Catch-up with what you've missed today with our evening briefing

PLOUGHING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Farmers are "arming themselves"  to protect their property as the fear of rural crime grows around the country. Macra na Feirme recently reported that 80% of young farmers want the right to own a gun, while an Agriland survey reveals that 39% of farmers have been directly affected by crime.

Almost one in four farmers said they had driven home after consuming as many as three pints in the past six months, while one in five said they would feel “safe enough” getting behind the wheel after drinking as many as four pints, reports Noel-Baker.

IRELAND

A male patient has died after an ambulance exploded  at Naas General Hospital in Co Kildare.

More than €13m of funding has been announced  for projects relating to the areas of migrant integration and gender equality.

The Children's Minister Katherine Zappone says every family will benefit from plans to lower the cost of childcare.

Gardaí in Co. Laois are seeking the public's help in locating 32-year-old Tony Egan  who is missing from Portarlington.

A senior civil servant received a €1.119m severance package  from an unknown Government department during the worst years of the recession.

WORLD

Syrian president Bashar Assad has said US air strikes on Syrian troops were "definitely intentional",  lasting for an hour, and blamed the US for the collapse of a ceasefire deal brokered with Russia.

The president of the European Parliament Martin Schulz has said it is important to  finish negotiations  for Britain's exit from the European Union before European elections scheduled for mid-2019.

SPORT

Paul and Gary O’Donovan do their hard work out on the water rather than on a farm, but the brothers were still popular visitors  to the National Ploughing Championships today.

Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho launched a scathing attack on his critics  when interviewed after Wednesday’s 3-1 win over Northampton.

BUSINESS

Three former Tesco executives have denied charges in relation to the £326m accounting scandal  at the supermarket.

An Irish company has found five gold zones in Co. Monaghan.  Conroy Gold and Natural Resources announced the discovery today of the deposits in its Clay Lake Clontibret gold property

LIFESTYLE

Sophie White refreshingly explores topics from her life that are often seen as taboo in polite society.  Clodagh Finn meets for a chat and finds out the recipes that helped her through motherhood.

ANALYSIS

Caring for your own children is bad. Caring for someone else’s children is good. That’s the thrust of the new cash-for-childcare policy under consideration by the Cabinet for inclusion in next month’s budget.  

VIDEO

Limerick based photographer and videographer Pavol Hlavac has released his latest drone video  and it is simply breathtaking.

VIRAL

Over the summer months many Donald Trump supporters have been spouting theories  surrounding the health of his political opponent Hillary Clinton, and it turns out they weren't exactly wrong.

A 23-year-old Sligo construction worker, currently plying his trade in the UK, has struck a chord with Facebook users  with his message for the Government.

TECHNOW

GAMING: If you've been looking for a story to soak in, Virginia has you covered.  This new game is set in an X-Files meet Twin Peaks arena of the early 90s as two FBI agents look into a case of a missing child. It looks really atmospheric and mysterious and plays out without a single line of spoken dialogue!

MOVIES/TV: Celebrities definitely don't read that much about themselves online- for one thing the sheer volume would make it pretty difficult for them to do anything else with their lives and it's also generally a place of extreme negativity.   Those two worlds collide in the Jimmy Kimmel segment Celebrities Read Mean Tweets which is pretty genius and now in its 10th video.

TECH: How much does the iPhone 7  cost to make?   Find out here.

SHOWBIZ

Paul Hollywood decided to join The Great British Bake Off  on Channel 4 despite being approached by the BBC about Top Gear.

MOST READ RIGHT NOW

A 23-year-old Sligo construction worker, currently plying his trade in the UK, has struck a chord with Facebook users  with his message for the Government.