A round-up of today's other news stories in brief.
Drugs worth €4.4m seized in Belfast
Police have broken up an international drug smuggling network after seizing nearly £3 million (€4.4 million) worth of cocaine at Belfast International Airport.
Two German men were being questioned about the biggest haul of the class A drug yet recovered in Northern Ireland. They were arrested as they prepared to board an aircraft believed to be bound for Luton.
Airport security systems detected the drugs, which police said were hidden in four attaché cases. Det Insp Peter Moore of the PSNI's drug squad said the alleged smuggling extended beyond Europe. A total of 13.5kg of cocaine was seized.
Police believe the drugs were brought in from the Republic but were destined to be sold internationally. - (PA)
Teenagers held for sentencing
A former Irish under-16 soccer international who seriously assaulted a firefighter, and two other teenagers are to be sentenced later for offences including reckless endangerment of a Garda patrol car and criminal damage.
Keith Bride (19), Clonee, Co Meath, and Collins Hall, Whitehall, and Paul Beatty (19) and Michael Smith (19), both of Hawthorn Avenue, East Wall, pleaded guilty to various charges including assault causing harm, endangerment, criminal damage, car theft and dangerous driving.
Judge Katherine Delahunt at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court remanded them in custody for sentence. The offences arose out of incidents in December 2004 and May and August 2005.
Man convicted of selling drugs
A Dublin man, whom gardaí claim sold drugs for a Limerick crime gang, takes seven ecstasy tablets a day, a court has heard.
Mark Mooney (29), originally from Darndale, Dublin, but now living in Ennis, Co Clare, was convicted at Limerick Circuit Court of possession of drugs for sale or supply at Dock Road, Limerick, in August 2004. Judge Carroll Moran adjourned sentencing until tomorrow.
Jailed for dealing crack-cocaine
A man who dealt crack-cocaine in his flat and his car was sentenced to eight months in prison yesterday. Willie Madu (41) denied possession of €350 worth of the drug for supply at his flat on St Alphonsus Road, Drumcondra, Dublin, and in his car, in January 2005.
Munster fan loses Béziers injury case
The High Court has dismissed an action for damages by a rugby fan who claimed he was hurt when he ran on to the pitch at Béziers, France, to congratulate the Munster rugby team.
Niall Lacey (33), John's Well Road, Kilkenny, had claimed his elbow was dislocated after he was allegedly tripped as he ran on to the pitch with other fans after the clash between Munster and Castres at Béziers in April 2002.
Mr Lacey had brought proceedings against European Rugby Cup Ltd, and Brook Travel Ltd, trading as Stephen's Green Classic Sports Travel. The defendants denied the claims.
Dismissing the action yesterday, Mr Justice Richard Johnson asked what the case was doing in the High Court. He said the Béziers rugby club ground where the incident allegedly took place was neither owned nor controlled by the defendants.
Walking ruling to be examined
The implications of this week's High Court ruling on a controversial pathway between Enniskerry and Glencree are to be examined by the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs.
Éamon Ó Cuív said while his department would examine the implications of the judgment, there were many agreed walkways where specific agreements had been given.
Pensioner killed in road incident
A woman in her 70s was fatally injured yesterday when her vehicle collided with a lorry on the Tullamore to Birr Road in Co Offaly. The lorry driver, who was not seriously injured in the collision, was taken to Tullamore General Hospital.
In Donegal, the victim of a crash at Stranorlar on Tuesday was yesterday named as Patrick Ward (61), of Glenwood Park, Letterkenny, Co Donegal.
Gardaí in Co Westmeath last night named the woman killed in a road collision at Dalystown as Noreen Garry of Newlands, Mullingar.
Michael O'Leary memorial service
A memorial service for the late Michael O'Leary, the former Labour Party leader, tánaiste and District Court judge who died last month, will be held in Dublin on Saturday.
Mr O'Leary was buried in the village of St Sever de Rustan in the Haut Pyrenees in southwest France, where he had a house.
He had retired as a judge just days earlier, having reached the age of 70.
He is survived by his wife Mary.
The service will be in St Therese's Church, Clarendon Street, Dublin.
Winds to ease off but no heat wave
The gale-force winds, stormy seas and wintry conditions characteristic of recent days will lessen today and over the weekend, according to Met Éireann.
In Mullingar, Co Westmeath, about 1,500 households were without electricity for an hour yesterday evening following a storm.
Met Éireann forecaster Aidan Nulty said last night that while it was not unusual to witness such conditions in June, it was not a regular summer occurrence.
"Over the coming days, we can expect slacker winds but some showers of rain. Overall, it will be drier and sunnier, but there won't be any heat wave like we saw last week," Mr Nulty said.
Stardust drama on award shortlist
An RTÉ television drama based on the Stardust tragedy has been shortlisted in the best mini-series category at this year's Monte Carlo Television Festival.
The two-part drama was screened in February to mark the 25th anniversary of the fire in Dublin in which 48 people died.
Chemical plant fire under control
A fire at a chemical factory in Glasnevin, Dublin, was brought under control yesterday.
Eight units of the fire brigade arrived at the factory on Ballyboggan Road at the Tolka Industrial Park at 3.30am yesterday.
There was nobody working in the building, owned by Protim Abrasives, at the time.
Hotel reopens after fire damage
The Kilkenny hotel owned by Wexford businessman Liam Griffin, which was evacuated and closed following a fire on Tuesday evening, was declared safe by the Fire Service and allowed to reopen last night.
Seven people who had been taken to hospital for observation for smoke inhalation were discharged.