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https://www.ft.com/content/db1c00d8-1118-474e-8230-c7139b981556

In Donald Trump's telling, London is governed by a "horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor", Sadiq Khan. European leaders are "weak", their nations "decaying" and the EU was established to "screw" the US.  Trump reserves much of his sharpest criticism for America's allies in Europe. The US president's frustration with Nato members over their failure to meet the alliance's defence spending targets was well known. The level of antipathy was not.

https://www.ft.com/content/e50481a3-161c-4002-83e4-cae0be12799e

Ukraine would join the EU next year under a proposal backed by Brussels in negotiations to end Russia's war, a move that would transform the bloc's approach to admitting new members. EU accession by January 1 2027 is specified in the latest draft of a peace proposal that Ukrainian and European officials have presented to Washington

Here's the link to the Commission on the Defence Forces with the number of ships and airplanes

https://www.military.ie/en/public-information/publications/report-of-the-commission-on-defence-forces/

A nuclear attack by Russia is unlikely. Economic attack is more likely unless we have deterrence. There is no excuse with the budget surplus.

We should be investing in cyber security and if necessary for defence purposes.

But back to a question asked earlier, how many jets do we need?

Having three isn't worth my arse full of warm snow, we need at least 20 and a few nuclear warheads hidden in the bogs of Offaly and to come out of the ground like in thunderbirds.

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025/12/12/stephen-collins-if-russia-decides-to-attack-the-eu-irelands-wide-open-back-door-may-give-it-a-way-in/?The third level of ambition put forward by the Commission included the development of a substantial mechanised component of the army. It also called for a balanced fleet of at least 12 naval ships, supported by appropriate technology, the acquisition of a squadron of combat aircraft, a joint cyber-defence command and an expansion of the Army Ranger wing to include dedicated combat helicopter assets.


https://aerocorner.com/blog/how-many-planes-squadron/TLDR – Squadrons typically include between 12 and 24 aircraft, depending on the type of aircraft and the branch of the military. Land-based squadrons with heavy aircraft may have around 12 aircraft in a squadron. However, fighter units may have 18 to 24 aircraft.

A nuclear attack by Russia is unlikely. Economic attack is more likely unless we have deterrence. There is no excuse with the budget surplus.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/2025/12/12/inflation-explainer-why-are-prices-in-ireland-accelerating-again/

After falling to less than 1 per cent this time last year, headline inflation has risen back over 3 per cent, placing a renewed squeeze on Irish households. The latest Consumer Price Index (CPI), the State's official measure of inflation, clocked annualised price growth at 3.2 per cent in November.

This was the highest level recorded since February 2024.

So what's driving it?
In a word, restaurants. The biggest driver of the November figure were restaurants and hotels, which saw prices rise by 3.6 per cent on an annualised basis.

While other sectors like education had bigger year on year price hikes, the restaurants and hotels category, which includes coffee shops, has a significantly bigger weighting in the overall rate. It accounted for 0.73 per cent of the 3.2 per cent rate recorded last month.


Prices in restaurants rather than the cost of hotel accommodation were pinpointed as the main culprit. And apparently these relate directly to higher food prices.

The price of basic foodstuffs has been elevated for months and it seems this has now percolated into restaurants and onto menus. The cost of meat and in particular beef was highlighted as the biggest single factor. Separate CSO data, published on Friday, indicated the cost of cattle rose by 47 per cent year on year in October.



What else is behind it?
Food inflation remains elevated in Ireland with prices rising by 4.2 per cent in the 12 months to November. Food also has a big weighting in the overall calculation. It accounted for 0.46 per cent of the 3.2 per cent.

Within the food category, the price of beef was up almost 24 per cent year on year while lamb and poultry prices were up 17.9 per cent and 7.4 per cent respectively. But meat wasn't the only driver, b

https://x.com/CBSSportsGolazo/status/1998533998901887433

Shels and Shamrock Rovers both lost last night. Not looking good for qualification.

