Health visitors will begin offering childhood vaccinations during home visits under a £2 million NHS pilot designed to improve uptake among families who fail to attend GP appointments. Under the scheme, health visiting teams will be able to vaccinate children as part of routine visits, rather than requiring families to attend GP surgeries. He added that health visitors are 'trusted faces' in communities and well placed to reach families most in need of support. Health visitors taking part in the pilot will receive additional training, including how to administer vaccines safely and how to handle difficult conversations with parents who have concerns or doubts about vaccination. Families eligible for the scheme will be identified by the NHS using GP records, health visitor notes and local data.

Ben FisherBournemouthThere is an acceptance that an elite Premier League club – Manchester City are at the front of the queue – will trigger the £65m release clause inserted into the contract extension Antoine Semenyo signed last summer. BFBrentfordAfter banking £50m of summer transfer profit, Brentford have spending power to match their European ambitions. Instead, Tottenham’s Brennan Johnson is a possibility to join Keith Andrews’ forward line, though Crystal Palace are the likelier destination. Midfielder Vitaly Janelt can sign a pre-contract with another club on 1 January and Eintracht Frankfurt lead the queue for his signature. LTNottingham ForestSean Dyche has already suggested it is “unlikely” to be a busy window but Forest usually produce a surprise.

The Morgan Stanley report underlines the challenge to the financial services industry from AI. Photograph: Gabby Jones/BloombergMore than 200,000 European banking jobs are under threat over the next five years as lenders increasingly embrace artificial intelligence (AI) and close branches, analysts have estimated. The forecast from Morgan Stanley that the industry could cut one in 10 jobs by 2030 comes as banks are rushing to secure the savings promised by AI while also moving more operations online. “Many banks have quoted efficiency gains coming from AI and further digitalisation to the tune of 30 per cent,” Morgan Stanley said. The potential for AI to reshape Europe’s banking industry was echoed by analysts at UBS, which has started using the technology to turn its analysts into avatars, sending videos of the simulated bankers to clients.

Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers and then minister for finance Paschal Donohoe in advance of the Budget 2026 presentation. Photograph: Nick BradshawA series of measures including an increase to the minimum wage agreed as part of last October’s budget will take effect from Thursday. Listen | 44:48As of Thursday, the national minimum wage increased by 65 cent to €14.15 per hour. The extension of the Rent Tax Credit to the tax years 2026, 2027 and 2028 is effective from Thursday. Budget 2026 extended the Mortgage Interest Tax Relief, on a tapered basis, for two further years to December 31st, 2026.

For thousands of young Irish people, going to Australia on a working holiday visa has become a well-trodden path. Data shows the number of young Australians coming to live in the State is a tiny fraction (3 per cent) of their Irish counterparts. This does not include young Australians who have come through dual citizenship - having EU-born parents or grandparents. But the total numbers of Australians aged 18-35 in Ireland is still low, just 700 according to the 2022 census. So the idea of me, a born and bred Aussie voluntarily moving to Ireland, seemed ludicrous and to many, exotic.

Enzo Maresca wanted to QUIT Chelsea before exit and spoke to two rival clubsChelsea announced Enzo Maresca's departure after a tumultuous few days at Stamford Bridge, but Mirror Football understands the manager also made it clear he wanted to leaveView 2 Images Enzo Maresca has left Chelsea (Image: Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)Enzo Maresca felt he was not able to do the Chelsea job in the way he wanted. ‌Chelsea feared that Maresca ignored medical advice on players which was leaving them vulnerable to injury. But Maresca felt he was being encouraged to make changes to give young players a chance, especially in Europe and the domestic cups. Maresca also informed the club about interest from Juventus and Manchester City but insisted he was fully committed to Chelsea. ‌The 41-year-old, has big admirers within the Chelsea hierarchy for his style of football, personality and man-management style.

A late brace from Republic of Ireland international Sinclair Armstrong helped Bristol City record a thumping 5-0 New Year's Day victory over Portsmouth at Ashton Gate. It was 3-0 five minutes after the break thanks to Scott Twine's first-time, left-footed shot from 10 yards from a Neto Borges cross. They saw their old club dominate the first half, allowing Portsmouth just one clear sight of goal. That came after 19 minutes when Ibane Bowat headed just over from a John Swift free-kick on the left. After Twine's goal, City head coach Gerhard Struber sent on Yu Hirakawa, Armstrong and Bell, returning after a lengthy injury absence to claim an assist for the fourth.

A record number of racegoers descended on Cheltenham as their New Year's Day fixture sold out for the first time. There were 44,151 in attendance for the track's seven-race card, which was headlined by the Grade Two Dornan Engineering Relkeel Hurdle. Cheltenham's chief executive Guy Lavender said: "We're delighted to have welcomed a record crowd of 44,151 for racing today, meaning the fixture has sold out for the first time. This is a truly special day, with a brilliant atmosphere that embodies everything that is great about jump racing. "This meeting caps off a brilliant Christmas period for racing and we hope sets the tone for a positive 2026."

