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Irish Daily Mirror
14 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
GAA to seek public feedback on whether county managers should be paid
The GAA is inviting the public to give its views on whether inter-county managers should be paid through the books. It's part of a survey that has been issued as the Association carries out a review of its amateur status and proposals arising from it may be voted on at Special Congress later this year. The Amateur Status Review Committee (ASRC), chaired by Prof David Hassan, was established last year by GAA president Jarlath Burns, who has expressed a preference for putting managers on contracts rather than continuing with the practice of under the table payments, which has been ongoing for many years now and has implications with the Revenue Commissioner. Following a presentation by ASRC to the GAA's Management Committee, it has been decided to seek feedback of the GAA membership on matters such as 'whether they support the establishment of a governance oversight unit to potentially enforce the GAA's amateur status', with the survey form available on 'Members will also be invited to make recommendations on how the amateur status can be protected, and whether they support the introduction of an agreed allowance for senior inter-county team managers or, indeed, whether adherence to a strict expenses model should be enforced,' read a GAA statement. 'Feedback will also be gauged about attitudes towards reducing the number of hours asked of inter-county players every week, the length of time designated for a closed season and whether foreign-based training camps should be permitted.' The consultation process will conclude next month, with the ASRC reporting back to Central Council in the autumn with recommendations, some of which may come before Special Congress on October 4 and others in February's Annual Congress. Burns commented: 'The amateur status is such an important core value of the GAA that it is only right that we carry out a review to ensure that it is fit for purpose in 2025. 'I know of no one in the GAA who feels that our amateur status is something to be abolished – yet within that, we have a situation where the preparation of inter-county teams is costing more than €40m and placing unsustainable burdens on our volunteer led county boards, and the time demands on players are also at an all-time high. 'Establishing the views of our members and players is critically important as part of this review and I urge people to make the most of the opportunity to have their voice heard.' The survey form can be accessed here.
Extra.ie
7 days ago
- Politics
- Extra.ie
College of Anaesthesiologists faces criticism over guest speaker's support for genocide in Gaza
The College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland (CAI) is facing mounting criticism following its decision to invite Professor Idit Matot, an Israeli anesthesiologist, to speak at its 2025 Annual Congress. The move has sparked backlash from medical professionals who have expressed concerns over Professor Matot's public statements on X amid ongoing conflict in Gaza. In a coordinated response, more than 100 anaesthesiologists in various stages of their careers signed an open letter addressed to the President of the College, Donal Buggy. Prof. Idit Matot. Pic: European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) The signatories called on the CAI to issue a public statement addressing the ethical implications of the invitation and reaffirming the College's commitment to medical neutrality and human rights. The medical professionals argued that the invitation was inappropriate given the escalating humanitarian crisis in the region and called on the CAI to take action. It is believed that Professor Matot was scheduled to speak on both Thursday and Friday of the event (15th and 16th of May). While her first presentation went ahead as planned, controversy erupted shortly afterward when attendees discovered a series of social media posts made by Matot, which were widely perceived as inflammatory and politically charged. The College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland. Pic: Derick P. Hudson/Shutterstock The discovery prompted immediate calls from delegates and observers for her second talk to be cancelled, to which the CAI complied. Airing their frustrations, the signatories of the open letter began: 'We, the undersigned, are anaesthesiologists in various stages of their careers are disappointed and appalled at the invitation of Prof. Idit Matot to the Annual Congress 2025. Prof. Matot had posted 'tweets' during the ongoing Gaza crisis advocating for and attempting to justify the ongoing massacres. The social media post referenced in the letter sees Hamas stylized with a Nazi swastika alongside a baby with a target on its head holding a teddy bear. It also includes a map highlighting Israel surrounded by Arab and Muslim-majority countries, implying Israel is under threat and isolated in the region. The accompanying text claims that European residents could be the next targets of Hamas-style terrorism and warns Europeans not to be complacent or compassionate toward those perceived as threats. — Idit Matot (@iditm) October 25, 2023 The post also refers to Hamas as 'the new Nazis' and accuses them of horrific crimes including child murder, rape, and beheading. It also links 'extreme Islam' with terrorism and suggests that pro-Palestine demonstrators might be terrorists in disguise. The tweet adds that Palestinians 'must be replaced' and suggests they can go to '22 Arab countries, 57 Islamic countries.' It emphasizes that Israel is the only Jewish state and asserts it has no interest in Gaza. It also declares that Israel has already decided how to respond, implying military force. Further expressing their concerns, the open letter continued: 'We as healthcare workers have a moral and ethical obligation to speak out against injustice and against breaches of international humanitarian law including the targeting of healthcare workers and health facilities and the forced starvation. 'The ongoing crisis in Gaza is condemned by numerous international bodies including the International Criminal Court (ICC), the International Court of Justice (ICJ), Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International, and the United Nations. The ICC and ICJ have highlighted severe breaches of international law by the Israeli army, including war crimes and crimes against humanity. The United Nations has repeatedly condemned the detention and targeted killing of our healthcare worker colleagues in Gaza,' the letter continued. The College of Anaesthesiologists of Ireland. Pic: Derick P. Hudson/Shutterstock 'It is imperative that we as anaesthesiologists and healthcare workers advocate for peace no matter where, including the condemnation of terrorism, and the platforming of a person who has publicly expressed such hateful and racist comments is against our moral obligations. 