Author: Dave Carter

The UK government has confirmed it will not be funding the rebuilding of Casement Park stadium in Belfast in time for the Euro 2028 football tournament, effectively ending Northern Ireland’s bid to host any matches. In a joint letter from NI Secretary Hilary Benn and Sports Minister Lisa Nandy to Stormont Communities Minister Gordon Lyons,… Continue reading Casement Park: 'Significant risk' stadium won't be built for Euro 2028

The stalled redevelopment project of the Casement Park stadium in west Belfast has been plagued by various problems, including size, finances, politics, and time constraints. Originally proposed as a 38,000-capacity venue, planning approval was overturned in 2014, and a smaller design was then greenlit. However, the stadium’s proposed capacity of 34,500, modern specifications, and delayed… Continue reading Analysis: The issue with Casement is that it is too big

With an expected increase in respiratory illnesses this coming winter, the UK National Health Service (NHS) is urging parents and caregivers of two and three-year-olds to schedule a flu vaccine for their children. The flu vaccine is also available for school-age children, individuals in clinical risk groups, and pregnant women. The flu vaccine is typically… Continue reading Flu vaccine: Parents urged to have young children immunised

The Liberal Democrats are gathering in Brighton for their autumn conference, and the mood is one of jubilance. After years of being pulverised in coalition with the Conservatives, the party is back with 72 MPs and achieved its best performance since its establishment in 1988. There is talk among senior figures of “finishing the job”… Continue reading Smiling Lib Dems plan to make the most of election success

Sir Keir Starmer, the current leader of the Labour party, has recently been vocal about tackling the UK’s long-term problems, even if it means addressing issues that were previously considered unsayable. For example, he has suggested that more people may need to accept developments in their neighbourhoods in order to build more houses, and that… Continue reading Starmer says he'll make tough decisions – but will he say the unsayable on trickiest issues?

The government has failed to conduct a comprehensive review of the winter fuel cuts, but a limited “equalities analysis” has been conducted and released following a freedom of information request. Officials from the Work and Pensions Department compiled the analysis, which suggested that some of society’s most vulnerable might still lose out on payments. While… Continue reading Labour MPs 'shocked' at no full winter fuel assessment

Around 35,000 pupils across 42 state schools in England will have their access to smartphones phased out during the school day by Ormiston Academies Trust, one of England’s largest school academy trusts. The trust has confirmed that phones are being banned due to negative impacts on teaching and learning, behaviour and children’s mental health. The… Continue reading One of England's largest school academies to go phone-free

In a rather strange turn of events, Cleethorpes Wildlife Rescue received calls for two rescue cases that were quite unique. The group went to the aid of a baby otter trapped in a car engine in Wragby, Lincolnshire, and also helped a family from Grimsby who found a fox sleeping in their living room. Aaron… Continue reading The curious Lincolnshire case of a trapped otter and a sleepy fox

Even though Lin-Manuel Miranda thinks Welsh is “one of the most beautifully musical languages ever,” he doubts that Disney is ready to produce an animated film using a Welsh theme. He acknowledges that since the release of the 2012 movie Brave, which is set in Scotland and produced by Disney, they have not created any… Continue reading Lin-Manuel Miranda calls Welsh 'beautifully musical' language

Lord Timothy Kirkhope, a former immigration minister of the UK, has expressed regret over the Stop The Boats rhetoric used by the previous Conservative government, which he believes may have contributed to the unrest in Hull in August 2024. This was after a banner with the same slogan was seen during the riots in the city,… Continue reading Tory peer 'regrets' anti-immigration rhetoric ahead of riots