Belfast Newsletter - Latest Feed

Attwood denies SDLP tensions over SPAD bill

Sat, 25 May 2013 13:49:38 GMT

SDLP’s Executive minister has said that it was compassion for Troubles victims that led him to put his hand into the lens of a BBC camera.

BBC apologise over SF/IRA name card

Fri, 24 May 2013 09:31:08 GMT

The BBC has confirmed it is investigating how a floor plan for Question Time on Thursday night came to feature the letters ‘SF/IRA’ beside the name of panellist John O’Dowd.

Ministers defend cost of international travel

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:42:36 GMT

Five-star hotels and business class flights are essential for political leaders engaged on international trade missions, it has been claimed.

Christmas deadline to fix divisive issues

Fri, 24 May 2013 08:04:20 GMT

The perennial problems of contentious parades, flags and emblems, and how we deal with the past, could be resolved if ambitious new plans announced yesterday are successful.

New hopes for IRA victim’s sister on Advisers Bill

Fri, 24 May 2013 07:34:00 GMT

Ann Travers last night said that she was “more hopeful” that the SDLP will not block a bill that would ban killers from becoming ministerial advisers.

G8 Summit will cost £50million

Thu, 23 May 2013 16:54:47 GMT

Policing and security costs for the G8 conference in Co Fermanagh next month are running at an estimated £50 million, it was revealed today.

Teen community relations damaged by flag row

Thu, 23 May 2013 11:26:47 GMT

Community relations among teenagers in Northern Ireland were badly damaged by the Union flag crisis, sociologists said today.

Calls for research into benefits of GAA, following parading report

Thu, 23 May 2013 10:35:42 GMT

A report citing the benefits of the GAA in Ulster should be commissioned following one which showed that loyalist parades generate £55m, an SDLP Assembly member has said.

Ulster People’s Forum planning civil rights marches

Thu, 23 May 2013 08:49:25 GMT

Talks in Cardiff last weekend have done little to improve relations between the loyalist community and police, the Ulster People’s Forum has said.

IRA victim’s sister to meet SDLP over special advisers Bill

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:42:08 GMT

Ann Travers will meet SDLP leader Alasdair McDonnell — her family’s former GP — in Belfast on Thursday in an attempt to persuade him not to veto a Bill that would ban killers from being given publicly-funded ministerial adviser posts.

Full decommissioning ‘not certain’

Thu, 23 May 2013 07:33:29 GMT

The man who three times inspected the IRA’s weapons dumps prior to decommissioning has said that it is impossible to say that the IRA destroyed all its weapons.

IRA victim’s anguish as SDLP shapes to veto advisers’ bill

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:56:47 GMT

An IRA victim last night told of her anguish at the SDLP’s apparent decision to give Sinn Fein enough signatures to block a bill to ban killer ministerial advisers.

Presbyterian/Church of Scotland relations strained by gay clerics

Wed, 22 May 2013 07:47:52 GMT

Relations between Irish Presbyterians and the Scottish church from whence they came four centuries ago have been strained by the Church of Scotland decision to allow gay ministers.

VIDEO: Salmond says Scotland can “more than afford’ to be a successful independent country

Tue, 21 May 2013 19:35:16 GMT

Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond set out his arguments for how an independence Scotland could survive economically.

Sinn Fein accused of hiding abortion talks at conference

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:56:33 GMT

Sinn Fein has been accused of hiding the fact that study days in Ireland which it helped host involved lobbying for abortion to be legalised here.

Prisoner elite getting millions, says Attwood

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:47:49 GMT

During clashes between Sinn Fein and the SDLP over the special advisors’ bill at Stormont yesterday, SDLP MLA Alex Attwood said there is now a “prisoner elite who think they have got higher entitlements than any other citizens”.

Special advisors’ bill passes another hurdle

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:42:33 GMT

The TUV private member’s bill to ban those with serious criminal convictions from becoming special ministerial advisors has passed another hurdle.

Bid to allow gay marriage opt-out fails

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:33:22 GMT

An amendment to allow registrars to opt out of conducting same-sex marriages failed last night, despite the backing of Northern Ireland MPs.

IRA decommissioning inspector launches conflict study centre at Queen’s

Mon, 20 May 2013 14:05:21 GMT

Former Northern Ireland arms decommissioning inspector Martti Ahtisaari will officially launch a new conflict studies institute at Queen’s University Belfast today.

Wales talks a success, says police chief

Mon, 20 May 2013 08:03:05 GMT

PSNI assistant chief constable George Hamilton has described the talks as a successful meeting.