EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you all the news you need to know as you start the day.

1. #MINK CULL: All minks in Ireland will be culled over the coming weeks as a precautionary measure amid concerns about a coronavirus variant discovered in Danish mink farms.

2. #RIP:  The number of people in Ireland who died after contracting Covid-19 has surpassed 2,000.

3. #GERALDINE FEENEY: The Dáil has voted to approve the appointment of former Senator and ex-NAGP lobbyist Geraldine Feeney to a position on the Standards in Public Office Commission (Sipo).

4. #VACCINE: The University of Oxford is expected to release data on the effectiveness of its coronavirus vaccine in the coming weeks, with the latest trial results suggesting it produces a strong immune response in older adults.

5. #ANA KRIEGEL CASE: A man in his mid-30s is due to appear in court today in connection with an ongoing garda investigation into the circulation of images and details on social media claiming to identify a teenage boy who was found guilty of the murder of Ana Kriegel. 

6. #CERVICALCHECK: A support group representing women affected by the CervicalCheck controversy has told the Health Minister it has no confidence in a Government tribunal being set up to examine the scandal.

7. #TESTING:  A drive-thru test centre is opening at Dublin Airport from today. 

8. #WAR CRIMES: Australia’s elite special forces “unlawfully killed” 39 Afghan civilians and prisoners, including summary executions as part of initiation rituals, according to evidence in a military inquiry now being referred to a special war crimes prosecutor.

9. #OVERWHELMED: Hospital conditions across the US are deteriorating by the day as the coronavirus rages across the country at an unrelenting pace and the death toll surpasses 250,000.