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

Millie McCarthy (6) and Bobby Behan (5) last night at the launch of TwinkleTown in partnership with Dublin City Council. Photographer / Photocall Ireland Photographer / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

IRELAND

• The development of a national science centre has been an “absolutely unmitigated disaster” and an “omnishambles”, a committee heard. 
• A thief who killed a vulnerable Irish pensioner in London before taking off with his groceries was sentenced to life imprisonment.
• Irish Life Health will increase premiums by an average of 5% from January, putting pressure on many households’ budgets next year.
• Enoch Burke’s salary is to be paid to Wilson’s Hospital School as he still owes them €15,000 in damages, a court ordered.
• The number of people in emergency accommodation reached a new record high again.
• Charges against two teenagers accused of attempting to rape a girl in Ballymena last June were dropped after new evidence emerged. 
• Flu cases are on the rise but still at moderate levels.
• The sister of Clodagh Hawe said her case review should be published to provide a greater awareness of the behaviours of “family annihilators”.
• An Post reminded people of the upcoming deadlines for sending post this Christmas. 
• The Irish Deer Commission said a stag was likely killed in Dublin for a “sick trophy”. 
• A mispelled “Department of Infastructure” sign was seen by officials before it was put up.

INTERNATIONAL

Volunteers in a human chain moving boxes of supplies near the scene of where a major fire engulfed several residential buildings. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#HONG KONG: The death toll in a Hong Kong apratment complex fire rose to 128, while dozens more people were still missing.

#UKRAINE: Volodymyr Zlenskyy’s chief of staff resigned after his home was raided in a corruption probe.

#USA: Donald Trump said he would suspend immigration from “third world countries” in response to the attack on National Guard troops that left one of them dead.

PARTING SHOT

A COURT JUDGMENT about religious education in Northern Ireland has been described, falsely, as being a ban on Christianity in schools.

The court recently found that the religious education must be more balanced compared to the current system which endorses Christianity, but did not forbid the teaching of Christianity in schools, or religious worship in schools (though it did say this should not be mandatory).

Stormont’s Department of Education has since said that schools should continue teaching religion based on “holy scriptures” and that collective worship was still legally required.

However, some have portrayed the court’s judgment as being far more extreme.

You can read the full FactCheck article here.