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Irish Times

August 2026

Saoirse Ronan to make her directorial debut at Venice film festival

First held in 1932, the event evolved into, after Cannes, the second most significant film festival on the calendar

It’s a privilege to work again with the incomparable Martin McDonagh who, with Wild Horse Nine, once again masterfully blends emotional nuance with razor-sharp dark comedy.”
The project was financed by Sergei Adoniev, a Russian businessman sanctioned by both the United States and Ukraine and credibly linked to Putin’s regime,

A jungle war emerges in southern Ukraine’s vanished reservoir

Since the Russian army blew up the Kakhovka Dam three years ago, draining the reservoir, the former flood plain has become a forest of reeds, scrub and willow thickets

They have already brought everything there, set up observation posts and staging areas for troop concentrations, which is exactly what they need to do.”
There were times when we spent three days looking for one of our own fighters, not to mention enemy soldiers,
We started retreating because the contact was too close,
In the reeds, it’s like the old kind of war, like at the beginning of the full-scale invasion: direct contact,
We are looking for them, and they are looking for us,
It is opaque, difficult, disorienting and very dangerous,
They are trying to control the entire reservoir,
Their task is to sit, listen and pass on information,
Many people are returning from captivity, and they talk about what captivity is really like and what the actual situation is,

Irish honey, Chinese bees: Labelling law change makes clear true origins of Irish brands

Due to a printing error, a number of labels on Boyne Valley Pure & Natural Honey packaging were not as visually clear as intended, impacting the legibility of the ‘country of origin’ details,

Plan to set 13 as EU-wide minimum age for social media access to be discussed

Plans to set an EU-wide minimum age limit restricting under-13s from accessing social media are to be discussed at a special meeting being organised by the Government next month

Gianni Infantino jets off in search kindlier footballing friends

Naturally, then, he’s been taking himself off to places where he’d expect to be greeted by somewhat friendlier faces, like in Vietnam last week

Pierre Sagecrystal Palace manager
I don’t know the word for higher than a genius. Maybe God?”
We’re really sorry fans missed their stop on the way to the game and sincerely hope they still managed to make it for kick-off,
This is what Fifa is about,... about developing, about bringing the best of football in every corner of the world”.

Tusla crisis: Children under care of the State left ‘wandering the streets’

We have qualified staff, all of them are social care qualified... We’ve done practically everything that Tusla has wanted,
The decision of the panel is NOT to recommend this company... for approval,
On balance the greater risk seems to be to delay the opening of this centre and continue to place children in hotels,
It would appear to be a straightforward message to them that unless they can satisfy our criteria, then we do not have business for them,
It may adversely impact the public’s perception of the agency if [Tusla] were to engage former staff in business immediately after they retire or resign from their role,
We were kind of amazed that we weren’t approved... Tusla are not giving people a chance to prove themselves,
The risks associated with staying in hotels are much higher,
The review panel were not aware of any previous situation that arose which resulted in a company requesting and receiving higher costs outside of the relevant process,

Monday set to be dry and sunny but more autumnal weather on way

While Monday is expected to feature just a few isolated showers, cloud will increase through the day with more in the way of showers later in the afternoon and evening, mainly in Ulster and Connacht

Provincial matters come to a heady end as Munster get the job done once more

That’s probably the most complete performance from the defensive side of things and to not concede a try in the second half and score one of our own given the conditions reflected that,

University is a chance to remake yourself. No one knows if you were shy at school

In some countries, most undergraduates leave home and move to a new city at the age of 18

State-backed lender asked to examine loan schemes for medical graduates and electric vehicles

Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris also told the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) to consider the feasibility of a loan scheme to support individuals and households to buy electric vehicles

Nepal-Tibet floods: rescuers race to reach 900 people believed trapped in hydropower tunnels

Raja Ram Basnetnepal army spokesperson
A large amount of debris has been deposited, and that is posing us a big challenge to opening the tunnels,
Despite the adverse weather, difficult terrain and continuing risks, we are moving forward with determination to save the lives of our citizens,

Homelessness overtakes addiction as main issue for Ana Liffey service users

Dawn Alexanderwife Lord James Russell
As I look ahead, I can see new challenges on our path. Increasing domestic violence, increasing homelessness, new and potent street drugs and a notable rise in stigma towards those who society has let down,
It’s not always the case that homeless people are using substances. Neither is it the case that all of our clients using substances are homeless. These social harms can impact lives all across Ireland, regardless of background or other factors,