Belfast News Letter News

New family indoor adventure play and learning centre opened six months ago in Magherafelt

The Newsroom — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:34:14 GMT

Hunters Quest is a jungle-themed indoor adventure play space, soft play, and family café that has recently opened at Rainey Street in Magherafelt.

Tenders sought for refurbishment of Castleview Play Park in Whitehead

Michelle Weir and Local Democracy Reporter — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:33:47 GMT

Mid and East Antrim Borough Council is seeking tenders for refurbishment of Castleview Play Park in Whitehead.

Jeffrey Donaldson survivor: 'The sexual abuse left me not wanting to be alive most days'

Philip Bradfield — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:33:07 GMT

One of the survivors of sexual abuse by former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson said that it left her "not wanting to be alive most days".

'We need to get these guns off the streets': Shock as man shot in Newtownards housing estate

Iain Gray — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 16:16:33 GMT

The “whole community condemns” the shooting of a man in a Co Down housing estate, local representatives say.

'A fantastic example': Northern Ireland health giant strikes major multi-year deal with British tech firm to secure sensitive healthcare data

Claire Cartmill — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 15:13:09 GMT

Major deal sees Valarian partner with global diagnostics company Randox, whose products are used in the diagnosis of over 400 million people worldwide each year

Jeffrey Donaldson sentencing: 'Ask difficult questions and recognise when something is wrong to prevent more cases' say abuse charities

Iain Gray — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 15:08:22 GMT

Members of the public need to ask difficult questions and recognise wrong to protect children, abuse charities have said in the wake of Jeffrey Donaldson’s sentencing.

Jeffrey Donaldson: Four decades in politics that now lie in tatters

Iain Gray — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 14:22:06 GMT

Jeffrey Donaldson was getting ready to celebrate 40 years as an elected politician when he was finally brought to justice for the vile crimes he’d secretly committed during his career.

Jeffrey Donaldson: Putting former political leader behind bars shows 'no one above the law'

Iain Gray — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 14:13:27 GMT

Putting a man who was formerly one of Ulster’s most formidable political leaders behind bars shows that no one is above the law, the PSNI has said.

Jeffrey Donaldson sentencing: No emotion as judge describes Donaldson’s ‘catastrophic descent into disgrace’

By Jonathan McCambridge — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 13:47:35 GMT

Jeffrey Donaldson was impassive in the dock of Newry Crown Court as Judge Paul Ramsey described his “catastrophic descent into disgrace”.

Jeffrey Donaldson sentencing: Political parties, sex abuse charities, PPS and PSNI give reaction

Philip Bradfield — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 13:42:23 GMT

Political parties, charities dealing with sexual abuse, police and prosecutors have all condemned the crimes of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson.

Jeffrey Donaldson sentencing: Victims recall 'waking up at night shaking' but are glad 'Donaldsons can no longer hurt anyone'

By Cillian Sherlock — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 13:12:03 GMT

Two women who were victims of sex offences perpetrated by former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson when they were children have spoken about the lasting impact of his actions.

Jeffrey Donaldson sentencing: DUP says 'he deserves every day of prison sentence for preying on innocent child victims'

By Philip Bradfield — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 13:10:58 GMT

The DUP has said that its former leader, Jeffrey Donaldson, “deserves every day of the lengthy prison sentence he has to serve following the guilty verdict for preying on innocent child victims”.

Jeffrey Donaldson sentencing: The evidence which led to the conviction of ex-DUP leader

By Jonathan McCambridge — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:36:05 GMT

At a pre-sentence hearing at Newry Crown Court in September, the two victims of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson faced him across a courtroom for the first time.

Jeffrey Donaldson sentencing completes spectacular fall from grace for ex-DUP leader

By David Young and Jonathan McCambridge — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:32:57 GMT

Sentencing completes spectacular fall from grace for ex-MP Jeffrey Donaldson

Jeffrey Donaldson sentencing: Ex-DUP leader offered 'not one word of regret or apology to give victims a crumb of comfort'

By Jonathan McCambridge and Cillian Sherlock and David Young — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:27:27 GMT

Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has been given a 15-year jail sentence for a series of historical sex offences against two women when they were children.

