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

An Garda Síochána An Garda Síochána

IRELAND

• Storm Desmond continued to batter the country with severe flooding in places and 1,700 homes still without power tonight.
• Pauline Tully described a Christmas Eve assault during which she was stabbed 13 times by her husband.
• A Sinn Féin candidate was criticised for refusing during a radio show to condemn outright the 1996 murder of a garda.
• A young man passed away in hospital after being seriously injured in a crash in Kildare last week.
• Anti-refugee protesters at a rally in Belfast were outnumbered by people who turned up to support those fleeing war-torn countries. [RTÉ]
• The Garda Inspectorate has said urgent root-and-branch reform of An Garda Síochána is needed. [The Irish Times]
• Guidelines are to be introduced for tattoo and piercing parlours.

WORLD

#CALIFORNIA: The first picture of the female San Bernardino shooter was released.

#SHOTS FIRED: The New York Times used a front page editorial to call for gun control.

#SYRIA: Dramatic footage claims to show the aftermath of Russia bombing Islamic State oil trucks.

#CHAD: Three suicide attacks killed 27 people on an island on Lake Chad. [BBC]

INNOVATION

• This giant drone can transport humans around, but only indoors for now. [Mashable]

PARTING SHOT

Some poor sod in Clare was spotted trying to move a couch in the middle of Storm Desmond… [DailyEdge.ie]