EVERY WEEKDAY EVENING, TheJournal.ie brings you the five stories you need to know before you head out the door.

#DALY Gardaí confirmed that a 47-year-old man found dead near Clara in Co Offaly yesterday suffered a number of gunshot wounds. A murder investigation has been launched into the death of Christy Daly, who was from the area, and gardaí are appealing for information.

#LAUREN Jenny Lauren, who is the niece of fashion designer Ralph Lauren, has been fined €2,000 over an ‘air rage’ incident which led to a flight having to divert to Shannon Airport. The court sitting took place at the back of a pub, due to the absence of any other suitable venue.

#BUDGET Donegal County Council is on the verge of collapsing after it failed to agree on a budget for 2014. If councillors fail to agree on their spending plans for the year ahead, then Environment Minister Phil Hogan has the power to remove them from office and put in place a special commissioner.

#UNEMPLOYMENT The number of people on the Live Register fell by 3,300 last month, according to the latest stats from the CSO, bringing the figure to its lowest since may 2009. The number of long-term claimants in December 2013 was at 179,621 — down about 7,500 in the year.

#POLAR VORTEX There’s been at least 21 deaths across the US as a result of the record breaking cold-snap, which has seen temperatures registered on a par with those on Mars.