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

IRELAND

President Michael D. Higgins and his wife Sabrina at Aras for the turning on of the Christmas tree lights. Sam Boal Sam Boal

• It emerged that over €17 million was spent by the OPW on the Pope’s visit.
• A man in his 20s died after he was involved in a car crash in Waterford.
• Films which feature villains with facial scars will no longer receive funding from the British Film Institute, but this initiative won’t be followed in Ireland.
• President Higgins lit the Áras Christmas tree and said his thoughts are with the homeless and the bereaved this year.
• The body of a man in his 50s was discovered in Cork.
• It emerged that FAI CEO John Delaney held clear the air talks with Irish supporters groups.
• Dr Rhona Mahony said that abortion services wouldn’t be fully ready by 1 January and that staff are “fearful” of rolling out a new service in such a “charged” political environment.

INTERNATIONAL

Demonstration of Yellow Vests in Paris on the Champs Elysees for their Act IV. Julien MattiaLe Pictorium Julien MattiaLe Pictorium

#FRANCE: Over 700 people were arrested during a day of violent protest across France.

#USA: Donald Trump announced that his Chief of Staff John Kelly will be leaving his post in the New Year.

#ITALY: One woman and five children were killed during a stampede at an Italian nightclub.

PARTING SHOT

Tory MP Priti Patel suggested using the possibility of food shortages in Ireland in the event of a no-deal Brexit to encourage the EU to drop the backstop. Queue facepalms from a few million people. 

Not only were Patel’s comments naive and astoundingly tone deaf considering Britain’s involvement with, you know, starving over a million of us to death in the 1840s, they were actually plain wrong. 

It turns out we’re actually the second most food secure nation in the world after Singapore. You can have a look here. 

This is awkward. https: / /foodsecurityindex.eiu.com/Index https: / /foodsecurityindex.eiu.com/Index / /foodsecurityindex.eiu.com/Index