“What is hard to understand is why the minimum age of criminal responsibility needed the protection of a mechanism intended to safeguard minority rights.”

There was always going to be disagreement over whether Northern Ireland should raise the age of criminal responsibility.

Some experts argue it should be increased to 14. Others believe the current age of 10 remains appropriate. Most of the political debate in recent months has centred on where the line should be drawn.

But what happened at Stormont this week was ultimately about something else. The DUP’s decision to use a Petition of Concern to block an amendment to the Justice Bill has reignited an old question about one of the Assembly’s most powerful mechanisms and what it is actually for.

Alliance MLA Sian Mulholland’s proposal would have raised the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14, with exceptions for the most serious offences. It was a significant change, and not everyone supported it.

Yet there was also a middle ground available. Former UUP MLA Doug Beattie had proposed increasing the age to 12, bringing Northern Ireland into line with Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, while stopping short of the more ambitious reform advocated by some children’s rights organisations.

There was a respectable argument for supporting that compromise. Equally, there was a respectable argument for rejecting it. That is normally how legislatures work. Parties make their case. MLAs vote. The side with the numbers wins. Instead, the debate became something rather different.

The Petition of Concern occupies a unique place in Northern Ireland politics. It was never designed as a routine parliamentary tactic. It emerged from a political settlement that recognised that simple majority rule would not be enough in a divided society.

At its core was the idea that there should be protections against one section of the community imposing its will on another. This helps explain why the mechanism has generated so much controversy over the years.

Long before the reforms introduced in New Decade New Approach, the Petition of Concern had acquired a reputation for being used in circumstances far removed from the role envisaged by its architects. Critics argued that it had evolved from a safeguard into a veto.

The reforms that followed were intended to restore confidence that it would be reserved for exceptional circumstances. This week’s vote inevitably raises questions about whether that ambition has been realised.

Nobody seriously argues that raising the age of criminal responsibility engages the kind of communal protections the Petition of Concern was designed to provide. This was a disagreement about criminal justice policy. A significant disagreement, certainly. An important one. But it was still a policy disagreement. Indeed, there appears to have been majority support within the Assembly for some form of change.

That does not mean reform was necessarily right, but it does mean that the normal legislative process was prevented from running its course.

The DUP will argue that it acted in what it believes to be the public interest. The UUP members who supported the petition will say the same. They are entitled to hold those views.

What is harder to understand is why those views needed the protection of a mechanism intended to safeguard minority rights.

The decision is also awkward for the UUP. Without the support of Jon Burrows, Diana Armstrong, Robbie Butler and Alan Chambers, the petition would not have succeeded. That leaves the party sharing responsibility for an outcome which sits uneasily alongside years of criticism about how the mechanism has been used in the past.

What happened this week is unlikely to be the last argument about the age of criminal responsibility. The issue will return.

But the Petition of Concern survives because most people accept there are circumstances in which it remains necessary. The challenge has always been ensuring that those circumstances remain exceptional.

Every time it is used to settle what appears to be an ordinary policy dispute, that distinction becomes a little harder to defend and every time that happens, the argument for revisiting the rules grows a little stronger.

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Suspected firearms and ammunition, a sum of cash, tobacco, counterfeit goods, criminal property and other items were also located during the searches.

Police have made three arrests and seized a significant quantity of suspected Class A, B and C drugs, firearms and other items following a search of a property in Co Tyrone. The searches were carried out in the Dungannon area on Friday, June 19 by PSNI officers from Mid Ulster District Support Team assisted by Torrent Neighbourhood Policing Team, Dungannon Local Policing Team, and the Armed Support Unit.

Suspected firearms and ammunition, a sum of cash, tobacco, counterfeit goods, criminal property and other items were also located during the searches. Enquiries are ongoing in relation to these seizures.

A male aged in his teens, a man aged in his 20s and a woman aged in her 40s were arrested on suspicion of offences including possession of Class A, B and D drugs, possession of Class A, B and C drugs with intent to supply, possession of criminal property, possession of a firearm, and possession of ammunition. They remain in custody at this time, assisting with enquiries.

