Rebecca Black

Ulster Unionist MLA Robbie Butler has been appointed Northern Ireland’s new health minister after Mike Nesbitt resigned amid a dispute with UUP leader Jon Burrows over proposed emergency general surgery changes at Causeway Hospital in Coleraine. Butler pledged urgent, evidence-based reform to reduce waiting times and ease pressure on staff, while acknowledging the scale of the health service’s problems. Burrows expressed full confidence in Butler and backed his commitment to a faster, fairer and more sustainable service. The appointment follows wider tensions within the UUP, including the departure of former leader Doug Beattie.

Armagh’s historic connection to the Bramley apple will be celebrated at the 2026 Armagh Food and Cider Festival. The first Bramley seedlings were brought from England to Armagh in 1884, and the county now has around 6,000 acres of orchards and 250 growers. Festival events will include orchard tours, cooking workshops, supper clubs, cider tastings and artisan markets. Local figures highlight the region’s Celtic apple traditions, the Nicholson family’s role in establishing Bramley cultivation, and the economic and export benefits of the Armagh Bramley’s protected geographical indication status, granted in 2012.

Sinn Féin warned that the DUP’s conduct is frustrating the operation of Northern Ireland’s power-sharing institutions and could threaten their future, although it reaffirmed its commitment to the arrangement. DUP leader Gavin Robinson rejected the criticism, while Alliance leader Naomi Long and the UUP urged cooperation and responsible leadership. The warnings came during Stormont parties’ meetings with new Secretary of State Chris Bryant, who said he would act as an impartial broker. The Executive remains without an agreed budget and is facing an effective funding reduction, intensifying pressure on public services. Sinn Féin also raised the prospect of planning for a unity referendum, legacy issues and a public inquiry into Sean Brown’s murder.

Three men accused of murdering journalist Lyra McKee in 2019 were acquitted after a judge ruled the evidence was insufficient, prompting her family to condemn a culture of silence and vow to continue seeking justice. The judge noted the gunman responsible has never been identified and expressed regret at the lack of closure. McKee’s former partner described the emotional strain of the trial, while prosecutors called the case complex and acknowledged the family’s disappointment. Additional defendants faced riot-related charges, with two convictions secured. The court characterised the killing as senseless violence and highlighted the limitations of the evidence available.

A Belfast Crown Court judge found three men not guilty of the joint enterprise murder of journalist Lyra McKee, who was shot during rioting in Derry in 2019. The ruling concluded a long-running non-jury trial involving Paul McIntyre, Peter Cavanagh and Jordan Gareth Devine. McKee died after being struck by a bullet fired toward police during unrest in the Creggan area, an incident for which the New IRA later claimed responsibility.