Catch-up with what you've missed so far today with our lunchtime briefing
IRELAND
Sports Minister Shane Ross has warned against a rush to judgment in the Rio ticket scandal.
New rules for social housing waiting lists are predicted to cut the numbers of potential tenants turning down homes.
A new law to make America's construction industry more transparent is a step closer today - after passing a vital committee stage.
A new test has been developed that will be able to tell pregnant women, with 99% accuracy, whether their babies will have Down Syndrome.
A High Court judge has granted temporary High Court injunctions compelling former winners of Ireland’s Fittest Family on RTÉ to hand over possession of their Co Cork farm to bank-appointed receivers.
The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) has been deprived of around €1m in funding after eastern European gangs raided the charity’s secondhand clothing containers.
WORLD
Southern Thailand has been hit by a rapid succession of explosions in five central and southern provinces on the birthday of Thailand’s Queen Sirkit on Thursday and overnight to Friday. Here’s what we know at the moment.
Two people have been injured in a shooting incident near a shopping centre in Spain. Local media say it happened at around 11am in the city of Zaragoza in the north east of the country.
Donald Trump has acknowledged that his US presidential campaign faces challenges and could ultimately fall short. It was a rare show of humility as the boastful billionaire strayed from his signature bravado in the battleground state of Florida.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has fired Sergei Ivanov, his chief of staff and once one of his closest allies, in the most high-profile power reshuffle at the Kremlin in years.
RIO OLYMPICS
After a week of heavy gloom, most emanating from the boxers, these Games seemed to be getting away from Ireland but suddenly there’s hope as rowing has come to the rescue.
Britton Barker, who is from Amarillo, Texas, is in Rio with his grandfather for the Olympics and has been sharing the trip on his Twitter. While travelling on the subway yesterday, a passenger offered his grandpa the seat reserved for elderly people. Which of course, is a nice thing to do but, judging by the 'old' man's response, was highly unnecessary.
Steven Donnelly boxed the Irish team out of a looming crisis yesterday with a masterful display that leaves him one fight from an Olympic medal.
The O’Donovan brothers are now everyone’s favourites with their already legendary interviews. Despite the medal in their reach, the pair from Lisheen in West Cork are still as relaxed and as cheeky as ever and they’ve been winning fans up and down the country. Gary and Paul compete in the Men’s Final this afternoon and what better way to support them by getting your hands on one of these brilliant shirts.
SPORT
Turkish authorities have issued a warrant for the arrest of former football star and legislator Hakan Sukur over his links to a US-based Muslim cleric accused by Turkey of masterminding last month's failed coup, according to reports.
With England’s Euro 2016 disaster starting to slip from memory, the focus of attention is turning to the new Premier League season and whether champions Leicester can extend their feel-good story into the new campaign.
BUSINESS
Apple has been given the go-ahead for an €850m data centre in Galway. The facility will cater for the company's Apple Music, App Store, Messages, Maps and Siri customers in Europe.
Liberty Insurance has warned that the spiralling cost of motor premiums is likely to continue to increase across the industry over the coming six to 12 months, though to a lesser extent.
ANALYSIS
Uncertainty and fear generated following the June 23 vote means sentiment towards the economy has been impacted, writes
LIFESTYLE
It’s been a big year for album anniversaries and classic reissues, so Ed Power asked a bunch of people to select the long player that they love most
Gary and Paul O'Donovan have taken the Olympic world by storm with their skills in rowing and their down to earth attitude. Typical Irish lads, they credit their success to their Nana and her cooking.
VIRAL
First there were the ubiquitous rainbow bagels to sweep your Instagram feed. Now, there are so many more new inventive food trends to take over New York.
Michael Phelps may have won 22 Olympic golds to date, but it seems he will forever be remembered for that glare. Now someone has gone and got that face tattooed on their leg and we all just need to take a moment to appreciate just how ridiculous that is.
It’s #WorldElephantDay, a time to celebrate the magificient creatures who are sadly in danger and under threat of extinction. We’ve put together nine facts (accompanied with cute pictures) about elephants to help you get to know them a little better.
TECHNOW
: Trying to review No Man’s Sky is a pretty difficult task. Not only is the game impossibly huge but it’s built in an opaque manner that refuses easy categorisation, especially when it comes to the storyline.
: Those big screen DC comics book movies are a pretty dark and dour lot, but on TV things are bright and bubbly and cheerful for the most part in the worlds of The Flash and Supergirl as well as Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow.
: Facebook is eager to increase its ad revenue on desktop, but determined ad blockers stand in the way. Adblock Plus unveiled a workaround to counter Facebook's new ads and its plans to restrict software that blocks ads.
SHOWBIZ
Mel C has threatened to sue, if the Spice Girls reunion goes ahead without her.
The new trailer for Star Wars spin-off movie Rogue One has landed – and it ends with a tantalising glimpse of Darth Vader.
MOST READ RIGHT NOW
Barred since the 1960s from analysing public figures they have not treated, mental health professionals are breaching ethics to speak out about the Republican candidate Donald Trump.
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