Other News In Brief

Man Dies In Hospital After North Belfast Assault Last Week

Police have renewed an appeal for information after the death of man in hospital following an incident in north Belfast last week.

The 31-year-old man suffered a neck wound in an assault at a house in Flax Street in the early hours of Friday 18 March. He died in hospital as a result of his injury on Wednesday night.

Police are treating the man's death as suspicious and have appealed to anyone with information to contact them on 101 or anonymously via Crimestoppers.

A 30-year-old who was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder was later released pending further enquiries.

Conor Houston Not Deterred By Attack On Election Posters

SDLP Strangford representative Conor Houston has said he will not be deterred after a large number of his Assembly election posters were taken down.

Almost all of Mr Houston's posters in the Newtownards area were removed shortly after being put up.

Mr Houston has reported the theft of the posters to the police and is in the process of having new ones put back up.

Mr Houston said: "It's extremely disappointing and disheartening that so many of my election posters were taken down shortly after being put up – but I won't be deterred. The small element who wish to silence me or my campaign will not be successful and I would urge them to desist with such futile acts.

"The people behind the removal of my posters do not represent or speak for anyone. Since deciding to run for the Assembly the vast majority of the people I have met throughout Strangford have been warm and welcoming. They are sick of small-minded groups trying to exert their waning influence over local communities in a vain attempt to keep them stuck in the past.

"I decided to get involved in politics because I believed people in Strangford and right across the North deserve better than they have been getting for the past decade plus. We need parties and politicians who are going to put people first and deliver on the issues that matter to them. The sinister elements behind the removal of my posters have delivered nothing for their communities but misery.

"I am determined to be a committed voice for people in this area and I will not be intimidated from that by anyone or anything. Acts like this are what keeps our politics stuck in the past, stops this place from realising its full potential and traps our young people in a cycle of underachievement. It underlines the need for change. I have reported the theft of my posters to police and I will be back on the campaign trail today."

Alliance: Spring Statement 'Does Little For The Most Vulnerable'

The Chancellor's Spring Statement does little for the most vulnerable in society and doesn't address climate change, Alliance MP Stephen Farry has said.

The Alliance Deputy Leader was speaking after Rishi Sunak delivered the statement in the House of Commons. The North Down MP said beyond "headline-grabbing announcements," there was little of substance for those who need it the most.

"This financial statement does little to help the most vulnerable in our society or for energy sustainability in the face of climate change," said Dr Farry.

"The increase in the threshold for national insurance contributions is significant and a little more targeted but the better option would be to postpone or forgo the actual increase due from the beginning of April.

"The most necessary intervention was to increase universal credit and other benefits in line with the current rate of inflation of 6.2 per cent, which is set to rise even further, rather than the historic rate of 3.1 per cent from last September. This represents a real-terms cut for the most vulnerable in our community and will put even more pressure on people who are desperately struggling to make ends meet. Alliance will continue to emphasise that.

"The Chancellor could have done a lot more to help people with heating bills. The UK badly needs a well-resourced scheme to support energy efficiency in homes. This would be one of the most significant contributions to reaching our climate change targets and Northern Ireland would receive a Barnett Consequential.

"No doubt there will be some inflated reaction to the exclusion of the VAT reduction on solar panels and other renewables from Northern Ireland due to the Protocol. The value of this for Northern Ireland based on the Treasury's own figures would only be around £1 million a year. The Executive will still receive this as a Barnett Consequential.

"In addition, an exemption can be sought from the European Commission. The EU has already allowed similar reductions in VAT on renewables as part of its Covid contingency so it is far from an impossible ask."