The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Rt Hon Hilary Benn MP, and the Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence, Micheál Martin TD, met this evening [Thursday 11 July] at Hillsborough Castle. The discussions marked the first official engagement between the two, and comes as both the UK and Irish Governments pledge a reset in relations. They were joined by Fleur Anderson MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for the Northern Ireland Office. The Secretary of State reiterated the UK Government’s responsibility as co-signatory to the Belfast Good Friday Agreement, emphasising the importance of maintaining political stability and…
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Cotonou, Benin – The Government of Benin, in collaboration with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), facilitated the voluntary return of seventy-four (74) migrants, including 29 men, 16 women and 29 children, from Libya by charter flight on Thursday 27 June 2024. This operation is part of an initiative funded by Italian cooperation. Upon their arrival in Cotonou, the migrants were welcomed by representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of the Interior and Public Security, Ministry of Social Affairs and Microfinance, Ministry of Health and IOM Benin team. The migrants received immediate assistance from IOM, including food, water, hygiene…
Plankton — tiny organisms that are present in salt and freshwater — account for about half of the photosynthesis on the planet. But what scientists have assumed for many years to be plant plankton (phytoplankton) may actually be voracious predators. In lakes, plankton prey on single-celled bacteria that are in turn responsible for recycling nutrients that keep lake food webs functioning. I am a researcher studying phytoplankton and zooplankton (animal plankton). In my lab, we focus on factors influencing the biodiversity and functioning of plankton communities, including climate change and pollutants into lakes. We have recently been exploring bacterial feeding…
Domestic cats will do almost anything to avoid contact with water. Not so for their wild cousins, though. Lions, tigers and jaguars have had to adapt to water and sometimes take the plunge for survival. And this is what we observed on the late evening of 1 February 2024. Our research team in Uganda filmed filmed two male lions swimming in a waterway in the Queen Elizabeth National Park. But what was unusual was the distance and the danger: the lions swam an estimated 1.5km across the Kazinga Channel, which connects two lakes in the park. The channel has a…
Shania Twain has been presented with a bespoke guitar that celebrates her Irish heritage by EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum. The unique instrument represents Twain’s rich ancestry through intricate artwork by Irish illustrator David Rooney.The presentation of this guitar at Malahide Castle in the Republic of Ireland was in celebration of Twain playing to Irish audiences in Cork, Belfast, and Dublin last month.During the guitar presentation, Aileesh Carew, CEO of EPIC The Irish Emigration Museum, highlighted Twain’s importance for Ireland.“Shania, you are a prime example of the global impact of Irish emigration,” he said. “We are proud to present this…
The G7 Science and Technology Ministers’ meeting held in Bologna and Forlì, Italy, from 9 to 11 July 2024 underscored the pivotal role of science, technology, innovation, and higher education in contributing to a sustainable future, aligned with the shared values of democracy, respect for international law, and the promotion of human rights, fairness and freedom.In the declaration adopted today, the ministers of G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) and Commissioner Iliana Ivanova, responsible for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth, acknowledged a strong commitment to support Ukraine’s research and innovation ecosystem, new ways of…
While most adults in the 35 countries we surveyed feel China’s influence on domestic economic conditions, people are divided on whether that influence is positive or negative. Those in high-income countries tend to see China’s economic influence negatively, while those in middle-income countries have a more positive outlook. We also asked specifically about the influence of Chinese companies operating abroad in nine middle-income countries in Africa and Asia. In these nine nations, people largely see Chinese companies as beneficial to their economy. Views are slightly more mixed when it comes to whether these companies take measures to protect the environment…
Boston Waterproofing & Construction twice exposed workers to potentially deadly hazards BOSTON – Twice in less than three months in late 2023, a Boston waterproofing contractor exposed employees to life-threatening cave-ins and excavation hazards at residential worksites in Arlington, Massachusetts, and Warwick, Rhode Island, federal workplace safety investigators found.The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined that in each instance – in Arlington on Sept. 10, 2023 and in Warwick on Dec. 2, 2023 – a Boston Waterproofing & Construction Corp. supervisor recruited, then ordered untrained day laborers to enter and work in unprotected excavations, despite the employees raising…
Earlier this year Ukraine adopted a law increasing the pace of mobilization, as it desperately needs new troops to rotate exhausted soldiers and replenish losses on the war front with Russia. Under the new law, Kyiv obliged Ukrainian men living abroad to renew their military draft information online and encouraged them to return to Ukraine and join the fight. “Interestingly, many of them want to serve and rotate their compatriots, but they say: ‘We don’t want to be thrown into the battle without being properly trained and equipped.’ And we’re going to do this for them,” Sikorski said. “And then…
A new report has set out five key recommendations to support the sustainable future of the automotive industry. The report is published by UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Transforming Foundation Industries Challenge, and delivered by: Innovate UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council Economic and Social Research Council The report, carried out by Ricardo, a global strategic environmental and engineering consulting company, outlines how the automotive sector requires the development of new innovative materials. This includes lightweight alloys and natural fibre composites, made with a lower carbon footprint and higher recycled content, to enable the production of lightweight vehicles. These…