NEWS

North Ballymena Rangers Football Club has confirmed a major milestone in its rapid rise, after securing a 25-year lease for Smithfield Playing Field with Mid and East Antrim Borough Council. The agreement, approved at Monday night’s Full Council meeting, is being hailed by the club as the beginning of a transformative new chapter. In a statement, the club said it was “very enthusiastic about this development, as it marks the beginning of a new era for our Club with the acqu

Coca-Cola Ireland has launched its 2025 Designated Driver campaign, celebrating an impressive 17 years of encouraging responsible choices and supporting the hospitality sector during the festive period. The initiative, which launched yesterday on 1 December, once again offers two complimentary Coca-Cola soft drinks — including Coca-Cola Zero Sugar and Coca-Cola Original Taste — to anyone acting as the designated driver at participating venues across the island of Ireland. The

The Police Service of Northern Ireland has launched a criminal investigation after masked and armed men appeared in an online video issuing threats to elected representatives in the Newry, Mourne and Down area. The video, which has circulated widely across social media platforms in recent days, shows several individuals dressed in paramilitary-style clothing and holding weapons. The group in the footage has called itself the New Republican Movement, an organisation previousl

Translink is encouraging Christmas shoppers across Northern Ireland to take the stress out of festive travel this year by taking full advantage of its extensive Park and Ride network. As thousands head into towns and city centres for shopping, dining and seasonal events, the transport operator says its Park and Ride sites provide a simple, affordable and congestion-free alternative to battling heavy traffic in the run-up to Christmas. Many sites will operate extended timetabl

Belfast City Hall Unionist councillors are to take Belfast City Council to the High Court after a dramatic late-night vote approved flying the Palestinian flag over City Hall from midnight, triggering one of the most contentious political rows at City Hall in recent years. In a tense special meeting on Monday (1 December), councillors voted 32 to 28 to erect the flag for 24 hours from 12am on Tuesday – a decision made after weeks of legal wrangling, a successful Unionist call

Significant variations have emerged in Mid and East Antrim Borough councillors’ expenses claims for 2024–2025, prompting renewed scrutiny of public spending at a time when elected members have also accepted a rise in their basic allowance. The publication of the latest travel and subsistence figures shows that 15 councillors claimed nothing at all, while others recorded expenses totalling more than £1,900 for the year. It comes just weeks after councillors accepted a 3.2% inc

The countdown is almost over — Primark Ballymena will officially open its brand-new store at Fairhill Shopping Centre this Friday, 5th December at 10am , marking one of the most significant retail moments the town has seen in years. The opening forms the centrepiece of Fairhill Shopping Centre’s ongoing £10 million redevelopment, which has transformed the site throughout 2024 and 2025 with upgraded mall spaces, improved facilities and a refreshed brand identity designed to st

Ballymena’s young star Kain Stewart, presented with the WKO Grand Champion belt, alongside medals and certificates, which were presented by WKO UK President Jon Green Ballymena’s rising star Kain Stewart, aged 10 and from Foxton Wood Square, has capped off an extraordinary year by being crowned WKO Grand Champion at the WKO Grand Prix awards ceremony in Barnsley on Saturday evening, 29 November. Kain’s dominance throughout the season saw him rise to the top of the 10–11-year

Northern Ireland’s Health and Social Care (HSC) system has cut its spending on off-contract nurses, midwives and healthcare support workers by £120 million since May 2023, the Department of Health has confirmed. The reduction follows the introduction of the Nursing/Midwifery and Healthcare Support Framework, a procurement reform designed to curb high-cost agency spending and strengthen the long-term stability of the workforce. Health Minister Mike Nesbitt said the framework h

The Giant’s Causeway is set to be seen by travellers across the world as it takes pride of place in the newly redesigned British passport, officially issued from today, Monday 1 December. The landmark basalt columns join three other UNESCO-protected natural landscapes in a major visual update to the UK passport’s pages. The new design also marks the first appearance of His Majesty King Charles III’s Coat of Arms in a British passport, symbolising a new chapter in the document

Over the past few years, the store team has organised and taken part in a number of initiatives and fun days to help raise funds towards the milestone and become one of the top SPAR fundraisers in NI. A Ballymena store team is celebrating after helping SPAR NI surpass an extraordinary £1 million raised for Marie Curie, supporting vital community nursing services across Northern Ireland. SPAR NI has confirmed its retailers and shoppers have collectively raised £1,024,167 for t

Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden appearing on ITV’s Lorraine Strictly Come Dancing professional Amy Dowden has opened up about her decision to undergo a preventative mastectomy on her left breast, in an emotional and exclusive interview on Lorraine. The dancer, who was diagnosed with breast cancer in May 2023, previously underwent a single mastectomy, chemotherapy and later entered remission. However, after pre-cancerous cells were discovered during a recent mamm

