A visitor poses with a 3D art work during a Japanese Trick Art exhibition at a shopping mall in Jakarta, Indonesia. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)

HERE ARE THE things you need to know as we round off the day in three easy steps

THINGS WE LEARNED

#BUDGET 2013: Ahead of the much-feared Budget tomorrow afternoon, the latest Exchequer returns do not make good reading for the government with a big fall in income tax take for the month of November. The full details are here and this probably sums up a lot of people’s feelings.

#RIGHT TO DIE: A terminally ill woman has taken a landmark case to the High Court, arguing for her right to die with assistance from her husband without him being later subjected to a prosecution. Marie Fleming, who has multiple sclerosis, has told the court today that she needs to die peacefully and with dignity, RTÉ reports.

#SHOOTING: A man, said to be a major gangland figure, has died after he was shot while walking on a road in Killester in north Dublin this evening. The man in his 60s was taken to Beaumont Hospital where he died a short time later. A man in his 30s has been arrested.

#PENALTY POINTS: Two United Left Alliance TDs have named one of the judges who has allegedly had penalty points on their drivers’ licence terminated. Clare Daly and Joan Collins are to seek more time in the Dáil to name more high-profile people who have allegedly had penalty points expunged from their licenses.

#ABORTION: The Dáil has begun debating the expert group on abortion’s report which was published last week as thousands of people gathered outside Leinster House for a Pro Life Campaign vigil, which criticised the government’s moves to deal with legislating for the X Case.

#PROPERTY AUCTION: A shopping street in Clonmel was sold for €920,000 today as the infamous Dartmouth Square in Ranelagh went for €142,000. The Allsop property auction also saw a number of other properties sold.

THINGS WE LOVED

• These 18 bizarre headlines from the many, many stories about the news that the Duchess of Cambridge is pregnant.
• These suggestions by our colleagues from DailyEdge.ie for the Irish answer to The Hangover.
• This letter from Children’s Minister and Fine Gael TD Frances Fitzgerald to constituents in Dublin Mid-West boasting about her having got someone to, er, sweep some leaves up:

If you’re having trouble viewing image, click here.

via @stevenhorourke

THINGS WE SHARED

• BuzzFeed has done it yet again with this incredible collection of the 45 most powerful images of 2012.
• The Guardian has a good account of when Dr Dre went to Downing Street and manages to answer the question about whether gangsta rap and David Cameron have anything in common.
• This very smart error or 404 page that is on The Rolling Stones’ website.
• The District Court in Dublin today sentenced a man to four months detention for throwing a homeless man’s rabbit into the river Liffey in Dublin last year. The animal was heroically rescued by his owner John Byrne as we reported in July 2011 and this dramatic video shows:

YouTube: Seb Dooris

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