THE UK government will not fund the redevelopment of Casement Park in time for Euro 2028, meaning that Belfast will miss out on hosting the UEFA soccer tournament.

A 1980s meeting in a North Down hotel between senior BBC staff and the Northern Ireland Office erupted in violence, with a gun being produced and blows struck, it's been claimed.

THE “clock is ticking” on Casement Park, First Minister Michelle O’Neill has said after a North South Ministerial Council meeting in Dublin today. As we reported, a decision is imminent regarding UK government funding for the Andersonstown GAA venue. Monday (September 16) is understood to be the cut-off date for the funding programme to be confirmed in order to satisfy Uefa that the stadium will be redeveloped in time to host games during Euro 2028. Speaking after Friday's meeting, Ms O’Neill said Casement Park will be built, but her preference was for the stadium to be part of the Euros in four years’ time. “The benefit to come from that is enormous,” she said. “Not just in terms of sport but just in terms of the economic benefit that comes from building such a stadia, the employment that would bring, the income that would generate, so the benefits are not to be lost.  “Sport is one of those areas that should be a big unifier in society and I hope that that is the case but we wait the British government’s contribution and the time is ticking in terms of making that announcement, so I would hope that we would get to hear more from the British government in the immediate period ahead.”

IT has been a frustrating week for the Irish language community since word broke last Thursday that the new £340 million Grand Central Station in Belfast would be opening without bi-lingual signage. Then on Monday the Stormont Executive unveiled its draft Programme For Government without any mention of Irish. That frustration was on show yesterday when language activists took over the concourse of the new Grand Central Station during rush-hour, unveiling a 70-foot red banner bearing the symbol of lobby group An Dream Dearg. Commuters looked on as speeches were made and musicians played traditional music. Calls were made for Infrastructure Minister John O'Dowd to intervene and order Translink to erect bilingual signage, something which he has previously advised Translink to do. In April this year, Belfast City Council also passed a motion calling on Translink to erect dual language signage at the new transport hub, the largest in Ireland. One of the most galling aspects of the new station for Irish speakers is the new ticket machines which offer passengers a choice of English, Francais, Deutsch, Espanol and Italiano, but glaringly not Gaeilge. After all the ministerial and local government advice ahead of the station’s opening on Sunday, one of two things happened:

‘WHAT about all the other victims?’ That’s the unionist consensus on the news that an independent public inquiry has been ordered into the murder of Pat Finucane.