NEED TO CATCH up? TheJournal.ie brings you a round-up of today’s news.

IRELAND

The new Irish Ferries vessel W.B.Yeats arrives into Dublin Port. Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland Leon Farrell / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

• President Michael D Higgins has signed the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Bill into law, making abortion services legal in Ireland. 
• The government has said there are no contingency plans for a hard border between Northern Ireland and the Republic.
• Gardaí have arrested a man after he produced what appeared to be an imitation firearm and a suspect device at the Family Courts in Dublin this morning.
• The number of homeless families increased by 20 to 1,728 last month, the latest figures show.
• A doctor who stabbed her three-year old autistic son to death in their south Dublin home has been found not guilty of his murder.
• And finally, the weather: Met Éireann has said that a combination of scattered showers and dry conditions will feature for the rest of the week.

INTERNATIONAL 

A ranger watches a seal pup on the Farne Islands. PA Wire / PA Images PA Wire / PA Images / PA Images

#WEINSTEIN: A US judge had ruled that the sexual assault case against producer Harvey Weinstein can go ahead.

#GATWICK: Flight in and out of London’s Gatwick airport have been suspended following reports of drones flying over the airfield.

#BREXIT: A senior Tory Minister has said that a second Brexit referendum could be a ‘plausible’ way forward. 

PARTING SHOT

Fans of Christmas classic Home Alone will be pleased to see actor Macaulay Culkin reprise his role as Kevin McCallister - if only briefly – in this advertisement for Google. 

#heygoogle Have you ever wondered what Kevin McCallister is like as an adult?  Me neither. But just in case you’re curious you should totally watch this #ad pic.twitter.com/uO9qMPrUT3

— Macaulay Culkin (@IncredibleCulk) December 19, 2018

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