James Martin Mccarthy

Chopstix is set to return to Belfast City Centre with a new restaurant in CastleCourt’s food court, replacing Yangtze after almost 20 years of operation. The chain previously had sites on Donegall Place and Corn Market and currently operates two Northern Ireland locations at Applegreen service stations in Lisburn and Templepatrick. Chopstix acquired Yangtze’s business, The Wok Ltd, in 2017 but retained the Yangtze name at several locations. The new restaurant will join other Asian food outlets at CastleCourt, including Mitsuru and Eatao Asian Fusion.

A 16-year-old boy was arrested under the Terrorism Act after four suspected viable explosive devices were discovered during a planned police search at a property on Gardenville Avenue in Omagh, County Tyrone. Residents were evacuated while Ammunition Technical Officers examined and removed the devices for forensic analysis. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said the investigation into the motive remains ongoing and appealed for information.

Nine-year-old Dáithí Mac Gabhann returned to Ballymurphy after receiving a long-awaited heart transplant, where neighbours and well-wishers gave him an emotional hero’s welcome. He and his family were also greeted by Belfast International Airport’s fire service. Dáithí was born with hypoplastic left heart syndrome and underwent major heart procedures as a baby before being told in 2018 that a transplant was his only hope. His condition inspired the Donate4Dáithí campaign, which raised awareness of organ donation and helped drive the introduction of Northern Ireland’s soft opt-out system, known as Dáithí’s Law.

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with common law riot after racially motivated disorder in Newtownabbey in June 2026. He was arrested during a PSNI operation on 24 August and is expected to appear before Belfast Magistrates’ Court on 21 September. The disorder followed a knife attack on Stephen Ogilvie in North Belfast, for which Hadi Alodid was charged with attempted murder; the Public Prosecution Service will review the new charge.

Meghan O'Neill discusses how her brother Kevin's heroin addiction and death in 2013 prompted her to study psychology, trauma and the causes of addiction. She also describes childhood sexual abuse and three adult rapes, explaining how intensive therapy and EMDR helped her understand her experiences and view her OnlyFans work as a deliberate form of control and self-expression. O'Neill argues that Northern Ireland's mental-health and addiction systems focus too heavily on behavior instead of underlying trauma, including trauma linked to the Troubles, and calls for better parental support, trauma-informed education and an end to the shame surrounding abuse and addiction.