President Michael D Higgins reads a book by Oscar Wilde to schoolchildren at The Ark, Dublin.

Image: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

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

• Department of Finance Secretary-General Kevin Cardiff has failed in his bit to be ratified as Ireland’s nominee to the European Court of Auditors – by just one vote. Of course, he could still go back to his departmental job as the closing date for applications is tomorrow…
• And speaking of civil servants, former Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Secretary-General Sean Gorman has received a package worth over €634,000 upon his recent retirement.
• RTÉ’s managing director of news Ed Mulhall and current affairs editor Ken O’Shea are to step aside during the two inquiries into the broadcaster’s libelling of Fr Kevin Reynolds. Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte said today that the external inquiry must establish why the programme was broadcast in the first place.
• Kate and Gerry McCann have been giving evidence at the Leveson inquiry today about the impact of media coverage of their family and their daughter following her disappearance in Portugal in 2007. The couple said they felt that some journalists had simply made up stories about them.
• Yemen’s president Saleh has signed a power transfer deal under which he is granted immunity from prosecution. Thousands of Yemenis have been demanding his resignation in protests since January.
• At least three people have been killed in severe flooding and mudslides in southern Italy.
• Ireland’s second-largest dedicated cystic fibrosis centre is catering for nearly 100 per cent more patients than had been projected for the Cork facility.

Are you fussy about the way you drink your coffee? Or have someone in your life who is? Then you may be able to identify with one of the following characters from old coffee ads:



(Video uploaded by shaunclayton)

• The man who posted footage online of a postman apparently failing to deliver a package has apologised to the postal service and admitted that the An Post worker had attempted to deliver the package earlier before leaving a delivery docket.
• Violence continues between protesters and riot police for a fifth consecutive day in Cairo and Alexandria, Egpyt. The country’s military chief has brought forward the date by which a president will be elected, but that hasn’t been enough to deter thousands from gathering at Tahrir Square. Here’s some of what happened in Cairo today, in pictures.
• The Commercial Court has ordered Ireland’s formerly richest man Seán Quinn to repay €417 million to the bank formerly known as Anglo.
• A Tory student society at St Andrews in Scotland has been asked by university to explain why it burned an effigy of Barack Obama.
• This New Zealand pilot had an incredibly lucky escape from a crash earlier today while attempting to install a seven-story Christmas tree.
• Have you ever seen the ‘ice finger of death’ at work? Then check out this video.

Already a fan? Connect below...

Get breaking news from TheJournal.ie via Facebook.
Just click Like.