Wikio - Northern Ireland

Move over Darling? (Slugger O'Toole)

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:24:04 GMT

His words can make stock markets quake. They pushed house prices down further when he failed to quash rumours of a cut in stamp duty. Yet here is that flinty character Alistair Darling confessing all to one of the most winsome women in the interviewing business, Decca Aitkenhead of the Guardian. Confesses the Chancellor: “We knew the economy was going to slow down.” But he hadn’t the faintest inkling...

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Explore : Alistair Darling, Money, Stock markets, Stocks, UK Politics

Obama's best speech yet. (ElBlogador.co)

noreply@blogger.com (nineteensixtyseven) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 23:57:00 GMT

Like many I'm sure, I was begin to tire of his abstract notions of 'hope' and flowery rhetoric but in last night's speech to the Democratic National Convention, Barack Obama finally nailed it. Obama focused his guns on McCain and the corporations and his policies at everyday working Americans for the first time in a speech that outlined a vision totally anathema to anything the 3 main British parties...

Source : ElBlogador.co (subscribe)

Explore : Barack Obama, USA

Linfield beat Institute to go top (BBC News)

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 21:27:09 GMT

Linfield hammer Institute 7-0 at Windsor Park to go top of the JJB Sports Premiership.

Source : BBC News (subscribe)

Happy 50th Birthday Michael Jackson! (ElBlogador.co)

noreply@blogger.com (El Matador) — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 18:57:00 GMT

Congratulations to the King of Pop who celebrates his half-century today. Let's hope he gets his act together and releases an album to match the quality of Bad and Thriller. Fingers crossed!

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Explore : Entertainment, Michael Jackson, Music, Rhythm and Blues

“If he (Obama) wins, the operative word is detachment..” (Slugger O'Toole)

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:04:32 GMT

Gonzo gave his immediate reaction to Barack Obama’s speech late last night but it’s also worth reading Micky Kaus’ suitably sceptical take at Slate “A little flat, and not just because of it’s now-required State-of-the Union laundry-list passages” Meanwhile Máirtín points to an Irish Echo report from a couple of days ago on the reaction by some to Obama’s suggestion that a US envoy to Northern Ireland...

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Explore : Barack Obama, USA

Update on Robinson upping the ante (Slugger O'Toole)

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 15:04:31 GMT

It’s wonderful how a little detail can scale down a story as a day develops... UTV and The BBC’s Mark Devenport reports that changes to the “massive” strategy development document Conor Murphy failed to bring back to the Executive for clearance amounted to around “150 changes, many involve references to “Northern Ireland” being changed to “the north". ” Are you being serious, First Minister? The air...

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NI man charged over 6m cigarettes (BBC News)

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:53:20 GMT

A 27-year-old County Fermanagh man ahs been charged in connection with the seizure of six million smuggled cigarettes.

Source : BBC News (subscribe)

Clarke fires 73 in second round (BBC News)

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 14:05:47 GMT

Darren Clarke stays in contention in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles after a level-par 73 on Friday.

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Explore : Cycling, Golf, Golf players, Golf Tournaments, Sport

Northern Ireland health service comes in second (Slugger O'Toole)

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 11:35:24 GMT

Northern Ireland comes second among the four parts of the UK in the amount spent per patient, according to a breakdown just published by the respected Health Service Journal. Huge contrasts found between UK nations. Patients in the UK’s four nations have dramatically different experiences of the NHS. Scotland came highest in spending per patient at £1262, compared to NI at £1214, Wales at £1186 and...

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DCC give the atheists to the Prods (Slugger O'Toole)

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:27:34 GMT

It appears it is not easy to find a grave for an atheist in Donegal. There is no municipal graveyard and Roy Greenslade had been informed that a religious service would be required to use the various church graveyards (although this advice may have been mistaken). So instead his atheist mother’s remains were brought across the border and buried in Londonderry. Derry City Council has different designated...

