Category Archives: Misc

This afternoon.

Good times.

Earlier: Last Gaffs

This afternoon.

A UK Foreign Office spokesperson said Britain’s foreign minister Liz Truss has told European Commission vice president Maroš Šefčovič that the Northern Ireland protocol was “the greatest obstacle to forming a Northern Ireland Executive”.

According to the statement, the Foreign Secretary told Mr Šefčovič that the European Commission had “bore a responsibility to show more pragmatism and ensure the protocol delivered on its original objectives.”

Via RTÉ News:

The spokesperson said that Ms Truss had “reiterated that the UK’s proposals to fix the protocol, including green and red channel arrangements, backed up by a bespoke data-sharing system, would ensure the removal of trade barriers between Great Britain and Northern Ireland while protecting the EU single market.”

Ms Truss had said the current EU proposals would “take us backwards, by creating more checks and paperwork.”

The UK has signalled that it is preparing legislation to unilaterally dismantle parts of the protocol.

The DUP has said it will block efforts to establish a new Assembly and Executive unless the UK takes action to radically change the protocol, something the EU has said it will not do.

UK ‘no choice but to act’ if EU not flexible on NI Protocol – Truss (RTE)

Getty

This morning.

Ballymun, Dublin 11

flowers at the scene in Sandyhill Gardens,  where Gardai discovered the body of Lisa Thompson, 52 years, on Tuesday. Lisa had been the subject of a serious physical assault, and died as a result of her injuries.

Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Meanwhile…

Via Irish Independent:

We can reveal that while gardaí continue to keep a “completely open mind” in relation to her death, sources said she may have become “vulnerable” and “inadvertently associated” with local criminal elements due to a change in her lifestyle over the past year.

“Information has come in that this highly respected lady’s life became a bit chaotic in the last few months,” a source said. Because of this situation she may have been in contact with very unsavoury people, which may be who carried out this savage murder.”

Gardaí stressed this was only one line in their detailed enquiries and “every avenue” is being investigated.

‘Change of lifestyle’ link investigated in murder of mother-of-two Lisa Thompson (Independent.ie)

 

What You may need to know.

1. George Michael: Freedom Uncut is described as Michael’s “final work”, and the late musician is credited as a co-director on the film along with David Austin.

2. George also provides narration.

3. Freedom Uncut chronicles the tumultuous — yet creatively fruitful — period of George’s life and career following the release of his 1987 solo debut, Faith, through the creation and release of 1990 follow-up, Listen Without Prejudice, Vol. 1.

4. Along with documenting his creative efforts during this period, the doc will also explore his relationship with Anselmo Feleppa — who died from AIDS-related complications — as well as the death of George’s mother.

5. The film will feature an array of footage and photos from Michael’s archive, as well as never-before-seen footage from the “Freedom! ’90” video, directed by David Fincher.

6. The film also includes interviews with Michael’s peers and friends, including Stevie Wonder, Elton John, Nile Rodgers, Mark Ronson, Ricky Gervais, Mary J. Blige, Liam Gallagher (who calls Michael a “modern day Elvis” in the trailer), and Tony Bennett.

Andy’s verdict: Watch without prejudice.

Release date; June 22.

From left: Dr Christoph Schwitzer, Sandra, Mason and Darren O’Connor

This morning.

Via Dublin Zoo:

We surpassed the 60 million visitor mark on Tuesday when Sandra Manzor, Darren O’Connor and six-month-old baby Mason O’Connor from Drimnagh arrived through the gates to be welcomed by Dublin Zoo Director, Dr Christoph Schwitzer, and awarded with a bouquet of flowers and an annual pass to Dublin Zoo to mark the milestone.

In September 1831, Dublin Zoo opened to members of the Zoological Society of Ireland and visitors who could afford the six pence entrance fee….

Dublin Zoo

Pic: Patrick Bolger

Yesterday.

Illinois, USA

“Remember those long lines you’d see on the television – people lining up in all kinds of vehicles just to get a box of food in their trunk? How quickly we forget! People were hurting!

“And what did the MAGA crowd want to do?! Forget it! Forget it! God! This is the United States of America! The idea that people would have to wait in line an hour or an hour and a half to get a box of food in their trunk! It’s just unbelievable!”

Us President Joe Biden.

Biden blames Russia’s war in Ukraine for food supply shortages and price hikes (CNN)

Meanwhile…

Hic.

This morning.

The latest report from Daft shows the average market rent between January and March stood at €1,567 per month, double the average rental  in 2011.

Via Daft:

‘Perhaps more worryingly, it is not only market rental levels that are increasing but also the inflation rate in market rents, which hit 11.7% in the first quarter of 2022, up from just 1.2% a year earlier and only just below the all-time high of 11.8% experienced in late 2016.

…Inflation in market rents for Dublin 2, for example, now stands at almost 11% year-on-year, compared to -9% a year ago and just 1% two years ago.’

Indeed, this is an important part of understanding what’s different now compared to 2019. In 2019, the rental market appeared to be calming down, with inflation in Dublin, for example, falling from 11% in early 2018 to just 1% in early 2020. The pattern elsewhere in the country was similar, driven by a stabilization and then modest recovery in the availability of homes to rent.

Irish Rental Report Q1 2022 (Daft)