The Muslim Brotherhood is an international Arab movement promoting a vision of “political Islam” that transcends traditional Shiite and Sunni divisions. The goal is to achieve a Muslim world not “corrupted” by Western uses and consumption, they have never expressed interest in the Islamization of non-Arab countries. The Muslim Brotherhood differs from terrorist jihadist movements…
The mosquito is the world’s deadliest animal for humans. These insects can transmit certain pathogenic organisms such as malaria, Zika virus, yellow or Nile fever, dengue, chikungunya virus. But for coronavirus it doesn’t look like this. First of all, we know that covid-19 is concentrated mainly in the human airways and not in the blood,…
This aspect has been evaluated by the New Scientist magazine on the basis of various data. Data has been collected from more than 120 monitoring stations across England. Nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and nitrogen monoxide (NO) were analyzed in various areas. From the study, a link appears to emerge between higher levels of pollution, the rate…
To obtain a concentrate of antibodies (immunoglobulins) against Covid-19 from the blood of an infected patient, a procedure called plasmapheresis must be performed. This separates the corpuscular elements from the blood by centrifugation or filtration. This technique has been known and used for some time. It was invented by Drs. Abel and Rowntree in 1913…
Like many journalists, I am haunted by the tyranny of the deadline. Take yesterday, when I sat down to reflect on the first anniversary of the death of my 29 year old close friend, journalistic colleague and fellow National Union of Journalists Belfast & District member, Lyra McKee. Lyra and I often took solace in…
We’ve seen a rush of recent panic and hysteria about the possibility, likelihood or other about a coronavirus epidemic.But before we hurtle headlong into a cycle of hysteria, stockpiling essentials and self isolation, step back. Of course we should all take advice of the best, most sensible up to date advice. But don’t forget, that…
The overnight snow had frozen on my windscreen when I left home at dawn on Thursday 12 March 2019.This was originally published in ‘Peace Journalism’ 1 April 2020 As I drove through Derry, I passed the spot where almost a year ago my friend, colleague, and fellow member of the National Union of Journalists, Lyra…
I’m a journalist, a freelance, self-employed, a caregiver in multiple roles, and a woman. And I am very, very proud to say, I am a Union woman. And as the song in the link above says: We are many thousand strong,And I am glad to sayWe are getting strongerAnd stronger every day. Every day I have…
Catherine Ferrin, team leader for Outreach Services for Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid, talks to journalist Kathryn Johnston about her role in helping women who are suffering domestic violence.“Remember years ago when people wore rubber bands with ‘What Would Jesus Do?’ written on them? A woman suffering domestic violence has an invisible rubber band on…
Last Sunday, 13th May 2018, members of DiEM25 met in Belfast. That same day, eleven women, from both sides of the Irish border, travelled to England and Wales for an abortion that would have been illegal in Ireland. There was nothing unusual in that. It is an everyday occurrence. In 2016 just under 4,000 women…
