Landmark global pandemic agreement adopted by World Health Organisation members
Members of the
World Health Organisation
(WHO) adopted a landmark agreement on Tuesday on how to prepare for future pandemics following the Covid-19 outbreak, which killed millions of people 2020 and 2022.
After three years of negotiations, the legally binding pact was adopted by the World Health Assembly in Geneva. WHO member countries welcomed its passing with applause. – Reuters
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Irish Times
4 hours ago
- Irish Times
Carla Ward: ‘Katie McCabe is on the verge of burnout'
'The way I would put it,' said Carla Ward , the Ireland manager, after a disappointing 1-0 defeat of Slovenia at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 'it was a Carla Ward team on the ball and an Irish mentality off the ball. 'That's what we need to build on. If we want to play in an exciting way going forward, and that's the way I like my teams to play, we have to be better off the ball. 'And that was the start of it tonight. Now we go to the US and play the best in the world. There is still a lot of work to do but the future is bright.' Maybe so, but Anna Patten is suspended for the Nations League promotion play-off against one from Denmark, Belgium, Iceland or Austria, over two legs in October. READ MORE The draw takes place on Friday. Patten was one of five Irish players trying to avoid a second yellow card during a contest where Ireland needed a 4-0 result to top the group. It could have been much worse as Denise O'Sullivan avoided a booking and one-game ban. Referee Miriama Bočková shows a yellow card to Anna Patten of Ireland. Photograph: Ryan Byrne/Inpho 'We have to be tighter,' Ward continued after a campaign that yielded five wins and a 4-0 loss in Slovenia. 'The Irish have always been very good defensively. So, let's go back to the Irish basics, is what I'd call it. And it's just tight, it's compact, it's together. And then add in how we want to play with the ball 'We are still building. Through this entire campaign we have had five training sessions with the entire squad so to finish the way we did, I could not ask for more. 'That was an Irish performance.' Ward also confirmed that Katie McCabe and a number of senior players will not travel to the USA later this month for two friendlies against the Olympic champions in Colorado and Cincinnati. 'Katie has played an awful lot of minutes for club and country,' Ward explained. 'She's on the verge of burnout, as are some others. 'There's going to be conversations. It won't just be Katie that won't be travelling. 'You've seen with Millie Bright at England coming out, mental and physical fatigue is massive. I felt it as [manager of Aston] Villa. It's the reason I needed that break. 'It's a really tough place to be, and I think there's a lot of players close to that. They've played a lot of minutes, so we have to protect them. We have to protect them as people, and we'll support anybody that needs that break.' Ward confirmed that Louise Quinn has retired after winning her 122nd cap off the bench. 'It's been a really good, but emotional few days for everybody. I think everybody knows, Quinnie's a national sweetheart. She's a legend. She's somebody that everyone admires. 'So, we just had a few words, and she basically just touched on to the next generation - what it'– meant to her to wear the shirt is the proudest thing that you can ever do as an Irish person and make sure that you do not take a single minute for granted because she never did. 'I thought it was an unbelievable message to leave: 'Over to you girls.'' The next generation of players definitely include Jessie Stapleton, Emily Murphy and Abbie Larkin, who all excelled against an aggressive Slovenian side. Larkin, in particular, looks rejuvenated under Ward. 'Abbie probably doesn't realise how good she is, she is quite a quiet girl. She's got an abundance of quality, she's quick, she started the game electric. She's got a massive future ahead of her. I think her and Emily Murphy today, until they probably blew up because of the intensity they played at, were excellent.'
The Irish Sun
4 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
Imane Khelif breaks silence after leaked medical report ‘proves Olympic gender-row boxer is a biological male'
IMANE KHELIF has issued a response after a leaked medical report claimed the gold medal-winning Olympian was a "biological male". 2 Imane Khelif won Algeria's first-ever gold medal in women's boxing at the Paris Olympics Credit: Reuters 2 But the gender row which plagued Khelif then has now resurfaced from a leaked medical report Credit: AP However, during Khelif's run to the final, she was embroiled in a bitter gender row after being The IBA banned Khelif after tests taken in New Delhi allegedly produced the DNA of a 'male'. The IOC - who replaced the IBA as the Olympic's boxing governing body - were warned about the tests and urged to remove Khelif from the competition. READ MORE IN BOXING Now, the alleged sex-test results from the 2023 World Championships have been published for the first time by American journalist Alan Abrahamson produced the result of a test said to have been carried out on the boxer in New Delhi in March 2023 - The document published summarises the findings on Khelif as 'abnormal', stating: 'Chromosome analysis reveals male karyotype." A karyotype refers to an individual's complete set of chromosomes, which in Khelif's case has been reported by (IBA) as being XY, the male pattern. Most read in Boxing Khelif refused to respond directly to the claims in a social media post on Monday, instead focusing on her work as a Unicef ambassador - a role she has held since January 2024. The post featured a photo of Khelif wearing a blue polo bearing the organisation's logo as she made a heart symbol with her hands to celebrate the "Global Day of Parents". Imane Khelif wins Olympic gold in women's welterweight final after huge gender row that has grabbed worldwide attention She paid tribute to her own parents in the caption, saying: "Today, I became a champion, but it all started long ago. When my parents believed in me, even when the dream felt too big. "When they supported me, listened to me, and stood by me. Being a parent isn't