Brendan Mullan, from Northern Ireland's Policing Board, thanks the members of the public who helped to stop the attack, saying they "stepped forward to intervene and ultimately saved the victim's life".

He also thanked the police officers and ambulance staff who were the "first responders" to the incident.

The justice minister adds that communities "must allow police and the justice system to do its work".

Naomi Long also praises those who ran at their own peril to save him showed courage and also pays tribute to the emergency services.

She appeals to communities not to let themselves be " used and abused" into violent responses and urged people to remain calm.

"We do not want police resources and other people to be caught up in what could become a very heated situation," she adds.

She says some people will wish to take the pain and suffering, fear and genuine concerns within communities and "weaponise it for other purposes".

Justice Minister Naomi Long now says she knows there are "many in our community who are fearful and afraid".

She says they need to be reassured as well and that "everyone's safety is the primary concern".

"Everyone in Northern Ireland should be safe on our streets," she adds.

The deputy first minister is now speaking about the suspect - she says he was was "in Northern Ireland on a five-year visa" and had entered Northern Ireland via Dublin.

She adds that "we need a swift conviction" and that the alleged attacker must be deported immediately.

She says community safety "must come first". But she also "really, genuinely" appealed for calm across all communities.

Now, Emma Little-Pengelly is speaking - she says the scenes were “brutal, disgusting and horrific".

“People are angry, people are frightened and, above all, people deserve to feel safe in their own communities."

The first minister urges people to allow police the space and time they require to carry out a full and thorough investigation.

She says the person responsible must face justice and the "full force of the law".

First Minister Michelle O'Neill says that many people are "angry" and " deeply distressed".

She adds violence like this has no place in the community and that her thoughts are with the loves ones of the victims.

She also thanks the emergency services.

The news conference at Stormont has just begun - at the microphones are First Minister Michelle O'Neill, Deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly, Justice Minister Naomi Long PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher and Policing Board chair Brendan Mullan.

Watch live by hitting the play button at the top of this page.

Earlier on Tuesday, the leaders of five of Northern Ireland’s main political parties issued a joint statement saying they are united in "condemnation of the horrific incident" in north Belfast.

It came from the leaders of Alliance, Sinn Féin, the Democratic Unionist Party, Social Democratic and Labour Party, and the Ulster Unionist Party.

"There is no place in our society for this kind of brutality," it says.

"Our immediate thoughts are with the victim and his family, and we hope he makes a full and complete recovery. "Our thoughts are also with those eyewitnesses to the incident, as well as those brave members of the public who intervened. "We recognise the distress and fear this incident will cause within the local community.

"We urge people not to share the deeply disturbing images or videos, as their graphic nature would only serve to retraumatise those involved." The party leaders say they support the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) in their "ongoing investigation and urge anyone with information, or relevant footage, to assist them".

"We are committed to ensuring that violence and hatred in any form will not be allowed to divide our communities.

"We call for calm and for space to allow justice to take its course."

We are expecting a joint press conference at Stormont shortly. We will be hearing from First Minister Michelle O'Neill, Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly and Justice Minister Naomi Long.

The PSNI Chief Constable Jon Boutcher and Brendan Mullan, chair of the Northern Ireland Policing Board will also be there to talk about what happened last night.

The Methodist Church in Ireland has said it "strongly condemns" the north Belfast knife attack but warned such events "heighten anxiety and fear for minority groups who are an integral part of our communities".

In a statement, it said it also strongly condemned "any attempt to inflame tensions, spread misinformation or sow division".

The Church urged people to act with "calmness and responsibility" and called on community leaders to "provide forums in which genuine concerns can be expressed".

Long described an encounter she had with a young woman on Tuesday who was from Somalia - the country where at that time the police believed the attacker originated from.

"She was shaking and in tears because she is so frightened and so upset about what has happened. And there is no reason why she should feel guilt or fear.

"She did nothing wrong; he did something wrong. And that's what we need to focus on - bringing the individual responsible to justice... and ensuring our communities are safe for everyone, whether they're a foreign national or whether they've lived here their whole lives."

The justice minister said she understands "why people are angry and frightened" by the "gruesome" nature of the attack, but that the most important thing now is to "keep everyone in our communities safe".

Image source, PA Media

Earlier, Northern Ireland Justice Minister Naomi Long said her thoughts are with the victim, his family, and "all those who lived in the neighbourhood who will have been rightly terrified and shocked by what they've seen".

She said she also knows many people from ethnic minority backgrounds living in Northern Ireland who are "very frightened about any kind of retaliation or backlash against them".

She added there is "nothing to be gained by whipping up fear and tension, making the situation even more dangerous for innocent people".

The justice minister said all Northern Ireland's political parties agree that "we need to stop these dangerous narratives and weaponising what is already a horrific attack".

Long said she is concerned about what will happen across Northern Ireland in the next few days and confirmed she had already seen people "trying to stir up that dissent and anger on social media".

Image source, Social media

Here are the major points we heard from PSNI Assistant Chief Constable Ryan Henderson in the news conference:

• The victim, who was already known to be in a serious condition, has suffered significant injuries to his eyes and serious slash wounds to his back and face
• Henderson said a weapon, believed to be a kitchen knife, was recovered from the scene
• He said that while he understands questions over the nature of the attack, there is no information that it was "terrorist-related"
• He praised members of the public who intervened in the attack, saying they were "heroic" and had saved a life
• He said the suspect, who is in police custody, is believed to be Sudanese and had arrived in Northern Ireland from Dublin, saying he understands the man had been granted leave to remain
• Henderson said the police are aware of calls for protests today, and have appealed for calm - he also said there will be an increased police presence across Northern Ireland in the coming days and that the PSNI has received offers of assistance from other police forces in the UK
• He added for the public not to speculate on the condition of the victim

Henderson says he recognises everyone who has seen the footage of the attack will be "filled with revulsion, fear and horror".

He recognises communities will feel fear and that police will be increasing their "visible presence" over the coming days.

He says police are actively engaging with community groups across Northern Ireland "who we know will be affected by this".

With that, the news conference comes to a close.

Image source, PA Media

Henderson says he understands people will be feeling a range of emotions from fear through to anger after the attack and will "want to have their voices heard".

However, he called for calm, saying he hopes people who want to protest will allow other people to go about their own business without interference.

Asked about the condition of the victim, Henderson replies that he is "seriously injured and in hospital".

He asks people not to speculate about the victim's health and status as it has the potential to lead to people feeling more angry and upset, adding that updates will be provided for clarity in due course.

Henderson also says the PSNI have had "offers of support" from police forces across the UK.

He adds the government has also offered support "to make sure the PSNI are getting what we need" in the days ahead.

Henderson says those people who intervened were "heroic" and that they "saved the life" of the victim".

"That is the values of this country, that is the incredible community spirit."