Sterling went on a roller-coaster yesterday falling back sharply as high hopes for a Brexit deal were dashed, while US and European shares surged following the US Senate weekend vote to approve president Donald Trump’s tax-cutting bill.

European stocks yesterday fell as Thursday’s terror attack in Barcelona weighed on investor sentiment, the Ftse 100 coming under pressure from falls among consumer giants, financials, and airline stocks.

A Dublin man accused of vandalising the headstone of former president and taoiseach Éamon de Valera told gardaí he was guilty, a court has heard.

It brought the house down.

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

Best man speeches are a daunting business but John Moore had it covered.

A sixth facilitator in two years has been appointed to try to get Carlow and Waterford Institutes of Technology back talking about merger plans for a possible joint university application.

Racing fans are in for a real treat if the clash between Solow and Able Friend in the Queen Anne Stakes lives up to the hype.

Dual 2000 Guineas winner Gleneagles heads a field of six for the St James’s Palace Stakes at Royal Ascot tomorrow.

Make Believe, winner of the Poule d’Essai des Poulains, is set to take on dual Guineas victor Gleneagles at Royal Ascot after he was supplemented for Tuesday’s St James’s Palace Stakes.

Plans for Hidden Cyclone are on hold after the 10-year-old sustained a nasty gash on his leg in the Ryanair Chase at Cheltenham.

Further meetings with Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan are planned for Waterford Institute of Technology management after she told them they could not apply on their own to become a university.

WORLD CUP POPES

Hong Kong’s domination of Singapore’s most prestigious meeting of the year was completed when John Moore posted a magnificent one-two after Military Attack was chased home by stablemate Dan Excel in the Singapore Airlines International Cup at Kranji yesterday.

A Good Day To Die Hard (15A) arrives to mark the 25th anniversary of the original Die Hard (1988), and while Die Hard 4.0 nudged John McClane (Bruce Willis) into James Bond territory, it remained good, clean, trashy fun, not least when Willis launched a stolen cab at a helicopter.

Ballynahinch’s 10-match unbeaten run in Division 1B was ended by one of their chief rivals, UCD, this afternoon.

Halfway through this outlandish fifth instalment of the ‘Die Hard’ franchise, a Russian henchman scolds John McClane (Bruce Willis) for recklessness in the face of certain death.

People should continue to protest against our massive debt and the hardships it is causing, the leader of the trade union movement insisted after tens of thousands took to the streets.

From the second of the Hunger Games’ movies to a new Die Hard instalment, 2013 promises much in top films, writes John Daly

From movies to music, film to food, our critics reveal their Hot 100 choices for the year ahead. Mark your diaries...

A Galway-based financial payments company has been bought for €170m by Exponent Private Equity following six months of negotiations.

A car chase for 'A Good Day To Die Hard' took 78 days to shoot.

Conall Ó Fátharta returns to Haiti nearly two years after the devastating quake and is shocked to see how, apart from a handful of NGOs, the world has largely ignored the nation’s plight

ON Sunday morning, many of us will be woken by electronic bleeps and whirrs as new computer-powered gadgets and toys are plugged in, charged up and used for the first time.

DEMAND for validation expertise has driven a doubling of staff numbers at GxP Systems, a positive indicator for the pharmaceutical and medical devices sectors.

IT was “a miracle” more people weren’t killed when a crash involving two cars travelling at speeds of up to 180km/h claimed the life of one of the drivers, an inquest heard yesterday.

Rave, John Hills' progressive colt, has been sold to continue his racing career in Hong Kong.

BOTH UCD and UCC have storied histories in the Sigerson Cup. Yet both have endured title droughts in recent times.

CORK South West election candidate John Kearney is determined to leave no ground uncovered in his quest to try and break down the bureaucracy “that prevents so many people from putting business ideas into action”.

Ryle Dwyer on how Irish affairs figured in US politics as Reagan came to power

Klammer looks to have left Jane Chapple-Hyam’s care on a winning note by shading a three-way finish to the John Smith’s Extra Smooth Stakes at Newbury.

THIS was hurling at its best, a thrilling encounter and for the Rebels a sensational victory.

In the first of a two-part Irish Examiner special investigation, we look at how we treat the most vulnerable in society.

Judgment has been reserved in an action brought by a woman over the sale of a property by her stepchildren after they allegedly obtained a death certificate in her name.

The stepchildren of a woman, who left her allegedly violent husband many years ago have denied they acted fraudulently in obtaining a death certificate for her.

LANSDOWNE set the pace in the AIB Division Two campaign way back in October when they hammered Bruff, on their own patch.

AIB LEAGUE DIVISION 2 FINAL:

ESKENDEREYA has been ruled out of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs after suffering a setback.

Collection, formerly trained by William Haggas, landed the Citibank Hong Kong Gold Cup at Sha Tin.

Trainer Eric Libaud is confident Vision D'Etat will feature in tomorrow's Hong Kong Cup despite being found with slight swelling to his right hind fetlock.

Police officer Max Payne (Mark Wahlberg) returns home to find his wife Michelle (Marianthi Evans) and daughter slain by an intruder.

Businesses in the North were today being given advice on guarding themselves against tiger kidnappings after two such incidents in 24 hours.

“MEMO to self,” said a rueful Crescent captain Mark Ryan after this entertaining Munster Senior Cup semi-final in Dooradoyle on Saturday — “never again try to kick the ball dead at the end of a close game!”