EVERY DAY, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you need to know with your morning cup of coffee.

1. #JUDGE SLUR: ‘Rambling. Contrived. Suprious.’ That is how the Integration Centre described Judge Mary Devin’s apology for a remark she made about Polish people and the social welfare system in Ireland. Her comments, made at Castlebar District Court, have sparked anger among the Polish community and a complaint will be lodged under the Garda Racist Reporting Mechanism later today.

2. #EUROZONE: The European Central Bank governing council is meeting today amid expectations that it will begin purchasing Spanish and Italian bonds in an attempt to stem the eurozone crisis by lowering borrowing costs for periphery economies.

3. #DIABETES: An epidemic may be about to hit Ireland as new figures show that the number of people living with diabetes is expected to rise by over 9 per cent to 175,000 by 2020.

4. #VIRUS: The first ever Irish case of a life-threatening virus which spreads from rodents to human was seen in Limerick earlier this year, the HSE has confirmed. The patient made a full recovery after contracting Hantavirus.

5. #MONET: Andrew Shannon, the man charged with criminal damage in relation to a Claude Monet painting which hung at the National Gallery of Ireland, has been refused bail, reports the Irish Independent. A Dublin court yesterday heard from Gardaí who say that the 47-year-old suspect lunged at the painting and punched it on 29 June this year.

6. #THE QUINNS: Peter Quinn Senior has told a Fermanagh newspaper, the Impartial Reporter, that his son will not return to the Republic to face jail time. Peter Darragh has evaded an arrest warrant issued on 20 July after he failed to turn up for a High Court hearing.

Last night, his uncle Seán Quinn Senior told TV3 that his business only owes €445 million to the former Anglo Irish Bank – and not €2.8 billion as the IBRC claims.

7. #CIVIL WAR: Rebels in Syria have bombarded a government airbase near the country’s largest city, Aleppo. The reports come after Russia insisted that both sides in the conflict have violated human rights. It is understood that David Cameron will press Russian leader Vladimir Putin on Moscow’s position toward Damascus in meetings later today.

8. #LUCKY HAND: Online card players are to be refunded up to $731 million after an Isle of Man gambling group struck a deal to take over the Irish-based Full Tilt Poker company. The payouts to players come after a US court accused the firm of defrauding clients.

9. #DAY SIX: We’re already almost a week into London 2012…are you tired yet? TV-watching stamina will be required today as Team Ireland has a bumper morning and afternoon, with athletes competing in rowing, swimming, equestrian, sailing, canoeing and boxing events. Other highlights include the women’s all-around gymnastics final this afternoon and part II of the Lochte-Phelps face-off in the 200m individual medley in the pool later tonight. Need more info with your cereal? TheScore.ie has your full Olympic Breakfast.