Trump urges ‘peace and harmony' as Iran hits US base in Qatar
Qatar's defence ministry said Iran launched seven missiles at the Al Udeid US airbase, with another 12 in a second wave, 11 of which were thwarted.
Its interior ministry said some debris fell in residential areas, but no casualties were recorded.
The US president thanked Iran for giving America notice prior to the missile attack which, he said, made it possible for no lives — both Qatari and American — to be lost.
No casualties were recorded after the Iranian missile attack on Al Udeid air base in Qatar. File picture
'Perhaps Iran can now proceed to peace and harmony in the region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same,' he said in a social media post. In a later post, he added: 'Congratulations world, it's time for peace.'
Iran had issued threats to retaliate against the US after bombers dropped 30,000lb bunker-busters on Iranian underground nuclear facilities at the weekend, joining Israel's air war against Tehran. Mr Trump mooted the possibility of the Iranian government being toppled.
Iran, which had been warned by Washington not to retaliate had informed the US via two diplomatic channels hours ahead of the attack, as well as Qatari authorities, a senior regional source told Reuters.
A number of gulf nations closed their air space for a time following the attack on Qatar but they opened again a number of hours later.
New law based on Occupied Territories Bill
Meanwhile, Tánaiste Simon Harris will bring the heads of what will be known as the Israeli Settlements Prohibition of Importation of Goods Bill 2025 to Cabinet on Tuesday.
The Government legislation is based on a similar Occupied Territories Bill, but it will only include a ban on the trade of goods and not services.
The Tánaiste said legal clarity is needed on whether or not it is possible to include services and that he has asked the attorney general to advise on this, however he does not want to see the bill delayed. He said:
We will bring draft legislation because we are not waiting in Ireland, we are not waiting, the children of Gaza have waited far too long.
Mr Harris was speaking while attending a meeting of foreign ministers in Brussels where the EU's trade agreement with Israel was discussed.
The proposed legislation will make any import from the Occupied Palestinian Territory an offence under the Customs Act 2015, the main legislation dealing with all customs offences.
The provisions of the Customs Act 2015 with respect to matters including powers of entry, inspection, search, arrest, seizure, and forfeiture of goods will apply to the importation of goods from Israeli settlements in the OPT. In practical terms therefore, the provisions of the bill will be enforced by customs officers.
While foreign ministers did not on take action following the review of the EU-Israel Association Agreement, the matter will again be discussed when the Taoiseach attends an EU Council later this week.
Micheál Martin said: 'There should be consequences in the context of the Israeli European Union Association Agreement and we will certainly be working with other like-minded countries at the European Union to seek movement on that.'
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Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Trump's tariff threat reignites union push in Ireland's billion-euro pharma sector
As negotiations between the European Commission and the US conclude after almost 90 days of talks, an agreement has been deemed 'absolutely essential' to ensure a level of certainty for Irish exporters reliant on the US market. Among them is Ireland's mammoth pharmaceutical sector, a cornerstone of the national economy, which, since US President Donald Trump's 'Liberation Day' announcement, has remained stuck in the cross-hairs of his global tariff onslaught. Ireland is one of the largest pharmaceutical exporters in the world due to the several large US firms operating here, with their earnings contributing significantly to the Exchequer's corporation tax receipts. While initially excluded from punitive measures, the booming industry now faces renewed scrutiny from Mr Trump, which, in his view, has flourished at America's expense. After calling out Ireland specifically for benefiting from US companies, Mr Trump last month said tariffs on pharmaceuticals would come 'very soon,' which would help bring multinationals back to America. Historically, Ireland's pharmaceutical sector has been defined by stable demand and high-paying salaries, particularly within the industry's epicentre in Cork, which hosts pharma giants Merck, AbbVie, Gilead Sciences, Pfizer, Johnson and Johnson, Thermo Fischer Scientific, Eli Lilly and GE Healthcare, among others. The concentration of these firms has made Ireland's southern region the wealthiest area in the European Union (EU), recording the largest GDP per capita in 2022, according to Eurostat. Despite this economic strength, collective bargaining in the sector has remained relatively limited. However, with rising uncertainty and looming tariff fears, momentum for unionisation is growing. 'We saw a sharp spike in union membership following Trump's 'Liberation Day' announcement,' says Siptu Manufacturing Divisional Organiser Neil McGowan. The trade union currently counts some 13,500 members from the pharmaceutical industry, the majority of whom are based in Cork. 'There's a lot of uncertainty in the air at the moment. I think Liberation Day made a lot of workers sit up and think, 'Are we really ready for what could happen?' Mr McGowan told the Irish Examiner. However, unionisation efforts have presented mixed results, he said, with some companies refusing to recognise or interact with Siptu when addressing worker disputes. 