Tightrope walker Belova performs during the second edition of the “New Generation” festival circus in Monaco, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2013. The Festival “New Generation” is the one and only competition for Young Circus Artists which will be held in an original Circus ring. (AP Photo/Lionel Cironneau)

HERE ARE THE things we learned, loved and shared today.

THINGS WE LEARNED:

#THALIDOMIDE: The Irish Thalidomide Association has called on the Minister for Health to honour commitments made in the Programme for Government and enter talks on providing extra compensation to the country’s 32 survivors of the ill-fated drug, in the wake of the German government announcing that thalidomide survivors in its country will receive an extra €120 million in entitlements annually.

#RIP: A man who was taken from the water off the Galway coast by rescue workers this morning has died. Valentia Coast Guard was alerted at this morning that a person had fallen into the water from the quayside at Spanish Arch; a man was located by rescue workers at 9.45 am but later passed away. Gardaí are treating his death as a tragic accident.

#FLAG DISPUTE: Police in Northern Ireland have arrested a 28-year-old man over comments made on social media in connection with the ongoing Union flag dispute in Belfast. A PSNI spokesperson confirmed that the man was arrested in connection with remarks made on Facebook, but declined to give details about the content of the comments.

#DOLPHINS: At least 12 dolphins have been found dead on the beaches of Achill Island over the past two days, with bodied washing up on Keel Strand, Dookinella and Keem Bay. The Irish Whale & Dolphin Group’s spokesperson John O’Shea said that recent storms may have been a factor in the deaths, but that biopsies would be required to figure out exact cause.

#SEX ABUSE: A Roman Catholic Cardinal in Los Angeles has been stripped of his administrative duties and court-ordered to release thousands of pages of confidential files on sexually abusive priests. Cardinal Roger Mahony has apologised following the release of evidence that showed he and other top aides worked behind the scenes to protect the church from the growing scandal, keep offending clerics out of state, and prevent public disclosure of sex crimes committed by priests.

Autumn Garner draws at York Art Gallery, which has opened its doors and walls for visitors to graffiti. The event is held on the last day before the gallery closes for a two-year renovation project. (Jonathan Pow/PA Wire)

THINGS WE LOVED:

• This is where you find us when we win the Lotto: Disneyland’s super-exclusive members’ club (photos). You could be there too, for a cool $10k-a -year fee…
• It’s GROUNDHOG DAY!
• These five reasons why Amhrán na bhFiann should not be remixed. Example number one…

Uploaded by celticfanbhoy88

THINGS WE SHARED:

• Japanese pop is weird (not that we had to tell you that). For proof of just how weird it is, read the tale of Minami Minegishi, a member of the insanely popular girl band AKB48  - which has more than 230 members altogether. Minegishi has shaved her head and released a tearful YouTube video in an act of contrition for the crime of… wait for it… having a boyfriend (the rules of the band forbid members to date). Minegishi is 20 years old.
• The battle of Stalingrad changed the course of World War II and ultimately led to the defeat of Hitler’s Nazi forces – but that victory came at a price: today Russia, and the globe, remember the two million lives that were lost in the fight for European freedom.
• Think you know all there is about American civil rights campaigner Rosa Parks? Think again, says Charles M Blow.

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