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The Evening Fix... now with added surprise photobomber

Here are the things we learned, loved and shared today.

A traditional Mexican Indian dancer waits for the arrival of China’s President Xi Jinping, and his wife near the Mayan ruins of Chichen Itza, southern Mexico, Thursday, June 6, 2013. The Chinese first couple toured the Mayan ruins on the final day of their three-day visit with Mexico’s President Enrique Pena Nieto and his wife. (AP Photo/Eduardo Verdugo)

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

THINGS WE LEARNED:

#PRISONS: A report by the visiting committee at Cork Prison has expressed concern at the levels of overcrowding at the facility which it described as “constant and unacceptable”. The committee noted that, while prisoner numbers have decreased in the past year, it is not conductive to active rehabilitation – and criticised the “archaic and Dickensian conditions” in some parts of the prison.

#ABUSE: Tony Walsh, a former priest who is currently serving a 16-year-old prison sentence for the sexual abuse of nine boys during the 1970s and 1980s, has been sentenced to an additional 15 months in prison for the sexual abuse of two further children, according to RTE.

#ABORTION: The body responsible for overseeing the implementation of rulings of the European Court of Human Rights has expressed its approval of Ireland’s plans to legislate for abortion in limited circumstances. The Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers has said it welcomes the publication of the heads of the Protection of Life in Pregnancy Bill, which is currently being finalised after a series of Oireachtas hearings to scrutinise the legislation.

#SECRET DATA: The UK’s national surveillance agency has had ‘back door’ access to data harvested by the United States’ intelligence agency for the past three years, according to a new report. GCHQ, Britain’s national electronic surveillance and security body, has access to the US’s PRISM network which was yesterday exposed as having access to data collected by companies like Microsoft, Yahoo, Facebook, Google and Apple.

#CHINA: At least 42 people have died after fire engulfed a bus in minutes during rush hour in the Chinese city of Xiamen – the country’s deadliest road accident in recent years. Some online reports said about 100 people were on the bus, which was on fire for 10 minutes before it was destroyed by a series of explosions.

Broadcaster George Hook recalls the part he played in the visit of JFK to Ireland – when he and his friends got to drive Secret Service men around the country.

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THINGS WE LOVED:

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THINGS WE SHARED:

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