NEED TO CATCH up? The Journal brings you a round-up of today’s news.

IRELAND

The coffin of Sean FitzPatrick, the former chief executive and chairman of Anglo Irish Bank, is carried into Holy Rosary Church, Greystones, Ireland, ahead of his funeral today. PA images PA images

• New Covid-19 restrictions including changes to hospitality closing times and  advice to work from home unless absolutely necessary were announced by the Government.
• A further 4,407 cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Ireland. 
• Household close contacts of confirmed Covid-19 cases now have to restrict their movements for five days.
• The use of Covid-19 passes was extended to cinemas and theatres.
• GPs called for urgent action to address the shortage of doctors in general practice. 
• The money paid to people receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP)  reduced today.
• A man was seriously injured after he fell off his electric scooter in Dublin 12 this morning.
• Ireland will co-host the Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup in 2030 along with Scotland and England.

INTERNATIONAL

Light projections of a ship at the Christmas Garden in Cologne, Germany, today. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#GAS: Germany’s energy regulator suspended the approval process for Russia’s Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline today, dealing another setback to the geopolitically sensitive project and causing Europe’s sky-high gas prices to soar further.

#UK: The suspected terrorist who blew himself up with a homemade bomb outside a hospital was a Christian convert who moved to Liverpool several years ago.

#STANLEY JOHNSON: A senior Conservative and a journalist in the UK both accused Stanley Johnson, Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s father, of inappropriately touching them.

PARTING SHOT

I’m on holiday in France and apparently there’s a famous French song called ‘The Lakes of Connemara’ which they love to belt out in the pub when they’re pissed.https://t.co/F1gjcZB3l3

— Seán Burke (@SeanBurkeShow) November 16, 2021

Comedian Seán Burke has revealed some pretty interesting information about a famous French song called ‘The Lakes of Connemara’ that he learned while on holiday in France.

The song is the work of singer Michel Sardou and it was released all the way back in 1981.

Babylon Radio reports that Sardou and his colleague Jacques Revaux wanted to write a song about Scotland but they couldn’t find any information about the country.

However, they were able to get their hands on a tourism brochure about Ireland. And the rest is history.