Global urea prices surge as some mideast producers halt output
Global prices of key fertiliser ingredient urea have surged alongside escalating violence in the Middle East, which threatens to choke supplies of the crop nutrient from a significant producing and exporting region.
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The Irish Sun
14 minutes ago
- The Irish Sun
Woman, 26, sues drunk bosses who threw her into pool as a joke on 5-star company holiday
AN EVENTS manager is suing her drunk bosses who threw her into a pool as a joke while on an expensive company holiday. Chloe Hewitt was chucked into the swimming pool by the boozed-up salesmen at a luxury hotel on Mauritius. 5 Chloe Hewitt was chucked into the swimming pool while on a work holiday Credit: Champion News Service 5 Chloe, from Weybridge, Surrey, emerged from the water bleeding, having cut her foot on the bottom of the pool Credit: Champion News Service 5 The pool at Paradis resort, Mauritius, where Chloe suffered accident following a Herbalife party Credit: Champion News Service The 26-year-old wants £250,000, saying she landed on broken drink glasses after she was flung into the pool "in jest". She was thrown in by intoxicated "distributors" who had been enjoying a "free bar" at the paradise island event organised by health drinks brand Herbalife to reward high-selling salesmen. Chloe, from Weybridge, Surrey, emerged from the water bleeding, having cut her foot on the bottom of the pool. She was left with nerve damage which has required two operations and physiotherapy. Read more The young woman is now suing the company's European arm, Uxbridge-based Herbalife Europe Ltd, claiming damages on the basis that it had not done enough to ensure the boozy event was safe. However, Chloe began working for the company in June 2020, taking a job in regional promotions for Europe and Africa, which required her sometimes to attend events outside of the UK. Most read in The Sun As part of her role, she was sent to Mauritius' five-Star Paradise Hotel for a training and team-building event, to which Herbalife distributors who had achieved qualifying high sales were invited. The hotel is part of the Beachcomber Resort, on the island's Le Morne peninsula. It features an 18-hole golf course, bars, swimming pools, and where every room faces towards the sea. Her accident happened at the event's "farewell party" which took place on June 4, 2022, including dinner, a DJ and a free bar. 5 Her lawyers say the company is responsible for her injury because it did not do enough to ensure she was safe Credit: Champion News Service Her barrister, Matthew Chapman KC, said in documents recently filed at the High Court: "At around midnight on 4 June 2022, the DJ continued to play music and the free bar continued to serve drinks. "The dance floor was located next to the resort swimming pool. Drinks were provided in glasses, rather than plastic containers, and there was broken glass on and around the dance floor. "Some of the party-goers were exhibiting obvious signs of intoxication. There were no security staff on duty. "After midnight, the claimant observed a French employee of the defendant being picked up and carried by male party-goers who appeared to be drunk. "Despite his protestations to be put down, the party-goers threw the member of staff into the resort swimming pool. "Other members of the defendant's employed staff were then pushed or thrown into the swimming pool. Suddenly, the claimant was pushed from behind into the swimming pool. She was fully-dressed and was wearing make-up at the time. "The claimant protested and, as she exited the swimming pool, asked not to be pushed again. She could hear people remonstrating with the responsible party-goers and asking them to calm down. "The claimant was then pushed forcefully and unexpectedly from behind and back into the swimming pool. "The claimant was completely submerged under the water and the force of her entry carried her to the base of the swimming pool where she caught her foot on an object lying there and felt an immediate, sharp pain. Inside Herbalife – the 'it' brand pedalled by Towie stars and footballers that's said to be linked to hepatitis and liver damage By Kathryn Knight LOOKING at pictures of Towie star Danielle Armstrong, it's clear to see that she is in great shape. Earlier this year she She claimed it was down to Herbalife, a nutrition brand that sells supplements, meal-replacement shakes made from soy and dairy proteins, energy bars, multivitamins and minerals tablets. Danielle was so impressed, she And Towie stars aren't the only ones giving Herbalife a publicity boost in recent months. Model Emma McVey credited them with Ronaldo has also endorsed it, and while he was playing for LA Galaxy, David Beckham wore a shirt sponsored by the brand. Yet behind this glossy façade troubling questions have been asked about the multi-billion pound company. It's been accused of being nothing less than a pyramid scheme - a model in which members are paid for recruiting others rather than selling products - propped up by some of the high profile names they get to endorse their products. Not