Politics watch: O'Neill, Eastwood linked with presidential bids
O'Neill declines to rule out Áras bid, Eastwood hints at run
Nothern Ireland First Minister Michelle O'Neill is the latest name to be heavily linked with a presidential bid.
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At a press conference in Co Armagh on Friday, Ms O'Neill was asked about the possibility of her running in the election, which must take place by November 11th.
She replied: "I think I've plenty to do, being First Minister. But I would think the fact remains that I could stand for election, I could be elected as Uachtarán na hÉireann, but I can't vote in that election, so that's where there's a deficit and what we need to see is presidential voting rights extended to the North so the Irish citizens in the North can vote.'
Former SDLP leader Colum Eastwood was also linked with a presidential bid on Friday. He told the BBC that people had asked him to consider a presidential bid.
'I'm going to take the time to think about it."
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Mr Eastwood was previously involved in talks with Fianna Fáil about closer links between the party and the SDLP, and he could be backed if he decides to run as Fianna Fáil have not yet come to a decision on a candidate.
With the end of President Michael D Higgins' second term fast approaching, Fine Gael have not announced a candidate either.
There had been speculation the party could sit the presidential election out, or back a candidate in conjunction with Coalition partners Fianna Fáil.
However, Tánaiste Simon Harris has previously said his party will name its own candidate.
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In an interview with The Journal in March, the Fine Gael leader said: "'I haven't had any discussions with any other party, but I expect we will run a candidate in our own right. That's my that's my working assumption."
Former tánaiste France Fitzgerald had been the favourite to be Fine Gael's candidate, but she confirmed she would not run in April.
Taoiseach criticises 'excessive' measures faced by students seeking US visas
The
Taoiseach
has described a decision to subject students applying for J1 visas to a 'comprehensive and thorough vetting' of their social media as 'excessive'.
Micheál Martin said he does not agree nor approve of the measures announced by the US embassy on Monday.
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Ireland's national students' union said the new measures represent a significant and disproportionate intrusion into personal lives and digital privacy, and that they raise serious concerns about freedom of expression and online surveillance.
The changes also apply for other exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications.
Leo Varadkar says Keir Starmer should not 'try to censor' Kneecap
Former taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said politicians should not try to censor artists after UK prime minister Keir Starmer said Kneecap's Glastonbury inclusion was "inappropriate".
The Belfast rap trio are scheduled to perform on Saturday at 4pm.
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Kneecap member Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh appeared in court on Wednesday charged, under UK anti-terrorism legislation, with showing support for a proscribed organisation.
The performer, known as Mo Chara, allegedly draped himself in a Hezbollah flag at a London gig last November and shouted 'up Hamas, up Hezbollah', referring to the Palestinian and Lebanese militant groups respectively.
In an interview with The Sun,
Mr Starmer
was asked if he thought the trio should perform at Glastonbury, to which he replied: 'No, I don't, and I think we need to come down really clearly on this.
'This is about the threats that shouldn't be made, I won't say too much because there's a court case on, but I don't think that's appropriate.'
In a social media post, Mr Varadkar said he initially believed Mr Starmer's comments were "a gag".
'[I] no longer hold office nor have any mandate so my views don't count for so much anymore. I get that. But I really thought this was some sort of gag. It's the role of artists to be avant garde, inappropriate, challenging, disruptive - from James Joyce to Sex Pistols and Playboy.
'Politicians really should not try to censor this. If an offence was committed, let the courts decide. In the meantime, the rule of law says the accused is innocent until proven guilty.'
Anti-immigrant activists tried to 'weaponise' Carlow shooting incident with misinformation
Misinformation around a recent shooting incident at a Carlow shopping centre was "weaponised" by anti-immigrant activists and facilitated by social media algorithms, according to a researcher who monitors far-right activity in Ireland.
In an
interview with
BreakingNews.ie
, H&CC research and communications lead Mark Malone said: "Claims from the likes of Derek Blighe, from Gavin Lowbridge (who runs the OffGrid Ireland account on Twitter spaces), they were framing the incident as a terrorist shooting related to their own anti-immigrant politics. This was all within a time period that allowed for no verification, and subsequently what transpired was most of it was utter nonsense."
Mr Malone also mentioned anti-immigrant activist Philp Dwyer, who drove to the scene in Carlow to film.
