The BelTel

Eleanor Donaldson has been put on the sex offenders register for five years.The wife of convicted paedophile Jeffrey Donaldson, formerly titled Lady Eleanor, is also to serve a supervised treatment order for three yearsDonaldson had a trial of the facts after being found unfit for a conventional trial on mental health grounds.It found she aided and abetted her paedophile husband and therefore did the acts she was accused of, but it meant she could not be convicted nor sent to prison. Allison Morris was in court in Newry.

More people in Northern Ireland want the union and the United Kingdom than want a united Ireland.But the gap is closing, more younger people favour Irish unity than not, and there is no outright majority for the union. Meanwhile in Dublin, both Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have begun to engage with the subject, or at least are being seen to.What have they been doing – and how seriously should we be taking it?Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph's Northern Ireland editor Sam McBride, and by Aisling Moloney, political correspondent with the Irish Independent.

Sinn Féin has seen a post-Drumcree surge in support, according to the latest Belfast Telegraph LucidTalk polling. The DUP, on the other hand, has seen its support fall to a five-year low. An overwhelming majority of nationalists back the Garvaghy Road protesters, but unionists seem a little more cautious about Drumcree Orange Order march. And more people in Northern Ireland support the Union than a united Ireland, but it's not a majority of the population, and the gap is closing. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph's Stormont reporter Andrew Madden, and by commentator David McCann.

West Belfast hit-and-run driver Martin Olali Junior has been sentenced to another three months behind bars after a bust up at the Fleadh in August. The court heard that he had shouted misogynistic abuse and ‘I’m on a f***ing tag’ during the fight. Olali Junior was sentenced in October for causing the death of a dog walker in 2021. He was doing 90 in a 30 miles per hour zone when he killed 42-year-old Richard Boyle and his dog. Olivia Peden is joined by The Belfast Telegraph’s Kurtis Reid.

Reporting restrictions in the Noah Donohoe Inquest have been lifted. Courts use reporting restrictions to limit press coverage of legal proceedings to ensure the proceedings are fair, and that juries are not adversely influenced. A number of such restrictions were used during the inquest into the 14-year-old's 2020 death, however they can now be reported. One jury almost derailed the inquest with bizarre theories. Juror A believed Noah was trying to “subliminally” communicate with him on the day of their deliberations. He also put forward a theory that Noah could have been “shunted” down the culvert in the same manner the ancient Egyptians moved materials to build the pyramids. He also suggested Noah had been influenced by the bobsled competition at the Tokyo Olympics – which took place a year later in 2021 – and tried to mimic the actions in the culvert. The coroner also blocked disclosure of mental health consultation with Noah Donohoe’s mother Fiona on privacy grounds Ciarán Dunbar joined by Liam Tunney, who covered the inquest for the Belfast Telegraph.

The prosecution in the Chloe Mitchell murder trial has laid out their case. 21-year-old Chloe was found dead in Ballymena days after going missing in June 2023. 30-year-old Brandon Rainey of James Street in Ballymena is charged with murder and attempting to prevent the burial of her body.He denies the charges. Today in court Mr David Russell KC said there was a “wealth of evidence that will show beyond reasonable doubt” that Rainey murdered Chloe Mitchell.Allison Morris was in court.This podcast will include details of a murder listeners will find disturbing – listener discretion is recommended.

The Democrats have stormed back into power, seizing control of both the House and Senate and delivering a political blow to Donald Trump. But while the mid-terms may be over, the race to define America’s future is only just beginning. Is Trump now a lame-duck president, or can he still dominate the Republican Party from the White House?And as cracks begin to appear in the MAGA coalition, who is ready to take up the mantle?With Republicans facing difficult questions about their future and Democrats already looking towards the next presidential race, the battle for 2028 has begun.Kevin Doyle is joined by Lorcan Nyhan of The Communications Clinic and Professor Scott Lucas of the Clinton Institute at UCD to examine what the mid-term results mean for Donald Trump, the Republican Party and the future of US politics.

After weeks of hints and speculation Carla Lockhart has finally quit the DUP. In a letter penned entitled ‘A renewed vision for unionism’, the Upper Bann MP said she wanted to “be a politician whose word means something”. Gavin Robinson says the only winner from further divisions within unionism is Sinn Féin. Is unionism really in ‘meltdown’, is now the time for unionist unity, and will Carla Lockhart eventually join the TUV? Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph's Andrew Madden, former editor of the News Letter and unionist commentator Ben Lowry, and Alex Kane.