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

IRELAND

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• 7,333 new cases of Covid-19 were confirmed in Ireland today.
• People aged 40 to 49 will be offered Covid-19 booster vaccines from tomorrow, a month ahead of schedule, the HSE confirmed.
• Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said January will be “challenging”, but that people’s behaviour does matter when it comes to reducing the impact of the Omicron Covid-19 variant on the health service. 
• Met Éireann has a status yellow warning for fog for six counties tonight. 
• A man in his 20s has died in a single-vehicle collision in Longford at 12:30 am this morning. 
• Gardaí are reminding people to beware of “hugger muggers” — who target drunk people near pubs — in the run-up to Christmas. 
• The DSPCA has called on people to do their research before adopting a pet this Christmas, to prevent animals from being abandoned or surrendered after the holiday. 

INTERNATIONAL

Dutch PM Mark Rutte SIPA / USA PA Images SIPA / USA PA Images / USA PA Images

#THE NETHERLANDS: The country will be entering a lockdown from tomorrow to prevent the spread of the Omicron Covid-19 variant over the Christmas period, said Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte today. 

#UK: London Mayor Sadiq Khan declared a “major incident” in the country’s capital due to the spread of the Omicron variant.

#AFGHANISTAN: The Taliban government in Afghanistan announced they will resume issuing passports in Kabul. 

#MALAYSIA: Flash floods have displaced thousands in Malaysia after heavy rain continuing from yesterday. 

PARTING SHOT

And finally, after literal decades, the James E. Webb space telescope is due to be launched into space on Christmas eve — after the project was initially started in 1989 and went more than three times over budget. 

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Fun fact: A number of Irish scientists were part of the team behind the telescope — which is the most powerful space telescope ever built, with the ability to see “the first light in the Universe, the first galaxies formed, inside dust clouds where stars and planetary systems are forming today, exoplanets and their atmospheres.”