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

IRELAND

Cllr Donna Cooney and Minister of State for Heritage Malcolm Noonan at the launch of the Green Party plan for a new vision for Moore Street in Dublin Sam Boal Sam Boal

• Leaving Cert students are to be given the option not to sit exams and instead apply for a calculated grade accredited by the State Examinations Commission.
• The Junior Cert examinations will not go ahead this year, it has been confirmed. 
• A further 650 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in Ireland.
• Four people are to face prosecution over alleged breaches of Covid-19 regulations over the infamous Golfgate dinner.
• A woman who gave testimony to the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes has criticised the mixed messages being given to survivors who wish to report the destruction of audio recordings.
• A hitman who gunned down Kinahan cartel target James ‘Mago’ Gately as part of an organised attempted murder conspiracy has been jailed for 20 years.
• Status Yellow wind warnings will come into effect tonight for three coastal counties in the south-east.

INTERNATIONAL

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson greets health worker Liz Hallett, left, during a visit to a vaccination centre in Cwmbran, south Wales Geoff Caddick Geoff Caddick

#MODERNA: The EU has bought up to 300 million extra Covid-19 vaccine doses from US firm Moderna.

#WEATHER: Millions have been left without power and at least 20 people have died in record-breaking cold weather in the US.  

#RUSSIA: Russia has said there were no legal grounds to set Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny free, swiftly rejecting a call from the European Court of Human Rights for his immediate release.

PARTING SHOT

US conservative radio  talk show host Rush Limbaugh has died of lung cancer at the age of 70.

According to his wife, Limbaugh died in his home in due to complications from his stage 4 lung cancer.

Rush Limbaugh in 2019 SMG SMG