Eimear O’Sullivan (9) from Co Kerry, plays on Main Street in Cavan today during the last weekend of Fleadh Cheoil na h’Éireann. (Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland)

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

THINGS WE LEARNED

#APPEAL: Gardaí in Galway are appealing for assistance in identifying a man’s body which was found on a beach in Lettermullen by a member of the public on Thursday afternoon. Preliminary investigations suggest that the remains may have been in the water for a number of days.

#MOORS MURDERS: The mother of one of the victims of the Moors Murderers has died aged 78. Winnie Johnson passed away just hours after police investigating the 1964 murder of her 12-year-old son Keith Bennett said they could not find a letter which reportedly contained details of where his remains were buried.

#PETROL PRICES: AA Ireland is warning motorists that they may face a significant rise in petrol prices in the coming week or two. However, AA’s Conor Faughnan says the single biggest factor pushing up Ireland’s petrol prices is the “super-taxation” imposed on fuel by the government.

#SCHOOL BOOKS: The managing director of the SchoolBooks.ie website says that his staff are currently working around the clock to clear an orders backlog caused by a technical issue at their warehouse. John Cunningham said that all of the 5,000 orders yet to be dispatched will be cleared by the end of next week.

#SYRIA: As the last of the UN’s observers pull out of Syria, the mission’s chief General Babacar Gaye severely criticised both government forces and rebel fighters for failing to fulfil their obligations under international humanitarian law to ensure the protection of civilians. Meanwhile, Syrian state television has denied suggestions that the country’s vice-president has defected.

Syrians search for survivors in rubble following an air strike in Aleppo, Syria yesterday. (Khalil Hamra/AP/PA)

THINGS WE LOVED

• What should we do with old and disused phone boxes around Ireland? One option currently being explored in Britain is to use them as informal libraries or book exchange points. Here’s a nostalgia-inducing gallery of old telephone kiosks around Ireland.
• The Guardian’s Oliver Burkeman has been taking a look into why the prospect of living in a tiny home is so strangely compelling – and there’s a suitably cute and cosy gallery to match.
• This meercat enjoyed taking a load off to soak up some sun and contemplate life at the zoo in Duisburg, Germany as temperatures rose above 30° C. Nice. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner/PA Photos)

THINGS WE SHARED

• Ever watched Star Wars and wished you too could use ‘the Force’? Happily, Mashable has found a new product called The Force Glove which promises to do just that. (Well, it uses magnets, but it’s a start…)
• It’s one of the more abused keys on the board, but what do you really know about the history of caps lock? Daily Infographic has this convenient visual guide to the caps lock’s past. You may be surprised to learn that the most-capped word on Twitter is not a swearword – and that there’s an International Caps Lock Day.
• This new Volvo ad featuring a tightrope walker crossing a line between two moving trucks as they speed towards separate tunnels is equal parts crazy and nerve-racking – definitely don’t try this at home:

YouTube credit: VolvoTrucks

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