EVERY DAY, TheJournal.ie brings you a round-up of all the day’s news as well as the bits and pieces that you may have missed.
- Michael D Higgins has been selected as the Labour Party’s candidate for the presidential election later this year. The former TD and senator saw off Fergus Finlay and Kathleen O’Meara to become the first candidate to be officially in the running for the Áras. But we’ve being asking should the presidency be scrapped altogether? So far, a big majority of you think not.
- A second bailout package for Greece could be equal to the €110 billion it borrowed last year according to the country’s prime minister who was speaking as European finance ministers met to discuss the Greek debt crisis. Our own Michael Noonan has been calling for burden-sharing arrangements applied to Greece to be applied to Ireland.
- P0lice in Australia are continuing to investigate the death of an Irish woman who was backpacking in the southern state of Victora when she was involved in a mini-van accident yesterday. They do not suspect foul play. The Department of Foreign Affairs has said the family of the 28-year-old woman has been informed of her death.
- One of the prosecutions key witnesses in the impending Michaela McAreavy murder trial has told a Sunday newspaper how he wished he could have saved the newly-wed who was strangled to death last January.
- Gardaí are appealing for a witness who helped the victim of a fatal road collision moments before he was hit by a car in Limerick on Friday to come forward.
- A gang in west Belfast used bricks, bats and bottles to attack a row of houses in the city in the early hours of this morning. Frightened neighbours were forced to flee their homes and one man was assaulted by the gang.
- The sisters who own the nursing home at the centre of abuse allegations could sue the health watchdog for the way in which it sought the closure of the Rostrevor home in Dublin. The Lipsetts are upset with the conduct of the Health Information and Quality Authority and the way in which the media has portrayed them.
- In Spain, thousands have marched in Madrid today to drive home their anger over high unemployment, bleak economic prospects and politicians they see as inept.
- The amount of missing money that was pledged to Iraq to help rebuild the country in the aftermath of the 2003 war and subsequent civil war is said to stand at a staggering $18.7 billion.
- It has emerged that Noel Dempsey, a former government minister, has been using the business-related social networking site LinkedIn to find jobs. But he has since found employment advising some ten local authorities.
- Facebook says its finally ready to unleash its iPad app in the next few weeks after nearly a year of waiting.
- Poor old Amy Winehouse didn’t get the best reception at a concert in Belgrade, Serbia last night where her at times shambolic performance was booed by expectant crowds. Parts of her European tour have been cancelled as a result.
- How has Father’s Day been for you. No doubt there some dads and lads down at the Body and Soul festival at Ballinlough Castle. We’ve put together a slideshow of pics from the Electric Picnic-type gathering. Meanwhile, you’ve been telling us how this dad’s day has gone for you.
- In sport, Tipperary were too good for Clare in the Munster Senior Hurling Championship in Limerick this afternoon. We were following the action as it happened.
- And tonight of course, we’re all behind Rory McIlroy as he aims to banish his Masters nightmare by triumphing at the US Open at Congressional where he leads by eight shots. He tees off in the final round just after 8pm tonight and you can follow all the action LIVE!
- Some sad news from the music world with Clarence Clemons or the Big Man in Bruce Springsteen’s legendary E Street band passing away. He was 69. Kick back and enjoy some of his classic sax playing.
- Finally of all the riots that have taken place in Greece recently, there has been one ever present. Meet Loukanikos, or Sausage, the pooch who has been at the centre of the action for years, according to the BBC:
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