EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine stories you need to know with your morning coffee.

1. #UKRAINE CRISIS: Voting is getting under way in referendums called by pro-Russia rebels in eastern Ukraine to split from the rest of the former Soviet republic. The US has slammed the ballots as “illegal”.

2. #ROMA CHILDREN: A report by Children’s Ombudsman Emily Logan finds that racial profiling played a role in the wrongful removal of two children from their parents’ care by gardaí last year, according to The Sunday Times. The full report is yet to be published by Government.

3. #MISCONDUCT: The Taoiseach has passed wide-ranging allegations of garda misconduct to the Department of Justice, the Sunday Business Post reports. Some 27 sworn affidavits, detailing the claims, were passed to the Taoiseach by the Justice 4 All group, the paper reports.

4. #BLACKMAIL: The Sunday World leads with a blackmail scandal concerning David Hall, the Mortgage debt campaigner running for a Dáil seat in Dublin West. Hall has told gardaí he is being blackmailed over a video of him allegedly making racist remarks, the paper says.

5. #QUITE CONTRARY: Fianna Fáil tried to take back Mary Hanafin’s letter of party affiliation from the returning officer in Dun Laoghaire, according to the Irish Independent. The former Minister opted to stay in the local race in south Dublin this week, despite instructions to the contrary from the party leader.

6. #BALLOON TRAGEDY: Two bodies have been found by search teams in the US state of Virginia, in the wake of Friday night’s hot air balloon crash.

7. #RESCUE: A 60-year-old man has died after being rescued from the sea off the coast of north Antrim, BBC Northern Ireland reports. It’s believed he fell off a cliff.

8. #GIRO: The second biggest cycling race in the world travels down the east coast to Dublin today. Today’s stage finishes at Merrion Square at around 4.30pm. Road closures will be in place.

9. #EUROVISION: Austria took home the main prize at last night’s Eurovision — singer Conchita Wurst (yes, the bearded drag queen) saw off competition from  The Netherlands to take the top prize. There was a cameo from Johnny Logan too.