Latest news with #southeast
Irish Times
5 hours ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
District Court judge resigns with intention to return to practise in higher courts as a barrister
District Court judge Brian O'Shea, who has sat in courts in the southeast of the country, has resigned from the bench. Mr O'Shea told The Irish Times he intended to return to practising as a barrister and will appear before higher courts in the region from next week. He said he had intended to resign in October but 'a couple of opportunities' had arisen for which he could not apply as a sitting judge. The resignation was noted by the President of the District Court, Judge Paul Kelly, who described Mr O'Shea as 'a great colleague who will be a loss to the District Court and to the judiciary generally'. READ MORE Judge Kelly wished him well in his future career. While Mr O'Shea is not prohibited by law from practising at the District Court, it is not allowed under the code of conduct of the Bar Council of Ireland, the professional body for barristers. Mr O'Shea said he wanted to observe the code of conduct and would not therefore practise in the District Court, but would work in the Circuit and High Courts in the southeast from next week. His resignation was conveyed to Judge Kelly and to the President Michael D Higgins, in line with protocol. The resignation of a judge is comparatively rare event. Before Mr O'Shea's resignation, there were 65 District Court judges, seven short of the full complement of 72. In advance of the judge's resignation the Government had already announced plans to name six new judges in coming weeks, with a seventh due to be announced in September to replace one judge who is retiring. Judge O'Shea raised concerns about the state of courthouses in Cork and Tipperary earlier this year and proposed transferring court sittings to two large courthouses due to 'disgustingly unhygienic' toilets and rat infestations at existing courts. In March, Mr O'Shea, who sat in courts in east Cork, south Tipperary and west Waterford, wrote to the Courts Service saying he intended to transfer District Court sittings from Youghal to Dungarvan and from Cashel and Carrick-on-Suir to Clonmel. Mr O'Shea said four of the six courthouses in the courts district – Carrick-on-Suir, Cashel, Youghal and Lismore, whose sittings were transferred to Dungarvan in 2022 – were 'gravely inadequate in terms of their infrastructure'. The Courts Service said it had been 'engaging positively' with the then judge on the potential move. Mr O'Shea said the moves were not the reason for his resignation. Before turning to the law, Mr O'Shea, who is from Kilkenny, served as a garda from 1997 to 2003, and worked as a college lecturer in Carlow Institute of Technology and St Patrick's College in Carlow before being called to the Bar in 2005. He practised criminal, family and civil law as a barrister before he was appointed a District Court judge in 2017.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Science
- ABC News
Fight against fire ants at tipping point
As fire ants continue their relentless march across south-east Queensland, a biological control expert from the United States warns Australia's eradication plan is under threat.
Sky News
3 days ago
- Climate
- Sky News
Why aquatic life is facing a double whammy as sewage overflows spill into rivers amid heavy rain
It doesn't take much for Britain's sewerage system to be overwhelmed. Heavy rain had been forecast for the southeast of England on Saturday morning, with an amber weather warning issued. In fact, the downpours weren't as intense as feared - and they were brief. Yet, sewage overflows across the region quickly began discharging into rivers. Data from The Rivers Trust shows that at midday on Saturday there were 75 outlets actively pouring effluent into rivers in the southeast. And another 164 had been discharging in the previous 48 hours. It's been worse - far worse - in the past. But the sewage was being discharged into rivers heavily impacted by weeks of hot, dry weather. More weather warnings in place While the amber warning may have expired, there is more wet weather on the way over the coming days. A yellow weather warning for thunderstorms remains in place for most of England, apart from the southwest, until 9pm on Saturday. A yellow warning for rain affecting most of the southwest of England and South Wales is in place until 9pm on Sunday, with another in place for most of mainland Scotland until 12pm on Sunday. The majority of England and Scotland are also set to be impacted by thunderstorms on Monday, with a yellow warning in place from 11am until 9pm. The Met Office said a few places may experience flooding and disruption. Not only was the water temperature higher than normal, reducing oxygen levels and encouraging blooms of algae, but river levels were low, so there was less water to dilute the sewage. It's a double whammy for aquatic life. It reflects years of underinvestment in the infrastructure. The crumbling sewerage system hasn't kept pace with the growth in the population. The priority of the water regulator Ofwat has been to keep customer bills low, at the expense of the environment. And we are now paying the price. The Water Commission's report next week is expected to recommend much tighter regulation in future, and Ofwat is likely to be abolished.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Danger to life weather warning as thunderstorms and flooding set to hit England