And both lost again last night. You could excuse Shels, even if Palace sauntered through their defence at will, as they were playing a team from one of the main European leagues. Rovers was a bad loss - is the Icelandic league so superior to ours? I wonder what kind of spin will Eamon Sweeney try to put on this?

Defending was poor in Iceland

https://youtu.be/sf3eP0kPgzQ?si=5F7r4tIffl5O1poP

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/11/nato-chief-prepare-for-war-with-russia/The West faces war with Russia on a scale not seen since the days of "our grandparents and great-grandparents", the head of Nato warned on Thursday.

Mark Rutte, the Nato secretary-general, said Vladimir Putin had chosen the alliance as his "next target", in some of his strongest warnings yet on the prospect of war spreading across Europe.

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025/12/12/stephen-collins-if-russia-decides-to-attack-the-eu-irelands-wide-open-back-door-may-give-it-a-way-in/?

The Commission on the Defence Forces, which reported to the Government in 2022, identified three levels of ambition. The first, to leave things as they were, was rejected on the basis the country would be left "without a credible military capability to protect Ireland, its people and its resources for any sustained period".
Learn more

The second level of ambition was to address some of the current deficiencies through a significant strengthening of cyber defence and military intelligence, as well as revitalising the Army Reserve. The Government committed itself to meeting these goals by 2028, but they now seem far too modest given the escalating threat.
The third level of ambition put forward by the Commission included the development of a substantial mechanised component of the army. It also called for a balanced fleet of at least 12 naval ships, supported by appropriate technology, the acquisition of a squadron of combat aircraft, a joint cyber-defence command and an expansion of the Army Ranger wing to include dedicated combat helicopter assets.
The emphasis on turning the army into an effective fighting force is key. At present, the Army Rangers are the only component of the Defence Forces fully trained for combat, but they are just about 150 strong and need to be expanded as a first step.
Ibec, in its report, rightly argued that the Government should move immediately to these level-three ambitions.

https://www.ft.com/content/683b5e44-5f2b-48da-9459-ced5b95d2812

Citizens of countries including the UK and France will have to disclose the past five years of their social media history to visit the US even though they are covered by visa waiver schemes, under new proposals by the Trump administration

Breidablik won 3-1.

https://www.rte.ie/sport/2025/1210/1548215-irish-duo-conference-league/





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Shelbourne and Shamrock Rovers in UEFA Conference League action: All you need to know
Updated / Thursday, 11 Dec 2025 07:11


Shelbourne still have a small chance to qualify but need a result against Crystal Palace




Shelbourne face English Premier League opposition in the penultimate round of the league phase of the UEFA Conference League, while Shamrock Rovers need to bring three points home from Iceland in their bid to qualify for the play-off round.

Here is all you need to know about the games.

TV

Both matches will be live on Premier Sport 1. Shamrock Rovers are on TNT Sports 5, with Shelbourne on TNT Sports 2.

ONLINE

There will be a live blog on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News app on the Shelbourne v Palace game.

PRIDE AND POINTS


Shamrock Rovers have performed well in most of their matches
Shamrock Rovers are up first tonight at 5.45pm. Both Irish teams sit on a single point after four matches but one has the more realistic chance of progress.

The Premier Division champions have their difficult games out of the way. Losses to Sparta Prague, Celje and Shakhtar Donetsk, with an excellent draw away to AEK Athens, leaves them needing two wins to have any chance of making inside the top 24. The final home fixture is against Maltese outfit Hamrun Spartans.

Shels are also in the position of holding one point from four games, but given they have Premier League opposition coming to Dublin and a trip to Slovenia to face Celje, it's not realistic to think they can progress.

BREIDABLIK REVENGE


The Icelandic side defeated Shamrock Rovers in the Champions League
Shamrock Rovers will count their previous game against the Icelandic side as one they didn't perform at their usual level.

