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

1. #CHRISTMAS CROWDS: What will Christmas week look like in Irish supermarkets this year?

2. #CIRCUIT BREAK: Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said that a “short, hard lockdown to knock the virus on the head again” may be needed.

3. #CORONAVIRUS: New restrictions loom in the North as nearly 2,000 new cases were confirmed on the island of Ireland yesterday.

4. #CONTAGIOUS: Donald Trump’s doctor has said he is no longer contagious as the US President delivered his first public speech since his diagnosis.

5. #FOREIGN TRAVEL: Ireland wants to “align” with the EU’s new traffic light system for air travel, but it may take some time to be fully on board.

6. #KILDARE STREET: Two men were arrested following a protest against Covid-19 restrictions in Dublin yesterday.

7. #OPINION: Writing in TheJournal.ie today, columnist Larry Donnelly explains why the make-up of the Supreme Court is so central to US political debate. 

8. #FOOTBALL: The saga over seating on a plane is dominating the build-up as Stephen Kenny’s Ireland search for an important win against Wales today.

9. #FORECAST: Today is set to be mostly a dry day with sunny spells and highest afternoon temperatures of 12 to 16 degrees.