Updated at 11.03pm

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

Flags fly at half-mast at Government Buildings [Niall Carson/PA Wire/Press Association Images]

IRELAND

• The country paid tribute following the death of Nelson Mandela
• ESB workers announced an all out strike for Monday week
• The controversy surrounding Gerry Adams’ comments continued
• There was an attempted gangland hit on John Gilligan
• Seán Dunne failed in his bid to have his bankruptcy overturned
• A Sinn Féin TD claimed he was ‘stitched up‘ by Vincent Browne
• M&S staff voted to strike tomorrow
• Gardí seized a weapon and some crystal meth in Longford
• Three raiders escaped after an armed robbery in Athy
• Allsop announced the biggest propery auction yet
• News spread of an appeal to raise €35,000 towards surgery for two toddler sisters in Cork
• And Michael O’Leary got his hands dirty at Dublin Airport

WORLD

A child looks up at a giant bronze statue of former president Nelson Mandela, on Mandela Square in Sandton, Johannesburg [AP Photo/Athol Moralee]

#SOUTH AFRICA: President Jacob Zuma announced plans for the state funeral and other memorial services in honour of Nelson Mandela

#CHINA: Legal action was launched against a well-known film director over claims he has fathered too many children

#BRAZIL: Ireland won’t be there, but the show must go on: the draw for the 2014 World Cup Finals took place today

INNOVATION

• It was revealed that smartphone users are 33 per cent more likely than others to fall victim to identity fraud
• ‘Progress’ report: A Facebook engineer says the social network has informally experimented with bringing in a “sympathise” button [Huffington Post]
• Innovation, or horrifying foretaste of things to come? A gaming chain has introduced ‘Christmas dinner in a tin’ [Buzzfeed Tech]

PARTING SHOT

Education Minister Ruairí Quinn and TD John Lyons have some unique decorations to hang on the Labour Party Christmas tree.

They were each presented with an elvish ‘mini-me’ by the junior infants at St Joseph’s during a visit today.

[Image: John Lyons TD via Twitter]

Now everyone’s going to want one.

First posted at 9.30pm