Other News In Brief

Over 400 Homes Evacuated During Ards Munitions Operation

More than 400 homes have been evacuated in the Rivenwood area of Newtownards as police continue to deal with a suspected historic piece of munition.

Superintendent Johnston McDowell said: "I'd like to provide the public with an update regarding the current status of the live operation taking place in the Rivenwood area of Newtownards.

"If home owners or residents have not been spoken to directly by police, or have not received information in relation to this matter, it's unlikely that they will be impacted by the clearance operation at this time.

"The operation has now moved into the mitigation phase and work has commenced on establishing protection to nearby properties and facilities.

"There is no definite timescale, however previous operations of this nature have shown that this type of operation commonly takes five days or more before the area is safe to enter.

"A police cordon remains in place and will do for the duration of the operation, with road users being advised to continue to avoid the area.

"Whilst I appreciate the frustration and disruption that this has caused, keeping people safe is paramount and we will not take any risks.

"If you have been affected by this incident, please read the FAQ document in this link: www.psni.police.uk/rivenwood."

Riverstone To Launch New £2.5m R&D Project In NI

US firm RiverStone has chosen Northern Ireland for a new £2.5 million Research & Development (R&D) project to create a new and innovative re-insurance platform called Orbit.

It is anticipated the new platform could secure in excess of £3m additional growth for the company by 2029.

As a UK subsidiary of RiverStone, RS Progress is an IT service provider focusing on run-off insurance, a growing market estimated to be worth US $90bn globally. RS Progress came to Belfast in 2021 and currently employs 26 staff.

Making the announcement, Graham Reid, Site Director at RS Progress said: "Investment in technology and innovation is central to the continued growth and future profitability of RiverStone. This investment reflects the confidence and value proposition of our phenomenal talent in the Belfast operation which has become a centre of R&D, application modernisation and AI expertise. This, alongside the support from Invest NI, was instrumental in choosing Northern Ireland to make this investment.

"Our new platform will offer commercial advantages by carrying out the complete processing required for assumed claims handling, while it will also be engineered as a new product for sale into the global reinsurance industry."

The R&D investment is being supported by Invest Northern Ireland, which successfully secured it in the face of competition from other potential locations.

New Year 9 Pupils To Be Offered HPV Vaccine

The Public Health Agency (PHA) has issued a reminder to parents of children who will be entering year 9 that they will be offered the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine during the school year.

The HPV vaccine helps to prevent HPV-related cancers from developing in young people. While most types of HPV are harmless, some high-risk types can lead to the development of cancers, including cervical cancer, cancers of the head and neck (mouth and throat) and cancers of the anus and genital areas.

Both boys and girls in year 9 are offered a single dose of the HPV vaccine which gives long lasting protection.

Rachel Spiers, Immunisation and Vaccination Programme Manager at the PHA, said: "The HPV vaccination programme is one of the most successful vaccination programmes in the world and has dramatically lowered the rates of cervical cancer and harmful infections preventing many cancers and saving lives.

"Getting the HPV vaccine now will help protect your child against HPV infection and associated cancers when they are older, including over 90% of cervical cancers in women, and cancers of the mouth, throat, anus and genitals in men and women.

"The vaccine is offered as part of the school-based vaccination programme. It is given in the same way as many other vaccines through an injection in the upper arm and only one dose is required. The body then reacts by making antibodies that will help the immune system fight HPV infection. The vaccine cannot cause HPV infection or cancer."