Thousands of people marched through the centre of Belfast on Saturday calling for equal marriage rights for the LGBT community.
Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where same sex couples cannot get married, while the Republic voted gay marriage into law two years ago.
There have been five separate votes on the issue in Stormont, the last of which in 2015 saw the assembly narrowly vote in favour of gay marriage equality.
But the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has vetoed any law change, arguing that they are protecting the "traditional" definition of marriage.
Saturday, July 1, 2017
Thousands join anti-government protests in UK
Protesters voiced anger over austerity and the recent Grenfell Tower disaster [Shafik Mandhai/Al Jazeera]
London, UK- Activists in the UK have called on Prime Minister Theresa May to stand down at a large demonstration in London.
Thousands attended Saturday's protest, which was backed by senior members of the opposition Labour party, as well as grassroots left-wing groups.
The protests comes as opponents of the Conservative leader try to up the pressure on her newly-formed government, which only received majority backing in parliament after the party formed a pact with the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
May failed to secure enough seats to form a Conservative government outright in the June general election and was forced to seek agreement with the DUP to guarantee the ability to pass key legislation.
John Rees, a writer and activist with the People's Assembly, which part-organised the protest said he wanted to force the government to call another election.
"No one voted for a government that has to bribe the bigots of the DUP with £1.5bn ($1.95bn) to cling on to office," he told Al Jazeera, adding "Theresa May is on warning: if she isn't gone by the autumn there will be a protest like no other at the Tory party conference in October."
The DUP deal has been criticised for the large sum of money May released to Northern Ireland to secure it, as well as the DUP's ties to unionist militias and socially conservative platform.
The Conservatives say the deal gives the country the "certainty" and stability it requires over the coming years, as Britain leaves the EU.
A woman holds a banner criticising Theresa May and the DUP [Shafik Mandhai/Al Jazeera]
Opponents have also targeted the prime minister over the Grenfell Tower disaster, which killed at least 80 people according to an official estimate that is universally expected to rise.
Critics regard the Conservative party's austerity policies as responsible for the lax safety measures, which led to the deadly fire.
"I feel the Conservatives are responsible for what happened (at Grenfell)," said protester Lottie Bowes, adding: "They (government) have made cuts to social housing and don't care about health and safety rules."
"They've ignored entire sections of the community in this country for too long and now they need to go."
Grenfell inquiry
Conservative figures for their part have rejected the accusations and what they term the 'politicisation' of the tragedy.
The government has called for an official inquiry into the causes of the fire and has ordered checks on other buildings to ensure they are not at risk.
"I am determined that there will be justice for all the victims of this terrible tragedy and for their families who have suffered so terribly," May said earlier this week.
The main beneficiary of the pressure on May has been the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who defied expectation during the election to secure more seats for the party.
Opinion polls that once had his party trailing the Conservatives by up to 25 points, now give Labour a lead of around five points.
May has said the current parliament will last for two years to oversee Brexit negotiations, which will conclude with the UK's departure from the EU in March 2019.
Thousands attended Saturday's protest, which was backed by senior members of the opposition Labour party, as well as grassroots left-wing groups.
The protests comes as opponents of the Conservative leader try to up the pressure on her newly-formed government, which only received majority backing in parliament after the party formed a pact with the Northern Irish Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
May failed to secure enough seats to form a Conservative government outright in the June general election and was forced to seek agreement with the DUP to guarantee the ability to pass key legislation.
John Rees, a writer and activist with the People's Assembly, which part-organised the protest said he wanted to force the government to call another election.
"No one voted for a government that has to bribe the bigots of the DUP with £1.5bn ($1.95bn) to cling on to office," he told Al Jazeera, adding "Theresa May is on warning: if she isn't gone by the autumn there will be a protest like no other at the Tory party conference in October."
The DUP deal has been criticised for the large sum of money May released to Northern Ireland to secure it, as well as the DUP's ties to unionist militias and socially conservative platform.
The Conservatives say the deal gives the country the "certainty" and stability it requires over the coming years, as Britain leaves the EU.
A woman holds a banner criticising Theresa May and the DUP [Shafik Mandhai/Al Jazeera]
Opponents have also targeted the prime minister over the Grenfell Tower disaster, which killed at least 80 people according to an official estimate that is universally expected to rise.
