NEWS

North Antrim MP Jim Allister speaking in the House of Commons, and Wrightbus Ballymena-built Electroliners in service for Translink in Northern Ireland North Antrim MP Jim Allister has called on the UK Government to take decisive action to support the British bus manufacturing industry, warning that current procurement practices risk undermining one of the country’s most strategically important advanced manufacturing sectors. Speaking during a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesd

Joanne Deighan, Senior Commercial Manager, Belfast International Airport and Jaclyn Coulter, HR Director, Belfast International Airport. Belfast International Airport is set to host its first major recruitment event of 2026, offering more than 100 job opportunities as it prepares for a busy summer season and continues a £100 million transformation programme. The New Year Jobs Fair will take place on Saturday 31 January 2026, from 11am to 3pm, at the Voco Hotel in the Gasworks

Primark Dubai International fashion retailer Primark has confirmed the next phase of its Middle East expansion, announcing plans to open stores in Bahrain and Qatar alongside its highly anticipated launch in Dubai, bringing the brand’s global footprint to 21 countries by the end of 2026. The expansion follows the successful opening of Primark’s first-ever Middle East store at The Avenues in Kuwait in October 2025, which attracted thousands of shoppers and marked a significant

Buick Memorial Primary School, Cullybackey has received a £5,000 donation from Galgorm Collection. Pictured alongside pupils, Evie Speers, Phoebe Cangque, Kyle Chiyangwa, Zara Murray, Finlay Stewart and Jude Ferguson, are Colin Johnston, CEO Galgorm Collection and Principal Rikki Peters. Two local primary schools in the Ballymena area are set to benefit from a £10,000 community donation from Galgorm Collection, reinforcing the hospitality group’s ongoing commitment to educat

Leading UK manufacturer Wrightbus is opening its doors to the next generation of engineering and manufacturing talent as part of Northern Ireland Apprenticeship Week and National Apprenticeship Week, with two dedicated careers events at its Ballymena headquarters. The bus maker will host an Apprenticeship Open Night and a dedicated Insight Day, offering up to 60 individuals the opportunity to explore careers in advanced manufacturing and engineering across a wide range of dis

Powerhouse Energy Group plc has taken a significant step towards establishing a major new clean energy facility in Ballymena after signing an agreement to lease land at Silverwood Business Park. The AIM-listed company, which specialises in converting non-recyclable waste into low-carbon energy, confirmed it has secured a 25-year lease for a 1.98-acre serviced site at the County Antrim business park, subject to planning approval. Under the agreement with Silverwood Business Pa

The Ulster Unionist Party has warned that Northern Ireland’s hospitality sector faces a critical threat following the publication of draft Reval 2026 valuations, with concerns mounting that sharp increases in rateable values could lead to job losses, reduced investment and business closures. Figures released by Land & Property Services (LPS) provide businesses with their first sight of new Net Annual Values (NAVs), which will be used to calculate non-domestic rates from 2026

More than 75,000 non-domestic properties across Northern Ireland have been revalued following the publication of the draft valuation list for Reval 2026 by Land & Property Services (LPS). The draft list, released this week, will form the basis for business rates from 1 April 2026, and LPS is urging ratepayers to review their new valuations now to ensure accuracy before the list is finalised. Non-domestic rates apply to a wide range of premises, including shops, offices, wareh

Tugboats perform a traditional water salute to mark the arrival of Stena Connecta at Belfast Harbour. Stena Line has strengthened freight capacity between Northern Ireland and Britain with the arrival of Stena Connecta at Belfast Harbour, marking a major milestone in a £100 million investment programme on the busy Belfast–Heysham route. The newly commissioned vessel, purpose-built for freight operations in the Irish Sea, is due to enter commercial service on 23 January 2026,

(L-R) Valeria Watts, Interim Chief Executive of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council, David Nichol, HSENI Board Member, Elise Logan, Lead Environmental Health Officer, Laura Hughes, HSENI Inspector, Mayor Councillor Jackson Miniford, HSENI Deputy Chief Executive Nicola Monson, Clement Kennedy, Environmental Health Manager, John McVeigh, Interim Director of Community at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council and HSENI Chief Executive Robert Kidd. Mid and East Antrim Borough Coun

