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

• Postcodes could be on the way in Ireland. A law clearing the way for the introduction of postcodes was passed last night, and the Department of Communications has said that the process of implementing the system has been put out to tender.
• The Health Minister James Reilly has said that he would consider extending the smoking ban to private cars carrying children under the age of 16. We posed a question to readers of TheJournal.ie, asking if they feel the ban should be extended. As of 7.30pm 45 per cent felt that the ban should apply when children are in the car, 31 per cent felt it was the motorists right to light up, 22 per cent supported a blanket ban and 1 per cent weren’t sure.
• It’s been revealed that Ireland spent almost €57 million on its global network of embassies last year. That figure represents the administrative costs for 58 embassies, 11 Consulates General, seven multilateral missions and offices in Armagh and Belfast.
• Ireland has made it into the top ten for global broadband speeds worldwide, based on the first quarter of the year. The review puts Ireland ahead of the likes of the UK and the US.
• The Superquinn saga rumbles on, with an application for an examiner to be appointed to the company withdrawn after prospective buyer Musgrave offered to provide a €10 million in order to ensure that suppliers are paid. Superquinn’s three directors had wanted an examiner appointed and the company restructured.
• If you’re fond of selling the odd item on eBay, this cautionary tale may be for you. BBC reports that PayPal has warned that anyone selling goods online via eBay should post the good rather than let someone pick them up. It details one incident where the money was paid into a seller’s PayPal account, and the transaction reversed as soon as the goods (a computer) had been picked up. Ouch.
• The minister for education has once again said he can’t rule out the introduction of third level fees. It’s been revealed that there’s a €500 million funding shortfall for third level education. The government will discuss changes to the system after a HEA report is published in September.
• Police in Norway have destroyed explosives found on the farm of attack suspect Anders Behring Breivik, while the threat of further explosions in Oslo now seems to have been lifted. Take a video tour of the luxurious maximum security prison Breivik could end up in.
• Late designer Alexander McQueen, who died almost 18 months ago, has left £50,000 in his will to go towards the upkeep of his dogs. It turns out that his wish pales in comparison to the lengths that some people have gone to for their canine pals, with one woman leaving $80 million to an alsatian. Click through for more unusual will requests.
• Today gave us a glimpse of the fine weather we’ve been promised this weekend. These lads at Spencer Dock in Dublin have been making the most of the sunny day:

Pic: Marty Miller via Twitter

• And if the sun was to continue, maybe we'd have some use for what Apple and Samsung have up their sleeves. The technology giants are planning to incorporate solar panels into their smartphones. It might take a while though, taking up to five years to hit the shelves.
• Ford is planning to phase out the inclusion of CD players in its cars. The auto giant's newest models will only feature a USB port in order to plug in digital music players.

And finally the beach came to Dublin Castle today as a sand sculpting exhibition took over the courtyard. Have a look: