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GOOD MORNING

The 9 at 9 In today’s 9 at 9: The Irish ship sailing to Gaza is damaged; more Special Olympic success for Ireland; Greece prepares for another crucial vote; and the harshness of a mother-in-law.

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

1. #MV SAOIRSE The Irish ship that was to be part of the aid flotilla sailing to the Gaza Strip has been damaged while docked at a Turkish port. The Irish Ship to Gaza group says the ship has suffered “extensive” damage. It was preparing to meet up with an Italian ship and sail to Gaza today but propeller damage caused by an “act of sabotage” meant it could have sank in the open sea, according to activists on board.

2. #WINNING There was more success for Team Ireland at the Special Olympics in Athens, Greece yesterday as it increased its medal haul to 34. There were medals in bowling, gymnastics, and equestrian events. Team Ireland now has 10 gold, 19 silver, and 5 bronze medals.

3. #GREECE More protests are expected on the streets of Athens today as the Greek parliament prepares for another crucial vote on austerity measures. Having agreed to €28 billion worth of cuts to satisfy the EU and IMF yesterday, today the parliament will vote on how to implement the measures over the next five years with decisions to be made on where cuts will be made.

4. #CENSUS The first results from this year’s census will be released today with the population expected to have risen to its highest level in 150 years according to the Irish Times. Despite increased emigration, the population is expected to hit somewhere between 4.4 and 4.5 million. But this would be less than half the growth expected before the economic crash, RTÉ adds.

5. #BOUNDARIES The number of TDs in Ireland could be cut by as much as 20 when a boundary commission is set up to redraw constituencies based on the new census data. The government committed to reducing the number of TDs serving in the Dáil in the programme for government.

6. #APPLE Tech giant Apple is to increase its workforce in Ireland by offering 350 new jobs at a new office in Cork city centre, the Irish Examiner reports. The company has had a major presence in Cork since 1981 and already employs more than 3,000 people in Ireland.

7. #SIGN OF THE TIMES The iconic tourist signpost in Ballyvaughan, Co Clare looks set to be reinstated after the county council said it would hold a special meeting to have the sign put back and given state-protected status, according to the Irish Examiner (print edition). The move has been described as a “victory for people power”.

8. #FACE-DIET Parents are more concerned about their children’s Facebook habits than their diet or lifestyle according to a new survey. More than 1,500 parents in the UK  were surveyed with the findings showing that 43 per cent of parents were concerned about the influence of social media on their children while just 28 per cent were worried about them having a healthy diet.

9. #OUCH A mother-in-law’s rather cutting advice to her stepson’s bride-to-be has gone viral. In an email, Carolyn Bourne warned her future daughter-in-law about her “lack of grace” and said that the behaviour of Heidi Withers was “staggering in its uncouthness and lack of grace,” according to The Telegraph.

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