GOOD MORNING.

Here’s all the news that you need to know about as you start your day.  

Schools

1. In our main story today, Garreth MacNamee reports that several anti-mask primary school teachers have formed a campaign group on Facebook to protest against children wearing face coverings in schools.

The Journal found several teachers, who are members of the Irish National Teachers’ Organisation (INTO), in the group and on Telegram saying they will not enforce the new guidelines.

The move comes as it emerged this week that children between the ages of 9 and 12 will have to wear masks in school and in certain public places such as shopping centres.  

Indonesia 

2. The death toll following the eruption of the highest volcano on Indonesia’s most densely populated island of Java has risen to 13, with seven people still missing.

Mount Semeru in Lumajang district in East Java province spewed thick columns of ash more than 12,000 metres into the sky, and searing gas and lava flowed down its slopes after a sudden eruption yesterday triggered by heavy rains.

Morocco

3. A government repatriation flight for people looking to return to Ireland from Morocco left yesterday with 156 passengers on board.

The Department of Foreign Affairs said earlier this week it would charter a flight from Marrakech for people e seeking to return to Ireland after flights to Morocco were suspended until at least 13 December amid concern over the Covid-19 Omicron variant.

Windy and wet

4. Met Éireann has said there will be damaging gusts and heavy rain on Tuesday and Wednesday next week as a storm depression approaches Ireland.

Winds will reach Ireland from Monday night after the storm depression develops in the mid-Atlantic earlier in the day.

Courts

5. Two deliverymen for an Amazon subcontractor have been accused of using their job to help them steal parcels sent to a Dublin apartment complex.

George Adrian Rus (25) and Onisor Circa (26) appeared at Dublin District Court yesterday and were held in custody until they can raise €6,000 bail.

The pair were charged with three counts of burglary at the Vesta development in Clongriffin on November 30.

Germany 

6. German police found five bodies in a house just outside Berlin.

Investigators said they believe the victims – two 40-year-olds and children aged 10, eight and four, all of whom lived in the house – were killed.

Dublin school

7. Parents of children who attend a special school in Dublin have questioned why the HSE has not restored pre-Covid levels of access to clinicians following assurances from the Taoiseach.

The Journal previously reported concerns of parents at the removal of on-site therapists from Carmona School in South Dublin, which the HSE said has taken place as part of a new centralised programme called Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People’ (PDS).

Face masks in other countries

8. The introduction of the requirement for children aged between nine and 12 to wear face masks in some indoor settings led to a vocal backlash by some parents this week.

Looking at this measure abroad, it has already been a feature of the pandemic in a number of other European countries and Ireland has been relatively late in adopting it compared to some of our nearest neighbours.

Belfast

9. An operation targeting paramilitaries in Belfast has discovered drugs valued at over €120,000.

The NI police service says officers from its specialist Paramilitary Crime Task Force were investigating suspected drugs criminality linked to East Belfast UVF, when they made the discovery today.