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CHINA SAID TODAY that it planned to extend nationwide a requirement for microblog users to register with their real names as part of a sweeping update of rules governing the Internet.
The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said the revision of rules originally introduced in 2000 aimed to keep pace with change and protect state security, according to a statement posted on its website.
“Many new situations have arisen, (we) are facing new problems,” said the ministry, which regulates the industry.
It added the new rules aimed to “promote healthy, orderly development of the Internet, protect state security and public interest”.
With more than half a billion Chinese now online, authorities are concerned about the power of the Internet to influence public opinion in a country that maintains tight controls on its traditional media outlets.
Beijing regularly blocks Internet searches under a vast online censorship system known as the Great Firewall of China, but the growing popularity of microblogs similar to Twitter has posed a new challenge.
Under the draft rules, those using Internet chat forums, blogs and microblogs known as “weibo” will have to register with their real names.
Previously, only microblog users in five cities – the capital Beijing, the commercial hub of Shanghai, the northern port city of Tianjin and the southern cities of Guangzhou and Shenzhen – were required to do so under a trial that started last December.
In the past, users had been able to set up microblog accounts under assumed names, making it more difficult for authorities to track them down, and allowing them to set up new accounts if existing ones were shut down.
Microblog users criticised the proposed rules, which are open to public consultation for one month.
“More people are speaking the truth on microblogs, so (the government) wants real-name registration to make it easier to arrest them. This is actually a demonstration of their fear,” Changsha Ming Ming said.
Another, who gave the name orcl1158, said: “It’s stricter, control and regulation are everywhere.”
The rules broaden the definition of Internet services, saying online forums, blogs and microblogs must receive government approval, beyond just websites.
The guidelines also require Internet service providers to save keep records of postings and users’ information for one year, up from the previous six months, citing the need to crack down on Internet crime.
China’s best-known microblogging site, run by Internet giant Sina, last month unveiled new conditions punishing those who post comments deemed offensive, as it comes under government pressure to clamp down on bloggers.
That’s a insult to our soldiers no one should work for that rate per day it’s time again for a massive shake up of our defense forces on pay and conditions .
@Kevin: To the best of my knowledge Kevin, nobody is on that rate per day, that would be illegal and below minimum wage. Pity the author of the article couldn’t clarify the numbers on pay, on a pay-related story.
@Markonline: I agree
@Markonline: soldiers are definitely on less than minimum wages for there 24hr duties.
@Richard Griffin: I actually think 44 is Euro is an over estimate unless it’s a special rate or it’s gone up recently…
@Richard Griffin: No doubt, I don’t get paid to sleep either and can have irregular hours depending on deadlines. I’m not arguing with you as I don’t know the facts from this article, that was my point.
@Markonline: I’m not sure how it works in Ireland, but if the UK is anything to go by the armed forces are typically exempt from the usual protection civilians rely on (same reason military law and civilian law are treated separately). British servicemen rely on a covenant with the state to provide adequate support, safeguards and compensation – the covenant however is not legally enshrined and there’s been plenty of controversy over HM Government’s failure to uphold it.
@Harry Whitehead: I think something similar does actually apply here too, so like you say civil/corporate laws regarding a “minimum wage” probably don’t apply.
@Markonline: As a serving soldier I can tell you that I wish you were right. However, this actually is the rate and most soldiers, depending on internal pay issues within their units, aren’t even getting that.
I’m on a 24hr duty Saturday. I will see roughly €28 extra in my hand for that 24 hours. It costs me €25.40 in diesel and tolls to get to work. I have done 5 duties since I was last paid for one. I’m not complaining; just giving you the facts.
@SlinkyDog: its exactly €48 per day before tax. Its considered security allowance.
@Kevin: Irish defence forces work for one thing. A pension.
@Kevin: it’s protection in case they don’t sue the state for hearing loss for giving them a career and state-pension.
@Kevin: sit around getting drunk the other 51 weeks of the year. Will get a full week off after unofficially. Better hope we never go to war with these guys
@Kevin: Military pensions costing €1bn
https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/military-pensions-costing-euro1bn-286305.html
@Noreen Waters: Not the new pensions, they’re the legacy pensions, nowadays the newer soldiers can expect a smaller pension that isn’t worth working for. Pensions are the same across the civil service and public service. You have to understand though that for many soldiers – at least in the past, when they retire, they had very little in the way of transferrable skills in Ireland. Nowadays not many people sign up to stay in the DF for life, so its questionable, even with the new lower pensions, that theyll stay long enough to really benefit from it. What use is a big sum of money at the end of a career, when for most of your working life, you struggled on a bad salary and out of it, you have grown, fed, schooled and housed your children on your brutal wages all whilst making the biggest sacrafice for the state?