'We request that the College of Anaesthesiologists release an official statement regarding the decision to include this speaker, as well as confirm its commitment to human rights and international law.' Issuing a response to the signatories this week via email, President Buggy wrote: 'I wish to acknowledge with respect the deeply held views and emotions surrounding the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. The suffering and apparent slaughter of innocent lives in the region is abhorrent, and I share the longing for peace, justice and dignity for all. 'We strive to be an apolitical, postgraduate medical training body, whose interactions with colleagues are on the basis of shared professional values. All speakers at our educational events are invited solely because of their academic and professional expertise in the subject of interest. Our College and our Annual Scientific Congress are rooted in the values of open inquiry, respectful dialogue and intellectual exchange. The speaker from Israel, Prof. Idit Matot, is a recognised clinician scholar and attended in her capacity as an academic and incoming President of our European Society (ESA-IC), not as representative of any government or political entity.' He continued: 'As the congress was beginning on Day 2 on Friday morning, I and the College received multiple complaints about this person contributing to our congress. Many emanated external to our community but there were also a large number of moderate, sincerely-held protests from across our own community. Simultaneously, we received credible information indicating that a large-scale, intrusive protest led by outside elements was being planned and therefore, in the interests of everyone's safety, I decided to ask Prof. Matot to withdraw, which she kindly accepted with good grace. 'I apologise and very much regret the hurt, embarrassment and outrage this invitation caused many of you. 'I abhor violent conflict and am personally angry and appalled at the daily slaughter of innocent lives in Gaza, in Israel in October 2023 and wherever and whenever deaths are caused by violence. All speaker invitations were given with the intention of supporting open scientific discourse and sharing academic expertise. However, it is apparent that from now on, professional credentials and open discourse can be only a relative consideration in these matters and College needs to take greater account of contemporary geopolitical circumstances in planning educational events. 'Many thanks for your understanding and support,' he concluded.
Irish Examiner
7 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
New York hurlers are cuckoos come home to roost
Like a cuckoo in a reed warbler's nest, New York's hurlers are pushing out the native eggs in the Lory Meagher Cup. First to fall was Monaghan who they budged in last Saturday's semi-final having received a bye to that stage of the competition, much to the chagrin of Monaghan manager Arthur Hughes. "It's an absolute joke in my opinion,' he said. 'You don't know what you're coming up against, what level they're at, and it's completely unfair to just fly a team into the semi-finals. If you're going to participate in a competition, you should be there from the start." Featuring former Galway star Jonathan Glynn who is captain and Cork's Seán O'Leary-Hayes and managed by Ballyheighue man Richie Hartnett, New York were backed off the board and for this Saturday's final against Cavan the market is suspended. 'It's almost disgusting how the GAA have handled the situation,' remarked Cavan manager Ollie Bellew about New York's bye. In Donegal town in February, over three-quarters of Annual Congress delegates (76.8%) voted in favour of allowing New York into the lower-level inter-county hurling championship this season. Offaly Central Council delegate and former county chairman Michael Duignan was vocal in his support for The Exiles' admission to the competition. However, concerns were raised that they would be too strong for that level of hurling and so it has come to pass. Cavan had reservations about them being handed the semi-final berth. Those who supported New York felt they first had to crawl before they could walk but as was demonstrated in Mullingar last weekend they are running. If they retain most of their current 31-strong panel that has travelled to Ireland and are basing themselves between Westmeath and Dublin, they might prove too strong in the Nickey Rackard Cup as well. The tell-tale signs of their prowess had been there. Last year, New York claimed the pre-season Connacht Hurling League title when they beat Mayo, who had only been relegated from the Christy Ring Cup the year before. In 2023, they marked their first appearance in that provincial competition with a win over then reigning Lory Meagher Cup champions Longford before losing out to a Galway development side in the semi-final. Fermanagh are one minnow who will be hoping New York win on Saturday. If that comes about, they won't be relegated from the Rackard Cup. Instead, New York will join the fourth-tier championship as the seventh team but again enjoy a semi-final bye against the team that finishes second in the group after five games. New York will be seen by some as pariahs but they can't be blamed for wanting a representative outlet in hurling. It was Central Council who endorsed the motion for them to join the Meagher Cup just as they did their entry into the All-Ireland junior football championship the last past three seasons. Those footballers have won the last two of those titles but both of those successes came by small margins and next month they face USGAA in a quarter-final in Gaelic Park. New York's involvement in a competition below their station is the latest promotional problem for hurling. Moved to Saturday to facilitate the Dublin-Armagh All-Ireland SFC game in Croke Park on Sunday, the Meagher, Christy Ring and Nickey Rackard finals at GAA HQ clash with the U20 All-Ireland final between Kilkenny and Tipperary in UPMC Nowlan Park in yet another concertinaed day for the sport. GAA president Jarlath Burns will not be in attendance to present the cups at either venue as he is out of the country. Maybe he is better off missing out on Croke Park because the gulf in class last weekend, which is expected again in the Lory Meagher Cup final, doesn't exactly scream hurling development. If, as expected, Frank Sinatra's voice booms from the PA system at the final whistle, start spreading the news – New York's cuckoos have come home to roost.
