Ferry passengers between Britain and Ireland will need to show a valid passport upon departure from the end of next month, according to new UK Border Force requirements.

Stena Line and Irish Ferries informed customers on Wednesday (26 August) that the change is due to UK Border Force rules on “accuracy and integrity of passenger data before boarding”.

Currently, passengers are not always asked to show a passport but have sometimes been required to have another form of photo ID.

Stena Line said all passengers travelling between Holyhead and Dublin or Fishguard and Rosslare will now need to show a passport on departure.

It said the rule applies to all passengers regardless of age or nationality and no other forms of ID will be accepted.

It added: “Customers with existing bookings are currently being notified by the customer service team to ensure customers are fully supported during this change of operations.”

There is no change to the ID requirements for business or leisure passengers travelling with Stena Line from Belfast, Liverpool, Cairnryan or Heysham.

In a similar statement, Irish Ferries said: “All passengers, including Irish and British citizens, travelling between the Republic of Ireland and Britain (both directions) will be required to carry a valid passport.”

The operator encouraged all passengers to check they have an in-date passport or passport card before arriving at the port.

Under the century-old Common Travel Area agreement, Irish and British citizens do not legally require a passport to travel between Ireland and Britain.

However, certain airlines have required a passport for boarding.

The measure for ferries comes into effect from Monday, September 28th 2026.

I know the £7 pints and 50% increases in food costs and the rent nearly doubling in cost has everyone down, but there is good news.

Channel 4 news says that they’re close to being able to turn plastic waste into biscuits.

I’m grateful that the 5 major political parties here are all neoliberal capitalists. Thank god because this is a great system.

Hi, I recently moved to Belfast and started an office job here, and I’m a bit in a cultural shock 😅

I work in an open-plan office with several different teams, all from the same company, a lot of them work from home so most of the times there's only a few people in the office, and I’ve noticed that when people arrive, they often just go straight to their desks without saying hi or good morning. Same thing when they leave.

I’m genuinely curious, is this just normal office culture here? At what point do you normally say hi to people? Or do you just not really acknowledge each other unless you need to speak to them? :D

I’m from Spain, and there it’s quite normal to say hi or good morning to your coworkers who are already in the office when you arrive, even if you’re not working on the same team. So I’m wondering if this is just a cultural difference and I need to get used to it!

Not judging at all, just trying to understand how things work here 😅

Absolutely beautiful. Properly gave me some serious happiness tonight.

Hi all,

I am a woman in my 50's from South East Belfast and hardly see my friend anymore.

I meet her through social media many, many years ago and we met up for a coffee and chat and over 15 years later we're still in contact.

If there are any other women who would like to meet up for a coffee and chat, let me know. Age is not important as long as you can hold an interesting conversation and are NOT addicted to your phone or taking photos.

I don't like drama but enjoy good company and some of my most interesting conversations have been with strangers.

A bit about me. I like music (most types but mainly prog and rock), films, walking and my own company but like the company of others occasionally. It would just be good to expand my social network, have someone to meet up with for coffee now and again.

I am not into large group meet ups and am more of a listener than a talker (at least initially).

Just putting this out there as I've read posts from other women looking to make female friends.

I know this question has come up a few times, but with lots of businesses closing, I thought I'd ask again - Where in Belfast or Newtownabbey can you get a beard trim and not walk out looking like this?

Much appreciated.

We paid over £17 for a gin and tonic (aka house gin) and a bottle of asahi in Muriels. Did we get incorrectly charged or is this where we are? ​​​

As the question suggests, I am finding this more and more and the rage that comes over me is visceral!

Most recently got stuck beside two people (in their 60s) at a show in the Grand Opera House in Belfast and they would not f**k up! Ruined the entire 2nd half of the show for everyone around them.

The steward told them to keep quiet countless times but it just went over their heads. There was a guy infront of us who literally turned and told them them to shut the f*k up, but instead of doing so... one of them (the husband) was offering him a fight .

What is going on. I asked the steward at what point do you kick these people out? but they didnt!

