NEWS

Chief Superintendent Kelly Moore and Rhonda Geary, Royal Ulster Agricultural Society. Thousands of visitors are expected to descend on the Eikon Exhibition Centre this week as the Balmoral Show returns for four days of farming, food, business and family entertainment — with the PSNI warning motorists to expect delays and plan ahead. Running from Wednesday 13 May to Saturday 16 May 2026, the annual event is one of the biggest fixtures in Northern Ireland’s rural calendar, draw

Passengers due to fly from UK airports this summer have been told there is currently “no need” to change travel plans despite growing international concern over jet fuel supplies linked to disruption in the Middle East. The UK Government said airlines operating across the UK are not currently experiencing a jet fuel shortage, while airports continue to maintain fuel reserves to help keep flights operating normally. The reassurance comes amid ongoing uncertainty following the

Entrance to visitor car park at Antrim Area Hospital Patients and families across Northern Ireland will continue paying hospital parking charges for at least the next three years after new legislation formally passed into law. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt confirmed the Hospital Parking Charges Bill has now received Royal Assent, delaying plans to abolish charges that had originally been due to end under legislation passed in 2022. The move means hospital parking fees will rem

Donnelly Group has expanded its electric vehicle and hybrid offering with the opening of two new dedicated BYD showrooms in Ballymena and Dungannon. (L-R: Malcolm Kerr, Dave Sheeran, Paul Compton, Emma Donnelly and Terence Donnelly) Northern Ireland’s largest independently owned vehicle retailer, Donnelly Group, has expanded its electric and hybrid vehicle offering with the opening of two new dedicated BYD showrooms in Ballymena and Dungannon. The move marks a significant inv

Brothers and keen farmers, Adam and Matthew, join Royal Ulster Agricultural Society (RUAS) operations director, Rhonda Geary as they count down to this year's show and encourage visitors to travel by bus or train, with convenient, reliable and hassle-free services available throughout the event. Northern Ireland’s biggest celebration of farming, food and rural life is set to return next week, with thousands expected to descend on the Eikon Exhibition Centre for the 2026 Balm

Superfast VII - Belfast to Cairnryan route Stena Line is investing approximately £14 million to upgrade and modernise its Irish Sea fleet, with passengers and freight customers set to benefit from improved onboard comfort, expanded facilities and enhanced travel experiences across key routes. The major investment programme will see extensive refits carried out across vessels operating between Northern Ireland, Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, reinforcing the ferry o

Rail Cool Rules! Translink has joined forces with Rail Safe Friendly, an accredited UK-wide programme, to spread the vital message of rail safety in Northern Ireland. Pictured at the partnership launch are (L-R) Abigail, Luke and Izabel from Oakwood Integrated Primary School with Chris Conway, Translink Group Chief Executive and Kathryn Ogdin, Director of Operations, Rail Safe Friendly. A new rail safety campaign aimed at Primary 7 pupils has been launched across Northern Ire

Official opening and ribbon cutting with Kate Sherry, Chief Commercial Officer, Belfast International Airport; Patrick Ntareme, General Manager, Flax & Soda, SSP UK & Ireland; Alistair Caldwell, Operations Manager, SSP UK & Ireland; and Richard Attwood, Director of Business Development, SSP UK & Ireland Passengers travelling through Belfast International Airport are being offered a new all-day dining experience with the opening of Flax & Soda, a major new restaurant at the he

Minister Liz Kimmins is pictured with some of the DFI’s road crews who have made 10,000 repairs to the road network over the last eight weeks. Road crews across Northern Ireland have completed 10,000 repairs in just eight weeks, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has revealed, as efforts intensify to tackle widespread road damage following severe winter weather. The scale of the work comes after what the Minister described as “well documented” deterioration across the road n

PSNI Chief Superintendent Mark Roberts, NW 200’s Mervyn White and PSNI Constable from Roads Policing. Police are urging road users travelling to and from this year’s North West 200 to prioritise safety, as tens of thousands of visitors prepare to descend on the North Coast for Northern Ireland’s largest sporting event. With race week scheduled to run from 4th to 9th May, officers have warned that increased traffic, changing road conditions, and heightened excitement around th

