A major search and rescue mission was launched after an F-15 fighter jet was shot down in Iran on Friday

Donald Trump has spoken out after the US military successfully pulled off a major search and rescue operation to find a missing service member.

Iran shot down an F15-E Strike Eagle fighter jet on Friday, with one service member getting rescued while a frantic search was launched for the second crew member. It has since been confirmed that the missing airman has been located, but the rescue team must still successfully navigate their way out of Iranian territory to safety.

The US crew member is injured but safe following the “daring” rescue, Mr Trump said.

He also hailed him as a “Brave Warrior!” who found himself behind enemy lines, reports the Mirror.

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Posting on Truth Social, Mr Trump declared: “WE GOT HIM! My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is now SAFE and SOUND!

“This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour, but was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue.

“At my direction, the U.S. Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine. This miraculous Search and Rescue Operation comes in addition to a successful rescue of another brave Pilot, yesterday, which we did not confirm, because we did not want to jeopardize our second rescue operation.

“This is the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory. WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND! The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies. This is a moment that ALL Americans, Republican, Democrat, and everyone else, should be proud of and united around. We truly have the best, most professional, and lethal Military in the History of the World. GOD BLESS AMERICA, GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS, AND HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!”

This followed Trump’s earlier statement on Truth Social claiming US forces had ‘terminated’ several of Iran’s military leaders, accompanied by footage that appeared to depict an airstrike eliminating senior IRGC commanders.

The war began with joint US-Israel strikes on February 28 and has killed thousands, shaken global markets, cut off key shipping routes and spiked fuel prices.

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DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Authorities say a fire has broken out at a petrochemicals plant in the United Arab Emirates following an attack on Sunday.

Abu Dhabi authorities responded to multiple fires at the Borouge petrochemicals plant. They say the fires were caused by falling debris following successful interceptions by air defense systems, but production at the plant has halted.

The plant is in Ruwais, near the UAE’s western border with Saudi Arabia. The plant is a joint venture of the Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. and Borealis of Australia.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. service member who has been missing since Iran shot down a fighter jet has been rescued, President Donald Trump wrote in a social media post early Sunday.

A frantic U.S. search-and-rescue operation unfolded after the crash of the F-15E Strike Eaglejet on Friday, as Iran also promised a reward for anyone who turned in the “enemy pilot.” “This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour,” he wrote.

A second crew member was rescued earlier.

“This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour,” Trump wrote.

Trump said that the aviator is injured but “will be just fine,” adding that the rescue involved “dozens of aircraft” and that U.S. had been monitoring his location “24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue.”

The fighter jet was the first U.S. aircraft to have crashed in Iranian territory since the conflict in late February.

Trump said last week that the U.S. had “decimated” Iran and would finish the war “very fast.” Two days later, Iran shot down two U.S. military planes, showing the ongoing perils of the bombing campaign and the ability of a degraded Iranian military to continue to hit back.

Drones hit Gulf energy infrastructure

In Kuwait, an Iranian drone attack caused significant damage to two power plants and put a water desalination station out of service, according to the Ministry of Electricity. No injuries were reported from the attack, the ministry said.

In Bahrain, the national oil company said that a drone attack caused a fire at one of its storage facilities, which was extinguished. It said the damage was still being assessed and no injuries had been reported.

The war began with joint U.S.-Israel strikes on Feb. 28 and has killed thousands, shaken global markets, cut off key shipping routes and spiked fuel prices. Both sides have threatened, and hit, civilian targets, bringing warnings of possible war crimes.

The other jet to go down was a U.S. A-10 attack aircraft. Neither the status of the crew nor exactly where it crashed was immediately known.

Trump renews threat

Trump renewed his threats for Iran to open up the Strait of Hormuz, a crucial waterway for global energy shipments that has been choked off by Tehran, by Monday or face devastating consequences, writing Saturday in a social media post: “Remember when I gave Iran ten days to MAKE A DEAL or OPEN UP THE HORMUZ STRAIT. Time is running out — 48 hours before all Hell will reign down on them.”

“The doors of hell will be opened to you” if Iran’s infrastructure is attacked, Gen. Ali Abdollahi Aliabadi with the country’s joint military command said late Saturday in response to Trump’s renewed threat, state media reported. In turn, the general threatened all infrastructure used by the U.S. military in the region.

But Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Tahir Andrabi, told The Associated Press that his government’s efforts to broker a ceasefire are “right on track” after Islamabad last week said that it would soon host talks between the U.S. and Iran.

Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said that Iranian officials “have never refused to go to Islamabad.”

Mediators from Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt were working to bring the U.S. and Iran to the negotiating table, according to two regional officials.

The proposed compromise includes a cessation of hostilities to allow a diplomatic settlement, according to a regional official involved in the efforts and a Gulf diplomat briefed on the matter. They spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss closed-door diplomacy.

Iran threatens to disrupt traffic in second key strait

Iran’s parliamentary speaker, Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf, issued a veiled threat late Friday to disrupt traffic through a second strategic waterway in the region, the Bab el-Mandeb.

The strait, 32 kilometers (20 miles) wide, links the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. More than a tenth of seaborne global oil and a quarter of container ships pass through it.

“Which countries and companies account for the highest transit volumes through the strait?” Qalibaf wrote.

More than 1,900 people have been killed in Iran since the war began.

In Gulf Arab states and the occupied West Bank, more than two dozen people have died, while 19 have been reported dead in Israel and 13 U.S. service members have been killed. In Lebanon, more than 1,400 people have been killed and more than 1 million people have been displaced. Ten Israeli soldiers have died there.

___

Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Samy Magdy in Cairo; Munir Ahmed in Islamabad; Dasha Litvinova in Tallinn, Estonia; and Seung Min Kim, Will Weissert, Michelle L. Price, Lisa Mascaro and Ben Finley in Washington, contributed to this report.

The free festival will take place on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19 in Bishop Auckland town centre and is organised by Durham County Council.

Thousands of visitors are expected to attend across the two days, with more than 140 traders selling a wide variety of food and drink, from pulled pork to pancakes, fudge to fried chicken, and craft beer to bubble tea.

Bishop Auckland Food Festival 2025. (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

A number of well-known chefs and television personalities will appear across the weekend, offering cookery demonstrations and sharing their expertise with festivalgoers.

Appearing on the Sunday will be Lumberjaxe, Jasmine Mitchell and Briony May Williams.

Lumberjaxe is made up of brothers Brendon and Jaydon Manders, who together came up with a seasoning and sauce brand, with the purpose of making preservative free products that are lower in salt and sugar.

The brothers, who share a love of outdoor cooking, appeared on BBC Dragons’ Den in February 2025, successfully securing investment from global business leader Emma Grede. Their pitch was described as “one of the most powerful moments in Dragons’ Den history.”

Also appearing on the Sunday line-up is Jasmine Mitchell, the winner of last year’s Great British Bake Off. During her time on the BBC programme she openly shared her journey with alopecia and chose to bake without a wig, a powerful statement of confidence that drew a huge response from viewers.

Briony May Williams, who appeared on series nine of Bake Off in 2018 and finished fourth, will also appear on Sunday. She now presents BBC One’s property series Escape To The Country and is one of the presenters of BBC One’s Morning Live.

Her other television credits include Pointless Celebrities, House Of Games and The Weakest Link. Her first cookbook, The Retro Recipe Society, was published earlier this year.

Celebrity chef Phil Vickery, pictured at the 2023 Bishop Auckland Food Festival will headline the event this year, it has been announced (Image: Supplied)

Saturday’s line-up will feature chef Phil Vickery, Shivi Ramoutar and Aaron Mountford-Myles.

Phil Vickery has appeared on This Morning for over 22 years and returns to the festival having been part of the line-up in 2023.

He has also had two series of his own on ITV, Phil Vickery’s Pudding Club and Save Money: Good Diet, and has appeared on BBC programmes including Holiday, Ready Steady Cook and Proof of the Pudding. He is also a prolific cookery author, having written 19 books which sell worldwide and have won many awards.

Shivi Ramoutar can regularly be found cooking her tropical fare on television, including appearances on Saturday Kitchen, James Martin’s Saturday Mornings and This Morning, as well as on her own series Jimmy and Shivi’s Farmhouse Breakfast.

Bishop Auckland Food Festival 2025. (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

Aaron Mountford-Myles shot to the nation’s attention last year when he reached the final of Channel 4 series The Great British Bake Off.

Hosting the festival across both days will be Chris Bavin, who returns to the role he has held in previous years. Chris is co-presenter of BBC One’s Eat Well for Less? and has also presented Tomorrow’s Food with Dara O’Briain and The Truth about Meat.

