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COVID is officially no longer a global health emergency – here’s what that means (and what we’ve learned along the way)
Prostock-studio/Shutterstock World Health Organisation (WHO) experts have officially declared that COVID no longer constitutes a public health emergency of international concern (Pheic). This coincides with the WHO’s new strategy to transition from an emergency response to longer-term sustained COVID disease management. This may not change too much practically. COVID willContinue Reading
The Euclid spacecraft will transform how we view the ‘dark universe’
Euclid is set to launch this year on a rocket built by SpaceX. Work performed by ATG under contract for ESA, CC BY-SA The European Space Agency’s (ESA) Euclid satellite completed the first part of its long journey into space on May 1 2023, when it arrived in Florida onContinue Reading
Labour will win outright at general election, says senior MP
A Labour frontbencher has predicted his party will win outright at the next general election, despite local election results suggesting there could be a hung parliament. Labour gained 635 seats and took control of another 22 local authorities, while the Tories suffered heavy losses. Vote share analysis by the BBCContinue Reading
Taoiseach and President Higgins meet King Charles ahead of coronation
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and President Michael D Higgins spoke with Britain’s King Charles at a reception in Buckingham Palace on Friday evening, ahead of the coronation. Mr Varadkar and Mr Higgins will both be among the guests for Saturday’s coronation. At Friday’s reception, the pair also spoke with members ofContinue Reading
Ukip loses all six seats in local elections
T he UK Independence Party (Ukip) has been wiped out at England’s local elections, losing all six seats it was defending. The pro-Brexit party lost two councillors in Folkestone & Hythe, one in South Staffordshire, one in Tamworth, one in Tendring and one in Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole. It pointsContinue Reading
Ukrainian PM thanks the King for his ‘unwavering support’ to Ukraine
T he Ukrainian prime minister has thanked the King for his solidarity after the pair met during a reception on the eve of the coronation on Friday. Charles offered Ukraine his “unwavering support” when he met with the country’s First Lady Olena Zelenska and prime minister Denys Shmyhal. Mr ShmyhalContinue Reading
Tory losses a clear rejection of Sunak, says Labour
L abour said the Tories’ dire local election results marked a “clear rejection” of Rishi Sunak in his first electoral test as Prime Minister. Sir Keir Starmer was celebrating wins in key battlegrounds as an indication his party was on course to win the next general election. Mr Sunak wasContinue Reading
Women of Honour say department role on oversight board like ‘fox in chicken coop’
The Women of Honour group, which represents female members of the Defence Forces, has called for Government appointees to an independent oversight board to be vetted by an Oireachtas committee. In a statement, the group said it had not received “satisfactory” answers about the oversight board from Tánaiste and MinisterContinue Reading
Labour ‘firing on all cylinders’ despite not winning Derby majority, leader says
T he leader of the Labour group in Derby has said that he is “absolutely delighted” with the local election results which he says shows the party is “firing on all cylinders”. The city council remains under no overall control but Labour gained eight seats to take its total toContinue Reading
Local election results LIVE: Tories lose more than 460 councillors as Labour and Lib Dems make gains
T he Tories have lost more than 320 councillors and key strongholds such as Swindon and Medway, local election results on Friday showed, as Labour and the Lib Dems made significant gains. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the party is “going to bottle this feeling we have today” andContinue Reading