Sinn Féin’s veiled threat over police co-operation

As reported by BBC NI’s Vincent Kearney, Sinn Féin MLA Alex Maskey has been making veiled threats about reviewing the level of the party’s co-operation with the police unless an ongoing legal action taken by the brother of a former Sinn Féin candidate is resolved to their satisfaction.  I say veiled threat because, despite Vincent Kearney’s best efforts on Evening Extra, Alex Maskey wouldn’t specify on air what it was the party was going to do. From the BBC report Sinn …

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Friday thread: Improving Slugger’s comments

One of Slugger’s virtues is its comments thread. Unlike a lot of blogs, Mick applies a certain standard and trolls, threats, sockpuppetry and flamebaiting are generally discouraged. This isn’t done perfectly or consistently because it’s a big job to do and involves hours of unfunded work. We do the best we can under the circumstances – and at least half the job is done when people find themselves occasionally clipped. For the most part, commenters are better-behaved on Slugger than …

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UVF breach cease-fire?

According to the Guardian’s Henry McDonald, the man shot dead on Belfast’s Shankill Road has been “named locally as Bobby Moffat, [and] is understood to have been a member of the Red Hand Commando (RHC) terrorist group.”  The short Guardian report adds It is believed Moffat was killed as part of an internal loyalist dispute and there was no Republican involvement. Moffat is thought to have been in dispute with the RHC-aligned Ulster Volunteer Force. The killing will prompt questions about …

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Eurovision 2010: “We’ll keep on doing what we’ve been doing…”

The Irish Times rejoices in the fact that Ireland’s RTÉ’s entry in this year’s Eurovision, former winner Niamh Kavanagh, made it through to tomorrow’s final for the first time in four years.  John Waters was unavailable for comment… They seem to be taking it seriously this year at the Irish Times, with a lengthy analysis by Adrian Kavanagh, a lecturer in the geography department at NUI Maynooth, on voting patterns in the competition. And in case you still thought it was …

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The Irish News and operating profitably on the net…

Roy Greenslade has an interesting piece on the Irish News’ firewall. Not least the money figures: If you click on the Irish News website up comes a page demanding that you pay for access to a digital edition. There is a choice: £5 for one week’s editions, £15 for a month’s and £150 for a year’s. The result? According to journalism.co.uk, since its launch in December 2009, the News’s site has secured just 1,215 paid subscriptions: 525 weekly, 370 monthly …

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Euro debts: “Purge the rottenness out of the system” – Hugh Hendry channels Andrew Mellon

An interesting discussion on the problem of, and solutions to, sovereign debt default on Newsnight. Everyone’s favourite, um, “clinker-bag” is back, this time being rude to Columbia University’s Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Gillian Tett a journalist at the Financial Times also in attendance. Kent Brockman, from the Simpsons said it best in Homer the Vigilante. Kent Brockman reports on the situation. Kent: Hordes of panicky people seem to be evacuating the town for some unknown reason. Professor, without knowing precisely what …

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Euro breakup : Why Morgan Stanley is wrong

A few months back Morgan Stanley analyst Joachim Fels produced a set of warning signs that would indicate the Eurozone was at increased risk of breakup. He’s back today with a new research note – To be clear, we neither advocate a EUR break-up nor is this our main scenario. However, the risk that it happens is far from negligible and the consequences for financial markets would be severe. Given recent developments, a break-up scenario has clearly become more likely, …

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Photograph of the Day – Smiling Boy

Moochin PhotomanPhotographer and visual artist based in Belfast. I have facilitated community based workshops with groups as diverse as visually impaired individuals in Dungannn, Travellers across Northern Ireland, Young Offenders and many community groups across Belfast. My work has exhibited extensively here in Northern Ireland in group and individual shows and has been shown in North America and i had my first solo international exhibition in New Zealand. I have been the recipient of a number of grants from the …

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“Shoot to Kill” Files Ordered Released

The High Court today has ordered that files relating to the government’s alleged ‘shoot to kill’ policy should be released. Mr. Justice John Gillen said: “If inquests are to maintain public confidence, put minds at rest and answer the questions of the families who are bereaved, it is vital to ensure that the interested parties/next of kin can participate in an informed, open and transparent fashion on an equal footing with all other parties throughout the various stages of the …

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FST challenge destined to fail?

