Updated 9.20 pm

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

Ireland

Protester outside the Irish Water HQ on Dublin's Talbot Street. Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland Mark Stedman / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

• Cash-in-transit vans will no longer be protected by an armed escort.
• It was revealed that UK authorities’ accessed Ireland’s internet traffic through undersea cables.
• Water charge protesters held demonstrations in a number of parts of the country today including outside the Irish Water HQ in Dublin  
• The steel cross on top of Carrountoohill was re-erected after being cut down last week.
• A man was attacked by three men with hammers in a Ballymena burglary.
• Irish rugby coach Mick Finnegan missing in England was found safe.
• The day water charges were supposed to come in saw a huge reduction in Dublin’s water usage.

International

A Reindeer at LaplandUK in Ascot. Steve Parsons Steve Parsons

#EGYPT: A court has dismissed a murder charge against ousted Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak for deaths of protesters.

#ISLAMIC STATE: Air strikes against Islamic State militants ‘aren’t working’ according to Syria’s Foreign Minister.

Innovation

• Online retailers had a good Black Friday with sales up 8% on a year ago. [Techcrunch]
• Boris Johnson wants delivery drones to help ease London’s traffic congestion. [WSJ Tech]

Parting Shot

The Economist has worked out that the size of the an average turkey is growing so rapidly that if it continues at the current rate they’ll be bigger than humans in 150 years.