"It was telling that Philip Dwyer was travelling back from an anti-migrant demonstration in Clonmel, heard there was something happening and landed up in Carlow, he describes himself as a 'citizen journalist'."
Abroad
All eyes are on the US, after president Donald Trump sanctioned strikes on Iran in support of Israel.
Mr Trump
has called into question the future of Iran's ruling theocracy, seemingly contradicting his administration's earlier calls to resume negotiations and avoid an escalation in fighting.
'It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change???' Mr Trump posted on social media. 'MIGA!!!'
The posting on Truth Social marked something of a reversal from defence secretary Pete Hegseth's Sunday morning news conference that detailed the aerial bombing on three of the country's nuclear sites.
'This mission was not and has not been about regime change,' Mr Hegseth said.
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Telegraph
an hour ago
- Telegraph
Starmer's fatal flaw is that he's a normal man in an abnormal job
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The Guardian
an hour ago
- The Guardian
Steve Coogan accuses Labour of paving way for Reform UK
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Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
Chancellor Rachel Reeves says she is 'totally' up for the job of chancellor in first comments since tearful PMQs
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Ms Reeves also said she is "totally" up for the job of chancellor, saying: "This is the job that I've always wanted to do. I'm proud of what I've delivered as chancellor." Asked if she was surprised that Sir Keir Starmer did not back her more strongly during PMQs, she reiterated that she and the prime minister are a "team", saying: "We fought the election together, we changed the Labour Party together so that we could be in the position to return to power, and over the past year, we've worked in lockstep together." PM: 'I was last to appreciate' that Reeves was crying The chancellor's comments come after the prime minister told Sky News' political editor Beth Rigby that he "didn't appreciate" that she was crying behind him at Prime Minister's Questions yesterday because the weekly sessions are "pretty wild", which is why he did not offer her any support while in the chamber. He added: "It wasn't just yesterday - no prime minister ever has had side conversations during PMQs. It does happen in other debates when there's a bit more time, but in PMQs, it is bang, bang, bang. That's what it was yesterday. "And therefore, I was probably the last to appreciate anything else going on in the chamber, and that's just a straightforward human explanation, common sense explanation." 1:03 During PMQs, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch branded the chancellor the "human shield" for the prime minister's "incompetence" just hours after he was forced to perform a humiliating U-turn over his controversial welfare bill, leaving a "black hole" in the public finances. The prime minister's watered-down Universal Credit and Personal Independent Payment Bill was backed by a majority of 75 in a tense vote on Tuesday evening - but a total of 49 Labour MPs voted against the bill, which was the largest rebellion in a prime minister's first year in office since 47 MPs voted against Tony Blair's lone parent benefit in 1997, according to Professor Phil Cowley from Queen Mary University. Reeves looks transformed - but this has been a disastrous week for the PM It is a Rachel Reeves transformed that appears in front of the cameras today, nearly 24 hours since one of the most extraordinary PMQs. Was there a hint of nervousness as she started, aware of the world watching for any signs of human emotion? Was there a touch of feeling in her face as the crowds applauded her? People will speculate. But Ms Reeves has got through her first public appearance, and can now, she hopes, move on. The prime minister embraced her as he walked on stage, the health secretary talked her up: "Thanks to her leadership, we have seen wages rising faster than the cost of living." A show of solidarity at the top of government, a prime minister and chancellor trying to get on with business. But be in no doubt today's speech on a 10-year-plan for the NHS has been overshadowed. Not just by a chancellor in tears, but what that image represents. A PM who, however assured he appeared today, has marked his first year this week, as Sky News' political editor Beth Rigby put to him, with a "self-inflicted shambles". She asked: "How have you got this so wrong? How can you rebuild trust? Are you just in denial?" They are questions Starmer will be grappling with as he tries to move past a disastrous week. Ms Reeves has borne a lot of the criticism over the handling of the vote, with some MPs believing that her strict approach to fiscal rules has meant she has approached the ballooning welfare bill from the standpoint of trying to make savings, rather than getting people into work. Ms Badenoch also said the chancellor looked "absolutely miserable", and questioned whether she would remain in post until the next election. Sir Keir did not explicitly say that she will, and Ms Badenoch interjected to say: "How awful for the chancellor that he couldn't confirm that she would stay in place." Downing Street scrambled to make clear to journalists that Ms Reeves was "going nowhere", and the prime minister has since stated publicly that she will remain as chancellor "for many years to come".
