NEWS

A powerful new BBC documentary is set to expose the raw, high-risk reality of policing in Northern Ireland, revealing how officers face volatile crowds, drug-fuelled chaos and life-threatening situations — often making split-second decisions that can determine whether people live or die. Filmed over two years on the streets of Belfast, Peelers: The PSNI – For Real follows more than 30 officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland as they respond to real emergencies — f

61-year-old Patrick Deery A 61-year-old man has died following a single-vehicle road traffic collision in the Omagh area on Sunday morning. The deceased has been named as Patrick Deery, from the Dungannon area. The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed that officers received a report of the collision shortly before 11am on Sunday, April 26. The incident involved a motorcycle on the Clanabogan Road. Emergency services, including colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambu

A 16-year-old boy has died and a 10-year-old child remains in a critical condition following a serious two-vehicle collision near Nutts Corner on Sunday morning, with a driver now arrested and police appealing for witnesses. The fatal crash happened on the Belfast Road shortly before 8am on Sunday 26 April, involving a black Volkswagen Golf and a silver Volkswagen Passat. Emergency services were called to the scene, where a teenage male passenger in the Passat, aged 16 and fr

Inset: North Antrim MP Jim Allister Cancer patients in Northern Ireland are facing the worst waiting times in the UK, with new analysis warning delays are now putting lives at risk — as political pressure mounts on Stormont to act. A major report published on Thursday (23 April) by Cancer Research UK has laid bare the scale of the crisis, revealing that cancer waiting times in Northern Ireland have been deteriorating for more than 16 years and are now the poorest across the U

Pictured at the anniversary party for the Roddens A care home that has supported generations of families in Ballymoney has marked a major milestone, celebrating 55 years of service with a poignant reunion that brought its history full circle. The Roddens, which opened in 1971, commemorated its anniversary last month by welcoming back its very first care assistant, in a celebration that highlighted both its legacy and its continuing role in healthcare across Northern Ireland.

The scene on Saturday evening as firefighters battled multiple blazes across the Mourne Mountains in Co Down. (Photos: Patricia Williams, MeAndering Images) Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service (NIFRS) crews are tackling multiple wildfire incidents across the Mourne Mountains, with operations continuing into Sunday as authorities warn of ongoing risk to life and property and urge the public to avoid affected areas. Firefighters remain on the ground at two key locations —

A person has died following a single-vehicle collision in the Caledon area on Saturday night, with police confirming an arrest has been made as an investigation continues into the circumstances surrounding the fatal incident. Emergency services were called to the Derrycourtney Road shortly after 11pm on Saturday, April 25, after reports of a crash involving a van. Officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland attended the scene alongside colleagues from the Northern Ir

Police in Northern Ireland have launched an attempted murder investigation after a hijacked vehicle carrying a gas cylinder device exploded outside Dunmurry police station, with officers praised for evacuating residents – including two babies – just moments before the blast. The incident unfolded shortly after 10.50pm on Saturday 25 April, when a delivery driver’s car was hijacked in the Twinbrook area of west Belfast and used in what senior officers have described as a reckl

Two people have died following a devastating two-vehicle collision in the Lisburn area on Saturday evening, prompting an active police investigation and a renewed appeal for witnesses and dashcam footage. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) confirmed that the fatal crash occurred shortly before 6pm on Saturday, 25 April, on the Glenavy Road in Upper Ballinderry, involving a motorcycle and a car. Emergency services, including officers, the Northern Ireland Ambulance

A car bomb detonated outside a Northern Ireland police station late on Saturday night was designed “to kill officers and cause maximum harm”, prompting widespread condemnation and renewed warnings that the threat from dissident groups remains real. The explosion occurred at the gates of the station in the Kingsway area of Dunmurry, on the outskirts of Belfast, on the night of April 25, after a vehicle used in the attack had been hijacked earlier that evening. The Northern Ire