'Bring clean transport to market faster’: Northern Ireland firm to lead £15m project with Belfast Harbour as testbed for zero-emission transport

Claire Cartmill — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:07:23 GMT

The Zero Emissions Transport and Energy Cluster, led by Artemis Technologies, will test new technologies at Belfast Harbour using digital twin technology

Jeffrey Donaldson sentencing: Full list of all 18 child sex abuse convictions of ex-DUP leader

Jilly Beattie — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 11:29:46 GMT

Jeffrey Donaldson was convicted on all 18 counts of child sex abuse against him: one of rape, 13 of indecent assault and four of gross indecency.

'Some of the best strategically creative minds are right here': Northern Ireland creative duo win top Australian advertising award

Claire Cartmill — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 11:26:10 GMT

Co Antrim creative director Tim McAllister and copywriter Mike Fleming help Australian agency Bennett land prestigious Effie for campaign that transformed a timber brand, with awareness rising to 99%

'An exciting next step': Co Tyrone manufacturer secures major supply deal with Northren Ireland construction firm until 2028

Claire Cartmill — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 11:24:05 GMT

AG has been named a preferred supplier to Graham with the agreement building on work at major Belfast developments and supporting a focus on lower-carbon building materials

LIVE BLOG: Jeffrey Donaldson has been sentenced for sex offences at Newry Court

Michael Cousins — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 10:58:08 GMT

Donaldson appeared in the dock at Newry Crown Court where he learnt from judge Paul Ramsey how long he will spend in prison.

Jeffrey Donaldson sentencing: Ex-DUP leader jailed for 15 years for sexual abuse of children

Philip Bradfield — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 10:55:38 GMT

Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for the sexual abuse of two children. Body

‘This recognition belongs to our clients, partners and collaborators’: New Northern Ireland software firm up for top business award

Business reporter — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 10:22:28 GMT

Portadown-based Libertas Software Research, incorporated in May 2025, has been named a finalist for Innovative Company of the Year at the 2026 AIB Business Eye Awards

Jeffrey Donaldson sentencing: The story behind Eleanor Donaldson's 'trial of the facts'

Jilly Beattie — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 10:11:46 GMT

As Jeffrey Donaldson is today sentenced for his 18 child sex crimes, the News Letter looks into the story of the story behind the case against his wife, Eleanor Donaldson.

'We have a permanent solution opening soon': Popular Northern Ireland shopping centre Post Office to return home with longer hours

Claire Cartmill — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 10:00:57 GMT

The Rushmere branch, which customers feared would shut for good after almost 30 years, will return to its original site in November with 64 hours of weekly opening, including Sundays

Sarah is recognised as a rising star at Builders Merchant Excellence Awards

Julie-Ann Spence — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 09:35:49 GMT

Sarah Topley of Haldane Fisher Lisburn has been named winner of the Rising Star Award at the 2026 Octabuild Builders Merchant Excellence Awards.

Editorial: Defeat painful but plenty to be positive about

Editorial — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 08:21:54 GMT

A 7-1 aggregate defeat rarely looks like reasonable grounds for optimism. Yet Northern Ireland’s World Cup play-off loss to Portugal should not be filed away simply as another painful reminder of the gulf to Europe’s elite football nations.

More than 14,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in five years in NI, data shows

By The Newsroom — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 06:18:37 GMT

Ambulance staff in Northern Ireland attended more than 14,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCAs) incidents over a five-year period, with the patient declared dead at the scene in more than half of cases, research has revealed.

Man arrested after £2.4m drug seizure in Lisburn

Claudia Savage — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 06:17:06 GMT

A quantity of drugs with a street value of more than £2 million has been seized by police in Lisburn.

Sir Chris Bryant has ‘lost the confidence of vast numbers’ in NI, says DUP peer

Abbie Llewelyn and Press Association Political Staff — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 06:14:05 GMT

Sir Chris Bryant has “lost the confidence of vast numbers of people within Northern Ireland”, a DUP peer said after the Northern Ireland Secretary banned the Drumcree parade.

Michelle O’Neill rejects that ‘there’s no more money’ for NI in budget row

By The Newsroom — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 06:07:52 GMT

First Minister Michelle O’Neill has said she does not accept Sir Chris Bryant’s claim “there’s no more money” for Northern Ireland.

Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson to be sentenced for sex offences

Jonathan McCambridge — Thu, 15 Oct 2026 05:55:33 GMT

Judge Paul Ramsey will hand down the sentence at Newry Crown Court.

Letter: I will continue to remind those who chose violence that they were wrong, and their deeds can’t be hidden under their blood-soaked carpet of shame

Letters — Wed, 14 Oct 2026 13:31:32 GMT

A letter from George Larmour: