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

IRELAND

Sunrise over the Blessington Basin in Dublin City this morning. Sam Boal Sam Boal

• NPHET has recommended that restaurants and pubs should only be allowed serve takeaway throughout December as Ireland prepares to leave Level 5. 
• Health officials confirmed 335 new cases of Covid-19 today as well as three further deaths. 
• Justice Minister Helen McEntee told the Dáil that she had an “informal” conversation with the Tánaiste about the Supreme Court vacancy, stating that Leo Varadkar told her he believed Seamus Woulfe “would make a good judge”.
• mprovements in Ireland’s Covid-19 figures have allowed the country to remain ‘orange’ on the EU traffic light map for international travel.
• An interim report on Ireland unification referendums recommended that they should only be held with a clear plan for what follows afterwards.
• The government confirmed the good news that Santa Clause will still be coming to town this year, with no travel restrictions in place for the essential worker this Christmas. 

THE WORLD 

Shops along Princes Street in Edinburgh display posters and signs advertising sales ahead of Black Friday. PA PA

#UNITED KINGDOM: More than 55 million people face tougher coronavirus restrictions in England after 2 December as Boris Johnson warned any easing off could lead to another national lockdown in the new year.

#GERMANY: The country announced it will push for Europe to ban ski holidays in a bid to curb coronavirus infections, while cases of Covid-19 reached a new peak of more than 60 million globally.

PARTING SHOT 

Happy 81st Birthday to Ms Tina Turner.