Michael Cousins Acting Managing Editor

Good morning

Welcome to your morning update from the News Letter:

In the news today:

* DUP Ministers urged to quit roles by unionist rival Jim Allister after High Court rules boycott of North-South meetings unlawful. 
The boycott was announced by DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson last month, as he outlined a strategy to oppose the Northern Ireland Protocol.

* DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has said it is not acceptable for Northern Ireland to fall within the jurisdiction of a court over which it has no control.
He made the remark as he was pressed on the DUP position on the Government’s demand for the EU to remove the arbitration role of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) from the Northern Ireland Protocol.

* A homophobic killer who kicked and stamped a gay man to death was handed an additional five month jail sentence today after he admitted spitting on a female prison officer.
Lithuanian national Andrius Dunauskas, appearing at Lisburn Magistrates Court by videolink from Maghaberry, admitted assaulting the prison officer on 31 May this year.

* ‘Boys have periods too’ says SDLP MLA as he launches gender-neutral tampon bill.

A new draft law aimed at giving school pupils free tampons avoids any mention of women, girls, or females, with the MLA who drafted it saying that men and boys also have periods.

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