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

1. #SHUT DOWN: More than one thousand schools have been closed in Los Angeles, California, over a credible but unspecified threat. Students and staff have been advised to stay away from all buildings.

2. #ROAD SAFETY: New legislation that would strengthen drug driving laws has been approved by cabinet, RTÉ News reports. If passed, drivers will be committing an offence if they drive with certain drugs in their blood.

3. #EGPYT: The trial of Irish citizen Ibrahim Halawa has been postponed yet again. Last Sunday marked his 20th birthday – his third in jail

4. #SPLISH SPLASH: As much as 30 millimetres of rain is expected to fall today, with Cork, Kerry and Waterford worst affected. A status yellow rainfall warning was issued by Met Éireann last night.

5. #TO INFINITY: Astronaut Timothy Peake has become the first Briton to travel to the International Space Station. The former army major blasted off from Kazakstan with two American and Russian colleagues for a 171-day mission at the orbiting research outpost.