EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the stories you need to know as you wake up.

1. #BLACK SEA: The black box of a Russian military plane that crashed on Christmas Day has been recovered.

2. #SALES: Irish retailers are relying on the Christmas sales to prop up their profits if they are to meet expectations.

3. #DUBLIN: Concerns have been raised about the increasing trend of crack-cocaine and synthetic cannabinoids, also known as ‘moonshine’.

4. #LIKE A GOD: Letters to the government over the Luas strikes make for interesting reading.

5. #TRUMP TWEETS: Donald Trump has said that the United Nations has great potential, but ‘is just a club for people to have a good time’.

6. #GEORGE MICHAEL: Tributes continue to pour in for the 53-year-old pop icon after he was found dead in his home over Christmas.

7. #RIP: Liz Smith, the actress who played Nana in the TV series The Royle Family, died last night aged 95.

8. #HAWAII: Japanese PM Shinzo Abe is to visit Pearl Harbour today.

9. #CHRISTMAS BLUES: Couldn’t enjoy Christmas this year? You’re not alone.