Simon Harris

Britain and Ireland have taken differing stances regarding the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu following the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant issued against him. While the UK has indicated it would comply with the ICC's legal obligations, it refrained from commenting on the specifics of Netanyahu's case.

Ireland's European parliament elections finally concluded early Friday with all 14 seats filled after a marathon five-day count — the longest in the 27-member bloc.

The governing centre-right parties Fine Gael, led by Taoiseach (prime minister) Simon Harris, and Fianna Fail led by deputy premier Micheal Martin won four seats each.

Spain, Ireland and Norway are formally recognizing a Palestinian state on Tuesday in a decision slammed by Israel as a "reward" for Hamas more than seven months into the devastating Gaza war.

The three European countries believe their initiative has strong symbolic impact, which is likely to encourage others to follow suit.

Norway, Ireland and Spain announced on Wednesday that they will recognize a Palestinian state from May 28, sparking delight from Palestinian leaders and fury from Israel.

The three nations hope other countries will follow but Europe remains split over the issue as the Israel-Hamas war rages. France said it was not the right time to give recognition however.

Ireland is certain to recognise Palestinian statehood by the end of May, the country's foreign minister said Wednesday, without specifying a date.

"We will be recognising the state of Palestine before the end of the month," Micheal Martin, who is also Ireland's deputy prime minister, told the Newstalk radio station.

In a historic turn of events, Simon Harris has been appointed as Ireland's youngest-ever prime minister, following a parliamentary vote on Monday. The 37-year-old politician, known for his leadership during the early stages of Ireland's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, takes the helm after the unexpected resignation of former Prime Minister Leo Varadkar.

The Irish government on Monday urged Greece to follow its example and keep working with its international creditors on averting a default and possible exit from the euro.

Deputy finance minister Simon Harris said he was "frustrated" by the hard-left Greek government's refusal to accept proposed reforms because it was elected earlier this year on an anti-austerity ticket.