EVERY EVENING, TheJournal.ie brings you a round-up of the day’s biggest stories, as well as the bits and pieces you might have missed.

• Police in Turkey are still investigating the deaths of two Northern Irish women. A 17-year-old Turkish boy has been arrested in connection with their deaths. He is thought to have been dating the daughter of one of the victims.
• It has been confirmed that the medical records found in a bin at a Ballina estate three weeks ago were those of Ballina District Hospital patients. The HSE and the Data Protection Commissioner have launched investigations into the discovery.
• EBS announced today that it will raise its variable mortgage rate from 1 October.
• A US judge has approved the release of three men who served 18 years for the murder of three young boys in 1993 after they agreed a plea bargain. Known as the West Memphis 3, the men agreed to plead guilty to first degree murder and are being released in consideration of time already served. They still claim they are innocent.
• Phoenix, Arizona, has been swallowed up by an enormous dust cloud for the third time this month. The dust storm disrupted flights and cut power lines:

• In his column this week, (not) Cardinal Sean Brady fills us in on his money-making schemes in an effort to balance the books. Good thing he has a David Hasselhoff-related card up his sleeve…
• Cavan is hosting the annual Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann again this year and tens of thousands have travelled to the town for the craic, caint agus ceol. Check out some of what’s been going on in TheJournal.ie’s Fleadh slideshow.
• Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to a shooting in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow, yesterday morning to come forward. A man in his 30s was shot and injured in the attack.
• Today’s poll concerning a former Cork mayor’s comments that burqas should be banned in Ireland generated huge debate over a ban – and over whether the question should even be asked. The poll and comments can be found here.
• A Norwegian judge today ordered the twin terror attacks suspect Anders Behring Breivik, 32, be held for a further four weeks of solitary confinement.
• Syrian security forces reportedly killed 22 people after firing upon protesters pushing for political reform. Syria’s UN Ambassador Bashar Jaafari today claimed that British Prime Minister David Cameron referred to British rioters as “gangs”, “criminals” and “mentally retarded”. Jaafari said such “gangs” should not be differentiated from those protesting in Syria.
• Inspired by patterns of branch formations on trees, 13-year-old New Yorker Aidan Dwyer made a breakthrough in the study of solar power.
• Do you remember these guys from the last season of X Factor? Apparently they’ve been making quite the scene in Dublin, today, where they appeared on Spin 1038. Yes, one of them very nearly lost his shirt:

(Video via @jonathan_mccrea)

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