World News

Eid ul Fitr celebrated worldwide

2026-03-20T19:24:43+00:00

Muslims across the world gathered for Eid ul Fitr 2026, to mark the end of Ramadan – commemorating it with prayers, gifts, plus giving and sharing huge feasts with family and friends.

Lucan team conNÈCKt advances to FIRST LEGO League Ireland Final

2026-03-20T13:00:38+00:00

A team of four Guides from Lucan will represent the Irish Girl Guides at the upcoming FIRST® LEGO® League Challenge Ireland Final today (Saturday 21 March 2026) after winning the Regional Tournament held at Dublin City University (DCU) on Saturday 28 February.

The team, conNÈCKt, impressed judges throughout the competition with their strong teamwork, creative problem-solving, and technical skills. The name conNÈCKt reflects the team members themselves, with the capital letters representing their names: Naomi, Éile, Cora, and Katie.

They range in age from 11 to 13, and this is their first year participating in the FIRST LEGO League. The team has designed and coded a robot for the Robot Game and developed an innovative board game to help educate young people about archaeology.

Their success at the Regional event has earned them a place at the Ireland Final, where they will compete against the country’s top teams on Saturday 21 March 2026. The Regional Tournament brought together 16 Irish Girl Guides teams from across the country, with 88 Guides and Senior Branch members taking part in a day dedicated to innovation, robotics, and teamwork.

As part of this year’s FIRST LEGO League Challenge theme, UNEARTHED™, participants explored how archaeology uncovers and protects the past. Teams developed innovation projects addressing real-world challenges faced by archaeologists, while also designing and programming LEGO® robots to complete themed missions.

The judges commended conNÈCKt for the depth of their research, their innovative approach to the challenge, and their ability to collaborate effectively as a team. Their strong performance across the different elements of the competition secured them the Champion’s Award and a place in the national final.

At the national final, teams will present their research and demonstrate their robot designs. They will also be judged on the FIRST® LEGO® League Core Values, which closely align with the values of Irish Girl Guides: Discovery, Innovation, Impact, Inclusion, Teamwork, and Fun.

“We are incredibly proud of all the Guides who took part in the Regional Tournament,” said Katie Keogh, Irish Girl Guides LEGO Project Chair.

“The creativity, curiosity, and determination shown by every team was inspiring. Congratulations to conNÈCKt on their achievement, and we wish them the very best as they represent Irish Girl Guides at the Ireland Final.”

In addition to the Champion’s Award, several teams were recognised for their achievements throughout the competition:

Robot Game Award:Clogherhead Heads (Clogherhead Guides)
Robot Design Award:InGen (Macalla Guides Trim)
Innovation Project Award:Fossil Finders (Lucan Guides)
Core Values Award:An Daingean Diggers (Dingle Guides)
Breakthrough Award:Rock Stars (Lily Guides Newbridge)
Motivate Award:Dilse Diggers (Dilse Senior Branch)

The Ireland Final will bring together the top teams from across the country for another exciting day of robotics, innovation, and STEM learning. The Irish Girl Guides community will be cheering on conNÈCKt as they continue their FIRST LEGO League journey.

Supported by the Research Ireland Discover Programme, FIRST® LEGO® League is organised by CreativeHUT. Irish Girl Guides has about 8,000 members across Ireland.

Guiding started in Ireland in 1911 and operates throughout the 26 counties with 1,200 volunteer Leaders providing an informal educational programme of fun and challenging activities that foster confidence and leadership skills in girls and young women, enabling them to develop to their full potential and to become responsible citizens.

Study shows road dust contributing massively to major Delhi pollution

2026-03-20T12:51:57+00:00

Dust from pothole-riddled or dilapidated stretches of an 82.5-kilometre corridor from Mayapuri to Punjabi Bagh, passing through National Highway 44 (NH-44) and NH-9, has emerged as a major pollution source, according to a study carried out by CSIR-NEERI and the Central Road Research Institute at the behest of the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM).

France returns sacred 'talking drum' looted during colonial rule to Côte d'Ivoire

2026-03-16T20:32:19+00:00

A sacred drum looted by French forces during its colonial rule in Côte d'Ivoire has been returned to the country, more than a century after it was taken.

Vicuna Air – a new model for international pet travel 'in cabin'

2026-03-16T20:17:13+00:00

Pet travel aviation innovator Vicuna Air unveiled its new 'Biscuit Class', an industry-first service allowing pets to travel solo without their owners – always in the cabin, always with a Vicuna Concierge.

Ghana print sector expands as retail growth and advertising demand drive investment in advanced production technologies

2026-03-14T21:55:06+00:00

Ghana’s visual communications and printing industry is entering a new phase of growth, driven by expanding retail activity, urban development, and rising demand for high-impact branding and advertising solutions.

Sub Saharan African economies among world’s fastest improving in global connectedness

2026-03-13T10:45:45+00:00

Globalization remains at a historically high level – despite escalating geopolitical tensions, rising U.S. tariffs, and unprecedented uncertainty about future trade policies.

The Tony Elumelu Foundation appoints three new Advisory Board members

2026-03-13T10:36:38+00:00

The Tony Elumelu Foundation (TEF), Africa's leading philanthropy empowering young entrepreneurs, today announced three distinguished new members of its Advisory Board:

Annual St Patrick’s Festival beginning with more than 150 artists

2026-03-12T21:17:03+00:00

The annual St Patrick’s Day Parade will be returning on Tuesday, March 17, following its established route from Parnell Square.

CTO appoints Norris Clement as Deputy Director of Professional Services

2026-03-11T20:32:36+00:00

The CTO (Caribbean Tourism Organization) has appointed tourism and human resource development professional Norris Clement as Deputy Director of Professional Services, strengthening the organization’s capacity to advance workforce development and professional advancement initiatives across the Caribbean tourism sector.

Australia grants visas to Iranian footballers following anthem protest

2026-03-10T21:30:28+00:00

Five members of the Iranian women's football team have been granted humanitarian visas in Australia after their elimination in the Asian Cup, the government in Canberra says.

WOW celebrating International Women of the World

2026-03-10T21:25:20+00:00

WOW - Women of the World announced the return of its flagship London Festival for 2027, which took place at Southbank Centre between 5-7 March.

CTO spotlights women’s impact in tourism on International Women’s Day

2026-03-09T13:04:39+00:00

The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO) joined the global observance of International Women’s Day, emphasizing persistent gender disparities while celebrating women’s leadership across the region’s vital tourism industry.

Malaysia Airlines deploys additional European services to support travellers amid global disruptions

2026-03-09T12:58:08+00:00

Malaysia Airlines will introduce additional flights between Kuala Lumpur-London Heathrow Airport (LHR) and Kuala Lumpur-Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG) from 6 to 8 March 2026 to support travellers affected by ongoing disruptions across global travel networks.

Carnival Corporation strengthens Bermuda partnership with high-level engagements

2026-03-08T12:43:20+00:00

Carnival Corporation & plc, the world’s largest cruise company, reaffirmed its commitment to Bermuda recently through a series of high-level meetings and industry engagements on the island, including participation in the Caribbean Tourism Organization’s (CTO) Air Connectivity Summit.

Jamaican and Irish accents: are they really that similar?

2026-03-08T12:37:00+00:00

Cork TD Thomas Gould recently went viral for a speech in the Dáil, in which some viewers said he sounded unmistakably Jamaican.