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

IRELAND

A flooded children's playground in Athlone, Co Westmeath. RollingNews.ie RollingNews.ie

• Met Éireann issued an orange alert for more heavy rainfall tonight, as parts of the country prepared for further flooding.
• A District Court judge was hospitalised after being assaulted during a family court hearing in Dublin.
• A 14-year-old girl rescued off Hook Head last Sunday, died in hospital.
• A Las Vegas-bound flight was forced to turn around amid disturbances by Irish fans of UFC champion Conor McGregor.
• Senator David Norris caused controversy by saying people on social welfare shouldn’t be allowed to buy alcohol.
• An Algerian-Irish man wanted on international terrorism charges was arrested in Spain.
• Immigration experts expressed fear that recent restrictions on the US tourist visa waiver program could become more stringent, and affect Irish travellers.
• Thousands of files on Civil War and War of Independence combatants were released, including material on the father of President Michael D Higgins.
• A woman, whose mother refused to be treated by a Muslim doctor at Tallaght Hospital, defended her actions.

WORLD

A message projected on to the Eiffel Tower, amid the COP21 Climate Change Conference in Paris. Francois Mori / PA Francois Mori / PA / PA

#COP ON: Delegates from almost every country in the world were close to a final agreement, after 11 days of talks at the COP21 Climate Change Conference in Paris.

#OKLAHOMA: A white former police officer was convicted of sexually assaulting and raping eight black women.

#KICKIN’ KIEV: Ukraine’s parliament erupted into a massive brawl, after one MP physically dragged the Prime Minister from his post.

#FERN-ALLY: After a long series of public votes, New Zealand settled on a new design for its national flag.

INNOVATION

• A team of British researchers have developed a way to stockpile emergency electricity – using your own urine. [Engadget]
• Researchers from the US claim to have come up with a machine that can out-perform humans in recognising written characters. [NYT Tech]

PARTING SHOT

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