Northern Ireland's Wednesday morning news headlines: Cost of Living, inflation, Legacy Bill

COST OF LIVING

The absence of a functioning government means Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK to have lacked a "proper policy response" to the cost-of-living crisis.

According to a new report it pointed out that people here have faced "deepening hardship", with record numbers receiving universal credit as well as housing support.

INFLATION

Meanwhile, inflation fell to 7.9% last month from 8.7% in May, according to the Office for National Statistics.

The drop has been driven by price drops for motor fuels. Food price inflation also eased slightly this month, but it remains at very high levels.

FILM STRIKE

The head of Northern Ireland Screen has called for a quick end to the strike by Hollywood writers and actors as a large film production in Belfast has had to be delayed.

The DreamWorks movie 'How To Train Your Dragon' was due to start production in Titanic Studios but will now be postponed as a result.

PSNI 101

Technical issues with the PSNI's non-emergency number 101 have been resolved. The service said urgent work was under way last night to fix the problem. The 999 number was not affected. They thanked the public of their patience whilst repair work as carried out.

LEGACY

MPs have voted to reject an attempt by peers to remove the controversial immunity provision from the Government's legacy bill. It's been widely criticised by political parties here, as well as victims groups.

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Larne take on Helsinki in the second leg of their Champions League qualifier tonight. They suffered a 1-0 defeat in the first leg last week.

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