NEWS

Ballymena Magistrates’ Court A farmer has been banned from owning or keeping animals after a court heard serious animal welfare failings led to 19 calves being euthanised because they were suffering unnecessarily. Ian Wilson, 55, of Ballydermot Lane, Bellaghy, appeared before Ballymena Magistrates’ Court today where he was sentenced for ten offences under the Welfare of Animals Act (Northern Ireland) 2011 and one offence under the Animal By-Products (Enforcement) Regulations

A yellow weather warning has been issued for Northern Ireland, with forecasters warning that heavy showers and thunderstorms could bring disruption to parts of the region on Friday morning. The Met Office warning comes into effect from 12:00am until 10:00am on Friday, 26 June 2026, with the potential for intense downpours, hail and frequent lightning where storms develop. While not every area will be affected, the Met Office says some places could experience sudden bursts of

Underwater seagrass meadow. A protected seagrass meadow off the County Antrim coast at Waterfoot has been found to contain more nitrogen than scientists consider healthy, after researchers discovered every seagrass meadow tested across Northern Ireland had exceeded an internationally recognised pollution warning threshold. The Queen’s University Belfast study examined the amount of nitrogen stored inside seagrass leaves — a natural record of the pollution the plants have been

(L-R) Isobel Harris, Maria Cairns, Brenda Stewart, Mark Killough, Hannah McDowell, Joanne Mooney, Bri Carleton, Nicholas Porter, CJ Hayes, David Glass and store manager Kevin Killough. A Ballymena convenience store has been recognised as one of Northern Ireland’s top fundraising Centra outlets after helping raise thousands of pounds to support vital cancer detection services across the region. McCool’s Centra Ballymena raised £2,389 for Action Cancer during 2025, earning reco

Education Minister Paul Givan pictured with Tom Bennett who will lead on a review of behaviour policy and practice across schools. The way behaviour is managed in schools across Northern Ireland is set for a major review after Education Minister Paul Givan announced an independent examination aimed at helping teachers deal with increasingly complex behavioural challenges in the classroom. The review will shape a new Department of Education Behaviour Policy and updated practic

Health Minister Mike Nesbitt Patients across Northern Ireland are being urged to attend appointments as normal despite planned industrial action by doctors over the coming days, with Health Minister Mike Nesbitt insisting that more than 90% of Health and Social Care services will continue as scheduled. The reassurance comes ahead of a 24-hour period of industrial action by consultants and Specialist and Associate Specialist (SAS) doctors, due to begin at 7am on Thursday 25 Ju

Land-based Engineering students from CAFRE visited McCauley Trailers to expand their learnings in machinery manufacturing. Students studying land-based engineering at CAFRE were given a firsthand look at modern manufacturing during an educational visit to McCauley Trailers in Toomebridge, offering valuable insight into the technology, skills and career opportunities that drive one of Northern Ireland’s leading engineering businesses. The visit allowed Level 3 Land-based Engin

Gracehill, Ballymena (Image: Gail Spiers) and the Giant’s Causeway from above (Image: Patryk Sadowski Photography) Northern Ireland’s internationally recognised UNESCO sites – including Gracehill’s newly inscribed World Heritage Site status – were celebrated at Stormont this week as political leaders, councillors and heritage representatives gathered to launch a new video series highlighting some of the region’s most significant cultural and natural landmarks. The event, held

A plan to introduce a drug-testing pilot at major gigs and festivals in Belfast has been effectively blocked by the Department of Health. A motion passed unanimously by Belfast City Council earlier this year called for drug-testing and harm-reduction facilities to be explored at council-owned venues hosting music festivals and large-scale events. The motion called on public bodies, including the Public Health Agency and Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, alongside organisa

Disgraced: Jeffrey Donaldson Former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has formally requested the forfeiture of his knighthood and resigned from the Privy Council following his conviction on multiple sexual offence charges. The move was confirmed on Wednesday afternoon by his solicitor, John McBurney, who said letters signed by Donaldson had been sent to both the Cabinet Office and the Privy Council Office. In a statement, Mr McBurney said: “I have this afternoon issued a letter si