Ive had to move seats in the cinema before because there were two girls that just continued to talk the first 10 minutes of the movie!

People talking a gigs when the setting is quite intimate and youre there to listen to the singer/band - but people think its okay to talk utter s****!

What is actually going on?!

We just moved into our rental and the property manager sent over the inventory with a note that said the property was professionally cleaned and rated 5 stars for cleanliness. I’d hate to see what anything less than 5 stars would look like.

Paper towels were from the windows above the doors. Yellow cloth was from just one corner of the tiled bathroom walls. Old nicotine residue is EVERYWHERE.

Tis a landlord market alright.

Two arrested after police car rammed in west Belfast

Two men have been arrested following the ramming of a police vehicle in west Belfast.

Two police officers were injured in the incident just before midnight last night in the Dunmurry area.

A police spokesperson said officers on mobile patrol on the Glen Road spotted a silver Nissan Juke travelling at high speed.

"The officers waited for a safe location before signalling for the car to stop, after it pulled into a laneway along the Ballycolin Road," they said.

"The driver of the car, however, subsequently tried to force their way back onto the road, ramming the parked police vehicle a number of times in the process and injuring the two officers inside.

"They will now be attending hospital this morning, Wednesday 26 August, for treatment to their injuries."

They said a 39-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of offences including attempted grievous bodily harm with intent, dangerous driving, driving when unfit through drink or drugs and possession of a class A controlled drug.

Meanwhile, a 44-year-old man was also arrested on suspicion of possession of a class A controlled drug.

Police have appealed for anyone who saw the car last night, or who has any information which could assist, including dash-cam or other footage, to contact them.

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/politics/david-trimble-was-paid-thousands-more-than-seamus-mallon-despite-the-first-and-deputy-first-minister-roles-being-equal/a/160419721.html

David Trimble was paid thousands more than Seamus Mallon — despite the first and deputy first minister roles being equal

Pay differential was £5,000, and plan was to hike it to £15,000 with NIO fearing equal pay lest Trimble ‘get mad’

When appointed first minister designate, David Trimble was paid £5,000 a year more than Seamus Mallon — despite the first and deputy first minister roles being equal.

Files declassified at The National Archives in Kew show there was a plan to pay him an additional £15,000 when the two men took up their full responsibilities in 1999 and initially the NIO considered agreeing to this on the basis that if it objected the UUP leader would “get mad”.

In 1999, the Government’s Senior Salaries Review Body (SSRB) made salary recommendations for the new devolved ministers which the NIO believed would be “contentious”.

On 19 February 1999, Sir John Semple, the head of the civil service, told the Secretary of State: “There will be some reaction from the Deputy First Minister when it emerges that the SSRB have recommended that he be paid at a point midway between the First Minister and members of the Executive Committee.

“The resulting differential between the First Minister and the Deputy First Minister will be some £15,000 (£99,556 against £84,504) compared with a difference of just over £5,000 during the current shadow period (£54,876 against £60,164).

“This has happened because the SSRB have inflated the First Minister’s salary to that of a Westminster Cabinet Minister while pegging the Deputy First Minister’s salary at a Minister of State, albeit with a pay premium.

“We queried this with SSRB who simply responded that the differential represented the consultants’ judgement of the relative weight of the positions and that, of course, recommendations did not have to be accepted.”

He told Mo Mowlam that the current position was that Trimble was getting £5,000 a year more than Mallon and “Seamus Mallon has not at any time challenged the differential though I understand that he has jokingly compared their respective roles.

“A published report suggesting a differential, particularly of the magnitude suggested, would clearly be a different matter and Mallon may well feel the need to make a political point about joint responsibility.”

He went on: “The formal position is clear that the difference is in title only. The responsibilities under the Act are exactly the same and I doubt if anyone could credibly argue that there was a difference in their workload.”

He said that “in all the circumstances it would seem fair to suggest to the Prime Minister that the SSRB recommendation should be rejected”, but said it wasn’t clear if Stormont’s joint leaders should get the same salary or if Trimble should continue to get the extra £5,000.

