International – Page 4 – Slugger O'Toole

Don’t forget your passport if you’re crossing the border…

Pete Baker on October 4, 2016, 3:18 pm

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Given the level of hand-wringing concern being publicly expressed about the possibility of border controls post-Brexit, disingenuous or otherwise, here’s a topical and relevant story courtesy of the BBC. A County Armagh vegetable grower says businesses need more clarity about border controls, after eight of his workers were detained by Irish police on their way to work. The men, all EU nationals, were stopped at Dundalk on Monday morning as they crossed the border in a work van. They were …

Rory Finds Form to Win FedEx Cup

Pete Baker on September 26, 2016, 3:42 pm

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By winning the Tour Championship yesterday in Atlanta, and with it the FedEx Cup for the first-time, Rory McIlroy has turned a decent, if disappointing by his high standards, season into a great one. Until the FedEx play-offs began his only win this year was the Irish Open. The new FedEd Cup winner now heads to the Ryder Cup before focussing on next year’s majors, starting with the US Masters in April. To be fair, it was only his putting that has …

“Better to criminalise rather than politicise.”

Pete Baker on August 28, 2016, 5:06 pm

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Here’s something you might have missed last week. In an interestingly timed, if much belated, intervention in the Guardian, professor of journalism at City University, self-declared Sinn Féin supporter and, in the late 1980s, a pseudonymous contributor to An Phoblacht, Roy Greenslade channels his inner Thatcher for a call for media [self] censorship when reporting on still violent dissident republican groups. From the Guardian article In other words, by referring to “dissidents” – disparate overlapping groups that use IRA or similar in their self-descriptions – media outlets are investing them with an undeserved political …

Solving the border issue is recognised as an argument against a clean break with the EU

Brian Walker on July 29, 2016, 10:02 am

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Although it’s firmly orientated to business and high finance, the Financial Times (£) concludes in an editorial that the British-Irish relationship should put a brake on the extreme Brexiteers who favour a clean break from the EU. Both sides have much to lose. Without the support of its outsized neighbour, Dublin may now find itself more isolated in Brussels on EU issues such as tax harmonisation, which it opposes. Although Ireland’s economy is less dependent on the UK than it …

O’Leary’s Dalriada proposal keeps Northern Ireland and Scotland in the UK and the EU

Brian Walker on July 26, 2016, 9:05 am

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The political scientist Professor Brendan O’Leary is one of the strongest supporters of power sharing in Northern Ireland and an deviser of political solutions to ethnic conflict throughout the world. On leave from Pennsylvania University and an old boy of St Macnissi’s Garron Tower, he has produced the Dalriada Document – inspired by the ancient North Antrim- west of Scotland kingdom. The Dalriada document is an ingenious attempt to square the circle of keeping Scotland and Northern Ireland in both …

Calm down, dears…

Pete Baker on July 19, 2016, 5:27 pm

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Wilful or otherwise, there’s been a degree of misrepresentation of Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s apparently unscripted, and qualified, comments at the MacGill Summer School yesterday – you can read the official version of his speech here. As the initial reported quote demonstrated, his focus was not on preparing for the prospect of referendums on a united Ireland, but on seeking clarification of what would happen, in the new post-Brexit world, in the event of a ‘Yes’ vote. Because if that possibility were …

Live Cricket: Ireland v Afghanistan at Stormont – 5th ODI

Pete Baker on July 19, 2016, 2:14 pm

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After a somewhat controversial victory in the 4th One Day International on Sunday, Afghanistan have a 2-1 lead going into today’s 5th, and final, ODI against Ireland’s cricketers at Stormont. Afghanistan won the toss and put Ireland in to bat. Live video via CricketIrelandTV. Cricinfo has the usual over-by-over text commentary. Ireland made 265 for 5 from 50 overs, with an unbeaten 160 runs for opening batsman Ed Joyce. Afghanistan chasing 266 runs to win. Update Afghanistan made 253 for 9 …

In the welter of crises at home and abroad, ” calm down dear” is not a bad maxim for comment

Brian Walker on July 17, 2016, 3:49 pm

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Commentators have a natural tendency to over-interpret the world on the basis of the latest developments. I say “natural” because they are bound to feel compelled to rise up to the level of traumatic events like Nice or the Turkish coup attempt. Over Turkey comment has been useful as there’s a lot to explain about the origins of the coup and the political upheaval going on in response. Over Nice, it’s much more difficult. Standby for the political crucifixion of …

Live Cricket: Ireland v Afghanistan at Stormont – 4th ODI

Pete Baker on July 17, 2016, 1:18 pm

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With the series level at 1-1 after 3 games, Ireland’s cricketers take on the touring Afghanistan team at Stormont today in the 4th One-Day International of 5 scheduled matches. Afganistan won the toss and chose to bat first. Cricinfo has the over-by-over text commentary. Live streaming video via CricketIrelandTV. Update Afghanistan made 229 for 7 from 50 overs. Update 2 Ireland 150 all out from 41.0 overs. Afghanistan win by 79 runs and take a 2-1 lead with one match remaining. Pete Baker

Live Cricket: Ireland v Afghanistan at Stormont – 3rd ODI

Pete Baker on July 14, 2016, 2:50 pm

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Live streaming cricket from Belfast as Ireland take on Afghanistan in the 3rd ODI of a 5 match series. The first was rained off, and on Tuesday Afghanistan comfortably withstood Ireland’s attempt at chasing down the total of 250 runs they set in the 2nd ODI after being put into bat. This time, Afghanistan won the toss and chose to bat, setting a total of 236 all out from 49.1 overs. Ireland require 237 from their 50 overs to level the series …

