NEWS

Murdered: 61-year-old Sidi Djalo Police have named the man who died following an incident at a home in Dungannon as 61-year-old Sidi Djalo. His family has asked for privacy as they come to terms with their loss following the incident on Lisnahull Road on Saturday 29 August, in which his wife and eight-year-old daughter were also injured. A 16-year-old male has been charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder and threats to kill in connection with the investigation. Fa

The Northern Trust has agreed £50 million of savings and confirmed it is now working to wind down Phone First — but says much of the detail showing what its wider financial plan will mean for patients and frontline staff is still being worked through. Love Ballymena put 12 detailed questions to the Northern Health and Social Care Trust after examining its 2026/27 Savings Plan, seeking clarity on a 23% reduction in winter planning funding, a targeted 25% reduction in enhanced

A 16-year-old male has been charged with murder, two counts of attempted murder and threats to kill following the death of a 61-year-old man at a home in Dungannon. Detectives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Major Investigation Team confirmed the teenager is due to appear before Omagh Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday 1 September. The charges follow an incident at a house in the Lisnahull Road area of Dungannon on Saturday 29 August, in which a man died and his wife

Superintendent Peter Stevenson, Mid Ulster District Commander, updating media on the murder and attempted murder investigation. An eight-year-old girl who was severely injured in an incident in which her 61-year-old father was murdered at their Dungannon home is now in a stable condition, with police saying the actions of officers who rushed to the scene gave her a “fighting chance of survival”. The PSNI has released significant new details about Saturday’s incident on Lisnah

Antrim Area Hospital Monday 31 August 2026 The Northern Trust is preparing to reduce winter-pressure funding by 23%, target a 25% reduction in enhanced patient observation hours, move selected surgery between hospitals and seek the closure of Phone First as it attempts to make £50 million of savings this year. Millions more are being targeted through reductions in agency and locum spending, tighter controls on vacant posts, changes involving care-home costs and almost £600,00

Two men have been arrested following a suspected arson attack at a vacant property in Cookstown in the early hours of Monday morning. Police were called to Coolnafranky Park at around 2.45am after receiving a report that a property was on fire. Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service crews were already at the scene when officers arrived and worked to extinguish the blaze. No one was inside the property at the time and no injuries were reported. The fire was contained to the

A child remains in a critical condition in hospital as detectives continue to investigate the death of a man at a home in Dungannon. Police have now confirmed that a woman was also found injured inside the property on Lisnahull Road on Saturday morning. She sustained non-life threatening injuries and has since been released from hospital. A male arrested at the scene on suspicion of murder and attempted murder remains in police custody. Man found dead inside Lisnahull Road ho

Rebecca Scott completed the Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Business at Northern Regional College’s Magherafelt campus before progressing to Ulster University in Belfast. A Magherafelt student has graduated with First-Class Honours in Accountancy and secured a training contract with professional services firm RSM UK, three years after completing a vocational Business qualification at Northern Regional College. Rebecca Scott completed the Level 3 National Extended Diploma

The aftermath of the Ballymena Bombing, an IRA firebombing attack that killed 27-year-old mother of three Yvonne Dunlop on 9 October 1976. The perpetrator, Thomas McElwee, subsequently starved himself to death on hunger strike. Pictured, Yvonne Dunlop. TUV representatives have strongly criticised First Minister Michelle O’Neill after she attended a commemoration for IRA hunger striker Thomas McElwee, who was imprisoned for his involvement in the 1976 Ballymena firebombing in

A car stolen after a house was broken into in Bellaghy was reportedly driven dangerously before crashing into a field and later being found abandoned in the early hours of Sunday morning. Detectives are appealing for witnesses and footage as they investigate the burglary and vehicle theft, which unfolded in the Mullaghboy Road area on Sunday 9 August. Police received the first report at approximately 2am, after the vehicle was seen being driven dangerously on Mullaghboy Road.

