EVERY WEEKDAY EVENING, TheJournal.ie brings you the five stories you need to know before you head out the door.

1. #HYGIENE: An unannounced audit of Waterford Regional Hospital  has found there were immediate and serious risks to patients due to the poor hygiene practices. HIQA, the health and safety watchdog, published hygiene inspection reports today which found low levels of hand-washing among staff, which risks spreading infection. Hospital bosses said the findings were “unacceptable”.

2. #HOME BIRTH: The High Court has rejected an application from a pregnant woman who wanted to have a home birth with a midwife. Aja Teehan, who is 31 weeks pregnant, had asked for a judicial review of her case after she was told she was ineligible for a home birth because she had previously had a Caesarean section. Teehan said outside the court that the case was “a worthwhile fight”.

3. #EGYPT: At least 20 people have died in violent clashes in Egypt today after more than 600 people were killed on Wednesday, the bloodiest single day in the country’s history. Supporters of ousted president Mohammed Morsi fought with security forces on the so-called ‘day of anger‘.

4. #CLERYS: Dublin department store Clerys has said it is to lay off 86 employees for at least four weeks as it continues to deal with the extensive water damage caused by a storm in July.  The store has remained closed since the flooding, but management said this evening that it will re-open as soon as is practicably possible.

5. #STRIKE: The planned strike by Aer Arann pilots has been cancelled after airline management and pilot representatives reached an agreement today, four days before the strike had been due to go ahead. The strike had been threatened over an ongoing pay row.