An Open and shut case: Stormont leaders ducking questions is just par for the course
While Michelle O'Neill and Emma Little-Pengelly were all smiles at The Open, media outlets were far from impressed after a promised press conference was pushed back, and back, and back — and then cancelled.
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ITV News
2 days ago
- ITV News
Thousands turn out for Belfast Pride parade with theme No Going Back striking defiant note
Thousands of people both young and old filled the streets of Belfast for the city's annual Pride parade. Spectators lined the city's footpaths to cheer on the thousands who took part in the parade. Belfast Pride Festival is one of the biggest festivals in the city's calendar, with hundreds of events taking place. Organisers of Belfast Pride said it is the biggest cross-community parade in Belfast and is a protest and celebration of the lives of LGBT+ people. The theme for this year's event was No Going Back, as organisers said there must be 'no turning back from the advances made in visibility, legal protections and societal recognition'. Throughout the city, many people had rainbows painted on their faces, while others waved LGBT+ flags and held placards with equality messages written on them. A series of groups and floats, representing up to 250 charities and organisations, took off from Custom House Square at 1pm. It made its way north of the city before making its way down Donegall Place and past City Hall before finishing at Victoria Street. Friends, work colleagues and many young families, including pet dogs, were among those in the crowd. Belfast Pride organisers took the decision to ask political parties to not attend the parade in an official capacity, after Stormont backed a ban on puberty blockers. The parade started in 1991 and over the last 30 years has grown to be the largest single parade in Northern Ireland. Ahead of the parade taking place, First Minister Michelle O'Neill tweeted: 'Happy Belfast Pride to everyone celebrating today, I hope it's filled with joy and love for you all. 'Your courage over many years has helped transform our society for the better. 'As your First Minister, I'm committed to building a future where everyone in our LGBTQIA+ community is seen, valued, and treated equally. Be proud. Be you. Today and every day. 'Have a wonderful day.'
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Telegraph
Donald Trump claims on R&A's Turnberry spending are ‘well wide of the mark'
Donald Trump's claims that the R&A has invested 'millions of dollars' in updating Turnberry's broadcasting and communications facilities in preparations for The Open returning to his Ayrshire links are understood to be well wide of the mark. Sources insist that, in complete contrast to the US President's comments, the R&A has not done any such work on cabling since a small amount was laid in 2009. Trump made the assertion when landing in Scotland on Friday night for his five-day visit. 'The infrastructure of the course is good,' he told The Telegraph when asked about the R&A repeatedly stating that substantial amounts of work would need to be done on logistics before it would consider taking the major to Turnberry again. 'In fact, the Royal and Ancient [sic], I don't know you're aware of this ... they spent a lot of money, hundreds of thousands of dollars, probably into the millions of dollars. And they've laid all the wire for television and for electricity under the holes of Turnberry, so that when the Open gets there, they have it all done.' The R&A declined to comment on Saturday, but it is understood that a little cable was laid in and around the 18th and the [fans] village in 2009 and nothing has been done since then. What has been laid wouldn't even be usable now according to sources and did not come at significant cost. Trump has lobbied for the Open to return to the course after he dished out his own millions to improve the layout and the hotel that is on the property. Yet while the former R&A chief executive, Martin Slumbers, declared 'we will not be taking events there until we're comfortable that the whole dialogue will be about golf', his successor, Mark Darbon, has indicated that the main stumbling block is not Trump's character or his penchant for stealing the spotlight, but the remoteness of the resort he bought for $60m in 2014. 'We love the golf course but we've got some big logistical challenges there,' Darbon said at last week's Open. 'You see the scale of their set-up here [Royal Portrush] and we've got some work to do on the road, rail and accommodation infrastructure around Turnberry. We've explicitly not taken it out of our pool of venues but we'd need to address those logistical challenges should we return.' Darbon met earlier this year with Eric Trump, the President's son who runs the family's portfolio of upmarket golf clubs, and informed him of the scale of development needed and stressed that Government support would be necessary. Regardless of any Whitehall pressure, it is highly unlikely the R&A will budge on this thorny issue. It relies on the revenue from its major to govern and develop amateur and recreational golf in 146 countries internationally and while Portrush last week attracted a crowd of 280,000, only 123,000 showed up at Turnberry the last time it played host 16 years ago. That could lead to a draining shortfall and the feeling in the sport's corridors of power is that even if the green light was given for a new road and a new station – not to mention a few hotels – Turnberry still might have to wait at least another decade. And Trump's wildly inaccurate statements will hardly assist in whetting the R&A's appetite to return.
Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Crowds line streets of Belfast as city celebrates Pride parade
Latest | The centre of Belfast was turned into a sea of colour today as thousands celebrated the annual Pride parade. Crowds lined the city's footpaths to cheer on those taking part in the march. Organisers of Belfast Pride said it is the biggest cross-community parade in Belfast and is a protest and celebration of the lives of LGBT+ people. First staged in 1991, it now draws tens of thousands to the streets. This year's theme is "Not Going Back", which organisers say refers to LGBTQIA+ rights being 'under attack, here and across the world". Throughout the city, many people had rainbows painted on their faces, while others waved LGBT+ flags and held placards with equality messages written on them. Groups and floats, representing up to 250 charities and organisations, took off from Custom House Square at 1pm. The parade made its way north of the city before moving down Donegall Place and past City Hall and finishing at Victoria Street. Friends, work colleagues and many young families, including pet dogs, were among those in the crowd. However, there was controversy in the build-up with some politicians asked to stay away. Sinn Fein, the DUP, Alliance and UUP – the four Executive parties – were told by Pride organisers they were not welcome at the parade because they supported a ban on puberty blockers for under-18s. First Minister Michelle O'Neill said she hoped the parade was a success. In a message on social media, she said: 'Happy Belfast Pride to everyone celebrating today, I hope it's filled with joy and love for you all. 'Your courage over many years has helped transform our society for the better. 'As your First Minister, I'm committed to building a future where everyone in our LGBTQIA+ community is seen, valued, and treated equally. 'Be proud. Be you. today and every day. Have a wonderful day.'
