Other News In Brief

Appeal For Witnesses To Ballymena Collision

Police in Ballymena have issued an appeal for witnesses following a road traffic collision in the early hours of Sunday 25 July.

Making the appeal, Sergeant Ballantyne said: "Police received a report shortly after 3.30am of a single-vehicle road traffic collision involving a dark-coloured Lexus on the M2 motorway close to the Larne Road Roundabout, Ballymena.

"Officers attended the scene along with colleagues from the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service.

"Three people, two men and a woman, were taken from the scene to hospital for treatment for their injuries. One man remains in hospital at this time.

"Two arrests have been made in relation to this incident, and we are appealing for anyone who may have witnessed it, or captured dash-cam footage, to contact us on 101, quoting reference number 471 of 24/07/21."

Arlene Foster Joins GB News

Arlene Foster, the former leader of the DUP has been announced as a new "contributor" for news channel GB News.

The announcement was made on the channel's show Political Correction, presented by former UKIP leader Nigel Farage.

Asked about why she was joining the broadcaster, Mrs Foster said that she wanted to "bring Northern Ireland into the mainstream of UK politics".

SDLP Launch New Public Service Recruitment And Development Programme

SDLP finance spokesperson Matthew O'Toole has proposed an ambitious new public service recruitment and development programme, aimed at getting high achieving young people and experienced professionals to tackle society's most intractable problems.

The Make Change Programme is designed to get high-achieving graduates, experienced professionals and ambitious school leavers into the civil service specifically to work on some of the most challenging priorities Northern Ireland faces.

Announcing the programme and setting out the detail of the plan, SDLP finance spokesperson Matthew O'Toole said: "Too many young people leave this place, in part because they are frustrated at the slowness of change and in part because they look elsewhere for career opportunities. But despite the well-publicised issues in civil service capacity, they simply aren't encouraged to consider a career in public service. The SDLP's Make Change Programme proposal is about addressing these issues, but more than that: it's about exciting a generation of young people here to get involved in public service careers to improve the lives of others.

"We know that other jurisdictions, including Dublin and London, are successful at attracting ambitious young people, and we also know that programmes like the Peace Corps and Teach First attract and inspire people who want to improve the lives of others. As well as inspiring them, this programme should help develop the public service leaders of the future."