Yiying Xing and Wenna Wang of China dive during the women’s synchronized 10-metre platform final, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Chinese team won a gold medal. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

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

THINGS WE LEARNED

#SAVITA Minister for Health, James Reilly, met with Praveen Halappanavar in Galway today in what was the first contact between the Government and Mr Halappanavar. The Department of Health said the Minister “listened very carefully to the concerns expressed by Mr Halappanavar”. Meanwhile, HIQA has said it will investigate the death of Savita, who died in late October.

#ABORTION The Data Protection Commissioner said it has received around 300 complaints about automated calls made to Irish people about abortion laws here. A spokesperson from the DPC said it appears the calls may be coming from outside the jurisdiction, as though it shut down a Dublin number yesterday, the calls continue to be received.

#EU BUDGET The EU budget summit ended today without a deal being made. The European Council said that “we should be able to bridge existing divergences of views” following the talks. The talks are on the bloc’s long-term budget.

#MICHAELA MCAREAVEY The family of Michaela McAreavey, who was murdered on honeymoon in Mauritius last year, is to take a civil case for damages against a Mauritian newspaper that published pictures of Michaela’s dead body.

#GAZA A Palestinian man who was shot dead by Israeli forces near the Gaza border became the first casualty since Hamas and Israel agreed a ceasefire. Nineteen other Palestinians suffered gunshot wounds in the incident.

#FRANCE A French tennis coach was jailed today for raping eight pupils in the 1980s and early 1990s. Regis de Camaret ran a tennis training camp in Saint Tropez. He was sentenced to eight years in prison.

Adrian Copeland, left, measures up 2ft Tiny Tim who will be among the stars of ‘A Christmas Carol’ to be performed at The Ark in Temple Bar on 1, 8, 15 and 22 Dec for ages 8 plus. This adaptation will mark the 200th anniversary of Charles Dickens’ birth, performed by Aaron Monaghan, right, and Bryan Burroughs with a very special puppet playing Tiny Tim, who will be kitted out in a bespoke tailored suit made by Adrian Copeland of the renowned Louis Copeland and Sons. www.ark.ie. Photo: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

THINGS WE LOVED

• In a bad mood? This will cheer you up.
• If you’re feeling a bit down and need to be reminded that sometimes people can be really, really wonderful to each other, just take a look at this.
• We always do a Friday animal slideshow – this week it’s the pretty magical macaque monkeys. Seems like it’s Monkey Friday, as the Guardian has an equally amazing slideshow of incredible mountain gorillas (and their babies) in Uganda and Rwanda.

THINGS WE SHARED

• Why do we use a QWERTY keyboard? Mashable explains. (Did you know it has been this way since 1868?)
• We don’t have Black Friday in Ireland, but in the USA it’s the post-Thanksgiving big sales day… so big, in fact, that people will do anything for a bargain. Watch how this crowd almost knocks over the sales people trying to get some cut-price knickers.

(24chadster/YouTube)