EVERY WEEKDAY evening, TheJournal.ie brings you the five things you need to know by 5pm.

1. #GREEN LIGHT: The Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar has criticised the use of green lights on taxi roofs as “inherently racist” and says they will have to be removed from the vehicles. His comments come after an investigation by TheJournal.ie into the use of the lights.

2. #GALLAGHER: Former presidential election candidate Seán Gallagher has criticised RTÉ over its handling of the ‘Twittergate’ controversy which erupted on the Frontline progamme during an election debate. Speaking publicly for the first time about the incident, Gallagher accused the broadcaster of “going into defence mode” and compared its response to how the Catholic Church had reacted to allegations of abuse.

3. #HACKING: The former editor of News of the World editor and CEO of News International Rebekah Brooks will face criminal charges arising from the tabloid newspaper phone hacking scandal in Britain, according to prosecutors. The Crown prosecution Service has also confirmed that her husband Charlie Brooks will also be prosecuted, over allegations of obstruction of justice.

4. #AIR STRIKES: EU naval forces have carried out air strikes against pirate targets on the Somali coast. A spokesperson for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said that the strikes were part of a wider approach to tackle piracy.

5. #NEW BOY: Francois Hollande has been sworn in as the new president of France. From driving a Citroen down the Champs-Élysées to taking possession of nuclear codes, here are seven things Hollande did today as he became president.