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

IRELAND

Electric Scooters on the roads in Dublin city centre today. Leah Farrell Leah Farrell

• A former drugs Minister warned a delay in holding a citizens’ assembly on drug use in Ireland will cost lives.
• The Department of Health said that Covid-19 vaccine boosters will be offered to all children aged 12-15-years.
• Donegal homeowners whose houses have been damaged by mica said they feared for their safety in recent days as a number of powerful storms hit Ireland.
• Public health officials reported an additional 11,671 new PCR-confirmed cases of Covid-19, along with 8,515 positive antigen tests reported since Friday.
• Nearly 20,000 homes and businesses across Ireland were without electricity this afternoon following Storm Franklin.
• Former EU Commissioner Phil Hogan suggested he may seek compensation from the European Commission over his resignation amid the golfgate controversy.
• Alan Harte launched a High Court challenge aimed at setting aside both the conviction and the 30-year prison sentence he received from the Special Criminal Court for his role in the kidnapping and attack on businessman Kevin Lunney.
• A member of Fingal County Council has brought a High Court action challenging the alleged removal from its website of parts of a recent local authority meeting that was broadcast to the public.
• The Government announced that people working remotely will be able to book office or desk space in new local hubs through a new mobile app.
• A former soldier who was convicted of “a cynical and cold campaign of rape” against a woman has been jailed for ten years and ordered not to contact the woman again.

INTERNATIONAL

Russia's President Vladimir Putin addresses the nation on the recognition of independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

#UKRAINE CRISIS: Russian President Vladimir Putin has recognised the independence of two separatist regions in eastern Ukraine in an emotional address broadcast on state-run television, despite warnings from the West that the move could lead to sweeping sanctions.

#COVID: People who test positive for coronavirus in England will no longer be legally required to isolate from Thursday, and free universal testing will end in April under Boris Johnson’s plan for “living with Covid”.

#DATA BREACH: Credit Suisse handled billions of dollars in dirty money for decades, an international media investigation based on a massive data leak claimed on Sunday, in the latest setback for Switzerland’s second-largest bank.

#RIP: Idris Elba, singer Gabrielle and JLS star Oritse Williams became the latest figures from the world of entertainment to pay tribute to SBTV founder Jamal Edwards following his death at the age of 31.

PARTING SHOT

Planning to spend a few cosy evenings in front of the telly with all this bad weather? The Journal‘s got you covered. 

Here are our picks of movies on TV this week.