Britain and the Republic of Ireland will jointly announce a new framework on Friday to address the legacy of decades of sectarian violence in Northern Ireland and replace a controversial British law that offered amnesties to ex-soldiers and nationalist groups.
The agreement will fulfil a pledge by Prime Minister Keir Starmer to repeal the previous Conservative government's Legacy Act. This had a section in it which offered immunity from prosecution for those who cooperate with a new investigative body, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR), - a provision that was ruled incompatible with human rights law.
Controversially, the law stopped inquests into cases from the three decades of conflict between Irish nationalist groups seeking a united Ireland, pro-British "loyalist" paramilitaries and the British military.
It was opposed by victims' families, all political parties in Northern Ireland, including pro-British and Irish nationalist groups, and the Irish government, which brought a legal challenge against Britain at the European Court of Human Rights.
Britain's Northern Ireland Minister Hilary Benn said this month that the plans would significantly reform the contested ICRIR and make it capable of referring cases for potential prosecution and give it independent oversight.
A separate information recovery body, as envisioned in a 2014 UK-Irish legacy agreement that was never implemented and overridden by the Legacy Act, will also be included, a source familiar with the framework said.
Dublin has said it would revisit its legal challenge against Britain if a new framework is put in place and is human rights-compliant. Starmer's government has sought to reset relations with Ireland that were strained during Brexit.
The previous Conservative government defended its approach by arguing that prosecutions linked to the events of up to 57 years ago - also known as the Troubles - were increasingly unlikely to lead to convictions and that it wanted to draw a line under the conflict.
While some trials have collapsed in recent years, the first former British soldier to be convicted of an offence since the peace deal was given a suspended sentence in 2023.
The trial of the sole British soldier charged with murder over the 1972 "Bloody Sunday" killings of 13 unarmed Catholic civil rights marchers also began this week.
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Austria has expelled three diplomats from the Russian Embassy over concerns that satellite installations on diplomatic buildings could be used for espionage.
A Russian missile strike killed six people in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region on Monday (4 May), as Kyiv reported fresh attacks on energy infrastructure and a sharp rise in drone strikes on ports.
A 77-year-old man and a 63-year-old woman were killed on Monday (4 May), after a man drove a car into a crowd on a pedestrianised street in the the eastern German city of Leipzig, authorities said.
Iran warned Armerican forces on Monday (4 May) not to enter the Strait of Hormuz, after the U.S. said it had launched a mission to try and reopen the sea passage. Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Minister said there was no military solution to the Middle East conflict.
China has moved to block U.S. sanctions on five of its oil refineries, in a fresh escalation of tensions over trade and energy policy.
U.S. President Donald Trump has said he will “soon be reviewing” a new 14-point proposal sent by Iran, casting doubt on the chances of a deal after Tehran called for security guarantees, an end to naval blockades and a halt to the war across the region, including in Lebanon.
Ukraine has launched a new wave of drone strikes on Sunday (3 May) across Russia, hitting key infrastructure and causing casualties in several regions, officials on both sides said.
A 77-year-old man and a 63-year-old woman were killed on Monday (4 May), after a man drove a car into a crowd on a pedestrianised street in the the eastern German city of Leipzig, authorities said.
Austria has expelled three diplomats from the Russian Embassy over concerns that satellite installations on diplomatic buildings could be used for espionage.
A Russian missile strike killed six people in Ukraine’s Kharkiv region on Monday (4 May), as Kyiv reported fresh attacks on energy infrastructure and a sharp rise in drone strikes on ports.
Australia and Japan agreed on Monday to deepen cooperation on energy and critical minerals, as Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met her Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese during a three-day visit.
Australia began public hearings on Monday in an inquiry into the Bondi Beach mass shooting in December, with Jewish Australians giving evidence about their experiences of rising domestic antisemitism.
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