Following a significant prisoner swap with Russia, a former US marine of Irish origin is among the liberated Americans recently returned to the US. Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, the US President and Vice President respectively, met with three of the newly freed American prisoners; Evan Gershkovich, a Wall Street Journal reporter, Paul Whelan, the Irish citizen, and journalist Alsu Kurmasheva. Their reunion with their families, coupled with their official greeting, took place at Andrews air force Base near Washington DC.
Many members of the press were present on this humid evening, eager to catch sight of the released captives who had collectively spent almost ten years held captive in Russia. Included in the liberation were a total of 16 prisoners, hailing from America, Russia, and Germany, who were set free by Russia in return for the release of eight Russians by the US, Germany, Norway, Slovenia, and Poland. Among the returnees to Russia were numerous secret spies and an assassin from the FSB, whom the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, had been fervently trying to release from German incarceration for a significant period.
Meanwhile, in Ireland, far-right activists supporting anti-immigration demonstrations have received backing in the form of propaganda posters created by American extremists, who are connected to a well-known neo-Nazi group.
Intel, the semiconductor manufacturer, is planning a noticeable restructuring by cutting around 15% of its jobs and suspending its dividend. Although there has been no specific mention of which positions will be affected, if the cutbacks are implemented in their Irish Leixlip operation, it could potentially mean the loss of approximately 735 jobs located at the Co Kildare site.
In other news, the Olympics continue with Irish representatives competing for medals. It has been a promising week with a medal being won each day. The Irish are hopeful for the coming Friday with three rowing finals ahead, Robert Dickson and Sean Waddilove in the rescheduled skiff medal race and the Irish showjumping team competing in their final.
In Dublin, a solicitor specialising in immigration no longer feels secure in the city. This follows his receipt of threats relating to violence and arson online, resulting in him reporting the incidence to the local police.
Forecasters at Met Éireann have predicted a mixed bag of weather with sunny periods expected in the east during the morning hours, coupled with a generally cloudy day overall, with sparse light rain and drizzle. Persistent, and occasionally heavy, rain is expected to originate from the west coast and move eastwards. However, it is anticipated that the rain will lighten as it traverses the east in the afternoon. Concurrently, clearer, largely dry weather, accompanied by sunshine, is predicted to hit the west. Temperatures are set to range from 17 to 23 degrees.
In swimming news, the past week marks a significant milestone for Irish swimming, amidst revelations of past indiscretions. In Paris, thrilling performances from McSharry and Wiffen stirred emotions, concurrently in Dublin, notorious child molester Derry O’Rourke made a court apology for the lasting trauma inflicted on a woman under his care. This account was narrated by Johnny Watterson.
In the opinions column, Ronan McGreevy states that Ireland is far from populated to capacity, noting that South Korea supports a population 10 times larger on a similar land mass while Gerard Howlin ponders the odds of Sinn Féin making significant progress on housing.
Business features highlight an east Clare-based US biomedical behemoth. Here, on a uncomfortably muggy July Thursday, local and national politicians, state officials, and a miscellany of journalists waited for the Irish leader of Beckman Coulter to begin his address.
In sports, controversy surrounds the defeat of Daina Moorehouse in Olympic boxing, with her coach condemning the ruling as a shocking twist in the match result. This decision upset many present in the North Paris Arena who weren’t French nationals or among the adjudicators. Ian O’Riordan shares his views on the topic.
In what has been perceived as an unsettling move, Donald Trump made remarks during an interview at the annual gathering of black journalists in Chicago that questioned Vice-President Kamala Harris’s racial heritage. The audience, which had pre-emptively braced for a contentious debate, instantly reacted with growing disapproval that intensified from a murmur to a full-out roar.
In the entertainment realm, Ciara Kelly from Newstalk’s morning show is aiming for victory by navigating tricky discussions with family members of medal-awarding athletes, while her co-presenter, Shane Coleman, avoids Olympic responsibilities. This situation is due to the Olympian success stories being committed to training or being otherwise unreachable.
In relation to film censorship, the leanings are relatively liberal towards sexual content, while treading lightly when it comes to suicide.