Updated Dec 28th 2020, 9:00 AM

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

1. #BREXIT: A Cabinet meeting to discuss the post-Brexit trade deal agreed last week will take place this morning, a day earlier than initially planned. EU ambassadors will also meet in Brussels to discuss how they can provisionally approve the deal.

2. #POWER OUT: Thousands of people across the country are without power this morning after strong winds last night, with a Status Yellow warning in place until 2pm. 

3. #RELIEF: Donald Trump has signed a $900 billion pandemic relief package into law, ending tension over his refusal to do so and averting a US government shutdown.

4. #PAY GAP: Minister for Equality Roderic O’Gorman has announced that a strengthened bill on pay equality will be brought before Cabinet next month.

5. #TRAVEL TROUBLES: New figures show that the Passport Service issued 60% fewer passports this year compared with 2019.

6. #VACCINATION: Seven in ten Irish people who responded to a new global survey have said that they intend to take the Covid-19 vaccine.

7. #NO SWIMMING: An analysis by Noteworthy has revealed that swimming was banned at bathing spots across Ireland this year for a combined total of over 350 days.

8. #NASHVILLE: Police in the US have named the suspect they believe is responsible for a Christmas Day explosion in Tennessee, adding that he died in the blast.

9. #RESTRICTIONS: Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has indicated that new Covid-19 restrictions introduced in the last week will be in place beyond mid-January.