He is also co-presenter of BBC One’s Food: Truth or Scare with Gloria Hunniford, was the presenter for two series of BBC Two’s Britain in Bloom and served as a co-judge on BBC One’s Britain’s Best Home Cook. He is also a regular guest and reporter for The One Show and Morning Live.

Bishop Auckland Food Festival 2025. (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

Chocolate lovers will also be able to take part in workshops run by chocolatier Paul A. Young across both days of the festival.

Paul, who was raised in Trimdon Station and went to Wellfield Community School and New College Durham, will host hour-long Perfect Truffles Masterclass and Adventures with Chocolate sessions.

Bishop Auckland Food Festival is attended by tens of thousands. (Image: Sarah Caldecott)

Cllr Karen Allison, Durham County Council’s Cabinet member for leisure, tourism, regeneration and high street, said: “We’re really looking forward to Bishop Auckland Food Festival.

“We know how important food and drink are to visitors to County Durham and how many jobs they sustain here, supporting our economy in the process. It’s therefore fitting that we can organise events such as Bishop Auckland Food Festival that recognise and celebrate all that food and drink contribute to our area.

“We can’t wait for everyone to come along and enjoy an amazing selection of food with us.”

Further information about the festival and booking details for the chocolate workshops can be found on the Bishop Auckland Food Festival website.

The rabbit could have been stuck down the narrow pipe for hours before he was rescued

The RSPCA had to rescue a rabbit from a Cambridgeshire home after it got stuck in a pipe. The resident spotted the rabbit in a pipe at the end of his driveway in Gamlingay, South Cambridgeshire, at around 3.30pm on Sunday, March 29.

The resident, along with a neighbour, was unable to reach the rabbit and so he called the RSPCA. The Animal Rescue Officer, Nicole Scott, was able to attend to the scene.

Nicole said: “The rabbit was about down the narrow pipe and unable to get himself free – it must have been scary for him. The pipe had previously been covered by a small piece of slate, which had blown off at some point since the previous evening – so he could have potentially been stuck there for hours before he was finally discovered.

“Thankfully, I was able to hook my fingers around his back legs and support his belly as he wriggled up out of the pipe. He seemed OK, other than a sore patch on his nose where he’d rubbed all the fur off – but otherwise unscathed.

“As we weren’t sure how long he’d been there we took him to a local vet for a once-over and to make sure he didn’t have any ill effects from balancing on his head all day, or go into shock.”

After being rescued from the pipe, the rabbit has made a full recovery and seemed “bright and happy” the next day. He was collected from Henlow Vets in Bedfordshire by the homeowner, who helped release the rabbit back into the wild.

Nicole added: “This was a fantastic example of teamwork between the RSPCA, members of the public and local vets – this must have been very distressing for the poor rabbit, and we’re so pleased he made a full recovery and was able to hop back home for Easter.

“We’d always encourage people to check for and cover any open drains or pipes to help protect wildlife, especially as they become more active in the spring months. This particular rescue needed some specialist help, but there are lots of small wildlife and pets which the public can safely help, and the fastest way to do this is by taking them to a local vet.”

The RSPCA has released advice online on how people can help sick or injured wildlife. The charity is calling on people to become a Local Animal Hero by watching its training video that features RSPCA ARO Emma Baker showing how people can help small wild animals and pets in need and how to create their own rescue box.

The public can also sign up to become an RSPCA Wildlife Friend, which is a volunteering scheme aiming to change the lives of animals for the better. You can sign up to the scheme via the RSPCA website.

Russian drone strikes killed five people and wounded 19 in Ukraine after forces targeted a street market in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Firefighters worked to extinguish a blaze caused by the attack, which damaged market stalls and a shop in the city of Nikopol on Saturday.

Another attack, in the city of Sumy, targeted houses, cars, and utility networks, and wounded 11 people, the National Police said.

It comes after Volodymyr Zelensky accused Russia of an “Easter escalation”, with Russian forces firing 286 drones at Ukraine overnight.

Ukrainian air defence forces destroyed or jammed 260 drones in the country’s north, south, east and centre, with hits recorded in 10 locations.

The Ukrainian president had proposed a ‌halt in strikes for Easter, telling Russia it would reciprocate if it stopped attacks on the energy sector.

