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

1.#MADIBA: The world is waking up without Nelson Mandela today. An emotional Barack Obama said that the former South African President “belongs to the ages“. Mandela had visited Ireland three times since his release in 1990.

2.#BLACKOUT: Workers at ESB will go to the Labour Relations Commission today in a bid to avoid industrial action that would plunge the country into darkness in the run-up to Christmas.

3.#PENSIONS: Pensioners at Aer Lingus have filed a complaint to the Pensions Board, saying that their pensions are at risk. The group claim that the method used to redress cuts to their superannuation scheme is not fair.

4.#SENTENCING: 13 prisoners who were serving life sentences and released early were recalled to prison between 2001 and 2012. The prisoners were recalled for various reasons, the Department of Justice has revealed.

5.#MICHAELA: The defence lawyer of one of the men cleared of the murder of Irish woman Michaela McAreavey has been arrested in Mauritius, the Irish Independent reports. It is understand that Ravi Rutnah is accused of conspiring to influence the jury.

6.#DISBANDED: A group that was established to smooth out the legal process for families of children who suffer catastrophic injuries at birth has been disbanded. The “no-fault” compensation group will not meet again, the Department of Health has confirmed.

7.#HORIZON 2020: A multi-billion euro fund will help Ireland meet “the challenges of our time”, the Minister of State for Research and Innovation has told TheJournal.ie. The programme will see €79 billion disbursed to research and innovation businesses across Europe over the next seven years.

8.#AFRICA: French troops are arriving in the Central African Republic today after clashes killed over 100 people yesterday. The country is close to a genocide, world leaders have been warned. French President Francois Hollande says France is acting immediately to help avoid that scenario. [RTÉ]

9.#CHARITY: A Cork mother is appealing for help in raising €35,000 for vital surgery for her twin daughters. Audrey Murnane’s twins Zoe and Maya have an offer of the much-needed surgery at Great Ormond Street Hospital – but the bill must be paid within ten days.