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

IRELAND

Canadian Brent Geese on the shores of Strangford Lough in Newtownards, Northern Ireland. PA PA

• NPHET recommended Level 5 restrictions again; the Taoiseach said the advice would be given “active consideration”
• Personal stories of people who lived in institutions such as mother and baby homes were read out in the Seanad during a debate on proposed legislation
• Pubs and restaurants have shut their doors in Northern Ireland this evening as new Covid-19 restrictions kick in
• Just 18 out of more than 12,000 marks appealed under the Calculated Grades process were changed, the Department of Education said
• Concerns were raised again about the whereabouts of the Dingle dolphin Fungie
• 1,000 Covid-19 cases were confirmed in Ireland, and 1,299 cases in Northern Ireland. 

WORLD

Taoiseach Micheál Martin at the crucial two-day EU summit in Brussels. JOHANNA GERON JOHANNA GERON

#BREXIT: UK negotiator David Frost told his EU counterpart Michel Barnier that there is “no basis for negotiations” following the European Council summit conclusions.

#THAILAND: The country’s Prime Minister rejected calls for his resignation, while riot police cracked down on thousands of student-led protesters who rallied in the capital.

#US ELECTION: More than 17 million Americans have already cast ballots in the 2020 election, in a record-shattering avalanche of early votes.

#LE PUB: Millions of French people prepared to enjoy a last night out before a Covid-19 curfew in Paris and other large cities, after officials warned that new efforts were needed to curb an alarming surge in new cases.

PARTING SHOT

NPHET member Professor Philip Nolan takes aim at Dr Jack Lambert’s opinion piece against lockdowns. No matter who you side with, the debate is a high-quality one.

This line is one we may be using elsewhere: “If the basic facts are so badly incorrect, how valid and useful is the opinion?”

And also – just because that’s a bit grim – here’s a Michael D Christmas decoration.