NEWS

UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham at 10 Downing Street. (Picture by Alecsandra Dragoi / No 10 Downing Street) Northern Ireland’s entire Executive has united to demand an urgent meeting with new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, warning that mounting financial pressures are threatening the ability of departments to plan and deliver public services. In a joint intervention signed by all Executive Ministers, Stormont leaders argue Northern Ireland is not being funded on a comparable bas

Detectives are investigating an arson attack with intent to endanger life after a fire at a house in Ballymena spread to a neighbouring property in the early hours of Thursday morning. Police and firefighters were called to the Castle Gardens area at around 12.25am on Thursday 13 August, with the blaze subsequently extinguished and no injuries reported. Investigators believe the fire was started deliberately and are now appealing for witnesses and anyone with CCTV or other fo

Taryn Simpson and Hannah Spence who received results today for Level 3 Health and Social Care from Northern Regional College in Ballymena. Taryn is heading off to study Adult Nursing at Queen’s University Belfast, while Hannah progresses to study Psychology at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh. Northern Ireland has recorded the best A-level results across the UK, with 86.9% of entries achieving a grade C or above, as thousands of young people receive their A-level, AS-le

A yellow weather warning is in force across Northern Ireland today as forecasters warn that intense thunderstorms could bring torrential downpours, lightning, hail and gusty winds. The Met Office warning covers all six counties and is in place from 11am today, Thursday 13 August, until 6am on Friday. While many places could escape the worst of the weather altogether, thunderstorms that do develop could produce 10–20mm of rain in less than an hour, with a chance of isolated lo

A recently damaged slide at a local play park Vandalism at local play parks and community facilities has left play equipment damaged, forced areas to close to families and disrupted activities supporting vulnerable children, prompting calls for tougher action against persistent offenders. Braid Ulster Unionist representatives Councillor Alan Barr and Samantha Patton say recent incidents have included broken glass in play areas, destroyed slides and vandalised trampolines, lea

Northern Regional College lecturer, Colin Wright, who has been shortlisted for a prestigious hospitality award. A Northern Regional College lecturer who is helping train the next generation of chefs has been shortlisted for one of Northern Ireland’s leading hospitality awards. Professional Cookery Lecturer Colin Wright has been named a finalist for Lecturer of the Year at the 2026 Institute of Hospitality Northern Ireland Awards, recognising his work developing students’ culi

Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald is pictured with Justin Kerr, head of the Department for the Economy Careers Service. The Department has 78 careers advisers on hand to support people reach their chosen pathway. Thursday 13 August 2026 Young people receiving A-Level, AS and vocational results across Northern Ireland today are being reminded that professional careers advice is available to help them decide what comes next. Whether results have opened the door to a first-c

The newly published terms of an independent review into DAERA’s controversial Fivemiletown cattle operation have come under immediate scrutiny over the reviewer’s powers, how the process was established and whether one reviewer is enough to command confidence. Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir published the detailed remit on Wednesday, 12 August, appointing former Irish Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Martin Blake to examine DAERA’s planning, decision-making and implementation of

Jo Bamford CBE flanked with the Ryze Power team - Head of Engineering Pratik Nayek, Head of Power at HydraB Steven Hardman and Ryze senior engineer Jay Acanthe. Ballymena bus manufacturer Wrightbus has played a supporting role in a remarkable feat of British engineering after a hydrogen-powered supercar smashed a world land speed record at more than 406mph. Wrightbus owner Jo Bamford CBE said expertise developed through almost a decade of hydrogen work helped provide the refu

Antrim Area Hospital Emergency Department Wednesday 12 August 2026 Antrim Area Hospital was the busiest major emergency department in Northern Ireland in June, dealing with 8,186 attendances in a single month as new figures expose the continuing scale of pressure on emergency care. The hospital saw an average of around 273 attendances every day — equivalent to more than 11 patients arriving every hour, 24 hours a day — while 1,653 people spent more than 12 hours in its emerge

