UK & Ireland
Irish PM calls on EU, UK to work together over growing tension in Northern Ireland
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin has called on the EU and the UK to work together to overcome the mounting tension over the Northern Ireland protocol that has sparked nightly rioting and some of the worst violence Northern Ireland has...
All shops in England re-open today
England is re-opening all shops on Monday (12 April) following close to four months of strict lockdown measures. Along with non-essential shops, pub gardens and gyms are among the businesses that can re-open in England. Restaurants and pubs will be...
Irish Prime Minister calls for EU, UK to ‘reset’ over NI protocol
Irish premier Micheal Martin has called for a “reset” of the relationship between the EU and the UK to resolve issues stemming from the Northern Ireland Protocol, which despite being designed to avoid a hard border between the Republic and...
Irish citizens will get COVID-19 vaccination portal in 2-3 weeks
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin told Irish parliament on Wednesday that a website allowing Irish citizens to register for the COVID-19 vaccine will be available in two to three weeks. “The data is much stronger for the second quarter for...
Report prompts backlash after finding UK not ‘institutionally racist’
A government report commissioned in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests last summer has received a mixed reaction after concluding that the UK “no longer” has a problem with institutional racism. The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities,...
Irish foreign minister calls for greater focus on NI relationship than border control
Northern Ireland’s institutions are “just about hanging on” after a “bruising number of years,” Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney told the Irish parliament on Tuesday, noting the importance of building relationships rather than always focusing on border control. “We can...
Every Irish adult to be vaccinated by September
“By the end of September we expect to have offered all adults in Ireland a COVID-19 vaccine,” said Irish Health Minister Stephen Donnelly during a debate on the COVID-19 vaccination programme on Monday. “Over the next three months, between April...
Johnson gets deal on new COVID-19 vaccine
60 million doses of the Novavax vaccine will be produced and packaged in North East England under a deal with pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) announced on Monday by UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The vaccine has not yet been approved...
FM: Government would not support Irish unity assembly
The Irish government does not support the establishment of a citizens assembly to discuss what a united Ireland may look like, said Foreign Minister Simon Coveney at the third meeting of the shared island dialogue series. Coveney commented that such...
UK extends emergency COVID-19 powers for another six months
The UK may be set to begin the process of easing COVID-19 restrictions next week but on Thursday, lawmakers voted to extend emergency coronavirus powers, which give ministers sweeping powers, for another six months. The emergency law has been used...
Irish PM: ‘Useful’ for NI to also have mandatory quarantining
It would be useful for Northern Ireland to adopt the same mandatory hotel quarantining rule as the Republic, Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin told MPs in parliament on Wednesday. “Obviously, it would be very important if there was alignment in...
Scottish leader pledges election win will lead to independence vote
Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said on Wednesday that she will push for another referendum for Scottish independence if her party is voted back into power in the upcoming elections.
Irish government approves climate action bill
The Irish cabinet has approved an ambitious climate action bill aiming to put Ireland on the path to net-zero emissions by 2050 and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 51% within 10 years. The bill will make Ireland “a better country”,...
Johnson admits mistakes were made in management of pandemic
At a press conference on Tuesday marking a year since the introduction of the first lockdown, Prime Minister Boris Johnson conceded that he made many mistakes in his handling of the pandemic. Johnson said that “in retrospect, there are probably...
UK food exports drop 75% in first month of post-Brexit trade
UK food and drink exports to the European Union dropped by 75% in January, the first month of life outside the EU’s single market, according to data published by the UK’s Food and Drink Federation.
Britain to reduce size of army to tackle ‘threats of the future’
Britain will reduce the size of the army from 76,500 to 72,500 by 2025, defence minister Ben Wallace said on Monday (22 March), unveiling plans for what he described as a more active force to better tackle the “threats of...
Irish PM: ‘I would happily take AstraZeneca Vaccine’
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin has declared he “would indeed” take the AstraZeneca vaccine amid confirmation from the European Medical Agency (EMA) that it is safe and not associated with a higher risk of developing blood clots. “I would say...
International travel to UK could be delayed further
UK ministers have hinted that international travel may not resume from 17 May as previously mentioned, because of fears that travellers could bring new COVID-variants into the UK and rising cases across much of Europe. Speaking on Sunday, Defence Secretary...
Irish PM comments on his St. Patrick discussion with Biden
Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin thanked the US for its “deep appreciation of the importance of the balances and nuances” and unwavering support of Northern Ireland post-Brexit during the annual St. Patrick’s Day meeting with US President Joe Biden held...
Irish tourism sector welcomes COVID-19 green certificates
The Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) has shown its support for the COVID-19 green travel certificates, calling it a welcome move towards safe travel. It is a “first step towards a common path to a safe and sustained re-opening of...
UK Health service warns of vaccine supply slowdown
The NHS has warned of a “significant reduction in the weekly supply” of coronavirus vaccines next month in a letter to local health organisations, a move set to slow down the UK’s vaccination programme. Although the UK has already given...
Irish PM Micheal Martin stresses importance of Irish unity ahead of Biden meeting
Ahead of his St. Patrick’s Day meeting with US President Joe Biden, Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin spoke at the Brookings Institution in Washington, highlighting the work of the government’s Shared Island initiative, and the need to achieve reconciliation in Northern...
Dublin backs the EU infringement
The European Commission has formally taken legal action against the UK over their unilateral decision to extend the Brexit grace period on the border checks between Northern Ireland and the UK, to which Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney tweeted that...