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SOME 70 BUSINESS leaders, from grafitti artists to accountants – led by Lord Mayor of Dublin Oisin Quinn – ditched their warm beds to brave the elements in Dublin and Cork last night to raise money for homelessness.
The businesspeople were sleeping rough in order to raise up to €400,000 for homeless charity Focus Ireland. A total of 54 bedded down in the Iveagh Gardens in Dublin and a further 16 slept in the Cork City Gaol.
The people taking part had just some cardboard and a sleeping bag and they each raised €5,000 for the charity.
Grafitti artist Maser was among those sleeping under the stars – or rather under a bush – in Dublin last night:
Speaking ahead of the sleepout yesterday, Director of Fundraising for the charity, Lisa Nicole Dunne said:
It’s important to stress that this is not just about the terrible problem of homelessness. It’s also about prevention. The recession is taking a terrible toll on families all over Ireland and nearly 20 per cent or mortgages are in arrears and many thousands of households are struggling to pay their rent. Focus Ireland is working to directly support people in this situation and to try to prevent them from losing their home.
The sleepout is part of a campaign called “Shine A Light 2013″ which got underway yesterday as recent figures show that up to seven new people become homeless every day in Dublin alone. The charity said it urgently needs to raise funds in order for its services to continue.
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Biden is weak, his henchmen think taking on Putin with mind games over the Ukraine will improve his image. The Russians have no intention of invading, just flexing their muscles over NATOs continuing encroachment towards its own territory.
This whole invasion conspiracy is a hoax to make Biden more appealing to Trump followers.
@Blind Faith: I seriously think Biden has dementia. How is he even in power, specially during such delicate circumstances. It’s quite scary actually.
@Blind Faith: In dreamland with 42 others
@Blind Faith: Naturally, we are all just speculating here but I think you’re spot on.
@Anna Carr: He hasn’t got dementia, he’s just to old for the demands of the job.
@Vonvonic: *too old (morto)
@Blind Faith: Well if it isn’t the old ‘Dead cat strategy’ – the real news they are burying is the US stealing $5 billion from Afghanistans (frozen) reserves. Not content with bombing them into the stoneages, killing hundreds of thousands of innocent people, then leaving >90% in poverty – they are strangling them with sanctions and stealing their national wealth. This is the level of genocidal psychopathy which our ‘free press’ never report on – but yeah China/Russia bad! https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/2/11/us-biden-to-split-frozen-afghan-funds-between-9-11-families
@Blind Faith: You’re a right id1ot
@Blind Faith: I pray you’re correct. I hope there is no war. But I believe Russia will invade, hoping for a Chechnya type outcome where they can install a strong pro Russian henchman. I think the west haven’t a stomach for a fight. As it turns out worst thing Ukraine ever did was surrender their nuclear weapons.
@Anna Carr: rather him the Trumpy who would be on his knees giving Putin a Bj given the chance.
@Richard O Connor:. Russia is waiting for the other side to arm up to make it a fair fight? They have absolutely no interest in invading that basket case of a cesspit, which would result in Russia’s destruction. The hysteria cannot be kept up indefinitely.
@Blind Faith: I can’t believe this has 400 likes. So much wrong in one comment.
@Great White Hope:
Great white dope
Ah here, this is every feckin day now… Did he not see the press conference with Putin and Macron?? Ukraine is downplaying any invasion and telling its people theres ni need to panic. France is thrashing out dialogue with Russia to diffuse and de-escalate the situation and the US is shouting from the hills war is inevitable. Wtf like?
@Billy Davies: the opposition in Ukraine don’t share your optimism. They state that Ukraine must join NATO to protect itself from Russia.
@Mjhint: The opposition disagree. That has to be a first!
@Billy Davies: Exactly. The anti French sentiment from the Anglophiles on here means that we can never give them credit for anything.
@Mjhint: The opposition? Isn’t this “the opposition” since 2014? How many oppositions are needed? Probably as many as it takes until it suits the narrative in the west.
@Colin Conlan: Poroshenko 2014-2019 was not good. He may have been “pro European” (anti Russian) but did not do what was asked from west. Business man, maybe understood too well what Ukraine is on the world scene. So it was replaced with a TV comedian, in hope this one will be more… “docile”. In fact the Trump scandal with Ukraine uncovered the fact US thought new president is now the pocket. Well, the comedian is not there either.
