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

IRELAND

There was a freak hail storm in Dublin Sam Boal / Rollingnews.ie Sam Boal / Rollingnews.ie / Rollingnews.ie

• At a meeting with Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, French President Emmanuel Macron has said “we will never abandon Ireland or the Irish people”. 
• Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg told a meeting of TDs that the social network is working proactively on child protection issues.
• Gardaí believe a local feud led to shots being fired outside school in west Dublin this afternoon.
• Met Éireann has updated its Status Yellow snow-ice warning as temperatures are set to drop to -1 degrees tonight.
• Claims that children can’t celebrate Christmas at Educate Together ‘incorrect and misleading’.
• The government is to extend the enforcement of rent pressure zones until 2021.
• Sport Ireland said the FAI ‘has not sufficiently explained’ the €100k John Delaney loan.
• Stardust campaigners are moving forward with their “strongest” attempt to hold a new inquest.
• Paul Reid was named the new director general of the HSE.
• A settlement has been reached between the children of Seán Quinn and the IBRC.
• A Trinity College society has said “no bullying or humiliation” took place at an alleged hazing event.

INTERNATIONAL

Journalists outside Downing Street watching May's speech Victoria Jones / PA Images Victoria Jones / PA Images / PA Images

#JOINT APPROACH: Theresa May is set to ask for a further extension to Brexit, and will ask Jeremy Corbyn to help agree a way forward.

#US CONGRESS: A White House security adviser has detailed “grave breaches of national security” after Trump’s administration reversed security clearance details.

#ISIS BRIDE: Shamima Begum has asked for a second chance, and has said she was “brainwashed”.

PARTING SHOT

You could be forgiven for not knowing who Nick Boles is before last night, but videos of the now-former Conservative MP declaring his immediate resignation from the party following last night’s indicative votes went viral.

Speaking to the BBC today, Boles hit out at the “cowardly and selfish” Cabinet for failing to challenge Theresa May’s approach to Brexit. 

In a series of strong statements, one that stood out was his claim that the Tory Party “did not really exist anymore”. 

In his own constituency of Grantham, meanwhile, voters have said Boles has been “part of the great betrayal”, the Guardian reported.

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