An Iranian flag is planted in the rubble of a police station that was damaged in airstrikes in Tehran, Iran. Given what is happening in the Middle East, the exchanges in the Dáil, and the predictable criticism levelled at the Coalition for being “a do-nothing government” might seem anodyne. However, once a war starts, “people are unaware as to what the consequences of the war will be”, Mr O’Callaghan replied. The truth is, so long as Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz, there will be pressure on oil prices. The only certainty about this war is that further instability and volatility will follow.

Over half of parents have said that they plan to drop out of the hot school meals scheme, as a damning new survey reveals deep dissatisfaction with the programme. The survey found that just 43% of parents who took part planned to continue to avail of the hot school meal scheme in its current format, with 57% of parents saying they would not. It found that 80% of parents said their children would be more likely to eat a fresh lunch rather than a hot school meal. Suppliers also responded to the survey and warned that “offering both hot and cold options is not economically viable”. All primary schools can now avail of the hot school meals programme, which originally started as a pilot in 2019.

No, the purpose of the chat is to destigmatise and demystify the health issues encountered and privately endured by so many female players. The conversation was started by the recently published survey results on the health experiences of female inter-county players. “That can cause a non-relaxing pelvic floor, and it gets tighter and tighter then when you add the impact of exercise on top of it. Only 32% were actually aware of pelvic floor dysfunction as a clinical concept. “I see first-hand how any sort of pelvic floor dysfunction can influence performance.

Met Éireann has forecast a dry and sunny day, with temperatures climbing as high as 18 degrees in some inland areas. Elsewhere, it will remain largely clear and dry throughout the day with plenty of sunshine. Highest temperatures will range from 13 to 17 degrees, possibly reaching 18 degrees locally, in mostly light easterly breezes, which may become moderate at times near southern coasts. Tonight will be dry and clear, with areas of mist and fog developing again as winds remain light and variable. Friday will follow a similar pattern, with morning mist and fog clearing to leave another dry day with good spells of sunshine.

The retailer is to stop sourcing fresh, chilled and frozen mackerel by April 29, as well as tinned mackerel once its current stocks have been sold. With the most recent, highly restrictive fishing quota announcements for Ireland, will it be long before we have reduced availability of once-common mackerel in our shops? As with many other species, mackerel around our coast are also diminishing because of overfishing. We’re facing a mackerel quota reduction of more 70% this year, following recommendations by the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) because stocks are now below safe biological limits. There’s a tradition of mackerel fishing in West Cork ports like Kinsale and Baltimore, as there is of casting lines from rocks around the coast.

“I would say Europe is a great place,” the Taoiseach opened, with Mr Trump saying he was “glad to hear it”, oddly enough. “We have to have robust and fair rules around migration,” Mr Martin said. He also over-egged the pudding by plámásing Mr Trump’s work in the Middle East, two issues for which he has taken criticism at home. However, it is a strategy which Mr Martin and his team seems to have identified as a potential winner. For now, Mr Martin will be pleased with his performance within the parameters he and the Irish diplomatic corps will have set.

Gerry Adams is defending the legal action against him at the Royal Courts of Justice in London (Ben Whitley/PA)Evidence proving Gerry Adams was behind three IRA bombings in England is “extremely limited” and “bordering on non-existent”, the High Court in London has been told. After Mr Adams finished giving evidence on Wednesday, Mr Craven said to the judge: “You have actually had very little evidence of how, why and by whom these bombings were authorised. Max Hill KC, for the three bombing victims, said while cross-examining Mr Adams on Wednesday that a former volunteer, who had at one point been friends with Mr Adams, understood Mr Adams to be a “major, major player in the war”. Ms Studd also told the court that Mr Adams had “a foot in each camp” of the military and political sides of the Irish Republican movement. The barrister continued that Mr Adams was “directly responsible for and complicit in those decisions made by that organisation to detonate bombs on the British mainland in 1973 and 1996”.

