A story I’ve been working on for a while is out.
How tenants in the property empire of Luxembourg landlord Marc Godart are surveilled in their kitchens with CCTV that records audio and video - and mercilessly evicted if they complain
irishtimes.com/ireland/2024/0… Our investigation reveals new details on the Godart beds-for-rent operation in Dublin, thanks to a whistleblower who worked within it.
208 beds are offered across 19 different properties. In Cork Street, one property has 33 beds in a single house irishtimes.com/ireland/2024/0…

The World Health Organisation has described what it found in Al Shifa hospital, after it led a dangerous mission to reach it.
Among the patients still unable to evacuate are "32 babies in extremely critical condition"
I don't think history will forget this
emro.who.int/media/news/who… "Due to time limits associated with the security situation, the team was able to spend only one hour inside the hospital, which they described as a “death zone"".
This is not a typical WHO statement.
emro.who.int/media/news/who…

There is deep concern among EU institutions and capitals that by appearing to sanction Israel's expected invasion of Gaza, von der Leyen has squandered the EU's credibility - including on Ukraine.
She had no mandate to visit Israel from the member states.
irishtimes.com/world/middle-e… She arrived in Israel as it ordered the displacement of 1 mln people in Gaza, to the vocal horror of the UN, and said not one word about it.
Instead, she shook hands with Benjamin Netanyahu for the cameras.
This does not reflect the EU position.
My piece:
irishtimes.com/world/middle-e…

Croatia becomes the 20th country to join the euro today.
These are the Croatian Euro coins that are now coming into circulation and being given as change in Croatian shops as the country says goodbye to the Kuna
irishtimes.com/business/econo… Croatia's one euro coin bears the kuna or marten, which is the country's national animal and gave its name to the old currency due to a tradition of using its pelts as a unit of exchange in historical times.
The checkerboard pattern features on all coins, another Croatian symbol

Ireland has one of the highest levels of public sympathy towards Ukrainians of any EU country, according to the latest Eurobarometer survey - the numbers of those saying they aren't sympathetic are small enough to be a statistical error Over half of respondents in Ireland said they "totally agree" that Ukraine should join the EU when it is ready - only Lithuania had a higher level of strong support for that question.

The embassies of Ireland and Ukraine to the EU this week jointly hosted the European premiere of this film, which features ordinary women in Ukraine – train conductors, paramedics, war crimes investigators – holding the fabric of the country together irishtimes.com/world/europe/2… I moderated a discussion with Olga Hamama of refugee service United for Ukraine and Oleksandra Matviichuk @avalaina, the human rights lawyer who was on her way back from accepting the Nobel peace prize in Oslo, and who features in the documentary irishtimes.com/world/europe/2…

Fossil fuel imports from Russia in the first 100 days of the invasion of Ukraine.
Figures by @CREACleanAir
energyandcleanair.org/wp/wp-content/… Which countries reduced energy imports from Russia by the most since the invasion of Ukraine?
The US, Sweden, Lithuania, Egypt, Spain and Finland are the top six.
energyandcleanair.org/wp/wp-content/…

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has described Russia as an "imperialist regime"
He expressed "solidarity with the people of Ukraine" "defending against an imperialist regime that is wreaking havoc and destruction" on their country, in comments on arrival at the European Parliament. "Given Ireland's history, it's something that's anathema to us," Taoiseach Micheál Martin said.
"The new imperialism of Putin’s regime must not stand," he told the European Parliament.

Strasbourg.
This week the European Parliament will vote on major parts of the policy plans to make the EU carbon neutral by 2050, including stopping the sale of petrol/diesel cars from 2035 "If you want to trade with us, you need to fight climate change," says @lugaricano, VP of Fianna Fáil's group in parliament, explaining proposed tariffs on imports into the EU whose manufacturing produces a lot of carbon.
It's intended to stop green EU businesses being undercut.

The EU has reached a deal.
A ban on Russian oil got over the line - by exempting oil that comes through pipelines, allowing dependent states (Hungary really) to continue importing.
Shipped Russian oil, accounting for 2/3 of EU imports, is to be banned. The agreement allows the EU's sixth package of sanctions to finally come into force.
Sberbank will be barred from Swift, three more Russian broadcasters banned in EU, and further individuals sanctioned (including we expect Patriarch Kirill).