easy. There's no manual. But the love, patience, and trust you give your child can change everything. "On this #GlobalDayOfParents, I just want to say thank you. Thank you to every parent who chooses, every single day, to be there for their children. "Together with @unicefalgerie, I'm celebrating these everyday heroes . Because when parents are supported, children can dream and succeed." The alleged test results disputing Khelif's gender carry the letterhead of Dr Lal PathLabs in New Delhi, accredited by the American College of Pathologists and certified by the Swiss-based International Organisation for Standardisation. This directly challenges what IOC spokesman Mark Adams said in a tense news conference at the Paris Olympics. He described the results that saw Khelif banned as 'ad hoc' and 'not legitimate'. IOC president Thomas Bach even claimed that the results are the product of a Russian-led misinformation campaign. It followed after the IBA - headed by Russia's Umar Kremlev - had been stripped of IOC recognition in a row over ethics and financial management. Khelif has always denied being a biological male and even named JK Rowling and Elon Musk in a And the 26-year-old has vowed to fight on, even eyeing another gold at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. But World Boxing has ruled that Khelif The governing body - provisionally approved to run Olympic boxing in LA - announced that all athletes in its competitions over 18 years old must undergo a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) genetic test to determine their sex. The test detects chromosomal material through a mouth swab, saliva or blood. Khelif has failed to provide any evidence of having female chromosomes in the nine months since the gender scandal erupted. In February, Khelif spoke out in her defence and wrote: 'For two years, I have taken the high road while my name and image have been used, unauthorised, to further personal and political agendas through the spreading and dissemination of baseless lies and misinformation. But silence is no longer an option. 'The IBA, an organisation that I am no longer associated with and which is no longer recognised by the IOC, have again made baseless accusations that are false and offensive, using them to further their agenda... 'My team is carefully reviewing the situation and will take all necessary legal steps to ensure that my rights and the principles of fair competition are upheld." An IOC spokesperson told Sun Sport: "The IOC has always made it clear that eligibility criteria are the responsibility of the respective International Federation. "The factors that matter to sports performance are unique to each sport, discipline, and/or event. "We await the full details how sex testing will be implemented in a safe, fair and legally enforceable way."
Irish Times
6 hours ago
- Irish Times
HSE apologises to woman with advanced cancer over screening ‘failings'
The HSE and the National Screening Service has apologised for 'failings' to a mother of two who has cervical cancer. Leona Macken, a 38-year old hairdresser who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2023, sued over two cervical smear tests, one in 2016 and one in 2020, claiming they were incorrectly reported as negative. On Tuesday, an apology was read in court as Ms Macken and her husband Alan, from Artane, Dublin settled a High Court action against the HSE. Outside court, Ms Macken said it felt great to get an apology from the HSE and National Screening Service but after the case of the late Vicky Phelan, 'nobody expected this to happen'. READ MORE 'I am fighting this since 2023. I started asking questions and thank God I did. We are told to trust the process. Something is not working in the system. Something needs to be fixed. This was 2020 for me and it is still happening. It is not good enough,' she said. The letter of apology from the chief executive of the National Screening Service Fiona Murphy stated, on behalf of the service and the HSE, it wished to apologise to Ms Macken, and her family 'for the failings that have occurred and led to your diagnosis'. It added: 'I wish to express our deep regret to you and your family and acknowledged the many challenges that you have faced as a result of your diagnosis.' It concluded: 'I appreciate that this has been a very difficult time for you and your family and I hope you find some solace with the resolution and conclusion of this process. I hope that this settlement will give you and your family some level of comfort, peace of mind and security.' The case was fast tracked through the courts system because of the urgency of Ms Macken's diagnosis. Her counsel Jeremy Maher SC, instructed by Cian O'Carroll solicitors, said it was a 'truly tragic' case. Counsel said their case was, because of failings in the CervicalCheck programme, the smears in 2016 and 2020 were incorrectly reported and Ms Macken was not diagnosed with cervical cancer until 2023. Ms Macken now has a limited life expectancy and 'what should have been stopped in its tracks was not', counsel said. Leona Macken and her husband Alan outside the High Court. Photograph: Collins Courts In the proceedings, it was claimed there was failure to correctly report or diagnose Ms Macken's smear samples in March 2016 and January 2020 and her cancer was allowed to develop and spread unidentified, unmonitored, and untreated until she was diagnosed in May 2023. It was claimed the smears in 2016 and 2020 had been incorrectly reported as negative. It was also alleged there was failure to have effective oversight of the CervicalCheck programme and to have regard to the numbers of women developing cervical cancer despite a history of clear smear tests. Noting the settlement, Mr Justice Paul Coffey acknowledged a plea from counsel that a lacuna identified by the Supreme Court in another case, that of Limerick woman Ruth Morrissey case, should be addressed. That lacuna related to the damages a husband may claim in such a case. There was a 'clear gap' in the law, Mr Justice Coffey said. In the Morrissey case, the Supreme Court upheld an appeal by a laboratory against damages awarded to her husband for services which would have been provided to the family by Mrs Morrissey were it not for her shortened life expectancy.