A person in Mid Ulster could face prosecution after a so-called “mystery box” ordered from an overseas online retailer was intercepted by Border Force and found to contain a taser and a number of other weapons. The parcel, which was destined for an address in Mid Ulster, was seized before delivery, prompting officers from the PSNI’s Cookstown Neighbourhood Policing Team to visit the intended recipient. ‘Mystery box’ explanation According to police, the buyer claimed they had

Arthur Cottage Cullybackey is set to take its place on an international heritage trail linking the ancestral homes of American presidents, as Tourism NI unveils a major programme of new visitor experiences designed to attract more overseas visitors to Northern Ireland. The village is one of four key locations on the new ‘Presidents, Heritage & Homecomings: The Ancestral Cottage Trail’ – a premium two-day guided experience that will connect the homesteads and heritage of US pr

Damage caused to a police safety camera van A man has been arrested after a Road Safety Partnership camera van was attacked and damaged in Mid Ulster, leaving the vehicle off the road and prompting a fresh police appeal for witnesses. The incident happened on Ballinderry Bridge Road, Coagh on Monday afternoon, 22 June, when a man allegedly approached the safety camera van and began throwing masonry at the vehicle, smashing windows and shouting abuse at the driver. Police have

Three people have been arrested after police uncovered a significant quantity of suspected drugs, firearms, ammunition, cash and counterfeit goods during a major operation in the Dungannon area. The searches, carried out on Friday, 19 June, involved officers from the PSNI’s Mid Ulster District Support Team, assisted by the Torrent Neighbourhood Policing Team, Dungannon Local Policing Team and the Armed Support Unit. Police say the operation resulted in the seizure of suspecte

Police discovered a cannabis cultivation operation in the garage of a home in Maghera A report of erratic driving in Maghera has led police to uncover a large-scale cannabis operation with an estimated street value of more than £130,000, resulting in two arrests and the seizure of drugs, cash and weapons. The discovery was made on Saturday, 13 June, when officers from Mid Ulster Police carried out follow-up enquiries at a residential property after receiving a complaint about

A motorist escaped unharmed after a group of masked men allegedly attempted to drag him from his vehicle during a brazen daylight incident in Cookstown. Police have launched an investigation following what detectives are treating as an attempted hijacking on the East Circular Road on Wednesday afternoon. The incident occurred between 2.10pm and 2.15pm on Wednesday, 10 June, when the driver was travelling along the road and noticed a number of males dressed in dark clothing, w

Maeve Owens while studying at MSU took the opportunity to travel to Chicago A student from Magherafelt has described her four-month study experience in the United States as “the best thing I’ve ever done” after returning home from a life-changing exchange programme at one of America’s biggest universities. Maeve Owens, who studies BSc (Hons) Food Business Management at the College of Agriculture, Food and Rural Enterprise (CAFRE), recently completed a semester abroad at Michi

Inset: Interim chief executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust The interim chief executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust has acknowledged the publication of the Northern Ireland Audit Office report on the use of temporary nursing staff across Northern Ireland. Speaking at a meeting of the Trust board at Causeway Hospital, Coleraine, on Thursday morning, Suzanne Pullins said the report “sends out a very important message about reliance on temporary

Dr Martin Hanna, Consultant Paediatrician; Lesley Kennedy, Paediatric Asthma & Allergy Nurse Specialist and Anne Marie Campbell, Allergy Dietitian. Children waiting for specialist allergy care in the Northern Trust area are being seen faster after a series of additional evening clinics helped tackle lengthy paediatric waiting lists at Antrim Area Hospital. The extra clinics, funded by the Department of Health, were introduced specifically to reduce delays for children needing

A major fire involving a car showroom, multiple vehicles and café premises in Garvagh prompted a large-scale emergency response in the early hours of Wednesday morning, with 55 firefighters deployed to tackle the blaze. Emergency crews were called to the incident on the Carhill Road at approximately 4.30am on Wednesday 13 May after reports of a building fire. Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service said firefighters arriving at the scene were met by a “developed fire” involvin