EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the stories you need to know as you start your day.

1. #MELBOURNE: A man accused of driving his car into pedestrians in Melbourne has been charged with 18 counts of attempted murder. 12 people remain in hospital after the attack, three of whom are in a critical condition.

2. #LONGFORD: Gardaí have appealed for witnesses after a 22-year-old man died in a single-car collision in Longford early this morning.

3. #SAN FRANCISCO: A former US Marine has been charged over a plan to attack Pier 39, a popular tourist spot in San Francisco, on Christmas Day.

4. #SETANTA: A woman has lost over €100,000 since a car accident that was affected by the collapse of Setanta Insurance. More than 1,500 claims remain unresolved.

5. #HSE: More than 10 women are expected to sue the HSE in 2018 because of complications suffered after vaginal mesh procedures.

6. #TUSLA: In an interview with TheJournal.ie, Tusla CEO Fred McBride says negative coverage isn’t helping the Child and Family Agency recruit and retain staff.

7. #ÁRAS: RTÉ presenter Miriam O’Callaghan and former news anchor Anne Doyle are among the names being proposed by Fianna Fáil councillors as the party’s candidate for next year’s presidential election, the Irish Independent reports.

8. #PROPERTY LADDER: Nearly 5,000 first-time buyers have taken up the government’s help-to-buy relief scheme, with 538 claiming the maximum amount of €20,000.

9. #HAPPY CHRISTMAS: Military personnel serving abroad have sent Christmas messages to loved ones at home in Ireland.

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