EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine stories you need to know as you kick off your day.

1.#NORTHERN IRELAND: The Northern Attorney General has said that killings that occurred during The Troubles before the signing of the Good Friday Agreement should not be prosecuted. John Larkin said that the likelihood of convictions was “less and less”.

2.#RENTING: Tenants are so desperate for somewhere to live that they are accepting sub-standard rental conditions. That is the finding of a new report from housing charity Threshold. The report pinpoints a shortage of supply and problems with deposits as key factors.

3.#TOP UPS: The issue of top up payments “needs” to be investigated says Fianna Fáil TD Seán Fleming. Fleming said that Ministers knew about the payments prior to their revelations this week.

4.#AUCTION: A Christmas tree farm, a petrol station and a golf course will be among the headline items for sale at a massive auction next month. Allsop Space says that 150 properties have a combined reserve of €20 million.

5.#CRASH: A man has died following a two-car collision in Donegal. Gardaí say that the crash happened last night near Ballybofey when a van collided with a 4X4 vehicle.

6.#AIRBRUSHING: A group of politicians, psychologists and experts will meet this week to discuss the issue of body image problems caused by media outlets. MEP Nessa Childers says that publishers should get together and agree guidelines on airbrushing.

7.#SHOOTING: A Dublin taxi driver is in hospital today with non-life threatening injuries after he was shot in both legs. The 59-year-old was shot at Dunshoghly Drive, Finglas last night. Two men fled the scene and are being sought by gardaí.

8.#PENSIONS: The Minister for Social Protection has said that changes to defined benefit pensions, which will see the State protecting those paying into pensions whose funds go bankrupt, will only be used in rare occurrences.

9.#MEPS: A survey carried out by a Dublin Senator has found that 91 per cent of Dubliners can’t name any of their three MEPs. One person surveyed sincerely believed that German Chancellor Angela Merkel was their MEP.