Critics regard the Conservative party's austerity policies as responsible for the lax safety measures, which led to the deadly fire.
"I feel the Conservatives are responsible for what happened (at Grenfell)," said protester Lottie Bowes, adding: "They (government) have made cuts to social housing and don't care about health and safety rules."
"They've ignored entire sections of the community in this country for too long and now they need to go."
Grenfell inquiry
Conservative figures for their part have rejected the accusations and what they term the 'politicisation' of the tragedy.
The government has called for an official inquiry into the causes of the fire and has ordered checks on other buildings to ensure they are not at risk.
"I am determined that there will be justice for all the victims of this terrible tragedy and for their families who have suffered so terribly," May said earlier this week.
The main beneficiary of the pressure on May has been the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, who defied expectation during the election to secure more seats for the party.
Opinion polls that once had his party trailing the Conservatives by up to 25 points, now give Labour a lead of around five points.
May has said the current parliament will last for two years to oversee Brexit negotiations, which will conclude with the UK's departure from the EU in March 2019.
New island appears off North Carolina triggering warning to swimmers
A new island has appeared off the coast of North Carolina but people have been warned not to swim there because of the threat of sharks and rip currents.
The sandbar, nicknamed Shelly Island because of its abundance of seashells and pebbles, emerged from the sea in April and has now grown in size to about a mile long and 145 metres wide.
The spit of land cannot be reached on foot and swimmers have been told to stay away because of the potential dangers.
Shelly Island is just off the tip of Cape Point in Buxton and there are sharks and stingrays in the area.
The narrow 15 metre-wide strip of water between the island and the mainland has also formed a "river" that creates a strong rip current, say experts.
Bill Smith, president of the North Carolina Beach Buggy Association, told the Virginian Pilot: "We're worried about shark bites, but we're more worried about drownings."
There could also be hooks from decades of fishing lurking just below the sand.
Image:A 'river' has formed between the island and the mainland. Pic: @chadonkaCape Point is a constantly changing spit of sand of about 100 acres. Sometimes the tip points south and sometimes it points north.
The land shrinks and expands depending on currents and storms and the same forces were likely to have formed the sandbar, according to experts.
Shelly Island could shrink or even disappear by next year, or it could expand and connect to the point.
Anyone who does want to venture there has been advised to go by boat, kayak or paddleboard as they will be more used to the tides and strong currents.
Chad Koczera was one of the first people to explore the newly-formed island on 31 May.
He told CBS News: "We were driving to the Point after a storm to collect shells when we spotted an area we couldn't get to by car."
He then used his drone camera to get a better look at the narrow island and has now posted photos of the sandbar which have gone viral.
Donald Trump ends 'strategic patience' with North Korea
Donald Trump has declared the end to an "era of strategic patience" with North Korea as he vowed to defend the US and its allies against Pyongyang.
Appearing in the White House Rose Garden with South Korea's leader Moon Jae-in, the US President branded North Korea a "menace" with "no respect for human life".
He demanded the rogue state "choose a better path and do it quickly", condemned the country as a "reckless and brutal regime" and said "millions of their own people have starved to death."
Beyond North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile activity, concern in the US has grown recently after the death of Otto Warmbier.
The US student fell into a coma while in North Korean custody and died just days after being returned to the US.
Mr Trump said: "The North Korean dictatorship has no regard for the safety and security of its people or its neighbours and has no respect for human life - and that's been proven over and over again."
He thanked President Moon for offering his condolences over Mr Warmbier's death.
Mr Trump added: "The US calls on nations around the world to implement sanctions and demand that the North Korean regime chose a better path and do it quickly for a better future for its long-suffering people."
Image:Donald Trump met Moon Jae-in at the White House
The meeting between the two leaders on Friday was seen as important both diplomatically and economically.
Mr Trump praised the alliance between the US and South Korea as "a cornerstone of peace and security in a very, very dangerous part of the world".
The US President also accepted an invitation to South Korea later this year.
Mr Trump vowed to start reducing the US trade deficit by renegotiating a trade deal with South Korea.
The US had a $27.6bn trade deficit with South Korea last year and Mr Trump said: "We cannot allow that to continue. That's not a good deal."
The two leaders did not take questions, marking the second consecutive foreign visit where Mr Trump has not taken questions alongside a world leader he is hosting at the White House.