Robin Swann MP at Antrim Train Station Over 1,200 residents and supporters have backed an open letter from Robin Swann MP urging Infrastructure Minister Liz Kimmins MLA to set out a clear, definitive timeline for reopening the Knockmore Railway Line between Lisburn and Antrim. The South Antrim MP has formally written to the Minister to present the letter, which calls for transparency, certainty and a firm commitment to move the long-awaited rail project forward. Mr Swann said

New Chief Executive of Wrightbus, Axel J. Maschka Zero-emission transport manufacturer Wrightbus has announced Axel J. Maschka as its new Chief Executive, marking a significant moment in the Ballymena-based company’s continued growth on the international stage. Maschka, an accomplished senior executive with decades of experience in the global automotive supply chain, joins Wrightbus after holding top roles at Hyundai Mobis, Valeo, Volvo, Continental, Leclanché, Bosch and Merc

Pictured are the latest cohort of students from the Supporting Communities Scholarship Scheme, Noah Hought, Michael Cushenan, Caoimhe Layland McGroggan and Jelisejs Sestakovs, alongside Stephanie McKilliop, far left and Sandra Ross, far right, from Supporting Communities.  The Gallaher Trust has announced a further three-year extension to its scholarship schemes, securing £99,000 in funding to support disadvantaged young adults pursuing business or STEM-based studies in the B

A large majority of UK motorists want to see alcohol interlocks – also known as ‘alcolocks’ – introduced to crack down on drink-driving, according to new figures from the RAC. The motoring organisation’s latest Report on Motoring found 82% of drivers support fitting alcohol interlocks to prevent repeat drink-driving. Only 7% of respondents opposed the idea, while 12% remained unsure. Alcohol interlocks are already widely used in countries including Belgium, the Netherlands, A

BT has announced a major new Future Technology Research and Innovation (FTRI) programme at the BT Ireland Innovation Centre (BTIC) in Belfast, signalling what is expected to be £45 million of investment in Northern Ireland over the next five years. Launched by BT Group Chief Executive Allison Kirkby, the programme will significantly expand the region’s tech research capacity through new industrial research streams, advanced engineering projects and deeper collaboration betwee

An “extra-large” American flag that could be seen from Belfast Lough is set to be flown at a Carrickfergus visitor attraction to mark a landmark anniversary next year. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council’s Neighbourhoods and Communities Committee has approved a proposal to fly the flag at the Andrew Jackson Cottage in Boneybefore, subject to additional funding being secured, as part of the ‘America 250’ commemorations. It was suggested that an “extra-large” US flag be install

Ulster Unionist Education Spokesperson Jon Burrows MLA has welcomed the introduction of a new emergency messaging system for schools, following the Education Minister’s admission that “communication failures” took place during the handling of Storm Amy. The recent review into the events surrounding the storm found that critical updates were not delivered quickly enough to schools, leading to widespread confusion as closure decisions were issued. Mr Burrows said the review h

Aerial view of Ballee Cemetery Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has agreed to shelve a proposal that would have ended Sunday burials. The recommendation to restrict weekend burials to Saturdays only was presented to councillors at a meeting of the council’s Environment and Economy Committee last month. The discussion took place in a closed session, according to the minutes. Officers had advised limiting weekend burials, but councillors were told that rural Sunday funerals

Ulster Unionist Agriculture Spokesperson and Chair of the Stormont Agriculture Committee, Robbie Butler MLA , has warned that a suspected case of Bluetongue in Co Down marks a “deeply worrying development” for Northern Ireland’s farming community. His comments follow confirmation that DAERA officials are investigating the presence of Bluetongue virus in two cows at a holding near Bangor. A 20km Temporary Control Zone (TCZ) is now in force, restricting the movement of suscept

Ballymena United Football Club has announced that first team manager Jim Ervin has departed the club, bringing an end to his two and a half years in charge at the Showgrounds. In a statement issued on Monday morning, the club confirmed the decision and expressed deep gratitude for Ervin’s service — both as a manager and as a respected former player. The board said it wished to place on record its “upmost thanks to Jim and his staff for their efforts and support during his two

Tom Wiggins, CEO Ballymena Chamber of Commerce, and (L-R) Lauren Kelso from Lauren Kelso Illustrator, Debbie Chestnutt (Good Morning, Ballymena), and Lucinda Graham (Galgorm Melts). The Ballymena Chamber of Commerce is set to launch its first-ever Artisan Christmas Fair next month, offering a festive celebration of local craftsmanship, community spirit, and seasonal entertainment. The free-entry event will take place this coming weekend on Saturday 6 December 2025, from 11am

DAERA vets are investigating a suspected case of Bluetongue virus at a livestock holding near Bangor, Co Down, prompting urgent disease control measures and the introduction of a 20km Temporary Control Zone (TCZ). The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) confirmed that results from its active Bluetongue surveillance programme “indicated the presence of the disease in two cows”. Officials have now implemented what they describe as “robust disease co