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, 11 Sep, 2014 - 01:00

Robert McNamara

BRIEFING TOP STORY

SAOIRSE TOPS JUNIOR CERT A-LIST WITH 12 REASONS FOR BIRHTDAY CHEER

Saoirse Lonergan from Conna, Co Cork has double reason to cheer — with 12 As in her Junior Certificate and looking forward to her 16th birthday tomorrow.

IRISH NEWS

PROBE FAILS TO UNCOVER GSOC BUGGING MOLE

A Garda Ombudsman "fact-finding investigation" has failed to uncover the mole who leaked details from a top-secret report to The Sunday Times

SEÁN FITZPATRICK GETS FREE LEGAL AID FOR UPCOMING TRIAL

Former Anglo chairman Seán FitzPatrick has been granted legal aid for his upcoming trial on charges of failing to disclose loans from another bank.

WORLD NEWS

SHIP LOCATED AFTER 170 YEARS

Canadian explorers say they have found one of two British explorer ships that vanished in the Arctic nearly 170 years ago.

REFERENDUM NOT ABOUT 'KICKING THE EFFING TORIES'

The British prime minister has warned Scottish voters the referendum is not about giving the "effing Tories" a kick as Westminster heavyweights headed north of the border in an attempt to save the union.

SPORT

'HURLING CAN GET EVEN BETTER'

Cork’s three-time All-Ireland winning goalkeeper Ger Cunningham does not believe last Sunday’s All-Ireland final classic represented the arrival at hurling’s ceiling.

GREALISH WON'T RUSH IRELAND CALL AS CLUB COMES FIRST FOR NOW

Martin O’Neill can expect to wait until next summer at the earliest for Jack Grealish to commit his international future to Ireland or England.

BUSINESS

APPLE PAY COULD BOOST iPHONE SALES

The addition of a mobile payments service to Apple’s next iPhone could help to boost sales of the larger-screen phones and claw back market share lost to mobiles running on Google’s Android platform.

VIEWPOINTS

EXAMINING THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE IRISH FAMINE AND THE 9/11 TRAGEDY

Rocks from Mayo, accounted for in the chaos following 9/11, lie at the core of a Famine memorial in New York, just a stone’s throw from Ground Zero, says Bette Browne..

EXAM VIRAL

VIDEO: IS THIS THE ANGRIEST GOAL CELEBRATION OF ALL-TIME?

Republic of Ireland goal hero Robbie Keane might have had reason to assume his teammate would be happy when he set up a tap-in for him.

SHOWBIZ

KATE BUSH MAKES HISTORY AS LIVE SHOW SPARKS SURGE IN ALBUM SALES

Kate Bush's record sales have increased by 2,813%.

TOP FEATURES

TIDE TURNING FOR SCOTTISH BRAVEHEARTS DISILLUSIONED WITH WESTMINSTER

Despite fear of change, Scottish people are disillusioned with Westminster and believe it’s time to make their own decisions, Jonathan deBurca Butler discovers while talking to Scots living in Ireland