Catch-up with what you've missed so far today with our lunchtime briefing
IRELAND
The Independent Alliance could be moving closer to agreeing a coalition deal with Fine Gael.
Plans to abolish the universal social charge will have to be delayed or abandoned to fund changes to Irish Water, it has emerged.
An insolvency expert, who was involved in a landmark High Court debt case, has urged local authorities to avail of an underused government-backed initiative to help ease the mortgage arrears crisis.
The naval ship LÉ Aisling is in the bay, the Irish army will be on manoeuvres, and the strains of ‘Lonely Banna Strand’ are ringing out across Tralee Bay in one of the biggest State commemorations outside of Dublin of events associated with 1916.
Sailors in the Irish naval service working on humanitarian operations in the Mediterranean got as little as €4.15 per hour after-tax for their rescue efforts.
Wexford RNLI rescued a lone sailor after his yacht hit a sandbank in heavy seas off Rosslare Point yesterday evening.
WORLD
Cannabis will soon be legal in Canada after the country’s health minister confirmed recreational use will be decriminalised and regulated by spring 2017.
Republican Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton scored sweeping victories in nominating contests in their home state of New York, and immediately cited those wins to argue that they are all but unstoppable as their respective parties’ presidential nominees.
SPORT
Reports of Conor McGregor’s retirement may be greatly exaggerated - if this video posted on Facebook last night is anything to go by.
He mightn’t always have thought it – and it might surprise some to hear a former GPA chairman say it – but Dónal Óg Cusack is thankful for the fact that GAA players remain amateurs.
BUSINESS
The affordability of homes in Dublin is already “stretched” and the Central Bank mortgage controls will likely hold prices in check, according to a major study of the housing market by Davy Stockbrokers.
Ten Cork-based artisan food and drink producers have generated an estimated €1m in sales leads at the Food and Drink Expo 2016 at the NEC Birmingham, England.
ANALYSIS
After another 24 hours of crunch talks between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, the future of Irish Water remains in the balance, writes
LIFESTYLE
First dates are tough, but much more so when broadcast on TV, as the lonely-hearts on First Dates Ireland are about to learn, says
VIRAL
Two of the chocolates inside the Cadbury Roses selection are changing – along with their wrappers and the overall packaging.
James Bond director Guy Hamilton has died aged 93.
TECHNOW
Nicalis has announced that the Afterbirth DLC for The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth will be released on consoles in May.
Guy Ritchie's Snatch is a particularly over the top gangster/heist film with a great visual style and a still amazing cast. And it's coming to the smaller screen.
GIPHY has finally seen fit to unleash their full GIFfy powers on Android.
SHOWBIZ
Comic Oliver Callan has slammed Vogue Williams for her new series Vogue on the Edge where she’ll take LSD or a similar substance to explore the impact of drugs in society.
MOST READ RIGHT NOW
Plans to abolish the universal social charge will have to be delayed or abandoned to fund changes to Irish Water, it has emerged.
