EVERY WEEKDAY EVENING TheJournal.ie brings you the five biggest stories of the day.

1. #BANK OF IRELAND: A total of 88 Bank of Ireland branches in Ireland and a further 15 in Northern Ireland will be closed. The decision – which attracted swift political criticism– will see banking services move to hundreds of Post Offices around the country. 

2. #FRANCE: Former president Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to one year in jail for corruption. The former French leader was accused of offering to help a judge obtain a senior job in Monaco in exchange for inside information on an inquiry into his campaign finances.

3. #HORSE RACING: Michael O’Leary said he will “continue to support” Gordon Elliott despite the emergence of a controversial photo showing the trainer sitting on a dead horse.

4. #POLLUTION: New research found that pollution from fine airborne particles is responsible for around 725 deaths in Dublin annually.

5. #SCHOOLS: The phased reopening of schools got underway and Education Minister Norma Foley said that antigen testing has not yet been recommended.