In a post on social media, Zelensky said: “Not a single hour of peace for our people, and this is Russia’s response to our proposal for an Easter ceasefire. Essentially, the Russians have only intensified their strikes, turning what should have been silence in the skies into an Easter escalation.”

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Slovak PM calls on EU to lift Russian oil and gas sanctions to tackle Iran war energy crisis

Slovak prime minister Robert Fico has called on the European Union to end sanctions on Russian oil and gas imports and restore flows through the Druzhba pipeline, arguing the bloc needs to draw on all available energy sources to address the supply crisis triggered by the US-Iran war.

Fico made the call in a statement after a call with Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán on Saturday, saying the EU should renew dialogue with Russia and ensure member states could access gas and oil from all sources, including Russian ones. “It is not enough to deal with the energy crisis only at the national level,” he said.

Hungary and Slovakia are outliers in the EU for maintaining relations with Moscow, and were the only two member states still importing Russian oil when a Russian drone strike hit pipeline equipment in Ukraine in January, disrupting Druzhba flows. Budapest and Bratislava have accused Ukraine of deliberately delaying repairs to resume the pipeline, triggering a political dispute that has seen Hungary block an EU loan to Kyiv. Ukraine says it is fixing the damage as quickly as possible.

Oil prices have surged since US and Israeli strikes on Iran began on 28 February, creating what the International Energy Agency called the biggest oil supply disruption in history. The EU had cut Russian oil imports to just one per cent of its total supply by the final quarter of 2025 following Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

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Stuti Mishra5 April 2026 07:15

Oil pipeline at Russia’s Primorsk port damaged in Ukrainian drone attack

A Ukrainian drone strike has damaged an oil pipeline at Russia’s Baltic Sea port of Primorsk, local governor Alexander Drozdenko said on Sunday.

No injuries were reported.

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The pipeline was shut down and a fire was safely burning out, Drozdenko said on Telegram. Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russia’s Baltic Sea ports over the past month.

Stuti Mishra5 April 2026 06:12

Ukraine deploys firefighting robot to extinguish blaze

Ukrainian soldiers deployed a firefighting robot to extinguish a blaze in the Kramatorsk region following a Russian strike on a house.

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After discovering that gas canisters were stored at the scene of the fire, the fire brigade decided to use the robot to prevent putting soldiers at further risk.

“With its help, the fire was extinguished and prevented from spreading to neighbouring homes,” the brigade said.

“Ukrainian [ground robots] prove their uniqueness and effectiveness not only on the battlefield, but also in civilian life.”

The “Zmiy Firefighting” ground robotic systems are created by Ukrainian defence tech company RoverTech and are designed to operate in high-risk environments.

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The system can be remotely controlled at distances of up to 3,000 meters, according to the company.

Harriette Boucher5 April 2026 04:00

Seven injured in Russian drone strike on Sumy as Zelensky warns of ‘Easter escalation’

Harriette Boucher5 April 2026 03:00

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Russia warns citizens against travelling to dozens of countries

Harriette Boucher5 April 2026 02:00

Ukraine rescues eight children from occupied territories

Ukraine has brought back eight children and teenagers from occupied territories, a Ukrainian humanitarian NGO has announced.

Mykola Kuleba, the founder of Save Ukraine, said they had all been living in conditions of pressure and fear, and their lives were under constant threat.

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One 14 year old, Zoryana, was among those rescued. Mr Kuleba said she had been separated from her father by Russians, who was stripped of his documents and deported.

The girl was forced to study in a Russian school, where she was told about the greatness of Russia and taught to use weapons, he said.

Mr Kuleba wrote: “They are all in our Hope and Recovery centers and are receiving psychological support, documentation assistance, housing, and care — everything to help them regain a sense of security and start building a future.

“But thousands of children still remain under occupation. They are forced to be silent, conformed, and prepared for war. But we are not stopping.”

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Harriette Boucher5 April 2026 01:00

Russia offers huge payments to students to join its drone forces in Ukraine

This recruitment drive is further evidenced by documents indicating that companies in Russia’s central Ryazan region have been given quotas to enlist workers for the army.

Top officials also deny any shortage of recruits, despite Ukrainian claims – dismissed by Moscow – that Kyiv is eliminating Russian troops faster than they can be replaced.

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Harriette Boucher5 April 2026 00:00

Five dead after Russian drone hits street market

Ukraine said three women and two men were killed in a Russian drone attack on a market in the city of Nikopol in the Dnipropetrovsk region.

