Umbrellas are displayed in front of Seoul City Hall in Seoul, South Korea. This display symbolises Seoul public officials’ intention to be an umbrella for the capital city’s citizens. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon).

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

THINGS WE LEARNED

#ABORTION: The Dáil has held its first vote on the abortion legislation with the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill passing second stage of the Dáil by 138 votes to 24 with opponents in Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Sinn Féin and among the independents TDs. Here are the 24 TDs who voted against the Bill.

#EXCHEQUER RETURNS: Latest figures from the Exchequer show that tax take for the first six months of the year was €17.6 billion bringing the deficit down to €6.6 billion. Figures showed that two of the big four taxes – VAT and Excise Duty – were down on expectations.

#HP: The computer giant Hewlett Packard is to cut 280 jobs at its plant in Sandyford, Dublin, the company announced this evening. The redundancies will see 220 permanent employees laid off with 60 contractors also losing their jobs.

#SNOWDEN: Taoiseach Enda Kenny has confirmed that US surveillance whistleblower Edward Snowden has applied for asylum in Ireland through a letter sent to the Irish embassy in Moscow. But this is not sufficient for authorities here to consider his application, Kenny told the Dáil.

#KILLING: A man has been sentenced to three-and-a-half years in jail for the killing of journalist Eugene Maloney outside a pub on Camden Street in Dublin in June of last year. Gary Burch, 22, is reported in the Irish Examiner to have thrown his arms in the air and shouted “boom” after he punched Maloney in the neck.

#DUNDON: The trial of John Dundon for the murder of rugby player Shane Geoghegan was adjourned today after the accused fainted in his cell and cut his head, according to the Limerick Leader today. The Special Criminal Court heard that Dundon was being examined by doctors today and the case will resume again tomorrow morning.

THINGS WE LOVED

• Fans of the hit TV show Dexter will enjoy this life-size cake which, as Dangerous Minds points out, is “deliciously demented”.
• The Taoiseach’s view on the ultimate question.
• This portrait of Amy Winehouse which went on display at an exhibition of some of her possessions at the Jewish Museum in London today. The Guardian has more information here.

Pic: Lewis Whyld/PA Wire/Press Association Images

THINGS WE SHARED

• If you were around the internet in the pre-Google days you may remember the go-to search engine was AltaVista. Amazingly it still exists but it won’t by next Monday as the New York Times explains.
• This haunting gallery of the refugees of Syria by Moises Saman on TIME.com.
• Finally, Ireland’s presidency of the EU may be over but that doesn’t mean we’re any the wiser as to what it’s all about. Here’s a quick video explainer. You are welcome:

YouTube CGPGrey

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