LAST UPDATE | 20 Dec 2018

EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you all the news you need to know as you start the day.

1. #BREXIT READY: The Irish government has published its plan for a no-deal Brexit, and it includes buying up land at Dublin Port and Rosslare Port in anticipation of additional custom checks.

2. #ILLINOIS: Almost 700 clergymen have been accused of child sex abuse in the US state of Illinois – which is far more than had been previously disclosed by the Catholic Church.

3. #AMBER RUDD: A senior Tory minister has said that a second Brexit referendum could be the “plausible” way forward, if parliament can’t agree a deal on leaving the EU.

4. #VULTURE FUNDS: The latest data from the Central Bank has shown that almost 7,000 loans in arrears are held by “unregulated loan owners”. 

5. #DATA BREACH: Facebook has said it no longer lets companies like Netflix and Spotify read users’ private messages, as it faces a new lawsuit from the US Attorney General for alleged privacy violations. 

6. #STANDSTILL: Gatwick Airport has suspended flights following reports of drones over the runway. 

7. #SHANE ROSS: Minister for Transport Shane Ross has announced a new “cycling office” to provide funding for cycling and walking infrastructure in the country. 

8. #GUN CONTROL: A new study has found that eight children a day die from firearms in the US. 

9. #WEATHER: Dreaming of a white Christmas? It’s not happening.