Another 19 people were injured in the attack, the prosecutor general’s office said.

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A strike also wounded 11 people in the city of Sumy, not far from the border with Russia.

Harriette Boucher4 April 2026 23:52

Russia suffers record losses in March, Zelensky says

Nearly 34,000 Russian soldiers have been killed or seriously wounded in March, the highest level since the start of the war, according to Volodymyr Zelensky.

Another 1,363 Russians were “eliminated” in artillery and other strikes over the month, bringing Russian losses to more than 35,000 in March.

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“Importantly, the results in the destruction of Russia’s air defence systems have also significantly increased, with 274 such systems hit in March alone,” Ukraine’s leader wrote on social media.

“There have also been tangible results in the destruction of Russian depots and military logistics. The Ministry of Defence, together with the Armed Forces, will present a detailed report to the public for March – data that may be made public.”

Harriette Boucher4 April 2026 23:00

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Stress from Russian bombardment causing premature birthrates in Ukraine, UNFPA warns

Harriette Boucher4 April 2026 22:00

Your latest round up of cases heard between March 30-April 3.

Despite many courts being in recess for Easter, some cases were still heard this past week. They included a Northern Ireland music teacher in court over allegations he trafficked and drugged a child for sex.

Also a transgender woman avoided jail over a homophobic attack on a neighbour, calling him a ‘fa***t’.

Meanwhile a man also avoided jail after being caught engaging in what a judge called a ‘disgusting’ sex act at a train station by a young boy.

And a man appeared in court in Dublin on Good Friday after an extradition request following the murder of Robbie Lawlor in Belfast six years ago.

Here is your latest round up of cases before the courts between Monday, March 30 and Friday, April 3.

Victim was ‘stabbed seven times’ in ‘frenzied and brutal attack’

A Lithuanian man accused of murdering a man in a Portadown flat has told a court that he was acting in self-defence.

Rolandas Kvederis, 49, died after sustaining seven stab wounds to his neck and lower back inside the property in Ranfurley Road on Thursday, March 26.

Ruslanas Kovalkovas, 51, appeared in the dock of Lisburn Magistrates’ Court on Monday charged with his murder.

Kovalkovas, who was living at the Ranfurley Road apartment at the time of the incident, was denied bail and remanded in custody.

At the outset of the remand hearing, when asked whether he understood the charge he was facing, Kovalkovas – wearing a grey track suit – spoke through an interpreter to deny murder.

“I did not kill him, I was defending myself,” he told district judge Rosemary Watters.

READ MORE HERE

Man in 40s charged with murder of Denis Donaldson

A man has been charged with murder as part of the investigation into the killing of Denis Donaldson nearly 20 years ago.

Mr Donaldson was shot dead in Co Donegal in 2006, months after admitting his role as a police and MI5 agent over 20 years.

Antoin Duffy, aged in his 40s and of no fixed abode, appeared before a Dublin court charged with the murder of ex-Sinn Fein official Donaldson in Co Donegal in 2006.

He was arrested earlier in the day at Casement Aerodrome following his extradition from Scotland on foot of a European Arrest Warrant.

Appearing before the Special Criminal Court on Monday afternoon, he was charged with the murder of Mr Donaldson at Cloghercor, Doochary on a date unknown between April 3 and 4 in 2006.

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Snapchat pervert who pestered girls for sexual images back in jail

A convicted sex offender has appeared in court facing multiple allegations of breaching court orders.

Appearing at Coleraine Magistrates Court by video link from police custody on Tuesday, 38-year-old Gary Savage was charged with a total of seven offences, alleged to have been committed between 1 September last year and 28 February 2026.

Savage, originally from Ballynahinch but now of no fixed abode, Newtownabbey, faces six charges of breaching a Sexual Offences Prevention Order and one of breaching the requirements of the sex offenders register.

The SOPO, an order designed to protect the public and potential victims from further offending, was first imposed as long ago as 2018 when Savage was sentenced for sexual communication with a female child “for the purpose of obtaining sexual gratification” and attempting to cause her to engage in sexual activity.

Since then, Savage has repeatedly been before the courts for a multitude of SOPO breaches and further offending.

