A round-up of today's other stories in brief.
Man charged with murder of brother
A man appeared in Dublin District Court yesterday charged with the murder of his brother in Blanchardstown, Dublin, last year. Derek McGrath (35), unemployed, Fortlawn Park, Blanchardstown, was charged with murdering his 23-year-old brother, Anthony, who was stabbed at Whitestown Walk, Blanchardstown, on October 29th last year.
Det Sgt Liam Kelly told the court he arrested Mr McGrath at Main Street, Blanchardstown, yesterday morning and he was taken to the nearby Garda station. After he was charged he made no reply.
Naval cannabis search completed
The Naval Service completed searching a seabed area off the west coast last night but reported no additional finds of cannabis resin.
The search with sidescan sonar was undertaken by the LE Aisling about 70 nautical miles (130 km) west of Slyne Head at the request of the Garda Síochána and Customs Service.
Ceremony to mark new motorway
The first of the Republic's five new, inter-urban motorways will be formally completed at a ceremony on the Border this morning. The €154 million project connecting Dundalk, Co Louth to Cloghoge in Co Armagh completes the Dublin to Border motorway scheme. The route was first proposed in the National Development Plan 200-2006 along with motorways from Dublin to Waterford, Cork, Limerick and Galway.
Man rescued off Cork coast
A man who was swept out to sea off the east Cork coast in an inflatable dinghy yesterday was rescued by the Youghal RNLI lifeboat with assistance from the Waterford-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter.
The man, who was wearing a lifejacket, had set off from Knockadoon Head in Youghal Bay at around lunchtime.
Strong winds blew him to sea and after making attempts over two hours to reach ashore he used his mobile phone to call for assistance. He was landed by the lifeboat at Knockadoon shortly before 4pm.
Ahern welcomes UN Darfur plan
The Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern yesterday warmly welcomed the adoption by the UN Security Council of Resolution 1769, which authorises the deployment of a hybrid African Union-UN mission of over 26,000 military and police personnel in the Darfur region of Sudan.
He said the issue was "of the highest priority for me personally, including given that during my visit to Darfur I saw the tragic situation on the ground at first hand. "
Hunger striker ends 60-day fast
A hunger striker who was close to death ended his fast yesterday after being told that the Northern Ireland Appeal Court is to examine his case.
Oswald Brown, (33) father of two from east Belfast, was on the 60th day of his second hunger strike in protest against what he claims was his wrongful conviction for raping a young student in 2001.