A PSNI spokesperson said: “Anyone tempted to become involved in illegal drugs should be under no illusion; we will seek to identify them, arrest them and place them before the courts. I would also like to take this opportunity to appeal to anyone with any information about suspected drug dealing in their area to call the non-emergency number 101. “Alternatively, information can also be given anonymously to the Crimestoppers charity on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org.”

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Thousands of passengers have been caught in disruption after a potentially suspicious item forced planes to divert at Edinburgh Airport.

Holidaymakers face disruption at the Scottish airport today after the suspect item sparked an evacuation.

Some flights are said to have been diverted to land at other nearby airports like Glasgow, while planes are also taking off from different locations.

The airport remains cordoned off as of 11pm, with the bomb disposal crews at the scene.

Scores of people are said to be stranded on planes on the tarmac after having landed, but are unable to disembark due to the ongoing incident.

Passenger Alan Jenkins said on X: ‘New update from our pilot: We are “all in the dark I’m afraid” as to when we can get off the plane. We’re told all ground staff have been told to return to offices.’

He joked that some of his fellow passengers had ‘a few questions’ regarding getting off in time before the Scotland World Cup game against Morocco is due to kick off tonight.

Police Scotland said: ‘Edinburgh airport has been evacuated as a precaution following a report of a potentially suspicious package, reported around 6.50pm on Friday, 19 June, 2026.

‘Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) are in attendance and a cordon is in place around the airport with roads closed.

‘Enquiries are ongoing and members of the public are advised to check ahead and contact their airline for updates.’

Edinburgh Airport said: ‘Due to reports of a potentially suspicious item, the airport has been evacuated while specialist teams investigate.

‘Updates will be issued when available.

‘Passengers should check with their airline for the latest information on their flight.’

Transport to and from the airport has also been impacted.

Edinburgh trams are also affected, with services currently running between Gyle Centre and St Andrew Square only.

Scottish Citylink buses said all services will be terminating at the Moxi hotel bus stop and picking up from Hilton bus stop until further notice.

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The Americans were deservedly ahead within 11 minutes, when the unfortunate Burgess put through his own net after a fantastic burst of pace from former Arsenal striker Folarin Balogun down the left. He burned his way past Jacob Italiano before squaring it into the middle for his onrushing team-mates, but it was Burgess, the Swansea City defender, who sliced past Patrick Beach to open the scoring.

Ipswich are close to appointing Gary O’Neil as their new head coach.

The 43-year-old is poised to replace Kieran McKenna, who stepped down from the Portman Road post earlier this month.

Compensation with O’Neil’s current club Strasbourg is still to be agreed, but is not expected to be an issue for the Tractor Boys.

Tim Jenkins and Neil Critchley are also expected to move to Suffolk with ex-Bournemouth and Wolves boss O’Neil, having worked with him in France.

Former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was also in the running for the job this week.

BBC Sport reported Ipswich’s interest in O’Neil earlier this month and the Strasbourg boss has long been admired by the club’s hierarchy.

His French club finished eighth in Ligue 1 last season and reached the Europa Conference League semi-finals, losing to Rayo Vallacano. It was the first time Strasbourg had reached the last four of a European competition.

O’Neil played at Bristol City when current Ipswich chief executive Mark Ashton held the same role at Ashton Gate.

Strasbourg had initially been confident of keeping him following his January arrival, but O’Neil will return to the Premier League for the first time since leaving Wolves in December 2024.

Ipswich are looking for a new head coach after McKenna stepped down last week, despite leading them back to the top flight by finishing second in the Championship last season.

The 40-year-old took charge of the Tractor Boys in 2021 and led them to three promotions in the past four seasons, two of which have taken the club into the Premier League.

McKenna was linked with the Fulham job after Marco Silva’s departure, but quit Town to take a break from the game and spend more time with his family.

