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.

• A 25-year-old PSNI officer has been killed following the explosion of a car bomb in Omagh, Co Tyrone – the scene of the worst terrorist attack of the Troubles. The young man, a local Catholic named as Ronan Kerr, was killed when a device placed under a vehicle outside his home detonated at about 4pm today. The Taoiseach has strongly condemned the attack, saying that the “heinous and pointless act of terror” was carried out by people who “want to drag us back to the misery and pain of the past”. Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams has also condemned the killing and sent his condolences to Kerr’s family. “Sinn Féin is determined that those responsible will not set back the progress of the Peace and Political Process,” he said.
• The boat of two fishermen who went missing of the Skerries coast in Dublin yesterday has been recovered. The search is continuing for the men.
• The Education Minister Ruairi Quinn has said that schools should use the time spent on religious instruction for better purposes – such as improving reading and maths skills. “Quite frankly, we have overloaded the curriculum”, he told the Association of Community and Comprehensive Schools. What do you think? Have your say in our poll.

• Professor Patrick Prendergast has been elected as the new Provost of Trinity College Dublin. The Taoiseach has wished him well in the role which he will assume on 1 August next.
• Gardaí have renewed their appeal for information about the violent death of Co Clare woman Deirdre McCarthy: Ennistymon Garda Station (065) 7072180, or the Garda Confidential Line 1800 666 111.

• Six civilians have been killed in Libya after Muammar Gaddafi’s troops launched a relentless shelling and sniper campaign on the rebel strong-hold of Misrata.
• Turkey’s plans to build three nuclear power plants – including one close to an earthquake-prone area on the Mediterranean coast – has been causing concern across Europe in the wake of the ongoing crisis in Japan.
• Japan’s tsunami-stricken nuclear power plant was leaking highly radioactive water into the sea today. Measurements show the air right above it contained 1,000 millisieverts of radioactivity; exposure to 500 millisieverts over a short period of time can increase the long-term risk of cancer.
• At least nine more people have been killed in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on the second day of protests against the plans of a US pastor to burn the Qur’an, RTÉ reports.
• A former California police officer has pleaded not guilty to showing up at a Southern California massage parlor wearing a badge and a gun and demanding a free rubdown and cash for his “inspection” of the business, reports the Associated Press. Edward Justin LaPorte got a 30-minute backrub, police say; he then is accused of requesting a frontal massage and $200.
• A stranded dog that was floating on an expanse of debris following Japan’s tsunami three weeks ago has been rescued. Although the canine had no identity tags that would point to who his owner may be, he seemed very happy all the same to see humans again:

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