“À la Bastille!” – Redux

Pete Baker on July 14, 2016, 2:24 pm

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Once again, with apologies to Pierre Ranger… [It’s a tradition, we know… – Ed] Indeed! Play La Marseillaise! Pete Baker

A real Twelfth celebration. Three cautious cheers for Bombardier

Brian Walker on July 12, 2016, 10:06 am

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And what about the effects of Brexit? The Irish Times takes forward the story reported by CBC Canada. Many thanks to Quebec, despite its secessionist tendencies. The SWISS air flight on Friday also represents an important next stage of the C-Series journey that began for Northern Ireland at the Farnborough Air Show in the UK in 2008. Back then Bombardier pledged a £520 million investment, the largest single inward investment in the North, to support the research, design, manufacture and assembly of the …

US Consulate: “We anticipate that a US trade and investment delegation will visit Northern Ireland in the first half of 2017”

Pete Baker on July 9, 2016, 8:07 pm

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The Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, has, in effect, called ‘bullshit’ on Martin McGuinness‘ claim that a proposed US investment delegation to Northern Ireland has been postponed “directly as a result of the vote” in the UK-wide EU membership referendum. Unlike the Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, echoed by his party colleague, Conor Murphy, the Secretary of State named the source of her information …Theresa Villiers said that the US Special Envoy Gary Hart had blamed the decision of …

The wee nations of these islands show the way in Europe

Brian Walker on July 2, 2016, 1:30 pm

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It was a big week in Europe in more ways than one. Wales is left as the standard bearer of the home nations in the Euros. Northern Ireland and the Republic get honourable mentions in the reputation stakes not only on the field but on the terraces and the pubs. The Somme commemorations recall Britain’s very literal continuing place in Europe (There is a corner of a foreign field etc.”) Modern Ireland is recovering its own memory. In the horrible …

Theresa Villiers: “ultimately it is parliament’s decision whether we repeal the 1972 European Communities Act or whether we don’t.”

Pete Baker on June 27, 2016, 7:22 pm

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Andy’s valiant attempt at providing clarity on the role of the devolved institutions in the UK’s withdrawal from the EU doesn’t appear to have worked for some of our local representatives. The Northern Ireland Secretary of State, Theresa Villiers, couldn’t have been clearer. “In the weeks and months ahead we will be working with both the Scottish Government and the Northern Ireland Executive on all these matters,” [Theresa Villiers] told BBC’s Sunday Politics show. “But ultimately it is parliament’s decision whether we …

Euro 2016: Northern Ireland through to last 16

Pete Baker on June 21, 2016, 9:52 pm

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Despite losing to world champions Germany earlier today, Northern Ireland’s footballers have secured a place in the last 16 of the UEFA European Championship 2016. There they’ll face either France or Wales. A heroic performance by NI’s freelance keeper, Michael McGovern, kept the ball out of the net on all but one occasion and the 1-0 win for Germany left Northern Ireland in third place in Group C on 3 points following their win over Ukraine. Crucially, though, they had …

EU Referendum: “At the start of the campaign I was relaxed over a Brexit vote.”

Pete Baker on June 16, 2016, 9:48 pm

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Interesting piece in the Guardian from Simon Jenkins who, by his own admission, has “long been a Eurosceptic”. Although, as he also points out, “that is not the same as being a leaver.” For a start he is equally critical of the ‘Leave’ and the ‘Remain’ campaigns – an assessment I broadly agree with. Here’s what he has to say on the ‘Remain’ campaign When marching to the remain drum, I have been shocked at the mendacity of “project fear”. …

Happy Christmas, intolerable Joyceans everywhere!

Pete Baker on June 16, 2016, 11:54 am

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If you don’t know by now, it’s tradition! And Brendan’s cryptic crossword in today’s Guardian nods in the general direction… Those of a sensitive disposition are duly warned, once again, that James Joyce enjoys the language in all its fecund nuttiness. Adds I should have also noted this brief history of the day that it’s in, also from the Guardian, which includes this 1924 quote from Joyce on Ulysses – “I have to convince myself that I wrote that book. I used to be …

Brexit panic takes hold in Ireland

Brian Walker on June 16, 2016, 8:42 am

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In just 250 words the Irish Times reports the scale of Brexit panic in Ireland, north and south. Promising “a huge campaign all over the world”, an informed source said a strong campaign is needed in the US, China and India and elsewhere to drive home the message that Ireland is separate from the UK and that it intends to stay in the EU. … Mr Cameron infuriated unionists yesterday when he warned travel restrictions may be needed between Northern …

Bilderberg 2016: “If I were a member of a technocratic elite that wanted its influence on public policy kept under wraps…”

Pete Baker on June 13, 2016, 3:22 pm

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It’s that time again! The 64th Annual Bilderberg Meeting, “like a corporate cross between Santa Claus and a big friendly squid“, has just ended in Dresden, Germany. Charlie Skelton was there again for the Guardian, and his post on Bilderberg 2016 is well worth reading in full. It’s a “tickle under the chin of the mainstream press” in the hope that the reporters will come. From Charlie Skelton’s Bilderblog I was glad I was able to lighten Bernabè’s day, but …