Spain’s northeastern Catalonia region has declared a drought emergency for Barcelona and the surrounding area, which will now face tighter water restrictions following three years without significant rain. The step was announced after reservoirs in the Mediterranean region saw their water levels falling to below 16 percent of full capacity. …

Hamas is unlikely to reject a Gaza ceasefire proposal it received from mediators this week, but will not sign it without assurances that Israel has committed to ending the war, a Palestinian official close to the talks said. Qatari and Egyptian mediators presented Hamas this week with the first concrete …

A 34-year-old man has been found guilty of the murder of his 78-year-old uncle in what was described in court as a vicious and calculated assault. Thomas Lorigan of no fixed abode had denied murdering John O’Neill at St Brendan’s Road in Lisdoonvarna Co Clare in January 2022. A jury …

Donald Trump’s election A-team includes; A veteran tactician who worked on Ronald Reagan’s campaign, an ex-marine wounded in the Middle East, the former voice of UFC cage-fighting, and a golf caddie turned social media maestro. They are among a handful of distinctive figures who form a tight, disciplined inner circle …

A senior Irish-based employee of social media platform X, who allegedly liked tweets critical of the company and its owner Elon Musk, has settled the High Court he brought against his employer after a disciplinary process was brought against him. The High Court was told that the entire action brought …

The State’s new auto-enrolment pension scheme will be delivered in 2024 with the first enrolments expected by the end of this year, the Minister for Social Protection has pledged. Heather Humphreys said she knows some employers are concerned about the cost of its introduction, but putting it off for another …

The Government will today launch a pilot programme of new connected vehicle technology designed to increase road safety. ‘Cooperative Intelligent Transport Systems’ enable vehicles to ‘talk’ to other connected vehicles, roadside infrastructure, and traffic management control centres to share relevant safety-related alerts and advisory messages with drivers. The technology will …

Donald Trump’s data protection case against a British private investigations firm over a dossier which alleged ties between Mr Trump’s campaign and Russia has been thrown out by London’s High Court. Mr Trump, the frontrunner for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, had sued Orbis Business Intelligence about claims in a …

Farmers threw eggs and stones at the European Parliament, starting fires near the building and setting off fireworks amid protests to press a summit of European Union leaders to do more to help them with taxes and rising costs. Protesters tried to tear down the barriers erected in front of …

A new report on the insurance sector has revealed diversity gaps at management levels. The report from inclusio shows that while women represent 54.1% of the sector, their representation drops significantly at senior leadership levels, accounting for only 36% compared to 64% for men in those positions. The study is …