NEWS

Tuesday 3 November 2026 The Northern Health and Social Care Trust board has approved a further £2.16m in cost-cutting measures, bringing its total planned savings for 2026/27 to £52.16m, amid warnings that the latest proposals could lead to reductions in services. Despite the additional measures, the Trust still faces a £1.64m shortfall against its £53.8m savings target, which remains “unaddressed” in its financial plan for the current year. The Northern Trust provides health

Friday 30 October 2026 A stolen pick-up truck displaying registration plates taken from a vehicle in the Ballymena area was intercepted by police in Belfast during a busy shift that also saw a second driver arrested following an alleged hit-and-run incident in Lisburn. The PSNI’s Road Policing Intercept Team, based at Sprucefield, revealed details of three incidents on Wednesday 21 October, involving suspected vehicle theft, stolen number plates, alleged drink-driving and a f

Ulster Unionist Party leader Jon Burrows MLA, and the party’s candidate for Mid Ulster in next May’s Northern Ireland Assembly election, Ian Irwin. Monday 26 October 2026 The Ulster Unionist Party has selected former prison officer and victims advocate Ian Irwin as its candidate for Mid Ulster in next May’s Northern Ireland Assembly election. Mr Irwin, who has been a member of the party for more than 15 years, will seek to secure an Assembly seat for the UUP in a constituency

A busy A29 through Cookstown Tuesday 27 October 2026 Plans for a £100.1 million bypass around Cookstown have taken a significant step forward, with the Outline Business Case for the long-awaited road scheme receiving formal approval. The proposed A29 Cookstown Bypass would provide approximately 4km of new carriageway, helping to divert traffic away from the town centre, reduce congestion and improve journey times along one of County Tyrone’s key transport routes. The Outline

Suspected drugs seized by police following a patrol stop of a vehicle in Magherafelt. Saturday 24 October 2026 An 18-year-old man arrested after police discovered suspected Class A drugs during a vehicle stop in Magherafelt has been released on bail pending further enquiries. The teenager was a passenger in a Volkswagen Golf stopped by Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) officers on proactive mobile patrol in the Highfield Road area at approximately 12.20am on Friday 23

Newly appointed Chief Executive of Northern Health and Social Care Trust, David Burns Monday 12 October 2026 David Burns, the current Chief Executive of Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council, has been appointed as the new permanent Chief Executive of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, taking on responsibility for one of Northern Ireland’s major health and social care organisations at a challenging time for services. His appointment marks a change in leadership for the

Saturday 10 October 2026 Stroke patients across Northern Ireland can now receive potentially life-saving thrombectomy treatment at any time of the day or night, ending a restriction that previously left some patients waiting hours for a procedure that could reduce permanent disability. The introduction of the 24-hour, seven-day service marks a major improvement in stroke care following years of campaigning by survivors, families, clinicians and the Stroke Association. For Mag

Monday 05 October 2026 A 25-year-old man has been charged with blackmail and threatening to disclose private sexual images following an investigation by detectives in Cookstown CID. The man was arrested at Magherafelt PSNI station on Sunday, 4 October, in connection with a number of alleged online offences. Due before court today Police said he has now been charged with blackmail and threatening to disclose private sexual images. He is due to appear before Londonderry Magistr

Hannah Buchanan, Haematology Clinical Nurse Specialist Blood cancer can affect people of all ages and its symptoms can sometimes be mistaken for other illnesses, prompting the Northern Health and Social Care Trust to urge people to know the warning signs and seek medical advice if something does not feel right. September marks Blood Cancer Awareness Month, with health professionals using the campaign to highlight symptoms including unusual bruising or bleeding, extreme tire

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