Other News In Brief

SF Urge Communities Minister To Bring Forward The Anti-Poverty Strategy

Sinn Féin has called on the Communities Minister to urgently bring forward the Anti-Poverty Strategy.

Chair of the communities committee, Colm Gildernew, was speaking following the release of a report by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) looking at the previous plan to tackle poverty.

Colm Gildernew said: "This report highlights the urgent need for the communities minister to bring forward a new plan to tackle poverty, and this should happen without delay.

"The British government's austerity agenda has severely hampered our ability to tackle child poverty, with year-on-year funding uncertainty during the Tories' 14 years.

"As previous communities minister, Deirdre Hargey supported those most in need by binning the shameful bedroom tax and ensuring families affected by the benefit cap were supported. Despite this, more must be done to tackle child poverty and to give every young person the best chance to flourish in life.

"The British government must ensure the Executive is fairly funded and the communities minister should also take on the recommendations in this report to effectively deal with child poverty."

Man Arrested After North Belfast Disturbance

Police are investigating a disturbance that occurred on Crumlin Road in north Belfast on Wednesday, 6 November.

At approximately 4:20pm, it was reported that a group of men armed with iron bars approached a property. When the occupant exited the property, they were assaulted by the group. Upon arrival, police encountered a large, uncooperative crowd in the area. A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of affray and remains in custody.

Police enquiries into the full circumstances is at an early stage and officers are asking those with information or footage to get in touch by calling 101, quoting reference 1157 06/11/24 or online via www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ .

You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at www.crimestoppers-uk.org

Southern Regional College Students Head to WorldSkills UK Finals

Sixteen students from Southern Regional College (SRC) are set to compete in the WorldSkills UK National Finals, taking place in Manchester from 19th to 22nd November.

The students will be showcasing their skills in nine different disciplines, including automation, automotive refinishing, culinary arts, electrical installation, health and social care, restaurant services, industry 4.0, laboratory technician, and mechatronics.

SRC has a strong track record at WorldSkills UK, having been named the top-performing college in the UK in both 2023 and 2024. The college's students have consistently excelled in the competition, demonstrating their commitment to excellence and their ability to compete at the highest level.

To qualify for the national finals, students had to compete in college and regional qualifiers earlier this year. The top-scoring students were then selected to represent SRC at the national level.

Since being named as finalists in July, the students have been intensively training to further develop their skills and prepare for the rigorous challenges of the competition.