By Sarah Gill
20th Oct 2022
20th Oct 2022
Your speedy summary of today's must-read stories.
Irish wastewater
According to the 2021 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) report on urban wastewater treatment, only half of Ireland’s sewage was treated to EU environmental standards. This means that Ireland has failed to comply with the required standards since 2005, and it is said that it will take 20 years of sustained “multibillion-euro investment” by Irish Water to get all plants up to the required standard.
Donald Trump deposition
Donald Trump has been deposed in a defamation lawsuit brought by writer E. Jean Carroll after he denied her allegations that he had raped her in the mid-1990s. In 2019, Trump denied the allegations, saying that Carroll was “not my type”, and accused her of making it up. The deposition came a week after a federal judge denied his bid to postpone proceeding, rejecting his contention that questioning the former president under oath would impose an “undue burden.”
Ukrainian electricity curbs
Ukraine’s military tightened the noose around Russian forces occupying the southern city of Kherson as the government ordered nationwide curbs on electricity use due to Russian missile and drone attacks on power plants. In Kherson, the only regional capital Russia have captured since their invasion began, the Russian-appointed administration began an evacuation of a city that controls the only land route to the Crimea peninsula, which Russia seized in 2014, and the mouth of the Dnipro river.
Taoiseach in Brussels
Micheál Martin is set to attend a meeting of the European Council in Brussels over the next two days, with Ukraine and energy issues up for discussion among EU leaders.The Taoiseach has said that the EU remains “steadfast” in support of Ukraine, and that this meeting was an opportunity to discuss humanitarian and financial aid.
The weather
Following severe thunder and lightening across the country last night, today is set to be dry overall with some bright of sunny spells. Mist will affect some southern and eastern coasts and rain will spread across Munster early tonight, extending to most of the country overnight. However, some northern areas will stay dry. A few thundery downpours are possible in southern coastal counties. Lowest temperatures of 10 to 13 degrees with fresh and gusty east or southeast winds.