NEWS

Images: Andres Poveda Photography RTÉ has confirmed one of the most eagerly awaited announcements of the festive season: the theme for The Late Late Toy Show 2025 will be The Grinch. Inspired by Dr Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, tonight’s show promises a heartwarming blend of mischief, magic and festive joy, marking the culmination of a week of Christmas programming reveals. Families tuning in tonight will be transported to Who-ville, where the Toy Show set has been t

Pictured are Anne O’Reilly, Chairperson Northern Trust, Jackie Burns, Ethel Glasgow, Iris Burns and Suzanne Pullins Chief Executive Northern Trust Cookstown woman and former nurse Ethel Glasgow, aged 93, has been announced as the winner of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust’s 2025 Christmas card competition, after her hand-drawn festive design captured the hearts of judges. Mrs Glasgow, who attends Cookstown Day Centre, created a charming winter scene featuring a robin

Christmas arrived early for Ballymena today as Primark officially opened the doors of its brand-new store at Fairhill Shopping Centre — a major £5 million investment that doubles the retailer’s footprint in the town and delivers a welcome boost to the local economy. The Mayor of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, Jackson Minford, joined store colleagues for the ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking a significant milestone for the internationally recognised retailer, which first

St Louis Grammar School, Ballymena St Louis Grammar School has secured its place among Northern Ireland’s top-performing post-primary schools, ranking ninth in the prestigious Sunday Times Parent Power 2026 guide . The annual league table, widely considered the definitive benchmark for school performance across the UK, will be published online on Friday 5 December and in print on Sunday 7 December. Nationally, St Louis Grammar also earns a strong position at number 65 within

Kilrea Bridge Kilrea Bridge is set to reopen to cars and light vehicles this weekend, as the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) confirms that temporary stabilisation works are nearing completion. The route will reopen at 8am on Saturday 6 December, restoring a vital connection for local residents and businesses in the run-up to Christmas. The bridge, located on the B64 Bann Road, has been closed to allow engineers to carry out essential safety work. DfI has now confirmed tha

Pictured (L-R) Wholetime Firefighters from Antrim area, Emma Hutchinson from Carrickfergus, Daniel Richey from Ballyclare and Emer McLernon from Ballymena. Ballymena’s own Emer McLernon is among 18 new Wholetime Firefighters who graduated today from the Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) Learning & Development College (LDC), marking the completion of an intensive 18-week training programme and the beginning of their operational careers serving communities across N

WJ O’Donnell & Sons Funeral Directors have announced a special community event, “The Meaning of Christmas”, which will take place on Sunday 7th December 2025 at 7pm in their Ballymena funeral home (41–43 Mount Street, BT43 6BW). The gathering, open to everyone in the community, is intended to provide a space of peace, reflection, and comfort for anyone who finds the festive season difficult after the loss of a loved one. All voluntary proceeds will be donated to Cruse Berea

Home heating oil prices have dipped this week, according to the Consumer Council’s latest Home Heating Oil Price Checker , offering some short-term relief for households preparing for colder weather. The average cost of 500 litres now sits at £299.59, around £11.30 cheaper than last week, though still £12.45 more expensive than last month. The fluctuating figures highlight the ongoing volatility of the heating oil market, with prices changing daily and making it increasingly

Northern Ireland’s primary care system is “in crisis” and requires “urgent intervention” , according to a major new report from the Northern Ireland Assembly’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC). The Report on Access to General Practice in Northern Ireland outlines serious shortcomings in how patients access GP services and calls for radical reform of the system. The PAC report, based on evidence from health organisations, the Department of Health (DoH), and an unprecedented p

Flu cases across Northern Ireland have almost doubled in the past week, prompting an urgent call from Health Minister Mike Nesbitt for eligible people to come forward for vaccination. Positive influenza cases have risen sharply to 954, with flu-related hospital admissions also nearly doubling to 264. During a visit to the Ulster Hospital vaccination clinic, the Minister warned that winter pressures on the health service are intensifying and stressed the importance of timely v

Emma Rose Duffy has experience volunteering with the NSPCC Young Witness Service and obtained a master’s degree in Children’s Rights, before qualifying as a solicitor in 2019. Working with the Children’s Law Centre, she promoted the rights of young people in the legal system, with a particular focus on mental health, prior to taking up the CSOLA role. A new series of awareness-raising videos has been launched by the Department of Justice to highlight a free legal advisory ser

A 25-year-old man living in County Antrim has been extradited from Northern Ireland to Lithuania, where he is wanted to stand trial for a series of alleged human trafficking offences involving children. Officers from the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s International Policing Unit confirmed the extradition took place on Thursday, 2nd December, concluding a process that began with the man’s arrest in Templepatrick on 2nd June 2024. The offences are alleged to have taken pl

