Stormont minister Edwin Poots has revealed he is waiting for an operation after being diagnosed with kidney cancer. He said a tumour on his kidney was discovered by chance when he underwent surgery on a burst appendix before Christmas.

Edwin Poots used the ‘reply all’ function in replying to a message a member of the public had sent to elected representatives in the Assembly.

Stormont minister Edwin Poots has denied linking the spread of Covid-19 to religion, accusing rivals of “twisting and distorting” his comments on infection rates in nationalist areas.