Mr Moon's visit to Washington DC came after Mr Trump approved a series of measures designed to ratchet up pressure on North Korea, while also sending signals to China about America's declining patience over efforts to tackle Pyongyang.
On Thursday, the Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on a Chinese bank, while the State Department approved a $1bn arms deal with Taiwan.
Both moves appeared aimed at unsettling China, with the US having repeatedly urged Beijing to pressure North Korea into changing its behaviour.
Appearing in the White House Rose Garden with South Korea's leader Moon Jae-in, the US President branded North Korea a "menace" with "no respect for human life".
He demanded the rogue state "choose a better path and do it quickly", condemned the country as a "reckless and brutal regime" and said "millions of their own people have starved to death."
Beyond North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile activity, concern in the US has grown recently after the death of Otto Warmbier.
The US student fell into a coma while in North Korean custody and died just days after being returned to the US.
Mr Trump said: "The North Korean dictatorship has no regard for the safety and security of its people or its neighbours and has no respect for human life - and that's been proven over and over again."
He thanked President Moon for offering his condolences over Mr Warmbier's death.
Mr Trump added: "The US calls on nations around the world to implement sanctions and demand that the North Korean regime chose a better path and do it quickly for a better future for its long-suffering people."
Image:Donald Trump met Moon Jae-in at the White HouseThe meeting between the two leaders on Friday was seen as important both diplomatically and economically.
Mr Trump praised the alliance between the US and South Korea as "a cornerstone of peace and security in a very, very dangerous part of the world".
The US President also accepted an invitation to South Korea later this year.
Mr Trump vowed to start reducing the US trade deficit by renegotiating a trade deal with South Korea.
The US had a $27.6bn trade deficit with South Korea last year and Mr Trump said: "We cannot allow that to continue. That's not a good deal."
The two leaders did not take questions, marking the second consecutive foreign visit where Mr Trump has not taken questions alongside a world leader he is hosting at the White House.
Mr Moon's visit to Washington DC came after Mr Trump approved a series of measures designed to ratchet up pressure on North Korea, while also sending signals to China about America's declining patience over efforts to tackle Pyongyang.
On Thursday, the Treasury Department imposed new sanctions on a Chinese bank, while the State Department approved a $1bn arms deal with Taiwan.
Both moves appeared aimed at unsettling China, with the US having repeatedly urged Beijing to pressure North Korea into changing its behaviour.
Arkansas nightclub shooting: at least 17 injured after gunman opens fire
At least 17 people have been left injured after a gunman opened fire at a nightclub in Little Rock, Arkansas, according to police.
Officers said via Twitter that all the victims at the Power Lounge are alive and one who was previously listed in critical condition is now stable.
#UPDATE as of now ALL 17 confirmed shooting victims are alive. We will provide additional updates as needed.
Officers said via Twitter that all the victims at the Power Lounge are alive and one who was previously listed in critical condition is now stable.
#UPDATE as of now ALL 17 confirmed shooting victims are alive. We will provide additional updates as needed.
David Davis and Boris Johnson 'want PM to loosen Brexit stance'
A former top aide to David Davis has suggested the Brexit Secretary wants Theresa May to scrap her "red lines" on Britain's EU exit.
Despite her General Election disaster, the Prime Minister has stuck to her Brexit plan's hardline stance on leaving the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and gaining full control over immigration.
But it has been claimed two of the most senior members of her Cabinet want Mrs May to soften her position because it is making Brexit negotiations "very difficult".
James Chapman, Mr Davis' chief of staff until the General Election, described how both his former boss and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson might be keen for the Prime Minister to rethink her Brexit vision.
Where Mrs May has taken "absolutist positions on particular issues", such as the ECJ, Mr Chapman said the Prime Minister had "hamstrung" the UK in exit talks with the EU.
He suggested Mrs May had "set a red line" on the ECJ for the purposes of her Tory party conference speech last year.
Mr Chapman insisted "there isn't anyone better" in Parliament than Mr Davis to negotiate Brexit, telling BBC Radio 4's The Week In Westminster: "He's a very tough, resilient operator.
"There have been red lines that have been set for him, that make the job he has to do very difficult."
