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

1. #GRAHAM DWYER: The convicted murderer was so sure he’d be found not guilty he said he was looking forward to a steak dinner upon his release this weekend.

2. #COURTS: The jury in the Graham Dwyer trial have been offered professional support after seeing and hearing about disturbing and gruesome evidence.

3. #GERMANWINGS: A Germanwings pilot has been praised for an emotional speech he gave to passengers the day after the Flight 9525 crash as it emerges the co-pilot told an ex-girlfriend everyone would know his name.

4. #PRESIDENTIAL: There is a lot of talk about the same-sex marriage referendum but another question will be put to the electorate in May and it’s not getting that much attention.

5. #PRIORY HALL: An estate agent has been appointed to market the relaunched Priory hall apartments in north Dublin.

6. #NIGERIA: Voting is taking place to elect a new president after a six week delay to allow the army to recapture territory from Boko Haram, BBC reports.

7. #IBRAHIM HALAWA: A protest will take place in Dublin today ahead of the Irish teenager’s trial in Egypt.

8. #YEMEN: The Saudi navy has evacuated diplomats from Yemen as intense bombing shakes the country’s capital, AFP reports.

9. #FRANCE: A court has banned a pastry shop from displaying cupcakes with naked figures wrought in dark chocolate after a watchdog described them as racist.