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GOOD MORNING

The 9 at 9 Nine things you need to know by 9am: President McAleese gives France and Germany a slap on the wrists, the poignant tale of an elderly man who arrived in hospital with a small fortune strapped to his body and the story of Bear-ack Obama.

Every day, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you really need to know with your morning coffee.

1. #CORPORATION TAX: President Mary McAleese had strong words for France and Germany on the issue of Ireland increasing its corporation tax rate, saying the suggestion of a hike was “nonsense”. The Irish Times quotes the President as saying the rate was “not up for negotiation”.

2. #AIRPORTS: Flying within the EU today? There are concerns that there may be some confusion at airports as some EU countries have decided to relax the rules on carrying liquids on board from today – but some have not.

3. #FEAR: Staff at a Cork city hospital were astounded when they discovered that an elderly patient had €60,000 strapped to his body when he was admitted. Gardai are warning that many people bring large sums into hospital with them as they are afraid to leave it in banks or at home, says the Cork Evening Echo.

4. #MOBILE DRIVING: More than one in five drivers who were caught using a mobile phone while driving escaped getting penalty points or a fine because they did not have an Irish driving licence, according to figures from the Road Safety Authority.

5. #BRAIN GENE: Scientists have isolated the gene which determines the size of your brain – and which is responsible for evolving humans into thinking beings.

6. #RYANAIR: A Ryanair jet was used for two more scheduled flights after one of its engines scraped the ground on landing – because crew and maintenance staff didn’t notice.

7. #STORMS: The death toll from the tornado outbreak battering six US states has almost reached 300. US president Barack Obama is to travel to Alabama today to survey the damage – he signed a disaster declaration for the state yesterday evening and pledged financial aid.

8. #ROYAL WEDDING: Here comes the groom, all dressed in… red. Prince William is reportedly going to wear an Irish Guards uniform for his nuptials to Kate Middleton this morning. Read all about the service on TheJournal.ie from 11am when our resident columnist (Not) Cardinal Brady liveblogs the, ahem, action from ‘inside’ Westminster Abbey.

9. #BEAR-ACK OBAMA: The US president will feature, sort of, in a new children’s novel set in Dublin and Mayo to mark his upcoming visit to Ireland. But it’s a case of Bear-ack Obama – the “uplifting moral tale” describes the rise of Obama through an allegory in which a bear called Brosnan who travels back to Ireland in a quest to become the controller of the world’s honey supply.