Proud winners - the Travelmax Ballymena team. A family-run Ballymena business has made history after being named the UK & Ireland’s top travel agency — the first time a Northern Ireland company has ever secured the industry’s highest honour. Travelmax, a female-led agency marking its 25th year in business, claimed the overall title at the prestigious TTG Top 50 Travel Agencies Awards, alongside two additional major accolades, in a landmark night for the local firm. The awards

Scenes from the Bluebell Festival today (Saturday 25 April) at Portglenone Forest. (All pics: Steven McAuley / McAuley Multimedia) Residents and visitors from across Northern Ireland gathered in large numbers at Portglenone Forest on Saturday 25 April, as the 2026 Bluebell Festival transformed the woodland into a vibrant celebration of nature, community, and outdoor activity. The annual event, organised by the MEA Outdoors team from Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, saw fa

(L-R) Kiran Minhas, Principal Katy Lynas Craig and Clare McGall A Ballymena nursery school has become the first in Northern Ireland to receive the highest level of recognition for its approach to children’s emotional wellbeing, marking a significant milestone in early years education across the region. Ballymena Integrated Nursery School has been awarded ‘gold standard’ Togetherness school accreditation — the top tier of a UK-wide scheme led by NHS-backed emotional health exp

Families across Northern Ireland are set for a summer of comic chaos as a major new interactive trail brings Dennis the Menace and the Beanotown gang to Hillsborough Castle and Gardens — with children granted free entry to the gardens throughout the holidays. Running from 27 June to 31 August 2026, the large-scale attraction, Beano Hijinks at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens, transforms the historic 100-acre estate into a time-twisting adventure trail, blending comic mischief

(L-R) Mervyn Whyte, Event Director, North West 200 and BBC Sport NI’s Stephen Watson BBC Sport NI will continue to bring the North West 200 to audiences worldwide until its historic centenary year after securing a new three-year broadcast extension with the Coleraine and District Motor Club. The agreement ensures that coverage of the Briggs Equipment North West 200 will remain on BBC platforms from 2027 through to 2029, a milestone year marking 100 years of one of Northern Ir

Committee for Communities Chair, Colm Gildernew MLA Homelessness services across Northern Ireland are under escalating strain, with frontline providers warning that some essential support programmes could become unviable within the current financial year without urgent government intervention. A stark new report from the Committee for Communities, reinforced by detailed findings from an Assembly committee inquiry into homelessness and the Supporting People Programme, lays bar

Members of the Newtownabbey Softball Club, Robert Robinson, Steven Rovertson, Kieran Grimley, Oonagh O’Flaherty and Alexandra Kelly Ballyclare is preparing to host one of Northern Ireland’s most historic and wide-ranging community festivals next month, as the Ballyclare May Fair returns for its 270th year with a packed eight-day programme of events, road closures, and town-wide celebrations from 16–23 May 2026. Organised by Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council and sponsore

Passengers travelling from Belfast are set for a significant boost in choice this winter after easyJet confirmed two new direct routes from Belfast International Airport, opening up both a major European capital and a popular Red Sea resort with year-round sunshine. The airline will begin flying from Belfast International to Sharm El Sheikh on 25 October, followed by Rome on 26 October, with both routes operating twice weekly and forming part of a wider nine-route expansion a

A major all-island study has revealed that vast numbers of teachers across Northern Ireland are experiencing serious work-related burnout, with nearly half now considering leaving the profession — raising fresh concerns about the sustainability of the education system. New research from Dublin City University’s Centre for Collaborative Research Across Teacher Education, carried out in partnership with St Mary’s University College Belfast, found that 91% of teachers surveyed a

South Antrim MP Robin Swann with Nico the police dog at the PSNI’s Steeple Training Campus in Antrim South Antrim MP Robin Swann has praised the PSNI Dog Section as a “vital and evolving force in modern policing” after witnessing first-hand how specially trained dogs are now being deployed to locate hidden digital devices as well as track suspects and search property. The visit to the PSNI’s Steeple Training Campus in Antrim offered a rare behind-the-scenes look at the scale,