Saturday 25 May 2013
Fifteen years on from the Agreement, and the politicians of Northern Ireland are still talking ... still talking in that odd mix of cliché, euphemism and flannel that has come to epitomise political dialogue here.
Maybe we should invite Kim Jong Un to Fermanagh for the G8. If only to take his mind off his current preoccupation — masterminding global annihilation.
According to speakers at the National Union of Teachers’ conference in Liverpool young girls today are coming under unprecedented pressure from what’s described as a “raunch culture”.
How did the thug dog ever become so popular? The ‘pit bull-type’ is now the canine of choice for many households. Including, unbelievably, families with young children who maintain their wee Gnasher would never, ever harm a fly.
Fair play to Carol Vorderman, she even manages to get publicity mileage out of cowping downstairs.
Farmers are always complaining. We know that because everybody says so. Especially in the city. Farmers with their big subsidies and their hi-tech machinery to do all the work. Don't know they're living, do they?
The BBC teatime quiz show Pointless is unusual because it doesn't follow the usual shouty format of that particular genre of television entertainment.
On the plus side, Prince Charles, on a three-day visit to the Middle East, has been getting well away from all that stomach-churning horsemeat in burgers stuff.
There are surely tourist boards throughout the world currently emerald with envy at that stunt pulled off by Tourism Ireland which persuaded some of the best known global landmarks to go green for St Patrick's Day.
There's not a lot of the new Pope about Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness.
Thinking of getting away from it all? This week our well-travelled duo of experts, Peter and Martin answer your travel queries, with hints on where to go, what to see and how to justify it.
I may be on my own in this. But I feel truly sorry for the Huhnes. All the Huhnes.
An impressive new university campus is to be built in Belfast's northside and from experience we know this could mean one of two things.
Are you sitting comfortably? Well, bad news. It could be the death of you.
There are moments when the full insanity of this place is flagged up for all the world to see (well, a full house at the Odyssey anyway) and one such recent moment involved Rylan (off the X Factor) being stripped off his trademark Union Jack jacket for a Belfast concert.
Not only did I once meet One Direction, the global pop sensations due in town this week, I once trod on one of them.
What the hell is David Cameron playing at? According to a weekend report the Prime Minister is encouraging world leaders to attend this year's G8 conference in Fermanagh without the wives and girlfriends – and presumably, in this age of equality, without Mr Merkel.
The Attorney General in England is to take legal action against users of social networking sites who published photographs purportedly of one of the killers of Jamie Bulger.
Is it just me or have the Oscars and the Brits and all those other award extravaganzas not become a bit well, samey and tired and flat?
A sunny early spring Saturday afternoon in Belfast and just over the road from the front of the City Hall a well-dressed man with longish hair is drawing attention to himself by talking VERY, VERY LOUDLY.
Hi °C | Lo °C