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

1. #QZ8501: An Air Asia plane with 162 people on board has gone missing in bad weather en-route from Indonesia to Singapore. Air traffic controllers lost contact with flight QZ8501 about an hour after it left Juanda international airport in east Java.

2. #SEA RESCUE: An Italian ferry carrying 466 passengers has caught fire during a journey from Patra in Greece. A rescue operation is under way in dangerous winds.

3. #GIFT TAX: Children could be liable for a gift tax if their parents paid for honeymoons, helped them with mortgage deposits or let them live rent-free in their family’s second home

4. #WITH OR WITHOUT EU: Foreign Affairs Minister Charlie Flanagan has told his UK counterpart that Ireland wants its neighbour to stay in the EU. He made that clear in a meeting with British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond 2 weeks ago, it has been revealed.

5. #WINTER SALES: Retailers are expecting a €250 million boost from their post-Christmas sales, according to Retail Excellence Ireland. It comes after a disappointing sales period in the lead-up to Christmas

6. #THE LUG: Dublin Wicklow Mountain Rescue have warned climbers not to attempt the summit of Lugnaquilla (the Lug) unless they’re comfortable using a map and compass in bad weather. It came after a hiker had to be rescued on Christmas Day

7. #PAYBACK: The government is getting ready to sell its shares in the bailed-out banks to recover at least €17 billion from the money it paid to keep them afloat. The Sunday Business Post reports that the plan would include a “test sell-off” for its AIB shares

8. #HYPOTHECATED: The government has come under fire for a lack of clarity on how the controversial 0.15% levy on pension funds has been spent.

9. #LUXURY CONVERTED: A Celtic tiger-era builder turned his swimming pool into a microbrewery after realising the pool was a luxury he couldn’t afford during the downturn