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

IRELAND

• NPHET has cleared the way for vaccinations with the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine to resume in Ireland following yesterday’s green light from the EMA. 
• Gardaí launched an investigation following a party this week at a Co Kildare castle owned by UCD professor and anti-lockdown campaigner Dolores Cahill.
• There have been a further 507 new cases of Covid-19 and 10 new deaths, NPHET said. 
• Gardaí in Blanchardstown, Dublin seized €400,000 worth of mature cannabis plants following a raid yesterday evening.
• A Fermanagh man was jailed for assault of two senior Quinn Industrial Holdings executives.
• Pope Francis has elevated the Knock shrine in Mayo to international status.
• Controversial Councillor Paddy Holohan is no longer a member of Sinn Féin and has branded his treatment by the party as “highly unfair”.
• Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he understands people are fed up of lockdown restrictions. 
• The Russian Ambassador to Ireland, Yuriy Filatov, said his home country is ready to “help” vaccinate people in Ireland against Covid-19.

INTERNATIONAL

#OSCAR The 93rd Academy Awards will take place later this year, without allowing for virtual attendance by nominees.

#CHINA USA Top US and Chinese officials were set to meet again after a tetchy meeting in their first face-to-face talks since US President Joe Biden took office.

#EU COVID Countries across the EU have begun to re-impose tighter coronavirus restrictions as they deal with increasing case numbers.

PA PA

#JAB DONE UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tonight received his first dose of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

#YEMENI REBELS Yemen’s Huthi rebels have made major advances on Marib city, the government’s final holdout in the country’s north.

PARTING SHOT

Here is a fascinating insight deep in behind the scenes as the BBC have interviewed some of the top political operators in the British Government to find out what it was like making the life and death decisions in the fight against Covid-19.

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