Chancellor in talks with Stormont ministers and tributes after scrambler crash: NI's news headlines

Chancellor

Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi is set to hold further talks today with Stormont Ministers to discuss the delivery of a four hundred pound discount on energy bills in Northern Ireland. Households in Great Britain will start receiving the payments in October, with ministers calling for the same here. The talks will take place virtually.

Crash

Tributes have been paid following the death of a man aged in his twenties in a scrambler crash in Magherafelt. The crash happened on the Castledawson Road on Saturday afternoon. Police are investigating the circumastances. Local councillor Christine McFlynn said people in the town have been left shocked by what happened.

Omagh

Today marks the 24th anniversary of the Omagh bomb. 29 pepole - inlcuding a woman with unborn twins - were killed when a Real IRA bomb exploded in the Co Tyrone town in August 1998, four months after the signing of the Good Friday Agreement.

Strike

Council workers in Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon Council begin four weeks of strike action this morning. The trade unions NIPSA, GMB and Unite are calling for a pay rise. The council says the action will cause 'significant disruption to services, facilities, and events across the borough'. However it says, where possible, it will seek to minimise the impact caused.

Bank

Last month saw a further deterioration in local business conditions, that's according to the lastest Ulster Bank PMI report. It says that outside of the pandemic and lockdown restrictions, July's rate of decline for our local economy was the steepest since November 2012.

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