Ukraine’s life is meant to be same as Finland (and Sweden?), on international politic scene. Anything else will be treason.
@Mjhint: But like Putin stated, should Ukraine join NATO and decide to take back Crimea by force from Russia and trigger NATOs article 5, Then you have people from all across Europe been drawn into a war with Russia which they have no desire to be in. Putin may be a corrùpt individual but his speeches have a lot of merit to them if we’re to sit on the fence and be unbias.
@Colin Conlan: — Something tells me that English isn’t your first language.
@Vonvonic: the opposition are left wing and not particularly pro US but still think Russia is dangerous enough to invade.
@Billy Davies: very true the reason putin doesn’t want them in NATO is down to crimea and he fears at some stage in the future when Russia is weaker the Ukrainians will seek to regain crimea and rightly so. That would put Putin back in his box.
@Mjhint: Crimeans will not rejoin Ukraine. It’s a basket case. Putin, who has the world’s biggest nuclear arsenal will not be put in any box.
@Mjhint: I,m quite sure the U.S. would react the same as Russia when Foreign military forces gather at their border. It’s the Cuban missile crisis in reverse.
@Kieran Woods: That’s what was said of the Soviets and look how that turned out. Putin is in a precarious position at home. He will eventually be revealed to the Russians what he’s up to and that’s when he will be removed most likely by force.
@Billy Davies: the problem is that the USA do not want a resolution that keeps Europe buying natural gas from Russia. If France and Germany and Russia and the Ukraine can reach another agreement such as Minsk 2 and gas continues to flow and the new pipeline is opened then the USA looses. It must therefore wind up the heat in the hope that something breaks so they can call for sanctions to close the gas pipelines. At the end of the day I would be more suspicious of a USA false flag event than a Russian one. When will people wake up and realise that this is not about the freedom of Ukraine but about who supplies natural gas to Europe. Proof of which is that Biden has said he will not send troops into Ukraine but use (gas) sanctions if Russia does.
@Donal Desmond: it absolutely isn’t the Cubian missile crisis in reverse. Kennedy was a fool to do what he did and got humiliated in the end and the missiles in Cuban were not defensive weapons. Ukraine is not being forced to join NATO. Its asking NATO into the country because of crimea and the Eastern Ukrainian conflict and its poor border infrastructure.
@E.J. Murray: Oh, that’s such a sad comment!
Is English your first language? Irish blood by any chance? Proud English is your first?
It may not be the first for me, but is the last. Because fme if I’ll learn Gaelic, unless you learn my first just as well. First language is one of a NATO country, unlike Ireland.
Funny to discuss here what’s best for Ukraine while sitting at the very edge of west of Europe, “neutral”, outside of NATO, a best economical friend.
Ukraine as a country I am sure would not like to be where it is. Ask anybody there and they will tell you instead of being between US and Russia would rather be… New Zealand.
@Mjhint: The U.S. removed offensive missiles from Turkey as part of the agreement that defused the crisis. Seems you along with a certain section can’t wait for a war, old Chinese saying…be careful for what you wish for.
The ‘west’ should have realised what would happen when they organised the coup in Kiev. The arms sales may be good for business but ultimately the Russo-Ukranians were not going to give in. Their history of resistance to the Nazis, and its local allies, is too great and too recent for them to accept the westward push again.
@Willie Penwright: By “coup”, I assume you mean the Maidan revolution whereby the Ukrainian people ousted their Russian owned president, after months of protest, ending in a unanimous parliamentary vote, after he refused to sign an association agreement with the EU?
@Pádraic Brady: By the same token the people of Crimea voted to rejoin the Russian federation. Everyone is happy.
@Pádraic Brady: that little coup was funded to the tune of a few billion by …guess who the usual regime change specialists…and mass murders…remember…. Libya, Iraq, ,Afghanistan, tried
Vietnam, tried Syria, …almost every country in Latin America…..all for money…
@Kieran Woods: the Crimean people voted at gunpoint, and Russians voted in crimea. Well documented. Polls fixed.
Putin knows now is the time, the west has never had so many weak leaders. Just need Teddy Roosevelt to save the day now on a rough rider!!!
