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Irish Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Family of murdered GAA official to continue legal battle for public inquiry
The family of murdered GAA official Seán Brown have said they will take their fight for a public inquiry to the supreme court after it was again ruled out by the UK government. In a letter to Mr Brown's 87-year-old widow, Bridie, seen by The Irish Times, Northern Secretary, Hilary Benn said 'an inquiry under the Inquiries Act is not the best way to proceed'. A mandatory order given by the court of appeal in Belfast earlier this year found the UK government breached its human rights obligation to investigate the full extent of state collusion in the case and its refusal to order a public inquiry into Mr Brown's murder was unlawful and 'cannot stand'. Mr Benn has sought leave to challenge the court of appeal judgment in the supreme court, and a decision is pending. READ MORE [ Seán Brown family say decision to challenge inquiry ruling 'shameful' Opens in new window ] In a statement, the Brown family said 'this formal decision to appeal our case to the supreme court in London is a shameless defiance of the rule of law and represents utter contempt for the highest court in this jurisdiction. 'Our mother directly pleaded with Hilary Benn not to trail her to London, we asked him to respect the court and to do what the courts had directed him to do. 'We will regroup and regalvanise and will contest our family's entitlement to a public inquiry, as directed by five judges.' Mr Brown, a father of six, was locking the gates at Bellaghy Wolfe Tones GAA club in Co Derry when he was abducted and murdered by loyalist paramilitaries in 1997. No one has ever been convicted of the 61-year-old's killing. Last year it emerged that up to 25 people, some of whom were state agents, were linked through intelligence to the murder. In his letter to Mrs Brown, the Northern Secretary acknowledged he 'cannot, of course, now act on any decision that is inconsistent with the mandatory order of the court of appeal' but said he had 'considered what my preferred course of action would be, in the absence of a mandatory order'. He said he had 'weighed again a number of factors', including the views of the Brown family and that of many court judgments, 'important public interest factors' and issues of time and cost. 'I am committed to a process that is fair, transparent and – crucially – allows the greatest possible disclosure of information, whilst ensuring that proportionate safeguards remain in place to protect the security of the State,' he wrote. Mr Benn said reforms he intended to bring forward meant the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) – the investigative body set up under the UK government's controversial Legacy Act – would be able to 'complete the full and independent investigation that you seek, in a form comparable to the 2005 Inquiries Act'. This was rejected by the Brown family, which said recent news reports 'that the ICRIR is an organisation stacked with former RUC and soldiers further confirms our sincere belief that the ICRIR is infrastructurally prohibited from being able to get to the truth of what happened to our father. 'Despite this, the secretary of state has yet again proposed that we engage with this discredited body.' The solicitor for the Brown family, Niall Murphy, said that 'in once again refusing to convene a public inquiry the secretary of state has refused to take account of the widespread public revulsion at the failure to provide the answers the Brown family has been asking for more than 28 years. 'Equally significantly, the secretary of state continues to defy the judicial decisions of the coroner, the judicial review court and the court of appeal, the highest court in this jurisdiction. 'Despite all its public pronouncements, this Labour government by its actions continues to demonstrate that it does not recognise or believe in the rule of law, their treatment of the Brown family has been contemptible. 'By contrast, the Brown family are now ready and determined to vindicate their rights in the supreme court, the highest court of law in the UK,' he said. Following a meeting with the Brown family last month, the Tánaiste, Simon Harris , praised their 'enormous strength in pursuing this case' and said he would 'continue to use my influence and that of the Irish Government to bring about a resolution that is acceptable to the Brown family. They have waited too long,' he said.
