LAST UPDATE | 20 Sep 2019

EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you all the news you need to know as you start the day.

1. #CLIMATE CHANGE: Thousands of students will today take part in strikes across the country to demand more action from the government on climate change. Similar protests, inspired by teenage activist Greta Thunberg, are happening globally.

2. #MAYO: The recent shooting of Brendan Kilduff in Ballyhaunis in Co Mayo has raised concerns among locals about garda numbers in the region.

3. #NORTHERN IRELAND: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said a citizens’ assembly to break the political deadlock in Northern Ireland would have “merit”, but Sinn Féin and the DUP are not backing the idea.

4. #JIM DALY: Fine Gael TD Jim Daly, who has served as junior minister for mental health and older people for the past two years, has announced he will not contest the next general election in a bid to spend more time with his family.

5. #IRAN: The Pentagon will present a range of military options to US President Donald Trump today as he considers how to respond to what administration officials say was an unprecedented Iranian attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil industry.

6. #FOOD: Calorie counts on restaurant menus make people more likely to make healthier meal choices, according to a new study by the Economic & Social Research Institute.

7. #CANADA: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has again apologised for wearing blackface in the past but can’t say how many times he engaged in the “absolutely unacceptable” practice.

8. #MERCURY PRIZE: Rapper Dave won Britain’s coveted Mercury Prize last night, beating out a number of acts including Irish band Fontaines DC.

9. #CULTURE NIGHT: Events are happening throughout the country to mark Culture Night. Here’s our latest guide of what’s on, this time in the north and west.

On the go? You can now listen to the 9 at 9 as an audio bulletin from TheJournal.ie, supported by Volkswagen. Get started by hitting the button below.