Other NI News In Brief

Attack 'Murderous', Says SF

Daithi McKay of Sinn Fein has described a weekend arson incident as a case of "attempted murder". He was speaking after the home of the mother of Northern Ireland and Fulham footballer Chris Baird was attacked in Rasharkin, Co Antrim. A petrol bomb was thrown at the front window of the house in Wallace Park at 3.45am on Sunday. While the flames were extinguished by a passer-by and people inside escaped injury, it is understood to have been the second attack on the house in three weeks and the PSNI are following up a possible sectarian motive as one line of enquiry.

Derry Pub Blaze

A bar in Londonderry has been evacuated after an arson attack. The fire service was called to the Ice Wharf bar on the Strand Road just after midnight on Monday after what appeared to have been a fire in the men's toilets which caused a lot of acrid smoke.

'Hands Off Iris' Call

Now that former politician, the DUP's Iris Robinson has returned to Belfast to continue receiving medical treatment, Northern Ireland's First Minister has asked for privacy for her to "continue on the road to recovery". Mrs Robinson has spent most of the year in a London clinic where she has been receiving psychiatric treatment. The ex MLA and MP was also a councillor and resigned following a BBC Spotlight programme in January that said Mrs Robinson obtained £50,000 from two developers to help her teenage lover open a cafe business. She then attended a council meeting during which the cafe lease was awarded to Kirk McCambley but allegedly broke the law by not declaring her financial interest. Police investigating the allegations travelled to London in June to interview Mrs Robinson.

Fishermens' Friends

A trio of Polish fishermen have escaped with their lives after being in "imminent danger" when they were rescued after getting into difficulty off the coast of Cushendall at the weekend. The men, who are understood to live locally, were out in a 14ft boat on Saturday at around 3.30pm when weather conditions deteriorated. The men managed to navigate the boat through gale force eight conditions to reach cages kept in the sea by a salmon farm. A lifeboat crew brought them to safety before towing their boat ashore in a rescue operation that was co-ordinated by Belfast Coastguard.

Homeless Death Probed

A post mortem examination will be carried shortly out to determine how a homeless man man died in Belfast at the weekend. The PSNI said that the sudden death of the 46-year-old man in the city centre is being treated as suspicious. The probe follows the man being found at Bains Place, near Blackstaff Square, on Friday evening. He died a short time later. A 39-year-old man was arrested on Saturday night and remains in custody. In addition, a 22-year-old man was questioned by police, but he has since been released without charge.

Death Charges

There will be a court appearance today by two men in their 20s charged with the attempted murder of an 18-year-old in north Belfast last weekend. The assault took place in the area near Silverstream Gardens in the city on Saturday night. The accused, aged 20 and 21, will face charges of attempted murder, causing actual bodily harm and causing criminal damage. They are expected to appear before Belfast Magistrates Court on Monday.

(BMcC/GK)