NEWS

Former Democratic Unionist Party leader Jeffrey Donaldson A safeguarding and accountability row surrounding Jeffrey Donaldson has deepened after the DUP confirmed it is commissioning a specialised independent review into issues arising from the former party leader’s conviction. Donaldson, a former DUP leader and one of Northern Ireland’s most prominent political figures, has been convicted of 18 historical sexual offences against two women when they were children. He is await

A child was injured in a road traffic collision involving a car on the Ballycraigy Road in Antrim on Wednesday evening, prompting a police appeal for witnesses and dash-cam footage as enquiries continue. Emergency services were called to the scene at around 8.20pm on Wednesday, 8 July, after receiving reports that a child had been struck in a collision involving a blue Seat Leon. Police officers attended alongside other emergency services, who provided medical assistance to t

(L-R) Logan Carley and Jack Redmond Two men have been jailed for their roles in the large-scale disorder that erupted in Ballymena in June last year, with police warning that further prosecutions will follow as investigations continue into the violence that left officers injured and caused widespread damage across the town. Jack Redmond, 22, from Ballymena, and Logan Carley, 24, from the Ballymena area, were sentenced at Antrim Crown Court on Wednesday, 8 July, after being co

The Halfway House Country Pub The Halfway House Country Pub outside Broughshane has been recognised among the very best rural pubs in the United Kingdom after receiving a Highly Commended honour at the Grand Champions of the 2026 Countryside Alliance Awards in London. The prestigious recognition was announced on Wednesday, July 8, at the House of Lords, where the Carnlough Road venue represented Northern Ireland after being crowned Countryside Alliance Northern Ireland Champi

A man has been charged after a woman says she caught him inside her parked car in Ballymena town centre, prompting a police investigation and a warning to motorists to ensure their vehicles are locked. The incident happened on Broadway Avenue on Wednesday, 8 July, where the woman’s car was parked outside her workplace in full view of nearby offices and commercial buildings. According to the woman, she discovered a man inside her vehicle and immediately confronted him before h

Senior RNLI Lifeguard Annie Jagoe A swimmer was rescued from a dangerous rip current on the Antrim coast after getting into difficulty outside the designated bathing area, prompting a rapid emergency response from RNLI lifeguards, the Coastguard and the ambulance service. The incident happened at around 5pm on Monday, 7 July at Portrush West Strand, when lifeguards were alerted by a member of the public to a woman struggling against strong surging waves beyond the red and yel

Northern Ireland’s emergency care system came under even greater pressure during the past year, with official figures showing hospitals treated almost 19,000 more emergency patients than the previous year while performance against key emergency care targets continued to deteriorate. The latest Northern Ireland Hospital Statistics: Urgent and Emergency Care (2025/26) reveal emergency department attendances increased again, four-hour performance declined, the number of patients

The Education Authority (EA) has confirmed more than 4,400 school places for children with special educational needs (SEN) ahead of the new academic year, but has warned that Northern Ireland’s current approach to meeting rising demand is “running out of road”. Officials say intensive work throughout the year has enabled thousands of children changing educational settings for September 2026 to receive confirmed placements, with work continuing over the summer to finalise the

Ian McCollum who sadly died following a workplace accident A man has been jailed for causing the death of a work colleague in a fatal workplace accident in Newry, while the company where the incident happened has also been fined £120,000 following the tragedy. Walter Manley, 53, from the Newry area, was sentenced at Newry Crown Court on Wednesday, 8 July, after previously admitting manslaughter and a breach of health and safety legislation in connection with the death of fell

Ballymena Business Excellence Award Sponsors. (From the back L-R): Melanie Christie-Boyle, Ballymena Business Centre, Carol Wilson, Chamber’s Honorary Secretary, Iris Houston, The Adair Arms Hotel, Naomi Taylor Galgorm, Clive Edgar Fuelwise. (Middle Row L-R): Noel Mulholland, Michelin Development Ltd, Sharon Gallagher Pilgrim’s Europe, William Walker Country Garage BMW, Gillian Wilkinson Riada Resourcing, Lisa Walsh Clarke, Laura Hughes, Power NI. (Front Row L-R): Michael B

