The BelTel

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.

When Richard Moore was 10 years old a British Army captain shot him in the face with a rubber bullet. The Derry School boy lost his sight completely in an instant but twenty years ago Richard met Charles, the soldier who shot him, and forgave him. They have been friends ever since. Richard grew up to establish the charity Children in Crossfire in 1996 with the goal of supporting vulnerable children growing up in the crossfire of poverty and injustice. His work has brought him close the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dali Lama. Richard Moore joined Ciarán Dunbar to talk about his life and work.

Islandmagee is a quiet civil parish on the east coast of Northern Ireland. But in 1711, a newcomer to the area begins to have fits, regurgitates pins and buttons, and suddenly dies. In the weeks following her death, eight woman and one man are found guilty of witchcraft at a local Courthouse – one man is executed. It was the last witchcraft trial in Ireland. Olivia Peden speaks to Dr Andrew Sneddon of Ulster University, and Martina Devlin, the author of “The House where it happened” about this mysterious event.This podcast was originally published in October 2023.

On the 30th of October 30, 1976, two Belfast Telegraph delivery men Charles Corbett and John Maguire were shot dead in north Belfast. John Maguire's ten-year-old son witnessed his father's murder. The boy himself was wounded in the leg. The men were gunned down by very young members of the UVF. One of gunmen apologised – but fifty years later he couldn't even remember their names. Liam Tunney tells the story.

DUP leader Gavin Robinson says Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly will quit joint engagements with First Minister Michelle O’Neill - but he won’t be pulling her out of the executive. The DUP's party officers met on Thursday to discuss their options. Before the meeting, Upper Bann MP Carla Lockhart published a letter to the party making it clear – that if it didn't pull Emma Little-Pengelly out of the executive, she would take her "own course". Lockhart insists that Michelle O’Neill must be removed from office over Sinn Féin's part in the Drumcree protests, but the party leader has now stopped short of that. Ciarán Dunbar is joined by Belfast Telegraph’s Political Editor Suzanne Breen.

Incidents of violent drug-debt intimidation are rising in Ireland – and the methods are becoming more concerning and elaborate. Brutal enforcers are now using 'disappearing' video technology on social media platforms to capture and distribute graphic footage of torture. The targeted aggression goes beyond those allegedly in arrears, with innocent friends and family members increasingly caught up in the cruel crossfire. What are the gardaí doing about it? Is there a class issue at play? And what about the incidents we're not hearing about? Fionnán Sheahan is joined by Irish Independent Southern Correspondent Ralph Riegel to examine a terrifying new trend in Ireland's underworld.

A judge has dismissed an Orange Order against the Secretary of State’s decision to ban the Drumcree parade from going down the Garvaghy Road. But Mr Justice Scoffield said those against the march should take “no particular joy in the outcome”. He said that a lawful decision-making process has established the lodge’s right to parade in law. He also told the court that Sir Chris Bryant’s decision was lawful but highly regrettable that it happened in the circumstances it did. And he threw some shade on nationalist protesters saying, “the law does not apply only when you agree with it”. Ciarán Dunbar was joined by Allison Morris.