The Briefing - Your Thursday morning news catch up

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

Thu, 31 Jul, 2014 - 01:00

Kelly O'Brien

BRIEFING TOP STORY

N-DAY FR ROAD SAFETY IN OFFENCES SHAKE-UP

This weekend’s radical shake-up of road traffic offences has been hailed by the Road Safety Authority as a landmark move.

IRISH NEWS

HIGH COURT APPOINTS LIQUIDATORS TO CORK BUILDERS OVER €71M NAMA DEBT

Provisional liquidators have been appointed by the High Court to a Cork-based building firm that owes Nama more than €71m.

SEANAD RECONVENES TO DISCUSS GAZA

The Seanad will meet this afternoon to discuss the crisis in Gaza.

Senators have been recalled from their summer recess to debate the crisis, and Ireland's response to it.

WORLD NEWS

FEARS GROW FOR GAZA AS ISRAEL CALLS UP ANOTHER 16,000 RESERVISTS

Israel has said it is calling up another 16,000 reservists, giving the military the ability to substantially widen its bloody Gaza offensive.

NO LET-UP IN GAZA CIVILIAN SLAUGHTER

Israeli shelling killed at least 15 Palestinians sheltering in a UN-run school and another 17 near a street market yesterday, Gaza’s Health Ministry said, with no ceasefire in sight after more than three weeks of fighting.

SPORT

BANNER BOYS BLITZ REBELS FOR GLORIOUS HAT-TRICK

They travelled in their thousands, they travelled to pay homage to a crop of hurlers who had provided the most memorable of summers in 2013, and who last night guaranteed 2014 would not be a barren one either.

CELTIC PLAYERS LACKED COMMITMENT AND ENERGY, SAYS NEW BOSS

Manager Ronny Deila admitted he was disappointed in the lack of “commitment” and “energy” from his Celtic players following their crushing 4-1 defeat to Legia Warsaw in the first leg of their Champions League third qualifier last night.

BUSINESS

AIB PROFITS RAISE STATE-AID PAYBACK HOPE

AIB’s better-than-forecast pre-tax profit for the first half of the year has increased expectations that it will start paying back the State’s €20bn investment sooner than envisaged.

VIEWPOINTS

WE ARE WASHING OUR HANDS OF THE ETHNIC CLEANSING OF PALESTINIANS

My column last week, urging Ireland to stand with the Palestinians, drew such a huge and often angry response that I re-read my history.

SHOWBIZ

S**T HAPPENS - PATTINSON PHILOSOPHICAL ABOUT KRISTEN STEWART'S AFFAIR

Robert Pattinson insists he no longer "gives a s**t" that Kristen Stewart cheated on him.

TOP FEATURES

IS SILVER BECOMING THE NEW SEXY FOR WOMEN?

‘Silver’ is sexy now that prominent women like Jamie Lee Curtis and Olivia Tracey are eschewing hair dye and embracing the natural look, but I’m still too vain to join them, says Annmarie O’Connor.