Wednesday 12 August 2026 Residents concerned about plans for a major new National Football Centre near Galgorm will gather in Ballymena on Thursday evening to hear the latest on the proposal and the campaign opposing its location. The public meeting, organised by the Right Facility, Wrong Location campaign, will take place at 6pm at the Adair Arms Hotel in Ballymena, with residents and others interested in the development invited to attend. At the centre of the debate is a su

Cattle that were shot by DAERA official lying in a County Fermanagh field; inset, DAERA Minister Andrew Muir Former Irish Chief Veterinary Officer Dr Martin Blake will independently examine DAERA’s planning, decision-making and handling of the controversial operation which saw 51 cattle destroyed near Fivemiletown in June. Agriculture Minister Andrew Muir has published the terms of reference for an independent external review into his department’s implementation of a court De

Power NI’s Senior Marketing Manager Amy Bennington pictured with some of Antrim’s All-Ireland Junior Football Championship winning team. A £1,200 Helping Hands boost from Power NI helped Antrim’s ladies prepare for a day to remember at Croke Park — one that ended with the Saffrons lifting the All-Ireland Junior Football Championship trophy after a breathtaking last-gasp victory over Carlow. The funding, provided by Power NI, part of Energia Group, was used by the Antrim LGFA

People across Northern Ireland are set to witness one of the most spectacular astronomical events visible here for decades this evening, when the Moon obscures around 93% of the Sun. The high-coverage partial solar eclipse on Wednesday 12 August 2026 will provide the best eclipse coverage Northern Ireland is expected to experience until 2090. To mark the occasion, the Astrophysics Research Centre at Queen’s University Belfast is hosting a free public viewing event from 6pm un

A 26-year-old man arrested following two attacks on a war memorial in Ballymena has been released on bail as police continue their investigation. The man was arrested on Tuesday 11 August, on suspicion of theft and criminal damage in connection with incidents at the Queen Street memorial in Harryville. Police have now confirmed today, Wednesday 12 August, that he has since been released on bail to allow for further enquiries to be carried out. The development comes after the

A still taken from a short video captured by the local woman of the vehicle which she believes was following her as she took a walk A woman has described being left frightened while walking alone on the outskirts of Ballymena after a car containing two men allegedly repeatedly followed her, passed her and then waited along her route. Police have confirmed they received a report of a suspicious vehicle in the Old Ballymoney Road area on Sunday evening, 9 August, and are now as

Mayor of Mid and East Antrim, Alderman Thomas Gordon and Roy Smyth, Chairman of Ballymena BID get ready to promote a day of colour and fun in Ballymena. Ballymena will celebrate its 400th birthday with a day of family entertainment, storytelling, music and community events before fireworks light up the sky over the town on Tuesday 25 August. The programme will mark 400 years since the signing of Ballymena’s Charter in 1626, with celebrations running from the morning through t

The success of the Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann has strengthened plans for more pedestrianisation in Belfast city centre, with Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins confirming that proposals will go before the public within weeks. More than 1.6 million visits were recorded across the eight-day festival, when a number of city centre streets were closed to traffic to accommodate crowds, performances and events. The temporary arrangements have intensified the debate over how Belfast’

Five men have been arrested after detectives seized around 14kg of suspected cocaine with an estimated street value of more than £1.1 million during an organised crime operation in Greater Belfast. The Police Service of Northern Ireland’s Organised Crime Branch also recovered suspected herbal cannabis worth approximately £15,000 as part of the operation carried out across Monday, 10 August and Tuesday, 11 August. Detectives said enquiries into the seizures remain ongoing. Fiv

Ulster Unionist Party leader and North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows Ulster Unionist Party leader and North Antrim MLA Jon Burrows has welcomed the arrest of a 26-year-old man following two attacks on a Ballymena war memorial, while stressing that the police investigation remains ongoing. The man was arrested on suspicion of theft and criminal damage following incidents at the Queen Street memorial in Harryville on Saturday, 8 August and Monday, 10 August. Police have previously sai