News diary 13 – 19 May: Covid inquiry examines Northern Irish govt, Cannes, RAJARs

A look ahead at the key events leading the news agenda next week, from the team at Foresight News.

Northern Ireland's Parliament Buildings at the Stormont Estate. Picture: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images

A look ahead at the key events leading the news agenda next week, from the team at Foresight News.

Leading the week:

Michelle O’Neill’s role in the Covid-19 pandemic as then-Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland is set to be closely examined next week as she appears at the UK’s pandemic inquiry for an all-day session on Tuesday (May 14).

The now-First Minister is likely to face questioning over her attendance at the funeral of senior IRA figure Bobby Storey in June 2020 – an event which Alliance Party leader Naomi Long told the inquiry last week led to a loss of “cohesion” in the Executive amid suggestions lockdown rules were broken for the occasion.

O’Neill may also be asked about the absence of Conor Murphy, a former finance minister who she appointed to the economy brief after the reformation of the Executive earlier this year, after he told the inquiry this week that he wouldn’t appear on medical grounds.

Former DUP leader and pandemic-era First Minister Arlene Foster is then quizzed on Wednesday (May 15), when she can be expected to expand on her previous remarks, made to the inquiry in 2023, that the UK Government should have stepped in to aid the region’s pandemic planning given there was no functioning executive between 2017 and 2020. Foster is followed by former Permanent Secretary at Stormont’s finance department and current Labour Party Chief of Staff Sue Gray, who appears on Thursday (May 16).

The arrival of warmer weather may not be enough to keep the nation away from their TVs with a number of top sporting events to watch next week. On Saturday (May 18), lineal world heavyweight champion Tyson Fury aims to become undisputed champion by beating Oleksandr Usyk in their clash in Riyadh.

The fight, which will cost fans around £25 to watch on pay-per-view, was rescheduled in February due to Fury suffering a cut in sparring. The winner is rumoured to be taking home more than $100m (£80m) for the fight, but whoever comes out on top won’t be able to rest on their laurels with a guaranteed rematch pencilled in for October 12 or 13. Anthony Joshua is also seeking a fight with the winner in the near future, which could take place at Wembley Stadium should Fury prove victorious.

On Sunday (May 19) another Premier League season comes to a close. The title race may well go to the wire: at the time of writing, Arsenal hold a slender advantage over champions Manchester City, who have a game in hand over the Gunners.

Relegation to the Championship could also be decided, with Nottingham Forest, who have had points deducted due to controversial PSR rules, one of the teams facing the drop. It will also be an emotional day in Liverpool, with the Reds saying goodbye to manager Jurgen Klopp after the Premier League and Champions League winner announced in January he would be stepping down from the job and taking a sabbatical from football. Dutchman Arne Slot has been announced as his replacement for next season.

Looking abroad:

Lawmakers in Georgia are scheduled for the third and final reading of the country’s controversial “foreign agents” bill on Friday (May 17). The legislation has prompted major pro-European Union protests amid fears the legislation will be used to crack down on free speech and opposition voices ahead elections expected at the end of October, as well as damaging Georgia’s prospects of joining the EU. Although Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili has said she will veto the bill, the ruling Georgian Dream party and its allies have the votes to override a veto.

Cannes Film Festival opens in France’s Côte d’Azur on Tuesday (May 14) amid swirling rumours this year’s gathering may be upended by the publication of a list of figures from the French film industry accused of sexual impropriety. Last year’s festival featured premieres of three films which went on to receive nods for Best Picture at the Oscars, and there are a slate of releases from major directors this year that could repeat that feat, along with an out of competition premiere for the latest instalment of the Mad Max franchise.

