Tag Archives: Northern Ireland

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson (left) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel

This morning/afternoon.

Via BBC:

A No 10 source says a Brexit deal is “essentially impossible” after a call between the PM and Angela Merkel.

Boris Johnson spoke to the German chancellor earlier about the proposals he put forward to the EU – but the source said she made clear a deal based on them was “overwhelmingly unlikely“.

They also claimed she said a deal would never be possible unless Northern Ireland stayed in a customs union.

Brexit: Deal ‘essentially impossible’ after PM-Merkel call – No 10 (BBC)

Getty

Meanwhile…

Um.

Via Nigel Dodds

Sarah Ewart outside Belfast High Court this morning

This morning.

Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Via Amnesty International UK:

Sarah Ewart and Amnesty International have won a landmark case in Belfast’s High Court today, as judges found Northern Ireland’s strict abortion law to be in breach of the UK’s human rights commitments.

[This case was launched following a UK Supreme Court judgment in June 2018, in which five of the seven judges ruled that Northern Ireland’s abortion law breaches the UK’s human rights obligations.]

The court has stated that in cases of fatal foetal abnormality Northern Ireland’s abortion law is incompatible with the UK’s human rights obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights.

In July, Parliament passed the Northern Ireland (Executive Formation) Act, which will see abortion in Northern Ireland decriminalised and made lawful including in cases of risk to health, sexual crime and where there is a serious and fatal foetal abnormality, unless the Stormont executive is restored by 21 October.

In light of this law change, the Court will now seek further advice about whether a formal declaration of incompatibility will need to be made…

Abortion: NI law ‘breaches human rights’ (BBC)

Pic: Sky

UPDATE:

In a statement, Ms Ewart said:

“Today’s ruling is a turning point for women in their campaign against the outdated laws prohibiting against abortion in Northern Ireland.

“It should never have had to come to this.

“Today’s ruling is a vindication of all those women who have fought tirelessly to ensure that we never again have to go through what I did in 2013.”

Ms Ewart’s solicitor Darragh Mackin, of Phoenix Law, said:

“This has been a long and difficult journey for our client. The Court has now formally ruled that the current law breaches our client’s human rights.

“This is a hugely significant ruling in our clients’ campaign against the discriminatory and archaic laws that have denied the rights of many.

“We now look forward to an early hearing on the question of relief, so that this matter can be finalised once and for all.”

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson

This morning.

The Court of Appeal in Belfast rejected an appeal by a Northern Irish rights campaigner against British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Brexit strategy.

Lawyers for Raymond McCord had said that a no-deal Brexit on October 31 would breach the Good Friday peace agreement that ended three decades of violence on the island of Ireland.

However, Declan Morgan, chief justice of Northern Ireland, dismissed the case today, saying “it is not appropriate for this court to examine the possible outcome of the [Brexit] negotiation on the basis of political rhetoric.”

Northern Ireland court dismisses no-deal Brexit challenge (Politco. eu)

Rollingnews

This morning.

Lord Ashcroft published the results of a poll he carried out on nationalist and unionist voters in Northern Ireland in respect of Brexit.

He explained…

Lord Ashcroft: My Northern Ireland polling. Six out of ten voters there accept the backstop. But only one in five Unionists do so

 

Swuite student accommodation Grangegorman, Dublin 7 last July 11 (top) and this afternoon (above)

Paul Flynn writes:

Yaay! Result! Just an update on the excuse for a map of Ireland at Swuite student accomodation you featured …I’m delighted to say that a proper map has been installed and while the North still looks a bit frosty I’m delighted that my mother’s one-pub parish of Dromintee has been given the prominence it deserves.

Previously: They Want Us Divided

Last night.

An 18-year-old man is in a critical condition after a number of stabbings close to a controversial bonfire in Belfast, police said.

Two men, aged 28 and 21, have been arrested following the incidents in the New Lodge area of north Belfast.

The incidents took place near an anti-internment bonfire.

New Lodge bonfire: Arrests after two men stabbed in north Belfast (BBC)

Meanwhile…

Ah now.

This afternoon.

Assistant Garda Commissioner David Sheahan with Moyagh Murdock, Chief Executive of the Road Safety Authority (RSA)  unveiling a road safety progress review, covering the period January 1 – July 29, 2019… with the visual aid of a Northern-Ireland-may-not-even-exist-for-all-we-care map.

*shakes fist*

Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Meanwhile…

National Road Policing unit Garda Mark Murphy and actor Conor Creaby this afternoon

This afternoon.

Store Street, Dublin.

The “Mobility App” will also allow individual gardaí to process fixed charge notices, cutting down on back office paperwork and allowing gardaí to spend more time in the community…

…The app can also add Eircodes to addresses using secure web services. Some 2,000 individual gardaí are to be designated to use the app by the end of this year.

What could possibly go wrong?

New Garda mobile app ‘will revolutionise roads policing’ (Irish Times)

Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson, left, arrives at Stormont House in Belfast this morning

UPDATE:

Via The Guardian:

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has sent his most senior EU adviser and Brexit negotiator to Brussels to deliver in person his message that the UK will leave without a deal unless the bloc abolishes the backstop.

David Frost, a former British ambassador to Denmark who was also an adviser to Johnson when he was foreign secretary, is to hold talks with EU officials over the next 48 hours.

Earlier…

Ah.

Boris Johnson in Northern Ireland for talks over power-sharing deadlock (BBC)

Earlier: Disorder, Disorder

Pic: Getty

 NI Water said the flags were “erected without permission”  at the tower in Rathfriland, County Down following a “break-in” and the issue was reported to police

THE DUP’s Jim Wells has defended flags being placed on a water tower, saying it was “very tastefully done” and those involved have been admired for their “tenacity“.

He said the Union and Northern Ireland flags were erected atop the 110ft structure in Rathfriland to mark the Co Down town hosting a Twelfth parade.

Red, white and blue paint on top of the tower was also “refreshed” for the occasion, the MLA said.

DUP’s Jim Wells says Rathfriland water tower flags ‘very tastefully done (Irish News)

Thanks Colm Dore