Your Monday lunchtime catch-up

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

TOP STORIES

The Environment Minister says Dara Murphy’s use of a garda car to travel from Cork to Dublin Airport was not an "appropriate use of resources".

There were 22 fewer murders recorded in Irelandin the 12 months before June 2015 compared to the same period last year,  official figures have shown.

Europe’s leading drugs agency has warned about the danger of a psychoactive substance which has already been linked to at least four deaths in Ireland. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA) said data on the substance called a-PVP — also known as “snow blow” — indicates it is a potent psychostimulant.

In our Farming Poll it was revealed that over half of farmers believe assisted suicide should be allowedin certain circumstances. 

For more news, data and analysis on the 2015 Farming Poll, click HERE.

WORLD

Seventeen refugees drowned when their boat sank yesterday off the Turkish coast while headed for the Greek island of Kos, the Anadolu Agency reported. 

Russian president Vladimir Putin yesterday branded US support for rebel forces Syria as illegal and ineffective, saying US-trained rebels were leaving to join Islamic State (IS) with weapons supplied by Washington.  In an interview with US networks recorded ahead of a meeting with US president Barack Obama, Putin said Syrian president Bashar al-Assad deserved international support, as he was fighting terrorist organisations.

Apple has retained its title as the coolest brand in Britain for a fourth year, but challengers are emerging in the form of Netflix and Instagram, according to an annual survey.