Chaotic scenes in the beautiful city of Hamburg- Mass riots have broken out in the city of Hamburg in protest against the G20 Leaders summit. Unlike the G20 summits before it, global politics is in a state of disarray, from the protectionism of Trump to terror in the Middle East. Therefore, given the context, it has sparked violence like never before. That said, we have to discern the activists from the opportunists who simply wish to invoke riotous behaviour. In 2011, protests against institutional racism in London similarly spiraled out of control and people abused the opportunity to loot shops and destroy property.

Dee Stitt’s UDA gang behind the theft of wood pallets- The infamous paramilitary boss and CEO of Charter NI is once again in the headlines, after his UDA gang was behind the stealing of 2,300 wood pallets from Belfast City Council property. Previously Stitt appeared in the headlines as Charter NI received £1.7 million in public funding despite his involvement in paramilitary activity. It has been reported that Stitt’s actions have resulted in division among the UDA itself, as the pallets, which are now stacked high in Kilcooley estate in Bangor, were initially to be stolen for bonfires in east and south Belfast.

A legal challenge has been launched against the Tory-DUP deal- Ciaran McClean, a member of the Green Party for Northern Ireland, has launched a judicial review against the Tory-DUP deal. Mr McClean is taking the case as he claims the deal ‘breaches the Good Friday Agreement’. Whilst the deal has been widely criticised, it will be a hard balancing act to prove that it may have adverse effects on our power-sharing institutions, without undermining the out-workings of our democracy in some way.

Cuts as a result of the stalemate at Stormont have begun- The impasse at Stormont, with its lack of sitting assembly, scrutinizing powers and worst of all, no budget, is starting to have an effect on the everyday lives of individuals across Northern Ireland. This week we heard that the School Uniform Grant, a grant that helps families in need, is set to be cut. On top of that, a charity known as Sure Start that provides day care in working class areas, is set to lose 50 staff leaving hundreds of children without day care services. Unfortunately, unless a deal is brokered soon, this is only the beginning of cuts to our public services.

The Alliance Party lays blame at Sinn Fein’s feet for current political impasse- This week the Alliance party pointed the finger at Sinn Fein for the failure of the talks, claiming Sinn Fein asked that 10% of Northern Ireland Civil Service recruits must be Irish speaking. Whilst Sinn Fein deny the allegations, it does provide an insight into why the talks have stalled, given that this figure is truly unrepresentative of the population at large and would greatly give Irish speakers the advantage in what is otherwise a very competitive career path.