Female North Korean traffic police officers gather in front of bronze statues of the late leaders Kim Il Sung and Kim Jong Il to pay their respects in Pyongyang, North Korea today. North Koreans turned out to commemorate what would have been the 71th birthday of Kim Jong Il who died on December 17, 2011. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder)

THINGS WE LEARNED

#MAGDALENES Magdalene survivors met with Taoiseach Enda Kenny today. After their meeting, they said that they anticipated an apology from him on behalf of the State next Tuesday, when the Dáil will debate the issue. A vigil will take place that same night outside Dáil Eireann, organised by the Justice for Magdalenes group.

#PROTEST A protest took place outside the Camden Court Hotel in Dublin today against comments made by Donegal Councillor Sean McEniff. The protestors were critical of comments he made about Travellers, where he said they should be housed away from settled communities.

#HORSEMEAT The investigation into the horsemeat scandal has been focusing on a Naas company, QK Cold Stores, which said that beef trimmings it imported from Poland were positive for equine DNA – but none of the consignments in question were released onto the market. Meanwhile, Greencore, whose CEO is Patrick Coveney, brother of Agriculture Minister Simon Coveney, has said that Asda bolognese sauce made using its products contained 4.8 per cent equine DNA.

#PISTORIUS Oscar Pistorius is “numb with shock as well as grief”, his uncle Arnold Pistorius said today. He made the comments to media from his home in Pretoria, capital of South Africa. Pistorius’s family came out strongly against prosecutors seeking to upgrade the charge against the Olympic athlete to premeditated murder of his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. A reality show featuring the late Steenkamp will be broadcast tonight on television.

#MURDER A 40-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Stephen Davidson, who was found dead at his home in Bangor last weekend. The accused appeared before court this afternoon. It is believed Davidson lived alone in the house where he was killed, but it is not known if he let his attackers into the house.

A model wears a design by Jasper Conran, during the autumn/ winter 2013 catwalk show as part of London Fashion Week at Somerset House, London. Pic: Matt Crossick/Matt Crossick/Empics Entertainment

THINGS WE LOVED

• These incredible photographs of Afghanistan in the 1960s – before the American invasion, Russian war and Marxist revolution - just have to be seen.
• An eye clinic in Kenya set up by three female doctors is helping to change lives – and as BBC News shows, they have big plans for the future.
• Legendary director David Lynch talks to the Los Angeles review of Books about his favourite photographs. Fascinating:

(LARBeditorial/YouTube)

THINGS WE SHARED

• Want to visit some off-the-beaten-track locations in Ireland? Here are five you just have to visit.
• Have you ever seen the 80s/90s show Love Connection? Nope, us neither. But we’re really intrigued after reading this Buzzfeed piece about the 14 things it can teach you about humanity…  “She’s got the personality of a fork.”
• This video of a sloth that fell into a boat has been doing the rounds – we love how this fella dries himself in the wind:

(patrick verreth/YouTube)

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