A young Bangladeshi boy walks past aluminum buckets displayed for sale on a street in Dhaka. The buckets are kept for use in case of fire at garment factories. (Image: A.M. Ahad/AP/Press Association Images)

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

THINGS WE LEARNED

#HORROR STORY: The boyfriend of the young Delhi student who lost her life after a savage gang-rape last month has spoken about his ordeal. In an interview with AFP, he said he tried to fight against the attackers and later “begged them again and again to leave her”.

#REVENUE: There were 25 convictions for serious tax evasion in 2012, according to figures released by Revenue this evening.

#HEALTH SERVICE: The HSE has taken control of Mullross Nursing Home in Leitrim after HIQA cancelled the provider’s registration.

#RIP: A 65-year-old Irish man died on a Ryanair plane flying from Portugal to Dublin this morning. While on board, he received medical attention for what was believed to be a heart attack but passed away suddenly.

#JOBSWATCH: In some more bad news today, Johnson Brothers announced plans to make 83 of its Dublin employees redundant.

#DO NOT PUBLISH: This previously unseen press photo of a young Princess Diana in the 1980s is coming up for auction in the US later this month. The minimum bid is $200 but the intriguing image is expected to be sold for much more.

Image: RR Auctions

THINGS WE LOVED

• Our readers. