Latest news with #NewsCatchUp
Belfast Telegraph
2 days ago
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
Up to 10,000 to attend ‘March for Jesus' in Belfast amid concerns over impact on park users
A request from All Nation Church to host the march on Saturday August 23, attended by up to 10,000 people, was approved by elected representatives at a Belfast City Council committee meeting this week. The address for the church given in council documents is the National Boxing Stadium, South Circular Road, Dublin. The rally was originally planned to take place on Saturday, June 7, and involved a march from Custom House Square to Belfast City Hall. The organisers cancelled the date days before it was meant to happen, stating that due to the large numbers of people expected to take part, it had to be halted for health and safety reasons. A council report for the event was forwarded to the monthly People and Communities Committee, held this week at City Hall. It states: 'All Nation Church are requesting the use of Ormeau Park as the assembly point for the event and will rally peacefully through to City Hall where the event will conclude. ''March for Jesus' is a non-political, family-friendly celebration of the Christian faith. It seeks to bring together churches from across the island of Ireland to publicly worship, pray for peace, and proclaim hope. All Nation Church piloted a similar event in Dublin which attracted 20,000 attendees.' The rally will commence from Ormeau Park at 2pm, and will move on to the Ormeau embankment, progressing down the Ravenhill Road to City Hall, where the rally will conclude. Ormeau Embankment will be the site for the attendants' coaches. The report states: 'There will be a family-friendly crowd of 5,000 to 10,000 participants. Final numbers will be determined by All Nation Church, through outreach and engagement with churches across Ireland.' It adds: 'The event organiser will meet with the PSNI to ascertain the need for the closure of Ormeau embankment and to facilitate the parking of coaches of the attendees of the rally. Event organisers will liaise with neighbouring Asian Supermarket and Ozone Complex, in order to allow full access to both sites, if the embankment is required to be closed.' Green Party Councillor Anthony Flynn said at the committee meeting: 'Because (the request) is coming in late, I think it is prudent we ask questions, and make sure things will go well with this. I was not too aware of this event, but I am happy to see they have liaised with the Orange Order in relation to the logistics, who know how to put on a parade, let's be honest.' News Catch Up - Friday 8th August Mr Flynn said he was concerned about the impact on park users. He added: "I'm sure there will be marshals, but it is incumbent upon us to ensure residents aren't unduly impacted, and park users aren't unduly impacted by something they haven't had time to see coming.' A council officer said: 'They set up at 11am, and the gathering begins from 12 noon, on the grass area and hard standing surface beside the Ozone Complex. 'We have ensured through the event management plan that this gives the least disruption to park users. We will also apply park wardens on the day to make sure whatever conditions we have applied on the event are followed.'
Belfast Telegraph
3 days ago
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
River Island set to close 33 stores – including two in Northern Ireland
Press Association River Island is set to push ahead with plans to shut 33 shops – including two in Northern Ireland – after receiving court approval for a major restructuring. The retailer's branches in Bangor's Lesley Bloomfield Shopping Centre and in Lisburn are set to be impacted. A high court judge approved the high street fashion chain's restructuring plan on Friday, amid fears that the company could collapse into administration without the overhaul. News Catch Up - Friday 8th August It will also secure reduced rents on 71 other stores as part of the plan. Lawyers for River Island told the court that the company 'simply has not been able to reverse' a trend of financial difficulty. Here is the list of locations where the group will now shut shops: Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire Bangor Bloomfield, Northern Ireland Barnstaple, Devon Beckton, Greater London Brighton, East Sussex Burton-Upon-Trent, Derbyshire Cumbernauld, Scotland Didcot, Oxfordshire Edinburgh Princes Street, Scotland Falkirk, Scotland Gloucester, Gloucestershire Great Yarmouth Grimsby, Lincolnshire Hanley, Staffordshire Hartlepool, County Durham Hereford, Herefordshire Kilmarnock, Scotland Kirkcaldy, Scotland Leeds Birstall Park, West Yorkshire Lisburn, Northern Ireland Northwich, Cheshire Norwich, Norfolk Oxford, Oxfordshire Perth, Scotland Poole, Dorset Rochdale, Greater Manchester St Helens, Merseyside Stockton On Tees, County Durham Surrey Quays, Greater London Sutton Coldfield, Warwickshire Taunton, Somerset Workington, Cumbria Wrexham, Wales
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
PSNI criticised for ‘eroding confidence' in ethnic minority communities after launch of new plan
The PSNI announced the plan on Thursday, saying it was 'reaffirming its commitment to building trust, promoting equality, and improving engagement with all ethnic minority communities across Northern Ireland'. The plan has been developed and informed following public consultation in 2024, where the voice of community representatives, advocacy organisations, and policing partners shared what they expected from policing. A Freedom of Information response to this newspaper last year showed that just 39 PSNI officers, representing 0.6% of the police service, were from an ethnic minority background. Nineteen staff members, 0.77% of the civilian workforce, were from ethnic minorities. Through the plan, the PSNI is making five key commitments. Firstly, that it is committed to being an anti-racist Police Service and to people from an ethnic minority background feeling safe, valued by and engaged in policing. It also says it is committed to officers and staff from an ethnic minority background feeling safe, valued and are treated fairly and equally in the workplace. 'We are committed to being a Police Service that respects and is trusted by people from ethnic minority communities,' a statement added. 'We are a Police Service committed to excellence in diversity, equality, representation and inclusivity. 'The plan will be delivered through a number of work-streams, led by senior officers and staff: Internal Culture and Inclusivity; Community Engagement and Relations; Professionalism, Powers and Policy; Protection, Partnership and Justice; Performance and Accountability.' News Catch Up - Thursday 7th August Chief Constable Jon Boutcher said this plan represents the PSNI's ongoing commitment to our ethnic minority communities ensuring that everyone in Northern Ireland feels safe, supported and respected. 'We recognise the importance of listening to all communities and working together to build a policing service that truly reflects the diversity of the society we serve,' he added. 'Recent events have demonstrated the need for decisive action and clear leadership to stamp out racism which clearly exists in communities in Northern Ireland. We are confident this action plan will drive the work of the Police Service and help us to work more effectively with ethnic minority communities and partners. 'The Race and Ethnicity Action Plan aligns with PSNI's broader equality, diversity and inclusivity and our work through our 'Policing with the Community' vision, ensuring that tangible actions to address race and ethnicity are embedded across all areas of policing. 'PSNI is committed to regular updates on the progress of the plan and to continuing open dialogue with ethnic minority communities to ensure it meets their needs.' Responding to publication of the PSNI race and ethnicity action plan, Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International's Northern Ireland Director, said: 'For too long, the PSNI has over-policed and under-protected minority ethnic communities in Northern Ireland. 'Race hate crime is at a record high, yet many victims still feel unable to report attacks – a stark reflection of mistrust in policing. 'From the heavy-handed response to Black Lives Matter protests to repeated failures to respond effectively to racist violence, the PSNI has eroded the confidence of many minoritised communities. 'The publication of this five-year plan is, therefore, a welcome and necessary step – a public commitment by the PSNI to becoming an anti-racist police force. 'Amnesty International will work alongside local communities to monitor progress and hold the police to account. In the end, the success of this plan won't be measured by words on paper, but by whether communities see real change in how they are policed and protected." The PSNI has been contacted for a response.
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Health
- Belfast Telegraph
Fake weight loss medication ‘poses direct danger to health' in Northern Ireland, public warned
It follows a significant spike in demand for weight-loss medication which has seen people turning to unregulated or unapproved sources including unscrupulous websites, social media sellers and locally based illicit sources. The potential risk to public health has been highlighted during a number of recent Medicines Regulatory Group (MRG) investigations, which have established falsified and unlicensed injectable weight-loss medication in circulation throughout NI leading to some people suffering adverse reactions and hospitalisation. Peter Moore, the Senior Medicines Enforcement Officer with the Department of Health said: 'Buying prescription-only weight-loss medicines online or on the black market without a prescription poses a direct danger to health. MRG has received reports of several people who have been hospitalised after using potentially fake and unlicensed medication. 'Whilst we continue to recover fake and unlicensed pre-filled multi-dose weight-loss pens, we are now seeing criminals selling 'DIY kits' that include the active ingredient in powdered form alongside syringes so customers can inject themselves but must first mix the ingredients together before use. The mixing of ingredients and use of such kits can present additional risks to the public. 'We are committed to an ongoing programme of monitoring, investigation, enforcement action and partnership working to tackle the issue. Over the past three years (to date), MRG has conducted 34 investigations focusing on the unlawful possession, advertisement and/or supply of counterfeit or unlicensed weight-loss medicinal products, resulting in the recovery of 600 units of medicinal products and five successful prosecutions.' News Catch Up - Thursday 7th August Aaron McKendry, Interim Head of the Medicines Regulatory Group, also warned the public to consider the implications of buying medicines from social media platforms, unverified websites or dubious sources pointing out there is no way of knowing that what you are buying is what you think it is. 'It is extremely important that people take prescription only medicines after consultation with their GP, pharmacist or other healthcare professional who have access to patient health records and can consider the risks and benefits associated with every medicine," he said. "Medicines obtained through unregulated or unapproved sources will often not have been prescribed by a healthcare professional, may not have been subject to the normal safety and quality controls on manufacture and, as such, may not be of the required quality or be of the nature described. 'Any person who suspects a medicine has been falsified should discuss the matter with a healthcare professional such as a pharmacist or GP and report the matter via the Yellow Card reporting system 'The risk to public safety posed by the unlawful distribution and misuse of unauthorised medicinal products within the non-surgical cosmetic sector in Northern Ireland is a serious issue. Such breaches relating to Northern Ireland can be referred to the Department's Medicines Regulatory Group via for investigation under the Human Medicines Regulations 2012.'
Belfast Telegraph
4 days ago
- Business
- Belfast Telegraph
Up to 80 new jobs across Northern Ireland at private GP provider
Duality Healthcare has announced £4.5m of investment after completing a funding round A private GP provider has announced a £4.5m investment that could create up to 80 new jobs across NI. Duality Healthcare has announced it's completed a round of investment, and aims to use the new funds to expand its number of clinics in Northern Ireland. There are currently locations in Newry, Ballymena and Omagh, with plans to open more this year and in 2026. Duality Healthcare's John McEvoy and Dr Declan Morgan News Catch Up - Thursday 7th August The company also aims to expand its 'virtual care service across the UK' while also investing 'in digital systems to enhance patient experience and clinical efficiency.' The 80 new roles are planned to be in 'clinical, digital and operational roles in Northern Ireland'. Duality is NI's largest private GP service, and was founded in 2023 by Dr Declan Morgan and John McEvoy. It advertises access to its GPs within 24 hours of contact, same-day urgent care, ultrasound and echocardiogram scans and ear care services. Duality Healthcare has announced £4.5m of investment after completing a funding round It describes its mission as 'delivering convenient, high-quality, affordable care to patients across Northern Ireland and beyond with an aim to complement and alleviate pressures on NHS capacity and resources'. John McEvoy, executive chairman and co-founder, said: 'Securing this investment is a significant milestone for our team and a strong endorsement of our vision to provide high-quality, patient-centred healthcare that is affordable and accessible to everyone in Northern Ireland. 'This investment follows a period of rapid growth and with our expansion plans and commitment to innovation, we're proud to be creating new jobs, supporting local communities, and raising the bar for private primary care services in Northern Ireland'.
