EACH WEEKDAY EVENING, TheJournal.ie bring you five stories you really should check out by 5pm.

1. #UNEMPLOYMENT: The latest jobless figures from the CSO show that the rate of unemployment rose yet again last month. 1,500 extra people signed onto the Live Register in July, pushing unemployment up to 14.3 per cent. Over 40 per cent of those signing on are long-term unemployed.

2. #VIRGINIA TECH: The Virginia Tech college campus in Blacksburg is under lockdown after reports that a man with a gun was spotted on the campus. Three youths attending a summer camp on the campus reported seeing an armed man passing by, resulting in an immediate security alert. The campus was the site of a horrendous shooting in 2007 in which 33 people were killed.

3. #EUROZONE: European Commission president Jose Manuel Barroso has urged European government leaders to reassess the status of the EU’s bailout fund, as the markets turned up the heat on vulnerable economies like Spain and Italy. Spain managed to sell some government bonds earlier today, but at a far higher interest rate than it would have had to pay even last month.

4. #BUDGETING: Sticking with the financial theme, the National Consumer Agency has warned customers of Home Payments Ltd to immediately cancel any direct debit arrangements, after the company ceased trading today. The Dublin-based company offered a home budgeting service, paying bills on its clients’ behalves, as well as a savings service. It is not known where customers’ savings are at risk.

5. #DEAL: Finally this evening, if you’re looking for something to do in south-west Dublin, there’s is a soccer match taking place at the Tallaght Stadium. The players of St Patrick’s Athletic reached an eleventh-hour deal with the club to take part in tonight’s Europa League tie against Karpary Lviv, averting a potential players’ strike in a row over bonus payments. Pats are 2-0 down from the first leg.