Every afternoon, TheJournal.ie brings you five big news stories you should know by 5pm.

1. #DÁIL ÉIREANN: Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern has announced he will not contest the next general election. Ahern told LMFM he is suffering from rheumatoid arthritis which requires “heavy medication” and has been advised by his doctor to adopt a slower pace of life.

2. #BONDHOLDERS: Ireland could be among the first EU countries to introduce new legislation forcing senior bondholders to take a hit in future banking crises, after being exempt from the fallout of Ireland’s bailout.

3. #CONSUMER CONFIDENCE: New data shows that consumer confidence stayed close to its 18-month low in November, with just a narrow rise from 48.1 in October, to 48.4.

4. #WIKILEAKS: US documents released in the latest Wikileaks cache show that the US ambassador to Kyrgyzstan was dismayed by “rude” and “cocky” comments made by Prince Andrew during a business lunch with US and Canadian investors.

5. #BAILOUT: A Taiwanese animation studio has produced a video summarising the Irish economy, featuring a hard-drinking Brian Cowen handing out free cheese and being forced at gunpoint to accept the bailout agreement.