Category Archives: News

news as it is happening-ish

Labour Election Manifesto 2011

Fine Gael Election Manifesto 2011

THE FINE Gael-Labour Coalition has installed large numbers of people with party links to State boards since coming into office, despite promises to end the system of political patronage.

Those appointed include at least 20 past or present party members, strategists or donors. In no case was the link identified at the time the Government announced the appointment.

Five out of six judges nominated by the Government have links to Fine Gael or Labour, along with two of the three members of the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board appointed by Minister for Justice Alan Shatter.

Coalition Puts Party insiders On State Boards (Irish Times)

(Photocall Ireland)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrHT_3cG_UI

Honda’s humanoid robot ASIMO recently turned 11 and yesterday, Honda unveiled the latest version. ‘All New ASIMO’ has new intelligence, enhanced adaptability, can run at 9kph and hop on one or both legs.

Pft. Where’s the dignity in that?

Honda Celebrates ASIMO’s Birthday with ‘All New ASIMO’ (Plastic Pals)

pic

The general Government debt is to be written down by 2.3 per cent, or €3.6 billion, following the detection of an accounting error.

The Department of Finance said the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) had notified it of a double count brought about a change in its relationship with the Housing Finance Authority.

Eyes flick to calendar. Not April 1st. Tentative smirk.

State gains €3.6bn from ‘error’ (Irish Times)

pic (Hat tip: Sean Tully)

The Government is being urged not to allow the repayment of a $1bn (€715m) Anglo Irish Bank bond.

The payment of the bond to unsecured, unguaranteed bondholders is due tomorrow at noon.

Fianna Fáil is calling on Taoiseach Enda Kenny to contact the new president of the ECB Mario Draghi in a last-ditch effort to stop the repayment.

“Clearly the European Central Bank is opposing the move,” said the party’s finance spokesman Michael McGrath.

 Govt urged to halt payment of unsecured Anglo bond (irish Examiner)

Broadcaster Eamon Dunphy today accused businessman Denis O’Brien of “hating journalism” during his show on Newstalk, a radio station owned by the entrepreneur’s Communicorp group.

Dunphy, who announced he was quitting his job at the station this weekend, claimed that Newstalk staff were being “intimidated and blackguarded”.

His comments come after he told the Irish Daily Star  yesterday that he was leaving Newstalk due to “management interference”.

 Dunphy launches attack on O’Brien (Irish Times)

And Wall Street’s take on all this? Keep calm and carry on.

These are days of protests across the world. On Saturday, an unprecedented wave of protests hit 950 cities across 80 countries in the world. Rome was hit by violence. In New York, a protest dubbed “Occupy Wall Street” has been on for a month now. All are linked to the economic uncertainty that has hit the global economy.

Those countries that were better prepared to face the shock and took pre-emptive action—the UK and its fiscal austerity plan being one example—have been spared the pain to an extent. Those who were unprepared or had “indulged”, so to speak—Ireland and Greece to cite two extreme cases—have had to pay the price. Thus, the picture is not black and white, but a wide swathe of grey.

Ourview: A worldwide wave of protests (LiveMint/The Wall Street Journal)

Anglo Irish Bank has officially changed its name to the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC).

The bank will now trade as IBRC.

Last month, Anglo Irish Bank Chairman Alan Dukes estimated the final cost to the taxpayer to deal with the bank at around €25bn.

It was reported on Tuesday that the Anglo Irish Bank signage was to be displayed in the Museum of Modern Art.

Beg pardon? The Museum of Modern Whatnow?

Anglo Irish Bank name changed to IBRC (RTE News)

(Pic: Oisin)