The State of Us

• Race riots, Minister resignation calls & the Casement Park soap opera

  Police were attacked with fireworks, bottles and bricks in violent unrest across several towns on Wednesday – the third night of violent protests in Northern Ireland over immigration. It began on Monday after a peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault in Ballymena. Two teenage boys appeared in court, speaking through a Romanian interpreter. Both deny the charges.It spread to the nearby town of Larne - when masked youths attacked a leisure centre and set it on fire - which had been sheltering families caught up in the disorder earlier in the week.Officials have described the violence as racially-motivated, with police calling it "racist thuggery targeted at ethnic minorities and police officers."32 officers have been injured and authorities have struggled to keep the peace.Also on today’s episode: The Casement Park Soap Opera. £50 million for the stadium from the UK government has been welcomed by the GAA President Jarlath Burns – but how much will Stormont and the GAA contribute? The saga has been running for 14 years – some of these decades old moments you may have forgotten! Get in touch: [email protected]

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• EXTRA: Race riots in Ballymena

  Tara Mills and Declan Harvey in an extra episode of The State of Us on a second night of violence in Ballymena, Northern Ireland. Protesters threw petrol bombs, bricks and fireworks at police. Five people were arrested and a further 17 officers were injured overnight, bringing the total to 32.Officers fired baton rounds and used a water cannon to disperse protesters as cars were set on fire and the windows of several houses were smashed.The disorder began on Monday after a peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault in the County Antrim town.Crowds gathered in the Clonavon Terrace area for a second night of violent disorder, which has been described by police as "racist thuggery".Also, why have Union Flags and signs saying: ‘Filipino lives here” appeared on the doors and windows of properties on the street? Get in touch: [email protected]

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• What do you do if your child won’t go to school?

  One in four children in Northern Ireland have missed more than a tenth of school days in the current academic year. One mental health consultant said "school-based anxiety" had become an epidemic which is "off the Richter scale" in Northern Ireland.Some of the main causes of school avoidance are cited are anxiety, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism and bullying, either physical or online.An MLA says this is the single biggest issue she has had to deal with since being elected. The Education and Welfare Service (EWS) currently receives an average of 300 referrals every month from schools about children who are not attending class.Tara Mills and Declan Harvey get to grips with what help is available for families, and what to do if your child just won’t, or can’t, go to school.For help and support: www.bbc.co.uk/actionline Get in touch: [email protected]

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• Irish woman who accused Madeleine McCann suspect of rape says he could’ve been stopped

  Hazel Behan was working as a travel rep in Portugal in 2004; she was 20 years old. She was asleep in her bed, when an intruder broke into her apartment, and subjected her to a brutal and horrific rape attack.Years later, when she saw a photograph in a news report of the chief suspect in the Madeleine McCann case, Christian Brückner, her world was once again turned upside down.Convinced he was the same man that attacked her, she went to the police and eventually the case went to a German court. The convicted paedophile and rapist was acquitted of her rape last year. In The State of Us podcast, Hazel tells Tara Mills and Declan Harvey about how difficult that verdict was for her, and how her fight for justice continues.This podcast contains descriptions of sexual violence. If you’ve been affected by any of the issues raised: www.bbc.co.uk/actionline Get in touch: [email protected]

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  26:15
• Winston Irvine, paramilitary prison wings & Jonathan Anderson rules Dior

  The high-profile loyalist Winston Irvine is in the UVF wing of Maghaberry Prison after he was given a two and a half year sentence for firearm and ammunition offences.The 49-year-old of Ballysillan Road in north Belfast will spend half of his sentence in custody and half on licence.At Belfast Crown Court, his co-accused Robin Workman, 54, of Shore Road, Larne was also sentenced to five years; half to be served on licence.Both men previously pleaded guilty to possessing firearms and ammunition in suspicious circumstances.Neither were charged under terrorism offences, so why has Winkie Irvine been placed on the UVF wing of the prison?And why, in 2025, do we have separated wings in our prison system at all? Also on today’s episode:Northern Ireland-born fashion designer Jonathan Anderson has announced he is to take on the role of creative director of both women's and men's collections at Dior. He has stepped down from his role at Loewe after more than 10 years in the job. The 40-year-old, who was born in Magherafelt in County Londonderry, said it was a "great honour" to take on the role.He is set to debut his first collection, Dior Men Summer 2026, during Paris Fashion Week on 27 June.Get in touch: [email protected]

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