Un handshake??
This morning.
President Michael D Higgins has welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron at Áras an Uachtaráin on his first official visit to Ireland.
Mr Macron is undertaking a one-day tour of Dublin.
He is meeting President Higgins and Taoiseach Micheál Martin, as well as visiting Trinity College and the Guinness Enterprise Centre.
President Higgins welcomes French President to Ireland (RTÉ)
#Reims ce soir Terrasse libre au moins 200 personnes et en face les terrasses presque vides de bars!! #Manif28aout pic.twitter.com/uFKDtMrHdq
— LE GÉNÉRAL 0fficiel 💎 (@LE_GENERAL__OFF) August 25, 2021
Sit down next to me.
Yesterday.
Reims, France.
Patrons enjoy a picnic next to cafés policed by the vaccine passport.
Couldn’t happen here.
No.
Or could it?
No.
Irish shop fronts, most of them lost now to the ravages of time and Spar….
From my Irish work (1982-1992)
Follow and RT for more images… #Ireland pic.twitter.com/oKlFuCcGYR— David Jazay (@DavidJazay) August 25, 2021
In fairness.
*sobs*
From top: Minister for Education Norma Foley outside the Department of Education in Dublin earlier; A carbon monoxide monitor for classrooms
This afternoon.
Via RTÉ:
…an order of carbon dioxide monitors for schools has arrived and will be distributed in the coming days.
Minister for Education Norma Foley said the monitors are “an additional tool” to aid ventilation and the recommendation is that they should be portable and shared between classrooms at different times of the day.
Anyone?
Meanwhile..
Ms Foley said that pilot antigen testing is being carried out in the childcare sector and at third level, and said should it be recommended that antigen testing be rolled out in schools, she will be happy to comply with that….
Ms Foley said the Department of Health has recommended the continued use of masks at secondary level and not primary.
Minister ‘confident’ of measures in place for school reopening (RTÉ)
Sam Boal/RollingNews/Honeywell
Meanwhile…
Norma Foley says the Dept of Ed sought the “best possible medical advice” for pregnant teachers and the “expert view” is that the classroom is an appropriate environment – but “there is a pregnancy-related leave” if individual worker’s GP sees it appropriate pic.twitter.com/kbGaEu5KTI
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) August 25, 2021
Meanwhile…
This afternoon.
Boyband impresario Louis Walsh helps Minister Foley launch the Arts Programme for Schools for reasons that remain unclear.
UNICEF also warned that half of the coronavirus vaccine doses which have been sent to the country are close to expiry https://t.co/I58hb3NRx3
— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 25, 2021
This afternoon.
Via Reuters:
In the first week following the Taliban conquest of Kabul, COVID-19 vaccinations in Afghanistan have dropped by 80%, the U.N. agency UNICEF said, warning that half of the few doses delivered to the country so far are close to expiry.
The Taliban seized control of the Afghan capital on Aug. 15, having already captured most of the country earlier in the month after the United States decided to withdraw military forces after 20 years of war.
Since the Taliban takeover “there’s been an 80% drop in people reached with COVID-19 vaccines,” a spokesperson for UNICEF told Reuters.
In the week starting on Aug. 15, 30,500 people had been vaccinated in 23 of the 34 provinces of the country, whereas the previous week 134,600 people were inoculated in 30 provinces, according to figures provided by UNICEF, which coordinates the rollout of COVID-19 shots distributed across the world by the World Health Organization (WHO) vaccine programme Covax.
U.N. sees massive drop in COVID vaccinations in Afghanistan after Taliban takeover (Reuters)
Reuters
He was rubbish.
In fairness.
Rob Cross writes:
My colourised and restored c1914 Clonbrock (Dillon family) Collection photo featuring two little children bathing in Salthill Co. Galway. The children are George and Mary Mahon from Castlegar in County Galway.
Rob’s book The Colour Of Ireland is released in October but available to pre-order now.
‘sup?
This afternoon.
Carlosfandango writes:
Happy Wednesday BS…From Mr Hugh and Little Miss Lette.
Arf.
“I want it all to be taken down and for Nicole to be remembered the way she’s supposed to be.”
Deb Cahill, whose sister Nicole died in March says her family are devastated that her sister’s death has been hijacked by far-right anti-vaccination groups.#Liveline @joeliveline pic.twitter.com/UluKbSo7kG— RTÉ Radio 1 (@RTERadio1) August 24, 2021
Is it time to get tough on those not taking up the vaccine?
Podcast 📲 @BBCSounds pic.twitter.com/WGV8fS4OLh
— Stephen Nolan (@StephenNolan) August 23, 2021
Yesterday.
State broadcasting heavies, RTÉ’s Joe Duffy and BBC Northern Ireland’s Stephen Nolan, engage in pointed, sausage-fingered attacks on anti-vax propaganda and anti-vaxxers in general.
Get your pies shot.
Previously: ‘Not In Vain’
