US ambassador Warren Stephens said the pact struck between the UK and European nations “will not resolve the UK’s energy needs”, urging Sir Keir Starmer’s Government to exploit North Sea oil and gas. The Hamburg Declaration that was signed yesterday will not resolve the UK’s energy needs. The agreement means North Sea nations will deliver 100 gigawatts of joint offshore wind projects, including schemes connected to more than one country. But on Tuesday, Mr Stephens said: “The Hamburg Declaration that was signed yesterday will not resolve the UK’s energy needs. Mr Trump used his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos earlier this month to criticise the UK’s North Sea policy.

Appeal against hospice project formally withdrawnThe planning appeals board, An Coimisiún Pleanála, has confirmed the withdrawal of a third-party appeal against the decision of Offaly County Council to grant planning permission for the construction of a Midlands Specialist Palliative Care Unit (Hospice) on a greenfield site at Arden Lane in Tullamore. The appeal was lodged with An Coimisiún Pleanála by the appellant, Tom Martin, with an address at 105. The grounds of his appeal included prematurity, procedural defect, fragmentation of development, inadequate infrastructure, invalid public notice and failure of proper planning and sustainable development. The third-party appeal was withdrawn on January 23. All 19 elected members of Offaly County Council voted at their meeting on December 15 last in favour of a proposal to materially contravene the Offaly County Development Plan to facilitate the development of a Midlands Regional Hospice at Arden Lane.

Siobhan Lynch (centre) the mother of Grace Lynch, who died after being struck by a scrambler motorbike in Finglas. Photo: PAScrambler motorbikes will be forced off public roads, the Taoiseach pledged in the Dáil today, after being told that “the law has dragged its feet.”Micheál Martin said: “There should be no scramblers on public roads. We have it in our power to make it happen, and it will happen.”

Abraham seals £18m Villa moveEngland striker Tammy Abraham has completed an £18.25m return to Aston Villa from Besiktas. Besiktas had an obligation to buy in the loan deal which took Abraham from Roma last summer. Coady in talks to aid Addicks survival bidWrexham defender Conor Coady is in talks to join Charlton on loan. Dyche wants a proven Premier League defender to complement Nikola Milenkovic and Murillo and Dunk, 34, is top of his list. Forest will cancel Zinchenko loanTom Collomosse reports: Oleksandr Zinchenko is set to have his loan deal with Nottingham Forest cancelled within the next 24 hours.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin is expected to meet with the leaders of the most powerful countries in the world in December as Ireland is invited to attend the G20 leaders summit in Miami. The US formally invited Ireland to join the summit as an “observer country”, a Government spokesperson confirmed.

Social media use has driven a surge in calls to the national parent support helpline and is "an increasing concern" for parents. Calls to Parentline about social media use more than doubled last year, up from 1.8% in 2024 to 3.5% of calls. “More parents than ever are concerned about the negative impact on their children’s mental health caused by social media use,” said Ms Hickie. “Social media platforms have to be forced to take some responsibility for putting in place proper protections to prevent children accessing harmful material," said Ms Hickie. Domestic violence is often thought about as being only partner-to-partner abuse, but it is any violence or abuse that takes place in a domestic setting.

The housing minister has conceded some rents will rise under new legislation reforming the Residential Tenancies Board (RTB), but has defended the incoming rules critics claim will "shaft" renters. The legislation greenlights the establishment of a new rent price register, similar to the Property Price Register that tracks the sale of homes. Our housing crisis is a supply crisis, our rental crisis is a supply crisis, and our homeless crisis is a supply crisis. The only way the housing crisis is going to be solved is by increasing supply, he said. "I don't understand why they [the opposition] are against strengthening tenants' rights, which this legislation will do in terms of its delivery.”Asked if he accepted rents would rise, Mr Browne said some rents would.

Trent Alexander-Arnold may get Liverpool reunion as transfer talks suddenly 'accelerated'Former Liverpool defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has struggled since moving to Real Madrid and could soon be reunited with a former Reds starView 2 Images Trent Alexander-Arnold could be reunited with a former Liverpool team-mate at Real MadridTrent Alexander-Arnold could be on the verge of linking up with Liverpool teammate Ibrahima Konate at Real Madrid. ‌Now, his former defensive partner Konate has now been touted for a possible free transfer to the La Liga club. Former Reds defender Alexander-Arnold also contributed to the success, despite departing the club amid contentious circumstances. He has featured in 11 matches throughout the campaign, excluding this summer's Club World Cup, where he managed two assists across five games. View 2 Images Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate has been linked with a move to Real Madrid.

