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

IRELAND

Among the 50 participants who got Freezin' for a Reason as part of Special Olympics Ireland and An Garda Siochana Polar Plunge is David Rofe, from Newmarket-on-Fergus, Co. Clare, watched by Garda Hilda Moloney. All proceeds raised from the fundraiser go towards supporting athletes with intellectual disabilities. Diarmuid Greene Diarmuid Greene

• Ray D’Arcy announced he’s leaving Today FM
• It was fierce cold. Again.
• The gardaí revealed their Christmas traffic plans for Dublin
• The Tánaiste said that the government won’t fall apart over USC
• Kind-hearted customers of a Dublin shop donated hundreds of blankets to the homeless
• National Ambulance Service managers raised concerns over their own skills
• A Sinn Féin/Fianna Fáil coalition was called “nonsense”
• Fire fighters fought a blaze in Dublin’s James’ Street
• Pro-choice campaigners hung a banner advertising abortion pills in Galway
• Anti water charge protesters from Detroit flew in to Dublin ahead of Wednesday’s protests

INTERNATIONAL

Kirsty Michison, a Betty's Chocolate Expert, hand finishes Christmas treats, as Bettys in Harrogate gears up for the busy festive period Lynne Cameron Lynne Cameron

#AMERICA: New York’s mayor Bill de Blasio says that recent protests are the confrontation of “centuries of racism”.

#MOB MENTALITY: The mayor of Rome told the mafia he isn’t afraid of them and will continue to cycle his bike to work.

#NOT US: North Korea said they didn’t hack Sony. But they’re glad someone did.

INNOVATION

• Looking for a tablet from Santa? Here’s our guide. [TheJournal.ie]
• This car flies. FLIES. [TheJournal.ie]

PARTING SHOT

Who tweets from where? This lovely map shows the location of tweets sent in the last few years.