Belfast unrest spreads after knife attack

Dozens of people have left their homes in Belfast after a knife attack triggered violence across parts of Northern Ireland.

Police said homes, cars and public property were attacked after the stabbing on Kinnaird Avenue on Monday night.

A 30-year-old Sudanese man is due in court accused of attempted murder, carrying a knife in public and making threats to kill.

The victim, a man in his 40s, remains in hospital with serious injuries.

Police have appealed for calm after masked groups damaged property in Belfast and other towns.

Local community workers said some black residents had been forced to leave their homes.

Northern Ireland’s justice minister Naomi Long said there was “no place” for masked rioters.