The Briefing - Your Friday morning news catch up

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

Fri, 02 May, 2014 - 01:00

Denise O’Donoghue

BRIEFING TOP STORY

LOCKED UP AND FORGOTTEN IN MOUNTJOY

Appalling conditions and overcrowding throughout Mountjoy on the night of July 31, 2006, meant seven vulnerable prisoners were packed into one holding cell supposedly for their own protection.

IRISH NEWS

WELFARE WORKERS IN €1.3M FRAUD PROBE

A social welfare worker is being investigated by gardaí after allegedly misappropriating €1m by way of payments to people who may not even exist.

WATCHDOG: MANY CLERICAL ABUSERS 'ISOLATED OR UNFULFILLED'

Many priests who admit to or who are found guilty of child sex abuse also have addictions, feel isolated or unfulfilled, while others are narcissistic or worryingly needy, according to the Church’s child protection watchdog.

WORLD NEWS

STEM CELL BREAKTHROUGH IN TREATING HEART ATTACKS

Stem cell heart repair treatments could be tested on human patients within four years following a ground-breaking study of monkeys.

COMING SOON: BRAIN IMPLANT TO RESTORE LOST MEMORY

Highly secretive military researchers in the US say that in the next few months they will unveil new advances towards developing a brain implant that could one day restore a wounded soldier’s memory.

SPORT

€250,000 LEAGUE BONANZA FOR KILKENNY AND TIPPERARY

Kilkenny and Tipperary are both winners ahead of Sunday’s Allianz Hurling League final as the competing counties are set to share a €100,000 windfall from the glamour Thurles decider.

CITY IN BOX SEAT WITH STAGE SET FOR CLIMAX

Starting tomorrow, seven games in nine days will decide the destination of the Premier League title for 2014. But it might not even take as long as that...

BUSINESS

TULLOW URGES TAX REGIME CLARITY

Tullow Oil hasn’t ruled out adding Ireland-based assets to its portfolio and has called for more clarity regarding the Government’s tax regime plans for the local exploration sector.

VIEWPOINTS

NEW FOCUS FOR ENIGMATIC AND RUTHLESS OPERATOR ADAMS

Gerry Adams is a shrewd political bargainer who, for many, must be kept on side, writes Michael McHugh.

SHOWBIZ

CRIMINAL INQUIRY BEGINS INTO PEACHES GELDOF DEATH

A criminal inquiry is under way into the death of Peaches Geldof after it emerged that heroin was likely to have played a part in it.

TOP FEATURES

BUZZ NOT BEGRUDGERY AS HAYES RETURNS TO THE HOMELAND

When he moved to LA and made it big, hanging out with the likes of Robbie Williams, Mark Hayes expected a bit of begrudgery back home. But on his last visit to Cork, it was like a different city...