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Respect mah authoritah: Dublin's Lord Mayor Gerry Breen re-enacts the 523-year-old 'Casting of the Spear' ceremony at Dublin Bay today. Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

The Daily Fix: Tuesday

In your Fix tonight: Threats to hospital services in Portlaoise, heartbreak for Conor Niland, and does Barack Obama have magical parenting powers?

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

  • Hospital services in Portlaoise face further restrictions: elective procedures from July to September are being halted as part of a “cost containment exercise”, amid rumours the A&E department could be downgraded. This comes just as health minister James Reilly warns of a critical shortage of junior doctors.
  • There’s been some angry exchanges in the Dáil today, with Fianna Fáil accusing the government of ‘covering up’ its decisions for bringing in the private pension levy. Enda Kenny described the allegations as, quote, “balderdash”. Earlier, Kenny said the state visits of the Queen and Barack Obama had cost around €20m.
  • Ireland is losing millions in social welfare fraud to prisoners… who aren’t signing off the live register before they’re put behind bars.
  • Your daily presidential update: Longford County Council is seeking legal advice over whether last night’s monthly meeting did, actually, nominate Seán Gallagher’s presidential bid; Avril Doyle has formally declared her hand and joined the race for Fine Gael’s nomination, and Sinn Féin has confirmed it has met Niall O’Dowd with a view to potentially backing his candidacy.
  • Uh-oh. Three quarters of nuclear power stations in the United States have radioactive leaks, according to an AP report.
  • Jobs come and jobs go: Symantec is creating 60 at its European Operations Centre in Dublin, but RTÉ will have to drop 70 in a bid to cut its budget shortfall.
  • If you’re an Ulster Bank credit card customer, watch out for a potential refund in the coming days – your interest may have been overcharged.
  • There was heartbreak for Ireland’s latest sporting sensation, Conor Niland, in Wimbledon today – as he went down to the world number 55, Adrian Mannarino, in a five-set thriller at court 17. Mannarino goes on to a glamour tie with Swiss hero Roger Federer.
  • Good news! Dublin is among the three cities shortlisted to be given the title of World Design Capital for 2014.
  • Nick Leeson reckons going after the Financial Regulator, blaming it for Ireland’s financial downfall, is a bad idea. Here’s his reasoning why.
  • Ever heard of Moynalty in Co Meath? It has an annual steam threshing festival. No? Well, it might be worth a visit – it’s the best-kept town in Ireland.
  • Are you wondering where Gerry Breen is wielding a massive spear in today’s major picture? In 1488, the Lord Mayor of Dublin Thomas Mayler set out on his horse to ride to the city’s boundaries, where he cast a spear into the sea to mark the city’s maritime boundary. Though the maritime border has extended quite a bit now, successive mayors have ceremonially followed Mayler’s lead every year since.
  • Finally tonight, is there anything Barack Obama can’t do (not including solving unemployment, the global debt crisis, or stop natural disasters)? Here’s the US president encountering a crying baby during a recent public meeting today – check out the smug look on his face as he takes command of the crying child…

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