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Mon, 11 Jan, 2016 - 00:00

TOP STORY

David Bowie's publicist has confirmed that the singer has died. The 69-year-old musician has been battling cancer for the past 18 months. A Facebook post said he "died peacefully today surrounded by his family after a courageous 18 month battle with cancer.

Stars from the world of showbiz and entertainment have summoned the words of the rock star to pay tribute.

IRELAND

Drivers are being warned to take extra care on the roads following freezing temperatures overnight. Roads in parts of the Midlands and east of the country are icy following rain and some snowfall in some areas last night.

The Ombudsman has questioned why the Government declined to allow his office investigate complaints against Irish Water and says the move has left the utility’s customers without any independent grievance mechanism.

An agreement has been reached between the HSE and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation on Emergency Department overcrowding. It follows 19 hours of talks at the Workplace Relations Commission.

Large insurance levies and the relocation of thousands of residents from flood-prone areas are both being considered by the Government to help address the flooding crisis.

The Government is launching an action plan for jobs for the Mid-East region this morning. It has the potential to create 25,000 extra jobs across counties Meath, Kildare and Wicklow, according to Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton.

WORLD

As Barack Obama prepares to deliver his final State of the Union address tomorrow night, the US President and his aides have insisted he will not be content simply to run out the clock on foreign policy and is acting decisively to tackle crises piling up around the globe.

David Cameron has insisted a British exit from the EU is not “the right answer”, as he said he was “close” to securing a renegotiation deal.

A suspected case of bird flu has been identified in chickens at a farm in Fife, the Scottish Government has said. A temporary control zone of one kilometre has been put in place around the Dunfermline premises and the birds will be culled.

SPORT

Ir Munster's merited win over Ulster at Ravenhill nine days ago represented a step forward in what was proving an already challenging season, Saturday’s depressing Champions Cup defeat at the hands of Stade Francais constitutes a series of giant leaps backward, writes Donal Lenihan.

Paul Galvin will not be returning to the Kerry football set-up for the season ahead, manager Eamonn Fitzmaurice confirmed yesterday evening.

BUSINESS

Dublin businesses have called on the Government to treble its spending on infrastructure. Employees have raised concern about traffic congestion, lack of public transport and housing, according to a survey by the Dublin Chamber of Commerce.

There could be real political minefields lying in the path of candidates from the Government parties as they traverse the highways and byways in the weeks ahead.

ANALYSIS

Donald Trump has not only proven that negative campaigning works, he has proven that vulgar personal abuse works too, writes Terry Prone

LIFESTYLE

The Netflix series on Steven Avery’s murder conviction has touched a nerve for thousands of Irish people, writes Richard Fitzpatrick

VIDEO

Traders in Midleton are due to meet tomorrow night as people in the flood-hit town continue the clean-up after Storm Frank.

VIRAL

On January 1 you vowed that 2016 was going to be the year you lose weight, save money and become more zen, but after a whole week of salad and yoga your reserve is probably slacking a little bit. Here are five apps that might help out.

But have you noticed that film studio Pixar has been paying homage to classic films in almost every new release? Well film editor and video essayist Jorge Luengo Ruiz has created a stunning video which highlights all the subtle nods that Pixar have made to great movies of the past.

TECHNOW

GAMING: Marc Laidlaw, the sole writer of Half-Life 1 and 2 and the lead writer of the Episodes, has reportedly left Valve.

MOVIES: Irish director Lenny Abrahamson brings his latest film home this week, and there are some other Oscar hopefuls in the mix including a film which might finally earn Leonardo DiCaprio his Oscar glory.

TECH: There have been rumours for some time that Apple look set to ditch the headphone jack in their new iPhone. Now tech giant is said to be developing new cordless headphones in association with Beats.