Catch-up with what you've missed with our morning briefing

Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know before you start your day.

IRELAND

Finance Minister Michael Noonan and Public Expenditure Minister Brendan Howlin risked the economic recovery in order to deliver a  “political” budget  ahead of the general election, a European Commission report has found.

Pictures of at least 40 Irish girls, mainly from Cork and as young as 14,  have been copied from social media and posted on a pornographic website without their consent.

The Road Safety Authority is warning motorists to take  extra care this morning as heavy snow is forecast for several counties.

Ireland will appear before the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva this morning.  Homelessness and access to education are two of the main issues expected to be raised.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has claimed Government will be able to  find jobs for 50,000  more long-term unemployed people by the end of the decade, if it is re-elected to power.

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has dismissed claims his party is engaging in  ‘Punch and Judy’  tactics after launching a mock ad targeting Enda Kenny ahead of the election.

WORLD 

A winning ticket in California's record $1.5bn Powerball jackpot was sold in a Los Angeles suburb,  lottery chiefs have said.

A performance of David Bowie’s trippy, melancholy musical  Lazarus turned into a memorial  for the Thin White Duke as fans who had bought tickets to celebrate his music instead found themselves mourning his passing.

SPORT

Joe Allen may not have been the most lethal of attacking presences on display in a thrilling Anfield encounter but he certainly showed all the necessary composure and prowess in the final minute, his volley earning his team a point and,  temporarily at least, halting Arsenal’s title bid.

Ulster’s analyst and skills coach Niall Malone is in no doubt that  Rory Best  should be the next Ireland captain.

BUSINESS

Irish insurance companies will need to hike the costs of car insurance even more  if they are return to profitability any time soon, a senior analyst at rating agency Standard & Poor’s said yesterday.

Cargo handling at the Port of Cork grew by nearly a million tonnes last year and oil traffic rose 20%  as the economy began to pick up and business returned to levels last seen before the economic crash.

ANALYSIS

David Bowie’s Major Tom is an average geezer who loves his wife, a fragile human being in the hands of commercial forces  he doesn’t understand, writes Victoria White

LIFESTYLE

As self-help gurus extol the virtues of being grateful as adults, Arlene Harris says children  need to be taught to show appreciation and ’thank you’ notes are a good place to start.

VIDEO

Diners at Cork Penny Dinners were delivered a fine Italian feast on Tuesday.  The charity was recently blown away by the generosity of the people running the Cork Flood Alerts Facebook page and a local pizzeria.

VIRAL

An Irish man living in London discovered just how convincing he can be when ordering personalised jars of Nutella in Selfridges.  Derry man Seamas O'Reilly has successfully printed not just one, but three questionably rude phrases on jars of Nutella he purchased in Selfridges - and he even convinced one worker that 'Arsemuck' is an Irish name.

Ruairi McSorley best known for uttering the no immortal line "you wouldn’t be long getting frostbit" has released an off-the-wall music video, all in the name of charity.

TECHNOW

GAMING: The Division’s trailer was leaked yesterday, although to understand what was happening you had to understand Italian. Ubisoft decided that everyone should get the full experience and released the official trailer.

MOVIES: We review Lenny Abrahamson's latest film Room.

TECH: You've been to some of the most amazing sights around the world with Google Street View, from Petra to the Amazon and the highest mountain on Earth. And now you can travel to one of the smallest.

SHOWBIZ

Panti Bliss has revealed she would love to read out the Irish votes in this year’s Eurovision. Nicky Byrne has presented Ireland’s votes for several years in the contest but will now be taking to the stage as our 2016 entry.

MOST READ RIGHT NOW

As we all know Saoirse Ronan has been working the Hollywood circuit over the past few months, on behalf on everyone that posses an Irish name. Yesterday, she appeared on The Late Late Show  with Stephen Colbert for all those Tadhgs, Niamhs and Oisins of the world.