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
The Review: The Championship might be no bad thing for St Johnstone... as long as it's only for one season
Sixteen long and glorious years came to an end when St Johnstone saw out their Premiership season with a 2-0 defeat by Dundee at McDiarmid Park yesterday. That is how long the Perth club had been in the Premiership, winning trophies, playing in Europe and generally punching above their weight in a way previously thought impossible. After winning promotion in 2009, their uninterrupted stint in the top flight brought two Scottish Cups, one League Cup, six European adventures and eight top-six finishes, one of them in third place. Waving goodbye to all that has been painful for supporters, especially the young ones, who don't remember what it was like to watch St Johnstone play in the lower divisions, never mind prop up the bottom tier and nearly go out of business, as they did in the 1980s. Simo Valakari and his players knew long before the final day that there would be no great escape. Their relegation was confirmed last Wednesday night by Ross County's controversial stoppage-time penalty at Dens Park. While it was a brutal way to go down, the truth is that a drop into the Championship had been on the cards for months, make that years. St Johnstone's halcyon days were over from the moment they won a cup double in 2021 and didn't know how to handle it. They were exposed, on and off the field, when that team broke up. The stability and continuity that had been their strength for so long under the Brown family was gone and there was no infrastructure to recreate it. A few years back, when bigger clubs were punished for reckless spending, the frugality of chairman Steve Brown was rewarded, but it couldn't go on forever, especially when those around them modernised. Everything at St Johnstone needed investment, from their recruitment operation – there wasn't one to speak of – and their player support network right down to stadium facilities, commercial activities and the club website. That's why Adam Webb identified unfulfilled potential when he became their new owner last summer. The American has already made cosmetic improvements, such as a new scoreboard and badge, but plenty more is in the pipeline, with a view to increasing revenues. A new shop and museum is to be built in the city centre. The artificial pitch opposite the main stand is to be redeveloped, new shirt sponsors have been announced and there are to be fan zones before more home games. Webb could have done without relegation at the end of his first season, not least because it will make a £2million dent in his business plan. But it doesn't change his ambitions for the club, or indeed the overall strategy, a key part of which is the manager. Outside Perth, there was some doubt as to whether Valakari would remain in his post. But the day after Saints were relegated, Webb nipped in the bud any uncertainty by rushing out a statement in which he stood by his man. Valakari has been far from perfect since succeeding Craig Levein in October, but he inherited a poor set-up and deserves a chance to build his own team. His personality is refreshing, as is his desire to play a positive passing game, especially at a club where grinding out results has become a way of life. In fact, Valakari could be the perfect coach with whom to attack the Championship. Just as a more forgiving environment could be ideal for the club's much-needed reset behind the scenes, so could it assist the manager in his efforts to bring about deep-rooted change. The build-from-the-back playing style that was too often punished in the Premiership will have a little more room to grow in the division below. And there will be an opportunity for young homegrown players such as Fran Franczak and Taylor Steven to flourish. But it would be unwise to view the Championship as a soft touch. If St Johnstone are to hold off the likes of Partick Thistle, Ayr United and Dunfermline Athletic, as well as the losers of this season's playoff final, they will need to find a win-every-week mentality that has been alien to the club during 16 years as an expectation-defying underdog. Despite the step down, they will also need to be better on the pitch than they have been these last few months. That means reshaping an imbalanced squad and improving the standard. It will be a huge job, given that some of Valakari's best players, such as goalkeeper Andy Fisher and centre-half Zach Mitchell, are January loan signings who won't be back. That puts pressure on him to get it right. He is excused much of the blame for the club's demotion, but there will be no hiding place if, with his own team, a summer transfer window and a full pre-season, he doesn't hit the ground running a tier below. After all this time in the top flight, Saints fans are looking forward to to the change of scenery, together with no Sunday games and a world without VAR. Winning more matches should also be an unexpected pleasure. In fact, the Championship might not be a bad thing for the club... as long as it's only for one season. Any more than that, and the danger is they get caught in a downward cycle of decreasing wages, managerial changes and shrinking crowds. A year ago, Livingston went down with a strong squad and David Martindale in charge, but they were beaten to the title by Falkirk and are now depending on the playoff final as a means of promotion. Returning at the first attempt is easy to say. Doing it is another matter.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Paddington in Peru' review: The movie we need right now