Passengers travelling from Belfast are set for a significant boost in choice this winter after easyJet confirmed two new direct routes from Belfast International Airport, opening up both a major European capital and a popular Red Sea resort with year-round sunshine. The airline will begin flying from Belfast International to Sharm El Sheikh on 25 October, followed by Rome on 26 October, with both routes operating twice weekly and forming part of a wider nine-route expansion a

Passengers across Northern Ireland are being urged to plan ahead for the early May Bank Holiday, as Translink confirms revised bus and rail timetables alongside cross-border rail disruption due to engineering works. Holiday timetables in place across bus network Translink has announced that all bus services will operate on holiday or weekend timetables on Monday, 4 May. This includes Metro, Glider, Ulsterbus and Goldliner services, meaning reduced or altered frequencies compa

Pic: Phill McAlinney at Irish Transport Heritage Dozens of historic and modern buses will take to the roads of Northern Ireland this weekend as leading manufacturer Wrightbus marks the start of its 80th anniversary year with a major public rally culminating at Stormont. The large-scale event on Saturday, April 25 will see a convoy of heritage buses and coaches travel from the Ulster Transport Museum in Cultra to the Stormont estate, bringing together decades of engineering hi

Passengers across Northern Ireland will no longer be allowed to bring e-scooters and other powered transporters onto public transport or station premises from June 1, under new safety measures introduced by Translink in response to growing concerns over lithium-ion battery fires. The changes, which come into force across the Translink network at the start of June, will also restrict where e-bicycles can be carried — with access permitted on trains only, while being banned ent

Police have warned that enforcement action will be taken where necessary as new online calls for protests across Northern Ireland this weekend and into next week prompt preparations for a fresh policing operation. The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) confirmed it is actively planning its response amid concerns over potential disruption to key transport routes and public services, particularly where demonstrations involve vehicles. Police preparing response to renewed

Seven Towers Roundabout, Ballymena Police have confirmed they are preparing a response to planned protests across Ballymena this evening, with multiple key roundabouts identified as potential flashpoints amid rising discontent over fuel costs. The Police Service of Northern Ireland said it is aware of calls circulating online for coordinated action from 5:00pm on Friday, 17 April, as demonstrators threaten to “shut down the town” in protest at soaring prices linked to escala

Public transport fares across Northern Ireland will remain unchanged for a second consecutive year, Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins has confirmed, in a move aimed at easing pressure on households already grappling with rising fuel and living costs. The decision means passengers using Translink’s bus and rail services will see no increase in ticket prices, despite what the Minister described as significant financial pressures facing both the transport operator and the wid

Motorists across Northern Ireland faced widespread disruption on Tuesday after a series of protests involving slow-moving vehicles affected several of the region’s key transport routes, with police issuing Fixed Penalty Notices and public order cautions during a coordinated response operation. The protests took place on Tuesday 14 April, impacting major arterial roads including the Sydenham Bypass, Westlink, M2, A1, A4 and A5, while the A6 at Toome was also blocked for a peri

Monday in the House of Commons, North Antrim MP Jim Allister challenged the Prime Minister on announcing a cut to fuel duty to relieve pressure on drivers, farmers and businesses across the UK Motorists, farmers and businesses across Northern Ireland facing soaring fuel costs were given no immediate promise of tax relief on Monday after Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the Government’s main focus remains reopening the Strait of Hormuz and easing global supply pressures. T

Police have said they are actively monitoring online calls for coordinated protests across Northern Ireland next week amid growing anger over rising fuel costs linked to the escalating US/Israel–Iran war in the Middle East. The Police Service of Northern Ireland confirmed on Saturday, 11 April 2026, that an operational response has already been prepared if required ahead of the planned demonstrations on Tuesday, 14 April. The warning comes after a series of social media posts