Finance Minister Conor Murphy has welcomed that same sex couples can now convert their civil partnership to marriage.

Justice Minister Naomi Long said: “I remain committed to delivering legal protections to those facing domestic abuse but today I was forced to defer the further consideration stage of the Domestic Abuse and Family Proceedings Bill because of potentially significant financial implications that became apparent during discussions between my officials and the Department of Finance, as a result of amendments brought forward by the Justice Committee.

Health Minister Robin Swann has warned that Northern Ireland is entering a new phase in the Covid-19 pandemic, with “hopes and fears” sitting side by side.

The Department of Health today published the next in the series of weekly results from its COVID-19 Infection Survey (CIS).

The Annual Animal Inventories will be completed entirely online this year due to Covid-19, the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) has announced.