News about Michael D. Higgins

Harris, 37, will become Ireland's youngest-ever prime minister when he is formally installed in the role at a ceremony with President Michael D. Higgins. The centre-right Fine Gael party - part of a three-party governing coalition - selected Harris as its leader following an uncontested election after Varadkar's resignation. Parliamentarians on Tuesday voted 88 to 69 in favour of him becoming 'taoiseach' - a Gaelic word for 'chieftain' or 'leader'. On accepting the nomination, Harris told parliament: 'I commit to doing everything that I can to honour the trust that you have placed in me today. This is very much a partnership government and I intend to lead us in the spirit of unity, collaboration and mutual respect,' he said, watched on by his wife and children. 'I want to bring new ideas and new energy and I hope a new empathy to public life. Time is certainly short, and there's a lot to do,' Harris added.

MacGowan (left), 65, died on Thursday after an eight-year battle with a brain disorder that culminated in an outpouring of praise from fans and public figures; Ireland's President Michael D. Higgins dubbed him "one of music's top lyricists." For the first time, his death has sparked a revival in the fight for Fairytale of New York, the 1987 duet performed by Kirsty MacColl (pictured right with MacGowan) to number one, and chart results show that the song is well on the way to conquer the feat. The Official Charts' midweek review (inset), which was released on Monday, shows that the song is now number 23, up 22 places from the previous midweek chart, outpacing hits from Band Aid, Elton John, Chris Rea, and Paul McCartney.

The bloodbath was only ended when Caio Benicio, a Brazilian Deliveroo driver, knocked down the knifeman with his helmet, and the bloodbath was over. I didn't even make a decision, it was pure intuition, and it was all over in seconds.' I didn't know where the knife went, and other people stepped in,' he told The Journal last night. Following the brutal knife assault outside Gaelscoil Mhuire in Parnell Square East, unsubstantiated reports of the perpetrator being a foreign national began to circulate on social media. Protesters against immigration later flooded the Irish capital and sparked a riot. There has been no word on the suspect's nationality, but gardai insist the incident is not terror-related. He is an Irish citizen who was not born in the country but has lived there for a number of years, according to the Irish Independent. Detectives are said to have been arrested as a result of a 'psychotic episode' prior to the assault.

It's been a significant part of their private life and their public appeal. It's all about Prince William's 'great laugh' with his wife, owing to his 'naughty sense of humour,' as he said. On her visit to a Royal Navy air base in Somerset, 41-year-old Kate burst into infectious laughter when attempting to an emergency lifejacket and inflating it. In fact, laughter has resurfaced in her public appearances.

Sinéad O'Connor's family is reaching out with a new note to fans as the world continues to mourn the loss of her son. The singer's family expressed gratitude in the aftermath of her tragic and unexpected death last month in the proclamation, which was published in the Irish Times over the weekend.