World
Why is Lough Neagh, the UK’s largest freshwater lake, turning green?
Belfast, Northern Ireland – An algal bloom resurgence at Lough Neagh, the biggest freshwater body in the United Kingdom and Ireland, has renewed public debate about its ownership and management.
For months, extensive blue-green algal (cyanobacteria) growths have led to animal deaths, human sickness, temporary beach closures, and the permanent closure of businesses along the lake and connecting waterways. Regional agencies say the summer’s bloom reached “levels not seen since the 1970s”, while lough residents say they were the “worst” they have ever seen.
The contamination has prompted fears about the safety of drinking water in the region and the future survival of key industries at the lough.
Several grassroots initiatives have sprung up in response to the lough’s devastated condition.
There have also been attempts to recall Northern Ireland’s assembly – part of the region’s collapsed power-sharing arrangements, also known as Stormont – to address the ongoing “crisis” at one of Europe’s most important freshwater bodies.
What is Lough Neagh?
Lough Neagh is the largest freshwater body by surface area in the UK and Ireland, covering nearly 400 square km (154 square miles), an area greater than the size of Malta. It supplies more than 40 percent of Northern Ireland’s drinking water and more than half of its capital city, Belfast.
About 91 percent of the 4,550-sq km (1,756 sq miles) catchment area lies in Northern Ireland, says John Spence, a retired researcher specialising in aquatic systems management.
“Altogether, 43 percent of the land area of Northern Ireland drains into the lough, from which the waters flow out northwards to the Atlantic Ocean via the lower River Bann.”
The lough is a rich source of Irish mythology, having inspired many writers and artists. Its landscapes have been immortalised in verse by Nobel Laureate Seamus Heaney, who grew up by the northwest tip of Lough Neagh and the neighbouring Lough Beg.
Also, evidence of Ireland’s earliest settlements has been found along its adjoining rivers.
Why is it turning green?
So what’s causing the extensive growths – referred to as “blue-green algae” thanks to its green and brilliant-blue appearance, which are a kind of photosynthesising bacteria – that have swept the lough this summer? The primary source is exceedingly high levels of phosphates and nitrates, along with other contaminants.
The key culprits: two-thirds of the phosphate that ends up in the lough originates from slurry and other run-off from surrounding farmland, while 24 percent comes from human sewage discharged into the lough’s catchment area. Other factors, including industrial sand extraction, may also be accelerating the eutrophication (nutrient-loading) process that has allowed the algae to flourish.
One study suggested that climate change may, additionally, be a contributing factor.
The wettest July on record in Northern Ireland, followed by prolonged spells of warm weather in August and early September, have served as more immediate triggers for the surge in algal growths.
Les Gornall, an expert who has worked on the environmental impacts of slurry for decades, explains that the lake’s “hypereutrophic” classification made the algal blooms nearly inevitable. Hypereutrophication results when increasing concentrations of plant nutrients in water bodies lead to increased biological productivity.
“This change resulted from the lake’s response to an influx of nutrients, particularly soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP) and nitrogen,” Gornall said.
According to Gornall, only a “tiny amount of SRP” – phosphorous quantities similar in size to a couple of AAA batteries – is needed to trigger an algal bloom.
“In pollution-free lakes, one would find a concentration of only one or two of these [battery-sized] ‘SRP units’ in the pristine water. In 2023, SRP levels in the [Lough] surged to seven-either units.
“This pollution level elevates the likelihood of a toxic blue-green algal bloom to over 80 percent. Without controls on phosphorus input, this level of SRP will increase and the lough may become unrecoverable.”
Who owns it?
The waters are publicly owned, while there are a number of individual landowners across the lough’s vast catchment area. But Lough Neagh’s bed, soil, and banks are owned by the Shaftesbury Estate, a territorial claim that dates back to the Plantation of Ulster in the early 1600s.
The lough’s ownership has been challenged through a series of disputes that have played out over more than a century.
As recently as the 1970s, the Shaftesbury Estate claimed ownership of the lough’s waters and charged public water bodies for abstraction work. The Estate has since dropped that claim.
Public ownership has been explored several times since the 1960s, with the most recent attempt floundering between 2012 and 2014.
In early October, the 12th and current Earl of Shaftesbury, Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, told BBC NI that he would not “gift” the lough back to the people of Ireland.
