A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Paisley hails SF move on Orange vote
Northern Ireland First Minister Ian Paisley welcomed a Sinn Féin decision in the Assembly yesterday to withdraw an amendment so that a DUP motion solely condemning attacks on Orange halls could be passed without alteration.
DUP MLAs Alex Easton, Lord (Maurice) Morrow and Nelson McCausland tabled the motion condemning the attacks - over 130 in the past two years - and called on all members to use their influence to stop them.
However, Sinn Féin's John O'Dowd put down an amendment widening the motion to condemn "attacks on all homes, property and community facilities, including Orange halls".
Several unionist members appealed directly to Sinn Féin for the amendment to be withdrawn. When the debate was winding up, Mr O'Dowd caused surprise by withdrawing the motion.
His initiative, he said, was motivated by what he felt was the reasonable tone of the unionist contributions.
Gerry Adams said the amendment was withdrawn because Sinn Féin listened very intensely to the comments from unionist MLAs and others that the attacks should stop. "They are wrong. The perpetrators should be made available to the PSNI and subject to due process."
Later in the debate, Dr Paisley praised the Sinn Féin contribution. "I think it is a good thing that this meeting is dwelling on Orange halls," he said."We are just as much against the attack on the Roman Catholic place of worship as we are on the attack on Orange halls but I think that today the decision from across the bench will be an encouragement to people who in the future look that we will come to an end of all this and to better things for our people."
Shooting victim stable in hospital
A man was recovering in hospital last night after being wounded in the chest in a gun attack in north Dublin on Monday.
The 37-year-old victim was with a friend on Carton Terrace, Ballymun, at 9.30pm when an armed man discharged at least one shot from a handgun, wounding his victim in the chest.
The injured man was taken by ambulance to the Mater hospital where he remained last night.
His condition was described as stable and his injuries are not life- threatening. Gardaí believe the shooting is linked to a localised dispute.
Curfew imposed on 16-year-old boy
A 16-year-old boy described as being the biggest anti-social problem in Dublin's Rathmines and Terenure districts has been remanded on bail with curfew conditions.
The out-of-school, unemployed boy was brought before the Dublin Children's Court yesterday where he was charged over two incidents with threatening, abusive and insulting behaviour, with being intoxicated to such an extent that he was a danger to himself and others and failing to comply with directions of a garda to leave the vicinity.
Garda Ronan Clogher of Terenure station asked the court to attach a condition to bail that he would be banned from these districts. Judge Anne Ryan imposed a curfew compelling the south Dublin boy to be in his home between 11pm and 6am daily. She remanded him to appear again next month.
Judge warns cocaine users
Anyone caught with cocaine will face going to jail, a District Court judge warned yesterday after learning that a young man charged with a public order offence was abusing cocaine at the time.
Speaking at Skibbereen District Court, Judge James McNulty said that he believed that the courts, like parents, teachers,social workers and others, had a part to play in discouraging people from using cocaine.
"Those caught in possession of cocaine in West Cork can expect to go to prison," he said.