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https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2025/12/11/venezuela-opposition-leader-nobel-peace-prize-maria-machado/

Venezuela's opposition leader slipped out of the country in disguise and appeared in Oslo to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Maria Corina Machado, a pro-democracy activist, stepped onto the balcony of Oslo's Grand Hotel shortly before 2.30am on Thursday after spending more than a year in hiding in Caracas.

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The 58-year-old was smuggled out of Venezuela with help from the US in defiance of a ⁠decade-long travel ban imposed by authorities in her home country, and after spending more than a year in hiding.

Wearing a wig and disguise, Ms Machado evaded 10 military checkpoints before boarding a small fishing boat across the Caribbean to the neighbouring island of Curaçao in a 10-hour operation, the Wall Street Journal reported.

She departed Curaçao on a private plane for Norway, stopping to refuel in Bangor, Maine, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Her escape had been meticulously planned over two months and her team reached out to the White House to ensure that the boat in which she was travelling was not targeted by US air strikes. Some 20 vessels leaving Venezuela have been hit in the last three months, killing 80 people.

https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2025/1211/1548324-ireland-politics/

Minister for Defence Helen McEntee will outline a €1.7 billion defence spending plan that will run until 2030.

It will aim to speed up the modernisation of the Defence Forces and to improve defence capabilities across land, air, maritime and cyber domains.

A key part of this initiative is the delivery of the Military Radar Programme, which will get under way next year.

There will also be millions of euro set aside for anti-drone technology which is particularly relevant given the sighting of drones close to the flight path of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky during his recent visit here.

More Air Corps helicopters along with an aircraft that can carry personnel and equipment over long distances will be purchased.

Major upgrades are also planned for the naval service's subsea capabilities while more funding will be available to renew the army's armoured fleet .

That's right, why bother with an army at all because we're gonna be blitzed in any event

Ireland could at least have a military that equals a relatively small republic such as Estonia with a population of 1.3m. Could we not manage that?
How is having an effective defence force contradicting a policy of neutrality unless neutrality also means bend over or turn the other cheek when a challenge comes?
For starters the country need maritime security and resources to maintain same and get funding for protection of undersea cables.

We need deterrence. Like any good set of backs. We know what it looks like in sport.
 Currently we are a soft target.

https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/courts/more-than-50-people-killed-on-a5-could-still-be-alive-if-road-upgrade-plans-hadnt-been-held-up-court-hears/a58678562.html

More than 50 people killed on A5 could still be alive if road upgrade plans hadn't been held up, court hears

There have been more than 50 deaths on the A5 since 2006 (Liam McBurney/PA)

Alan Erwin

Today at 17:30

More than 50 people killed on the A5 over the past 18 years could still be alive if plans to upgrade the road had not been held up, the Court of Appeal heard on Wednesday.

Counsel representing a campaign group supporting the proposed £1.7bn dual carriageway scheme described it as a "haunting reality" for the victims' families.

Stephen Toal KC also claimed just two landowners involved in a legal challenge to the project would lose less than 1% of their property in the section of road under scrutiny.

Backing Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmons' attempt to overturn a ruling that the current project is unlawful, he argued rights to life and ensuring public safety must outrank any alleged breach of privacy.

Proceedings centre on a decision taken last year to approve the 58-mile development between Derry and Aughnacloy in Co Tyrone.

First announced back in 2007, the scheme forms part of a proposed key cross-border business route linking Dublin and the north west.

Since then, however, it has been held up by a series of legal actions.

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Part of legal battle over proposed £1.7bn A5 upgrade to be sent back to High Court

Companies which have made millions from delayed A5 road scheme

In June this year the High Court quashed the Department for Infrastructure (DfI)'s decision to give the go-ahead for the A5 upgrade.

A judge found the dual carriageway plans did not comply with climate change targets.

Mr Justice McAlinden also identified a failure to properly show consideration of human rights issues due to the uncertainty from not imposing a time limit for construction.

With 57 deaths recorded on the A5 since 2006, he acknowledged additional delays in progressing the development were likely to coincide with further loss of life on the existing route.

The verdict followed the latest challenge mounted by a group of local residents, landowners and farmers known as the Alternative A5 Alliance.

But a campaign body formed after Tyrone Gaelic footballer John Rafferty, 21, was killed on the A5 in October 2022 urged senior judges to allow the Department's appeal.

