From Barcelona to Paris, cities thrive with women in charge. It’s all about sharing public space | Melissa and Chris Bruntlett Female mayors have had notable successes in making transport in urban areas benefit everyone, write Melissa and Chris Bruntlett, co-authors of Women Changing Cities

#population #urbanisation #gender
From Barcelona to Paris, cities thrive with women in charge. It’s all about sharing public space
www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

President signs International Protection Bill into law President Catherine Connolly has signed the International Protection Bill and will not refer it to the Supreme Court.

President signs International Protection Bill into law
www.rte.ie/news/ireland...

How Ireland’s war-driven fuel blockades revealed the true cost of Europe’s oil addiction Donald Trump’s conflict with Iran could speed the EU’s green revolution – if panicking governments can hold their nerve on clean energy

#fossilfuels #war #dependency

How Ireland’s war-driven fuel blockades revealed the true cost of Europe’s oil addiction
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...

World food systems ‘pushed to the brink’ by extreme heat, UN warns Severe heatwaves in commonly hot regions could leave farmers unable to work outside, with livestock mortality rates expected to rise

#globalsystems #food #foodsecruity
World food systems ‘pushed to the brink’ by extreme heat, UN warns
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...

Heatwaves, floods and wildfires pose rising threat to democracy, report finds Research shows natural hazards linked to climate crisis disrupted 23 elections in 18 countries in 2024

#Heatwaves, #floods and #wildfires pose rising threat to #democracy, report finds
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

7,900 died, disappeared on migration routes in 2025: UN Around 7,900 people died or disappeared on migration routes in 2025, taking the total dead and missing since 2014 beyond 80,000, the United Nations' migration agency has said.

Around 7,900 people died or disappeared on migration routes in 2025, taking the total dead and missing since 2014 beyond 80,000, the #UN's #migration agency has said.
www.rte.ie/news/world/2...

Rather than resume military strikes, President Donald Trump opted to extend a two-week ceasefire with Iran soon before it was set to expire. This time, he did not specify an end date. https://cnn.it/4cY8pQ7

Virginia voters just handed Democrats another win in the Great Redistricting Wars Trump’s gerrymandering efforts are backfiring.

Trump's gerrymandering efforts are backfiring. www.vox.com/politics/486...

Why nature risk for companies is far bigger than deforestation Companies face no shortage of threats to their supply chains right now, yet one is rapidly rising to the fore: the swift decline of the world’s natural ecosystems. For international commodity traders ...

Ecosystem destruction is moving from a reputational concern to a material financial risk, ​costing industries $430 billion per year, according to a recent study.
www.reuters.com/sustainabili...

PI Briefing | No. 10 | Who Decides Elections, communes, and coups: the fight for popular democracy in Latin America intensifies.

"What is playing out across Latin America in 2026 is a confrontation between two architectures."

The 10th Progressive International Briefing of 2026 is online now.

'Predator' leaders seeking new 'world order' - Amnesty The leaders of the United States, Israel and Russia are seeking to impose a new "predatory" world order while most countries are too cowardly to stop them, rights group Amnesty International said.

Amnesty warns that 'predator' leaders seeking to impose new 'world order'
www.rte.ie/news/world/2...

Govt downgrades growth forecasts, predicts higher surplus The Department of Finance has downgraded its growth forecasts but is projecting a big jump in the Government surplus.

Government of Ireland downgrades growth forecasts for this year
www.rte.ie/news/busines...

Energy crisis not easing but intensifying, says Sinn Féin Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has told the Dáil that the energy crisis is not easing, it is intensifying.

Iran war puts pressure on food chains in Ireland and globally
www.rte.ie/news/ireland...

Why your recycled clothes could end up in the Atacama desert Old garments from around the world are being discarded in the South American country.

Why your recycled clothes could end up in this South American desert
www.bbc.com/news/article...

EU Court rules Hungary's anti LGTBQ+ law breaches core values The European Court of Justice rules that Hungary's 2021 Child Protection Law unlawfully discriminates against LGTBQ+ community; the first time a member state has been found in violation of EU fundamen...