If extra security is needed then why isn’t the multi billion corporation that the Catholic Church is not footing the bill ?
@Jason Ebbs: we’ve indemnified them again, must be the stories they’ve heard in the confessional that’s squeezing the National coffers
@Jason Ebbs: It’s the religious bigots and hate merchants that have increased the security risk.
@Tom Molloy: That’s a good description of the RCC. Maybe the ones you think you are referring to are those who have been battered, tortured and sexually abused by the Church and you still cannot grasp it.
@Jason Ebbs:
The Pope is a head of state, if O’Higgins goes to the Vatican or say Britain any security is paid by the host nation. Same all over the world, it’s a international courtesy.
@P.J. Nolan: The Vatican isn’t a real state.. It serves no purpose to us.
I’m glad I left the defence forces years ago,the pay is disappointing for those soldiers who help the country,especially in times when they help out communities in times of floods,the government is disrespectful to all those soldiers who are called upon in time of need
Could be worse – could be in Afghanistan
@Seamus G: Or worse again, Tralee.
@Seamus G: Do the government run the US Army or something?
@Seamus G: at least you’d get well paid in Afghanistan, and you couldn’t spend it either!!!
@Daniel Morrissey: not sure about being well paid for service in Afghanistan, but you would be Court-marshaled for doublethink.
@Seamus G:
Irish army are in Afghanistan
Just listened to Ivan Yates on newstalk have absolutely have no respect for our army on national airwaves, only reading out all the negative comments about our defence forces, this day and age to expect some lone to work for as little as that is an outrage, these soldiers will be standing side by side with Garda who are on €30-€50 an hour, it’s embarrassing to be Irish
@Micheal: sure he wants to disband the army altogether
@Seamus Mac: good idea
@P.J. Nolan: who will hold back the Russians then?
@Seamus Mac: Ignore yeates – he is saying that just to get ears on his station. hes never been a supporter of the defence forces, indeed of the civil service itself and him on his big ex govt pension too.
Plenty of money for our disgraceful politicians amid continuous incompetence and crisis after crisis, no money for anybody else!
The conditions our Defence forces work under are nothing short of criminal in 2018. No private company employee would be allowed to under health and safety.
Is it extra work, on top of what they would normally do, or are they are doing the popes visit instead of work on the barracks?
@neuromancer: yes it is extra work. Troops will be in their barracks from Monday to Friday and then spend 40 hour’s up in Dublin for the Pope’s visit over the weekend. The 44 euros per day is before tax so each person will see around 23 euro after tax. Shambolic.
@neuromancer: The government have no problem in spending millions on this farce, but to expect men to be working or on call for 48 hours and get little or no extra pay is cheap labour. Let the Vatican pick up the tab…
@Donal Desmond: the whole thing is a disgrace from start to finish. Tax payer paying 32 mil for the visit, but can’t stretch the budget to pay the soldiers a decent wage for it. Joke of a government
@Donal Desmond: The majority of firemen in Ireland are on call 24 hrs a day, that’s year round not just one 48 hour period. And they get paid less than the soldiers will get
@Malachy Guilfoyle: Dublin fire brigade is about €34,500 a year for basic fire fighter according to payscalea.ie, a private soldier with 4 years experience (typical soldier) is about €32,000 a year, including allowances
@Vocal Outrage: Not taking about full time fire services. Vast majority of firemen in Ireland are on call, not fire station based. Try Google again!
@Malachy Guilfoyle: that’s why I referenced the Dublin fire brigade, comparing full time fire fighters with full time soldiers. The article doesn’t appear to mention reserve defence forces so to compare with retained fire fighters is comparing apples and oranges really.
@Vocal Outrage: Not really, people on here running down the amount full time soldiers will be paid to be on call for 48 hours. I just pointed out retained fire fighters get less for being on call all year round. Less than €1 an hour
@Flembomb: arah that’s hard to believe
@Malachy Guilfoyle: those firemen that are on call are at home with their families throughout unless they’re called out, all of those soldiers will be away from their families and will receive approx 20 euro after tax per day for their troubles.