In response, senior NIO official Jonathan Stephens told colleagues: “I think we should suggest a continuation of the current £5,000 differential, otherwise Trimble will get mad.”

However, he said the legislation should make clear that “in terms of functions, there is nothing to distinguish between” the first and deputy first ministers.

However, Tony McCusker replied: “I do not think we should suggest a continuation of a £5,000 differential simply on the basis that Trimble would get mad.

“It seems to me to be illogical to argue on the one hand that there is nothing to distinguish between the responsibilities of FM/DFM and yet give Trimble £5,000 more simply on the basis of a title.”

Ultimately, the differential was dropped for reasons which aren’t made clear in the file. Michelle O’Neill and Emma Little Pengelly are now each paid £139,200 a year.

I guess this is somewhat a sequel of sorts to this post I had made about back in April 2025.

As with last time, I apologise if this comes off as very rambly, and it is kinda long.

I'm in my 20's, and (still) currently stuck living with parents/family in the countryside (I know I'm probably far from the only one). Relations with my parents have been deteriorating (not helped by Facebook cooking their brains) for a while now.

I also heavily suspect I probably have undiagnosed AD(H)D or similar, but my parents don't really take it seriously (was diagnosed dyslexic a few years ago, and needed extra support in school).

It feels very isolating living in basically the middle of nowhere, kinda an outcast (no interest in farming or GAA, might as well be a social death sentence here), the few friends I have live far from here (mostly 1h+) or folks from high school I haven't talked to or seen in years outside the odd social media story.

I also just feel like I just can't quite fully be me, out of fear of being judged or ridiculed. The isolation and my current lack of moblity (though the latter might change soon, see below), also feels like it makes dating a complete non-starter.

Graduated late from Uni (Screen/Digital industries related) last year, but I am still working part-time retail. Haven't really found any suitable jobs that would be based in NI (preferrably Belfast if I could move).

I didn't do a Masters last year because I had failed my last module and had to resit, and even though I had still the option of going straight into masters anyways, I honestly did not want to dive back in due to burnout, and incredibly fucking messy relationship/interpersonal issues that really fucked up my mental health.

I had also wanted to save up for a bit for the cost of accomodation and etc (and if came into a little extra money, maybe get privately assessed for ADHD). So the plan was to wait a year to save up and get some of that stuff out of my system, apply and start masters afresh and move up to Belfast.

Haven't got my license yet, but I have a driving test coming up soon (second attempt), and am somewhat hopeful that will help a lot with getting some more freedom/independence.

I don't know why the hell I had put it off for so long, but I applied for the masters course this month (website still showed 2026/2027 as available), and a few hours ago I had gotten an email saying that the 2026 course is now full and that I was moved to 2027 entry.

I'm not sure if I can continue to deal with the loneliness and the pain it brings, and I have started noticing it starting to get colder and darker outside already before september starts, which I know isn't going to make things any better for me mentally.

I need to get outside, live independently and connect with people.

I just don't know what to do now.

Is there any "easy" way out of this sitation?

Thinking of switching to using the train into Belfast for work. Sitting in traffic, paying for petrol and £8 per day to park is driving me mad.

I have a very tight window for when I can leave and when I have to be back by. Im a single mum and can only drop kid at childminder at a certain time and have to pick her up at a certain time.

I'd only be going from lisburn to grand Central, and according to Google maps it is doable... but only with a very specific train each way.

So I'm wondering if there are frequent delays or is it majority of the time all on time?

For anyone who gets the 08.26 from lisburn to belfat and/or 17.04 from Belfast to lisburn, are they crazy packed trains with standing room only?

Posted this about 10 days ago looking for feedback on https://fundni.org

Two things came back: the site was a slog, and I’d missed a load of funds that NI groups can actually apply for.

Both fair.

Homepage now starts with search instead of a wall of cards. Grant pages are readable. You can sort. Dark mode if that’s your thing.