Some interesting data points about Ireland from the country report released by the European Commission this week.
Ireland's per capita greenhouse gas emissions are 80% above the EU average and the country missed its 2020 climate targets
irishtimes.com/business/work/… Ireland “is lagging behind in using renewable energy” and relied on “statistical transfers” to meet its 2020 renewable energy targets. 86% of energy relies on gas, oil, and petroleum.
Getting on track for 2030 targets will require "significant efforts" irishtimes.com/business/work/…

Exclusive: EU document reveals the value of assets frozen under Russian sanctions per member state.
It reveals wide differences.
As of April 5:
France: ~€24bln
Belgium: €10bln
Ireland: ~€1bln
Italy: €1.1bln
Germany: €341,595
Hungary: "volume very low"
irishtimes.com/news/world/eur… The figure for Germany will have risen since, as authorities in Hamburg last week impounded one of the world's largest motor yachts, oligarch Alisher Usmanov's Dilbar, which has a vast indoor swimming pool and two helipads, and is said to be worth $735 million by US Treasury.

MEPs have accused Hungary, Poland, and Spain of using Pegasus software to spy on opposition politicians.
"Our government used it against any opponent of the system or the ruling party: opposition politicians, lawyers, journalists, and even students," said Hungary's @donath_anna

https://twitter.com/donath_anna/status/1516457768600932358

"We were spied on, and by extension, the whole European Parliament was spied on. All of our communications with other MEPs were tapped," said Catalan MEP @DianaRibaGiner
She calls for new legislation to prevent such acts which she says "jeopardise our democracy".

A year ago I began wondering: what happens in Syrian media when Mick Wallace and Clare Daly speak in support of viewpoints held by the Assad regime?
I set up an alert for their names when used in Arabic, Russian and Chinese.
Follow me down the rabbit hole:
irishtimes.com/culture/how-cl… Comments by Daly and Wallace in the European Parliament about a chemical weapons attack on civilians, of which Syrian regime is accused, were publicised in a press release by the Syrian Ministry of Information.
Mick Wallace: ميك والاس
Clare Daly: كلير دالي
moi.gov.sy/index.php?cont…

Kind of reeling from going on a UK radio station this morning that was clearly not interested in informing listeners with facts at all, but instead trying to use me to present its slant that the crap old EU is not helping Ukraine. I was on hold listening to UK host families waiting in empty houses for Ukrainian refugees who are stuck in Poland with pending visa applications.
Then it was: 'Good morning Naomi, tell us why is the EU so far behind the rest of the world in helping Ukraine?'
Surreal.

The European Commission surprised everyone by publicly announcing what new EU sanctions it was proposing before they were agreed by member states.
This has some political use as a tactic.

https://twitter.com/marcobreso/status/1511649067310407683

Previously news about EU sanctions came drip-dripping out filtered through diplomats, and focused a lot on what various members states were blocking or watering down for domestic reasons. This was embittering for Ukraine and embarrassing for various govts, not great for unity.

Exclusive: the United Nations has banned its staff from using the words "war" or "invasion" to refer to the situation in Ukraine, the Irish Times has learned
irishtimes.com/news/world/uni… UN staff were instructed not to use "war" or "invasion" and to use "conflict" or "military offensive" instead, according to an internal email seen by the Irish Times.
It comes as the Kremlin cracks down on the use of the same words within Russia irishtimes.com/news/world/uni…

Motor yachts, which burn hundreds of litres of fuel each hour, are floating evidence of hidden wealth.
I spoke to @tomburgis as he was sued for reporting on the the looted riches of oligarchs that pervade and shape our societies, and censor what we know irishtimes.com/news/world/eur… Harbours across Europe look like this: grotesque private cruise ships, proudly flying the flags of the tax havens to which they are registered.
Though typically the property of shell companies, their owners are well renowned. They are open status symbols

https://twitter.com/NaomiOhReally/status/740154829327208448?t=XYSEp_vT1Nhd-8GwnkF4jw&s=19

The European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favour of the resolution to condemn Russian aggression against Ukraine, after an emotional session in which President Zelenskiy addressed the chamber by video link.

Results:

637 in favour
13 against
26 abstentions Vote results on resolution to condemn invasion of Ukraine
Irish independent Left MEPs Clare Daly and Mick Wallace among the 13 to vote against.
All other Irish MEPs vote in favour, including the two Greens, and the Left's independent Ming Flanagan and Sinn Féin Chris MacManus.

The English translator struggles back sobs as he relates the address of Zelenskiy to the European Parliament, who says dozens were killed in Freedom Square in a cruise missile attack in Kharkiv
"This is the price of freedom," Zelenskiy says Slight sense of historical vertigo to hear oligarchs denounced in the chamber of democracy, this hemisphere which is of ancient Greek design

Following an assessment of the EU's energy resources, "It is our current assessment that the EU can get through this winter safely," says energy commissioner @KadriSimson "The war against Ukraine is not only a watershed moment for the security architecture in Europe, but for our energy system as well. It has made our vulnerability painfully clear," says EU energy commissioner @KadriSimson