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Robinson ups the ante (Slugger O'Toole)

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:27:34 GMT

Breaking news.. . The Belfast Telegraph is selling hard the story of deepening crisis in the Executive, although as I type, nobody else seems to have picked up this latest twist. Peter Robinson’s charge is constitutionally a serious one, that the Regional Development minister SF’s Conor Murphy breached the code of office by failing to bring a “ massive” regional strategy to 2025 before an Executive...

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Explore : Air Delivery and Freight, Parties, Transportation, UK Politics, United Parcel Service

“This is not worth the paper it's written on..” (Slugger O'Toole)

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 10:27:34 GMT

The BBC’s Mark Devenport had suggested the IMC could play a part of the “serious consequences” predicted by Northern Ireland First Minister, the DUP’s Peter Robinson, if the Executive continued to fail to meet. Whether today’s reported meeting between the DUP and the IMC is more than a sounding of next week’s IMC report isn’t yet clear. But it comes at a time when the NI First Minster has accused the...

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Explore : Democratic Unionist Party, Parties, Peter Robinson, UK Politics

Cut rates as recession gloom deepens, Bank man demands (Slugger O'Toole)

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 08:04:13 GMT

Have you ever heard of Blanchflower ? You have now. To most of us, the name conjures up fond memories of two great Belfast footballing brothers of the 1950s and 60s. But now there's a new Blanchflower David. (no relation as far as I know). David Blanchflower moves into history as the first member of the Bank of England monetary policy committee (MPC) to break ranks and give a stark warning of deep...

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Explore : David Blanchflower, Labour Party, Parties, UK Politics

Safety appeal as schools return (BBC News)

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:33:53 GMT

The Road Safety Council asks motorists to take extra care as children in Northern Ireland go back to school.

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Explore : Road safety, Safety, UK

The speech of Obama’s life… (Slugger O'Toole)

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 04:35:44 GMT

WELL, dunno about you but I’ve just watched Obama give what was billed as the speech of his lifetime. And what a show it was from a gifted orator. Was it enough to make him the next US president? I think that’s another matter, but tonight was a night in which Obama set out his stall - not in any great detail, but with an appeal for change and a vision for the future that will attract many undecided...

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What did Iris say? (Slugger O'Toole)

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 21:36:07 GMT

Three cheers for that bureaucratic pain, but first defence of human rights section 75 for taking Gay Rights to the top - even creating a ruffle in the Robinson household perhaps? And two cheers for the Belfast Telegraph for digging out the story under FoI ( great headline guys, you kept it simple). And to Pink News for, well, celebrating the news. “First Minister to authorise grants despite wife's...

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Clarke continues Ryder Cup push (BBC News)

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:07:29 GMT

Darren Clarke strengthens his case for Ryder Cup selection by making a promising start to the Johnnie Walker Championship.

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Explore : Cycling, Golf, Golf players, Golf Tournaments, Sport

Crusaders / Newington Ground Share (Everything Ulster)

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 15:00:33 GMT

As Chekov alluded to in a comment earlier, Crusaders FC and junior side Newington FC are planning to work together on a new stadium . Despite a meeting this morning to launch the proposals, which will include a 4,000 capacity (that's more than Deez ! ) stadium to be shared between the 2 clubs and a "Sports Educational Village", whatever the hell that is. The Crues' web site is pretty lacklustre both...

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The Slugger Awards 2008: Best MLA (Slugger O'Toole)

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:35:54 GMT

As August comes to a close, we announce the last couple of Slugger Awards categories. The late David Ervine MLA might have been an obvious and popular candidate for this award because of his ability to transcend the normal babble of day-to-day politics, to cross from the boundaries of his Loyalism (he often polled as the most trusted unionist, by nationalists) and to communicate articulately (some...

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After the ‘kerfuffle’.. (Slugger O'Toole)

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 14:35:53 GMT

After the “kerfuffle” - the threats , the clarification , and the rebuttal - apparently the DUP and Sinn Féin are to hold talks next week. As the Belfast Telegraph report tells us The DUP today said it was waiting confirmation of talks with Sinn Fein for next week to tackle the impasse threatening the future of devolution. Sinn Fein has also organised a series of internal consultations, including a...

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Explore : Democratic Unionist Party, Parties, The House of Commons, The Parliament, UK Politics