The State of Us

• Soldier F – Not guilty

  A former paratrooper has been found not guilty of murdering two people on Bloody Sunday in Londonderry in 1972.Known only as Soldier F – he was also found not guilty of five counts of attempted murder. Thirteen people were shot dead, and 15 others injured, when soldiers opened fire at a civil rights demonstration in a predominantly Catholic part of the city.Soldier F - the only military veteran to be prosecuted over the shootings - was screened from public view. The trial took place without a jury, with verdicts delivered by Judge Patrick Lynch.On today’s episode, Tara Mills is at Belfast Crown Court, Declan Harvey is in Derry. We’ll hear from families, veterans and have political reaction.Get in touch: [email protected]

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• TV writer says pro-Israeli views shut out of the arts

  People in the arts community who have sympathy with Israel are treated “basically like a Nazi” according to the writer of a major new TV drama. David Ireland has said that the situation in Israel and Gaza is an “impossible thing to talk about” for some people working in the arts. Ireland is the writer behind the ITV crime thriller Coldwater staring Eve Myles and Andrew Lincoln, as well as The Fifth Step, a play currently starring Jack Louden and Martin Freeman and showing at the Soho Place in London.Born in Belfast, Ireland has said that there is a natural affinity between unionist communities in Northern Ireland and Israel. In this episode of The State of Us, he explores that, and much more – including his relationship with alcohol, God and the rest of the arts community. Get in touch: [email protected]

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• Parents of SEN child convicted over school non-attendance

  The parents of a SEN teenager have been convicted for their son’s non-attendance at school in a case that has cost them £30k.The Education Authority took the case against James and Leigh Bryson after their son Archie, who is autistic, missed almost a year of school.The couple join Tara and Declan on the podcast to talk about having their lives dissected in court and feeling victimised by the process. We also ask them about being found to have failed to meet their legal duty to ensure their child has access to education.A spokesperson for the Education Authority said that following a long period of engagement, during which they say the Brysons were not cooperative, they were left with no other option but to pursue court action.Get in touch: [email protected]

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• Did Northern Ireland really inspire Trump's Israel/Gaza peace plan?

  Donald Trump says the next stage of negotiations over his Israel/Gaza peace plan to end the war are under way. There are no details yet though, about when, where or how that will be carried out. The PM Keir Starmer says the focus in the days and weeks ahead is "the relentless implementation of this peace plan", which he calls "no small challenge."With Tony Blair being tipped to potentially help oversee governance of post-war Gaza, his experience in helping to bring about peace in NI is being lauded as a blueprint for negotiations in the Middle East.We are familiar here with talk of decommissioning, prisoner release and special envoys. But can the diplomacy that took place then, really be useful now? Kevin Connolly was a BBC foreign correspondent for more than 40 years. He has covered his fair share of peace declarations and the aftermath, including here in Northern Ireland during the years leading up to and after the Good Friday Agreement. He gives Tara and Declan his expert analysis about how much Northern Ireland's history can help in drafting a plan for the Middle East.Get in touch: [email protected] to hear more about the Good Friday Agreement?Have a listen to Tara and Declan on the Year ’98 podcast: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0f6ltxb

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• Do mugshots matter?

  When a man was convicted of raping a woman last month, he went on the run. His victim says she felt down when it took police nearly two weeks to publish his picture. Ahmed Abashar, 31, from University Avenue in Belfast, was convicted of rape last month but failed to appear in court. Jane, not her real name, said the lack of action made her feel the police "weren't taking it seriously".The Police Service of Northern Ireland said sexual crimes were "incredibly complex to investigate" and supporting victims was a priority.Abashar raped Jane in March 2023 after they met on an online dating site.A trial commenced on 23 September 2025 and he was convicted in court in his absence on 30 September. A bench warrant was then issued for his arrest.Jane said his image should have been released by police as soon as he failed to appear, adding that the "sooner you get it out, the sooner everyone can be on the lookout".So why did it take the PSNI so long to release the image? What is their policy on ‘mugshots?’ Why is it different to GB?BBC reporter Brendan Hughes tells Tara Mills & Declan Harvey that victims feel ‘ignored and not taken seriously’ when no mugshot is issued.Also today – our verdict on The Celebrity Traitors.Get in touch: [email protected]

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