“I feel this is the right time for me to step aside,” he said. “I do so with great pride at the incredible progress we have made and with huge hope and optimism for the future of the club.”

Ipswich open their Premier League campaign at home to Sunderland on 22 August.

DALLAS (AP) — As people gathered across the U.S. to celebrate Juneteenth on Friday, former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama welcomed the first visitors to his presidential center.

Located on a sprawling campus on Chicago’s South Side, the center honoring the nation’s first Black president has been designed to inspire people to make the change they want to see in their own communities. It’s the kind of contemplation that also comes as Americans gather for Juneteenth, which celebrates the end of slavery in the U.S.

The grand opening of the Obama Presidential Center includes days of events following Thursday’s star-studded dedication ceremony. In addition to greeting visitors Friday as the center opened to the public for the first time, the couple also read to children gathered there.

Tyrone Sturgis, 62, said it had been a beautiful experience to see all of the people from different walks of life explore the new presidential center on Friday.

“For this center to open on Juneteenth, on the South Side of Chicago, it’s extraordinary, it’s awesome,” he said.

The center’s public opening arrives as a symbolic convergence of legacy and liberation. The nation is deeply divided politically and grappling with renewed questions about the arc of racial progress as the Supreme Court hollowed out the Voting Rights Act, endangering Black political representation in Congress.

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The nearly 20-acre (8-hectare) campus includes a museum featuring a life-sized replica of the Oval Office, a garden designed by Michelle Obama complete with lettuce and strawberry plants, a professional-grade basketball court, a picnic area with grills and a new branch of the Chicago Public Library. Visitors can experience high-tech and hands-on exhibits spanning the campaigns, key moments of Obama’s presidency and life at the White House.

The spaces are designed to bring people together on a campus expected to draw as many as 1 million visitors annually, but the center also aims to encourage personal reflection. Louise Bernard, the museum’s director, has said they’re “inviting people to bring change home, however change may be defined, both small or large.”

The history of Juneteenth

This is the fifth year since Juneteenth was designated as a federal holiday by former President Joe Biden, who served as Obama’s vice president. But the celebrations, which began in Texas and then spread across the country, have a rich and long history in Black America, with the day often spent gathering for picnics and cookouts.

The holiday — a combination of “June” and “nineteenth” — marks the day when U.S. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger and his troops arrived in the Texas port city with the declaration of freedom in General Order No. 3.

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Several cities across the U.S. will host walks named for Opal Lee, the Texas woman who pushed for years to make Juneteenth a federal holiday. Participants will walk 2 1/2 miles to symbolize the 2 1/2 years it took for the Emancipation Proclamation to be enforced in Texas. Lee, known as the “grandmother of Juneteenth,” turns 100 this year.

Reflecting on a continuing struggle

Black Texans embraced the date of Granger’s arrival as one to celebrate, even as the Ku Klux Klan was established in Texas by 1868. By the 1880s, “it was difficult to find a significant community in Texas where it wasn’t being marked by African Americans,” McDaniel said.

“They made it a community celebration, they made it a celebration of not only freedom but also a demonstration of community empowerment and institution-building,” he added.

Corey D.B. Walker, dean of Wake Forest University’s divinity school, said the holiday offers a way to recognize the nation’s “complex history” and what it means to be a U.S. citizen, especially amid efforts by President Donald Trump’s administration to undermine the retelling of Black history.

“I think it really reminds people the importance of understanding a fuller, more robust portrait of our nation’s history and the many contributions of many individuals who have contributed to America’s experiment with democracy,” Walker said.

___

Associated Press writer Claire Savage contributed to this report.

Police have locked down Leith Walk in Edinburgh city centre with cordon in place and officers appear to be searching a vehicle which has its doors open

A main street in Edinburgh is in lockdown with police at the scene.

There is an ongoing incident on Leith Walk and has been traffic has been diverted with a cordon around Great Junction Street and Duke Street.

