Here’s what happened today: Wednesday TheJournal.ie

NEED to catch up? TheJournal.ie gives you a summary of today’s news.

IRELAND

Joe Blewitt, a cousin of US presidential candidate Joe Biden, poses for the media next to a Biden mural in Ballina, Co Mayo.

Source: Peter Morrison / PA

• Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has said that the number of breeders has again fallen between 0.7 and 0.9.
• Health officials have confirmed that another eight people have died with Covid-19 in Ireland, along with 444 new cases of the virus.
• After two hours back and forth between Leo Varadkar and the Opposition last night, those in government circles believe the Tánaiste said enough that he could get around the GP contract controversy.
• Leo Varadkar this afternoon thanked his fellow parliamentarians for defending him in the media and for supporting him during his speech last night.
• The monthly unemployment rate rose to 20.2% in October, according to statistics released today by the Central Bureau of Statistics.
• Survivors of institutional abuse should be able to request access to their personal information, both for survivors of maternal and child homes and for survivors from other forms of institutions in Ireland, confirmed Taoiseach Micheál Martin.
• A 15-year-old boy settled his case against HSE, the Minister of Health, and the pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline for the side effects he developed after receiving the swine flu vaccine.
• A murderer who strangled his partner of three months in his own bed was approached today directly by the sister of his victim, who told him: “May God have no mercy on your soul.”
• The SuperValu TidyTowns competition will return in 2021 after not taking place this year due to Covid-19 restrictions.

WORLD

Australian eco-artist Lisa Roet’s Golden Monkey installation makes its UK debut outside Inverleith House at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

Source: PA

CHOICE #US: The presidential race is coming to a handful of states, including Michigan, Arizona and Pennsylvania. Biden is ahead in Michigan, but it may be days before the outcome in Pennsylvania is clear. Follow all the action here.

#BELARO: The European Union has launched a procedure to sanction the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, his son Viktor and 13 other people responsible for a post-election crackdown in the former Soviet state, diplomatic sources in Brussels said.

#EMERGENCY CLOSURE: MPs have backed a new four-week coronavirus lockdown for England, after Boris Johnson warned of an “existential threat” to the NHS without taking action to slow the spread of the disease.

START SHOT

If you have been following the election results on CNN, then you will be aware of host John King and his magical walls.

King has provided ongoing analysis of the results with the help of its touch screens that filter the vote counts by state and county level.

There is no question that the man is a machine and a star worthy of CNN coverage.