EACH DAY, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you should know with your morning cup of coffee.

1. #SYRIA: US President Barack Obama has asked Congress for its authorisation to launch a military intervention against Bashar Assad in Syria.

Meanwhile, the FBI has increased its surveillance of Syrians living in America because of heightened concerns about terrorist attacks.

2. #FUKUSHIMA: Highly-radioactive water has been found dripping from a pipe at the Fukushima nuclear plant in Japan, its operators TEPCO admitted today, apologising again for the anxiety caused.

3. #POPULARITY: The latest Sunday Independent/MillwardBrown opinion poll has revealed the electorate’s most-favoured coalition would be one between Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin. However, Fine Gael remains the most popular party in the country with 27 per cent support.

4. #TO ABOLISH OR NOT… The same MillwardBrown poll for the newspaper also showed an increase in the number of people willing to scrap the Seanad in the upcoming referendum.

5. #EDUCATION: If all 12 fee-paying schools in talks to enter the free education system decide to follow Kilkenny College in an exodus, it could cost the State up to €50 million, says the Sunday Business Post.

6. #FACE OFF: German Chancellor Angela Merkel will take part in a once-off televised debate with her election rival Peer Steinbrueck in Berlin tonight, reports BBC News. Germans will head to the ballot boxes in three weeks but the incumbent is already well ahead in opinion polls.

7. #PRIORY HELL: The struggles of 256 residents of failed development Priory Hall returned to the front pages this week following a plea to the Taoiseach from one homeowner who lost her partner to suicide. These 32 images show the complex- in ruin – two years on from the evacuation.

8. #HIRED! Although the jobs are yet to be advertised, the Public Appointments Service expects about 20,000 people to apply for new Garda positions later this year.

9. #OLD FRENEMIES: GAA fans are all hyped up this weekend for the return of an old favourite – a rival game between friends and foes Dublin and Kerry. Not excited for today’s game? Take a look at this:

(YouTube: RTÉ Sport)