only that: others have claimed that Herbalife might even cause long term problems - over the years the company's products have been linked to lead poisoning, liver damage, and hepatitis. A spokesperson for Herbalife said: 'All our independent Herbalife Nutrition Members are independent business people and not employees of Herbalife Nutrition or paid ambassadors. "Every day millions of consumers safely use our products around the world and no known hepatotoxins have ever been found in our products." "The claimant had caught her foot on broken glass debris which was on the bottom of the swimming pool, having found its way there from glasses containing drinks served at the farewell party." Chloe was treated at a local hospital and again back in England to repair a nerve in her foot, but Mr Chapman says she has been left with "significant pain and stiffness, loss of sensation and loss of movement" in her right foot, which is likely to be permanent. Suing Herbalife, her lawyers say it is responsible for her injury because it did not do enough to ensure she was safe, having allowed its partygoing distributors to carry glasses onto the dancefloor and close to the swimming pool, and also having allowed free drinks to be served to "clearly intoxicated" partygoers. "The claimant will say that accidents of this kind do not usually occur without negligence in the conduct of the relevant operation," says her barrister. In its written defence to the action, Herbalife denies responsibility for anything its distributors did, pointing out that "Herbalife members" are people who run independent businesses selling its products, while Chloe was off the clock by the time of the accident anyway. The free bar element of the party had only lasted an hour, says its barrister Rory Holmes, while the entire Herbalife event was finished at midnight, after which Chloe was no longer working. "At midnight, there was an announcement on stage for the purpose of the distributors that the event had finished and the Paradis bar was staying open where drinks could be purchased from the hotel at the expense of the distributors," he said. "Once the farewell party ended, the claimant's time was her own. She was no longer on duty. "The claimant was naturally free to spend her personal time however she wanted - she could have gone to bed, she could have gone for a walk in the hotel grounds, she could have chosen to be on her own, she could have chosen to socialise with whomever she wished." Instead she had chosen to congregate with the distributors by the pool, with the event DJ agreeing to move his equipment and begin a new set there. "At some point shortly before the claimant's accident, some of the French distributors decided to push or throw other members of the group, including some of the defendant's staff members, into the pool. "This was intended to be in jest, however one of the defendant's members of staff asked the relevant distributors to calm down. "The claimant was sitting at high tables to the side of the bar area with other members of staff. She was pushed/thrown into the pool on at least one occasion. "As the claimant exited the pool, having been thrown in, it was noted that she had a laceration to her foot. "It is not admitted that the claimant cut her foot on broken glass debris which was on the bottom of the swimming pool, having found it way there from glasses containing drinks at farewell party." He said Chloe had said at the time that thought she had cut herself not on broken glass, but on a rounded light, possibly an uplighter which had fallen into the pool. "The defendant does not condone the actions of the distributors who threw members of the group into the pool," he added. "The defendant asked the distributors to calm down, which was a reasonable and proportionate response given what was known at the time." "The defendant was entitled to rely, and did rely, upon a reasonably held belief that, at a luxury five-star hotel with a good record, the hotel's premises/systems would be reasonably safe. "For the avoidance of doubt, it is not the defendant's case that the hotel's premises, systems etc were unsafe." Chloe's claim was recently filed at the High Court, but the case has not yet gone before a judge. It will now go forward to a full trial, unless settled by the parties outside of court. 5 The hotel is part of the Beachcomber Resort, on the island's Le Morne peninsula Credit: Champion News Service
Irish Times
15 minutes ago
- Irish Times
Defence Force pay levels rise in bid to retain staff amid ‘poaching'
