Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has said he would be surprised if any changes are made to the requirements for spectators at upcoming All-Ireland finals.

Sydney's Covid-19 infections have hit a daily record, putting parts of the health system there under pressure.

The protection provided by two doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech and the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccines starts to wane within six months, new research suggests.

A review for the HSE into how Covid-19 vaccines at the Beacon Hospital in Dublin were given to a group of teachers at a private school in Wicklow has found there was no evidence the school had solicited the vaccines.

Aid agencies are warning of a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan under its new Taliban rulers as the risk of starvation, disease and persecution rises for the millions left behind after a chaotic exodus from Kabul ends.

Live updates of Day 1 of the Paralympic Games from Tokyo.

Minister for Education Norma Foley has said the Government is fully committed to schools reopening and is very confident of the infection control measures that have been put in place.

US President Joe Biden said yesterday that he aims to have all US forces out of Afghanistan by 31 August, ending a massive two-week airlift from the country at the risk of leaving potential evacuees behind.

Andrew Cuomo, who resigned as New York governor over sexual harassment allegations, has been stripped of the Emmy he won for his primetime pandemic briefings.

The family of a young woman who died earlier this year has accused people, who it says have used the death to promote an anti-vaccine campaign, of "degrading her memory".

Promoters of the Electric Picnic festival are calling on the Government and Laois County Council to reverse their decision and to allow the event to go ahead for vaccinated patrons.

The Government jet has been deployed to the Middle East to support the emergency mission that has been sent to Afghanistan.

Sosan Enayatullha feels both lucky and sad. She made it out of Afghanistan but had to leave her family behind.

The Department of Health has been notified of 1,571 further coronavirus cases. There are 307 people being treated with the virus in hospital, 55 of whom are in intensive care.

The Rolling Stones drummer Charlie Watts has died at the age of 80, his publicist has said.

As the National Public Health Emergency Team reported 1,571 new cases, the Chief Medical Officer said that there is an "extremely high incidence" of the virus circulating in communities.

The reopening of all schools and colleges is "a top priority" for Government, the Minister for Health has said.

US President Joe Biden has said that the American-led airlift from Afghanistan has to finish soon because of the increasing threat from the so-called Islamic State group's Afghan arm.

Ryanair has confirmed that it plans to withdraw its operations from Belfast International Airport at the end of October.