PSNI cannabis seizure in Clabby A major police operation targeting organised crime has led to the discovery of nine cannabis factories with an estimated street value of £1.1 million and the arrest of 16 men across Northern Ireland. Detectives from the PSNI’s Organised Crime Branch, supported by Local Policing and Operational Support officers, carried out a series of proactive searches over two days, on 23 and 24 June, uncovering large-scale cannabis cultivation sites in Count

Marks & Spencer’s is latest food-on-the-move innovation, the new Chocolate, Strawberry & Pistachio Creme Sandwich Marks & Spencer is bringing back its hugely popular Red Diamond Strawberry & Creme Sandwich after it sold more than one million units in just five weeks last summer, while also launching a brand-new chocolate and pistachio version in time for Wimbledon. The retailer announced the return of the fan-favourite sandwich alongside the launch of its new Chocolate, Straw

Wellington Street, Ballymena A Mid and East Antrim councillor has called for a “fresh pair of eyes” to help drive town centre regeneration across the borough. Speaking at a meeting of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Environment and Economy Committee at The Braid in Ballymena on Monday evening, Braid DUP Alderman William McCaughey called for an independent expert to be included on a proposed new town centre taskforce. Alderman McCaughey said the taskforce is “something t

Rent a garage: Housing Executive garages are available to rent at sites across Mid and East Antrim. People across Mid and East Antrim are being offered the chance to rent secure garage space for little more than £12 a week, as the Housing Executive makes a number of garages available in Ballymena, Carrickfergus and Larne. The garages, which are available to both Housing Executive tenants and members of the wider public, are being offered at a weekly rental rate of approximat

Groggan Primary School recently marked the occasion as principal Cathy Humphrey prepares to retire from a lifetime dedicated to education “That I cared.” After a lifetime spent helping children learn, grow and find their place in the world, that is how retiring Groggan Primary School principal Cathy Humphrey MBE hopes former pupils will remember her. For a woman who was recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours List in 2023 with an MBE for services to education in Northern Ir

Hot weather may be welcomed by many across Northern Ireland, but health experts are warning that prolonged exposure to heat and sunshine can have serious consequences, with rising numbers of sunburn injuries, heat-related illnesses and deaths linked to excessive temperatures. The Public Health Agency (PHA), alongside the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) and the Children’s Burns Trust, is urging people to take simple precautions to protect themselves and t

The Dark Hedges, County Antrim in June. (Image: Shirley Carson Photography) Causeway Coast and Glens DUP councillor Darryl Wilson has accused the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) and the Department for the Economy (DfE) of a “dereliction of duty” over the future management of the Dark Hedges. June’s meeting of the council’s Leisure and Development Committee received an update report from Causeway Coast and Glens Heritage Trust (CCGHT). The report followed a motion tabled b

Church Street Car Park Three, Ballymena Mid and East Antrim councillors have agreed to the installation of barriers at a town centre car park in Ballymena at a cost of £13,000 in a bid to curb anti-social behaviour. Members of the borough council’s Environment and Economy Committee approved the installation of automatic barriers at Church Street Car Park Three in response to complaints from nearby residents. The decision was taken at a meeting in The Braid, Ballymena, on Mond

New drivers across Northern Ireland will face a major overhaul of the licensing system from October after MLAs approved legislation paving the way for Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL). The Assembly on Tuesday, 23 June approved Regulations confirming that the new road safety scheme will come into force on 1 October 2026, marking the most significant reform of driver licensing and testing in almost 70 years. Designed to reduce the disproportionate number of fatal and serious ro

Damage caused to a police safety camera van A man has been arrested after a Road Safety Partnership camera van was attacked and damaged in Mid Ulster, leaving the vehicle off the road and prompting a fresh police appeal for witnesses. The incident happened on Ballinderry Bridge Road, Coagh on Monday afternoon, 22 June, when a man allegedly approached the safety camera van and began throwing masonry at the vehicle, smashing windows and shouting abuse at the driver. Police have