Mr Toal, representing the Enough is Enough grouping, told the court that another nearby road, the A4, had a similar death rate until it was replaced by a new dual carriageway.

That upgrade led to a 97% reduction in the loss of life on that route, according to the barrister.

He equated it to "dozens of children, brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, who will occupy their chairs at the Christmas dinner table".

Based on a similar reduction for tragedies on the A5, counsel submitted: "Had this road gone ahead when it should have in 2007, of the 57 dead in the past 18 years 55 of them could still be alive today.

"That is the haunting reality for these victims."

There have been more than 50 deaths on the A5 since 2006 (Liam McBurney/PA)

Unmute

1010

1:18

4:17

'The A5 is like Russian roulette': Families call for action after court blocked £1.7bn road upgrade

Mr Toal further insisted the Alternative A5 Alliance's qualified right to private and family life under Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights must yield to the fundamental Article 2 duty to protect human life.

He argued that only two out of the nine people who took the challenge would lose land under the authorised section of the scheme.

Disputing an assessment that one of them may have to give up 21% of his workable terrain, Mr Toal contended that official figures showed the two applicants would actually forfeit around 0.5% each.

Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan, sitting with Lord Justice Treacy and Mr Justice Humphreys, was told vesting had already taken place on the land at stake.

"This is not a complaint by 100s of people worrying about uncertainty," Mr Toal added.

"It is a complaint by 2 people... in a claim where the practical effect is profoundly detrimental to tens of thousands of other citizens.

"It was an error to quash this life-saving project on the basis of an Article 8 complaint that affected a tiny number of people, who arguably weren't even affected at all as a result of the

vesting."

Counsel for the Alternative A5 Alliance, Marc Willers KC, stressed his clients were not claiming their human rights should trump those of bereaved families in the Enough is Enough group.

"It's all about the question of whether or not a time limit should be imposed... nothing more, nothing less," he said.

Mr Willers also disputed what he described as an attempt to "recast" the amount of workable land one of the farmers would have to relinquish under the scheme.

He told the court: "It is 21% of the usable land of his farm, not 1%, and that hasn't been rebutted by the DfI."

The appeal continues.

Fear mongering driven by the US again. Bastards.

What fear mongering driven by the US are you referring to?

Is this the same US that's currently trying  to sell out Ukraine to the Russians?

You lot really need to modernise your conspiracy theories.

The American arms companies who stand to gain from us arming up. As someone else said funny enough there was no mention of this shite when we'd no money to spend.

It doesn't have to be American companies. We need radar and sonar and more planes and ships. European companies can provide stuff. 

Antrim poor here, even given its demographics.

What's the nationalist population of Antrim in percentage?

IBEC is senior hurling.

Employers group Ibec has called on the Government to increase investment in Ireland's defence and security.

The representative body said the country's defence and security vulnerabilities are a critical issue for business.

Ibec said the ongoing global conflicts require "increased efforts" to ensure Ireland can protect itself and the businesses that operate here.

It said robust security is the "bedrock for business, ensuring security of supply, the ability to transact, and confidence in the rule of law."

https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2025/1210/1548162-ibec-business-defence/

The DUP abstained in a Westminster vote to re-join the EU customs market, lol.

The North is in the customs union and the Single Market. The DUP gets the best of both worlds.

https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/gaa/antrim/antrims-moneyglass-ladies-miss-out-on-live-tv-coverage-as-tg4-moves-all-ireland-senior-club-final-online/a472523572.html

Galway's Kilkerrin-Clonberne will aim for a remarkable fifth consecutive title against first-time finalists St Ergnat's Moneyglass.
However, the match's throw-in is scheduled for 4pm – the exact time TG4 begins its coverage of Junior Eurovision.
Because of this clash, the game will not air live on the Irish language broadcaster's main television channel, but will instead be streamed in real time on both the TG4 Player and the station's YouTube channel.
TG4 will carry a deferred television broadcast of the senior final later on Saturday evening at 8.10pm.
•


We are putting the senior final on two platforms... it will go out on the TG4 Sport YouTube channel and the TG4 Player, and both will carry it worldwide, so we're doing everything we can to make it widely accessible," he said.
This weekend also brings the curtain down on the club camogie season.
Sunday's All-Ireland Senior Club Camogie final, featuring St Finbarr's of Cork and Athenry of Galway, will be broadcast live on RTÉ2, with throw-in at 4.15pm.

https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/courts/part-of-legal-battle-over-proposed-17bn-a5-upgrade-to-be-sent-back-to-high-court/a1645208024.html

Part of a legal battle over the proposed £1.7bn A5 road upgrade is to be sent back to the High Court, senior judges ordered today.

