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

1. #IRISH SOPA: Junior Minister Seán Sherlock has confirmed his signing of the statutory instrument that reinforces online copyright laws. The controversial legislation drew criticism it would stifle freedom of expression online or that it could damage the online development of businesses. The SI makes it possible for copyright holders to seek court injunctions against companies including ISPs whose systems host copyright-infringing material.

2. #REFERENDUM: The European Commission has reasserted that a ‘no’ vote in Ireland’s referendum on the Fiscal Compact Treaty will not mean that Ireland cannot access funds under the agreements it already has in place. The Dáil spent more time on the issue of the referendum today, with both the government and the opposition putting forward some of their reasons for voting yes or no. Meanwhile, FF deputy leader Éamon Ó Cuív has acknowledged that he could lose the party whip if he decides to go against the party line and vote ‘no’.

3. #NORTH KOREA: North Korea has announced it will suspend its nuclear activities and freeze further missile testing. Pyongyang also says it will allow officials from the UN nuclear watchdog into the country to verify that activity on its nuclear programme have halted.

4. #GOOGLE: The internet company is changing its privacy policy from tomorrow. Here’s your guide to how you can delete your browsing history ahead of the switchover to the new policy.

5. #OOPS: Have you ever been caught dossing while you were on the job? That’s what happened to Germany’s finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble during a parliamentary debate on Greece’s second bailout. Here’s the video.