Handout image of Senan Morris of Atlantic Technological University at a water pump in UgandaSennan Morris helped develop the pump with the Atlantic Technological University in Letterkenny (Handout/PA)Technology developed in Donegal is helping to provide clean drinking water in Uganda and could be rolled out to other countries next year. Since 2019, researchers at the Atlantic Technological University (ATU) in Letterkenny have been working on a smart sensor to detect faults in the handpumps being used in boreholes in rural Uganda. Handout image of Senan Morris of Atlantic Technological University at a water pump in UgandaIf these pumps fail, they have to resort to drinking water from surface wells that can be contaminated with high levels of E coli. In September, research engineer Senan Morris travelled out to Kumi region in the east of Uganda to install the latest prototype of the technology in 10 boreholes. The project made him “very proud to see something developed in humble Letterkenny having a lasting impact for the good people of Uganda”.

Demand from the AI sector is expected to push up the price of computer chips for consumer goods this year. Photograph: iStockPrices of smartphones, computers and home appliances could jump by 20 per cent this year, consumers have been warned, as artificial intelligence demand drives up the cost of memory chips used in electronics. The global buildout of data centres to power AI models has spurred demand for cutting-edge high-bandwidth memory chips, leading chipmakers to deprioritise the lower-end semiconductors used in consumer electronics, said analysts. This has created shortages of dynamic random-access memory (Dram) chips, which are used in everything from cars to computers for temporary data storage. Samsung last month raised the price of some memory chips by as much as 60 per cent.

A deconsecrated Amsterdam church built about 150 years ago was engulfed in flames in the early hours of New Year’s Day, prompting widespread evacuations and causing extensive damage to the cultural monument. The Vondelkerk church on fire early on New Year's Day. Damage to the tower of the Vondelkerk church in Amsterdam following the fire. This is not the first fire to hit the church: The original spire was lost in a 1904 blaze, according to Stadsherstel. – The New York Times and agencies2026 The New York Times Company

Pep Guardiola makes surprising Man City trophy claim after Rodri returns from injuryPep Guardiola had to endure a rare season without a trophy at Manchester City, but the Catalan claims it was one of his best efforts, especially given they were without Rodri for most of the timeView 2 Images Pep Guardiola believes Man City performed impressively despite going trophyless last year (Image: PA)Pep Guardiola believes that last season, which saw Manchester City finish without a trophy, was one of his best given how they copped without their talisman Rodri, who was sidelined with injury. Ultimately a mid-season slump, which saw them win once in nine games, cost them any hope of the title. ‌They also missed out in numerous other competitions, losing the FA Cup final to Crystal Palace at Wembley. It meant that 2025 marked only the second time in Guardiola’s career that he completed a calendar year without silverware. The guys who were there, the staff and background staff last season was arguably one of the best that we had.

Ellen DeGeneres sparked concern on Tuesday as she returned to the U.S., stepping out in Montecito with wife Portia de Rossi. Ellen also debuted her signature blonde locks again, swapping the gray roots she had embraced over the past year. In 2015, DeGeneres assisted her only sibling, older brother Vance DeGeneres, 69, when he and his wife Joanna bought a three-bedroom, four-bathroom home in Sherman Oaks for $1,439,000. Records show the couple took out a loan for the full amount from Ellen and Portia, agreeing to repay the mortgage with interest. Documents show Ellen and Portia loaned them $4,905,420.75 — nearly the full purchase price — under similar terms, with the interest rate and loan length undisclosed.

A police officer who lost his wife and two children in a house fire on Boxing Day has paid tribute to his family as 'three of the greatest humans to ever grace our presence'. 'My life, the lives of my loved ones, my friends and the whole community changed on Boxing Day. Gloucestershire Constabulary said Mr Shearman attempted to rescue his wife and two children but was beaten back by the severity of the flames. Mr Shearman's tribute continued: 'I cannot begin to describe the anguish and trauma of the events of Boxing Day 2025. In the week since the tragic fire, more than 16,000 people donated over £340,000 to help Mr Shearman get back on his feet after losing everything that day.

These small producers – who make up about 500 of the 125,000 farmers in Ireland – argue that there is a broken relationship between food producers and consumers. The buying power of supermarkets – and the criteria they use in choosing fresh local produce – sometimes makes it impossible for small producers to make enough money to survive. The backdrop to this movement of local food producers is increasing evidence that chronic health conditions such as diabetes, heart disease and some cancers are impacted by nutrient-poor diets. “We brought together direct organic producers of meat and dairy in the Urban Co-op in Limerick. “It’s about rebuilding relationships and reconnecting land, food and people,” says Thomas O’Connor, from Manna Organic Farm in Co Kerry.