Stormont to be recalled tomorrow
The Stormont Executive is to be recalled tomorrow morning after the British and Irish Governments tabled a deal aimed at restoring powersharing in Northern Ireland.
Speaking to the media outside Stormont this evening, the Tánaiste Simon Coveney and the UK Secretary of State Julian Smith said the deal is “fair and balanced” to all sides.
They have asked all political leaders in the North to “grab this opportunity” and have asked the Stormont Speaker to recall the Executive for tomorrow morning.
Not all parties have agreed to sign up to the deal; however, the DUP has indicated that it will support it.
Trudeau says intelligence suggests plane was shot down
Canada’s Prime Minister has said he has intelligence indicating that a passenger jet that crashed in Iran this week was shot down.
Justin Trudeau said the information comes from “multiple sources, including our allies and our own intelligence.”
“The evidence indicates that the plane was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile,” said Mr Trudeau. “This may well have been unintentional.”
He described the crash as “tragedy that not only shocked Canada, but the rest of the world.”
No election date agreed as Varadkar and Martin meet in Dublin
The leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have had a “constructive meeting” this evening – without agreeing on a date for the next election.
Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin met for around an hour this evening amid ongoing speculation over when the next election might be held.
Fine Gael spokesperson said the two leaders discussed the Dáil arithmetic and the potential legislation that could be passed if there is another Dáil term.
They agreed to “consider matters” and meet again next week.
Brexit deal passed by House of Commons
British MPs at the House of Commons have passed the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement by a significant majority.
The deal was passed by 330 votes to 231.
The deal will now go to the House of Lords, meaning the UK is one step closer to leaving the EU on January 31st.
Should it pass the Lords without amendment, it will progress to the ‘Royal Assent’ stage to become UK law, ending fears of a No Deal exit in the short term.
‘Come out Ye Black and Tans’ tops the charts
The Wolfe Tones’ classic rebel song Come out Ye Black and Tans has hit the top of the iTunes charts in both the UK and Ireland.
It comes after the Government was forced to postpone a commemoration ceremony for the Royal Irish Constabulary in Dublin Castle.
The plan faced major public backlash due to the RICs association with the Black and Tans and the Auxiliaries during the War of Independence.
The Government says it still wants to go ahead with the ceremony at a later date.
