NEWS

Retired Baptist pastor Clive Johnston A retired Baptist pastor has been convicted under Northern Ireland’s abortion buffer zone laws after preaching on John 3:16 near Causeway Hospital in Coleraine — prompting fierce criticism from the Traditional Unionist Voice, which described the judgement as a “chilling” attack on freedom of speech and religion. Pastor Clive Johnston, 78, was found guilty of two charges under the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act after holding an

The former Northern Regional College building at Trostan Avenue in Ballymena Frustration is mounting in Ballymena after it emerged there is still no timeline for the demolition or redevelopment of a derelict former college site on Trostan Avenue, despite ongoing reports of vandalism, trespass and fire-setting. The Department for the Economy has confirmed that the former Northern Regional College campus remains tied up in a disposal process and is still awaiting valuation, mea

The large, mature tree deliberately set on fire in Cullybackey. A deliberate fire at Cullybackey River Walk has drawn sharp criticism from a local councillor after emergency crews were called out to tackle what has been described as a reckless act of vandalism. Firefighters were dispatched to the scene in Cullybackey village, Ballymena, on Wednesday evening, April 29, after reports of a tree on fire in the area. The incident, which required a response from Ballymena Fire Stat

Inset: North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston Mounting pressure on NHS dentistry in North Antrim has been laid bare in the Assembly, with warnings that the system is no longer sustainable and is being steadily replaced by private provision. Speaking during a debate this week, North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston said the current situation goes far beyond access issues, describing it as a structural failure that is already reshaping how dental care is delivered across communities includin

Inset: North Antrim MP Jim Allister Cancer patients in Northern Ireland are facing the worst waiting times in the UK, with new analysis warning delays are now putting lives at risk — as political pressure mounts on Stormont to act. A major report published on Thursday (23 April) by Cancer Research UK has laid bare the scale of the crisis, revealing that cancer waiting times in Northern Ireland have been deteriorating for more than 16 years and are now the poorest across the U

North Antrim MP Jim Allister KC A call for urgent Government action on lobular breast cancer research has been made by Jim Allister KC MP , who warned that patients are continuing to receive treatments not designed for their specific disease due to decades of underinvestment. The North Antrim MP said that while recent engagement between Ministers, senior scientists and the Lobular Moon Shot Project is welcome, it has so far failed to deliver the decisive commitment needed to

The future of non-statutory pre-school provision in North Antrim has been thrust back into the spotlight after TUV MLA Timothy Gaston warned in the Northern Ireland Assembly that community playgroups could be forced to close their doors by September without urgent intervention from the Education Minister. Speaking on Monday (13 April) at Stormont, the North Antrim representative said the long-running issue surrounding pupil allocation numbers (PAN) for non-statutory settings

North Antrim TUV MLA Timothy Gaston A sharply contested debate at Stormont over Sinn Féin’s proposed Irish Language Education Bill has exposed fresh political tensions over the future shape of Northern Ireland’s education system, with TUV MLA Timothy Gaston accusing the legislation of creating a “two-tier” model that would place Irish-medium schools above every other sector. The Bill, brought forward by Sinn Féin, was debated in the Assembly on Tuesday and centres on placin

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

North Antrim MP Jim Allister Households, farmers and haulage operators across Northern Ireland could soon see Westminster pressure mount for emergency tax relief on soaring fuel costs after North Antrim MP Jim Allister formally moved to bring the issue before the House of Commons. With diesel in Ballymena now reaching 189.9p per litre and unleaded climbing to 154.9p per litre, Mr Allister has this evening, Sunday 12 April, written to the Speaker of the House of Commons seeki

A major resurfacing scheme is set to take place this summer on one of Ballymena’s busiest approach roads, with work planned on the main route from Galgorm into the town. The resurfacing will cover the stretch from the double roundabout at Tullyglass to the Grange Road junction, a key artery used daily by local residents, commuters and businesses travelling in and out of Ballymena. The planned works were confirmed in a statement issued by TUV councillors Stewart McDonald and M

The poster placed at two roadside junctions in Ballycastle, and inset, TUV MP Jim Allister and Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan Political placards which had become the focus of local concern in Ballycastle have been removed following intervention by the Department for Infrastructure, prompting a fresh political row over standards for public displays in the town. The signs, located at the junction of Mary Street and Cushendall Road, were taken down after North Antrim MP Jim Allis

North Antrim TUV MLA Timothy Gaston Fresh questions have been raised over spending at Stormont after newly revealed documents showed the refurbishment of the Assembly’s Blue Flax canteen cost almost £200,000 more than originally budgeted, prompting sharp criticism from TUV MLA Timothy Gaston. The final bill for the renovation of the canteen at Parliament Buildings came to £530,532, according to documents obtained by BBC News NI through a Freedom of Information request. The Bl

Inset: TUV Braid councillor Anne Henry A major resurfacing scheme is set to begin on Shellinghill Road, Cullybackey, with works scheduled to take place from 20 April to 24 April, in a move welcomed as a much-needed upgrade to one of the area’s long-standing road concerns. The improvement scheme will cover the section of road from the National Speed Limit sign to the railway crossing, addressing what local representatives say has become a road surface far beyond the stage of r

Local councillor Anna Henry proposed a motion this week calling for urgent action to tackle lengthy delays in diagnosis and treatment across Northern Ireland Thousands of women living with chronic pain and prolonged uncertainty have moved back into sharp focus after Mid and East Antrim Borough Council formally recognised the growing crisis in gynaecology services during Endometriosis Awareness Month. In a follow-up development to growing concern around women’s health waiting

Inset: North Antrim MP Jim Allister North Antrim MP Jim Allister has formally intervened in the planning process surrounding Ballymena’s proposed new Lidl store, writing directly to a planning officer at Mid and East Antrim Borough Council to urge that the application be refused. In a strongly worded letter addressed to senior planning officer Kyle Patterson, Mr Allister said he was writing to “endorse the opposition of local residents” to the proposed St Patrick’s Link Road

TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston The political fallout over Northern Ireland’s special educational needs summer schemes deepened today after TUV MLA Timothy Gaston launched a blistering attack in the Assembly, accusing ministers and officials of failing some of the most vulnerable children in society. In a strongly worded address, the North Antrim MLA said the decision to cancel the schemes — before a subsequent reversal — was “not simply an administrative mis-step” but

North Antrim MP Jim Allister at the wheel of a Wrightbus electroliner vehicle. North Antrim MP Jim Allister has sharply criticised the decision to award the bulk of a £45 million Scottish Government contract for zero-emission buses and coaches to a Chinese manufacturer, describing the move as “outrageous” and warning it represents a failure to support UK industry. The intervention comes as pressure continues to mount over the allocation of public funding away from domestic ma

Alderman Stewart McDonald visiting the site of the works. Repeated flooding that left a Ballymena road vulnerable during heavy rainfall has now been addressed, following months of concern from local residents. TUV Bannside Alderman Stewart McDonald has welcomed the completion of works on Cardonaghy Road, describing the issue as a long-standing problem that caused “real disruption” for those living nearby and for motorists using the route. Long-running issue during heavy rain

Alliance Deputy Leader Eóin Tennyson And North Antrim TUV MLA Timothy Gaston The sudden cancellation of special school summer schemes has sparked a political backlash, with calls to urgently recall the Northern Ireland Assembly as families face losing what many describe as a “lifeline” service. The Alliance Party has formally tabled a recall petition, aiming to force ministers back into the chamber during Easter recess to answer for a decision that has left parents scramblin