Stormont’s devolved governing institutions would likely need to be operational to advance a new public ownership bid. The region’s power-sharing arrangements have been lying dormant for more than 600 days due to an ongoing argument over post-Brexit customs arrangements in the Irish Sea.
How can the contamination be stopped?
A range of public authorities and government departments, as well as Northern Ireland’s civil service, have faced criticism for their slow response to the algae issue.
NI Water, a publicly-owned company that is the only agency responsible for running and maintaining the region’s water and sewage infrastructure, says water drawn from the lough’s three main abstraction points is safe to drink – despite its cloudy appearance, “musty taste” and occasional odour in certain areas.
Some 13 chemical substances are added to drinking water drawn at Lough Neagh during its complex treatment processes, which cost about 28 million pounds (about $34m) for the 2022/23 financial year.
Meanwhile, to begin addressing the situation, Gornall says that phosphorus and nitrogen inputs – which are currently “off the scale” – need to be halved. This would “allow the lake 20 years to naturally leach out the accumulated phosphorus from the lake bed, accrued over decades of excessive nutrient input”.
He added that five key measures are needed to achieve this.
The first is greater publicity and awareness of the processes driving the lough’s poor health. “Implement[ing] stricter regulation” of sewage, agricultural pollution, and other pressures on the lough system is another. Ensuring “responsible manure management and soil conservation to minimise [agricultural] runoff” is also key, Gornall pointed out.
This, he says, will require collaboration between north and south bodies on the island of Ireland – not least because Lough Neagh drains two counties in the Republic of Ireland: Monaghan and Cavan – and should lead towards the development of a coordinated management strategy for the lough. Waterways Ireland, one of six all-island North/South implementation bodies established under the Good Friday Agreement, has never had any jurisdiction over Lough Neagh.
Finally, he said, it is vital to establish a laboratory at Lough Neagh that is able to produce independent, scientifically-robust research that is free from conflicts of interest or interference.
The last major research facility at Lough Neagh, which Gornall worked at and was mainly operated by the University of Ulster at Traád Point along the lough’s northwestern shores, closed in the early 2000s.
Gornall says the research station was “like a microscope,” routinely scrutinising the lough, with “analytical standards that were better than most hospitals”. Its closure, he adds, has contributed to an absence of “scientifically robust and transparent” research data that would inform policy and key decisions affecting the water body.
World
Boswell kicks 6 field goals and the Steelers bottle up Lamar Jackson in 18-16 win over the Ravens
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Chris Boswell tied a franchise record with six field goals and the Pittsburgh Steelers limited Lamar Jackson and the NFL’s top-ranked offense in an 18-16 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.
The Steelers (8-2) won their fifth straight behind Boswell and a defense that never let Jackson, Derrick Henry or the rest of the offense get into a rhythm, opening up a little breathing room atop the AFC North.
Baltimore (7-4) was held to season lows in points and yards (329) while committing 12 penalties and turning the ball over three times — each miscue leading to a Boswell field goal — as Pittsburgh won for the seventh time in its last eight meetings in a rivalry that remains as chippy as ever.
Jackson completed just 16 of 33 for 207 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He hit Zay Flowers for a 16-yard score with 1:06 left to get the Ravens within two but the 2-point conversion attempt was a mess. Jackson rolled to his left, tried to run then pulled up and threw a prayer to no one in particular that fell incomplete.
The Steelers — with backup quarterback Justin Fields subbing in for Russell Wilson on a couple of snaps — picked up a first down on the ensuing drive as Pittsburgh ran out the clock to drop Jackson’s record to 1-4 against his team’s biggest rival.
Henry tied a franchise record by scoring his 15th rushing touchdown of the season, but was limited to just 65 yards and wasn’t even on the field for the ill-fated 2-point attempt.
Wilson and the Steelers weren’t much better, but Pittsburgh largely avoided the self-inflicted wounds that cost Baltimore so dearly. Wilson threw for 205 yards and an ill-advised pick in the end zone midway through the fourth quarter. Najee Harris ran for 63 yards — including a 2-yard churn for the clinching first down — and George Pickens caught eight passes for 89 yards for the Steelers.
The game marked the second time this season Pittsburgh won without reaching the end zone. Boswell also booted six field goals in the opener in Atlanta.