A clip uploaded to TikTok shows several marked police SUVs and cars as well as ambulances on scene with concerned passers-by watching from behind police tape.

A black vehicle can also be seen within the cordon with the driver side door wide open with officers appearing to be searching it.

One eye witness told Edinburgh Live: “Something major is happening on Leith Walk, it is all taped off with loads of police and ambulances.”

A Lothian bus update informed passengers: “Due to a road closure buses are unable to serve Leith Walk and Duke Street and are instead diverted via London Road and Easter Road in both directions until further notice.”

Meanwhile, Edinburgh airport has been evacuated tonight with hundreds of passengers unable to get into the building after a ‘potentially suspicious package’ was identified.

All flights to Edinburgh have been diverted to Glasgow Airport while police and emergency services clear the airport. Crowds of passengers are waiting outside beyond a police corden.

Bomb disposals teams have reportedly been seen arriving at the airport. Police Scotland said: “Edinburgh airport has been evacuated as a precaution following a report of a potentially suspicious package, reported around 6.50pm on Friday, 19 June, 2026.”

Police Scotland confirmed that Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) is in attendance a the airport.

Passengers have been unable to disembark flights that have landed at Edinburgh Airport and are stuck on the tarmac.

Some passengers have taken to social media and said they have been waiting on the tarmac for over an hour after landing.

Andy Burnham has won the Makerfield byelection for Labour, gaining 55% of the vote on an exceptionally high turnout of 58.7%. He won 9,000 more votes than Reform UK’s Robert Kenyon, in what turned out to be an unusual byelection swing to the party of government.

The scale of a result like this sends a message of its own to Reform UK, to Labour, and to the incumbent prime minister, Keir Starmer. But what can we make of Burnham’s message in his victory speech?

After thanking his opponents for the “civil debate,” Burnham began with a charge that politics is not working. “Everyone can feel the country isn’t where it should be,” he said, adding, “Tonight could – just could – be the turning point.”

A recurring theme was hope for the future. Campaign material urged voters to “Vote Andy. Vote Hope”. The emphasis on hope could be read as a rebuke to both Starmer and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage. Starmer for his unfulfilled promises in government, and Farage for his divisive rhetoric in opposition.

Another key message was change. On the eve of the election, Burnham emphasised “a chance to vote for change. For change in politics. For change in our economy.”

Burnham told the packed conference centre in Wigan that “this borough … made a loud cry for change” in the May elections, when Reform UK took all eight council wards in the Makerfield constituency. He told the audience that the message on doorsteps was that “there will be no second chance” for Labour to bring such change.

Burnham’s campaign material called for voters to “change Labour”, using imagery that evoked the northern soul movement. The same material urged people to stay hopeful, and to “keep the faith”. Meanwhile, Burnham’s victory speech promised fresh hope for his new constituency.

A short congratulatory message on X from Starmer welcomed “Labour’s new MP for Makerfield”, stating that: “Voters chose Labour’s campaign of hope and optimism over division and hate.”

But in the speech itself, Burnham did not mention Labour by name. This detail was picked up on by Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice, who argued that the byelection result was a vote to get Starmer out of Number 10.

Burnham instead spoke of hope as his value, not Labour’s. He referred to “my own party” being in need of change, and to “Westminster” having neglected the north and a broader swath of English cities.

The importance of place

Burnham has been described as using a local lens to inform a national vision, arguably through a nostalgic view of the north of England. The victory speech played to that approach. The outgoing mayor of Greater Manchester argued that politics “at the national level” had to change “in order that all English cities be what they can be”.

He praised Makerfield for having “shone in the world’s spotlight” during the campaign. Makerfield, Burnham argued, would become synonymous with bringing about much-needed change throughout the UK.

Crucially, he also spoke of a “Makerfield test” at the heart of British politics, which would “ensure the places Westminster has neglected will now get fairness”. It remains to be seen exactly what this test will look like but it may reflect the “Manchesterism” – the idea that the rest of the UK can learn from the city’s rapid economic rise – with which Burnham aimed to inspire change.

