EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine things you need to know as you start your day.

1. #COURTS: Two men are due in court today to face charges in connection with the death of a 22-year-old man in Mullagh, Co Cavan. Ciarán O’Connell died on Wednesday from injuries he sustained in an attack in the early hours of St Patrick’s Day.

2. #DEAL: The Dublin-based chip designer Movidious has announced a major partnership deal with a Chinese electronics distributor, according to RTÉ. The Chinese company Keenhigh expects to sell products worth €19m in conjunction with Movidious, but it’s not clear what the chip designer’s take will be.

3. #SYRIA: Former UN chief Kofi Annan is heading to China next week to discuss the ongoing Syrian crisis with Chinese officials. China and Russia have twice prevented the UN from implementing resolutions criticising President Bashar Assad over his government’s violent crackdown on political protesters.

4. #100 DAYS: Today marks the 100th day of the Vita Cortex workers’ sit-in protest. Here’s one insider’s view of their ongoing fight for redundancy pay.

5. #EGYPT: One person has been shot dead and over a dozen others injured during clashes between Egyptian security forces and fans of the Port Said football club al-Masry, al Jazeera reports, after the club was banned for two seasons over a serious stadium riot in which 74 people were killed.

6. #BANKER ATTACKED: Former Russian banker German Gorbuntsov has been shot and seriously injured in London. The BBC reports that he is unconscious but in stable condition and under armed guard at hospital.

7. #MAHON: He hasn’t spoken about the Mahon findings yet, but guess who Frank Dunlop described as a “gifted political operator” in his 2004 book?

8. #MALI: The leader of a military coup in Mali who claims to have seized power has appealed to people to stop looting and put down their weapons amid fears of a counter-coup. The president hasn’t been heard of since the coup began on Wednesday.

9. #US 2012: Rick Santorum has dismissed as “absurd” one woman’s comments as he lined up to show off his skills at a shooting range during his campaign to become the Republican Party’s presidential candidate. An unidentified woman in the crowd shouted “pretend it’s Obama” as Santorum prepared to fire (around the 0.35 mark below):

(Video via AssociatedPress)