Cinema great Francis Ford Coppola is among nominees for the prestigious Palme d’Or for his latest Megalopolis, alongside auteur David Cronenberg and Poor Things director Yórgos Lánthimos. Screen legend Meryl Streep, meanwhile, is set to receive an honorary award at the opening ceremony on Tuesday in what will only be her second ever appearance at the festival after the event opens with a comedy by French filmmaker Quentin Dupieux. The Palme d’Or is awarded at the festival’s conclusion on May 25.

Also look out for:

May 13

House of Commons debate on exclusion of MPs
House of Lords debates Post Office Horizon offences bill
Robert Jenrick discussion with Popular Conservatism
Andrew Mitchell speech on UK foreign aid
Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Kyriakos Mitsotakis meet in Ankara

May 14

Keir Starmer hosts meeting with trade unions on workers’ rights
UK Farm to Fork Summit
UK co-hosts trade expo in Saudi Arabia
UK unemployment and wage stats
Theresa May delivers inaugural Churchill-Attlee lecture
Grant Shapps addresses First Sea Lord’s Sea Power Conference
GCHQ and HCSC heads at CYBERUK conference
Elbow gig at Co-op Live Arena
Tottenham Hotspur host Manchester City in the Premier League
Google I/O begins

May 15

Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer at PMQs and Criminal Justice Bill debate
House of Lords debates renters reform bill
Ben Bernanke at committee session on Bank of England forecasting
Bim Afolami speech on the future of UK finance
Inquest into death of Georgia May Brooke
ECHR hearings in Caster Semenya sporting regulations case
Court hearing for pair charged over Sycamore Gap tree felling
Palestinian Nakba Day

May 16

David Cameron co-chairs EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement Partnership Council meeting
NATO Chiefs of Defence meeting
Deadline for Israeli government response to Haredi conscription plan
Hearing in Thirlwall independent inquiry into Lucy Letby murders
Christie’s auctions Monet’s Moulin De Limetz painting
US PGA Championship begins

May 17

Boeing Starliner manned launch scheduled
David Lammy speech to IfG on foreign policy
Sentencing of man guilty of Hartlepool terror murder
Council of Europe’s annual foreign ministers’ meeting
FIFA announces 2027 Women’s World Cup hosts
New Billie Eilish album released

May 18

Stop the War / Palestine Solidarity Campaign demonstrations
Ed Davey at Scottish Liberal Democrats Spring conference
Donald Trump addresses NRA-ILA leadership forum
Bolton Wanderers face Oxford United in League One playoff final

May 19

Joe Biden addresses NAACP Fight for Freedom Fund Dinner
Dominican Republic general election
Education World Forum opens
US PGA Championship final round
Italian Grand Prix
League Two playoff final

Statistics, reports and results:

May 13

Banking on Climate Chaos: 2024 report
UN World Wildlife Crime report
Results from: SoftBank Group

May 14

Global Report on Internal Displacement
OECD Digital Economy Outlook
Monthly NOAA global climate report
OPEC monthly oil markets report
Flash UK productivity estimate
Universal Credit stats
Results from: Sony, Alibaba, Bayer AG, Tencent Holdings, Vodafone Group, Flutter, Porsche, Veolia, Currys

May 15

Annual foodbank figures from Trussell Trust
Stats on UK’s carbon footprint to 2021
Flash estimate EU/euro area GDP
US consumer price index
IEA monthly oil market report
Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia
Results from: E.ON, RWE, TUI group, Commerzbank, ThyssenKrupp, Greggs, Experian, Cisco, Imperial Tobacco Group, Compass Group, Britvic, Burberry

May 16

UN World Economic Situation and Prospects: mid-year update
Annual stats on accommodation in secure children’s homes
Annual stats on fraud and error in the benefit system
Annual Northern Ireland crime figures
Quarterly knife crime and criminal justice stats
Quarterly mortgage and landlord possession figures
Japan and Israel Q1 GDP
Forbes Highest-Earning Athletes
RAJAR listening figures
Results from: BT Group, easyJet, Siemens, Swiss Re, Walmart, United Utilities, Take-Two Interactive