@Jimmy Fitzpatrick: you may be right on that one but the problem puitn has now is if he invades or not,if he invades and russia suffer massive losses which looks likely then the russia public will turn quick and then with the sanctions things could get bad in russia and if he doesn’t invade he starts to look weak,he needs to get some concessions in this
@Warren Mcdermott: agreed Warren but he has prepared for the sanctions apparently saving up a reserve stockpile which he can sustain the economy gold/resources I don’t know. As you said its down to Russia public opinion now and what state news they are watching
@Warren Mcdermott: Russians are hugely nationalistic, so once the troops are seen to be expanding the good old USSR again the court of public opinion will keep with Putin, after all, as far as a lot of them are concerned Ukraine was and always will be a part of Russia.
That, and Russia will win this potential war, hands down, and Russians love winning, even if it means taking huge casualties-thats wants the 130,000 soldiers are for anyway!
And the sanctions are a farce anyway, if Putin gets really mad, and his buddies do start to suffer financially, they’ll simply switch off the gas and oil supply lines to Europe.
@Felix O’ Mahoney: Russia loves winning? Russia does not know the meaning of winning, its a state that just believes in a sovereign imperial system. Its never won always believes its lost be it war or land enlightenment. Yes they took Berlin but they will never be happy. Stand tall throw everything against them let them back down and let putin fight with twitter
@Jimmy Fitzpatrick: “Stand tall throw everything against them let them back down”? Sounds like a line from Irelands Call. Just a few questions about your game plan. When do we start to throw everything? Where do we throw everything? And most importantly of all; when you say everything, do you mean “Everything”? Also, should we wear the away kit or the home kit? Back to the drawing board I’d say.
@Vonvonic: we stand tall on the border? Leave them no choice its a game of cat and mouse and putin is testing the waters above! Fair play to the British they have sent the troops Germany sent 350? You were rhe home kit kid unless your sailing from the crimea!
@Jimmy Fitzpatrick: That’s a slight deescalation of your original game plan. Stay at it another while I’d say. Keep in mind the French are making significant progress. Fair play to the UK? OK.
@Vonvonic: are you thick? The French good man the most populous army armed ground force in Europe, we all know what happened those strategies. Again put forces on the borders end of story.
@Jimmy Fitzpatrick: Your knowledge of “Russia” seems to run deep. I bet you have never even spoken to an actual Russian person.
@Jimmy Fitzpatrick: Teddy Roosevelt took part in the annexation of Cuba by the U.S. The old Spanish imperial power was replaced by the new American imperial power. It was not until Castro and his freedom fighters entered Havana the Cuba was free. You may recall the reaction of the U.S. when they placed missiles in Cuba. NATO and U.S. on Russian borders, how do you expect them to react.
They’ve all got an itch for war. Why don’t these big tough leaders square up in a boxing ring and leave innocent people out of it.
@Ed: I think Putin would be quite happy to get into a boxing ring with Biden. It would all very over very quickly!
@Young Angus: Be over
The Yanks are pushing this desperately. It is notable the the heavy hitters in the European end of NATO (France, Germany, Italy) don’t want to know. This whole thing seems to be about shutting down Nord Stream Two not Ukraine . It is noticeable that Schultz wouldn’t say that it was on the sanctions list despite being put under incredible pressure. If it does go on the list then war in Ukraine will start in a day or two. Bulgaria has also announced that it won’t host American troops.
@Des Hanrahan: Hate autocorrect ‘that the’.
@Des Hanrahan: Yes, it is interesting to watch. I think the EU has to find its own feet and start protecting its own, as opposed to the American, interests. They will be put under a lot of pressure, but as with the war in Syria, America will start it and we here will be the ones flooded with refugees.
@Des Hanrahan: You don’t know much about NATO if you think Germany and Italy are heavy hitters in it.
@Tom Quin: Try comparing their militaries with the other European members ( leaving out nukes ).
@Des Hanrahan: You are simply comparing sizes on paper, which is a bad criteria. The German air force is in an appalling state and so is the army, underfunded for decades. Germany has underfunded for decades. Neither the Italian nor German forces are capable of expeditionary warfare either. The French and UK are the only European states that can do that.
I definitely think Putin will do anything he can to regain Ukrainian land to keep it as part of Russia.
@Brian Kelly: and unfortunately he will , since all the sell out western leaders are queuing up in kremlin on a red carpet before the czar. They get their shares and brown stashes of gold from czar.