Alliance North Antrim MLA Sian Mulholland Alliance MLA Sian Mulholland has welcomed the announcement that Ballycastle will host the 2027 Ulster Fleadh, describing it as a landmark achievement that will deliver lasting cultural and economic benefits for the town and the wider Causeway Coast and Glens. The prestigious week-long festival is one of the largest celebrations of traditional Irish music, song, dance and language in the province and is expected to attract tens of thou

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has welcomed a £60million fall in benefit fraud. Benefit fraud losses in Northern Ireland fell by more than £60 million last year, with Communities Minister Gordon Lyons saying the figures show his “zero-tolerance” approach is delivering results while warning there is “no room for complacency”. New annual figures reveal that benefit fraud fell from £233 million in 2024 to £170.9 million in 2025 – a reduction of more than £62 million. Fraud no

The Essence Vault is set to sponsor the Open Race at this year’s Armoy Road Races. Pictured at the firm’s headquarters in Randalstown are, from left, Neil Kernohan, road racer, Bill Kennedy MBE, AMRRC Director, Connor Martin, The Essence Vault Managing Director and William Munnis, AMRRC Clerk of Course. A fast-growing County Antrim business with a global customer base has signed up to support one of Northern Ireland’s best-known motorcycle road racing events, with The Essenc

The myEARTH platform has encouraged the planting of 6000 trees, and 1427 habitats to be created for wildlife across Northern Ireland A digital platform designed to help people take practical action for the environment has inspired the planting of more than 6,000 trees across Northern Ireland in just over a year, while also helping to create 1,427 new wildlife habitats. The figures, released by myEARTH, highlight the impact the free platform has had since launching last year,

County Antrim man Paul Ross picked up the Fundraising Volunteer Group of the Year award at the Chartered Institute of Fundraising Northern Ireland Awards. The loss of his daughter changed Paul Ross’s life forever. What followed has changed countless others. Just over two years after 21-year-old Lydia Ross tragically lost her life in a road traffic collision, the County Antrim father has transformed unimaginable grief into one of Northern Ireland’s most remarkable grassroots f

Arthur Cottage Cullybackey is set to take its place on an international heritage trail linking the ancestral homes of American presidents, as Tourism NI unveils a major programme of new visitor experiences designed to attract more overseas visitors to Northern Ireland. The village is one of four key locations on the new ‘Presidents, Heritage & Homecomings: The Ancestral Cottage Trail’ – a premium two-day guided experience that will connect the homesteads and heritage of US pr

Planning permission has been approved by Mid and East Antrim Borough Council for a proposed indoor golf simulator and covered putting area at Ballymena Golf Club. A planning officer’s report said the proposed development would be located on a “rectangular-shaped, fairly level grassed area between the existing club car park and the course”. The club is situated in the countryside on Raceview Road between Ballymena and Broughshane. The report stated: “The proposal involves the

Invest Northern Ireland support has helped secure £20 million of business investment across the Mid & East Antrim Borough Council area over the past year, with 106 new jobs set to be created as a result. New performance figures for 2025/26 show investment in the borough more than doubled compared with the previous year, with Invest NI providing more than £4 million in support to businesses to drive innovation, improve productivity and expand operations. The latest results hig

Around 105,000 Budget Energy customers across Northern Ireland are set to pay more for their electricity from next month after the supplier announced a 9.5% increase to its variable tariffs. The increase, which takes effect from 4 August 2026, will add around £122 a year to the bill of a typical BillPay customer and approximately £121 a year for a standard-rate keypad customer, adding further pressure to household finances at a time when electricity prices continue to rise ac

Sentenced: Nineteen-year-old Michael Elliot A man who took part in the serious disorder that erupted in Ballymena in June 2025 has been sentenced to 40 months in prison after being convicted of common law riot. Nineteen-year-old Michael Elliot, from the Ballymena area, was sentenced at Antrim Crown Court on Monday, July 6. He will serve 20 months in custody followed by 20 months on licence. Elliot was arrested after police identified him as having participated in the large-sc