NEWS

Regularly eating berries and other deeply coloured fruits and vegetables could significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, heart attacks and type 2 diabetes, according to major new research led by Queen’s University Belfast. The study found that people with the highest intake of anthocyanins – natural compounds found in many red, blue and purple foods – had a 26% lower risk of developing cardiovascular disease compared with those consuming the least. Researchers say the f

Lord Mayor of Belfast, Councillor Róis-Máire Donnelly joins Kohen McLaughlin and Eadie McErlean to launch the return of the Summer Rose Fair at Sir Thomas and Lady Dixon Park. Thousands of roses will burst into bloom as one of Belfast’s most colourful summer events returns next month, bringing three days of live entertainment, family activities, food, music and floral displays to one of the city’s best-loved parks. The annual Summer Rose Fair will take place at Sir Thomas and

The UK Government has announced a £4 million emergency funding package for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) following last week’s widespread public disorder and “racially motivated violence” that left communities shaken and placed significant pressure on policing resources. The intervention comes after several days of unrest which followed the serious knife attack in north Belfast and led to violent incidents across Northern Ireland, including attacks targeting e

CGI image of the hotel development in Rosemary Street approved at Belfast City Council’s Planning Committee this evening. This development will bring a 30-bedroom hotel with associated facilities and café. Belfast’s city centre is set for a significant boost in visitor accommodation, residential care provision and housing after planners approved five major developments that will reshape a number of prominent buildings across the city. The decisions, taken by Belfast City Coun

For many men, ADHD can go unrecognised for years, leaving them struggling with work, relationships, confidence and mental health without fully understanding why. A major event in Belfast this week, organised by ADDNI Children’s Charity, aims to change that by opening up a conversation that organisers say has been overlooked for far too long. Men & ADHD: Let’s Start the Conversation will bring together clinicians, mental health professionals and men with lived experience for a

The Police Service of Northern Ireland has strongly defended its handling of the recent nights of public disorder across Belfast and beyond, insisting officers “acted appropriately and undoubtedly saved lives” amid scenes that saw homes and vehicles set alight, families forced to flee, and dozens of officers injured. The robust response comes amid criticism of policing tactics during the unrest, which erupted in the days following the attempted murder of a man in Belfast’s Ki

Jailed: Neil Jackson A Belfast man who subjected three young children to years of sexual and physical abuse has been jailed for 20 years after being convicted of a catalogue of offences described by police as “predatory, manipulative and entirely depraved”. Neil Jackson, 44, was sentenced today to 20 years’ imprisonment, comprising 10 years in custody followed by 10 years on licence, for a series of offences committed against three victims over a prolonged period. The court h

Ballymena Future leaders take flight with Belfast City Airport’s IGNITE Youth Leadership Programme (pictured with Kieran Devlin, Operations and Facilities Director of Northern Ireland Civil Service Sports Association, Jenna Louise Dowds, and Michelle Hatfield Chief People and Marketing Officer at Belfast City Airport) A student from Ballymena is among 31 young people to graduate from a leadership programme designed to help teenagers build confidence, develop life skills and p

The family of Stephen Ogilvie have issued an emotional public statement condemning the violence and disorder that followed the attack on their loved one, while appealing for privacy as he continues his recovery in hospital. In a strongly worded message, the family said they had been left “completely devastated” by the attack on Kinnaird Avenue and described the incident as a massive shock that has consumed their focus as they remain by his bedside. They also moved to correct

Healthcare workers have reportedly become too afraid to leave their homes for work as escalating unrest begins disrupting frontline health services across Northern Ireland. Appointments have already been cancelled, homecare services impacted and staff allegedly stopped by masked men demanding identification, amid growing fears that intimidation targeting ethnic minority communities is now destabilising parts of the health system. The warnings emerged on Wednesday as politicia

Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows MLA The father of North Belfast attack victim Stephen Ogilvy has made a direct appeal for false rumours about his son’s condition to stop, as the young man remains in intensive care following what has been described as a “horrendous” assault. Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows MLA said he spoke personally with Mr Ogilvy on Wednesday morning, June 10, following Monday night’s attempted murder investigation, and revealed the family

Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service faced an intense night of emergency callouts on Tuesday as crews responded to dozens of incidents linked to escalating disorder across the Greater Belfast area, with additional appliances drafted in from across Northern Ireland to cope with demand. In an operational update issued shortly after midnight, NIFRS revealed its Regional Control Centre handled 256 calls between 7pm and midnight alone, resulting in attendance at 62 separate inci

A 30-year-old man has been charged with attempted murder following a serious knife attack in north Belfast that left a man in hospital. Detectives investigating the incident in the Kinnaird Avenue area on Monday night confirmed the suspect has also been charged with possession of an article with blade or point in a public place and threats to kill. The charges follow a fast-moving police investigation into the attack, which sparked significant concern in the local community a

The UK Home Office has confirmed that the man arrested over the brutal attempted murder in north Belfast is a Sudanese national who was granted refugee status in the UK after arriving in 2023 — with questions around the attacker’s status sparking a heated Commons clash today involving North Antrim MP Jim Allister and Secretary of State Hilary Benn. In a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon, a Home Office spokesperson said: “We can confirm the individual is a Sudanese nationa

ACC Ryan Henderson speaking to media at police headquarters. A man remains in hospital with devastating injuries to his eyes, face and back after what police have described as a “brutal” attempted murder in north Belfast that has sparked shock, fear and growing political tensions across Northern Ireland. Police confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that a Sudanese man in his 30s remains in custody on suspicion of attempted murder following the attack in the Kinnaird Avenue area on M

Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows MLA speaking on Tuesday in the Northern Ireland Assembly Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows MLA has called for calm across Northern Ireland following a shocking attempted murder in north Belfast that has left a man in a serious condition in hospital. Speaking after raising the incident in the Assembly on Tuesday morning, Mr Burrows condemned what he described as a “barbaric attack” and warned against escalating tensions as graphi

Jim Allister says attack reflects ‘alien culture’, while UUP Leader Jon Burrows has secured Matter if the Day for the brutal incident to be discussed in The Assembly TUV leader Jim Allister has linked brutal knife attack in north Belfast to “unchecked immigration” and Stormont Speaker Edwin Poots accepted a Matter of the Day from Ulster Unionist leader Jon Burrows following the declaration of a PSNI critical incident. The chilling attack has left a man with serious injuries t

Police have declared a critical incident after a man, who they first believed to be Somali but later confirmed was Sudanese, was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder following a brutal knife attack that left another man with serious injuries to his face, neck and back in north Belfast. The assault happened in the Kinnaird Avenue area shortly after 10.30pm on Monday night, 8 June, and has sparked widespread shock across Northern Ireland following the circulation of graphi

Police arrived at the incident in Belfast where the video reveals the attacker raise a knife in the air, shouting, before proceeding to try and cut at the victim’s neck. A widely circulated video showing a brutal stabbing in north Belfast has sparked political demands for the immediate release of details relating to the suspect’s nationality, immigration status and religion following what one senior unionist described as “one of the most horrific pieces of footage” he had eve

Mayor of Antrim and Newtownabbey Councillor Leah Kirkpatrick pictured alongside the son of Stoker Sammy Bannister, Andy Bannister at a special memorial plaque at Hazelbank Park. A deeply personal chapter of Northern Ireland’s naval history has been permanently commemorated in County Antrim following the unveiling of a new memorial honouring local sailors caught up in one of the Royal Navy’s most dramatic post-war incidents. Family members travelled from across the UK and beyo