@Brian Kelly: If he trys it with will be Russias Vietnam. Eastern Ukraine are partly pro Russia. Western Ukraine despises Putin.
@Brian Kelly: He has absolutely no interest in Ukraine. It’s a naziridden basket case that costs billions to prop up.
Time to calm down amd look where all this is going. Nobody but the weapons industry benefits from wars
The biggest lovers are always the innocent civilians.
Have a look at and a serious think about the escalation and rhetoric that is going on and try to see who would benefit the most if the shooting actually starts.
Time to step back and smell the coffee.
@George Vladisavljevic:
* The biggest losers
Valentines day on mind
US foreign policy is a mess..PUTin knows this
This whole “war is imminent” panic seems to only be coming of the US and UK constantly. What are they doing? These are the same people who couldn’t detect the taliban invasion until they were flying their flag in Kabul.
It’s like they’re trying to disrupt trade and cause tensions in the region.
@Rochelle: Selling weapons is the name of the game. Nothing else.
Seems like hyperbole from the US and news outlets are happy to pedal it. Macron and Putin had good meeting last week, Ukraine downplaying the rhetoric. It’s like the US has something to prove.
The US is a total warmonger, they should try to get things right at home before policing (starting wars) around the planet.
Ah yes the world is a very dangerous place. Europe must therefore buy expensive American weaponry. They’ve only pulled out of Afghanistan a few months and they’re already squaring up for another fight.
@SJF: Germany, the UK, France and Italy are also pretty big arms dealers.
The west are calling Russia’s bluff. We shall see if it was the correct decision or not.
@Munster1: nothing like a jolly good ticking off and harsh words to deter a dictator. The West did the same in 1939 and look where that got us?!
@Paul Shepherd: What do you mean us ? The Soviet Union bore the brunt of Nazi Germany, England and France went to war over Poland, yet it was agreed by the USSR,Britain, US, that demarcation lines would be decided. Yes the USSR used brutal methods in Hungary and Czecholovakia ,the same as the U.S. did in Vietnam , Laos, and Cambodia, not to mention the overthrow of democratically elected governments in Iran and South America. If you wish to express your viewpoint a bit of balance please.
@Donal Desmond: well maybe you’ll tell the truth about Russia. It invaded Europe first and signed a deal with Hitler to chop it up. Then after WW2 held Eastern Europe under an iron grip for 50 years. Merging all of the US misadventures doesn’t come close to what Russia did. Gave its prisoners of war 10 years hard labour, forced evacuations of ethnic Germans. Their historical treatment of its Jewish populations in the pale
Of settlements. Caused a famine in the Ukraine. Used forced labour camps against its own civilians. Forced migration of the Chechen population. Afghanistan, used military against solidarity protests. Invaded Georgia and Ukraine, the 2 Chechen wars.
@Ray Finn: England and France declared war when Germany invaded Poland, The Russians than invaded east Poland, oddly the British and French never declared war against Russia. Unfortunately for the Poles Stalin made a brilliant tactical move, When the Nazi’s invaded Russia the distance to Moscow was greater. As for German POWs being held for 10 years ,they were lucky after what they had done in Russia. Never again would Russia find enemies at it’s border. That’s what is happening now.
@Donal Desmond: the Soviet invasion was brilliant? Unless you’re one of the one hundred and fifty thousand Poles they ethnically exterminated. It’s weird how lefties always justify and even praise Stalins genocide while attacking the west.
War! ain’t nothing but a heart-breaker
(War) Friend only to The Undertaker
Oh, war it’s an enemy to all mankind
The thought of war blows my mind
War has caused unrest
Within the younger generation
Induction then destruction
Who wants to die? Oh
The more and more that the sabre rattling goes on and threats of imminent invasion are given, the more it confirms that it is all about shutting down Northstream2 and replacing it with US and pro Western gas as well as preventing Russia and other countries from selling gas and oil to the rest of the world.
No articles anywhere questioning the sanctions imposed on 2 of countries with the largest oil reserves, unilateraly imposed by the US. What is being done with the oil that is being controlled and protected by US forces in Syria?
It is all about the control of gas, oil and trying to bankrupt Russia, like they did the USSR with the Afghan war.
