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

Dory Hudson (9) and Blaize Whelan, Assistant Director of Nursing at the Children's Health Foundation, at the annual light up event at Children's Health Ireland (CHI) at Tallaght. Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie / RollingNews.ie

IRELAND

• Gardaí released CCTV footage of a fatal arson attack on a house in Co Offaly last week in which a four-year-old boy and his great-aunt were killed.
• The Luas Green line is still out of service and its operator Transdev said a full service would not resume until after the “evening peak commuter period”.
• A 31-year-old man was charged in connection with a number of alleged offences involving the stealing of cattle in Cork.
• A teachers’ union condemned the Minister for Children’s proposed changes to the Assessment of Need process as a “solo run” and a “profound breach of trust”.
• The government will roll out a pilot programme early next year for a digital wallet with a “robust” age verification tool to verify the identity of social media users.
• Taoiseach Micheál Martin said drones that breached a no-fly zone and flew towards Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s plane when he visited Ireland last week were “were not a threat” to the aircraft. 
• Around 2,500 homes, farms and businesses are still without power this evening in the aftermath of yesterday’s Storm Bram.
• RTÉ director-general Kevin Bakhurst told an Oireachtas Committee that changing the time that The Late Late Toy Show airs would be “like getting rid of the Angelus”.
• There was a “positive cross-party response” to the Social Democrats Dog Welfare (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to introduce stricter regulations of dog breeders.
• A court heard that a Fine Gael councillor who asked a superintendent to cancel a speeding fine told the same garda that he lobbied the government to have GoSafe van locations moved in Limerick. 

INTERNATIONAL

“Let Them Be Kids” is seen projected on the pylons of the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Sydney after a social media ban for children under 16 came into effect. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#EUROVISION: Iceland became the fifth country to withdraw from next year’s Eurovision Song Contest after a decision last week to allow Israel to compete.

#PARIS: The thieves who stole crown jewels from the Louvre in October evaded police with just 30 seconds to spare due to avoidable security failures at the Paris museum, a damning investigation revealed.

#OFFLINE: A social media ban for children under 16 began in Australia.

#MEAT ONLY: Veggie burgers are still on the table after EU politicians failed to come to an agreement on the use of the term.

#RIP: The family of bestselling author Sophie Kinsella announced that she died “peacefully” at the age of 55.

PARTING SHOT

It’s the most… eh… terrible time of the year?

That’s according to a new Christmas ad released by McDonalds Netherlands that was made using Artificial Intelligence (AI).

The ad has since been taken down after facing backlash online, with some labelling it “creepy”, “poorly edited”, “deeply unfunny” and “repulsive”. 

Watch it below and see what you think.

McDonald's has released an AI-generated Christmas ad

The studio behind it says they 'hardly slept' for several weeks while writing AI prompts and refining the shots — 'AI didn't make this film. We did'

Comments have been turned off on YouTube pic.twitter.com/Es5ROvI7n2

— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) December 8, 2025