Kent De Mond of the USA dives from the 28-metre platform during the third stop of the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series at the Azores in Portugal. The series moves to the Aran Islands in two weeks’ time. (Romina Amato)

THINGS WE LEARNED:

#ANGLO: The former chairman and chief executive of Anglo Irish Bank, Seán FitzPatrick, has been charged with 16 alleged breaches of corporate law over alleged irregularities at Anglo. He’ll be back in court in October alongside Pat Whelan and Willie McAteer, who were charged yesterday.

#JOBSWATCH: Permanent TSB is to shed at least 250 jobs as part of a cost-cutting drive to make itself profitable again. The State-owned bank is closing 16 of its 92 branches as well as pursuing other reforms.

#CIE: The government has agreed to increase CIE’s funding for 2012 by an extra €36 million – amid fears that the public transport provider’s financial troubles could pose a threat to the provision of services. The funding was agreed at the Cabinet’s last pre-Summer meeting.

#PROPERTY: So much for the comeback. After recording an increase in May, property prices started falling again in June, losing 1.1 per cent of their value in a month. Prices in Dublin are now down by 56 per cent on their peak of early 2007.

#HACKING: Eight people, including the senior editorial and management figures at the News of the World, are to face formal criminal charges in connection with alleged phone-hacking at the paper. Among the people being charged are former editors Rebekah Brooks and Andy Coulson – the latter of whom later became David Cameron’s press advisor.

THINGS WE LOVED:

• The chatter between these two dolphins in Derrynane, Co Kerry. We reckon they’re talking up Kerry’s chances for the All-Ireland after disposing of Tyrone last weekend.
• The pinkness! The photoshopped pictures! The music! And everything else on Mindy Meyer’s website. She’s running for the New York State senate, and she’s… pink. Very, very pink.
• Speaking of US politics, we’re also enjoying the craftiness of Jack Talbert, who is trying to unseat an incumbent congressman. The Libertarian candidate has taken an unusual step in his efforts for victory – by legally changing his name to Thomas Jefferson.

This was sent in by an anonymous reader last week – we’re not sure where Ted Johnson’s is, but we reckon the shop would need a pretty massive warehouse to be able to cater to every Irish summer.  (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

THINGS WE SHARED:

• Poor old Aston Villa. The Villans haven’t had much luck in the last few seasons, but this video from 2010 – which is doing the rounds again today – is cheering. At 3-0 down, they chant: “Let’s pretend we’ve scored a goal…”
• This is damn impressive. THIS is an actual cake, made by Cake-a-licious in Mornington, Co Meath. Seriously.
• Do you think you’d be able to fit your entire life into a 78-square-foot apartment? This guy does…

(SpacesTV/Youtube)

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