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Irish Examiner
16 hours ago
- Business
- Irish Examiner
Leaders on both sides of the border urge completion of Casement Park
Leaders on both sides of the border have urged all partners to 'find a way' to complete Casement Park. Northern Ireland first minister Michelle O'Neill said that it is now time for all those involved to sit around the table and find a way to start and complete the project. Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the opportunity to build the stadium should 'be seized', while Tánaiste Simon Harris warned against looking back to see that the moment was 'squandered'. Earlier this month, a British government pledge of £50m for the development of the west Belfast GAA stadium was included in Chancellor Rachel Reeves' spending review. However, that pledge still leaves the project far from its funding target under current plans. Plans for a 34,000-capacity stadium at the site have been mired in uncertainty because of a major funding gap. Stormont ministers committed £62.5m to Casement in 2011, as part of a strategy to revamp it along with football's Windsor Park and the rugby ground at Ravenhill. While the two other Belfast-based projects went ahead, the redevelopment of Casement was delayed for several years because of legal challenges by local residents. The estimated cost spiralled in the interim. Speaking at a meeting of the North South Ministerial Council (NSMC) in Armagh, Ms O'Neill said it is time for all partners to 'find a way to complete' Casement Park. Ms O'Neill said: 'We all have a role in making sure we get to that point.' Asked if the GAA should reconsider the plans for the west Belfast stadium development based on existing commitments for funding, Ms O'Neill said the stadium is now more expensive than if it had been built 'a long time ago'. She said the delays were due to a 'whole plague of problems' including planning and political issues. She said the redevelopment would bring 'major social and economic benefits'. Ms O'Neill added that Casement Park is an Executive flagship project. 'We now know what the pot of funding that we have on the table, but now it's time for all partners involved to get together and sit around the table and find a way now to complete and start the work on the project and to complete the project,' she added. 'I think we all have a role to play in terms of making sure we get to that point. 'But I think it's now time that we now know and understand the quantum of funding, that we now sit down together and actually work out the next step.' Deputy first minister Emma Little-Pengelly said it is 'now over to the GAA' to set out their expectations on their own contribution to the west Belfast stadium and any potential revisions to the development. She said there was a 'significant amount of need' in other sporting areas across the region with other facilities also needing to be upgraded. She added: 'We need to do so with fairness and equity. 'They are sitting on, I think, approximately £161 or £162m worth of public spending. 'It's now over to the GAA to decide can they cut their coat according to their cloth, or what their expectations are in relation to their own contribution.' She added that the GAA can 'do a huge amount' with existing funding commitments for Casement Park, and that the GAA should indicate what its contribution increase should be. Mr Martin said the Irish Government had given a 'very substantial' allocation to the project. 'I believe the prospect really exists for a stadium to be agreed and built and this is an opportunity that should be seized in a practical and realistic way.' Mr Harris said the recent British funding announcement was a 'huge step forward' for the project. He said the Irish Government stands ready to assist the project and warned against looking back to see that the moment was 'squandered'.
India Gazette
18-05-2025
- Climate
- India Gazette
Magnitude 4.7 earthquake jolts Pakistan's Swat district
Swat [Pakistan], May 18 (ANI): A 4.7-magnitude earthquake struck Pakistan's Swat district and surrounding areas on Sunday, ARY News reported. The authorities said that there was no immediate report of damage from the quake. According to the National Seismological Centre, the tremors were recorded at a depth of 205 kilometres, with the epicentre located in the Hindukush Mountain range, a seismically active zone stretching across Afghanistan and northern areas of Pakistan. The tremors were felt in various parts of Swat, including Mingora and its outskirts, as per ARY News. On May 12, an earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale jolted Baluchistan's capital city, Quetta. According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC), the earthquake tremors of 4.9 magnitude were felt in Quetta and adjoining areas. The NSMC said the epicentre of the quake was located in the west of Quetta. Notably, Pakistan is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, being crossed by several major faults. As a result, earthquakes in Pakistan often occur and are destructive. Pakistan geologically overlaps both the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. Balochistan, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan provinces lie on the southern edge of the Eurasian plate on the Iranian Plateau. Sindh, Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir provinces lie on the northwestern edge of the Indian plate in South Asia. Hence, this region is prone to violent earthquakes as the two tectonic plates collide. (ANI)
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
4.7 magnitude Earthquake jolts Pakistan's Swat district
A 4.7-magnitude earthquake hit Pakistan's Swat district and nearby regions on Sunday, according to ARY News. The quake struck at a depth of 205 kilometres, with its epicentre in the Hindukush mountain range — a known seismic zone spanning parts of Afghanistan and northern Pakistan. Tremors were felt across several areas of Swat, including Mingora and its outskirts. Authorities confirmed there were no immediate reports of damage. Earlier, on May 12, a 4.9-magnitude earthquake had shaken Quetta, the capital of Balochistan. The National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) confirmed that the 4.9-magnitude tremors affected Quetta and neighbouring regions. The quake's epicentre was situated west of Quetta, according to NSMC data. The tremor came just two days after Pakistan was hit by two consecutive earthquakes on Saturday — a 5.7-magnitude quake in the morning and a 4.0-magnitude tremor later in the day, according to Reuters. Pakistan's geographical position makes it particularly vulnerable to seismic activity, as it sits at the intersection of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. The country's territory is traversed by numerous significant fault lines, resulting in frequent and potentially damaging earthquakes.
Hindustan Times
18-05-2025
- Climate
- Hindustan Times
Earthquake of magnitude 4.7 jolts Pakistan's Swat district
A 4.7-magnitude earthquake struck Pakistan's Swat district and surrounding areas on Sunday, ARY News reported. The authorities said that there was no immediate report of damage from the quake. According to the National Seismological Centre, the tremors were recorded at a depth of 205 kilometres, with the epicentre located in the Hindukush Mountain range, a seismically active zone stretching across Afghanistan and northern areas of Pakistan. The tremors were felt in various parts of Swat, including Mingora and its outskirts, as per ARY News. On May 12, an earthquake measuring 4.9 on the Richter scale jolted Baluchistan's capital city, Quetta. According to the National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC), the earthquake tremors of 4.9 magnitude were felt in Quetta and adjoining areas. The NSMC said the epicentre of the quake was located in the west of Quetta. Notably, Pakistan is one of the most seismically active countries in the world, being crossed by several major faults. As a result, earthquakes in Pakistan often occur and are destructive. Pakistan geologically overlaps both the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. Balochistan, the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan provinces lie on the southern edge of the Eurasian plate on the Iranian Plateau. Sindh, Punjab and Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir provinces lie on the northwestern edge of the Indian plate in South Asia. Hence, this region is prone to violent earthquakes as the two tectonic plates collide.
Express Tribune
13-04-2025
- Climate
- Express Tribune
Twin quakes jolt country
Pakistan was rocked by two earthquakes within an hour on Saturday afternoon, triggering panic among residents across several cities. The first tremor, with a magnitude of 4.3 on the Richter scale, struck at 11:54 am. According to seismic data, its epicentre was near the Pak-Afghan-Tajikistan border at a depth of 88 kilometres. Just 36 minutes later, at 12:30 pm, a second and significantly stronger quake occurred, registering a magnitude of 5.5. The National Seismic Monitoring Centre (NSMC) confirmed that the epicentre of this tremor was located 60 kilometres northwest of Rawalpindi, at a shallow depth of just 12 kilometres.
