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

IRELAND

Associate artist for Crumlin Creative Climate Action and engineer Aoife Raleigh will be cycling her home-engineered generator bicycle around the local Crumlin community to launch the new green initiative in the community. leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

• Bank of Ireland was fined €24.5 million by the Central Bank of Ireland over a number of deficiencies in its IT systems that could have led to customers being denied access to basic banking services.
• The Taoiseach said there has “been a stabilisation” in the number of people in hospital with Covid-19, but that Christmas won’t be “normal”.
• A ruling in two test cases being taken by survivors of mother and baby homes against the Irish Government was postponed until January to hear further submissions.
• Restaurants called for the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme rates to be restored as they struggle with mass cancellations ahead of Christmas.
• The Department of Foreign Affairs is chartering a flight from Marrakech for those seeking to return to Ireland following the suspension of flights to and from Morocco.
• Vaccinations against Covid-19 have saved over 9,000 lives in Ireland among people aged 60 and older, research from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and the World Health Organization estimates.
• The Food Safety Authority of Ireland issued a recall notice on 31 Boots own-brand products because they’re contaminated with a pesticide.
• Public Finances are continuing to improve, with the deficit to the exchequer narrowing to €4.9 billion at the end of November.

WORLD

Germany's military saluted Angela Merkel during a ceremonial farewell this evening, just a week before she is due to bow out of politics after 16 years in office. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#CHANNEL CROSSINGS: France formally rejected the idea of joint patrols with British security forces on its Channel coast in a letter from French Prime Minister Jean Castex to his British counterpart Boris Johnson.

#SIMULTANEOUS SANCTIONS: The United States, European Union, Britain and Canada slapped simultaneous sanctions on dozens of officials, organisations and companies in Belarus, with the EU taking aim at those accused of taking part in a “hybrid attack” on the bloc using migrants.

#ASTRAZENECA Scientists in Wales believe they may have found the “trigger” behind the extremely rare blood clot complications stemming from the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

Parting Shot

Earlier today the Royal Dublin Golf Club voted to accept female members, the last golf club in Ireland to do so.

The golf club, which was founded in 1885 and has hosted the Irish Open on six occasions, never explicitly forbade female membership but loyalty to a tradition has meant it has never had any female members.