All products featured here are independently selected by our editors and writers. If you buy something through links on our site, Mashable may earn an affiliate commission. Look, Paddington in Peru is no Paddington 2, but what is? With that sequel, co-writer/director Paul King cooked up the perfect blend of physical comedy, sugary sweetness, madcap adventures, and just a dash of thrilling danger. It was the rare movie that could get a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, after the first two Paddington movies, King and co-writer Simon Farnaby then left the Brown family behind to tackle the wonder that was Wonka. In their absence, this sequel was entrusted to music video director Dougal Wilson, who makes his feature debut with Paddington in Peru. And what a debut! Rather than trying to recapture lightning in a bottle with a third adventure set in London, Paddington in Peru returns the eponymous bear to his roots in the Amazon jungle. This setting opens up thrilling new possibilities, as the Brown family becomes the fish out of water while Paddington meets new friends and foes, played by such cinema luminaries as Academy Award–nominee Antonio Banderas and Academy Award–winner Olivia Colman. Together with much of the original cast, this sequel delivers fresh fun and a valuable reminder of the power of Paddington. Hugh Bonneville, Emily Mortimer, Imelda Staunton, Madeleine Harris, Samuel Joslin, and Ben Whishaw star as the Brown Family in "Paddington in Peru." Credit: Studio Canal / Peter Mountain Immigrant bear Paddington Brown has successfully settled into the United Kingdom, achieving his British passport! And it's well-timed, as an urgent letter from Darkest Peru alerts him that his Aunt Lucy is unwell. Ever at his side, the Brown family follows him to the Home for Retired Bears, where a jubilant nun known as Reverend Mother (Colman) informs them that Lucy has gone off into the jungle on a curious quest. To find her, they'll call on the help of a debonair captain, Hunter Cabot (Banderas), and his plucky teen daughter, Gina (Carla Tous). What adventures lie ahead of them? Well, there will be wild rapids, piranhas, and booby traps, along with marmalade, family bonding, and a well-timed hard stare. Returning as the voice of Paddington, Ben Whishaw is unceasingly adorable, while his returning castmates — including Imelda Staunton, Hugh Bonneville, Samuel Joslin, and Madeleine Harris — are reliably winsome. But the casting of the wild new characters makes Paddington in Peru a standout instead of just another sequel. Olivia Colman stars as the Reverend Mother in "Paddington in Peru." Credit: Studio Canal / Peter Mountain Leaping from the snarky comedy of Peep Show to furrowed-brow crime-drama Broadchurch with ease, Colman has long shown an almost offensively dizzying range as an actress. So, when she shows up in Paddington in Peru with a nun's habit and an alarmingly wide smile, there's an intoxicating promise in the glint in her eye. Things will get wild. Reverend Mother could be an odd but wonderful human, destined to help Paddington in his rescue mission as the tough-shelled but kindhearted Knuckles did in Paddington 2! Or she could be a deeply eccentric villain in the vein of Paddington's overzealous taxidermist (Nicole Kidman) or Paddington 2's dangerously egotistical thespian (Hugh Grant). But it almost doesn't matter where her character will go, because of how intensely she sinks her teeth into the bouncy comedy of this film series. In a rousing song number that plays like a cheeky parody of Sound of Music, Colman's nun throws a full-sized guitar in the air so she might spin about, the mountains of Peru her towering, gorgeous backdrop. The guitar soars high above her and out of frame for an inconceivable amount of time, as if gravity has no hold on this Reverend Mother. Then just as she stops spinning and looks dead into the camera at us, her audience, it plunges back into frame and snugly into her grip. Some might consider Paddington in Peru a kids movie, but it was the grown-ups who roared with laughter and applause at this early bit of Colman meets Paddington brilliance. Antonio Banderas stars in "Paddington in Peru." Credit: Studio Canal / Peter Mountain Like Colman, Banderas has a filmography that can give you whiplash, moving from the lurid and shocking dramas of Pedro Almodóvar (Tie Me Up! Tie Me Down!, The Skin I Live In, Pain and Glory) to the snarling action of Desperado to his ongoing string of dynamic kids' movies, from Spy Kids to Shrek 2 to The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge out of Water and now Paddington in Peru. As he did in the underseen Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, Banderas smoothly swans into the role of a man of adventure. But rather than giving a spicy sex appeal, he leans into an almost vaudevillian performance, broad and bonkers. He not only plays the captain who cruises down the Amazon River but also a handful of this captain's dynamic ancestors. Donning a collection of wigs, prosthetics, and distinctive costumes, Banderas gamely creates a legacy of lunacy, from a snarling Spanish conquistador to a tunnel-visioned missionary to a sultry aviatrix with an Amelia Earhart costume and a Veronica Lake attitude. After years of voicing Puss in Boots in various Shrek sequels and spinoffs, it seems Banderas has learned to become a living, breathing cartoon. Placed opposite a CGI bear, he is perfectly suited. Undoubtedly, the movie's animation team deserves accolades for their superb execution of a fresh series of complicated physical comedy gags, which pull inspiration from everything from Raiders of the Last Ark to Steamboat Bill, Jr. Their bear is a marvel, so lifelike and emotive that it's easy to believe — as Hugh Grant's dad believed of the last movie — that a real bear was on set. But so too does Banderas deserve props for matching the energy of this daffy, delightful bear. The result is a chaotic climax that is absolutely exhilarating. Paddington gets in a tangle in "Paddington in Peru." Credit: Studio Canal / Peter Mountain Whatever the premise, each Paddington movie shows us a trusting young bear who will inevitably face a ghastly betrayal. The world is not as gentle as Paddington deserves. And yet, he never loses faith in goodness. He gives a hard stare when it's called for. He makes friends everywhere he goes. He commits himself unabashedly to his family, and he strives to be kind even in the face of cruelty. And each time, he comes out on top — with a little help from his friends. Screenwriters Mark Burton, Jon Foster, and James Lamont maintain these themes while working in fresh flourishes. So Paddington in Peru is a satisfying sequel, delivering what fans would hope for in terms of laughs, action, whimsy, and — well — hope. Paddington is not naive about the world around him, and he won't be written off as a fool for trusting a could-be friend. But when the world knocks him down (say down a flight of stairs in a bathtub, or down some raging rapids), he will get right back up, undefeated and defiantly joyful. In this there's a lesson that speaks to adults perhaps even more than children. Maybe you won't sit back and sink into the message of Paddington's resistance to apathy or cynicism across three films. But Paddington in Peru gives us just enough to follow in his paw prints and feel that rush of love and laughter again. Let Paddington in Peru be the emergency marmalade sandwich in your hat, succor for the tough times. Paddington in Peru opens in theaters in the U.S. on Feb. 14.