The last time a Unionist attempted to have a court overturn an electoral declaration in Fermanagh South Tyrone was when James Cooper (UUP) failed in his challenge over the 2001 result where he was defeated by 53 votes. At the time Justice Carswell agreed there had been irregularities at a polling station in Garrison but rejected the appeal: That said, the issue which we as an election court have to decide is whether the election in the constituency of Fermanagh …

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10 of 32 Libraries in Belfast to Close

The BBC notes that Libraries NI have announced that, following a strategic review and a public consultation, 10 of their 32 branch libraries in the Greater Belfast area are to close.  From the Libraries NI statement It is with regret that the Libraries NI Board, after scrutinising the findings of the review and the public consultation process, approved closure of the following libraries: Andersonstown, Ballymacarrett, Belvoir Park, Braniel, Dunmurry, Gilnahirk, Ligoniel, Oldpark, Sandy Row and Whitewell. These libraries failed to …

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What now for Northern republicanism?

A few things have got me thinking recently. The first was the progressive election campaign by the DUP. The second was the comments by Declan O’Loan and thirdly, was the creeping nature of the dissident campaign. The end result is a mixed up collection of emotions and thoughts that I just have to get off my chest. The DUP campaign got me to think the unthinkable (as a republican) – could I ever countenance something short of Irish unity, particularly …

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Poster boys (& girls) – mapping offenders

Daphne Trimble posing in front of an election poster mounted on a trailer

It is now time for election posters to be removed from display. So lets do the stragglers a favour by locating those still up. If you have a Google account you should be able to add the details directly to this map, then click on Edit, zoom in to the area, and click on the map pin icon to add your poster. If not post the information and I will enter it for you. Location, offending party/candidate and date spotted …

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Belfast City Council Sought ONH Approval for Community Wardens in Ardoyne

According to a report in the Irish News, Belfast City Council officials “had talks with members of Óglaigh na hÉireann (ONH)” and “are believed to have sought assurances from members of ONH that employees would be safe” before extending the community warden scheme to Ardoyne. The republican source said: “The council was basically told that as long as the wardens were not acting as the eyes and ears of the PSNI in monitoring republicans then they would not be touched.” A …

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Connor Applies for Election Court Review of FST Count

The BBC confirms that Rodney Connor has asked the Election Court in Belfast to review his narrow defeat in Fermanagh and South Tyrone. Sinn Fein’s Michelle Gildernew won the seat by just four votes after three recounts. Pete Baker

Naked Capitalism: The Great Depression and the Revolution of 2017

Entertaining, and sobering futuring at Naked Capitalism. President Kucinich also announced a new “Marshall Plan” for war-ravaged Europe, which has descended into near anarchy since the EU collapsed in late 2010. He called on the Italian Red Brigade army to end its siege of Berlin. He promised to begin an airlift of food for Europe’s starving millions, to be followed by industrial products to help European nations to begin to produce for domestic consumption. He called for an end to …

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Should nationalism unify? And if so, why?

There are no indications that there has been any serious contemplation of an O’Loan scenario, in which the SDLP might seek terms with Sinn Fein inside the former. But in today’s Irish Times Fionnuala O’Connor thinks there might be some mileage in it. She notes the immediate context for the idea: Realignment inside unionism has been much discussed, if not to much purpose, since defeat for both the UU and DUP leaders at the polls on May 6th. By contrast …

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Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast…

The BBC reports that a police spokesperson has said it was “not an appropriate action” for an officer to play “ice-cream van” music when young people were throwing bottles at a Land Rover vehicle in the Twinbrook area on 22 May.  Although they also admit that this humorous approach had defused the situation and the trouble had stopped. From the report Sinn Fein councillor Angela Nelson told the Andersonstown News that the officer’s actions “beggared belief”. “The PSNI are put on …

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From the Scotland Bill to Scottish independence…

The inclusion of the Scotland Act amongst the UK Government’s 22 Bills has pushed Scotland’s place in Britain back up the discussion list in many quarters. Personally I am surprised that the Conservatives have moved so quickly on the issue when it potentially poses such a risk for the continuation of the union, particularly given that David Cameron claims to have the Union Jack stamped onto his insides like a stick of rock. For me, the implementation of the Calman …

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