Catch-up with what you've missed today with our evening briefing

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

Fri, 18 Dec, 2015 - 00:00

IRELAND

A man has been convicted of raping a woman with Down Syndrome after luring her back to his house. Faisal Ellahi, 34, was also found guilty by a jury of sexual assault. The jury took two and a half hours to return the guilty verdicts following a five-week trial.

An average of 700 new construction jobs are to be created during construction work on seven courthouses across the country.

Gerry Adams is under fire for his response to the conviction of Thomas 'Slab' Murphy for tax evasion. Murphy, who Mr Adams previously described as a 'good Republican', was found guilty of nine charges at the Special Criminal Court yesterday.

Businesses who were hit by last week's flooding have started to receive payments to fix some of the damage.

Three people appeared in court yesterday charged with obstructing Irish Water meter installers in a Cork town last year.

The appearance of the island in Star Wars: The Force Awakens drew a spontaneous round of applause from the audience at the Killarney Cineplex, where the movie was given one of its first viewings in The Kingdom. The preview was a special thank you from the filmmakers to the people of Co Kerry for the use of their island and for hosting the shoot.

Sailors were reunited with their families just in time for Christmas as the LÉ Samuel Beckett yesterday at his requiem mass — a day after her birthday and a day before what would have been his birthday.

A ‘Good Samaritan’ priest gave a burglar a lift into Ennis town centre only minutes after finding the thief hiding in his wardrobe.

Tánaiste Joan Burton has accused Independent TD Mick Wallace of “putting Irish people at risk” by repeatedly linking Shannon airport to US-led wars during a heated Dáil exchange which saw her called “Ireland’s answer to Tony Blair”.

All drones weighing more than 1kg must be registered by law from Monday of what is needed to meet hospital, staff pay and service demands, forcing Government into a political crisis weeks out from the general election.

WORLD

A mother of two has been branded “evil” by a judge, who jailed her for 25 years for the attempted murder of her sister who she tried to burn alive in a “ruthless and breathtaking” bid to cover up the theft of nearly £140,000 from her family.

It was not quite an endorsement, but Russian president Vladimir Putin has praised Donald Trump’s talents and lauded his calls for better ties with Russia.

SPORT

The FAI has announced details of ticketing for the Euro 2016 finals in France. The statement said: “An unprecedented number of supporters have so far applied since the UEFA ticketing portal opened at 11am last Monday.

The cost of preparing Tipperary teams has crashed through the €1m barrier for the first time in three years - but county board officials still managed to reveal a financial surplus for 2015.

BUSINESS

The ambitious €50m redevelopment of the landmark Capitol cinema site in the heart of Cork city has been given the go-ahead by An Bord Pleanála.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan has set a date for the sale of shares in AIB to stock markets.

ANALYSIS

When Christians engage in violence it is not because of their faith but despite it, and in fact embracing religion can help overcome our natural instinct to fight, writes Margaret Hickey

LIFESTYLE

Still got pressies to sort? Ed Power has suggestions based on the hottest music, games and gadgets .

VIDEO

If you're struggling feel Christmassy this year all you need do is take a look at this video. Ben Rogan sent it our way and we have to admit, Galway is looking great.

VIRAL

Today is the busiest day of the year for Dublin Airport as family and friends make their trek to spend Christmas at home. So you can only imagine the emotions swirling around the arrivals gate.

Robert Riley and his little daughter Sophie were doing some shopping in Walmart in Hurricane, West Virginia when Sophie happened to notice someone who looked very familiar. Red clothes? Check. White beard? Check. Jolly disposition and twinkle in his eye? Double check! Could it be him?

TECHNOW

GAMING: EA developer Visceral Games' next title looks set to be an open world action RPG based on Star Wars.

MOVIES: Tina Fey and Margot Robbie are on the ground in Afghanistan in Whiskey Tango Foxtrot. The film, based on the book "The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days In Afghanistan And Pakistan" by Kim Barker, sees Fey fly out to Afghanistan to cover the action on the ground.

TECH: Some modern smartphones often struggle to make it through a full day on a single charge. Sony appears to have found a solution and is developing a battery that lasts 40% longer than a normal lithium battery.