EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the stories you need to know as you start your day.

1. #OPHELIA: Ireland is coming to grips with the aftermath of Storm Ophelia. Schools remain closed and some public transport remain cancelled.

2. #POWER OUT: Around 245,000 homes and businesses are without power in the aftermath of Storm Ophelia.

3. #THEFT: Gardaí are investigating the theft of the well-known Mother and Child bronze statue in Finglas, Dublin during Storm Ophelia.

4. #WHALES: New research has found that whales and dolphins live in tightly knit social groups and have rich “human-like” cultures and societies.

5. #VICTIM: The third victim of Storm Ophelia has been named as Louth father of two Fintan Goss.

6. #GENDER BALANCE: Ireland is below the European average when it comes to having women in politics.

7. #TRUMP: US President Donald Trump has been heavily criticised after he falsely claimed that former president Barack Obama didn’t meet the families of military personnel killed in war.

8. #CATALONIA: The BBC reports that Spanish judge has jailed two leaders of the Catalan independence movement.

9. #TAKE OVER: Iraqi security forces have taken direct control of the Kurdish city of Kirkuk, according to CNN.