Parts of southern England are set to be battered by torrential rain on Saturday which could cause 'significant' flooding and a danger to life, the Met Office said. An amber warning for thunderstorms has been issued for between 4am and 11am spanning major towns and cities including London, Brighton, Portsmouth, Chelmsford, St Albans and Cambridge. Forecasters have warned of sudden flooding in roads and homes with some more remote communities at risk of being cut off, while delays to train and bus services are also likely. Power cuts could also occur and buildings are at risk of damage from floodwater, lightning strikes, hail and strong winds. It is one of several weather warnings for thunderstorms issued across the country. On Friday, two yellow warnings are in place with one covering much of Yorkshire and the north east of England from 11am to 8pm on Friday. The second will come into place at 9pm until 11:49pm in London and the south east.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Honey turns sour as beehives in Karnataka come under attack
Bengaluru: Beekeepers across the state are facing a serious new threat: the invasion of small hive beetles, which is wreaking havoc on bee colonies and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. With over 60,000 beekeepers and an annual honey production of around 1,200 metric tons, the state has long been a buzzing hub for apiculture. However, these industrious insects are now under siege as the fast-spreading pest feeds on pollen, honey, and even dead bees. The larvae of small hive beetle are particularly damaging, destroying hives by consuming the protein-rich pollen and secreting a foul mucus that sours the honey and drives entire colonies to flee. The result is empty hives, plummeting honey yields, and heavy financial losses for apiculturists. What used to be prevalent in parts of southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Burma has now entered the Indian subcontinent as well, impacting apiaries across India. You Can Also Check: Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru Scientists from the University of Agricultural Sciences (UAS), Bengaluru, who have been closely tracking this pest for the past year, have started ringing the alarm bells loudly. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Many Are Watching Tariffs - Few Are Watching What Nvidia Just Launched Seeking Alpha Read More Undo The control measures suggested by them include regular inspection of the bee colonies and maintaining hive hygiene, stopping the collection and supply of infected colonies from neighbouring states or within the state, burning and destroying the pest-affected hives, and completely cleaning the hives. Dr KS Jagadish, professor and head of the department of apiculture at UAS, revealed these beetles entered India through West Bengal and have now spread across the country. "Interstate transportation of colonies has contributed to the spread. While it impacts both species of honey bees — Apis cerana and Apis mellifera — the former has suffered the worst as the entire colony flees if infected. These species cannot withstand even a slight disturbance to their colonies and immediately, vacate the colony if there is an external invasion," he explained. Dr Vijay Kumar, another scientist at UAS, said, "We have been advising apiculturists to adopt the best hygiene practices, including cleaning the bottom board once every 8 to 10 days. The beetle is just 2 to 3 millimetres in size and hard like rubber but can lay 300 to 400 eggs. Hence, one should not allow the accumulation of dust and broken twigs at the bottom boards. During the shifting of colonies, if one comes across dark brown coloured brood, they must carefully verify and assess for these beetles. If beetles are found, farmers should immediately pick them manually and kill them. Even though we have been working on few bio control agents, currently, there is no other alternative to contain its spread." Mahadeva Swamy, an apiculturist from MM Hills, said, "Scientists and horticulture officials visited our farm for a survey. Luckily, we are free of infection as we do not source any colony from outside. However, there have been reports that in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and other southern states, it is spreading fast."