Two of England's clubs are expected to crash out of the Champions League top eight in Wednesday's manic league phase finale. And Chelsea and Newcastle are predicted to lose their current top-eight berth by Opta's supercomputer, which has run its calculations for the final matchday. Chelsea (pictured) and Newcastle are expected to drop out of the Champions League top eightNewcastle (pictured) travel to PSG on Wednesday while Chelsea go to NapoliManchester City are predicted to gatecrash the top eight as they host GalatasaraySUPERCOMPUTER'S FINAL CHAMPIONS LEAGUE TABLE 1. Bayern Munich (already qualified), Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Atletico Madrid are all predicted to join the party in the top eight. Looking ahead, the supercomputer makes Mikel Arteta's side the firm favourites to go and win the Champions League in Budapest in May.

Liverpool transfer news: Real Madrid issue Trent Alexander-Arnold squad update as snub revealedThe uncertain future of Trent Alexander-Arnold has dominated headlines recentlyView 3 Images Trent Alexander-Arnold's career at Real Madrid could be coming to an end (Image: Getty Images)Life at Real Madrid certainly hasn't panned out the way former Liverpool star Trent Alexander-Arnold hoped it would. ‌Trent Alexander-Arnold has already confirmed plans to return to Liverpool amid struggles READ MORE :Trent Alexander-Arnold squad updateThe Englishman was last in action on December 3 in a 3-0 win against Athletic Bilbao, where he earned his only goal contribution for his new club when assisting the first of Kylian Mbappe's brace. While this is unlikely to hint at his longer-term status as a Real Madrid player, it does indicate the full-back is yet to prove he is ready to return to the first-team squad. Guehi explains snubEngland defender Marc Guehi was inches away from a move to Liverpool on Deadline Day but the transfer broke down. In a bitter blow to the reigning Premier League champions, Guehi secured a £30million move to Manchester City last week.

Photograph: Bonnie Cash/UPI/BloombergA total of 40 Ministers and other representatives of the State will visit more than 50 countries for a St Patrick’s Day programme that is set to focus on trade and investment. Taoiseach Micheál Martin will travel to Washington DC where he is expected to meet US president Donald Trump. Mr Martin will also visit Philadelphia and he is among nine representatives that will travel to the United States. Ministers of State Robert Troy and Niamh Smyth will go to Austin and Miami respectively. A Department of Foreign Affairs statement said: “In line with the Government’s Action Plan on Market Diversification, the 2026 St Patrick’s Day programme will place a stronger emphasis on trade and investment.

India and the European Union have concluded talks on a two-way trade agreement, after decades of discussions. The deal paves the way for freer trade of goods across a combined market of nearly two billion consumers and around €1 in every €4 of global economic activity.

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Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien has said he is willing to introduce legislation banning the use of scrambler bikes in public places following the death of Dublin teenager Grace Lynch. Keith Lee, 18, appeared before Blanchardstown District Court on Tuesday, charged with causing the death of a teenage girl in a collision involving a scrambler motorbike in Dublin on Sunday. Speaking at Dublin Port, Mr O’Brien expressed his condolences to Ms Lynch’s family, saying he “can’t imagine” what her mother is going through. He told the Irish Examiner that he would be willing to bring forward legislation to further clamp down on scrambler bikes, but said gardaí already have powers to confiscate them. We have had scrambler bikes confiscated from people, quad bikes confiscated from people by the gardaí, about 130.

Photograph: Carsten Snejbjerg/BloombergDonald Trump and his will he/won’t he threats on Greenland have held the media spotlight for most of this month. In the US president’s mind, this seems no more than a simple, sensible commercial transaction. Trump has no real interest in Greenland as a vital cog in his Arctic defence project. Greenland is believed to have reserves that could amount to 20 times those of mainland USA. And while a physical invasion is most unlikely, China and/or Russia might well look to strike deals with a Greenland government over access to such deposits.