Plastic-eating fungi found in Chinese coastal salt marshes

The identification of plastic-eating fungi and bacteria in salt marshes near the Chinese coast by an international team of researchers opens up new opportunities for the management of global waste. Researchers from China and the UK collected samples of microorganisms in May 2021 from China’s Dafeng, a UNESCO-protected location close to the Yellow Sea shore. … Read more

Global temperatures set to be hottest ever in next five years : WMO

Global temperatures are likely to surge to record levels in the next five years, fuelled by heat-trapping greenhouse gases and a naturally occurring El Niño event, according to a new update issued by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).  There is a 66% chance that the annual average near-surface global temperature between 2023 and 2027 will be more … Read more

WHO declares Covid-19 is no longer global health emergency

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared that Covid-19 no longer represents a global health emergency, a major step towards the end of the pandemic that has killed more than 6.9 million people, disrupted the global economy and ravaged communities. The global health agency’s emergency committee met on Thursday and recommended the UN organization declare an … Read more

Northern Irish climber dies after scaling Himalayan peak, Indian climber missing

Noel Hanna, a well-known climber from Northern Ireland, died after coming down from the top of the tenth-highest mountain in the world. An Indian climber is also missing on the same mountain, according to climbing officials. Mr Hanna, who had climbed Mount Everest ten times, scaled the 8,091 metre-high Annapurna peak in west Nepal yesterday. … Read more

Biden to wrap up visit to Ireland with trip to Mayo

Today, US President Joe Biden will wrap up his trip to Ireland with series activities in Co Mayo. The main event of the day will be a public address in Ballina, where President Biden’s forefathers emigrated in the middle of the nineteenth century. His links with the area and the bonds he has forged in … Read more

US man developed “Uncontrollable” Irish accent after cancer diagnosis

A cancer patient in the United States developed an “uncontrollable Irish accent” during treatment, despite never having visited Ireland and having no close relatives from the country. Researchers in the US said the development was consistent with Foreign Accent Syndrome (FAS). According to a study published in the British Medical Journal, the man in his … Read more

World’s oldest dog creates Guinness World Record as he turns 30

A Portuguese dog named Bobi celebrated his 30th birthday in a tiny village in central Portugal last year. Guinness World Records has recognised him as the “oldest dog in the world.” Rafeiro do Alentejo dogs typically live 12 to 14 years, and Bobi is a purebred member of this breed. He was 30 years and … Read more

Cocaine worth €295 million found floating in sea in New Zealand

Authorities in New Zealand announced on Wednesday that they had discovered 3.2 tonnes of cocaine floating at sea that was thought to be headed for Australia and was worth more than €295 million. In a joint operation with the New Zealand Customs Service and the New Zealand Defence Force, the New Zealand Police claimed in … Read more

Tánaiste announces €2 million in emergency aid for Turkey and Syria following earthquakes

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin, has announced €2 million in emergency assistance to the people of Türkiye and Syria following the devastating earthquakes which struck the region. With over 2,600 people confirmed dead, many injured and more fatalities expected, search and rescue operations are continuing amidst wide-scale destruction, harsh … Read more

Indian state Kerala selected as one of the 52 places to visit in 2023 by New York Times

The New York Times has selected Kerala, a state in southern India, as one of the 52 places to visit in 2023. The only tourist destination listed from India is Kerala, which is ranked 13th on the newspaper’s annual list of places to visit. Kerala was referred to in the report as a state in … Read more

Dubai drops 30% tax on alcohol sales to boost tourism

Dubai eliminated its 30% tax on alcohol sales in the sheikhdom and made the required liquor licences freely available, ending a long-standing source of income for the ruling family and ostensibly helping to increase tourism to the emirate. Beer regularly costs more than $15 for a pint, or half-litre, despite the price reduction being announced … Read more

Indian police probe mysterious deaths of Russian lawmaker and travelling partner

Indian police are looking into the sudden death of a wealthy Russian politician who reportedly opposed the war in Ukraine, according to authorities. Pavel Antov, 65, was on vacation with three other Russian nationals when his body was discovered Saturday in a pool of blood outside his lodgings in eastern Odisha state. He died two … Read more