Other NI News In Brief

Paisley Jr To Face Court Over Refusal To Disclose Source

Northern Ireland Assembly Member Ian Paisley Jr is to appear at the High Court over his failure to comply with the Billy Wright tribunal. Mr Paisley was served a "notice of motion to punish for contempt" at Stormont over his refusal to give the name of a prison officer. He claims the officer gave him vital information about the procedures at the Maze prison where Mid Ulster gunman Wright was shot dead in December 1997. Mr Paisley must appear before Belfast High Court judge Mr Justice Gillen on Thursday. He said: "I can't give the name of my sources, it would not be the credible thing to do, it would not be the honest thing to do, it would not be the just thing to do."

Man Released In Ramming Investigation

A 35-year-old man arrested after a car was rammed off the road in a hit and run collision in Co. Down has been released on police bail. Two women in their 20's were traveling in a Toyota on the Comber Road, Newtownards, on Monday night, when a Ford Puma with a man and woman inside forced their car off the road. The women were taken to hospital but their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening. The Ford was later found burnt out in the Scrabo estate.

Rathlin Island Residents Resource Centre Opens

A resource centre for residents on Rathlin Island has been officially opened.

Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy opened the centre which has been transformed from a disused toilet block to a state-of-art building thanks to a £55,000 grant from the Big Lottery Fund. Mr Murphy also announced the start of a public consultation on a central government policy for the island. The policy is aimed at protecting the way of life on Rathlin Island while promoting its sustainability.

Dodds Welcomes Citizens' Interest In Getting Online.

Finance and Personnel Minister Nigel Dodds has welcomed research which reveals that one in five adults here who do not have internet at home are likely to sign up in the next six months. The Minister was commenting on the Ofcom report published today which found that three quarters of UK homes will be online by the end of the year. The new figures also show that 70% of UK adults now have the internet at home. A further 25% of people in Northern Ireland are interested in getting mobile internet access.

(GK/JM)