A South Korean soldier breaks stone plates by his arm during an anti-terror drills ahead of the 4th Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games Incheon, which starts from the end of June, in Incheon, west of Seoul, South Korea, Thursday, June 13, 2013. The drills was held against possible terrorists’ attack while the threat of terrorism in various sports games are increasing after Boston Marathon terror. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

HERE ARE THE things we learned, loved and shared today as we round off the day in three easy steps.

THINGS WE LEARNED:

#SAVITA: The HSE report into the death of 31-year-old Savita Halapanavar has found that “inadequate assessment and monitoring” was a contributory factor in her death, as well as a “failure to offer all management options” to a patient who was recorded as experiencing “inevitable/impending pregnancy loss”. The report records that Savita and her husband Praveen had requested a medical termination and were told the following: “Under Irish law, if there’s no evidence of risk to the life of the mother, our hands are tied so long as there’s a fetal heart (sic)”.

#RIP: The deaths of three brothers who drowned off the coast of Waterford while fishing yesterday has been described as a “devastating loss for their community. The Bolger brothers – Paul (49), Kenny (47) and Shane (44) – had been out in their 18 foot punt to fish and were headed to Brownstown Head between Tramore Bay and Dunmore East but failed to return by 5pm yesterday. A cousin of the men described their loss as a “savage blow” adding that fishermen are being “pushed to the limits”.

#MCGUINNESS: The Public Accounts Committee has heard claims that elements of the government have sought to undermine it in the controversy over chairman John McGuinness’s time as a government minister. As TDs spent over three-and-a-half hours discussing matters arising out of McGuinness’s time as a junior minister in the previous Finana Fáil government, the Fine Gael TD John Deasy suggested there were “political undertones” to the recent controversies surrounding McGuinness.

#PROPERTY: Lending to businesses is down again, with the most recent Central Bank figures showing that lending to SMEs that are not related to finance or property fell by €417 million in the first quarter of this year and €1.6 billion over the year. However the data shows that credit advanced to enterprises that are not finance or property related increased by €20 million, or 0.1 per cent.

#TAX: The US may adopt a “carrot and stick” approach to tax by which all foreign incomes are subject to tax in the United States. Both politicians and US businesses have expressed support for reforms which would see a lower rate of corporate tax, combined with incentives for companies to move their intellectual property back to the US. Earlier, MPs in the UK slammed Google’s “contrived” tax arrangements.

A resident walks in front of a year old mural outside former South African President Nelson Mandela’s former Alexandra township residence in Johannesburg, South Africa, Thursday June 13, 2013. Former South African president Nelson Mandela remained hospitalized for the sixth day Thursday with a lung infection. The latest government report says that he remains in a serious but stable condition. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay)

THINGS WE LOVED:

• Ikea has produced miniature versions of some of its most popular products – for the discerning budding designer in your home.
• What’s your best/worst reason for breaking up with someone? So far, we have reasons like “kissing like a cow”, referring to oneself as “muggins”, and, uh, just for your personality. Harsh. Anyway, if you have anything to add get over to this thread pronto.
• Preparations are well under way for Dublin Pride 2013, with the big parade taking place on 29th June and much more besides. But, despite marking 30 years of Dublin Pride, not everyone understands what makes the event so important. This beautiful video shows exactly why this annual celebration of love and equality is so valuble – not just to the LGBT community but to society as a whole.

Uploaded by AbsolutIreland

THINGS WE SHARED:

• What exactly happens to your brain when you laugh? Richard Restak on whether humour can help us unlock the mysteries of the most complex organ in the human body.
• “I understand, as well as anyone, that terrorism is scary. But it’s time to stop reacting to it with our guts, and to start reacting with our brains…” Conor Friedersdorf writes in the Atlantic about the irrationality of giving up so much liberty to fight terror – pointing out that America has preserved liberty and privacy in the face of threats far greater than terrorism has so far posed.

Some things are much funnier than you would expect… like budgies running in slow mo.

Uploaded by mky45·

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