The next leader of Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party has warned stability in the province is not guaranteed unless post-Brexit trade rules are changed.
Jeffrey Donaldson's unopposed nomination will make him the third person in a tumultuous few weeks to lead the DUP during crucial talks about the trade arrangement known as the Northern Ireland Protocol.
His nomination comes after after internal divisions forced leader Edwin Poots to resign last week.
Mr Donaldson pledged to pressure Prime Minister Boris Johnson's government to ditch the rules which effectively treat Northern Ireland as part of the EU for customs purposes.
"I will be speaking with (Johnson) at the earliest opportunity to emphasise that it is not realistic to expect stability when every unionist representative in the devolved institutions opposes the Northern Ireland Protocol," he said.
"The government and those who claim to be protectors of peace and stability must step up and deal with the protocol in a manner which respects the constitutional and economic integrity of the UK."
DUP lawmakers ousted then leader and Northern Irish First Minister Arlene Foster in late April in favour of Mr Poots, who stepped down after just three weeks in the role.
Mr Donaldson's candidacy will be formally ratified by party officials next week.
The leadership changes have added to political instability in Northern Ireland, which still faces the threat of a snap election over a row between the DUP and Irish nationalist rivals Sinn Fein over the introduction of Irish language rights.
The two parties make up a power-sharing executive, put in place by the 1998 peace deal that ended 30 years of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland.
Mr Donaldson, a long-standing DUP MP who is their chief in Westminster, said on Monday that failure to deal decisively with the protocol would have consequences for that arrangement.
The protocol was tailor-made to avoid politically sensitive checks on goods from Ireland crossing the UK's only land border with the EU. But it is deeply unpopular with supporters of the union with Britain because it has created trade barriers with the rest of the UK.
Ms Foster was accused of allowing customs controls to be put in place for goods coming from mainland Britain, creating a border.
Mr Poots was brought down by anger in his camp after last-minute concessions to Sinn Fein.
Before being forced out, Mr Poots appointed loyalist Paul Givan as the province's First Minister, a role he assumed on Thursday but will be under pressure to relinquish.
Mr Donaldson, 58, is a veteran of UK politics, holding the title of the longest-serving MP in Northern Ireland.
He was born in Kilkeel in Northern Ireland and entered politics after the murder of his police officer cousin Samuel Donaldson during the Troubles – the first policeman to be blown up by the IRA in the conflict.
In 1985, he was elected to the Northern Ireland assembly aged 22, the youngest person to win a seat at Stormont.
He was originally a member of the Ulster Unionist Party.
However, his relationship with the party soured after its leader David Trimble helped negotiate the Good Friday Agreement.
Mr Donaldson led a walkout of the peace talks after opposing the early release of republican prisoners.
He left the party along with Ms Foster, both joining the DUP.
If elected, Mr Donaldson would be faced with rising tensions in the UK province of about 1.9 million people.
Unionists are upset about the Northern Irish protocol negotiated as part of Brexit, which they say threatens the province's place in the UK.
Aimed at avoiding a physical border between the Republic of Ireland and the North, the agreement keeps the province in the European single market and customs union for goods.
The Northern Ireland protocol was the "number one issue", Mr Donaldson said and promised he would "ensure that the government doesn't just listen but recognises the need to take decisive action".
"Now, more than ever, we need to unite in the face of the threats posed to Northern Ireland by the protocol," he said.
Mr Givan promised he would support Mr Donaldson as leader.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Jeff Buckley: From Hallelujah To The Last Goodbye
By Dave Lory with Jim Irvin
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THURSDAY FIXTURES
4.15pm: Italy v Spain (Group A)
5.30pm: Egypt v Mexico (Group B)
6.45pm: UAE v Japan (Group A)
8pm: Iran v Russia (Group B)
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
The five pillars of Islam
LAST 16 DRAW
Borussia Dortmund v PSG
Real Madrid v Manchester City
Atalanta v Valencia
Atletico Madrid v Liverpool
Chelsea v Bayern Munich
Lyon v Juventus
Tottenham v Leipzig
Napoli v Barcelona
The%20Killer
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EDavid%20Fincher%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%C2%A0%3C%2Fstrong%3EMichael%20Fassbender%2C%20Tilda%20Swinton%2C%20Charles%20Parnell%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%204%2F5%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The specs: 2018 GMC Terrain
Price, base / as tested: Dh94,600 / Dh159,700
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 353Nm @ 2,500rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.4L / 100km
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
ICC Women's T20 World Cup Asia Qualifier 2025, Thailand
UAE fixtures
May 9, v Malaysia
May 10, v Qatar
May 13, v Malaysia
May 15, v Qatar
May 18 and 19, semi-finals
May 20, final
The five pillars of Islam
More on Quran memorisation:
Motori Profile
Date started: March 2020
Co-founder/CEO: Ahmed Eissa
Based: UAE, Abu Dhabi
Sector: Insurance Sector
Size: 50 full-time employees (Inside and Outside UAE)
Stage: Seed stage and seeking Series A round of financing
Investors: Safe City Group
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 5
Keita 1', Mane 23', 66', Salah 45' 1, 83'
Huddersfield 0
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-Benz GLA
Price, base / as tested Dh150,900 / Dh173,600
Engine 2.0L inline four-cylinder
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 211hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 350Nm @ 1,200rpm
Fuel economy, combined 6.4L / 100km
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Read more about the coronavirus
COMPANY%20PROFILE
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECompany%20name%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alaan%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%202021%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Parthi%20Duraisamy%20and%20Karun%20Kurien%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20%247%20million%20raised%20in%20total%20%E2%80%94%20%242.5%20million%20in%20a%20seed%20round%20and%20%244.5%20million%20in%20a%20pre-series%20A%20round%3Cbr%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Settlers
Director: Louis Theroux
Starring: Daniella Weiss, Ari Abramowitz
Rating: 5/5
The Voice of Hind Rajab
Starring: Saja Kilani, Clara Khoury, Motaz Malhees
Director: Kaouther Ben Hania
Rating: 4/5
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
