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A group of mourners on the loyalist Newtownards Road in Belfast look on as Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams, with Alex Maskey MLA, arrives at the funeral of PUP leader David Ervine yesterday.

Photograph: David Sleator

Security code breaker banks top Young Scientist prize
Secure internet communications might not be as secure as we think, according to the BT Young Scientist of the year 2007. His winning project is an attempt to crack the most hacker-proof encryption system in the world, writes Dick Ahlstrom , Science Editor.

Ardfheis on policing should go ahead, says Adams
Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has said he will recommend at today's ardchomhairle meeting in Dublin that the special ardfheis on policing should proceed as planned, although on a "different basis" than originally decided at the end of December, writes Gerry Moriarty , Northern Editor.
Gardaí seize drugs worth €6.6m in Dublin operations
Gardaí in Dublin seized heroin and cannabis resin with a potential street value of €6.6 million in two major operations in the Clontarf and Tallaght areas of Dublin yesterday evening, Conor Lally , Crime correspondent, and John Downes report.

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Ireland

Hospital to have satellite units
Satellite emergency units for children would be established around Dublin following the development of the new national paediatric hospital under new proposals by the Health Service Executive (HSE). p
Detective withdraws court action
Det Sgt John White, who featured prominently in the Morris tribunal, has withdrawn High Court proceedings aimed at quashing a decision of the Garda Commissioner to direct a sworn inquiry into alleged breaches of discipline by him. p
Ramsay to open restaurant in Powerscourt
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay is to make his debut in Ireland after signing a deal with the Ritz-Carlton to open a restaurant in their new hotel in Wicklow. p
Planning breaches listed in 'name and shame' move
Dublin City Council has become the first local authority to "name and shame" people convicted of planning breaches. p
Search for missing fishermen is hampered by stormy seas
One of the biggest ever sea searches mounted on the south coast was hampered yesterday by bad weather conditions which limited searchers to surface and shore operations to recover seven fishermen missing in two trawler tragedies. p
Tenants win 75% of deposit cases judged by rental dispute board
The Private Rented Tenancies Board (PRTB), set up to resolve disputes between tenants and landlords, has found in favour of tenants in almost 75 per cent of cases where landlords have refused to return their deposits. p
Woman gets €12,000 after she was held in shop accused of stealing
The "high-handed" treatment of a shopper by a security guard cost his employers €12,000 in damages yesterday for defamation of character. p
Commuters face 'nightmare' of crashes
The AA has described a series of crashes on the N11 in Wicklow and south Dublin yesterday morning as "a nightmare" for commuters. p

World

Japan on bird flu alert as infections hit Asia
JAPAN: Japan said yesterday it could be afflicted by its first outbreak of the H5N1 bird flu strain in more than three years, as the disease killed an Indonesian woman and spread closer to Vietnam's largest city. p
McCain comes out battling for Bush
US: Senator John McCain has defended President George Bush's plan to send more troops to Iraq, warning that withdrawing too early could invite a greater conflagration that would require the United States to return to the region later. p
Germany proposes EU ban on Holocaust denial
GERMANY: Germany wants to pass an EU-wide law that would make Holocaust denial, display of Nazi symbols and racist statements crimes punishable by up to three years in prison. p
Blair advocates continuance of military policy
BRITAIN: British prime minister Tony Blair has effectively challenged would-be successor Gordon Brown to maintain his foreign policy based on military intervention and the projection of "hard" as well as "soft" power. p

Finance

Irish Ferries to get €4.3m redundancy rebate
Irish Ferries will receive €4.3 million from the Government to compensate the company for redundancy payments to more than 500 Irish seafaring staff who were replaced last year with eastern European workers on significantly less pay. p
Total purchase boosts share price
The share price of Fyffes offshoot Total Produce plc rose by 5.6 per cent after it announced a €17.5 million acquisition in the UK. At one stage the share price was up more than 12 per cent. It closed at 75 cent, having started the day at 71 cent. p
Axa seeks three-year derogation on risk payments
Insurance group Axa has said it is prepared to enter the Irish health insurance market on condition that it will have an initial derogation from making risk equalisation payments. p
Intel plans major plant in China to make leading-edge chips
Intel, the world's top chipmaker, plans to invest in a major new plant in China to make leading-edge chips, its biggest investment in the country to date, two sources with knowledge of the plan said. p

Sport

Murphy starting to lay down law
European Cup: Gerry Thornley asks Munster's Barry Murphy how he got to this point in his career, and where he goes from here p
Beckham hopes to be 'part of history'
Soccer: David Beckham yesterday set out his vision to become "part of history" in transforming the landscape of American sport and making football a mainstream concern in the States. p