Back then Fields was the starter while Wilson dealt with a calf injury and Pittsburgh’s season remained a bit of a mystery. Not so much as Thanksgiving approaches.
While the offense is better — even on a day it seemed to take a bit of a step back against Baltimore’s 27th-ranked defense — the Steelers will go as far as their defense will take them.
Though head coach Mike Tomlin insists there is nothing “mystical” about Pittsburgh’s success against Jackson, a two-time NFL MVP, the Steelers have consistently succeeded where so many others have failed.
The Ravens had only one truly sustained drive. Otherwise, the unit that made it look so easy for much of the first two-plus months of the season kept backfiring as mistakes, miscues and Pittsburgh’s disciplined approach that never let Jackson truly get comfortable sent the Ravens to another frustrating loss at Acrisure Stadium.
Injuries
Ravens: LB Roquan Smith left in the fourth quarter with a hamstring injury and did not return.
Steelers: DT Keeanu Benton was shaken up in the fourth quarter.
Up next
Ravens: Head west to play the Los Angeles Chargers on Nov. 25.
Steelers: Travel to Cleveland to face the Browns on Thursday night.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
World
Mexican president might be changing view on US as Trump win sends warning to ruling socialists
Mexico City – President Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration is considering adjusting certain policies in response to the anticipated challenges posed by President-elect Trump’s return to office, seeking to safeguard Mexico’s economic interests and manage immigration effectively.
Fearing that measures from the coming Trump administration might be harmful to Mexico, Sheinbaum and other officials have expressed a commitment to maintaining a positive bilateral relationship while emphasizing Mexico’s sovereignty. At a recent press conference, she reassured Mexicans that there is “no reason for concern” regarding the election outcome, indicating confidence in the stability of bilateral relations. “We will work with dialogue and respect for our sovereignties,” she said.
Rodrigo Montes de Oca, a scholar at the Baker Institute Center for the U.S. and Mexico, talked to Fox News Digital and said that “the bilateral relationship will no longer be reduced to a single issue but will be addressed in a broader manner.” He explained that “former President López Obrador – AMLO, was very skillful in being able to concentrate the entire bilateral relationship on a single issue: immigration.
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He continued, “If AMLO cooperated on immigration, the Biden administration turned the other way on important issues such as security and fentanyl trafficking and all the antidemocratic policies that Mexico was and is promoting. Now with the coming Trump administration, everything is going to be much more complex because they will not only focus on immigration but also on trade and security. That is why Trump went so far as to say during the campaign that if Mexico did not cooperate on these issues, he would make public the U.S. government’s intelligence information on politicians in Mexico who are related to drug cartels. The relationship is going to be approached in a more comprehensive way. I don’t see that the Mexican government is preparing for that.”
With Trump’s plans for mass deportations and more immigration controls, Mexico is expected to strengthen its immigration policies. This may involve increased enforcement at its southern border and expanded cooperation with U.S. authorities to manage migration flows effectively. Such measures aim to address U.S. concerns while upholding Mexico’s sovereignty and humanitarian commitments.
Sheinbaum has continued Mexico’s existing strategies to manage and discourage migrant caravans traveling toward the United States. These measures include the deployment of the National Guard and other security forces to intercept and disperse migrant groups at the southern border. This approach aims to prevent large caravans from forming and progressing northward.
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The Mexican government has organized flights to repatriate migrants to their countries of origin, seeking to reduce the number of individuals attempting to cross Mexico en route to the U.S. Mexico continues to work closely with U.S. authorities to manage migration flows, including accepting certain deported migrants and implementing policies to control the surge of individuals seeking entry into the United States.
Trump’s proposed tariffs on Mexican exports, particularly in the automotive sector, have prompted Mexico to consider reciprocal measures. Economy Minister Marcelo Ebrard indicated that Mexico might impose its own tariffs on U.S. imports if such U.S. tariffs are enacted, emphasizing the potential economic repercussions for both nations.