Now comes a chance for revenge.

Breidablik won both legs in a 2023 Champions League qualifier.

If there is a positive, the Hoops don't have to return to the venue of the away defeat which came on a tricky astro surface.

Tonight's clash will be in the Laugardalsvöllur which is a 95% grass pitch. It's used for Iceland's international home games and is booked to go under works in the future to removing a running track and expand the 9,500 capacity. It will be cold, as expected, with temperatures just above freezing around kick-off time.

Breidablik have two points accumulated so far, which means they too will be targeting this encounter for a crucial three points in the bid to stay in the competition.

One of their draws came against the side currently top of the Conference League, Samsunspor of Turkey, so they have shown some pedigree.

There are a lot of similarities between the sides. Breidablik are regular qualifiers in Europe and became the first side from their nation to qualify for a European competition outright.

Their squad has a host of experience and they are even more out of season than Shamrock Rovers with the Icelandic league finishing in late October.

You can expect the game to be quite even; they're two well-matched sides.


PALACE MATTERS


Crystal Palace are inside the top four of the Premier League
For Shels, while in theory they can qualify, it's a daunting task to face the fourth-placed side from the richest league in the world.

The Reds have been unfortunate - and perhaps will take plenty of knowledge from this campaign - having failed to take goalscoring chances and shipped goals to lose by narrow margins.

Their latest result - a 2-0 defeat in Alkmaar - had positives and they will hope to create an upset in their final matches at least.

Crystal Palace have not had things their own way so far in the campaign, losing to AEK Larnaca.

It's a different story in the Premier League with just three losses in 15 matches seeing them sit fourth in the table.

Manager Oliver Glasner has spoken about balancing European commitments and the league.

Tonight's game has become important for the Eagles as they look to try to avoid a play-off and qualify in the top eight.

He will resist temptation to rotate massively in tonight's clash despite with a home match on Sunday against Manchester City.

Instead he will rest players for their final clash with KuPS.

That will make it a lot harder for the Reds.

WHAT THEY SAY

Shels boss Joey O'Brien is keen to see his side show their best when the most eyes are watching. Tonight's clash in Tallaght Stadium is a sellout with over 9,000 in attendance.

"Sometimes you can think too far about things and think of who you're playing against and where they've come from and stuff like that. But for me, that doesn't work. It's about yourself, being proud of your own journey, how you've got here, incredible stories to get to this game.

"There were a lot of positives," O'Brien added of their last clash in Alkmaar.

"I think we started really well in the game. Their first shot on target didn't come until the second-half. So going away from home in Europe and having that was really good. I felt that in possession we didn't show our real quality and how good we are as players, so that is a big thing for me tonight, that the lads embrace the challenge and show how good we are in possession."

Palace manager Oliver Glasner has heard of improvements in the League of Ireland: "It's tricky for them because their season has ended," said Glasner. "They are not in the rhythm anymore.

"They ended the season in third place, but are a very physical team.

"I think they (Irish teams) are doing well and progressing. I'm told many English internationals could also play for Ireland because of their relatives, but they are doing great."

Hoops boss Stephen Bradley said in Iceland: "It's an opposition team we know quite well, although they are in transition with their manager changing recently, they still have some very good players and a lot of those players came up against us a couple of years ago.

"We both have to win. It's a one-off game and I imagine both teams will go to win it. It has the makings to be a really good game."

TEAM NEWS

Danny Mandroiu, Aaron McEneff and John Honohan are out for Shamrock Rovers. Shels will have the same squad as the clash with AZ.

https://www.rte.ie/entertainment/2025/1210/1548288-iceland-joins-eurovision-2026-boycott-over-israel/
Iceland's public broadcaster RÚV has confirmed it will not take part in next year's Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna, becoming the fifth country to withdraw in protest at Israel's participation.

You could nearly have a thread on eejit drivers

My grandfather used to say at corners to assume that the driver in the opposite direction was an idiot.