'It can be incredibly frustrating at times. We have members who want us there, who want to bargain collectively, and their company refuses to acknowledge us,' Mr McGowan said. But the fight doesn't stop there. Last month, trade union members at the Kinsale branch of US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly welcomed a Labour Court recommendation urging their employer to allow for collective representation by Siptu during workplace disputes. Union members at the Kinsale branch of US pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly welcomed a Labour Court recommendation urging their employer to allow for collective representation by Siptu during workplace disputes. '[Eli] Lilly staff are on a journey for recognition, but senior management doesn't want to acknowledge us,' says Siptu sector organiser, Andrea Cleere. 'It has been denying our members the right to be supported by the union in individual workplaces, which is contrary Workplace Relations Commission's Code of Practice." But as Ms Cleere points out, Labour Court findings are reliant on the company choosing to acknowledge them. 'This is the problem with Ireland's weak voluntarist model of industrial relations. 'It allows companies to flout the Labour Court whenever it sides with workers seeking their basic human right to bargain collectively.' In May, workers at the Cork branch of pharmaceutical giant AbbVie served a notice of industrial action after the company refused to engage with employees' chosen trade union. Ms Cleere says AbbVie opted not to acknowledge the union despite workers securing two Labour Court recommendations urging the employer to recognise Siptu for collective bargaining purposes. "Numerous attempts to resolve issues of pay and union recognition through negotiations were refused by management,' Ms Cleere told the Irish Examiner. 'Companies simply don't need to do anything, meaning circumstances are always stacked against the worker.' 'Employee rights can be so easily forgotten. We pump money into big firms through the IDA or Enterprise Ireland without any requirement that they take care of their workers.' An AbbVie pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Sligo. 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Irish Examiner
2 hours ago
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Antiques: Nine American gold eagle $10 coins make €10,000 in Dublin
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RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Trump signs 'big, beautiful' bill on US Independence Day
US President Donald Trump signed into law a massive package of tax and spending cuts at the White House during an outdoor ceremony on the Fourth of July holiday. With military jets flying overhead and hundreds of supporters in attendance, Mr Trump signed the bill one day after the Republican-controlled House of Representatives narrowly approved the signature legislation of the president's second term. The bill, which will fund Mr Trump's immigration crackdown, make his 2017 tax cuts permanent, and is expected to knock millions of Americans off health insurance, was passed with a 218-214 vote after an emotional debate on the House floor. "I've never seen people so happy in our country because of that, because so many different groups of people are being taken care of: the military, civilians of all types, jobs of all types," Mr Trump said at the ceremony, thanking House Speaker Mike Johnson and Senate Majority Leader John Thune for leading the bill through the two houses of Congress. "So you have the biggest tax cut, the biggest spending cut, the largest border security investment in American history," he said. Mr Trump scheduled the ceremony on the South Lawn of the White House for the 4 July Independence Day holiday, replete with a flyover by stealth bombers and fighter jets like those that took part in the recent US strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran. Hundreds of Mr Trump supporters attended, including White House aides, members of Congress, and military families. After a speech that included boastful claims about the ascendance of America on his watch, Mr Trump signed the bill, posed for pictures with Republican congressional leaders and members of his cabinet, and waded through the crowd of happy supporters. The bill's passage amounts to a big win for Mr Trump and his Republican allies, who have argued it will boost economic growth, while largely dismissing a non-partisan analysis predicting it will add more than $3 trillion (€2.5 trillion) to the nation's $36.2 trillion debt. While some politicians in Mr Trump's party expressed concerns over the bill's price tag and its hit to healthcare programmes, in the end just two of the House's 220 Republicans voted against it, joining all 212 Democrats in opposition. The tense standoff over the bill included a record-long floor speech by House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who spoke for eight hours and 46 minutes, blasting the bill as a giveaway to the wealthy that would strip low-income Americans of federally-backed health insurance and food aid benefits. Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin predicted the law would cost Republicans votes in congressional elections in 2026. "Today, Donald Trump sealed the fate of the Republican Party, cementing them as the party for billionaires and special interests - not working families," Mr Martin said in a statement. "This legislation will hang around the necks of the GOP for years to come. This was a full betrayal of the American people. Today, we are putting Republicans on notice: you will lose your majority," he added.
