Belfast unrest spreads for a second day after stabbing attack
Anti-immigrant unrest continued in Belfast on Thursday, with reports of racist attacks, arson and fresh fear among ethnic minority residents. The disorder has spread across parts of the Northern Irish capital after a knife attack earlier in the week, and some families have now been evacuated and are sheltering outside the city. Residents described a climate of intimidation as homes and businesses believed to belong to ethnic minorities were targeted.The unrest is linked to the stabbing case in which a 30-year-old Sudanese national has been charged with attempted murder. The victim, Stephen Ogilvie, remains in hospital with severe injuries to... [Continue Reading]
Sponsored
Northern Ireland unrest eases after second night of disorder linked to Belfast knife attack
Police in Northern Ireland said pockets of protest passed off without incident on Thursday after two nights of unrest linked to footage of a knife attack in north Belfast. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said it had increased its presence across the region, with extra officers and mutual aid from other UK forces deployed amid concerns about further violence. The unrest had spread beyond Belfast earlier in the week, with disorder reported in places including Glengormley and Portadown.Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson said there was no evidence at this stage that loyalist paramilitaries were coordinating the violence. He said... [Continue Reading]
Family of stabbing victim urges calm as violence flares in Northern Ireland
Police in Northern Ireland have clashed with protesters for a second night after a knife attack in Belfast triggered unrest targeting ethnic minorities. Officers used water cannons and armoured vehicles against groups of young men throwing bricks and fireworks to the north of the city. The family of the man injured in the stabbing has now appealed for calm, saying peaceful protest is the only way forward.The victim, Stephen Ogilvie, was described in court as a man in his 40s who suffered significant injuries to his face and back. A Sudanese man, named in court as Hadi Alodid, appeared on... [Continue Reading]
UK government plans tighter immigration checks, including in Northern Ireland, after Belfast attack
The British government is planning to step up immigration checks, including operations on Common Travel Area routes in Northern Ireland, after concerns were raised in the wake of Monday's attack in Belfast. The discussions have involved Stormont and Westminster, with officials focusing on how to detect and arrest people in the country illegally. The move comes as ministers face renewed scrutiny over cross-border movement between Ireland and Britain.Northern Ireland Secretary of State Hilary Benn said Irish authorities had questions to answer after it emerged that the alleged perpetrator in Monday's knife attack entered the island of Ireland at Dublin before... [Continue Reading]
Sponsored
Questions raised over Belfast attack suspect's entry into UK in 2023
Questions are being raised in the UK after it emerged that the suspect in the Belfast attack entered the country in 2023 while Suella Braverman was home secretary and Robert Jenrick was immigration minister. The suspect is identified as Hadi Alodid, a 30-year-old Sudanese national, and the Home Office says he was granted refugee status the same year. Officials also say he has leave to remain in the UK until 2028.According to the reported account, Alodid says he came into the country via the Common Travel Area between Ireland and Northern Ireland. The timing has drawn political attention because Braverman... [Continue Reading]
Bus set on fire during anti-immigration protest in Belfast
A bus was set on fire on Belfast's Newtownards Road as disorder flared during an anti-immigration demonstration in the east of the city. The incident happened on Tuesday evening, when a large crowd gathered in the area for a scheduled protest. The unrest came amid wider demonstrations and road blockages in Belfast and other parts of Northern Ireland.According to the confirmed account, masked men set commercial bins alight and pushed them into a Glider bus on the Newtownards Road. Northern Ireland's public transport operator said it had suspended all services in and out of Belfast after the attack. It said... [Continue Reading]
EU set to adopt 21st sanctions package against Russia as alumina row continues
The European Commission is expected to adopt its 21st sanctions package against Russia on Tuesday, in the latest round of measures linked to Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Member states will then have several weeks to review the package before it becomes law. The draft is also expected to leave out Aughinish Alumina, the refinery in County Limerick that has become the focus of controversy over increased exports of alumina to Russia.The package is being prepared more than four years after Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. According to the information available, the Commission has decided not to include... [Continue Reading]
Two men plead guilty over plot to attack Galway mosque
Two men have pleaded guilty at Ireland's Special Criminal Court to terror offences over an alleged plot to set fire to a mosque in Galway. The case concerns Maryam Mosque at Old Cottages on Monivea Road, and the indictment says the offence was aggravated by hatred. The court heard that the alleged plan related to events between 4 and 5 November 2025.Darren Gorman and Garrett Pollock both entered guilty pleas on Monday. Gorman, 34, has an address at O'Moore Place in Portlaoise, Co Laois, and faces a single count under the Criminal Justice (Terrorist Offences) Act 2005. Pollock, 35, from... [Continue Reading]
Sponsored
EU to discuss Aughinish Alumina and Russia-linked alumina exports with Irish leader
The European Commission says its foreign policy chief, Kaja Kallas, will discuss Aughinish Alumina and alumina exports to Russia when she meets Ireland's Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, in Dublin on Tuesday. The issue was raised publicly at a Commission briefing as part of a wider conversation about support for Ukraine and pressure on Russia. Officials said the matter would be addressed as a concern in its own right.A Commission spokesperson said several topics would be discussed at the meeting, including Ukraine and further pressure on Russia. Asked whether alumina could feature in the next EU sanctions package, another spokesperson declined to... [Continue Reading]
Canadian PM Mark Carney to visit Dublin and Mayo before G7 summit
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney is due to visit Ireland next week for meetings in Dublin and Mayo before travelling on to France for the 2026 G7 Leaders' summit. The trip will include talks with Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Dublin and a separate meeting with President Catherine Connolly in Mayo. It will be the first bilateral visit to Ireland by a Canadian prime minister in nearly a decade.Carney's office said the visit will focus on deepening Canada-Ireland ties and expanding cooperation across agri-food, digital innovation, artificial intelligence, pharmaceuticals and climate. The itinerary also has a personal dimension, with his office... [Continue Reading]
ECB expected to raise rates as borrowing costs rise across the eurozone
The European Central Bank is expected to announce a 0.25 percentage point rise in its main interest rate on Thursday, taking it to 2.25%. The move would be the first increase since 2022 and would mark a further shift in the bank's response to inflation pressures. It would also feed through quickly to borrowing costs for households and businesses across the eurozone.Christine Lagarde, the ECB president, is expected to set out the decision at the bank's regular policy announcement. The rise is being linked to higher oil costs, which have added to the cost of living and strengthened expectations that... [Continue Reading]

