Every morning, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine things you really need to know before 9am.
1. #LIBYA: Coalition forces have begun an airstrike against Libya after leaders from Europe, the US and Arab states met yesterday in Paris to discuss the situation. The Guardian reports that over 100 missiles have been fired and Libyan state TV says that 48 people have been killed in the attacks.
2. #JAPAN: Officials say engineers are close to restoring power to the damaged Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant. The death toll is known to have reached over 8,100, but authorities in Miyagi – one of the worst tsunami-affected areas – say they believe the number of deaths there alone will be double that figure, the BBC reports.
3. #EGYPT: Millions of people turned out to vote on a range of constitutional reforms in Egypt yesterday, but the generally peacefully and excited atmosphere was marred by an attack on Nobel laureate and opposition figure Mohamed ElBaradei. A group threw stones and shouted at ElBaradei and his family as they approached their polling station, according to Al Jazeera.
4. #BONDHOLDERS: Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney has told the Irish Mail on Sunday that Enda Kenny will tell EU leaders this week that Ireland is prepared to burn bank bondholders, when the Taoiseach reveals a new burden-sharing policy.
5. #GREENS: Following a dismal performance in the general election in which no Green Party candidate was elected, the Green Party leader John Gormley will soon step down from his position, according to a report in the Sunday Business Post.
6. #HAITI: Polls open in Haiti today for the presidential run-off between a former first lady and a pop star. The return of former president Jean Bertrand Artistide from exile in South Africa has been heavily criticised by the US, which has suggested his return will destabilise today’s voting, the AP reports.
7. #WYCLEF: And speaking of Haiti, a spokesperson for musician Wyclef Jean said last night that Jean has been treated for a gunshot wound to the hand while visiting the city of Delmas, outside Port-au-Prince.
8. #WIKILEAKS: The American ambassador to Mexico, Carlos Pascual, has resigned following revelations made in US diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks. The Guardian reported last December that the cables showed that the US questioned Mexico’s ability to tackle drug crime.
9. #SUPERMOON: Last night’s full Moon – if clear skies permitted you a good view – was the closest the Moon has come to the Earth for almost 20 years. There were grey skies over TheJournal.ie last night, but NASA snapped this beauty over Washington DC:
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