EVERY EVENING, TheJournal.ie brings you a roundup of the day’s main news – as well as any bits and pieces you may have missed.

In the race for the Áras…

• Dana Rosemary Scallon has said she will continue her bid for the presidency, despite what she called a “campaign of hate” against her family. Dana was speaking this afternoon after new allegations emerged about a relative – she said the claims were “of a sexual nature” and were “malicious lies”. The candidate also released a statement on the matter, which you can read in full here.
• Seán Gallagher has attempted to close down speculation over the timing of his exit from Fianna Fáil. Gallagher said he had effectively left the party in March 2010, and that an official resignation letter sent earlier this year was merely a formality to “tidy that up”.

In the day’s other news…

• An IED was thrown through the window of a house in Kildare village while a number of people were inside. An Army Bomb Disposal Team was called to the scene late last night and made the device safe, after people in the house were evacuated.
• Fewer people are being cut off from gas and electricity supplies than last year. The latest report from the energy regulator also reveals that Airtricity has the highest disconnection rate – around six times higher than that of Bord Gais Energy.
• A maths teacher has died after immolating herself in the playground of the French school where she worked. The 44-year-old doused herself in flammable liquid and set herself alight yesterday after a reported confrontation with pupils.
• The long-awaited iPhone 4S went on sale today – and naturally there were hundreds of people queuing to get hold of one. We’ve been taking a look at the excitable scenes at Apple stores around the world.

Transport minister Leo Varadkar launches a new tourism initiative at Dublin Airport today, with the help of Aer Lingus and Ryanair cabin crew members Erika Kelly and Gillian Moore (Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland)

• It’s been a bad day for the Conservative Party in the UK. One cabinet minister, Liam Fox, has resigned amid questions over the role of a friend who he took on numerous official trips – while another, Oliver Letwin, has been caught throwing official documents into bins in a public park in London.
• The former Fianna Fáil TD Michael Fitzpatrick has died aged 69. Party leader Micheál Martin this afternoon paid tribute to his former colleague, who was diagnosed with motor neurone disease in February 2010.
• Ryanair has said it will lay on extra flights to Tallinn to allow Ireland fans to watch our Euro 2012 qualifying play-off against Estonia on November 2012. But it doesn’t come cheap – the seats are on offer for €99 each way, plus taxes.
• Has Beyoncé been plagiarising her trademark moves from a Dutch choreographer of contemporary dance? Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker certainly thinks so – and you can decide for yourself with this video.
• There are certain things you expect when you spend millions on a luxury yacht. One of them is that it will float.
• And finally… it’s the weekend! And we hope you’re happy about it. But are you as happy as this little guy?

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