EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine stories you need to know a little before 9am.

1. #CAO 2014: Just over 50,000 CAO applicants will be offered college places this morning, with construction, technology, and science courses seeing points increase. You can find all of the Round One points right here.

2. #REFERENDUM: Labour Junior Minister Aodhán Ó Ríordáin has called for the Constitutional Convention to be recalled to discuss Ireland’s abortion laws, the Irish Independent reports, following controversy surrounding the first delivery of a baby under new laws.

3. #LIMERICK: A 25-year-old man died last night when his car collided with a pole on the N20. He was the only occupant of the car.

4. #IRAQ: BBC News reports that Iraqi forces, with US support, are close to retaking the Mosul dam, a move that would be a key milestone in the fight against Islamic State jihadists.

5. #FLASHING LIGHTS: Garda management has described lights and sirens on unmarked cars as an “unnecessary expense”. The Irish Daily Mail quotes senior sources in the force as calling the move ‘backward’ and ‘dangerous’.

6. #LITTERBUGS: Ireland’s rural towns are being kept squeak clean, coming out on top of a litter survey by Irish Businesses Against Litter. However, Farranree in Cork and Dublin’s North Inner City have been branded ‘litter blackspots’.

7. #BEST SMALL COUNTRY: Wall Street banks are considering relocating to Ireland from the United Kingdom in the event of the country drifting further from the EU, or voting to leave it all together, the Financial Times reports.

8. #UNITED STATES: Two people were shot last night as riots continued in Ferguson. Looting broke out and Molotov cocktails were thrown at police.

9. #BREAD AND SCONES: While others were spending anywhere between €300 and €4,000 on their opening events, Leitrim’s Local Enterprise Office spend just €30, figures show.