Giant hogweed

By Colm Kelpie Published 1 day ago Share close Share page Copy link About sharing For the last 34 years, Pat O'Shea has looked after a rocky island that once housed a monastic settlement, was attacked by Vikings, and is beloved by Star Wars fans. Each Monday between April and October, he steps out of his house, looks across the rugged expanse of County Kerry and to the Atlantic Ocean beyond. He eyes the often choppy, frigid waters with an inquisitive eye, trying to judge whether the swells might hamper his weekly commute to work. At 07:00, he rings the owner of the transport boat moored alongside the village of Portmagee, to determine whether he and his small team will make it across for work on Sceilg Mhichíl, the largest of the two Skellig islands, and one of Ireland's national monuments. Pat and his colleagues at the Office of Public Works (OPW), a state agency, are the … [Read more...] about Skellig Michael: ‘I like the solitude and peace of the island’

By Giancarlo Rinaldi Published 18 March 2021 Share close Share page Copy link About sharing A multi-million pound investment plan for southern Scotland and northern England has been officially agreed. The Scottish and UK governments have confirmed £350m towards the Borderlands growth deal. Dumfries and Galloway, Scottish Borders, Northumberland, Cumbria and Carlisle City councils and other local partners will add in more than £100m. They carried out an online signing of the deal which it is hoped can deliver more than 5,000 jobs. It has been described as "transformational" but where will the investment be made? Track record One key part of the deal is the delivery of a study to look at extending the Borders Railway. Opened in September 2015, the line currently runs from Edinburgh to Tweedbank in the Borders. However, there have been repeated calls to … [Read more...] about Multi-million pound Borderlands deal signed

Here’s how our day began. I got up and made a coffee. He got up and hit the rowing machine. I resisted toast and had yogurt. He walked three miles to a meeting and logged the results on Fitbit. At 9am I got a WhatsApp from my long-suffering, very occasional personal trainer (leased from a friend who says I should be “doing weights”) and told him I would commit to a training time just as soon as I’d checked some stuff. He offered Zoom. I said I’d see how the morning went. Almost half of British women do no vigorous exercise, according to a new survey, while two thirds of men exercise regularly. The Lionesses may be just as fit as the Lions but an awful lot of us are not keeping up with the blokes and as one of the idle 47 per cent, I think I know why. Many will tell you these alarming figures are more evidence of the unequal domestic burden; we don’t have time to go to the gym or roll out the mat on the kitchen floor. But as someone who is back to a two-person home, with not so much … [Read more...] about When women don’t exercise, it’s for these good reasons

Russian forces have been "publicly humiliated" by Ukraine's use of U.S-supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) in Kherson, according to author Louise Mensch. Two key bridges into the Russian-occupied city of Kherson—which Kyiv has been working to retake— were heavily damaged by strikes on Wednesday, the British Ministry of Defence said. Ukrainian authorities reported on Saturday that the last working bridge over the river in the region had been damaged, further crippling Russian supply lines, according to The Associated Press. Mensch, a former Conservative member of Britain's parliament, described it as "the greatest tactical success in modern military history." Russian forces were "successfully baited into a giant motti, forced to run away," Mensch said. Newsweek could not independently verify whether any Russian forces had retreated. Alongside a video that apparently captured a HIMARS strike on the Antonivsky road bridge, Mensch wrote: "Not only is … [Read more...] about Russia “humiliated”‘ by Ukraine, U.S. HIMARS around Kherson: U.K. author

China and Russia are both threats in different ways says expert SUBSCRIBE Invalid email We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info The news will come as a devastating blow to Vladimir Putin, who has viewed Beijing as a staunch ally in his fight against NATO and the West. Prior to launching his invasion of Ukraine, the Russian president visited Beijing to meet with President Xi Jinping. At a subsequent press conference, the two leaders professed a "friendship without limits" and declared there were "no forbidden areas" of cooperation. Related articles China-US tensions rise as Taiwan thanks White House US warned against 'bloodbath' war as China has spent YEARS preparing However, it appears that Beijing has only been paying lip … [Read more...] about China unleashes secret attack on Russia as Xi begins to abandon Putin in huge U-turn

