Your Wednesday lunchtime catch-up

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

IRELAND

Apple is to create 1,000 new jobs at its European headquarters on the northside of Cork city. The announcement was made this morning as Apple chief executive, Tim Cook arrived in Ireland.

The Environment Minister Alan Kelly said landlords have nothing to fear from new rental legislation being introduced. The measures include increasing the rent review period from one to two years, meaning anybody who faced a rent increase in 2015, will not have a rent review until 2017.

The Garda Commissioner is due to speak in front of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice later today. Noirín O’Sullivan is expected to answer a wide range of questions in relation to the force, on issues such as training, rural crime and the Provisional IRA.

The Transport Minister Paschal Donohoe has said conviction rates for drink-driving are much higher than recent reports suggest. Paschal Donohoe has denied newspaper reports that only 40% of summonses result in convictions.

WORLD

A woman has been arrested and a second woman is being sought by police after a man was allegedly groped and subjected to what’s being described in the media as a “twerking attack” in the US.

Slovenia has started to build a razor-wire fence along its border with Croatia to control the influx of refugees.

SPORT

Stuart Lancaster has stepped down as England head coach by mutual consent, the Rugby Football Union has announced. Lancaster paid the price for a hugely disappointing World Cup campaign that saw England exit the tournament after the group stage - the first time that has ever happened a hort nation.

Stuart Lancaster

Martin O’Neill has hinted he is ready to extend his reign as Republic of Ireland manager. The 63-year-old will send his team into Euro 2016 battle with Bosnia-Herzegovina on Friday evening with the two-year deal he signed in November 2013 drawing to a close, but the FAI has indicated it would like him and his staff, which includes assistant Roy Keane, to stay on.

BUSINESS

Apple’s newest tablet the iPad Pro has gone on sale on the company’s online store, and naturally technology fans were voicing their thoughts and feelings on social media. And as is usual with Apple, opinion was split down the middle on the new, larger iPad.

No sooner had the UK embraced Black Friday than the American holiday shopping tradition looks to be on its way out. Asda, the British supermarket which imported the event from US parent Wal-Mart Stores in 2013, said it will not participate this time around.

ANALYSIS

Caroline O’Doherty meets a number of human rights defenders from around the world

LIFESTYLE

While we may joke about death, funerals are generally a times of great sorrow. This is changing however, not just in Ireland but around the world, writes Margaret Carragher

VIDEO

A ’Secret Spectrum’ workshop took place in Skibbereen Library recently - and these kids from Gaelscoil Dr. Uí Shúilleabháin learned how to see colours in the light around them.

VIRAL

Redditor gilsolano12 clearly likes to live dangerously. His wife was in labour yesterday and had asked that he document the joyous moment. And we’re pretty sure that didn’t include posting it on the internet.

Samuel Flores was driving down the road near Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery in Texas when he spotted a Great Pyrenees dog standing patiently beside another dog who appeared to have been struck by a car.

TECHNOW

GAMING: The first Steam Machines are now available, so Steam has launched a sale featuring games that work with SteamOS to ensure that those who pick one up have something to play.

MOVIES: Netflix is all over the place right now - whether its with award winning drama series like House of Cards, Marvel adaptations like Jessica Jones or Oscar worthy movies like Beasts of No Nation. So it’s about time they made a monster flick.

TECH: The future is brighter than HD, it’s Ultra HD - and the first disks are already on the way from Sony Pictures. They’re very shiny

SHOWBIZ

Cathriona White’s mother has spoken out for the first time since her daughter’s death and has revealed she’s “devastated” by false reports of their relationship. Brigid Sweetman was reported to have an estranged relationship with her daughter, who was in an on-and-off again relationship with Jim Carrey.

MOST READ RIGHT NOW

A UCC student has claimed that the college’s health centre turned them away after they had presented following a suicide attempt.