The Irish Post

SOCCER. The Emergency. We really are a trivial country sometimes. Not small, not globally insignificant, not simply an island with an island's insularity, but trivial. Admittedly, this World Cup is different in that it has a particular whiff about it that isn't pleasant. Think FIFA, think Infantino, think Trump.

IRISH alternative duo Havvk have released their fourth album, Time Will Kill, on Veta Records. Vocalist Julie Hough (co-founder of Veta Records) took time out this week to answer our questions... ‘Aerials’ by System of a Down. Brings me back to a very specific moment in my teens where I was just so hungry for new music. I would say it’s a toss-up of early St Vincent and Sleater-Kinney. Open mic nights in London! That’s where Matt and met.

TWO of Ireland's leading contemporary poets will come together at the Irish Cultural Centre in London later this month for a special evening celebrating the launch of their latest collections. Where the Lines Meet, on Wednesday, July 21, will see acclaimed poets Martina Evans and Mícheál McCann read from new works that have already attracted significant critical attention.

ACTOR Ruth Negga is among the stars who feature in a new television show exploring Trinity College Dublin’s Old Library. The Limerick star will appear in RTÉ’s Trinity Treasures, a three-part series which begins tomorrow. Ruth Negga in Trinity's Treasures It sees famous graduates, such as Negga, get unprecedented access to the library – which is the largest of any university in Ireland - during its first major renovation in over 300 years.

IRELAND has committed to sending relief items to the people of Venezuela following the two devastating earthquakes which destroyed parts of the country last month. The kits, which are being provided to GOAL and CESVI – a partner of Concern Worldwide, contain essential supplies for displaced people. They include blankets, tarpaulins, kitchen sets, and water jerry cans.

MEMBERS of the public have widely rejected a proposal to ban the use of sunbeds in Ireland. A public consultation on the matter has found the majority of respondents were opposed to a ban, believing adults should “be free to make their own health choices”. The consultation was launched in 2025 after the government confirmed it was considering outlawing the use of tanning beds in order to reduce cancer rates across the country.

AER LINGUS has announced that up to 500 jobs could be lost at the airline as it seeks to secure its future amid ‘continuing challenges’. The Irish airline, which is headquartered in Dublin, confirmed changes to its network today which include reducing employee costs, removing poor performing routes and reducing its overall flying capacity. Under the cost-saving plan, 290 head office roles at Dublin Airport could be lost, while 140 cabin roles and 70 pilot positions are also under threat.

A NEW CEO has been appointed at Very.ie. Henry Dummer was revealed as the new head of the online retailer’s Irish operations this week, Dummer comes to the role with more than two decades of experience across retail, telecommunications, financial services and consumer goods. He has previously held senior leadership and marketing roles with organisations including Bank of Ireland, where he served as Chief Marketing Officer, Tesco Ireland and Diageo.

A WITNESS appeal has been launched following a burglary at a home in Belfast last night. A man entered a house in the Castlereagh Place area in the east of the city at atounf 9.10pm last night and threatened the residents inside. Police have confirmed that they are treating the incvident as a ‘racially motivated hate crime’.

TWO men wanted in Belgium have been arrested in Northern Ireland. One man, aged 36, was arrested in Omagh last night, while the second man, aged 39, was arrested in the Castlederg area. Both men are wanted to serve a four-year prison sentence for drugs trafficking – relating to offences that occurred in the West Flanders area of Belgium in 2021. The pair were detained on Belgian extradition warrants, and both are due to appear before Laganside Extradition Court today.