Windfall for Donegal investors and Rotunda tests drones for medical deliveries

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The Rotunda Hospital in Dublin 1, which has teamed up with Manna to test drone deliveries for medical supplies. Photograph: Sam Boal/Collins photos
The Rotunda Hospital in Dublin 1, which has teamed up with Manna to test drone deliveries for medical supplies. Photograph: Sam Boal/Collins photos

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Donegal Investment Group said its “current intention” is to delist from the Irish stock market by the end of August, having returned almost €112 million to investors over a decade after selling most of its assets. Joe Brennan reports on the latest defection from the Irish stock market.

The Rotunda Hospital and drone delivery company Manna have teamed up to test the possibility of making urgent medical deliveries by drone, eliminating traffic delays for the city centre hospital. Ciara O’Brien has the details.

Irish hauliers says they are facing extra costs of €1,000 a day from the spike in fuel costs cause by the conflict in the Middle East. Paul Colgan tells the story in our weekly Agenda feature.

First it was Venezuela, now it’s Iran but is China Washington’s real target? Our columnist Eoin Burke-Kennedy gives his view on what he believes is Donald Trump’s real strategy.

In our Interview of the Week, Dominic Coyle speaks with Shane Ryan, president of the Irish Pharmaceutical Healthcare Association, who is confident a new deal on medicine prices can be agreed with the Government.

The digitalisation of the global economy and the coming “revolution” in artificial intelligence (AI) will lead to even deeper integration between Ireland’s “tech-savvy economy” and US multinationals, according to a new report by the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland.

In an opinion piece, Grant Thornton partner and former IDA chief Martin Shanahan says Ireland needs to address domestic weaknesses if it wants multinationals to continue investing here.

Patrick McKillen jnr is to ask the Circuit Civil Court to protect his Ring of Kerry chocolate company, Seaclaidi Na Sceilge Teoranta, from its creditors through the appointment of an examiner. Ray Managh reports from the court proceedings.

The new operators of the Luas from September will be a joint venture between French transport company Keolis and British operations firm Amey, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) and the National Transport Authority (NTA) have confirmed. Hugh Dooley has the story.

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