READ MORE HERE

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Man avoids jail after engaging in ‘disgusting’ sex act at busy NI train station

A man whose partner performed a sex act on him in full view of a busy train station, including a 13-year-old boy, has been handed a four-month prison sentence on Tuesday, suspended for two years.

Sentencing Martin McMillan at Antrim Magistrates Court, sitting in Ballymena, District Judge Nigel Broderick told the 40-year-old: “This was a disgusting act to be engaged in.”

He added that as well as multiple other people on the opposite platform, there had also been a 13-year-old boy witnessing the offending by him and 48-year-old Lisa O’Neill.

Last week O’Neill, with an address at Maple Crescent in Dunmurry, was put on probation for nine months after she admitted an offence of indecent behaviour.

McMillan, with an address on Gallows Street in Dromore, admitted the same charge and re-opening the facts of the case on Tuesday, a prosecution lawyer said it was the teenage schoolboy who contacted police about the incident at Antrim Train Station, around 8pm on 14 December last year.

O’Neill, the court heard, “was performing a sex act” on McMillan (40), on the platform at the train station.

READ MORE HERE

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Man accused of domestic abuse granted bail but excluded from part of Belfast

A west Belfast man awaiting trial for charges including domestic abuse and assaulting his partner was granted bail on Wednesday.

As part of the conditions for his release, Robert Martin Braniff has been banned from contacting the complainant either directly or indirectly.

The application to release the 41-year old, from Norglen Road, was made and granted at Belfast Crown Court and he attended via a videolink with HMP Maghaberry.

Braniff is awaiting trial on four charges he denies dating back to March 3, 2025 – namely possessing a knife with intent, assaulting a female, stealing two of her phones and engaging in a course of behaviour that was abusive to her and likely to cause her to suffer physical or psychological harm.

As his pending trial has been exempted from the current industrial action, it is listed to proceed later this month.

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Transgender woman avoids jail over homophobic attack on neighbour

A transgender woman who subjected a neighbour to homophobic abuse when she assaulted him has been handed a suspended prison sentence.

District Judge Amanda Brady told Michelle James she was satisfied “that the custody threshold has been crossed,” particularly given the fact the offence was aggravated by reason of hostility.

Imposing a four-month prison sentence, Judge Brady told the 64-year-old that given her guilty plea, she would suspend the sentence for 18 months.

Appearing at court on Wednesday by video link from the women’s prison, James, with an address on Main Road in Cloghy, entered a guilty plea to a single charge of common assault, arising from an incident on 2 December 2024.

Opening the facts of the case, the prosecution counsel told the court it was just after 2.30 that afternoon when the victim reported that James had assaulted him.

He told police that having put rubbish in the bins, he was in the communal stairwell when an “intoxicated” James called him “a f****** fa***t” and threw a punch at him.

READ MORE HERE

Man accused of sending threatening messages to MLA faces court

A man has appeared before court accused of sending threatening messages to DUP MLA Trevor Clarke.

Andrew Moran, 30, of Grange Lane, Newtownabbey, faces seven charges in total.

They include sending threatening electronic messages, possession of cannabis and breaching a restraining order.

There is also a charge for intimidation of a witness on March 29 2026 for allegedly threatening Mr Clarke for speaking with police, and for allegedly harassing Mr Clarke between March 27 and April 1.

Following a brief mention at Ballymena Magistrates’ Court on Thursday morning, Moran was remanded into custody after the case was adjourned on request of the defence because it was not ready.

READ MORE HERE

Teacher in court over allegations he trafficked and drugged a child for sex

A music teacher and the manager of a youth orchestra has appeared in court charged with supplying drugs and exploiting a child for sex.

Appearing in the dock of Belfast Magistrates Court on Thursday, 48-year-old Robert James Briscoe confirmed his identity and that he understood the eight charges against him.

On an indictment covering a time period between 30 September 2025 and 10 March 2026, Briscoe faces two counts of human trafficking of a child, and single offences of paying for the sexual services of the child, administering a substance to the complainant in order to overpower or stupefy them to facilitate a sex offence and attempting to pay for sexual services.

The 48-year-old, with an address at Seamount in Belfast, faces three drug charges, accusing him of possessing and intending to supply Class A methamphetamine and simple possession of Class B nandrolone.

READ MORE HERE

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Street preacher ‘subjected Belfast’s deputy Lord Mayor to foul-mouthed rant’

A street preacher allegedly subjected Belfast’s deputy Lord Mayor to a foul-mouthed rant outside City Hall, the High Court heard on Thursday.