The team from The Rowan Sexual Assault Referral Centre celebrate success at the GNI Mag awards. The Rowan Sexual Assault Referral Centre has been recognised for its vital work supporting victims of sexual violence, winning the Health and Wellbeing Award at this year’s GNI Mag Awards in Belfast. The annual ceremony celebrates individuals, organisations, and services that champion inclusivity and play a significant role in improving the mental, physical, and emotional wellbeing

Inset: North Antrim MLA Paul Frew North Antrim MLA Paul Frew has raised fresh concerns over ongoing delays in the collection of recycling boxes by Bryson Recycling, as households across Ballymena and the wider Mid and East Antrim Borough Council area continue to report prolonged disruption. Mr Frew said he had been “contacted numerous times over the last number of weeks” by residents frustrated at waiting days beyond their normal schedule for collections to be completed. Som

Asda Antrim Community Champion helped secure an Asda Foundation grant for Randalstown Ulster Scots Cultural Society Asda has relaunched its ‘Happy to Chat’ initiative across Northern Ireland in a bid to support older people facing loneliness and isolation during the festive season. The move comes as part of the retailer’s latest Christmas Community Tracker, which surveyed more than 2,000 people across the UK. The research revealed that for many over-60s, the “lack of human in

Christmas on Castle Street is set to make a joyful return to Ballymena Elim on Saturday 6 December 2025 , offering a warm and welcoming festive celebration for families across the borough. Running from 12 noon to 5pm , the much-loved community event promises a packed programme of activities — and best of all, every attraction is completely free. Pastor Pip Kerr said the church was “delighted to once again open our doors to the community for what we truly believe is the mos

Latharna House high rise block of flats in Larne. Mid and East Antrim councillors have been given assurances by the Housing Executive over the future demolition of Larne’s last remaining high-rise flats. Speaking at a meeting of the council’s Neighbourhoods and Communities Committee at The Braid in Ballymena on Tuesday evening, Housing Executive chief executive Grainia Long was responding to a query from Larne Lough Alliance Councillor Maeve Donnelly regarding the unoccupied

Kilrea Bridge UUP councillor Richard Holmes has expressed concern that responsibility for supporting local businesses affected by the closure of Kilrea Bridge is “being passed around like a grenade” among government departments. In late September, the Department for Infrastructure (DfI) announced the bridge’s closure due to concerns about the structural stability of a retaining wall on the approach to the structure. DfI has since said it is working with a specialist contrac

Professor Linda Kelly, NIPEC Chief Executive; Health Minister Mike Nesbitt; Professor Maria McIlgorm, Chief Nursing Office A new Career and Development Model designed to support professional growth and long-term workforce retention across Northern Ireland’s nursing and midwifery professions has been formally launched. The model, unveiled this week at the Northern Ireland Practice & Education Council for Nursing & Midwifery (NIPEC) annual conference, provides a clear and struc

Preliminary test results released by the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) have revealed the suspected presence of Bluetongue virus (BTV-3) in a further 44 cattle within a Co Down herd, following the confirmation of two initial cases last week. The findings relate to a holding near Bangor, situated within the 20km Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) introduced on Saturday 29 November. DAERA has stressed that while Bluetongue poses no risk to human heal

The Battle Garden associated with the Moravian Church in Kilwarlin, Co Down. Communities Minister Gordon Lyons has announced the formal protection of several “hidden gems” across Northern Ireland, following the addition of a number of historically significant sites to the official schedule of monuments and list of protected buildings. The newly designated sites span multiple counties and reflect what the Minister described as “a microcosm of our rich heritage”. Among them a

The Northern Ireland Housing Executive has detailed more than £62 million of investment across Mid and East Antrim during 2024/25, as councillors were briefed on extensive works to improve homes, support vulnerable residents and maintain community cohesion. Chief Executive Grainia Long delivered the update at the annual Housing Investment Plan presentation on Tuesday 2 December 2025, outlining progress in both the organisation’s Strategic Housing Authority functions and its r

Pictured (L-R) is Alistair Caldwell (SSP Operations Manager), Dan Owens (CEO, Belfast International Airport), Michelle McKay (General Manager, Soul & Grain), Cathy Granby (Chief Operations Officer, SSP UK and MD Ireland), andRichard Attwood (Director of Business Development UK and Ireland). Belfast International Airport has unveiled ambitious plans to enhance its food and beverage offering as part of its wider £100 million, five-year investment programme. The airport, part of

Police have arrested two men following disturbances near a protest at Belfast City Hall on Tuesday evening (2 December), after a second group arrived at the scene and began antagonising demonstrators. Officers were deployed to the area when the protest began at around 5.30pm, with the PSNI confirming that the demonstration had remained peaceful until shortly after 6.30pm. According to police, tensions escalated when a separate group approached the protest and engaged in disru