EVERY WEEKDAY evening, TheJournal.ie brings you the five stories you should know by 5pm.

1. #LIBYA: Libyan rebels continue to target the Gaddafi compound in Tripoli, but Muammar Gaddafi’s current location remains unknown. His son Seif al-Islam was reportedly seen ‘free and defiant’ in the capital today despite rebels claiming to have captured him yesterday. Rebels have taken control of much of Tripoli, but are still fighting pockets of Gaddafi loyalists.

2. #CROWLEY: Fianna Fáil MEP Brian Crowley has withdrawn his bid for his party’s presidential election nomination. In a brief statement, Crowley said that many of Fianna Fáil’s parliamentary party have indicated they do not want to run a candidate and he would not be a candidate “for a party that continues to be divided on its electoral approach”.

3. #EXPORTS: Ireland’s trade surplus has hit a record high of  over €4 billion, according to new trade figures. The value of exports for June 2011 was up 5.6 per cent on June 2010. Meanwhile, CSO figures show that the number of overseas trips to Ireland rose by 15.6 per cent in the second quarter of this year compared to Q2 2010. Minister Leo Varadkar and industry groups said that while visitor figures dropped significantly last year due to volcanic ash disruptions, the latest data suggests the sector is picking up.

4. #WINEHOUSE: Toxicology tests carried out on the remains of the late singer Amy Winehouse show that there were no illegal drugs in her system at the time of her death. Winehouse was found dead at her London home on 23 July.

5. #ANIMAL CRUELTY: Pet owners in Galway are being advised to keep a close eye on their animals after a decapitated cat was found in the garden of a suburban house.