The Russians are terrified of invasions from the west, they have had many, Sweden, Napoleon, about 10 countries in 1919. In the last invasion by Germany they lost 25,000,000 people and suffered catastrophic devastation. They do not want NATO missiles on their borders, as the US did not want missiles in Cuba. The US forced regime change in the Ukraine and the New right-wing government discriminate against Russian speakers… forcing Donbas and the Crimea. It is vital that our government use its seat in rhe UN for peace as our media should attempt impartiality.
@Fergus Quinlan: the US didn’t force a regime change, that was the Ukrainian people, I recall them camped out in a square in Keiv.
@Tomás Barrett: I recall US people on Capitol Hill doing more than camping out. Nothing changed there.
But you tell yourself that, not me.
@Tomás Barrett: Who do you think funded it.
Putin’s really enjoying this.. watching and
meeting bumbling leaders which aren’t going to do anything either way. Chaotic.
can the journal do a survey do you think Russia will invade? etc…
@JohnDoe: Yes send a tip to the editor. It may be better to do a survey of when..
Wonder if it had anything to do with GAS
Bizarrely weak statement from Biden
Never happens if the orange man was still in office.
At this rate Russia need say nothing and USA will see it as incitement of war. America will not be happy until they start WW3. NATO keep moving East but Russia is the problem here.
Russia, China, Belarus join up together bye-bye Europe
The west need to stop sending its leaders to Moscow to pander to the ego of this lun@tic . If he invades Ukraine let him face the consequences.
@Gerry McCaughey: Yea ok Gerry let’s not worry about the Ukrainian people the won’t face the consequences at all will they?
@Gerry McCaughey: The ones going to Moscow are the warmongers. They are the ones selling the weapons to this bankrupt dump that will never be able to pay for them unless it allows a military base on its soil.
@Kieran Woods: A dump? Was Ireland any better before it joined the EU? Maybe joining the EU could turn it around.
@Kieran Woods: a bankrupt dump from the mouth of a dun.ce. What price hath freedom.. Putin wouldn’t want them to join Europe either it would be a conflict if interest and be a serious threat to Russia… ya know how we Europeans are..land grabbers.
@Gerry McCaughey: When the Russians installed missiles in Cuba the U.S. responded , what’s the difference now.
@Splat: From the UN High Commission for Human Rights.
“Ukraine’s government has restricted media and freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, violating international law, the U.N. human rights office has said. Activists, journalists and critics have been persecuted for challenging Kyiv government narratives or investigating corruption, and opposition political parties were also under attack. This is from a Dec 2021 report documenting incidents since 2019″
Yes, a bankrupt, cesspit.
Stand up to bullies or be trampled by them.
@Sean Thornton: Easy to give advice from an other part of the world, not even a NATO member.
Would you join the Hutch gang while sharing a long fence with Kinahan? You do that then come here talk.
The U.S always wanted their war with Russia , war is good business. Europe can be the battle ground as usual.
Everyday we are warned of an attack the US arms salesmen scramble for loot….. meanwhile our monthly protest at Shannon Airport goes ahead at 14.00 to 15.00 next Sunday as ever…. second Sunday of the month… weather not great….
For the love of God Ukrainians, find some oil quickly!
If you do, Biden just MIGHT come to your rescue.
Otherwise he’ll keep taking very harsh positions such as not inviting Putin to lunch.
You can’t put China on the list without adding North Korea.
Earth calling Cork…. Come in Cork.. fishermen!!
US and UK seem to want a war.
@Nick Caffrey: the US UK arent the ones with hundreds of thousands of troops on Ukraine border demanding seven countries leave the EU and NATO
Four more years !
Ive no love for Trump but it didn’t take long for the white house to start banging the war drums after he was gone
For all the armchair generals out there, the reason why we keep hearing this familiar line from the US is because they’re the ones sitting on the Intel, which includes satellite imagery showing Russian troops moving and congregating. Remember, every time they raise this alarm, Putin’s plan is called into question. Does he invade as the US predict, or does he delay? Don’t underestimate the impact of this. It’s an effective use of intelligence on America’s part, and keeps Russia in the spotlight, where Putin doesn’t want to be. I suspect he never expected to get this much attention. Now the world is watching, he may have more jitters than before. We can hope.
Hahahaha
American war monger’s
Russia is already in Belarus, which isn’t Russian
have your say