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

1. SPOTLIGHT: Gerry Adams has issued a statement rejecting claims made in a BBC documentary that aired last night, alleging he sanctioned the murder of IRA double agent Denis Donaldson in 2006.

2. THE BUDGET: The time for tax breaks in order to stimulate the economy is over, according to one of Ireland’s most prominent think tanks, the ESRI.

3. ROAD SAFETY: Gardaí have appealed to road users to take care on the roads today as Ireland bids to match the rest of the continent in achieving European Day without a Road Death (Project EDWARD for short).

4. TERMINAL THREE: A review into increasing traffic at Dublin Airport will include the possibility of a third terminal being built.

5. AIRLIFTED: Five-month-old twins are being treated for burn injuries at hospital following a fire in a house in West Cork. A one-year-old is also being treated for injuries following the incident, which occurred in Drinagh at about 6.30pm last evening.

6. SYRIA: The US says it holds Russia responsible for the deadly attack on an aid convoy near the Syrian city of Aleppo on Monday, according to the BBC. 

7. YOUNG PEOPLE OF IRELAND: A new survey suggests that Irish teenagers are practicing certain illicit behaviours a good deal less than their European counterparts.

8. THE PLOUGHING: It’s the second day of the Ploughing Championships in Co Offaly. Attendance records were broken yesterday with 100,000 people attending, RTÉ reports.

9. THE OUTLOOK: Rain will develop across the western half of the country this morning and will extend eastwards during the second half of the day, according to the latest forecast from Met Éireann. Top temperatures of 13 or 14 degrees.