All articles tagged with #belfast
Belfast hosts a rally supporting Palestinian hunger strikers, drawing parallels to the 1981 Irish hunger strikes, amid international calls for UK intervention and growing Irish political support for Palestine.
Patients at a Belfast mental health unit are still sleeping on sofas due to ongoing building problems, including leaks and mould, despite recent repairs. The £33m facility, opened six years ago, faces extensive damage from water system failures, with repair costs estimated up to £10m. The trust is working with legal advisors to determine liability and has plans to rehome patients temporarily, but capacity issues persist. The facility also faces safety upgrades following a ligature risk notice from health inspectors.
The University of North Dakota men's hockey team will participate in the 2027 Friendship Four tournament in Belfast, Northern Ireland, marking their first international games since 2013-14 and the first outside North America since 1982-83, competing alongside other top college teams in a prestigious event promoting education and community interaction.
Corey Anderson wins the vacant light heavyweight title at Bellator Champions Series: Belfast after defeating Karl Moore by unanimous decision. Anderson's victory comes after a decade-long career and previous attempts at a title. Despite Moore's strong performance, Anderson controlled the fight with takedowns and ground-and-pound. The event also saw other notable results, including Patricio Freire's TKO win over Jeremy Kennedy.
Belfast rap group Kneecap, known for their outspoken politics and blending of Irish and English in their music, are set to release their biopic "KNEECAP" co-starring Michael Fassbender in late 2024. Their upcoming album "Fine Art" is scheduled for release in June, and they are embroiled in a legal challenge against the UK government after being blocked from receiving a grant due to their political views. The group's rise has coincided with a resurgence of interest in the Irish language, and they continue to push boundaries with their music and activism.
A former soldier, referred to as Soldier F, is to be charged with the murder of Patrick McVeigh and the attempted murder of six others in Belfast during the Troubles in 1972. Three other former soldiers will also face prosecution for attempted murder. The cases are not affected by the Legacy Act, which will offer amnesties in Troubles cases from later in 2024. The shootings involved an undercover Army unit called the Military Reaction Force, and the move to prosecute has sparked mixed reactions from politicians and veterans.
Deanes EIPIC, a Michelin-starred restaurant in Belfast, Northern Ireland, is closing after 26 years due to increased costs and price sensitivity among customers. The impact of Covid, Brexit, and the cost-of-living crisis has made it difficult for the restaurant to sustain its fine dining model. The head chef sees this as a growing trend in the hospitality industry, with traditional fine dining becoming less popular. The closure is part of a series of high-profile restaurant closures, highlighting the challenges faced by the industry.
A suspect has been arrested in Belfast, Maine, for the theft of a trailer from a local VFW post. The police identified the suspect, 35-year-old Ryan Hast, using surveillance video from the post. Hast was stopped and arrested by officers after they spotted a vehicle matching the description. He has been booked at Waldo County Jail and is being held on cash bail. The arrest brings hope for closure to the VFW post, which has recently experienced theft and vandalism incidents.
"Good Vibrations," a stage musical based on the life of Terri Hooley, who opened a record store in Belfast during the Troubles, is running at the Irish Arts Center in Manhattan until July 16. The musical follows Hooley's journey as he started the shop and then a label that released early singles by the Undertones and the Outcasts. The show portrays the toll his obsession took on his marriage to the poet Ruth Carr. The musical is a snapshot of life in Northern Ireland during the Troubles through its music scene.
Police documents containing sensitive security information related to President Biden's visit to Belfast were lost and found on a street by a local resident. The documents contained names of Belfast police and postings, but nothing related to the Secret Service's operations or security plans. Despite the breach, the Secret Service expressed continued trust in the local authorities. The incident occurred as the terrorism threat in Northern Ireland was raised to "severe" before Biden came to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.