A round-up of today's other news stories in brief.
FF candidates for Wicklow face interview
Fianna Fáil has dropped plans to hold a selection convention for Wicklow and will instead interview candidates directly to decide on its ticket for the next general election, writes Liam Reid.
Yesterday the party confirmed that its national constituency committee had decided to select Minister for the Environment Dick Roche without a selection convention.
The constituency committee, chaired by Minister for Finance Brian Cowen, will interview other candidates to decide on the final ticket.
It will select up to two other candidates.
Arrests made over Dublin murders
Seven men were being questioned on both sides of the Border last night after their arrests in connection with a double gangland-style murder in Firhouse, south Dublin, on November 13th, 2005.
Drug dealers Darren Geoghegan (26), Drimnagh, and Gavin Byrne (30), Crumlin, were shot dead as they sat in a car in Firhouse.
Three men were arrested for questioning yesterday. Two were being held in Tallaght and one in Rathfarnham.
The men, aged 28, 35 and 38, were being questioned under Section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act. One has links to the INLA.
Officers from the PSNI made four arrests in connection with the murder. These men were last night being held at stations in Belfast.
New members for cancer board
Cancer Research Ireland has appointed four new members to its board. They are: Dr Harry Comber, National Cancer Registry, Cork; Prof Larry Egan, consultant pharmacologist, University College Hospital, Galway; Prof Elaine Kay, consultant histopathologist, Beaumont Hospital, Dublin; and Dr Bill Watson, Conway Institute, UCD.
Woman questioned about drugs haul
Gardaí were last night questioning a woman about a cocaine seizure valued at €175,000. The drugs were found on Wednesday night concealed in the woman's laptop case after she arrived in Dublin airport from Brussels.
The 29-year-old Polish national was detained by members of Revenue's customs service after passenger profiling.
When 2.5kg of cocaine was discovered in her bag, she was arrested by members of the Garda drug unit attached to Santry Garda station.
Irish soap star contends for award
Irish actor Una Kavanagh, who plays Heather Lyons in RTÉ soap Fair City, has been nominated for an international award. She will be up against British actor Natalie Cassidy, who plays Sonja in Eastenders, in the Swiss Rose d'Or for best female soap performance.
The festival, held in Lucerne, nominates programmes and actors from around the world.
Last year Fair City actor Pat Nolan, who plays Barry O'Hanlon, was named best male soap performer.
The awards ceremony will take place on Saturday evening.
Tralee gardaí look for Polish woman
Gardaí in Tralee are looking for a Polish woman charged with ill-treating her three-year-old daughter, in Tralee, Co Kerry, last year.
She failed to appear at Tralee District Court this week, has failed to sign in at the Garda station as part of her bail conditions and is not at her usual address, according to the Garda.
A bench warrant has been issued for her arrest of Monica Paczkowska (31) of Killeen Woods, Oakpark, Tralee.
Following objections by Supt Pat Sullivan, Tralee, Ms Paczkowska was initially refused bail in the District Court, but was later granted bail in the High Court.