Category Archives: Misc

Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer

Um.

Last night.

Anyone?

Meanwhile…

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) and the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine (IAEM) called on Dr Tony Holohan to reintroduce certain public health measures, such as the wearing of masks and working from home, until the current wave of COVID-19 subsides.

In a letter, the CMO was told that the circumstances facing frontline workers are ‘incredibly dangerous and inhumane for many’.

Both organisations called on the CMO to issue ‘clear advice’ to the Government. The letter said: ‘Wearing masks and working from home will assist. We accept that, of themselves, these measures will not end the spread, but they will lessen the burden of infection, reduce cross-infection and may help ameliorate the intolerable pressure on our hospitals. Mandating these measures is now, in our shared view, a matter of urgency.’

Health staff’s ‘urgent’ appeal to Holohan for COVID restrictions (Extra.ie)

RollingNews

Last night.

Washington DC, USA

Bono wins the 2021 J. William Fulbright Prize for International Understanding from The Fulbright Association.

Starts at 1 hr, 20 seconds.

Bono said:

“After January 6th in this city, I sensed a of mood of grief. Some spoke of the American dream dying on the steps of the Capitol that chilling day. But it was it was not the American dream that was dying. The American dream was alive.It was a death of a generation’s innocence.”

Riight.

Of Putin, he said:

“He is done. He is not just a tyrant. He is like a bad Bond villain.”

2021 Fulbright Prize to Bono

Countess Markievicz by Homebound

“Dress suitably in short skirts and strong boots, leave your jewels in the bank and buy a revolver” Countess Markievicz, 1916.

Mark at Jam Art Prints writes:

Jam Art Factory just got this new Countess Markievicz print in by HomeBound this week and would like to give an A3 signed one away to the winner of this week’s competition. These prints can be bought in A4 to massive A0 limited/unlimited editions from here

The quote used by Homebound is a memorable one and, to enter, just give us your favourite  quote that you often like to, er, quote when facing a war-like situation or even a domestic battle/Broadsheet comments section, etc.

Lines must close on Friday at 10am.

Jam Art Prints

The Jam Art Print competition appears here every second Thursday.

Russia is ‘changing the payment mechanism’ for certain exports, starting with natural gas tomorrow

This afternoon.

Via Russian state-owned RT:

Countries globally may soon have to create ruble reserves within their domestic economies if they wish to continue to buy Russian gas, as Moscow switches payments to its national currency, Ilya Ilyin, the head of the banking and financial markets analysis department at Promsvyazbank said on Thursday.

“In the event of a transition to gas payments in rubles, the partner countries will probably create a certain fund of ruble reserves to facilitate payments,” the expert said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Thursday that the country is changing the payment mechanism for certain exports, starting with natural gas on April 1. The measure effects countries which have imposed sanctions on Russia in connection with Ukraine and froze Moscow’s foreign reserves.

The ‘unfriendly’ states Putin referred to are the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, Taiwan, South Korea, Switzerland, the 27 nations of the European Union, and a number of smaller countries….

Countries will need to create ruble reserves to buy Russian gas (RT)

Meanwhile…

…via Irish state-owned RTÉ:

Russia supplies about a third of Europe’s gas, so energy is the most powerful lever at Putin’s disposal as he tries to hit back against sweeping Western sanctions over his invasion of Ukraine.

His decision to enforce rouble payments has boosted the Russian currency, which fell to historic lows after the February 24 invasion but has since recovered.

Western companies and governments have rejected the move as a breach of existing contracts, which are set in euros or dollars.

France’s economy minister said France and Germany were preparing for a possible scenario that Russian gas flows could be halted – something that would plunge Europe into a full-blown energy crisis.

Russia will enforce rouble payments for gas from Friday – Putin (RTE)

Getty

This afternoon.

Belfast, Northern Ireland.

He seems nice.

No united Ireland for generations to come, insists Doug Beattie as UUP launch election manifesto (News Letter)

This afternoon.

Seanad Trinity By-election.

Via RTÉ News:

Results of Count 10: Electorate: 67,000+ Trinity graduates Total poll: 13,434 Total Valid Poll: 13,418; Quota: 6,710

CHU, Hazel + 182 (2,272)

CLONAN, Tom +104 (2,436)

GAFFNEY, Maureen +84 (2,274)

MACNEILL, Hugo +22 (2,312)

MCCARTHY, Aubrey +48 (1,187)

O’NEILL, Sadhbh +81 (1,186)

QUILL, Ursula +95 (1,525)

G’wan Tom.

Clonan takes lead in Seanad by-election race (RTE