Lunchtime briefing: Gardaí investigate after man found dead in Longford. Catch up on the headlines

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

IRELAND

An investigation has been launched in Longford after a man was found dead in his own home.

The number of people on trolleys remains high again today, with latest figures showing more than 460 are without a bed in the country's hospitals.

The ASTI is promising industrial action that could arise in the coming months will not affect students in the same way as last year.

A woman has been rescued from Belfast harbour. Two PSNI officers entered the water to save her at Queens Road in the Titanic Quarter in East Belfast on Sunday evening.

A rural TD says he is not convinced that reducing the drink-drive level alone would save lives on our roads.

Stormont's First Minister has accused her Sinn Féin partners in government of playing a game of chicken over a green energy scheme scandal and warned she would not blink first.

Met Éireann is forecasting Arctic conditions for the middle of this week which could see sleet and snow in places.

WORLD 

Pope Francis has urged Europe to rediscover its identity as it copes with waves of refugees, Britain's exit from the EU and the "homicidal madness" of religious-inspired violence.

Syrian President Bashar Assad is prepared "to negotiate everything" at talks set to begin in Kazakhstan, as he seeks to cast himself as a peacemaker after his forces recaptured Aleppo last month.

Rush-hour commuters faced severe delays as the 24-hour strike by London Underground workers placed huge demand on the rest of the capital's transport network.

A suicide bomber drove a bin lorry packed with explosives into a security checkpoint outside a police building in northern Sinai, killing at least nine and wounding 10 people, Egyptian officials said.

SPORT

Two young Irish prospects are reportedly set to move from the continent to Munster.

Meanwhile, Connacht Rugby have signed Tom Farrell from Bedford Blues with immediate effect.

Veteran defender John Terry has used Instagram to protest his innocence after being shown a straight red card during yesterday’s game between Chelsea and Peterborough.

The dehumanising of players and match officials by Sunday Game panellists has no place in the GAA, according to Paudie Butler.

OPINION

Today marks the 10th birthday of the iPhone, the device that redefined the mobile phone and helped make Apple the most valuable company in the world, writes Martyn Landi.

BUSINESS

More than 19,000 jobs were created by businesses supported by Enterprise Ireland last year. The agency has said it has exceeded its three-year target with 45,592 new full-time jobs being created.

The head of the IDA has revealed that Japanese financial services firms have expressed "a lot of interest" in a move to Ireland.

LIFESTYLE

To quote Amanda Byram: “The wait is finally over” as RTÉ’s much-hyped Dancing with the Stars blasted onto our screens complete with copious amounts of hair gel and fake tan.

SHOWBIZ

Alas there was no win for the Irish at this year’s Golden Globe ceremony but as always, we won hearts on the red carpet.

Meryl Streep gave an emotional and impassioned speech as she accepted the Cecil B DeMille Award at the Golden Globes for her outstanding contribution to the world of entertainment.

Streep hit out at Trump’s treatment of a disabled New York Times journalist after he shuddered and flailed his arms in a speech in 2015, and spoke about the diversity of the film community and people rushed to praise her.

EXAMVIRAL

We know we shouldn’t laugh at other people’s misfortune. But, according to Twitter user Chris Mandle, a friend of his had a bit of a date fail at the weekend. And it’s just  really hard not to laugh at, OK?

VIDEO - OUR CHOICE

Mary Ann Lane was born on December 23, 1916 - meaning she has recently celebrated her 100th birthday.

TECHNOW

GAMES: Mass Effect Andromeda is coming out on the 23rd of March, a release date that was only recently confirmed.

FILM & TV: The Lego Movie was a total shock when it arrived a few years back, not just because it was better than expected but it went way beyond to be an incredibly good time. The visuals were awesome, the cast was awesome, everything was awesome!

TECH: When Apple released the iPhone 7 Plus last year they promised that more features would be coming down the line. That included a major portrait mode which used the dual lenses on the rear faces camera to take photos with maximum impact.

MOST READ RIGHT NOW

Kirsty Donohue’s eldest child told her he was a boy trapped in a girl’s body. She tells Claire O’Sullivan about the journey her family has been on since that day.