EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.iebrings you the stories you need to know as you wake up.

1. #STORM EVA: Almost two thousand homes are without power today after Storm Eva battered the country last night.

2. #IT’S NOT OVER: Health Minister Leo Varadkar has said he’s pressing ahead with minimum alcohol pricing, despite a European ruling.

3. #THAILAND: Two men have been sentenced to death for the murder of British backpackers David Miller and Hannah Witheridge.

4. #TRAGEDY: A 67-year-old woman has died in a house fire in Tipperary. The incident is not believed to be suspicious.

5. #STOP THE PRESSES: Everyone’s still talking about those 73,000 calendars Averil Power had printed.

6. #INTERNAL AFFAIRS: A Fianna Fáil councillor in Longford has resigned following controversy over the selection of another candidate.

7. #CLOSURE: The family of a 15-year-old boy who was murdered in Crumlin more than three decades ago are still holding out hope someone will come forward with information.

8. #BIT OF A DIP: People planning to go for a swim on Christmas Day have been warned Irish waters may be more hazardous than usual.

9. #ONE MORE SLEEP: Santa Claus is making the last preparations for his big night and Irish authorities have assured us the stormy weather will not get in his way.