NEWS

A major new weight-loss treatment has been approved for use in the UK, marking the first time a GLP-1 receptor agonist tablet has been authorised for weight management rather than requiring injections. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) announced on Thursday, June 11, that the semaglutide tablet, marketed under the Wegovy brand, has met the regulator’s standards for safety, quality and effectiveness and can now be prescribed to eligible patients ac

Immigration enforcement activity in Northern Ireland has increased significantly over the past two years, according to information provided by a Government source, which says arrests for immigration offences have risen by 30% and nearly 1,000 illegal migrants have been removed during the past year. The figures emerge as immigration, border security and the movement of people through the Common Travel Area have become central issues in political debate following recent unrest

Ryanair is being investigated by the Competition and Markets Authority over charges that parents must pay to sit beside their children on flights, including in cases involving disability-related obligations. The budget airline’s terms and conditions require at least one adult travelling with children aged two to 11 to reserve a seat, through what Ryanair calls a “mandatory family seat”. That reservation typically costs around £8 per flight, meaning the charge can apply on bot

The UK Home Office has confirmed that the man arrested over the brutal attempted murder in north Belfast is a Sudanese national who was granted refugee status in the UK after arriving in 2023 — with questions around the attacker’s status sparking a heated Commons clash today involving North Antrim MP Jim Allister and Secretary of State Hilary Benn. In a statement issued on Tuesday afternoon, a Home Office spokesperson said: “We can confirm the individual is a Sudanese nationa

A chinook helicopter like the one that crashed in 1994 on Mull of Kintyre, and (inset) Sir Liam Fox More than three decades after one of Britain’s deadliest military aviation disasters, fresh pressure is mounting on the UK Government to re-examine the circumstances surrounding the RAF Chinook crash at the Mull of Kintyre that killed 29 people — including many of Northern Ireland’s most senior security and intelligence personnel. Former UK Defence Secretary Sir Liam Fox has wr

Another major order for electric buses has been placed with Ballymena manufacturer Wrightbus, strengthening the company’s growing role at the centre of the UK’s transition to cleaner public transport and securing further work for Northern Ireland’s manufacturing sector. Transport for Greater Manchester has confirmed an additional order for 125 electric buses for the Bee Network, with the fleet to be built by Wrightbus as the region pushes towards a fully electric bus network

Love Island is back — and ITV has revealed the first Islanders preparing to enter the Mallorca Villa for a new summer of romance, rivalry and reality TV chaos. The 13th series launches on Monday 1st June at 9pm on ITV2 and ITVX, with Maya Jama returning as host as a fresh group of singletons couple up, clash, flirt and fight for a connection. New faces, big personalities and Villa tension This year’s line-up includes a quantity surveyor and DJ, a detective, a West End perform

Families across Northern Ireland are set to see the cost of summer outings, meals and travel eased after Chancellor Rachel Reeves unveiled a major package of cost-of-living measures amid growing fears over the economic fallout from the conflict in the Middle East. In a Commons statement on Thursday (21 May), the Chancellor warned that instability linked to the war in Iran posed “a significant challenge to the world economy”, with rising oil and gas prices threatening to put f

Set to host Strictly Come Dancing 2026: Presenter Emma Willis, professional dancer Johannes Radebe and comedian Josh Widdicombe. (Image: BBC/Ray Burmiston) The BBC has unveiled a dramatic new era for Strictly Come Dancing, confirming the show will be fronted by three presenters for the first time in its history following the departure of long-serving hosts Tess Daly and Claudia Winkleman. Presenter Emma Willis, professional dancer Johannes Radebe and comedian Josh Widdicombe

Murdered: Nicholas “Nicky” Gordon Two men have been arrested in Scotland on suspicion of murdering east Belfast man Nicholas “Nicky” Gordon following a cross-jurisdiction police operation linked to the fatal Holywood Road assault. Mr Gordon, 51, died in hospital on Saturday, 16 May, four days after he was seriously attacked in the Holywood Road area of Belfast during the early hours of Tuesday, 12 May. The arrests mark a major development in the PSNI murder investigation whic

Pictured during a visit to The JAQ Group’s rapidly expanding headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Randalstown, are Tom Wiggins, Chief Executive of Ballymena Chamber of Commerce, Peter Houston, President of Ballymena Chamber of Commerce and Connor Martin, Managing Director of The JAQ Group. More than 30 members of Ballymena Chamber of Commerce were given a first-hand look inside one of Northern Ireland’s fastest-growing business success stories this week as they toured

Tender Baby Garlic Kale - one of a new range of vertically farmed leaves launched by M&S in the UK Marks & Spencer has launched a new range of vertically farmed salad leaves that use 96% less water than traditional farming methods while staying fresh for up to five days longer. The retailer says the new products represent a major shift in how fresh food could be grown in the future, combining robotics, controlled indoor farming and pesticide-free production to create salad le

A still Image from the NSPCC’s new campaign ‘Shift Ctrl’ Children across Northern Ireland and the UK are increasingly turning to Childline in fear that intimate images shared online could destroy their futures, as new figures reveal a dramatic rise in counselling sessions linked to online sexual abuse and exploitation. The NSPCC says children are being exposed to growing levels of harm on social media and digital platforms, with young people reporting blackmail, coercion, onl

Lady Ballyedmond and family remain the wealthiest people in Northern Ireland with an estimated fortune of £898 million, despite suffering a £24 million drop in wealth over the past year, according to the 2026 edition of The Sunday Times Rich List. The annual rankings, published by The Sunday Times Rich List, paint a striking picture of changing fortunes, billionaire migration and growing concern over an exodus of wealth from the UK. This year’s list reveals that one in six pe

Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds during a meeting with businesses to discuss the Government’s new UK-EU food and drink deal, which it says will remove the vast majority of GB-NI checks. Northern Ireland businesses moving food and drink products from Great Britain could soon see millions of pounds in extra costs wiped out under a new UK–EU agreement aimed at dramatically reducing post-Brexit trade barriers. Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds visited Northern Ireland this w

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

Photo Credit: Emerson Miller/Paramount+ The next chapter in the Yellowstone universe is officially underway, with Paramount+ unveiling the first full trailer for Dutton Ranch — the highly anticipated spin-off centred on Beth Dutton and Rip Wheeler. The new Paramount+ Original Series premieres globally on Friday, May 15 with two launch episodes, transporting the fan-favourite couple from the mountains of Montana to the dangerous and unforgiving landscape of South Texas. Set in

The radon map of Northern Ireland People living in parts of Northern Ireland with the highest radon levels are more than twice as likely to develop lung cancer, according to a major new study that for the first time connects national radon mapping with cancer registry data at a regional scale. The research, led by Queen’s University Belfast in collaboration with Trinity College Dublin, analysed radon exposure patterns alongside data from the Northern Ireland Cancer Registry (

Thousands of students, apprentices and young people across the UK are set to regain access to study and work opportunities across Europe after the government formally agreed to rejoin the Erasmus+ programme from 2027. The legal text confirming the UK’s return was signed in Brussels on April 15, marking a major shift in post-Brexit relations and reopening one of Europe’s most established education and exchange schemes to UK participants. More than 100,000 people are expected t

Professor Stephen Wallace harvesting engineered bacteria for analysis. (Photo: Edinburgh Innovations) A team of UK scientists has developed a pioneering method to turn discarded plastic bottles into a key drug used to treat Parkinson’s disease, in a breakthrough that could transform both pharmaceutical manufacturing and global recycling efforts. Researchers at the University of Edinburgh have successfully engineered bacteria to convert post-consumer plastic into L-DOPA, a fro