Montes de Oca told Fox News Digital that “Mexico needs to prepare a comprehensive plan to address the current violence in the country; otherwise, it may face economic repercussions that could affect the renegotiation of the USMCA trade deal in 2026.” In response to Trump’s previous threats of military action against drug cartels, Mexico might enhance its security strategies to mitigate the risk of unilateral U.S. interventions, which the Mexican government fears.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF THE BORDER SECURITY CRISIS
The president of the Mexican Senate, Gerardo Fernández Noroña, said, “Donald Trump is a difficult guy, but he does not eat fire, he knows very well the importance of the relationship with our country, he knows very well the importance of the Mexican community in the United States and that he had very important support from Mexicans during the election.” He added, “Claudia Sheinbaum has the ability, firmness, character, preparation and the popular support to get along with him correctly.”
Mexican Congressman Raúl Torres told Fox News Digital: “Claudia Sheinbaum’s administration will have to reinforce the security strategy on the southern border by deploying the National Guard and strengthening the presence of the National Migration Institute. Likewise, she must change the narrative and a new way of negotiating with the U.S. given the upcoming negotiation of the USMCA trade deal. She must put at the center an economic agenda to empower Mexicans in the United States, whose weight is increasing every day since many of them open businesses, generate jobs and voted for Donald Trump.”
Experts consider it is still early and uncertain to know the extent to which Sheinbaum’s government will be open to changing certain positions and policies to benefit the relationship with the United States. Mainly in security, they predict, since her predecessor preferred to protect criminal groups instead of fighting them. She promised continuity in everything, and security policy could be the point of most tension with the coming Trump administration.
Pope Francis has called for an investigation to determine whether Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, tackling the issue for the first time in excerpts from an upcoming book.
“According to some experts, what is happening in Gaza has the characteristics of a genocide,” the pope said in excerpts published on Sunday by the Italian daily La Stampa.
“We should investigate carefully to determine whether it fits into the technical definition formulated by jurists and international bodies,” he added.
The book, by Hernan Reyes Alcaide and based on interviews with the pope, is entitled Hope Never Disappoints: Pilgrims towards a Better World. It will be released on Tuesday ahead of the pope’s 2025 yearlong jubilee, which is expected to bring more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome to celebrate.
The Argentine pontiff has frequently deplored the number of victims of Israel’s war in Gaza, where the death toll stands at 43,846 people, most of them civilians, according to the territory’s Ministry of Health.
But his call for a probe marks the first time he has publicly used the term “genocide”, albeit without endorsing its use, in the context of the Israeli military offensive in Gaza.
Israel’s embassy to the Vatican responded later on Sunday with a post on X, quoting its Ambassador Yaron Sideman.
“There was a genocidal massacre on 7 October 2023 of Israeli citizens, and since then, Israel has exercised its right of self-defence against attempts from seven different fronts to kill its citizens,” said the statement.
“Any attempt to call it by any other name is singling out the Jewish State.”
But campaigners and Palestinian supporters have dubbed the Israeli offensive as a “war of vengeance” that has left the Gaza Strip in ruins.
Stepping up criticism
The war in Gaza has triggered several legal cases at international courts in The Hague involving requests for arrest warrants as well as accusations and denials of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
On Thursday, a United Nations Special Committee judged Israel’s conduct of warfare in Gaza “consistent with the characteristics of genocide”, accusing the country of “using starvation as a method of war”.
Its conclusions have already been condemned by Israel’s key backer, the United States.
South Africa brought a genocide case before the International Court of Justice with the support of several countries, including Turkey, Spain and Mexico. In January, the judges at the court ordered Israel to ensure its troops commit no genocidal acts. The court has not yet ruled on the core of the case – whether genocide has occurred in Gaza.
Pope Francis, leader of the 1.4-billion-member Catholic Church, is usually careful not to take sides in international conflicts, and to stress de-escalation. But he has stepped up his criticism of Israel’s conduct in its war against Palestinians.
In September, he decried the killings of Palestinian children in Israeli strikes in Gaza. He also sharply criticised Israel’s air strikes in Lebanon as going “beyond morality”.
Francis has not previously described the situation in Gaza as a genocide in public. But last year, he was at the centre of a messy dispute after a meeting with a group of Palestinians at the Vatican, who insisted he had used the word with them in private, while the Vatican said he had not.
Francis has also frequently called for the return of the Israeli captives taken by Hamas on October 7, 2023. Of the 251 people taken that day, 97 are still held in the Palestinian territory, including 34 the Israeli army says are dead.
On Thursday, the pontiff received 16 former captives who were freed after months of detention in Gaza.
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