Prosecutors claimed Councillor Paul Doherty had to retreat amid fears Colin Houston would assault him during last week’s confrontation.

Houston, 61, is also accused of swearing at council security staff who asked him to take down a Jesus flag and then injuring two PSNI officers.

The Christian pastor, of Forthriver Way in Belfast, faces charges of common assault, three assaults on police, disorder behaviour and resisting arrest over the incidents.

He was granted bail but barred from returning to the city centre.

Houston allegedly became abusive while standing at the gates of City Hall with a loud speaker and flag on March 23.

It was claimed that he initially shouted at an elderly member of the public: “Shut your mouth you f***ing c**t’.”

Mr Doherty, an SDLP councillor and current deputy Lord Mayor, alleged the street preacher then directed his aggression at him during a confrontation in the grounds.

READ MORE HERE

Man appears in court over murder of Robbie Lawlor in Belfast

A man has appeared before the High Court as he faces extradition over the murder of Robbie Lawlor in Belfast.

Jonathan Gill, 44, with an address at Malahide Road, Clontarf, appeared before Judge Barry O’Donnell on Friday on the foot of a warrant in Northern Ireland for him to be charged with the murder of Lawlor, which occurred in the Ardoyne area of Belfast on April 4, 2020.

He is also to be charged with possession of a 9mm pistol on a date unknown between April 2nd and April 5th 2020.

READ MORE HERE

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If approved, the new two-floor houses would “retain the agricultural character of the building” on land at Brinsop Farm near Blackrod, said McDonald Wilkinson Tonge in a design and access statement.

They said the site, which lies on the green belt, “is characterised by a semi-rural setting, with a mix of agricultural buildings and residential properties in the surrounding area”.

They added that the building has “limited visibility” from Chorley Road and said the plan would be “efficient use of an existing building” – with “limited” alterations.

Plans for the barn conversion (Image: Building Design Services)

The chartered planners also submitted a self build/custom house statement with the application which said the applicant “intends to market the new dwellings as self-builds”.

Andrew Smith, a public rights of way officer at Bolton Council, raised concerns about a nearby footpath which runs past the site plan.

The barn (Image: Bolton Council)

Though outside the site, he said it “might be affected” and the development’s impact on a public right of way is a “material consideration” when deciding whether to grant planning permission.

He said that “due to its close proximity to the development”, the applicant “should be made aware of the need to safeguard people using this public right of way”.

Entrance to the public right of way from Chorley Road (Image: Google Maps)

Mr Smith said the proposed development “must be contained within the site boundary” and cannot “extend over the public right of way”.

He added that the applicant must make sure that “surface water is not discharged onto the public right of way” and drainage solutions should be provided within the application site.

He said that any temporary obstruction of the path which is “unavoidable” must seek a temporary closure order from the council.

Town planners will have until May 25, 2026, to make a decision on the application.

Self build homes are Self-build homes are residential properties designed, commissioned, or built directly by the individual who intends to live in them.

The winner of this year’s men’s FA Cup will pocket £2.1m in prize money. A decent sum, perhaps, on the surface of it. That is until you compare it to the prize money on offer for finishing one position higher in the Premier League.

According to the Premier League website, in 2024-25 each position was worth £2.7m, so finishing 17th, one place above the drop, earned £10.8m – more than five times the amount for winning the FA Cup.

Not only this, but the financial impact of relegation is enormous. Broadcast money, plus matchday and commercial revenue all take hits.

And while the actual amount will vary on a club-by-club basis, football finance expert Kieran Maguire believes dropping out of the top flight in 2025-26 will cost clubs an average of £100m.

“The club that finished bottom of the Premier League two years ago, the last set of dates we have, got £111m,” Maguire told the Daily Mail in January.

“I think by the end of this season, we’ll be looking at somewhere in the region of £120m from the television companies alone.

“That will drop to around £45m in the Championship, so that is already about £75m [lost].”

Once you add the loss of matchday and commercial revenue, it means clubs are staring down the barrel of £100m+ losses.

So, when it comes to rotating players, is it really any wonder that managers are increasingly choosing to use domestic cup competitions as rotatory playgrounds?

While there is seemingly a lot to gain for fans, and you could argue the players, that gain isn’t nearly as appealing for many of those charged with steering the ships.

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