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

• The president of the European Council was splashing through the puddles in Dublin today as he arrived for talks with Enda Kenny. The grandly-titled Herman Von Rompuy said that Ireland “needs a deal” on an interest rate reduction on the bailout. Meanwhile the EU’s competition commissioner has said that the bank guarantee scheme was “indeed” a mistake. Joaqúin Almunia says he’s not alone among his colleagues in holding that view.
• EBS customers with Standard Variable Rate mortgages are facing an interest rate hike from 1 August. The building society is raising the rate by 0.25 per cent. It means an average increase of €12 a month for mortgage holders.
• Hibernia private college has been given the go ahead to train secondary teachers for Irish schools. The college says it wants to produce teachers with “life experience” and is particularly looking for people with degrees in maths and science.
• Today’s poll asked ‘Should there be a united Ireland?’ after a the majority of the Catholic community in the North was found to favour remaining part of the UK. Fifty per cent of TheJournal.ie readers felt that there should be a united Ireland. Thirty-nine per cent said no, while 9 per cent said they didn’t know.
• It’s feared that the A&E department at Midland’s Regional Hospital in Portlaoise could be the next to face the chop due to looming doctor shortages. It was confirmed this week that the emergency department at Loughlinstown is to be downgraded.
• A Canadian man who locked his son in a box said he did so to punish him for stealing chickens. Johan Knelson, 21, lived in the portaloo-sized wooden prison for eight weeks before being released by police (with video).
• Are you tormented by grey hair, but not quite pulling it off with the panache of silver fox George Clooney? Fear not, because the curse of grey hair could soon be a thing of the past. Scientists claim they’ve got to the ‘root’ of the problem, paving the way for potential treatments.
• Holy holidays in Tramore: Read (Not) Cardinal Brady’s tales of swimming, dodgems and fighting Satan during his summer holidays with Padre Pio.
• Feast your eyes on some of the most amazing images from around Ireland and the world in The Week in Photos.
• Watch as this BBC newsreader keeps her cool during a series of technical gaffs involving Nazi Rudolf Hess and a weathergirl.
• Fingers of suspicion are being pointed at bodhrán makers in Waterford after a herd of wild goats went missing. RTÉ reports that a reward of €1,000 has been offered for their safe return. Gardaí are investigating reports that the animals were rounded up by sheepdogs. It’s feared they’ve been killed to provide skins to make bodhráns.
• Could it be magic? CROKE! PARK! Preparations are under way north of the Liffey for the arrival of Take That tomorrow for their two sold-out shows this weekend….