Every afternoon, TheJournal.ie brings you 5 things you really need to know by 5pm.

1.#IDF: The Israeli Defence Forces has announced it is banning its soldiers from using social media websites in an attempt to clamp down on the amount of security leaks and embarrassing videos which have appeared on the internet. Earlier this year, photos and a video of soldiers posing with bound Palestinian prisoners were posted online.

2.#MATERNITY: As MEPs prepared to vote on proposals to extend maternity leave from 14 to 20 weeks, ISME’s Mark Fielding suggested that employers are unlikely to choose a candidate who was a “buxom young woman of child-rearing years” if they know they will have to pay 20 weeks’ leave.

3. #UCD: UCD and the Higher Education Authority have entered into negotiations over the repayment of €1.6 million in unauthorised allowances which were paid to the university’s staff.

4. #ECONOMIC GROWTH: The latest KBC Bank Business Sentiment Survey reveals “two economies” in Ireland, with businesses expecting modest growth while confidence in the economy remains low.

5. #GOOGLE EARTH: The latest bizarre Google Earth image suggests its cameras may have successfully snapped an image of God.