One of the fake £20 Bank of England notes that was passed to a local retailer Businesses across Ballymena are being urged to remain vigilant following reports of a significant rise in counterfeit bank notes circulating in the town over the past fortnight. Several local traders have contacted Love Ballymena to warn fellow business owners after discovering fake notes being passed during everyday transactions, particularly in busy retail settings. According to reports received,

Eugene McKeever, Founder and Group Chair welcomes Norman McBride to the Board of McKeever Hotels The McKeever Hotel Group has announced the appointment of Norman McBride to its Board of Directors, marking a significant step in supporting the company’s accelerated growth and expanding operational footprint. Mr McBride joins the Board in the newly created role of Group Operations Director, with responsibility for overseeing operations across the Group’s seven hotels. The appoin

Last year’s 2025 Lidl Kickstart participants. Lidl Northern Ireland has called on food and drink producers across Co Antrim to apply for its 2026 Lidl Kickstart Supplier Development Programme, following the success of several local businesses that have already benefited from the initiative. Applications are now open for the ninth year of the programme, which is designed to help small and medium-sized agri-food suppliers break into the highly competitive supermarket retail sec

Stena Futura Stena Line has recorded its highest ever freight volumes on its Belfast services, underscoring the city’s growing importance as a key logistics and transport hub linking Northern Ireland and Great Britain. During 2025, almost 600,000 freight units were shipped across Stena Line’s three Belfast routes to Cairnryan, Liverpool (Birkenhead) and Heysham, representing a 1.0% year-on-year increase and marking another record-breaking year for the ferry operator. The mile

Sam Moore of S&T Moore, Coleraine A long-established Coleraine menswear retailer is entering a new chapter after nearly half a century, as owner Samuel Moore prepares for retirement and the business is taken over by Wallace’s of Ballymena. In a statement released this today (Tuesday 13 January 2026), S & T Moore confirmed that Samuel Moore will be stepping back after 48 years at the helm of the business — a store that began as a small local shop and went on to become a famili

Plans for a new lakeside Eco Village near Portrush are offering a detailed look at a holiday development designed to sit naturally within a former quarry landscape while delivering sustainable accommodation and local jobs. Causeway Coast and Glens Borough Council has now received a full planning application from White Rock Eco Parks for a 45-unit Eco Village on a 4.72-hectare site at a disused quarry close to Ballybogey Road. The proposal includes self-contained holiday lod

Staff from The Harbourview Hotel, Carnlough, who exhibited on the Mid and East Antrim Borough Council stand at the Balmoral Show 2025. Food and drink producers and visitor experience businesses across Mid and East Antrim are being offered the chance to showcase their products to tens of thousands of visitors at the Balmoral Show 2026. Mid and East Antrim Borough Council has opened Expressions of Interest for local businesses to take part in the NI Food Pavilion at the Balmora

A new doctor-led medical weight management service has officially launched in Ballymena, bringing clinically supervised weight loss care to the heart of the local community. Weight Loss Clinic NI , founded by local GP Dr McCandless , has expanded its services with a new Ballymena branch located within Highway Health on Broughshane Street. The expansion aims to improve access to safe, evidence-based weight management for people whose weight is affecting their health, wellbeing

The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company’s Ben-my-Chree vessel The Isle of Man Steam Packet Company has announced a significantly enhanced ferry timetable for 2026/27, strengthening maritime connections between Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man and opening up new opportunities for passengers, freight operators and businesses on both sides of the Irish Sea. The new three-vessel schedule, which is now on sale, marks the first time in more than 15 years that the Isle of Man has o

Tray bakes – a staple of local bakeries across Northern Ireland – have become the latest focus of criticism over the continued application of EU law in the region, according to North Antrim MP Jim Allister. In a statement issued this week, the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) leader said that a bakery in his constituency has been forced to relabel its tray bakes to comply with EU allergen requirements that go beyond those required under UK law. Mr Allister said the situation