EVERY DAY, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things we really think you ought to know with your morning cup of coffee.

1. #EMERGENCY: Emergency talks are being held by finance chiefs from the world’s major powers today in an attempt to contain the growing financial crisis in Europe and the US, reports the Financial Times. The downgrading of the United States’ AAA credit rating, and fears that the eurozone debt crisis could spread to Spain and Italy, have shaken the markets over the past number of days.

2. #RACE FOR THE ÁRAS: Former Fianna Fáil deputy leader Mary Hanafin may become the newest candidate in the presidential race, according to the Sunday Times, which reports that the party is considering putting her name forward. Meanwhile a Sunday Independent poll indicates that the majority of the respondents (34 per cent) would support Gay Byrne’s bid – despite him not officially being in the race.

3. #BELFAST: A firearm has been found by police during a security alert in south Belfast, reports RTÉ. A number of homes were evacuated during the alert in the Stanmillis area last night.

4. #SHOOTING: A Limerick man is due in court today after being charged with a shooting incident in the city in July, RTÉ reports. Two houses on Lenihan Avenue in the city were damaged in the attack.

5. #RIOTS: Rioting and looting have gripped the north London town of Tottenham after a protest over the shooting dead of  a man by police took a violent turn, the Guardian reports. Police cars, a bus and several shops were set on fire on Saturday night when crowds took to the streets to demand “justice” for the killing of Mark Duggan, 29, a father of four, last Thursday.

6. #RENT REVIEW: The Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has said that legislation to allow commercial tenants to challenge upwards-only rent reviews will have to be iron-clad in order to avoid legal challenges. Shatter described the legislation as “complicated”, reports the Sunday Business Post, pointing out that it would be interconnected with the economy, NAMA and pension funds.

7. #POLAND: Poland’s former deputy prime minister and populist politician Andrzej Lepper has been found dead. It is believed that the 57-year-old, whose career had been undone by a series of sex and bribery scandals, took his own life, the Washington Post reports.

8. #SYRIA: This morning the Syrian military launched a pre-dawn raid on the largest city in the eastern part of the country, Deir al-Zour, according to human rights activists. The BBC reports that the city was hit by shelling and other “very strong explosions” despite the government’s assurances it would introduce greater levels of democracy. An estimated 1,650 people have been killed since the uprising began almost five months ago.

9. #ZUCKERBERG: Facebook Founder Mark Zuckerberg will have some new competition – and not from Google – following his sister jumping ship to set up her own social networking company. Harvard graduate Randi Zuckerberg has worked for six years as director of market development at Facebook but will now launch RtoZ Media, which aims to make businesses more social, Zdent.com reports.