2 d. ago Michelle O’Neil accuses DUP minister of inflaming racial tensions on social media

Gordon Lyons rejects calls to resign after posting information about leisure centre hours before it was set on fireNorthern Ireland’s first minister has accused a DUP politician of “inflaming” tensions, as the display of political unity after three nights of violence fractured when a leisure centre in Larne was set on fire.Gordon Lyons, the communities minister, should “consider his position”, Michelle O’Neill said. Hours before the centre was set on fire by a mob of masked youths, Lyons had posted on social media that the building was used to accommodate several people who had fled from Ballymena, about 20 miles (32km) away. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Northern Ireland minister rejects call to resign as political unity over riots cracks

DUP’s Gordon Lyons criticised for social media post about leisure centre before it was set on fire by masked attackers A minister in Northern Ireland has rejected calls to resign, as the display of political unity amid three nights of violence fractured after a leisure centre in Larne was set on fire.Staff and customers, including children learning to swim, were in the building at the time. The attack coincided with violent scenes amid tensions over immigration in the nearby town of Ballymena. Continue reading...

Politics

3 d. ago Olympic swimmer speaks of devastation after attack on leisure centre

Danielle Hill is a member of Larne Swimming Club and also coaches younger children at the club.

Events

7 d. ago Rebecca Adlington's guide to San Francisco — cycling, sea lions and gluten

Cycling over the Golden Gate bridge, shopping at Pier 39 and the best Mexican food - the athlete shares her guide to the West Coast city

Politics

7 d. ago Simone Biles slams ‘sore loser’ Riley Gaines over attacks on trans athlete

Biles calls Gaines ‘sick’ in response to softball postGymnast defends trans girl targeted after title winGaines calls Biles’ stance on inclusion ‘disappointing’Seven-time Olympic gold medallist Simone Biles has publicly condemned former competitive swimmer Riley Gaines for her repeated attacks on transgender athletes, calling Gaines “sick” and a “sore loser” in a strongly worded social media post.The exchange erupted Friday night after Gaines mocked the Minnesota State High School League for turning off comments on a post celebrating Champlin Park High School’s girls’ softball team, which had just won the state championship. One of the team’s players is a transgender girl. Continue reading...

Events

1 week ago ‘Hard for me to understand’: grappling with the Charlottesville tragedy eight years on

Author and Charlottesville native Deborah Baker revisits the devastating events of 2017 and examines how they speak to a difficult pastDeborah Baker’s new book, Charlottesville, is about her home town in Virginia, where in summer 2017 white supremacists marched, violence erupted and a counter-protester was murdered. In dizzying detail, Baker charts and reports the chaos. In interludes, she examines the dark history of a city long linked to racist oppression, from the days of Thomas Jefferson, Robert E Lee and slavery to the rise of the Ku Klux Klan and resistance to civil rights reform.Putting it all together was a new challenge for a writer whose books include In Extremis, a biography of the 20th-century poet Laura Riding, and A Blue Hand: The Beats in India. Continue reading...

Politics

3 w. ago Holly Ramsay reveals which famous face inspired her wedding dress style ahead of her nuptials to Olympic swimmer fiancé Adam Peaty

Holly Ramsay has revealed which famous face inspired her wedding dress style ahead of her nuptials to Olympic swimmer fiancé Adam Peaty.

Politics

last month Prince Albert reveals his proudest achievement since becoming ruler of Monaco

The 67-year-old son of Grace Kelly finally settled down in his 50s when he married Princess Charlene , a former Olympic swimmer representing South Africa .

Politics