Every morning, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you really need to know with your morning coffee.

1. #LEADERS’ DEBATES: The first leaders’ TV debate takes place tonight…without Enda, news that is generating surprise abroad and ridicule at home, particularly in this morning’s tabloids. Even Alastair Campbell has rowed in, warning Enda Kenny that he’ll have to face much tougher opponents than Vincent Browne if he is made Taoiseach.

2. #GE11: Public services, the health sector and the economy will be the main topics on the agenda as campaigning continues today. Fianna Fáil will be fielding questions on the national finances; Fine Gael is focussing on the need to protect frontline services, while Labour will be giving more details of its health policy, and the Green party will look at job creation. Meanwhile, it’s your last chance to get your name added to the electoral register.

3. #GARDA ROW: Rank and file gardaí have criticised the garda Ombudsman, after garda Brendan Whitty was acquitted yesterday of assault. There have been calls by the garda representative association (GRA) for a judicial inquiry into the conduct of members of the garda Ombudsman commission.

4. #SOUTH AFRICA: A man has been charged with the killing of a 67 year old Irish woman, Cecily Clark, at her home in Cape Town last week.

5. #SHOOTING: A man in his 80s is alleged to have shot a man he believed was an intruder at the gate of his house in Birr, Co Offaly, late on Sunday night.

6. #GERRY RYAN: Nobody will be charged with supplying Gerry Ryan with the cocaine that led to his death, the Irish Sun reveals.

7. #BEHEADED: A New York TV executive has been found guilty of stabbing his wife and beheading her six days after she filed for divorce. A jury found Muzzammil Hassan guilty of second degree murder, after he claimed she had abused him and he was acting in self defence. Meanwhile, in Britain, a court has heard that a former Army bomb disposal expert tried to murder his pregnant wife by planting a hand grenade in her car after she confronted him about an affair.

8. #EGYPT: Anti-Mubarak protests are continuing, despite efforts to placate protestors with a 15 per cent pay rise for public servants.

9. #AMANDA BRUNKER: Amanda Brunker has admitted she may have over-reacted when she asked people on Twitter to pray for Blathnaid ni Chofaigh, who was taken ill on Sunday night before the live screening of the All-Ireland Talent Show, the Irish Sun reports. Ni Chofaigh has made a good recovery, and will be back on her feet and on TV screens with the end of the week, RTE reports.