John Sudworth (left) and Yvonne Murray

This afternoon.

The BBC’s Beijing correspondent John Sudworth has left China and moved to Taiwan following pressure and threats from the Chinese authorities.

Via BBC:

He and his family were followed to the airport and into the check-in area by plainclothes police officers. His wife, Yvonne Murray, is the China correspondent for the Irish public broadcaster RTE.

Sudworth, who has won awards for his reporting on the treatment of the Uyghur people in the Xinjiang region, left Beijing with his family.

The BBC says it is proud of his reporting and he remains its China correspondent.

Meanwhile, Ms Murray said:

“Two of our children were born in China, they all speak fluent Chinese, so for them it is home and it’s particularly distressing for them facing the reality that they might never be able to go back, as long as the Chinese state is so determined to target and punish journalists for simply doing their job.

“But we will try to hold on to the memories we’ve made. China is an extraordinarily colourful, culturally rich country. Friendships we forged with Chinese people over the years can’t be taken from us.

“The secret police who followed us as we left – while a sad departing memory – can’t erase all the other happy memories.”

BBC China correspondent John Sudworth moves to Taiwan after threats (BBC)

Irish reporter leaves China after rise in surveillance (RTÉ)

Pics: BBC/RTÉ

The work of Russian ’xeno-urbanist’ Vadim Soloviev, who sez of the last one:

..recently, all of Moscow was covered in snow. And the giant ultra-foxes dozed peacefully in the courtyards of their so beloved “round houses”. But now it’s spring. This means that foxes will soon go away from the city, from civilization, to equip their summer ultra-burrows.

thisisnthappiness

1995.

O’Connell; Street, Dublin 1.

Rare vintage mature/young bus porn.

Name the year, those buses and that jammer, anyone?

Daoiri Farrell – If Ever You Go To Dublin Town

Poetic champions compose.

Keeping the flame of traditional Irish music burning bright, Daoiri Farrell (top) and his trusty bouzouki serenade Patrick Kavanagh by Dublin’s Grand Canal.

The song is an old Kavanagh poem and evokes ye olde Baggotonia.

Nick says: Where old ghosts meet.

Daoiri Farrell

 

Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien

This morning.

Meanwhile, under the Shared Equity Loan scheme planned by Minister for Housing Daragh O’Brien allocates €75m to offer equity loans of up to 30% on new-build homes under €400,000. The scheme will have no salary cap and will be aimed at allowing younger people purchase their first homes.

Social Democrats Housing spokesperson Cian O’Callaghan TD said:

“It is crucially important that the Government drops its plan for shared equity loans which will further inflate house prices. It would be grossly irresponsible if the Government proceeds with its plan to add fuel to the fire when it comes to house prices.

“There are already a number of factors pushing up house prices during the pandemic – these include reduced supply, an overall increase in household savings and favourable tax treatment of REITs [Real estate investment trusts] , which is pushing up the prices of apartments in particular and pushing out first time buyers.

“I’m calling on the Minister for Housing to drop his proposals for shared equity loans from the Affordable Housing Bill. We need measures that will increase the supply of affordable homes – not measures that will further increase demand and house prices.”

RollingNews

 Grand Canal at Portobello Harbour, Dublin 8 last night

This morning.

Via former Minister for Justice Michael McDowell In The Irish Times [full article at link below]:

…We do know that the health establishment is constantly conducting rolling public opinion surveys, and that helpful parts of that research are fed out to the media from time to time. We are all being monitored carefully.

And you don’t have to be Prof Dolores Cahill to feel a little uneasy about that. The public mood is not merely monitored; it is to some extent created.

Media advertisements “brought to you by the Government of Ireland” or by State-funded or State-owned agencies in support of solidarity serve twin purposes – they subsidise cash-starved (and sometimes unchallenging) media and they feed into public opinion to be surveyed, reported and fed into policymaking.

Our friend An Garda Síochána also plays a major part in mood creation. “Grim” was the adjective given to the Nphet’s current analysis in “off the record” briefings by the AGS. Can we see the grim analysis, please?

…The truth is that the dam of public patience has already cracked and broken. With longer evenings and warmer weather, younger generations have taken to the outdoors. Walks in the parks or down the Grand Canal or along the Dodder valley tell me their own tale. Reopening the schools and associated activity must be a driver of community transmission too. The virus doesn’t distinguish radically between 17-year-olds and 19-year-olds.

Community transmission is going to remain high until mass vaccination makes an impression. Seasonal aspects of the pandemic and of social behaviour are obvious and irresistible. You simply cannot drive the population back into their own houses for May and June. We have to plan accordingly…

The dam of public patience has already cracked and broken (Michael McDowell, Irish Times)

RollingNews

Last night: Portomello

‘sup?

The votes are in.

Last week, with TWO 1kg Lindt Gold Bunnies on offer, we asked you to tell us why you deserved them above all this Easter.

You answered in your dozens.

But there could be only one winner

Leo Mc Loughlin writes:

‘I deserve the two enormous Lindt Gold bunnies especially at this time owing to my two grandchildren being home from Cambodia for good, who know nothing about Easter or the Easter Bunnies. It would be a nice introduction for them.’

Last week: Golden Ears, Gold Whop Whop Whop

Lindt Ireland

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