@stephen: Not necessarily, many work other jobs aswell, even when on call. And family life takes a major hit even at home. Fire fighters on call have to be within 2 to 3 miles of fire station at all times while on call
@Malachy Guilfoyle: so what exactly is your point then, that some firemen get paid less than their main jobs especially when some of them may be months without receiving a callout or is it just the fact you think soldiers shouldn’t be paid properly for working at least 48 hours on top of their normal working week
@Malachy Guilfoyle: Then the firemen and army personal should unite and demand a reasonal compensation package for the hours they out in after their regular hours. The abuse of getting employees to work for little or nothing is par for the course with government. I can assure you that all the politicians on bended knees at this farce will be well paid for it. If any religious leader comes to Ireland , What ever church they lead , they should pick up the cost.
Nobody in our media or politics will comment on this scandal and we have our national treasure Mirriam o’cal being photographed with Why work at all when you can have the media and spineless politicians too lazy to do one simple calculation on those that milk the system and get applauded
Reference Margaret Cash and her stunt
Help me out here and tell me I am wrong but this is the actual calculation that a husband and wife and seven children gets:Husband welfare 193
Wife 128
Children 29.80*7 = 208.60
Children allowance, per week, 226(980 monthly)
Back to school worth 14.27 weekly
Rent allowance approx 2000(HAP) weekly 461
Total income tax free 769.87 + rent allowance 461
Grand Total, 1230.87. Would somebody tell me what salary one needs to earn to have a take home income and add in value of medical card and other benefits from charities. https://www.welfare.ie/en/Pages/bud17s1.aspx#
€4.97 per hour based on a 9 hr day. isn’t that illegal??
@Seaghán Corcoran: It’s 44.78 for a 24th period which in fact makes it less than 2e an hour. Would the garda work for 2e p/h ?
@Seaghán Corcoran: you would pay a kid a tenner for cutting your grass…. 45mins max.
Even a window cleaner would charge at least 25 for cleaning your windows again 45 mins max.
Potentially, put your life at risk for a foreign dignitary for less than a fiver an hour.
And they wonder why they can’t get new recruits. I would rather work in McDonald’s then in the defence forces.
All for some mentally deranged pensioner who thinks we all have the same da and he controls every aspect of our lives..
Private security contractors should have been hired for this event, not using public servants as slave labor like this!
If they are under-paying the army to this degree, how come the visit is costing so much?
@Shea Fitzgerald: How much is it costing Shea?
@Martin Flood: the additional gardai are on more. One soldiers wife highlighted on the radio that her husband got an additional 68 euro for the queens visit and was away from his family for days, a garda who was doing the same role got an additional 3000 and got home in the evenings
@Vocal Outrage: 3000 Euro? Savage insight there,any proof to back up that rubbish?
@MG O Mhaolalaigh: it was actually €30,000.
@MG O Mhaolalaigh: as I said, it was a soldiers wife on the radio giving the figures, I don’t believe the 3k was for one day however, I think it lasted a week according to her, it was on Newstalk today, about half 4
@Vocal Outrage: what evidence are you basing that statement on?
@Sharon Timwell: please read all subsequent comments before attacking someone, I was endeavouring to point the reader as best as possible to the source, unfortunate couldn’t write down the interview verbatim as I was driving at the time.
@Vocal Outrage: I wasn’t attacking you at all, just asked one polite question.
To listen to Ivan Yates on newstalk go on about our defence forces is disgraceful, reading out only negative comments, to ask our soldiers to work for 72hrs straight and pay them that amount is not only illegal but immoral, they will be standing side by side with the Garda over the weekend who will be earning €30-€50 an hour, so a Garda will earn more than what a soldier will for a couple of hours compared with 72hrs is shocking, this is embarrassing!
@Micheal: not disagreeing with you however this article states that the army will only be called upon as an aid to the civil powers, not actual standing side by side with Gardai. Can anyone clarify what exactly the army will be expected to do? Are they out on the ground or in barracks on standby?
