Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said he hoped that NPHET's worst case scenario is too pessimistic and turns out to be wrong, but the balance of risk is currently very high.

Consternation was the immediate reaction of ministers to the unexpected recommendation from NPHET that only vaccinated people, and those who had recovered from Covid-19, should be allowed to enjoy indoor hospitality.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un replaced several senior officials after a "crucial" coronavirus incident, state media reported, potentially signalling a breach in the country's epidemic defences.

More than half of domestic waste water treatment systems inspected last year were not up to standard, with almost a quarter posing a risk to human health or the environment, an Environmental Protection Agency report has found.

The Government has moved to bring forward the 500-spectator limit at inter-county venues with a capacity of 5000 or more.

Moneylender Provident is writing off the debts of all of its Irish borrowers, as it withdraws from the market here.

The Canadian province of British Columbia suffered nearly double the average deaths as temperatures hit a record high of 46.6C during the past four days of "extreme heat", officials said.

The EU is this afternoon expected to formally announce a three-month extension of the grace period for chilled meats entering Northern Ireland from Britain.

Australian officials extended lockdown and social distancing measures to more of the country, with four major cities already under a hard lockdown in a race to contain an outbreak of the highly contagious Delta coronavirus variant.

Myanmar's authorities will free around 700 prisoners from jail today, in a move that is expected to include some of the thousands of people detained for opposing military rule.

Brisk walking for 150 minutes per week may stave off the risk of an early death caused by poor sleep, research suggests.

The Irish Pharmacy Union says it has had a "positive and constructive" meeting with the HSE about allowing pharmacists to vaccinate all those eligible for the Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine.

US President Joe Biden will visit the site of a deadly apartment building collapse in southern Florida later this week, as rescuers scour the wreckage in an increasingly desperate search for survivors.

After NPHET advised a delay to reopening indoor hospitality, the Government has announced a change in the roadmap for reopening this summer.

The trial of a 34-year-old man accused of murdering one man and attempting to murder two others during a gun attack at Bray Boxing Club in Co Wicklow three years ago has begun.

Minister of State Ossian Smyth has clarified that he was giving his personal view, rather than articulating Government policy, when he said that the NPHET figures presented to Cabinet could be assessed by the European Centre for Disease Control.

Ireland stands out as one of the most cautious countries in Europe to reopen indoor hospitality to its residents.

A 56-year-old man accused of neglect and sexual abuse told gardaí his children were well cared for and had everything they wanted.

EU member states and airlines did not fully protect passenger rights during the Covid-19 pandemic, with travellers often losing money due to cancelled flights, or because they were not informed about their rights to be reimbursed, according to a repo...

Labour Party leader Alan Kelly has dismissed the latest Government announcement on Covid-19 as being "absolutely bananas ... discriminatory, unenforceable ... shocking stuff. Amateur hour".