EU Court rules Orbán's anti
#LGTBQ + law breaches core values, calls on Budapest to cancel it
www.euronews.com/my-europe/20...

US spending on ‘reckless’ Iran war could have saved 87m lives, says UN Head of UN’s humanitarian agency frustrated that $2bn weekly cost of conflict comes amid big cuts to aid budgets

US spending on ‘reckless’ Iran war could have saved 87m lives, says UN
www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...

Myanmar military regime widens sanitary towel ban, claiming rebels use them for first aid Activists say clamp down on period products to target insurgents is gender-based violence and violates rights

#patriarchy #womensrights
Myanmar military regime widens sanitary towel ban, claiming rebels use them for first aid
www.theguardian.com/global-devel...

Weather tracker: temperatures in Spain and Brazil well above late April norm Seville could see 34C this week and parts of Brazil could hit high 30s, while storms forecast in southern Africa

#Weather tracker: temperatures in Spain and Brazil well above late April norm
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Electric car sales soar 51% in mainland Europe as Iran war drives up fuel prices Data shows 224,000 new EVs were registered in March, with Norway leading way in terms of switching

#sustainabledevelopment #consumerism #geopolitics #EVs
Electric car sales soar 51% in Europe as Iran war drives up fuel prices
www.theguardian.com/environment/...

Decline in farming, religion and the growth of Dublin: 1926 census shows how things have changed CSO figures show how Ireland has changed between 1926 and 2022.

#population
From farming to religion, the #CSO has compared the 1926 census to the most recent census in 2022. But what exactly has changed in Ireland over the last century?
www.thejournal.ie/1926-census-...

Japan issues tsunami alert after strong earthquake The 7.4-magnitude quake off northern Iwate prefecture could be felt as far as Tokyo. Residents have been urged to evacuate northern coastal regions ahead of a tsunami.

#Japan issues #tsunami alert after strong #earthquake
www.dw.com/en/japan-iss...

Sudan war enters fourth year as child hunger crisis deepens Sudan’s war has displaced millions, leaving parts of the country facing famine. Aid agencies warn children are bearing the brunt as food shortages worsen and humanitarian funding declines.

#UNCRC #hunger #Sudan #War #Population
Sudan war enters fourth year as child hunger crisis deepens
www.dw.com/en/sudan-war...

Elon Musk skips probe as France investigates X French prosecutors are investigating whether content generated by X's AI chatbot Grok contributed to the spread of child sexual abuse material, explicit deepfakes and Holocaust denial.

#mediacontrol #mediaownership #media
Elon Musk skips probe as France investigates X
www.dw.com/en/france-pr...

Reconstruction of Gaza will cost $71 billion, says Kallas The cost of reconstructing Gaza will run to $71bn, according to the EU's foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas.

#development #globalcooperation #gaza #conflict #humanrights
Reconstruction of #Gaza will cost $71 billion, says EU foreign policy chief
www.rte.ie/news/middle-...

President Connolly to meet with Council of State The Council of State is to meet today to consider the constitutionality of the International Protection Bill 2026.

The Council of State is to meet today to consider the constitutionality of the International Protection Bill 2026.

248 US military flights over Ireland went unreported due to ‘administrative error’ Irish Times investigation finds almost 250 more overflights than previously disclosed by Department of Foreign Affairs

248 US military flights over Ireland went unreported due to ‘administrative error’

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EU population to fall by 12% by 2100: Which countries most affected?
➡️ https://l.euronews.com/TVgk

Simon Harris to include ‘worst case’ circumstance in economic forecast Economy in good shape despite ‘fluid and volatile’ global situation, says Minister for Finance

Simon Harris to include ‘worst case’ circumstance in economic forecast

Fossil fuel power falls despite Hormuz crisis as renewables step in Fears of a ‘coal comeback’ triggered by the Iran war energy crisis are not supported by the data.

Solar and wind outpace coal as energy crisis fails to spark fossil fuel revival
www.euronews.com/2026/04/20/s...