Asked if any Brexit-supporters in the upper ranks of Government would want Mrs May to rethink her pre-election Brexit plan, Mr Chapman said: "If you consider the two most powerful Brexiters in the Cabinet; David Davis and Boris Johnson, they're actually pretty liberal on issues like immigration.
"I think that there would be room to recalibrate some of this approach but at the moment she is showing no willingness to do this.
"She said that when she delivered the Lancaster House speech that's the plan and that's what she is sticking to.
"Now this is a new Parliament, there's a new reality. She has to get these things through Parliament. There's an enormous amount of legislation."
He claimed if the Prime Minister doesn't show "more flexibility" and "pragmatism" then "she won't get this stuff through Parliament".
Mr Chapman highlighted withdrawal from the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), which governs the peaceful use of nuclear energy within the EU, as one area where Parliament was likely to force Mrs May into reversing her position.
He suggested the Prime Minister had committed to leaving Euratom because the treaty is governed by the ECJ and allows the free movement of nuclear scientists.
Mr Chapman said: "We're withdrawing from it because of this absolutist position on the European Court."
Despite her General Election disaster, the Prime Minister has stuck to her Brexit plan's hardline stance on leaving the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) and gaining full control over immigration.
But it has been claimed two of the most senior members of her Cabinet want Mrs May to soften her position because it is making Brexit negotiations "very difficult".
James Chapman, Mr Davis' chief of staff until the General Election, described how both his former boss and Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson might be keen for the Prime Minister to rethink her Brexit vision.
Where Mrs May has taken "absolutist positions on particular issues", such as the ECJ, Mr Chapman said the Prime Minister had "hamstrung" the UK in exit talks with the EU.
He suggested Mrs May had "set a red line" on the ECJ for the purposes of her Tory party conference speech last year.
Mr Chapman insisted "there isn't anyone better" in Parliament than Mr Davis to negotiate Brexit, telling BBC Radio 4's The Week In Westminster: "He's a very tough, resilient operator.
"There have been red lines that have been set for him, that make the job he has to do very difficult."
Asked if any Brexit-supporters in the upper ranks of Government would want Mrs May to rethink her pre-election Brexit plan, Mr Chapman said: "If you consider the two most powerful Brexiters in the Cabinet; David Davis and Boris Johnson, they're actually pretty liberal on issues like immigration.
"I think that there would be room to recalibrate some of this approach but at the moment she is showing no willingness to do this.
"She said that when she delivered the Lancaster House speech that's the plan and that's what she is sticking to.
"Now this is a new Parliament, there's a new reality. She has to get these things through Parliament. There's an enormous amount of legislation."
He claimed if the Prime Minister doesn't show "more flexibility" and "pragmatism" then "she won't get this stuff through Parliament".
Mr Chapman highlighted withdrawal from the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom), which governs the peaceful use of nuclear energy within the EU, as one area where Parliament was likely to force Mrs May into reversing her position.
He suggested the Prime Minister had committed to leaving Euratom because the treaty is governed by the ECJ and allows the free movement of nuclear scientists.
Mr Chapman said: "We're withdrawing from it because of this absolutist position on the European Court."
Gulf crisis: Qatar FM meets UN Security Council
Qatar's foreign minister met with US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on Friday to discuss the crisis [Reuters]Qatar's foreign minister has asked members of the United Nations Security Council to urge a Saudi-led bloc of states to lift their blockade on the Gulf country, nearly one month after it began.
Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani on Friday met with non-permanent members of the Security Council at the Qatari mission to the UN in the US state of New York, urging them to speak out publicly on his country's behalf.
Al Thani told Al Jazeera he gave them "updates on the situation" and urged "all of them to call for a lifting of the blockade on Qatar".
Qatar envoy to UK : Saudi-led blockade is collective punishment
Qatar was "trying to encourage all the parties to enter a serious dialogue to try to put an end to this," the foreign minister said.
The meeting took place one day after Al Thani's visit to Washington DC, "where US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson promised to try to help resolve the gulf crisis," Al Jazeera's Kristen Saloomey, reporting from New York, said.
Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt cut diplomatic ties with Qatar on June 5 over allegations that it supports "extremism" and is too close to Iran - charges Doha has repeatedly denied.
After more than two weeks, the four Arab countries gave Doha a 10-day ultimatum to comply with a 13-point list of demands in exchange for the end of the anti-Qatar measures.
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