Irish Examiner
27-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Mayo executive suffering criticism for matters that pre-existed them
With overwhelming 96.7% support, the GAA endorsed a new adult safeguarding motion at their Annual Congress in February. The top table were keen to see the proposal to sail through, the presentation precise and choreographed. Julia Galbraith, chairperson of the association's adult safeguarding and cultural review taskforce, pressed it upon delegates that the GAA has a responsibility for the well-being of adults involved in its activities. A partner in Eversheds Sutherland law firm, Buncrana woman Galbraith was followed by outgoing Ulster chairman Ciarán McLaughlin who said province has experienced cases that necessitated the rule change. Ex-Armagh chairman Paul McArdle said it was needed so that the GAA could defend decisions. Read More Mayo GAA reveals €7.8m debt and garda complaints over online abuse at heated county board meeting A review of the GAA's safeguarding policies preceded Ulster GAA's debarment of former Derry manager Rory Gallagher in 2023, which was later ruled out of order by the Disputes Resolution Authority. Gareth McGibbon was commissioned to conduct the probe and Galbraith now leads the implementation of its recommendations. In Westport on Monday evening, adult safeguarding came to the fore again when it was revealed the online abuse some members of the Mayo GAA executive have been subjected to. 'Given the seriousness of the situation, a decision was taken to inform club delegates of the nature of the campaign against Mayo GAA, which constitutes an adult safety issue for all Co Board officers,' read the county board statement. 'The Co Board confirmed it has reported the matter to An Garda Síochána and that it intends to seek legal advice on the matter in the next week.' Serious matters indeed and potential serious repercussions. However, what has been thrown at the Mayo executive shouldn't and doesn't hide the fact that off the field as well as on it the county has been underperforming. On the Irish Examiner Gaelic football podcast last week, two-time Mayo manager James Horan spoke of how the infrastructure for the county teams are 'farcical' and so far behind others. A centre of excellence was supposed to be in planning stages eight years ago. For a 'big brand' which Horan describes Mayo as which they most certainly are, the inertia is unacceptable. On Monday, there was a tacit acknowledgement by GAA president Jarlath Burns that how the GAA used to handle money was not okay as it was 'inauditable'. As a prime example of that, he would cite the financial mismanagement that existed in Galway GAA in the mid-2010s, a matter which the Irish Examiner covered extensively. Unapproved credit card use, unsupported expenses and unaccounted for complimentary tickets were among the findings of one of a number of audits carried out. There was no formal reconciliation of payments received per the ticketing system and payments received per the accounting system. Commissioned by the GAA, Mazars made a total of 39 findings and adjoining recommendations were provided, 17 were listed. There are some mitigating factors but in the financial year of 2017 gate receipts were €609,051. In 2019, they were recorded as €977,662 and last year came in at €982,482 having been €1.13m in 2023. As they did Galway, Mazars visited Mayo in 2020 and provided a list of recommendations that basically spelt out the county's oversight protocols left a lot to be desired. It was another Connacht county where post-Covid gate receipts ballooned. Several of the claims now being made about the handling of money in Mayo are historical and predate some of the current executive. Since the pandemic, the GAA's governance controls have undoubtedly improved with the advent of cashless policy at matches as much as they have been discommoding for older people. There remains problems for the current Mayo executive such as the aforementioned dearth of facilities and tax liabilities but they appear to be suffering excessive criticism largely for matters that pre-existed them. In a time-poor world, volunteers willing to put in the hours are becoming harder to find never mind those who continue to do so under fire. In the face of intimidation, the GAA can't afford not to take care of its own.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
2025 EASL Congress Spotlight: CG-0416 Preclinical Data Unveils A Groundbreaking Dual-Action Therapy Targeting Obesity and MASH
——A First-in-Class Hydrolysis-Activated Liver-Targeted THR-β Prodrug Demonstrating A Dual Advantage of Fat Reduction and Muscle Preservation SHANGHAI, May 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- At the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) Annual Congress, CureGene Pharmaceuticals ("CureGene") announced late-breaking preclinical results for its investigational liver-targeted thyroid hormone receptor beta (THR-β) prodrug, CG-0416. Presented in a Late-Breaking Poster session, the data highlight triple therapeutic potential of CG-0416 in metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) and weight management: including 58% reduction in hepatic lipid accumulation; 66% improvement in weight loss efficacy; and 50% lower muscle loss rate compared to standard therapies. These findings position CG-0416 as a novel dual-mechanism candidate for concurrent MASH and obesity management. Addressing Current Therapeutic Limitations While GLP-1 receptor agonists (e.g., semaglutide, tirzepatide) face challenges in sustained weight control and muscle preservation, CG-0416 employs precision targeting of complementary metabolic pathways to overcome these limitations. Key Innovations 1. Enhanced Safety Profile CG-0416's liver-specific activation achieves intrahepatic active metabolite concentrations 20-fold higher than in peripheral tissues, minimizing systemic THR-β activation and improving long-term safety. 