@Paul: aid to the civil power is standing beside the Gardai i think, manning security checkpoints and such like, in addition to the more normal military roles
@Paul: They are deployed from Friday to Monday in various roles, troops are coming from across the country, staying in tents on safari beds, they will be deployed throughout the Phoenix park and other locations, yes this is most definitely an aid to the civil power task, some will be used as ticket checkers etc which is just cheap labour, others will be deployed for roles which they are trained for ie security of location etc, so yes they will be there shoulder to shoulder with members of An Garda, working for as little as €2ph
@Paul: they will be deployed, for longer hours at a time. To be clear though, this is not the fault of the Gardai, it is the fault of the Dept of Defence and the junior minister who allows this happen -
@Paul: who cares the tax payer is paying for a cult
@Paul: the will be scanning air space that the airport can’t see for at least 72hrs and providing overwatch with weapons and long range surveillance equipment and when your in your own bed at night along with the guards the soldiers will still be on the side of a hill in all types of weather
@Keith Murray: give your hatred a rest Keith
@Paul: 1300 army personnel required to assist the Garda, I believe
Sure they get paid to feck all the majority of the time. Of course they are going to complain when they have to work. Irish army is a joke. I wonder how much they cost the country every year??
@Brian: Your ignorance speaks volumes
@Brian: Well what do they do??? This’ll be good.
@Brian: You’re a troll but since you’re a lazy troll I’ll save you some wear and tear on your googling fingers; explosive ordnance disposal, major emergency relief, overseas peace enforcement, fisheries monitoring and protection, air ambulance, domestic and international security, providing advice to our government and others on the above topics as well as training and developing those areas. Don’t forget also feeding and supporting the people who do the tasks listed above. This is a sample, I’m sure people who are involved could add a number of additional items to that list
@Y U no spell good?: i think you should get a job writing cv’s or as a spin doctor.
@Brian: You want figures? around 900m euro
That’s the cost to us in a year.
It’s about the same as it costs to run the HSE for 4 weeks.
That’s the manning heating lighting of all the barracks
maintaining thousands of acres of training areas and firing ranges,
sailing, fuel, maintenance and manning of 8 naval vessels,
flying, maintenance fuel and manning of 26 aircraft including the garda heli’s
driving maintaining fuel and manning over 2000 vehicles
700 odd serving overseas on UN-mandated missions,
paying pensions to all the retired soldiers
and the salaries of 9000 odd serving soldiers, sailors and airmen
now, back under your bridge troll.
very cheap to be honest, once the pensions of the retirees and the paltry salaries of the serving are taken out, there’s very little cream at the top left for the rest of the tasks above.
This is in addition to their salary?
The Army is the most entrenched social status group.in the country. The lower ranks and privates are at the bottom and worst paid. It is true their skills go unappreciated.
yet willing to give an itinerant who has never worked a day in her life with 7 kids a 3 bedroom apartment ???
why work ?
So we’re using State resources at pittance rates to provide security to the world’s richest and largest paedophile ring ? Does no one else have an issue with that ??
Jack Chambers, you and your trough feeding pals are propping up this Government….why don’t ye grow a pair and pull the plug.
Disgraceful and disrespectful
O please, enough of this nonsense, my only concern is who’s Manning the Taxi ranks and cover security at various venues whilst these downtrodden soldiers actually have to be on duty.
Maybe it’s time to follow Costa Rica lead and disband the defence forces?
Call in sick why would ya bother he’s got loads of cash maybe the govt should look to ask the church for help???
@Keith Murray: Thats not how members of the defence forces operate.
@Micheal: If they thought they could hold us all to ransom they would do it in a heart beat, but because they are not really needed for day to day running of the country they have no real strike card to play.
@Peter Hughes: So that means it’s right to treat them as second class citizens? Jesus Peter
@Peter Hughes: you absolute mong! you have no idea, read the comments above, enough people have told you what the scant few soldiers, sailors and airmen do. they CANT strike, its illegal under military law, which they are subject to.you cant “pull” a sickie, as you end up in the medical aid post being examined by the medical corps before being kicked out the door and back to work.
Soldiers is public information and they all know what their signing up for.
absolute disgrace…it’s an insult to humanity…..how certain people sleep at night is beyond me
You know what you’re getting into when you sign up. If you think you deserve more…..leave. It’s really that simple.
Saying we need 9,000 people on stand by in case there’s a flood is ridiculous.
@Paul Lanigan: here we go, couple of bridges minus their trolls across the country
Not really an issue. You are here to defend and this is just another part of that. The fact that anyone thinks they should be paid more is ridiculous.
@Herr Wolf: mong – cop on and have a shred of respect. sometimes I dont know why our military would bother defending someone with very little honour or respect.
Why do they need so much security for a crowd of OAPs?? Hardly gonna kick off now is it?
Yes…. I often wondered what the hell they did.
Dads Army !
Best thing to do is all the soldiers involved should ring in sick of the morning the pope is arriving, maybe the minister for defence will get the message to pay properly instead of paying peanuts.
have your say