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

IRELAND

Best pals James Cussen (4) and Aisling Smyth (4) pictured beneath the Christmas Star at the illuminated festive walk at Cabinteely Park. Leon Farrell Leon Farrell

• Health officials confirmed a further 4,235 cases of Covid here.
• Alan Wilson, who was named in court as a member of the Kinahan crime gang, has been jailed for ten years for his role in a plot to murder three men outside the Player’s Lounge pub in 2010.
• The BBC will claim that Gerry Adams was a leading member of the IRA as part of its defence against defamation proceedings against it by the former Sinn Féin leader, the High Court has heard.
• Representatives from the National Lotter appeared before an Oireachtas Committee this afternoon, following concerns that the €19 million Lotto jackpot had not been won since June.
• The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland has rejected a complaint by the general secretary of Fine Gael against the inclusion of Labour’s Ivana Bacik in a RTÉ television lifestyle show days before the Dublin Bay South by-election.
• One of the “hooded men” has told how he still suffers nightmares about the ordeal after the UK Supreme Court today ruled that the PSNI was wrong not to investigate allegations of torture in the case.
• Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said that the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) may issue new recommendations on social mixing and close contacts after it meets tomorrow.
• The Covid-19 pandemic has enabled fringe Irish groups to coalesce and spread conspiracy theories to a wider audience than ever before, according to a new report.

INTERNATIONAL

Ice front of Thwaites glacier. PA PA

#ANTARCTIC: One of the biggest glaciers in Antarctica is retreating rapidly and facing the risk of collapse because of warming oceans, new research has found.

#GERMANY: Germany said it would “defend itself” against radicalised anti-vaccination groups after police launched raids in response to death threats against a top politician backing sweeping measures to fight the pandemic.

 USA: OJ Simpson is officially a free man after finishing his parole. 

PARTING SHOT

It’s December and it’s dark and the weather is a bit miserable and Covid is still being, well, Covid. 

So, here’s a video of a load of dogs having fun. If you can’t see the video, please click here.