Defence Forces starting salaries for recruits who have completed basic training have risen by 49 per cent to more than €41,000 as the Government battles to retain staff amid 'poaching', TDs and Senators have been told. The pay of graduate cadets starts at more than €50,000, the Oireachtas Committee on Defence and National Security heard on Tuesday. Jacqui McCrum, secretary general of the Department of Defence said the Government was battling to modernise the Defence Forces and retain staff against private commercial operators who 'poach' Defence Forces members 'with an open chequebook'. Ms McCrum told the Oireachtas committee that retention of staff was especially challenging in relation to those working in air traffic services, particularly air traffic controllers. READ MORE Ms McCrum said this particular risk was 'crystallised' earlier this year in relation to a private sector operator 'close on our doorstep, effectively, in Baldonell, which was Weston'. She said there was 'potential there for them to poach our own staff, and that did materialise and certainly job offers have been made, and that's the position in which we find ourselves now.' She said the problem of staff being poached 'came to a very acute level just in May this year.' Among the potential measures to retain staff was a commitment scheme, similar to that which is in place for the pilots in which candidate undertake to remain with the Defence Forces for a fixed period after training. That 'could be potentially extended to the air traffic controllers,' she said. Ms McCrum said salary changes were also being introduced for air traffic controllers: 'We are going from something where there's a pay band of about €58,000 to €126,000," she said. 'With the service commitment scheme it will change from €85,000 up to €140,000 and that is quite a significant jump. But there are terms and conditions that surround that and they're being worked through at the moment'. The committee was also told Budget 2025 provided a record allocation of €1.35 billion for the defence sector, including more than €130 million for capability development investment. Some €55 million of this relates to essential aircraft projects including strategic reach aircraft; a light utility helicopter project and the acquisition of C295 military transport aircraft. However, Independent Senator Gerard Craughwell said an internal military report commissioned as far back as 2021 warned of the impending 'crisis' in personnel and this became a reality in October 2024. He was critical it was only this year the measures were being considered. Lieutenant General Rossa Mulcahy said the 2021 report set out a series of recommendations of which a number of measures were adopted. 'However, despite extensive efforts, staffing challenges have persisted as a competitive commercial aviation market has targeted this highly specialised, highly trained stream within the Air Corps. 'While I wish to acknowledge the significant uplift in the remuneration package for the Defence Forces, in general over the last number of years, a disparity between the pay rates of highly specialised military personnel and their civilian equivalents remains. 'This disparity makes it extremely difficult to retain the services of such personnel, including trained air traffic services personnel. These are not excuses. This is the reality of the environment the Defence Forces and indeed the wider public sector are operating in. But be assured we continue to seek solutions to these challenges' he said.
RTÉ News
20 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
'Disgusted' Dublin icon Stephen Cluxton dropped to Parnells' second team in protest at how crisis club was run
Earlier this year one of Dublin's oldest GAA club, Parnells, was liquidated. The club, serving the parishes of Coolock and Artane, had been in financial difficulty for some time, having been ordered to pay a redundancy lump sum to 11 staff members who were not given work after the start of the Covid pandemic. However in 2008, Parnells GAA club sold lands near Dublin Airport for €22 million, making it the wealthiest of Ireland's 1,610 GAA clubs. Last night's Prime Time investigation detailed the club's precipitous fall. For a period in the last decade the club, chasing a first county title since 1988, was synonymous with the recruitment of inter-county stars from outside Dublin. Internal club documents – seen by Prime Time – show the scale of money allocated to some within the club. One player received almost €20,000 over a 16-month period – €8,050 for coaching and €11,600 for travel and subsistence. A number of years later, a coach was paid €16,820 in travel and subsistence payments over a 9-month period. However, the most successful inter-county footballer at Parnells (or any other club for that matter) is nine-time All-Ireland winning goalkeeper Stephen Cluxton - Parnells through and through. Just as Dublin were beginning to dominate, he took the unusual decision to drop down to the club's second team. As the goalkeeper has never been one for speaking to the media, his reasons for doing so were never made clear. However Prime Time last night revealed that in late September 2014 Cluxton wrote a letter to all members of the club executive. He outlined the reasons why he had taken the highly unusual decision to regrade down, to play for the club's second team. He also detailed his "frustration at the direction in which the club is being lead". The letter stated: "I don't agree with the policy of head-hunting players" and "I don't agree that county players are treated to various perks". He added that he was "disgusted with the tax situation having to be settled in the manner in which it was" and "I am disgusted that the club is now in debt".
