Rioting, clashes amid Brexit tensions condemned by Northern Ireland’s unionist, republican leaders

In This Story: Arlene Foster

Arlene Isabel Foster PC MLA is a Northern Irish politician who served as First Minister of Northern Ireland from 2016 to 2017 and from 2020 to 2021 and as Leader of the Democratic Unionist Party from 2015 to 2021. She was the first woman to hold either position.

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In This Story: Brexit

Brexit is the name given to the United Kingdom’s exiting the European Union, which happened on 31 January 2020, following a narrow “Leave” referendum result in a June 2016 vote on EU Membership which took place in the country. News items related to Brexit are posted, below, chronologically, with the most recent items at the top, from a variety of outlets.

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In This Story: Democratic Unionist Party

The Democratic Unionist Party is a unionist political party in Northern Ireland favouring British identity. It was founded in 1971 during the Troubles by Ian Paisley, who led the party for the next 37 years.

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In This Story: EU

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 27 member states that are located primarily in Europe. Its members have a combined area of 4,233,255.3 km² and an estimated total population of about 447 million.

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In This Story: Ireland

Ireland is an island in the North Atlantic. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel, the Irish Sea, and St George’s Channel.

Geopolitically, Ireland is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially named Ireland), which covers five-sixths of the island, and Northern Ireland, which is part of the United Kingdom. As of 2016, 4.8 million people live in the Republic of Ireland, and 1.8 million live in Northern Ireland.

The Irish climate is influenced by the Atlantic Ocean and thus very moderate, and winters are milder than expected for such a northerly area, although summers are cooler than those in continental Europe. Rainfall and cloud cover are abundant.

A strong Irish culture exists, as expressed through Gaelic games, Irish music and the Irish language. The island’s culture shares many features with that of Great Britain, including the English language, and sports such as association football, rugby, horse racing, and golf.

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In This Story: Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland is variously described as a country, province, or region, which is part of the United Kingdom. Located in the northeast of the island of Ireland, Northern Ireland shares a border to the south and west with the Republic of Ireland.

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In This Story: Police

The police are a constituted body of persons empowered by a state, with the aim to enforce the law, to ensure the safety, health and possessions of citizens, and to prevent crime and civil disorder. Their lawful powers include arrest and the use of force legitimized by the state via the monopoly on violence.

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In This Story: United Kingdom

The United Kingdom, made up of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, is an island nation in northwestern Europe.

The capital is London. The present monarch is Queen Elizabeth II.

The United Kingdom is the seat of the formerly extensive British Empire.

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