Opinion Pieces | Belfast Media

ROBIN LIVINGSTONE: Can the US ever reclaim its fading allure?

THE thing I remember most vividly about my first visits to the United States all those years ago was the depth of my surprise at finding out that the movies hadn’t lied after all.

SQUINTER: Step out of the car again, please, Mr Próvaí

THE roadblocks are gone. They seem like another world to Squinter now, memory-holed in a flickering sepia-toned newsreel that seems to be from another century and not another decade.

DÚLRA: Is anything safe from the serial killer in the garden?

TERESA Girvan’s once-beautiful patio is quite the mess – thanks to a sparrowhawk.

HEALTHWISE: Inflammation is mostly but not always positive

INFLAMMATION is our body’s natural defence mechanism against injury or damage. Redness and swelling occurs when our bodies immune system reacts to threats.

GERRY ADAMS: Denial of national rights remains conflict driver

FOR decades now I have argued that self-determination is one of the big issues of our time. In 2005 I wrote: “In my view the big international struggle of our time is to assert democratic control by people over the decisions which affect their lives. This does not mean retreating behind existing borders and refusing contact with the outside world, but it does mean reasserting the primacy of democracy and working together in order to pursue this objective.”

ANDRÉE MURPHY: Young people stepped forward – and so must we

WE live in a world where fascism is here and just about in the ascendancy.

JUDE COLLINS: Why no war of words over armoured vehicles?

BACK in the day when Catholics still went to Confession, the story was told of Mickey who visited his local church to ask and receive forgiveness. When he returned home his wife Maggie, a woman concerned with her husband’s eternal welfare, asked him if he had told all his sins.

OPINION: We don't need an inquiry into suicide prevention, we need action

If 290 deaths in a year do not justify immediate action, what does? How many more lives must be lost before full funding becomes a priority?

PLATING UP: Pan fried lemon peppered salmon with red cabbage

We hope you enjoy our new column with chef Paul Watters who each week will take the fear out of cooking with his easy to follow recipes...

EYE ON THE PAST: JANUARY 1985 – BBC documentary on upsurge in Irish in Belfast

WE look at the stories that were making the headlines in the Andersonstown News this week in 1985...

ROBIN LIVINGSTONE: Can new UUP leader warm Craig’s cold house?

I THINK there’s probably more chance of Jon Burrows doing what I’m about to ask him to do than of him passing a camera or a microphone any time soon. But god loves a trier and just because something’s unlikely to happen doesn’t mean to say that we should refrain from trying to help it along.

SQUINTER: They would say that, wouldn’t they?

“OF course, Israel would say…”

DÚLRA: Blackcap innovates to give itself a fighting chance

IT’S always a treat to see a blackcap in the garden. Because it’s evidence that in the race to survive, taking a chance can pay off big time.

HEALTHWISE: Be sure and take care of your bones

OSTEOPOROSIS is a condition where bones become thin and their strength is reduced. This makes them more likely to break. It affects both men and women but is most common after the menopause.

GERRY ADAMS: Kitson memoirs turn a blind eye to British crimes

I RECENTLY came across the autobiography of British General Sir Frank Kitson which was published last year, shortly after his death. It is titled ‘Intelligent Warfare’, an oxymoron in any language. In truth, it is an account of British military failures through several colonial wars in which Kitson fought, including in Ireland. It is also a reflection of Kitson’s enormous personal ego.

Fruithill hosts successful speed chess tournament

Soccer: Cliftonville boss believes the Reds 'owe it' to their support to bounce back from derby defeat

Gaelic Games: Cushendall round off the year in style with Ulster Championship glory

Soccer: Crusaders claim Christmas derby bragging rights over Reds

PLATING UP: Sirloin steak with baby boiled potatoes and mange tout

ROBIN LIVINGSTONE: The 2025 Top Moments Awards (PART II)

SQUINTER: Review of the year

HEALTHWISE: Beware of pseudoscience at this time of year

Opinion

Most Read