The Briefing - Your Monday morning news catch up

Welcome to your Monday morning briefing. Let us ensure you’re up to speed on what’s happening and are prepared for the day ahead.

Mon, 28 Apr, 2014 - 01:00

Denise O’Donoghue

BRIEFING TOP STORY

GARDAÍ SUFFERING FREQUENT VICIOUS ASSAULTS

Attacks on gardaí are becoming more vicious and more common, according to the association representing frontline staff, which has demanded that the Department of Justice publishes the number of assaults annually.

IRISH NEWS

PRISON STAFF'S 41,000 SICK DAYS COST TAXPAYER €7.5M

More than 41,000 sick days were taken by prison staff last year, at a cost of €7.5m to the taxpayer.

TAOISEACH ASKS POPE TO PAY VISIT TO IRELAND

Pope Francis has been invited to visit Ireland during a brief meeting with the Taoiseach, who told him his papacy had brought about an “extraordinary difference to the perception of the Catholic Church”.

WORLD NEWS

AUSTRALIAN TRIGGERS HIJACK SCARE AFTER MISTAKING COCKPIT FOR TOILET

An Australian passenger mistook the cockpit door for the toilet, triggering Friday’s hijack scare on a Virgin Australia flight from Brisbane to the Indonesian holiday island of Bali, police said.

PRO-RUSSIAN REBELS FREE OBSERVER BUT HOLD SEVEN MORE

Pro-Russian rebels paraded European monitors they are holding in eastern Ukraine yesterday, freeing one but saying they had no plans to release another seven as the US and Europe prepared new sanctions against Moscow.

SPORT

KERRY ACE DONAGHY A DOUBT FOR MUNSTER CHAMPIONSHIP

Kieran Donaghy is in danger of missing Kerry’s Championship campaign after another injury setback.

IRISH PAIR DELIGHTED WITH SILVER

Ireland’s silver medallist pairing of Ryan Seaton and Matt McGovern are still coming to terms with their display the ISAF World Cup in Hyeres, France on Saturday.

BUSINESS