Local News

Irish pharma sector avoids 20% US tariff in immediate future
Ireland’s crucial pharmaceutical sector appears to have largely avoided a new US tariff rate for now, amid a broader 20% tax imposed on other goods from the European Union.

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Delays approving new jobs put ministers in ‘invidious position’, says ex-whip
Delays in approving new jobs have left some former ministers forced to choose between missing mortgage payments and breaking the rules, an ex-MP has said.


World reacts with caution to Trump’s tariffs
Sweeping new tariffs announced on Wednesday by US President Donald Trump were met with measured reactions from key trading partners, highlighting the lack of appetite for a full-fledged trade war.

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Senate rebukes Trump’s tariffs on Canadian imports
The US Senate has passed a resolution which would thwart Donald Trump’s ability to impose tariffs on Canada, hours after the president unveiled sweeping plans to clamp down on international trade.


Queen's University chewing gum research finds potentially harmful materials
One researcher warns "there might not be any safe chewing duration"


Parents crying out for online regulation, MP Eastwood says
Parents are “crying out for guardrails” for young people using social media, Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood has said.


Government aiming to form committees next week
The Government is aiming to begin establishing Oireachtas Committees next week.


Minister due to face MPs after Trump tariffs unveiled
The Prime Minister is set to speak to business leaders while the Trade Secretary will look to calm markets on Thursday after Donald Trump slapped a 10% tariff on US imports of UK goods.


Report criticises 'unacceptable' £3billion overspend on Northern Ireland's major capital projects
The Public Accounts Committee in Northern Ireland has said that the overspend of more than £3 billion on major capital projects is unacceptable


Working age households predicted to be £400 worse off on average in year ahead
Working age households are on track to be £400 worse off on average in the year ahead amid income squeezes and bill hikes, a think-tank predicts.


£3bn overspend on NI capital projects ‘unacceptable and unsustainable’
An overspend of more than £3 billion on major capital projects in Northern Ireland is unacceptable and unsustainable, a new report has said.


Yodelling monkeys produce greater frequency jumps than humans, study shows
Yodelling monkeys can produce far greater frequency jumps than humans due to special structures in their throats, research suggests.


Starmer and Rayner launch local election campaign as Labour talks up NHS
Sir Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner will launch Labour’s local election campaign with a promise to “bring change to Britain” ahead of its first major test at the ballot box since entering office.


Study shows microplastics found in saliva after chewing gum
A new study led by Queen’s University Belfast has demonstrated how potentially harmful materials can enter the body from chewing gum.


Teenagers in England typically have ‘worse socio-emotional skills’ – study
Teenagers in England typically have worse socio-emotional skills than their peers in other countries, a report has suggested.


Shakespeare First Folio back on show 27 years after it was stolen
The story of a 400-year-old Shakespeare First Folio and how it was stolen from a university library, damaged, spirited to the US for sale, recovered and finally restored is being told in a new exhibition.


MPs call for urgent action to end child deaths linked to temporary accommodation
Councils must be required to regularly inspect temporary accommodation for homeless families to prevent dangerous conditions contributing to more than one child death a month, MPs have said.


Education Secretary: More men needed in classrooms to be positive role models
The Education Secretary is to call for more men to become teachers, as she said boys’ behaviour and their influences are “a defining issue of our time”.


Cult classic Shenmue named most influential game of all time in Bafta poll
Action adventure game Shenmue, which first launched in 1999, has been named the most influential game of all time in a public poll run by Bafta.


Stormont watchdog criticises ‘unacceptable’ £3bn overspend on major projects
Overspending on major projects in Northern Ireland has topped £3bn, with a Stormont watchdog warning it is unacceptable and unsustainable.
