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

1. #NATURAL DISASTER: One of the most powerful typhoons the world has ever seen hit the Philippines overnight, killing at least one person and destroying whole communities.

2. #MONEYLENDERS: The Society of St Vincent de Paul has said a new survey highlighting the use of legal moneylenders – who charge extraordinary interest rates – fails to question why 360,000 people resort to such expensive forms of credit.

3. #MORIARTY: Tipperary TD Michael Lowry has said he will mount a legal challenge against an order that he must pay two thirds of his Moriarty Tribunal costs.

4. #NORTHERN IRELAND: Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore is in Armagh today to talk with First Minister and Deputy First Minister Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness about the role sport can take in the peace process.

5. #TWTR: Thursday was described as a bumper and spectacular day for Twitter as it saw its share price rise by 73 per cent (from $26 to $44.80) in the first session of trading.

6. #IRAN: Ireland has stopped funding a United Nations anti-drug project in Iran because of human rights concerns over the use of the death penalty for suspect traffickers.

7. #ALCOHOL: Employers in the UK have been urged to introduce ‘standardised screening for alcohol misuse‘ to help tackle the nation’s drinking culture.

8. #GPO GIRL: Samantha Azzopardi is on her way back to Australia where she will meet with her family and national authorities after spending almost one month in HSE care.

9. #REAL MCCOY: Jockey AP McCoy makes the front pages of most newspapers this morning as he celebrates a career milestone – his 4,000th race win. According to the Irish Sun, racing tycoon JP McManus picked up the €30k bar bill after he offered to buy every punter at Towcester a drink. Here’s the moment of victory: