Other News In Brief

SF Call For Action On Loyalist Intimidation

Sinn Féin has called on both the PSNI and the Parades Commission to take action over a loyalist parade aimed at intimidating nationalist residents.

Waterside Councillor Christopher Jackson made the call after a loyalist band accompanied by men wearing emblems of the proscribed illegal UDA marched through the Triangle area of the Waterside on Saturday.

He said: "This was a clearly intimidatory parade with men wearing emblems of the proscribed illegal loyalist death squad, the UDA, marching through a predominantly nationalist area.

"This should never have been given the go ahead by the Parades Commission and Sinn Féin will be seeking answers as to how it was permitted and what action will be taken in light of the scenes that transpired here on Saturday.

"As soon on as we became aware that this parade was planned, a Sinn Féin delegation including local MLA Ciara Ferguson met with the PSNI to express our concerns and we were assured that a full policing operation would be in place.

"In light of the display that took place on Saturday we now expect the PSNI to take action against those responsible and we will be continuing to press for robust measures in the time ahead to prevent any repeat of this kind of blatant intimidation."

45 NI Students And Apprentices To Compete In WorldSkills UK Finals

Minister for the Economy, Gordon Lyons, has congratulated 45 students and apprentices from across Northern Ireland's further education sector who have reached the WorldSkills UK finals.

The local finalists will compete in a field of 400 of their counterparts from England, Scotland and Wales, across 23 skills areas, including industrial robotics, landscape gardening and web design.

The Minister said: "I am delighted, too, that the Ballymena campus of Northern Regional College is one of 25 venues across the UK selected to host the finals over 10 days in November, hosting the industrial robotics event.

"Reaching the national finals is a fantastic achievement for our local competitors and I wish them the very best of luck and every success for their respective skills competitions as they set off to represent Northern Ireland."

Strategic Review Of Oil And Gas Development

Infrastructure Minister Nichola Mallon has announced a review of strategic planning policy on oil and gas development.

The review will include consideration of unconventional hydrocarbon development, commonly referred to as fracking.

Announcing her decision the Minister said: "The planning system has a key role to play in helping to mitigate and adapt to climate change and in the protection of our cherished local environment which must be safeguarded, not only for the health and wellbeing of current generations, but in the long term public interest of future society.   Following on from the latest UN International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) assessment report, I believe it is important to ensure that the planning approach to this category of development remains appropriate in the context of the climate emergency and my ambitions for a green recovery from the covid pandemic."