British author Reacting to the shocking attack last night, the Harry Potter writer and free speech campaigner - who has been pilloried in public by trans activists ever since she objected to the term 'people who menstruate' - tweeted : 'Horrifying news. Feeling very sick right now. Let him be ok.' Both authors are famous advocates of free speech and recently signed an open letter warning against the growth of cancel culture and 'censoriousness'. Rowling, 57, also shared tweets from journalists Stephanie Merritt and Hadley Freeman who praised Rushdie's courage after the Indian-born author, now 75, was forced to go into hiding for a decade when the dictatorship in Tehran issued a fatwa calling for his murder in 1989. Recalling an event she did with Rushdie two decades ago, Merritt said: 'God I hope Rushdie's ok. I interviewed him on stage about 20 years ago. The audience had to come in through airport-type security gates. I remember looking out at this big crowd & feeling … [Read more...] about JK Rowling is ‘feeling very sick’ after learning ‘horrifying’ news that Salman Rushdie has been stabbed and says: ‘Let him be OK’

They tied the knot ten months ago. And Ant McPartlin and Anne Marie Corbett proved they were still going strong as ever as she went to support him while he filmed the third Britain's Got Talent semi-final at the Hammersmith Apollo on Wednesday. The TV presenter, 46, donned a navy fleece jumper and blue jeans as he waved at the cameras. Supportive: Ant McPartlin was joined by his supportive wife Anne Marie Corbett while filming the second Britain's Got Talent semi-final at the Hammersmith Apollo on Wednesday Anne-Marie looked radiant in a white shirt and blue jeans as she carried a Christian Dior handbag. Her blonde tresses were styled poker straight and left to tumble down her shoulders while she beamed excitedly. RELATED ARTICLES Previous 1 Next Britain's Got Talent: Singer Tom Ball wins third live show... TRIC Awards Nominations 2022: Ant and Dec, Kate Garraway,... Ant McPartlin playfully sticks up two fingers … [Read more...] about Anne Marie Corbett is ever the supportive wife as she joins husband Ant McPartlin for third semi-final of Britain’s Got Talent

Saudi oil giant Aramco has revealed profits of $48.4bn (£40bn) for the second quarter of 2022 - a 90% year-on-year increase. The sum has broken the firm's quarterly profit record set in May, with soaring energy prices driven by Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine resulting in windfalls to oil producers. The $48.4bn figure is higher than all of the first six months of last year, when profits reached $47bn (£39bn). It is also the company's highest quarterly earnings since it was publicly listed in 2019, when the Saudi government, which owns 98% of the firm, sold a 1.7% stake mainly to the Saudi public and regional institutions. Aramco's half-year profits reached $87.9bn (£72.4m) as oil prices remain high globally, putting Aramco on track to far surpass the full-year earnings of 2019, prior to the pandemic, when profits hit $88bn. Advertisement The company said the profits were driven primarily by higher crude oil prices and volumes sold, and … [Read more...] about Top Saudi oil firm Aramco sees 90% surge in net profits for second quarter of 2022

DISNEY is hiking the price of its Disney+ streaming service in the U.S as it introduced a new subscription tier that runs ads during shows. The price increases are tied to a new tiered service Disney will launch in December for U.S. subscribers. The basic Disney+ service today costs $7.99 per month. Starting in December, that basic service will run ads, so a subscriber who wants no ads will have to upgrade to a premium service that starts at $10.99 per month, a 37 per cent rise over current prices. An annual plan will cost $109.99. It means that viewers wanting to stick to their current price plan will have to watch adverts during their favourite shows and movies. Read more about streaming EASY FLIX How to tell if you're OVERPAYING for Netflix – and instantly slash your bills going rogue Star Wars drops explosive first look at new Disney+ series Andor And it's a change that's likely to make its way to the … [Read more...] about How to avoid HUGE Disney+ price rise with simple trick

Calvin Harris was joined by tennis champion Roger Federer at his latest DJ session at Ushuaïa in Ibiza. The Scottish music producer, 38, is currently headlining weekly events at the lavish club every Friday night. Emily Atack has previously been spotted at the star-studded bash as well as footballers Virgil van Dijk and Kevin Debruyne. READ NEXT: Calvin Harris fans gobsmacked as brazen couple spotted 'dry humping' in crowd However, it was the turn of the Swiss sportsman to enjoy Calvin's iconic tracks under the Ibiza sunset on August 12 (Friday). This Is What You Came For hitmaker Calvin took to his official Instagram page to share a snap posing next to Roger. "Another immense night in Ushuaïa. Officially, the biggest party on the island," the DJ wrote under a carousel of photos and videos from his latest set. Unsurprisingly, Calvin's latest social media appearance was flooded with messages from many of his 10.3million followers. One fan penned: "King Federer … [Read more...] about Calvin Harris welcomes tennis star Roger Federer to Ushuaïa for ‘biggest party in Ibiza’