Lisa Smith, the former soldier who left Ireland to join IS in Syria and who was married to an IS fighter, is due back in Ireland in the coming days.

The "complex and sensitive" operation to repatriate Lisa Smith and her young daughter could take weeks, rather than days, the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs has revealed.

This antiquated practice is the worst form of gender inequality and it contravenes UN health, education, and economic targets, says Moha Ennaji.

A pair of old friends from Barcelona came to stay with us for a week in August, as they do every summer, welcoming Ireland’s breezy climate as a respite from the 40C heat endured throughout much of Spain.

I have a few things to report on this week but in particular I want to talk about a re-tasting of the wines of Mandrarossa, an excellent Sicilian producer I mentioned first a year ago.

Triathlete Carolyn Hayes is flat out. Since October 2018, she’s literally been racing around the world.

The solicitor representing Irish woman Lisa Smith who travelled to join Islamic State in Syria, is calling on the Irish government to bring her home and if necessary prosecute her under Irish law.

Fungie is officially the longest living solitary dolphin on the planet, according to a new study. Since his arrival into Dingle, Co Kerry, 35 years ago, the now middle-aged bottlenose dolphin has become a national treasure.

The Irish army will not be flying into Syria to help Irish ISIS bride Lisa Smith return home, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

"To be honest I don't think I will be going back, ever."

Migration cannot be addressed through stricter immigration laws. Policymakers must tackle underlying causes — beginning with a broken global food system, writes Danielle Nierenberg.

A boat carrying 86 migrants from Libya has sunk in the Mediterranean.

Foreign terrorist fighters have travelled from Ireland to North Africa, the EU police agency says.

Foreign terrorist fighters have travelled from Ireland to North Africa, the EU police agency says.

It is reported several people are injured after a suicide bomber blew himself up in Tunisia.

The abandoned second leg of the CAF Champions League final between Esperance and Wydad Casablanca is to be replayed at a neutral venue after this month's Africa Cup of Nations.

Travel giant TUI said its first-half losses deepened due to airline overcapacity for Spain and the grounding of its 15 Boeing 737 Max planes, two issues that could plague the Anglo-German tour operator over the rest of the year.

So that’s Friday nearly wrapped up. Here’s some of the stories we published on irishexaminer.com today which we hope will help you make sense of it all this evening.

As many as 70 migrants have drowned after their boat capsized in the Mediterranean Sea, according to a UN migration official and Tunisia's state news agency.

Algeria’s economy is on its knees and the electorate is fed up of paying obeisance to an elderly demagogue, writes Zaki Laidi

Sri Lanka’s burgeoning reputation for Irish honeymooners and well-off holidaymakers will take a hit that will be difficult to recover from in the short term after the terror attacks on Easter Sunday.

The Government should not find it too difficult to meet its responsibility in facilitating the return of former Air Corps corporal Lisa Smith and her child from Syria, UN special rapporteur Fionnuala Ní Aoláin has said.

Tunisian authorities have given seven suspects life terms and handed out other sentences after a trial over two separate attacks that killed around 60 people in 2015 - mainly tourists.

When baking for someone who has an allergy or who does not eat certain ingredients I often think it is better to find a recipe that is intended to be made without that ingredient.

A day after being put under investigation by Fifa for complaining about the refereeing of their 2-1 World Cup loss to Switzerland and misbehaviour by fans, Serbia’s football association has filed an official complaint with the sport’s governing body alleging “biased officiating” by referee Feliz Brych.

Belgium coach Roberto Martinez has apologised to journalists for making their lives harder by putting an end to the dramas and in-fighting that have characterised Belgian squads in the past.

There will be 100 Premier League players in action at the World Cup, spread across 25 international teams.

Instead of trapping asylum-seekers in years of residency appeals, people from obviously dangerous places should be allowed stay. Others should be judged on integration, says Leonid Bershidsky.

Boris Johnson sowed confusion over England's World Cup involvement - before his team rejected suggestions that Gareth Southgate's squad could be pulled from the competition.

The brother of an Athlone woman killed in a terrorist attack in Tunisia has called on world leaders to make more efforts to tackle gun crime.

Here's your morning news bulletin...

The draw has been held for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Celebrated choreographer Nacera Belaza says a history of suffering in a culture can manifest itself in the way dancers approach their work, writes Ellie O’Byrne.

Travel group Thomas Cook reported lower profit margins in its British business due to tough competition in Spain, sending its shares down more than 10% and leaving it reliant on a recovery in Egypt and Turkey to ease the pressure.

Eight Tunisian migrants have died and a further 20 are missing after a Tunisian naval ship collided with their boat, the UN migration agency said.

Tunisia's parliament has adopted a hotly disputed law giving amnesty to thousands of people linked to corruption under its former authoritarian regime.

Irish holidaymakers are unlikely to return to Tunisia in the near future, despite tour operator, Thomas Cook, restarting the route for UK visitors.

Barcelona is a new kind of target. It is one of the top five city break destinations in Europe and the biggest that is not a national capital.

Lebanon's parliament has abolished a law which allowed rapists to avoid prison by marrying their victims.

The number of Irish people travelling to Egypt and Turkey has fallen amid terrorist attacks and an uncertain political arena in the once-popular tourist hotspots.

European holidaymakers could turn to destinations such as Bulgaria and Cape Verde if they want to avoid high prices in busy Spanish destinations, the chief executive of European tourism group TUI said.

The country’s diplomatic and consular services would struggle to cope if Irish citizens were caught up in two or more terrorist attacks abroad at the same time.

Three popular beaches have been forced to lower their coveted Blue Flag.

Incidents of terrorism have taken their toll on traditional Irish holidaymaker destinations such as Disneyland Paris and Kusadasi in Turkey, the boss of the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) has said.