EVERY WEEKDAY EVENING, TheJournal.ie brings you five things you really should know before heading out the door…

1. #JOBSWATCH: It’s been a terrible day on the jobs front. Insurance company Aviva has announced it will lay off 950 people – around a half of its total Irish workforce – over the next 30 months as it downsizes its Irish business, while another 40 jobs are to be lost in Wexford at pharmaceutical company MSD.

2. #COURTS: Sharon Collins – who was found guilty of conspiracy to kill her partner and his two sons in 2008 – has today lost her appeal against her conviction.

3. #GREECE: Demonstrators and riot police have clashed in central Athens today as a two-day general strike effectively shuts down Greece’s private and public sectors. Tear gas and stun grenades have been used by police in the main square beside parliament buildings, as demonstrators protested against the government’s austerity plans.

4. #STEM CELLS: The European Court of Justice has today banned the patenting of stem cells whenever the process involves the destruction of human embryos. The decision has been criticised by scientists who say it is the “worst possible outcome” in trying to battle neurodegenerative diseases.

5. #LADYLIKE: They say a gentleman never asks a woman about her age. Thanks to IMDb, however, you might not have to. An unnamed American actress has filed a $1m lawsuit against the Amazon-owned website for publishing her personal age, which she says is “damaging personal information” which could, if publicised, make it impossible for the “up-and-coming actress” to get work.