Lunchtime briefing: Berlin attack suspect shot dead by police. Catch up on the headlines

Good afternoon. Here’s all the news you need to know this lunchtime.

IRELAND

Housing Minister Simon Coveney said that there were 54 unoccupied beds for homeless people in Dublin last night.

Rent caps in Dublin and Cork, to limit the annual increases in rent, will come into effect tomorrow. The move comes after President Higgins signed the legislation today.

An iconic 19th-century Cork house was gutted by fire this morning. Firefighters spent hours battling flames which had engulfed Fortwilliam House, on the grounds of the Clayton Hotel Silver Springs.

You better watch out Santa... the taxman is coming to town and he’ll know if you’ve been naughty or nice.

WORLD 

Italian Interior minister Marco Minniti has confirmed that the man shot dead by police in Milan "without any shadow of a doubt" is Berlin Christmas market attack suspect Anis Amri.

Two hijackers on a diverted Libyan plane which landed in Malta have hand grenades and are threatening to blow up the aircraft.

Australian police say they have foiled a terror attack planned for Melbourne on or around Christmas Day.

At least 90 people are missing and feared dead after two shipwrecks off Italy, raising the estimated death toll among migrants in the Mediterranean this year to at least 5,000 - a new record.

SPORT

It looks like the Arsenal social media team may have hit the eggnog a little too early this Christmas.

Antonio Conte believes his Chelsea side have defied doubters by occupying a familiar position at the top of the Premier League.

The prince of centre-backs? Former Tipperary All-Ireland winner Mick Roche

Many an objection to a match result in GAA circles has stood or fallen on a misplaced fada.

OPINION

The murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier proves the rights of a victim and their family are secondary in our justice system, writes Michael Sheridan.

BUSINESS

Eir says it will invest €200m in the next two years to equip 300,000 rural homes with broadband, irrespective of whether it wins the contract to be the Government-subsidised National Broadband Plan provider next year.

Congestion is the biggest reason why LaGuardia Airport in New York is regularly rated the worst in America: Neither planes nor people move in an efficient manner through a facility designed for far, far less traffic.

LIFESTYLE

It’s hard being away from home at Christmas, yet Marjorie Brennan finds international students here are far from homesick

SHOWBIZ

TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher had to be rushed to hospital after falling ill during an ad break.

VIRAL

The mechanics at Kearys Motor Group had an extra-special job to complete in recent days - we hope they were rewarded with plenty of mince pies.

We’ve all heard of Christmas Jumper Day, but what about Ugly Christmas Jumper Day?

VIDEO - OUR CHOICE

In the first of our most-read series of 2016, Breda Graham highlights the most read stories in our showbiz and entertainments section.

TECHNOW

GAMING: The Steam Sale is here- and there are loads of deals to be found!

MOVIES/TV: A Monster Calls screenwriter Patrick Ness - who adapted the book from his own novel of the same name - has some thoughts on what makes it right for this most wonderful time of the year.

TECH: Snapchat is growing and growing, with a huge 2016 that's set to run into the company going public in the near future.

MOST READ RIGHT NOW

An iconic 19th-century Cork house was gutted by fire this morning. Firefighters spent hours battling flames which had engulfed Fortwilliam House, on the grounds of the Clayton Hotel Silver Springs.