Beattie Calls For Irish Government Inquiry Into Omagh Bomb

Doug Beattie MC MLA, the DUP's justice spokesperson, has called on the Irish government to hold a parallel inquiry into the Omagh bomb, stating that the victims' families deserve answers. He accused the Irish government of "snubbing" these pleas and adopting a "light touch on legacy", despite the bombing having multiple connections to the Republic of Ireland.

Beattie highlighted that the car used to transport the bomb, the explosives, and the timer power unit were all sourced or manufactured in Ireland. He claimed the operation was planned in the Republic and that the perpetrators escaped back there after the attack.

Beattie concluded his statement by calling on the UK government to bring an interstate case against the Irish government at the European Court of Human Rights for its failure to address legacy issues.

Successful 2025 Féile an Phobail Festival Concludes

Sinn Féin MP Paul Maskey has commended Féile an Phobail for an "incredibly successful" 2025 festival, with an estimated 130,000 people attending events across west Belfast.

The festival featured over 600 events at 50 venues, including concerts in Falls Park and numerous debates and art exhibitions at St Mary's University. The West Belfast MP praised the staff, volunteers, and committee for their efforts, noting that the atmosphere was "phenomenal." The festival included a wide range of events, from the Carnival Parade and family fun days to sporting events and theatre. Maskey also highlighted that Féile's flagship 'Dance Night' attracted its largest ever crowd this year, with 12,000 attendees. He also noted that for another year there were no bonfires in the city on 8 August.

Maskey concluded by paying a special tribute to republican and historian Tom Hartley, who completed his final series of cemetery tours during the festival.

Councillor Calls For Multi-Agency Response To Racist Intimidation

SDLP Belfast City Council Group Leader councillor Séamas de Faoite has called for a multi-agency response to racist intimidation in the city.

He was speaking after a number of social media posts showed various incidents of racist intimidation around East Belfast. Councillor de Faoite has requested an urgent meeting of the East Belfast Policing and Community Safety Partnership (PCSP) to provide support and reassurance to the migrant community.

Councillor de Faoite described the videos as "deeply unsettling", showing a "deliberate targeting of foreign nationals".

He said that the PSNI and the Department of Justice needed to provide a strong response and that stand-alone hate crime legislation, as requested by the migrant community, should be introduced by the Justice Minister.