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

• The final sitting of the Seanad was called to a halt earlier today after controversial senator Ivor Callely demanded time to explain his expenses claims. Leas Cathaoirleach Paddy Burke was forced to suspend the House – but when he resumed it, Callely continued pushing his agenda, saying: “Are people afraid of what I’m going to say? Are people afraid of the truth? What is wrong with putting the truth on the record of the House?”
• Ahead of her appearance on RTÉ’s Prime Time programme tonight, journalist Sarah Carey has attempted to explain why she lied to the Moriarty tribunal in piece published in today’s Irish Times. Carey said that she has learned her lesson the “hard, horrible, humiliating way.” Read her piece here.
• A fire at a County Limerick farm led to the deaths of 12,000 chickens last night. Although firefighters fought the blaze for hours they were unable to save the birds. It is not believed that the fire was started deliberately.
• A Libyan fighter plane has been shot down by French forces after it was spotted flying near the city of Misrata. The aircraft was in violation of a UN Security Council resolution.
• Three staff members from the stricken Fukushima I nuclear power plant have been treated for skin lesions after being exposed to high levels of radiation.
• At least two people have been killed following a 6.8-magnitude earthquake hitting Burma earlier today, near the country’s border with Thailand and Laos. The quake was intially measured as a 7.0 but this was revised downwards by the the US Geological Survey.
• More than half of Irish people drive on a daily basis and 30 per cent of people agree that a ‘pay-as-you-drive’ scheme should replace existing car charges, according to an EU survey. Similarly, half of all EU citizens would agree a new “pay-as-you-drive” scheme being rolled out.
• On the 30th anniversary of the Ballymun Youth Action Project, director Dermot King said that drug and alcohol problems have been passed down through each successive generation in the troubled area. He outlined the tragic situation, saying: “We have witnessed an intergenerational pattern of drug misuse within some families in Ballymun, and similar patterns are being reported in other communities. In some cases, we are now treating the grandchildren of people who attended our service when it was first established 30 years ago.”
• If Independent TD Michael Lowry was forced retire from the Dáil, he would be entitled to almost a quarter of a million euro in pensions and allowances over the next twelve months – more than twice his current earnings as a backbench TD. Lowry has been asked to consider his position following the publication of the Moriarty tribunal this week, which cast stern criticism on him.
• South Park fans rejoice: the Broadway musical by Trey Parker and Matt Stone is opening this week in New York. The pair have denied that the production – a story about two young Mormon missionaries in Uganda attempting to convert local tribes-people to their faith - will be as controversial as some of their previous work. They have described The Book of Mormon as “a very traditional, classic musical”. We’re not sure whether or not to believe that, but in the spirit of all things religious and melodious we’ve dug up this offering by High King of Musicals Andrew Lloyd Webber to give you taster of such a “classical” stage show. (Warning: video contains images of Donny Osmond. In a cage. Wearing a loincloth… )