An Indian Hindu devotee performs rituals at sunset during Chhath Puja festival, in the Hussan Sagar Lake (Tankbund) in Hyderabad, India. (AP Photo/Mahesh Kumar A)

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

THINGS WE LEARNED

#SAVITA The HSE has announced the details of its team investigating the death of Savita Halappanavar, which features one independent chairperson. Also today, Richard Branson commented on her tragic death, saying it was “needless”, in a blog post that remembered when the Irish Family Planning Association was fined for selling condoms in Virgin Megastore. Meanwhile, Sinn Féin Deputy Leader Mary Lou McDonald said that parties should do the right thing regarding legislating for the X Case.

#NAMA NAMA has put the home of property developer Thomas McFeely up for sale after he lost a High Court action challenging an order for possession of the Dublin 4 home. The house on Ailesbury Road is for sale for €3 million.

#INFECTIONS According to a survey by the Health Service Executive, one in 20 patients in Irish hospitals has acquired an infection during their stay. The prevalence was highest in adult and pediatric intensive care units, high dependency units and surgical wards.

#NORTHERN IRELAND Police in Northern Ireland are investigating after a man was arrested on suspicion of putting a camera in a toilet of a museum headquarters outside Belfast. He was arrested in September, and today National Museums Northern Ireland said the incident related to its staff quarters.

#ULSTER BANK Ulster Bank has been fined €1.9 million by the Central Bank for breaking capital requirements. This is the first time this has taken place and the Central Bank said the penalty reflected the importance it places on financial institutions complying with rules and regulations.

#BURMA US President Barack Obama visited Aung San Suu Kyi at home today in Burma. During the historic trip, he promised more US help to the country if the Asian nation keeps building its new democracy. Suu Kyi said of American help: “We are confident that this support will continue through the difficult years that lie ahead.”

THINGS WE LOVED

• Remember the film Up? (If you haven’t seen this glorious animated movie, we urge you to watch it – just be warned that you’ll cry within the first five minutes). Well, you probably had an urge to lift your house up using helium-filled balloons… One North Carolina man tried it for himself at the weekend, with these results. (This might not be a real house, but we applaud his efforts).
• Where are pets left homeless by Hurricane Sandy brought to? Temporary shelters. The New York Times took a look inside one emergency centre recently opened in Brooklyn, and met pets and their owners, who themselves have been displaced by the storm.
• Living in Australia, or have a friend who does, and missing the taste of home? Well, Taste Ireland could be the answer to that. Based in Australia, it says it offers hundreds of Irish products and delivers across the country. We’re getting hungry just looking at all those boxes of Taytos that arrived today…

THINGS WE SHARED

• Love coffee? Then this story in The Guardian may shock you. It concerns Asian palm civets, who are force-fed a diet of coffee berries to create the world’s most expensive coffee, Kopi Luwak, according to animal welfare groups. This type of coffee is made from the berries the animals excrete – not your typical cup of Joe, you’ll be glad to know.
• Can an inexpensive and safe solution to finding landmines be found? One man has designed a prototype – influenced by his childhood memories – to help locate landmines without the need for humans to enter the dangerous area.  This video about the Mine Kafon is part of a Focus Forward competition, but regardless of whether you would like to vote, it is a fascinating watch.

(via Reddit)

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