The only one that got away in that time was the World Cup final against hosts New Zealand in 2022. Ireland Women's Rugby Squad Announcement, Aon Ireland HQ. “What England have done for women's rugby is extraordinary,” said Flood. They've upped the level of women's rugby and how it's viewed. Also included are new captain Erin King and second row Dorothy Wall, two key players who sat out the World Cup with injury.

Since 1963, The Independent has helped create a great community! Since our founding in September of 1963, The Independent has been dedicated to giving Livermore, Pleasanton, Dublin, and Sunol readers the news they need to be in-the-know about what's going on in the Tri-Valley region.

Government finalising 'appropriate intervention' to rising fuel and energy prices - Harris"An appropriate intervention" by the Government in the face of increased energy prices arising from the war in Iran will be brought forward in the next week, Tánaiste Simon Harris has told the Dáil. "I want to confirm...that we are now finalising what we believe to be an appropriate intervention, for the areas in which is there is most acute pressure and challenge," Mr Harris said. Mr Harris, however, said that due to the "significant level of volatility" around the conflict "any intervention, should in the first instance, be for a short period of time". The Government has come under increasing pressure to take "immediate" action on rising prices, with opposition TDs earlier today telling them it's now "decision time" on cost-of-living and energy supports. Mr O'Callaghan said it is "insulting" to people struggling with rising prices for the Government to maintain that they are keeping everything under review when it comes to their response.

The condition forced him to cancel his tours, as his real estate team worked to sell the Long Island estate. Photograph: Eric Striffler/New York TimesBilly Joel’s mansion MiddleSea, on Centre Island in New York. Photograph: Eric Striffler/New York TimesThis area of the property sold by Billy Joel comes with a helipad. Photograph: Eric Striffler/New York TimesBilly Joel’s mansion MiddleSea, on Centre Island in New York. Photograph: Eric Striffler/New York Times

High winds that battered the Ohio Valley earlier this week led to some of the large panels on the front of the old Kaufman’s Building to fall away. On Wednesday, crews were pulling down the rest of the tiles and sign from the building on Wheeling’s Main Street. A staple of old downtown Wheeling commerce, that Kaufman’s site was open for 80 years before closing in 2010 and was known for its distinctive blue metal panels on the top of the facade and the blue tiles on the columns at the bottom of the facade. — Joselyn KingNEWSLETTER Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

STEUBENVILLE — Members of the Brooke-Hancock-Jefferson Metropolitan Planning Commission on Wednesday learned another potential site has been added to a study for a planned replacement of the Market Street Bridge and that public hearings for the project could begin as early as April. BHJ member Marvin Six of Hancock County noted a no-build scenario also is included, as required of such studies. He noted state officials have indicated they intend to use part of the state’s usual portion of federal transportation funds toward the new span. Built in 1905, the Market Street Bridge was closed on Dec. 23, 2023, by WVDOT officials who cited its poor condition, specifically deteriorating cables. State highway officials have announced the $8.3 million project will involve concrete replacement and guardrail upgrades along the span’s west- and eastbound right slow lanes and is expected to continue into early August.

At King’s Biryani House, the daal tadka (€13.99) arrives in a small metal karahi set over a live flame. King’s Biryani House is owned by chef Gul Azam and sits directly above C Aprile Takeaway, opposite Stillorgan Shopping Centre. King's chicken biryani with mint sauce at King's Biryani House in Stillorgan. Photograph: Nick BradshawChicken tandoori wings at King's Biryani House in Stillorgan. Executive chef and owner Gul Azam at King's Biryani House in Stillorgan.

Patrick Collison, chief executive and cofounder of Stripe with brother and cofounder John, president of Stripe. “Urgent” Government action is required to safeguard economic growth, the report said. However, this is largely driven by sectors of the Irish economy that are “dominated by foreign-owned multinational corporations”, Ahearne said. [ John Collison of Stripe: Ireland is going backwards. “Productivity growth is going to have to come from somewhere else, which calls for urgent action by Irish policymakers to boost Ireland’s start-up and scale-up landscape,” the economist said.