He spoke warmly of his nine years as mayor, praising the area for all it had given to him. He added that he would always take a “place-first, rather than a party-first” approach, prioritising “the north, and everywhere forgotten by Westminster”.

But what of Burnham’s approach to the Labour party? His victory speech made frequent reference to paths: “turning away from the path” to the “divided, dark politics” of today’s US, and putting the country “back on the right path”. A word like “path” implies a narrative and a clear direction, but also a future destination that may lie elsewhere.

Addressing the near-universal assumption that the byelection win will be a step towards a leadership challenge, Burnham said that Makerfield “will never be a stepping stone to me, but instead will be my touchstone”.

Senior Labour figures have been keen to stress that Burnham’s win is a victory for Labour. The culture secretary, Lisa Nandy, celebrated Burnham being “back in the top team, at the top table, helping to drive that change”.

But does a place in the team, helping to drive change, capture Burnam’s ambitions? His speech emphasised leading “by example, from the front”, and Burnham spoke of “my own party”, and of “unfinished business” back in Westminster.

Starmer has pledged to offer Burnham a cabinet post if he won in Makerfield. Like Nandy, Starmer has said he hopes Burnham will play a big part in the Labour government. Burnham has the same idea – but his vision entails a bigger job than Starmer would like.

Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.   

Former EastEnders actress Gurlaine Kaur Garcha, who previously played Ash Panesar on the long-running BBC soap, has married her partner Max after a year-long engagement

EastEnders star Gurlaine Kaur Garcha has married her partner after a year-long engagement. The actress, 32, is best known known for having previously played Ash Panesar on the long-running BBC soap, but she left the programme just over three years ago.

On Friday, she took to social media to announce the news that she and her partner Max had tied the knot. Alongside a selection of snaps from the big day, she wrote on Instagram: “17.6.26.”

A slew of Gurlaine’s former co-stars were quick to congratulate her. Former Strictly Come Dancing star Balvinder Sopal, who plays Gurlaine’s on-screen mum Suki, wrote: “Gorgeous baby. Congratulations.”

Emma Barton, known for her role as Honey Mitchell, wrote: “Gorgeous… congratulations beautiful,” whilst Denis Fox actress Diane Parish simply said; “Congrats”

Last year, the actress, who last year was seen in an episode of the Amazon Prime hit The Girlfriend, shared the happy news of her engagement with fans on Instagram, flashing a huge diamond ring while sipping a cocktail abroad.

“v happy & v engaged!!!!!!” she wrote, keeping the caption short and sweet. Although Gurlaine’s kept her partner’s identity private, she confirmed the romantic proposal took place while on holiday in Ibiza.

Gurlaine made her debut in Albert Square back in 2019 as Ash; a confident, no-nonsense doctor who immediately made an impression. She arrived as the first member of the Panesar clan, with her brothers and mum Suki introduced shortly after.

Her character quickly became a key figure in several dramatic storylines from tense family fallouts and fractured relationships to fast-paced scenes at the hospital. She was also part of a same-sex romance with Iqra, making Ash one of the few LGBTQ+ South Asian characters in soap at the time.

Ash wasn’t afraid to speak her mind, often clashing with her mum Suki, whose controlling nature added even more fuel to their fiery dynamic. Her arrival was also seen as a big moment for representation, with viewers praising EastEnders for spotlighting a British Sikh woman in a lead medical role – something rarely seen on mainstream TV.

Gurlaine took a short break from the show in 2022 before officially bowing out in early 2023. At the time, soap bosses thanked her for her contribution, while the actress told fans she was “excited for what’s to come”.

Since then, Gurlaine’s kept a low profile but still shares snippets of her life online – posting travel pictures, moments with friends, and positive messages with her followers.

And while she’s stayed off-screen for now, fans will no doubt be thrilled to see her celebrating such a personal milestone.

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