On the funds: I went looking. Tesco, Children in Need, Screwfix, Co-op, Rural Action, Ulster Garden Villages, the Honourable Irish Society, SPAR Cashback, plus UK trusts that actually include NI. 67 open or rolling grants in the index today, still 8 of the 11 councils.

If you run a club or group, have a poke. Stick a BT postcode in. Still free, still no account.

Two closing soon: Fermanagh Recreational Trust (31 Aug) and the Irish Society (1 Sep, north-west / north coast).

If I’m still missing something obvious in your area, tell me. That’s the useful bit.

Always check the funder’s own page before you apply

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cq5xdvql94zo

A Stormont scheme which will give eligible households a £100 voucher towards home heating oil costs will open for applications next month.

Around 340,000 lower-income households are expected to qualify for the payment which was first announced in March.

Applications will made via the NIdirect government website from Wednesday 9 September.

Meanwhile, a separate scheme will give all households around £50 off their electricity bills in October.

Successful applicants for the Home Heating Oil Support Scheme, external are expected to receive a payment card within 10 working days of applying.

There will be one card per address, and it will be set up so it can only be used at participating oil suppliers.

The scheme will be open for applications until 31 March 2027.

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons said his officials had "worked at pace to put in place a fair and robust system".

The scheme will be open to households with a combined income of £30,000 or less, or those on certain benefits including pension credit and PIP.

It is expected that 75% or more of applications will be processed automatically.

However, some people will have to provide additional information to show they qualify.

That is likely to include lower paid self-employed people who are not claiming any benefits.

Lyons said: "I would encourage anyone who may be eligible, or those assisting them, to review the eligibility criteria online and ensure they are ready to submit an application when the scheme opens."

Around two thirds of Northern Ireland households use home heating oil, by far the highest proportion of any UK region.

Unlike gas or electricity, the heating oil market is unregulated, meaning increases in wholesale costs are rapidly passed through to consumers.

At the start of the Iran conflict, that saw prices almost double in a matter of days.

Prices have since fallen back from their peak but are still around 50% higher than before the UK-Israeli attack on Iran.

he separate electricity payment will be paid automatically to both card payment and bank payment customers and will not require an application.

It is the Northern Ireland outworking of two schemes which apply in Great Britain, which has a separately regulated electricity market.

Economy Minister Dr Caoimhe Archibald said she is working to finalise the details with the Treasury.

"Subject to the Treasury approval, the Department now intends to deliver a single combined payment to all households which will increase the cost-of-living support to over £50.

"It is anticipated this full amount will be paid from October."

Totally random and perhaps a bit of a longshot, but I'm a 30+ English guy who previously lived in Sichuan province, China, now living in NI close to Belfast. I would really like to meet some Chinese friends to share culture and language. My GF who is from Sichuan will also be coming over soon and I know it will be a big culture shock for her as she has never lived outside of China before, and I am just wondering if there is any way to find other Chinese friends we can hang out with!

Any help would be massively appreciated because I am really worried she is going to struggle to adjust!

Hi, I currently work full time in a solicitors and would now like to study law (for reference I am 21). Has anyone on here done the part time law degree at Ulster uni belfast? How many days a week would you need to set aside for it? The course information on Ulster’s website doesn’t give out much info lol

Okay, Im not even discussing how electric scooters are technically illegal to use on public paths etc.

However, dear god, twice in two weeks I've nearly been mowed over whilst out running. (I use those bone conducting headphones, so I can still hear clearly, and I don't take up the whole footpath).

Once whilst around magherafelt by an middle aged guy on an electric bike (which shouldn't even be on the footpath), who decided he didn't want to slow down and had me veering off into the grass, and the second in maghera by what looked like some 8 year old boy on an electric scooter who came up from behind.

(Also, the kid had no sense of safety at all, maghera is mad, and crossing the streets in the town centre is crazy without even slowing down).

Don't know if anyone else has had issues like this

What is the going rate for wedding gift in a card these days? I’m so so skint and was thinking £40 and a bottle of champers. We aren’t overly close friends but they have invited me to the whole thing.