the deaths of more than 400 followers. Self-proclaimed pastor Paul Nthenge Mackenzie is alleged to have incited his acolytes to starve to death in order …

Families seeking reform of the Child and Adolescent Mental Health services (CAMHS) say it was not until they went looking for help, that they realised that mental health supports and a functioning service were largely non-existent. Families for Reform of CAMHS told the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health that children …

Minister for Finance Michael McGrath has said the Government will introduce flexibilities to the Tax Debt Warehousing Scheme. Speaking to RTÉ News in Davos, Mr McGrath said: “We are going to make some changes to the tax warehousing regime with a view to being as flexible as we possibly can. …

Disruptions to shipping traffic through the Red Sea caused by attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels could impact prices in Europe in the coming weeks, according to analysts who have spoken to Prime Time. “Everything we’ve got here from our mobile phone to this bottle of water I’ve got in front …

Six countries from the Western Balkans have applied to join the EU during the past two decades. They include Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Serbia. Montenegro’s application is the most advanced and, in March 2020, the EU agreed to start formal talks with Albania and North …