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

IRELAND

A man walks past a closed bar in Dublin city centre Peter Morrison Peter Morrison

• Anger is mounting in government circles today that ministers and senior officials first heard about the contact tracing issue through the media. 
• A further 1,167 new cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Ireland. 
• The INMO’s general secretary has told the Oireachtas Health Committee that, for each of the last two weeks, 50 nurses have been infected with Covid-19 while at work.
• Paschal Donohoe has been told by Ulster Bank that “no decision has yet been taken” on the future of the bank’s operations in Ireland.
• Electric Ireland has announced a moratorium on disconnecting customers who struggle to pay their energy bills.
• Gardaí are investigating whether members of a jury were secretly recorded during a recent criminal trial in Dublin. 
• A midwife convicted of a money laundering offence has brought a High Court challenge against the HSE’s decision to dismiss her from her employment. 
• A DUP minister has said he never made any attempt to “attribute the spread of Covid-19″ to religion, after controversial comments over the difference between the spread of the virus in nationalist and unionist areas.

INTERNATIONAL

A giraffe enjoys a pumpkin treat at the Wild Place Project in Bristol Ben Birchall Ben Birchall

#BREXIT: Another round of post-Brexit trade talks between the EU and UK are to take place in London this week.

#LGBT: Pope Francis has endorsed same-sex civil unions for the first time since becoming head of the Catholic Church.

#LONDON: Two people have died following a suspected gas explosion and building collapse in Southall, London. 

PARTING SHOT

Ireland is to move to Level 5 Covid-19 restrictions from midnight tonight, in an effort to curb the rising level of cases. 

This week’s episode of The Explainer podcast looks at how Ireland ended up at this point. 

• The Explainer: What led to Ireland moving to Level 5 restrictions?

The Explainer / SoundCloud