Miscellaneous

Miscellaneous

Internet exchange AMS-IX will withdraw from the United States in March 2026. The company will then close its nodes in Chicago and the San Francisco Bay Area. The focus will shift to emerging markets in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The withdrawal is the result of a strategic reassessment by CEO Peter van Burgel. "Now is the time to evaluate our activities, and we believe that our efforts will be better served elsewhere," he says.

Stellantis N.V. ( NYSE: STLA) has signed a deal with Estonia-based ride-hailing platform Bolt to deploy driverless vehicles across Europe, with plans to begin on-road trials in 2026. The transaction will integrate Stellantis autonomous vehicle platforms with Bolt's ride-hailing network, which serves more than 200 million customers in over 50 countries, including the 23 member states of the European Union.

We will all die, that's the one thing we're sure of, and this cost hits you right at the time when you're most vulnerable,

Money transfer service Remitly set out to find the world's least stressful city to live in. Researchers looked at 170 locations around the globe, focusing on five key metrics to paint a picture of how stressful it is to live in each: the average time to travel 10 kilometers (about 6.2 miles), annual pollution levels, cost of living index, health care quality and accessibility, and a crime index based on perceived safety and security citizens expressed on worldwide surveys.

The dispersed hosting model-which will be used going forward during the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps and the 2034 edition in Salt Lake City, Utah -is in line with the Olympic Committee's suggestions for host cities to use existing venues to reduce costs and prioritize sustainability. "The signal we're giving to hosts is to use what already exists, where people have the know-how and where they're equipped," says Christophe Dubi, Olympic Games executive director for the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Across Europe we are witnessing an escalation in hybrid threats - from physical through to cyber - designed to weaken critical national infrastructure, undermine our interests and interfere in our democracies all for the advantage of malign foreign states,

"We will be able to reject people that have no reason for asylum in Europe and return them faster," Danish minister Rasmus Stoklund said.

On 4 December, EBU members voted to bring in new rules preventing governments and third parties from disproportionate campaigns to promote their country's acts, but decided not to vote on Israel's inclusion in the competition. In a statement, the EBU said that "the Eurovision song contest 2026 should proceed as planned" with Israel competing, despite the country's military action in Gaza. As a result, four countries - Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and the Netherlands - confirmed that they will not partake in the 2026 contest, which will take place in Vienna next May.

One of the market's main focal points is Wednesday's Fed meeting, where not only the interest rate decision will be announced, but also a new Summary of Economic Projections. These projections will serve as a guide to evaluate the policy outlook for 2025-2026, particularly in an environment of more controlled inflation and signs of economic cooling. Investors are seeking clarity on how many additional rate cuts might be considered in the near term.

In 2024, ASML sold an essential component for chip machines to a Chinese military research institute. The deliveries raise questions about the effectiveness of Dutch export controls, while the government claims that not all components require a license. This is according to research by Nieuwsuur. The component ended up at the 24th Research Institute of the China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC). The Chinese government designates this state entity as a military-industrial group and develops high-quality defense technology for missile systems and drones.

Tadhg Farrell and his grand-aunt Mary Holt died after house in Edenderry was firebombed Associates of a drugs gang being investigated over the arson attack that killed a young boy and his grand-aunt in Offaly are suspected of carrying out more than a dozen firebombings. Mary Holt (60) and her grandnephew Tadhg Farrell (4) died after the family home in Edenderry was torched on Saturday night in what gardaí described as a "murderous attack".

It is designed to celebrate and promote cultural diversity on the continent, strengthen European citizens' sense of belonging to a shared cultural space, and foster culture's contribution to urban development. In practice, the designation has proven to be a catalyst for urban regeneration, tourism growth, the strengthening of cities' international profiles, and the improvement of how they are perceived by their own residents.

"Gardaí and emergency services responded to medical incident which occurred at a sports facility in Longford town today, Monday December 8 at approximately 10.40am," said a garda spokesperson. "A man, aged in his 50s, was taken to the Regional Hospital Mullingar where he was pronounced deceased. The Health and Safety Authority has been notified (and) the local Coroner has been informed. "A post-mortem examination will take place in due course, the results of which will determine the course of the investigation."

Following the health concerns during the summer that forced her to withdraw from the presidential election, Mairead McGuinness is back on the circuit. The former MEP and European Commissioner has been spotted at two gigs with a European flavour in recent weeks. She saw Enda Kenny presented with the inaugural Trinity European Laureate Award a few weeks back and attended the European Movement Christmas party in the Mansion House last week.

Philip Murphy is already serving a 10-year sentence for two random sex attacks on women in Dublin city centre His brother, Michael Murphy (48), was also jailed today for rape His half brother, Thomas Ryan, has waived his anonymity so Philip Murphy can be named A "most dangerous sexual predator" has been jailed for 15 years for the repeated rape and sexual abuse of his younger brother and two young girls 30 years ago.

While traders admit the annual market, Dublin's oldest, is a dying tradition, they're determined to keep the old spirit alive

The duration of a total solar eclipse always varies. In April 2024, the eclipse that crossed North America lasted 4 minutes and 28 seconds. By contrast, the one that will reach Spain in August 2026 will only last 1 minute and 43 seconds. In less than two years, both will be put to shame by the longest conjunction of the century.

Guests feasted on oysters and Guinness with mulled wine and Champagne and seasonal cocktails The couple booked out the entire castle for their ceremony Ryan Tubridy and his new wife Dr Clare Kambamettu married in a "beautiful" and "intimate" ceremony at a castle in the heart of Connemara yesterday. The beaming couple tied the knot in a civil ceremony at their favourite hotel, the Abbeyglen Castle Hotel in Clifden, in front of just over 100 guests.