Man dies after assault, cost of living crisis, fire service warning: Northern Ireland headlines
DEATH AFTER ASSAULT ON FLAX STREET
A man has died after being assaulted in north Belfast last Friday.
Police confirmed that 31-year-old Joseph Ritch passed away after being wounded in the neck on Flax Street. A 30-year-old who was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder last week was later released pending further enquiries.
COST OF LIVING
A number of industry bodies have warned that the Chancellor's Spring Statement falls short of what people and businesses need. That's the warning from a number of industry bodies.
It comes after yesterday Rishi Sunak announced a 5p cut to fuel duty for motorists and a higher threshold for national insurance payments in a bid to tackle the cost of living crisis.
STORMONT BILLS
Six bills face their final hurdle in the Assembly later.
The SDLP's Period Poverty Bill and the Abortion Safe Access bill from the Green Party's Clare Bailey are two that will come under further scrutiny from MLAs. Passage of the proposed law from the Greens was delayed after it failed to receive cross community support on Tuesday.
WILD FIRES
The Fire Service has asked the public not to light fires in the countryside after tackling a number of wildfires in the Mournes. More than 30 firefighters attended blazes in the area yesterday. The service said the callouts added additional strain on its resources.
CHILD HEALTH SERVICE PRESSURES
Babies and young children here are at risk due to current pressures on frontline health services. The warning comes from the NSPCC which is calling on the Executive to prioritise and fund early years services. It says one in five core health reviews for babies is not taking place - with the situation having worsened because of the pandemic.
ROYAL VISIT
The Royal visit continues for Prince Charles and Camilla visit Northern Ireland and the Republic. The couple will travel to Waterford today before moving onto County Tipperary tomorrow. Yesterday the Prince of Wales officially opened the recently renovated Grand Opera House.