2. Muscle Preservation Breakthrough In 26-week diet-induced obesity (DIO) murine models, CG-0416 combined with low-dose semaglutide demonstrated: 66% greater fat mass reduction (vs. semaglutide monotherapy) Muscle-to-fat loss ratio of 0.18 kg/kg (vs. 0.35-0.63 kg/kg in existing therapies) Advantages for Clinical Translation 1. Dual-Pathway Synergy CG-0416 enhances GLP-1-mediated hepatic lipid oxidation while activating the IGF-1/Akt/FOXO3a axis to suppress muscle catabolism. 2. Oral Administration Potential With 92% oral bioavailability – doubling that of approved THR-β therapies – CG-0416 may enable the first oral combination regimen with GLP-1 agonists. CG-0416's EASL debut garnered significant attention for its rigorous preclinical validation and innovative design. The compound's ability to reprogram metabolic pathways while maintaining safety underscores its potential to redefine standards in metabolic disease treatment. About CG-0416 CG-0416 is a novel liver-targeted THR-β prodrug in development for MASH & obesity-related complications. Its tissue-selective activation mechanism simultaneously addresses hepatic lipid accumulation, inflammation, and fibrosis, while demonstrating superior metabolic control to resmetirom and VK-2809 in preclinical studies. As a potential oral adjunct to GLP-1 therapies, CG-0416 combines rapid fat reduction with muscle preservation, positioning it as a next-generation metabolic modulator. For comprehensive information on CG-0416 and the latest updates, please visit CureGene's official website at About CureGene Established in 2018, CureGene is China-based, globally oriented biotech company with research and development offices in both China and the United States. The company has developed innovative platforms rooted in core expertise and capabilities, focusing on cardio-cerebrovascular and antiviral disease areas. CureGene has advanced pipelines of novel drugs with significant market potential and fully owned global intellectual property rights. The company, guided by its mission, has attracted a team of distinguished scientists with extensive global pharmaceutical experience. Through a strategic vision, CureGene has transitioned successfully from a research-stage startup into a clinical-stage biotech company, with all pipelines demonstrating First-in-Class or Best-in-Class potential. Forward-Looking Statement The information released in this press release may contain certain forward-looking statements (such as "will", "anticipate", "forecast", "expect", "intend", "plan", "believe", "estimate", "be confident" and other similar expressions), which are based on the current views, beliefs and expectations that the Company or its management has towards the Company's business operations and financial performance when such statements are made. These forward-looking statements shall not be deemed as guarantees of future outcomes, and such outcomes may be affected by risks, uncertainties, and other factors, some of which are beyond the Company's control and difficult to predict. Therefore, subject to the impacts of our business, general industry conditions and competition, environment, politics, general economic factors (including fluctuations in interest rates and exchange rates), pharmaceutical industry regulations and medical policies, technological developments, new products and patents obtained by any competitors, the inherent challenges in new product development (including obtaining regulatory approvals), production difficulties or delays, instability in the international economic and financial situation and sovereign risks, reliance on the effectiveness of the protection of the Company's patents and other innovative products, the Company's risks of facing patent litigation and/or regulatory actions, future changes and developments in social situations and other various factors and assumptions, the actual results may differ significantly from the information contained in the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements shall not in any way be considered as any commitments/guarantee made by the Company, its subsidiaries, or any of its directors, officers, management personnel, advisors, employees and/or agents regarding relevant matters. They do not constitute a recommendation to engage in a certain act. None of such personnel assumes any liability with respect to such forward-looking statements. Moreover, the Company and its subsidiaries, directors, management personnel, consultants, employees and/or agents have not and will not assume any responsibility for updating the forward-looking statements contained in this press release to reflect the latest information, future projects or circumstances or events that occur after the release date. View original content: SOURCE CureGene Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