Two Stormont departments are currently involved in an appeal against a ruling that halted the major dual carriageway scheme for not complying with climate change targets.

But Lady Chief Justice Dame Siobhan Keegan confirmed that a newly raised point must first be determined by the judge who quashed the decision to approve the project.

The issue, related to the potential impact on Northern Ireland achieving net zero goals, emerged at the start of the hearing in the Court of Appeal.

"Suffice to say we find ourselves in a difficult and unsatisfactory position," Dame Siobhan said.

"We are going to remit part of this appeal to the first instance judge to hear arguments on the case now advanced by DFI (Department for Infrastructure) and Daera (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs)."

Soccer is based on an sectarian entity, any of the above is mere mitigation.

The thing is, Soccer was always an all-Ireland sport, until the Partitionist 26 Counties seceded and formed their own, separatist entity.

The game was based in Belfast. Bohemians and Shelbourne won the Cup. 8 out of 10 teams were from Belfast.  Soccer is partitionist. Rugby and GAA aren't. 

Lifestyle diseases may not be the main factor but they are certainly significant. 10s of billions per annum and I'd reckon a large proportion of those people in hospital or treatment for obesity or smoking/alcohol/drug related issues are contributing little to nothing in taxes.

Mortality rates are higher for working class people. Chronic disease is correlated with early death. Smokers die younger as well.

SN Loughrea fixed for Parnell, horrible venue for any game, will definitely guarantee a physical game.

Really impressed with St Martins, however so many of them had a elite level game be hard to get back to those heights again next day out, hoping the can do as it should be a cracker match up.

Credit to BH for hanging in there with them when they were pretty much outplayed for most of the game and they were still in with a shout of winning it in injury time, serious outfit.

https://m.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/sport/gaa/ulster-champions-discover-venues-for-all-ireland-hurling-semi-final-clashes/a1931829174.html

Slaughtneil's All-Ireland Hurling Club Semi-Final against Galway club Loughrea has been set for Parnell Park in Dublin on Sunday December 21, with a 1:30pm throw-in time.

It is a familiar location for the Ulster champions, who are aiming to reach a first All-Ireland Final having been to the last-four five times before, with two of those being held at Parnell Park.

https://www.ft.com/content/2084e87d-d491-4852-8449-f90b73d4788b

In July 2024, DHL parcels exploded in logistics centres in the UK, Poland and Germany. Each of them was powerful enough to have brought down a cargo plane had they detonated onboard. Security services would eventually trace the plot back to a group of Russian-directed saboteurs who had a further 6kg of explosive material in their possession. That was enough to give them the capability for what security officials told the Financial Times was the next stage of the plan: to attack flights to the US, and cause more disruption to the airline industry than any act of terror since the World Trade Center attacks. It was just one near-miss incident in a co-ordinated and covert campaign of sabotage led by Moscow, officials believe, that has sown bewilderment across the continent and is steadily posing more of a risk to human lives.

US gov now explicit in its intentions, should see a few "coups" of EU nations in years to come. The hypocrisy is incredible given they helped create the mess and have occupation forces in Europe.

"Should present trends continue, the continent will be unrecognizable in 20 years or less. As such, it is far from obvious whether certain European countries will have economies and militaries strong enough to remain reliable allies. Many of these nations are currently doubling down on their present path. We want Europe to remain European, to regain its civilizational self-confidence"

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/26341769-2025-national-security-strategy/

They think immigration will overwhelm Europe. This is projection. The US white majority will become a minority. Feliz Navidad.

https://www.ft.com/content/e05535aa-4dbb-4cb5-998b-7495e96c59a9

*** Most concerning for leaders across the Atlantic is that the strategy portrays a Europe still committed to values and institutions not as an ally but as a rival or even a threat. The EU is accused of undermining political liberty and sovereignty. US officials bemoan a supposed contradiction between an EU that promotes policies "adverse" to US interests, such as the climate transition and tech regulation, and a Nato alliance — with many members in common — that still expects America to ride to its defence. There is a touch of absurdity to a document that vaunts the merits of national sovereignty while advocating — through support for populist nationalist parties in Europe — direct interference in other nations' sovereign affairs. Yet the strategy sets the course for a rupture that many in Europe have feared but have been reluctant to admit.