:00:00. > :00:12.Good evening and welcome to BBC Newsline.
:00:13. > :00:14.Daithi McKay has resigned as Sinn Fein MLA
:00:15. > :00:16.for North Antrim and been suspended from the party.
:00:17. > :00:22.It was claimed that when he was the Chair
:00:23. > :00:24.of the Assembly's Finance Committee, the North Antrim MLA advised
:00:25. > :00:27.the loyalist blogger Jamie Bryson about evidence he was to give
:00:28. > :00:29.to that committee about the sale of Northern Ireland's Nama
:00:30. > :00:33.Mr McKay has now apologised saying his contact was inappropriate.
:00:34. > :00:39.Our political editor Mark Devenport reports.
:00:40. > :00:42.Mr McKay has now apologised saying his contact was inappropriate.
:00:43. > :00:46.Our political editor Mark Devenport reports.
:00:47. > :00:56.Last September Jamie Bryson used illegal privilege to make a series
:00:57. > :00:59.of explosive claims about the multi-million pound Nama property
:01:00. > :01:06.deal, including this direct allegation that they then
:01:07. > :01:11.first-Minister was involved. -- legal privilege. Now, it has emerged
:01:12. > :01:14.that before he gave his evidence, he was in contact with the committee
:01:15. > :01:22.chair Daithi McKay and another showing fear member about how he
:01:23. > :01:30.should make his revelations. -- Sinn Fein member. This is Thomas O'Hara
:01:31. > :01:36.and he apparently sent Jamie Bryson is series of private messages on
:01:37. > :02:00.social media. In one message Mr O'Hara ...
:02:01. > :02:08.Not denying that the truth of the messages that are now emerging in
:02:09. > :02:14.public that there were these exchanges dream yourself and another
:02:15. > :02:18.Sinn Fein member? -- between yourself. This is confidential
:02:19. > :02:26.information that was leaked into the public domain. He denies any
:02:27. > :02:32.wrongdoing and the DUP believe he was the victim of a dirty tricks
:02:33. > :02:36.operation. This is a corruption of the Assembly process and they have
:02:37. > :02:41.found somebody who has been prepared to work with them in corrupting the
:02:42. > :02:45.Assembly process. When I give evidence to the committee I call it
:02:46. > :02:51.the Mickey Mouse committee. I think it's more than that now. Had I known
:02:52. > :02:56.what I know now, it's more like a conspiring say. The blogger at the
:02:57. > :03:05.centre that all says he have nothing to do with the matter. I will not
:03:06. > :03:11.co-operate and see who my sources are. They can throw me in jail
:03:12. > :03:17.first. I will not be cooperating in any aspect of these negotiations.
:03:18. > :03:21.Sinn Fein say they had no knowledge of any prior contact with Jamie
:03:22. > :03:26.Bryson. Daithi McKay is someone I have worked with over a number of
:03:27. > :03:31.years. He accepts he made an error of judgment. It was an error of
:03:32. > :03:36.judgment which led him to resign as an MLA. When he was cheering the
:03:37. > :03:40.hearings, Daithi McKay was a high flyer. He was spoken about as a
:03:41. > :03:49.potential minister. In May he celebrated getting more than 1001st
:03:50. > :03:51.votes in North Antrim. Now he has to resign with his little career in
:03:52. > :03:55.tatters. -- 1000 foot. Pat Hickey who stepped aside
:03:56. > :03:57.yesterday as President of the Olympic Council of Ireland
:03:58. > :04:00.has now left hospital in Rio He was arrested as part
:04:01. > :04:16.of an investigation into the illegal This afternoon Ireland's top Olympic
:04:17. > :04:21.official left hospital, his destination was a police station.
:04:22. > :04:26.The authorities are questioning him over alleged ticket fraud. The
:04:27. > :04:32.71-year-old was arrested yesterday morning in his hotel room. Shortly
:04:33. > :04:35.after he complained of chest pains and was taken protests. Since then
:04:36. > :04:42.the controversy has made worldwide news. Patrick Hickey. It's alleged
:04:43. > :04:46.some tickets for the opening ceremony were being sold at four
:04:47. > :04:54.times their face value, a crime which could attract a jail sentence.
:04:55. > :04:59.Mr Hickey denies any wrongdoing. This businessman was arrested by
:05:00. > :05:03.police ten days ago. The Irish Minister of sport arrived back from
:05:04. > :05:13.the Olympics and said a decision on an enquiry will be made soon. We
:05:14. > :05:20.have an independent and enquiry. Worldly except that? They will not
:05:21. > :05:24.have any option. Patrick Hickey has set book-mac stepped down and his
:05:25. > :05:33.role has been taken over by this man and say they will defend his
:05:34. > :05:38.conduct. -- has stepped down. The Olympics has just the few more days
:05:39. > :05:43.to run and this story is threatening to overshadow team Ireland's
:05:44. > :05:44.participation and has some way to go.
:05:45. > :05:46.Thousands of students across Northern Ireland received
:05:47. > :05:50.The number of A-level students here getting the top
:05:51. > :05:52.grades has risen again, and girls continue
:05:53. > :05:54.Many students across Northern Ireland had
:05:55. > :06:18.How did you get an? I got three As. That gets me into Queens. I got an
:06:19. > :06:29.As. I'm hoping to go to Queens to do geography. I got to As and AAC. I
:06:30. > :06:31.want to get work experience whilst getting qualifications, so I decided
:06:32. > :06:34.to go for an apprenticeship. At the Olympic sailing in Rio,
:06:35. > :06:36.Carrick's Ryan Seaton and Bangor's Matt McGovern finished
:06:37. > :06:40.in 10th place in the 49er class - Just time for a look
:06:41. > :06:43.at the weather prospects now - here's Cecilia Daly
:06:44. > :06:51.with the details. We've got some very unsettled
:06:52. > :06:56.weather to come over the next couple of days. Rain starts to move them
:06:57. > :06:59.from the south-west during the early hours. Another warm night to come
:07:00. > :07:05.and dry weather early tomorrow morning up to the north coast. It is
:07:06. > :07:10.looking wet and blustery winds. It will make it feel cooler than today.
:07:11. > :07:14.The rain becoming persistent and heavy at times through the morning.
:07:15. > :07:20.The wet weather continues into the afternoon before ECB is brighter
:07:21. > :07:27.skies over the Republic of Ireland edging north word. -- we see. The
:07:28. > :07:32.rain covering south-west Scotland and parts of England and Wales and
:07:33. > :07:38.moving northwards over Scotland during the day. Tomorrow afternoon,
:07:39. > :07:44.the drier and brighter weather edges up from the south-west. Temperatures
:07:45. > :07:48.down from today, about 17 Celsius. Some shower is breaking out and
:07:49. > :07:50.there will be further heavy showers on Saturday. Drier on Sunday.
:07:51. > :07:52.Our next BBC Newsline is at 6.25 IN the morning
:07:53. > :07:57.You can also keep updated with News Online.