Independent.ie - Analysis RSS Feed

Action Man with the master plan

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

BY GAD but the Taoiseach was a regular Action Man yesterday afternoon. So much so, that it was surprising he didn't storm into the Action Plan for Jobs launch sporting fatigues, a buzz cut and eyes which only moved from side to side.

We have power to halt a crisis -- we just need will

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

WE have been here before. The spectre of hunger is once again stalking the people of the Sahel, at the southern edge of the Sahara Desert. Early warning systems point to the risk of a major food crisis in the region, potentially affecting 10 million people. This time, though, there is the chance to re-write the end of a tragically familiar story, by responding now to the risk of humanitarian disaster, rather than waiting until it unfolds.

A shadowy hand at work in Syria . . .

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

More than four decades ago, al-Qa'ida's new leader began his career in global jihad by preaching rebellion against Egypt's secular regime. With that long pedigree as a revolutionary, Ayman al-Zawahiri will know that it's bad form to be late to an insurrection.

Mary Kenny: Blurring barrier between child abuse and consent

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

In yet another attempt to curb Britain's alarming rate of young teenage pregnancy, a group of nine schools in Southampton is now providing 13-year-old girls with "secret" contraceptive implants. That is to say, the implants -- which give contraceptive protection for three years -- are offered to the pupils without their parents' consent, although the schoolgirls may choose to inform their parents.

Damian Thompson: Whitney Houston’s addiction to crack cocaine may not have killed her, but it did change her

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:34:44 +0000

WHETHER Whitney Houston died as a direct result of taking crack cocaine isn't clear; but no one – least of all, herself – was in any doubt that her self-confessed crack addiction destroyed her career. Over the years her fans have desperately wanted her to clean up her act for good. Perhaps if they knew more about crack they would understand why that was unlikely to happen.

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown: We've become experts at sex – but losers at love

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 15:54:18 +0000

AT the supermarket on Friday night, my beloved said a red, heart-shaped candle was tat and a total rip-off at. Guess he won't be buying me the latest big thing for Valentine's day then, made of a new metal amalgam, rubedo. Created by Tiffany, it's slightly pink and quite attractive. Hoop earrings cost €1,200 and a bangle seven times as much, and not even real gold as my mother would have said. But for someone called Edwina Ings-Chambers, an effusive connoisseur of high style, a piece of rubedo would be making, she wrote in a Sunday newspaper: "... that statement of statements – the 'will you love and cherish me forever' one..."

Lucy Jones: Five things you need to know about this year’s Grammys

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:55:06 +0000

1. The Coronation of Adele ...I love the story about Adele giving £1,000 to every single staff member (including cleaners and canteen workers, apparently) at her record label XL as her album spiralled in popularity and album sales. Not that she needs tittle-tattle to promote a down-to-earth image; her girl-next-door, rags-to-riches story is firmly embedded in pop culture lore and multiple column inches. And last night, she cleaned up, winning six Grammys, including best album, record and song. I personally still get goosebumps when I think about watching her performance of Someone Like You at the Brits Awards last year. Arise Queen Adele.

Thomas Molloy: Training still key if Bruton hopes to tackle jobs crisis

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

ENTERPRISE Minister Rich-ard Bruton faces a formidable task as he lays out his plans to fight unemployment today. He will know that the State has a poor record when it comes to helping the unemployed return to work, and his civil servants will have reminded him that job creation is difficult, even in countries where the public sector traditionally displays energy and resourcefulness.

Musical diva's career tainted by battle with drugs and her inner demons

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

A YEAR ago, Clive Davis's glittery pre-Grammy showcase was winding down after a number of electric performances when the grandest name of all, Whitney Houston, walked on stage to close the evening with what promised to be a show-stopping tribute to her famous cousin, Dionne Warwick.

Video: Ireland should escape worst of turmoil because we're different

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

THE latest crisis in Greece is shaping up to be the worst yet -- for Greece. In contrast Ireland looks increasingly likely to shrug it off, at least in the short term.

Maeve Dineen: We must make process easier for firms to get off the ground

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

One of the more enjoyable parts of this job is judging business awards, and last week I was searching for the best and brightest at the Small Firms Association awards.

By George . . . we deserve an Oscar for our paddywhackery

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 05:00:00 +0000

Ireland may well be the only place on the planet where celebrity lookalike contests come with a disclaimer: any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is highly unlikely.

Gene Kerrigan: Enda's mad transitions make no sense