• Irish Examiner

    BAT claims Covid-19 vaccine breakthrough using tobacco plants

    Lucky Strike and Benson & Hedges maker British American Tobacco (BAT) has become the latest firm to offer hope of a Covid-19 vaccine after revealing a breakthrough with its tobacco plant technology. The UK-headquartered group said its US-based biotech business has been working on a potential vaccine for Covid-19, which it believes could offer up to 3 million doses a week from June. BAT said the vaccine is now in pre-clinical testing and has the potential to offer a safer and faster way to develop vaccines than traditional methods. We believe we have made a significant breakthrough with our tobacco plant technology platform and stand ready to work with governments and all stakeholders to help

  • Irish Examiner

    Trump says Johnson's coronavirus approach could have been 'very catastrophic'

    Donald Trump has said the UK's early approach to tackling the coronavirus outbreak would have been “very catastrophic” if Boris Johnson had not decided to change tack. The US president suggested the British Prime Minister had looked to “ride out” the virus in an approach that would have caused “a lot of death”. The G7 ally's comments come after the UK saw its biggest day-on-day rise in the number of deaths since the outbreak began – up 381 on the 24 hours previously to a total of 1,789. Mr Trump's press conference criticism appeared to be a reference to the UK government following a plan for so-called “herd immunity”. In the UK they were looking at that - they have a name for it but we won't

  • Irish Independent

    Coronavirus Ireland: Master of the Rotunda confirms 10 pregnant women and under 20 staff at the hospital have tested positive for Covid-19

    A number of staff and 10 pregnant women at the Rotunda Hospital have tested positive for coronavirus, Master of the Rotunda Hospital, Professor Fergal Malone confirmed today. Mr Malone said that the patients are being well looked after and all of the women infected with the virus and their babies are in good health. "It's not surprising that already we've had around 10 patients Covid-19 positive here for pregnancy care and delivery," he said. "There are very clear guidelines and protocols on how to provide exemplary care for patients irrespective of Covid-19 infection or not. "We just have to make sure that they remain safe and healthy, that their babies remain safe and healthy and that staff

  • Irish Examiner

    Limerick man alleged involved in rhino horn trafficking willing to surrender to US authorities

    A Limerick man wanted in the United States for the alleged trafficking of endangered black rhino horn, is willing to have himself extradited to America, the High Court has heard. John Slattery (30), who changed his name to John Flynn by deed poll in recent years, is currently in custody awaiting his surrender to US officials but the handover cannot occur at present due to the Covid-19 crisis. Mr Slattery, from Old Barrack View, Fairhill, Rathkeale, in Limerick, is accused of committing three offences in the US relating to wildlife trafficking. US authorities allege that he and two others travelled to a taxidermy shop in Austin, Texas, to buy the horns. It is alleged that the men bought the horns

  • Irish Examiner

    Supreme Court rules man has no legal right to remain in Ireland

    A man from the Democratic Republic of Congo has lost his Supreme Court appeal over a decision he has no legal right to remain in Ireland. His partner and two children remain legally here on foot of a residency permit granted in 2016 after they had been in the asylum application system for five years. Aged in his forties, the man has a complex immigration history involving asylum applications in the Netherlands, South Africa and Ireland during which he made a number of false claims. The High Court described him as having engaged in a "massive abuse" of the immigration system here and in the Netherlands. This week, the five-judge Supreme Court rejected his appeal over the High Court's dismissal

  • Silicon Republic

    Antarctica used to have a rainforest that didn't get sun for months on end

    A sensational discovery has determined that a rainforest once existed on Antarctica, suggesting the continent had a vastly different climate at one point. While Antarctica is now a land of ice and snow, 90m years ago the continent had a very different look. That's according to new research from a team of scientists that uncovered evidence of an ancient rainforest on the western side of Antarctica. With researchers from Imperial College London (ICL) and the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, the team found preserved roots, pollen and spores approximately 900km from the south pole. A study on the findings has been published to Nature. Tina van de Flierdt of

  • Big News Network.com

    Pak refuses to give food to Hindus as Covid-19 pandemic rages

    Karachi [Pakistan], April 1 (ANI): The world is united in fighting against Covid-19 pandemic but for Pakistan, religious discrimination remains a top priority amidst this global crisis. The country's Hindus and Christian minorities are not being given food supplies by authorities, saying they are meant for the Muslims. "Authorities are not helping us during the lockdown, the ration is also not being provided to us because we are part of a minority community," a Hindu man lamented. Scores of marginalised people gather at Karachi's Rehrri Ghoth to receive food supplies and daily essentials as shops remain shut to curb the spread of coronavirus. But those belonging to the Hindu community are told