Category Archives: News

news as it is happening-ish

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Having a rough day?

Spare a thought for Daniela Liverani, 24, from Edinburgh.

Ms Liverani believes she picked up the leech in Vietnam or Cambodia, but even when she felt it moving up and down her nostril, she thought it was a blood clot. She told BBC Radio Scotland: “Your initial reaction isn’t to start thinking, oh God, there’s obviously a leech in my face.”

Woman finds three-inch leech in nose after South East Asia trip (BBC News Scotland)

(Pic: Caters/BBC)

(H/T: Paidraic Ryan)

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In an interview with the Observer, the Irish singer says his country’s controversial policies – which help multinational companies avoid billions in tax – have “brought our country the only prosperity we’ve known”.

The 54-year-old says that Ireland’s economy is dependent on attracting multinational companies – including Apple, Facebook, Google and Amazon – with tax avoidance strategies, including a loophole dubbed the “Double Irish”, the use of two Irish companies to lower the effective tax rate.

Bono said: “We are a tiny little country, we don’t have scale, and our version of scale is to be innovative and to be clever, and tax competitiveness has brought our country the only prosperity we’ve known.

“That’s how we got these companies here … We don’t have natural resources, we have to be able to attract people.”

Bono, who describes himself as a “natural social democrat”, said Ireland had benefited from “more hospitals and firemen and teachers because of [our tax] policies”.


Bono: controversial tax laws have brought Ireland the only prosperity it’s ever known (Rupert Neate,Dorian Lynskey/The Observer)

Previously: We Get To Carry Each Other

And There Won’t Be Snow In Africa This Christmas Time

“U2 Is In Total Harmony With Our Government’s Philosophy”

Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

00119978Eamon Gilmore TD with Fionnuala Sheehan, Chief Executive of drinkaware.ie

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Senator David Norris raised the appointment of Fionnaula Sheehan, Chief Executive of drinkaware.ie and chairperson of MEAS to the board of RTÉ.

According to the latest issue of The Phoenix, the Oireachtas Communications committee met in secret in July to propose and endorse nominees to the RTÉ Board. A working group was set up to process expressions of interest for the RTÉ board and it too met in secret. The Phoenix reveals the Oireachtas members in the working group.

With The Phoenix in hand, the Senator called for Minister Alex White to reject her nomination.

We’ll drink to that.

Previously: No Black Stuff Need Apply

File pic: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

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Sinn Féin is neck-and-neck with Fine Gael in popular support for the first time, according to the latest Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll.

The poll also shows that Labour has benefited from a modest bounce since the summer Cabinet reshuffle with new Tánaiste Joan Burton now the most popular party leader.

And it appears that the controversy over John McNulty’s Seanad nomination has had no impact on Fine Gael support since the last poll in May.

Enda to grow beard and tweet about teddy bears in desperate bid to win back voters.


Sinn Féin level with Fine Gael, opinion poll shows (Stephen Collins, Irish Times)

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A new Ghostbusters film is coming. What’s more, the ghost-fighting team this time around will be made up of women, and Bridesmaids director and mastermind behind the cult classic television series Freaks and Geeks, Paul Feig, has been tapped to write the script.

The Hollywood Reporter says Katie Dippold, who worked with Feig on Sandra Bullock/Melissa McCarthy body cop flick The Heat, will be teaming up with the director again on the new Ghostbusters project.

A New, Women-Led Ghostbusters is Coming (Maya Rhodan, Time)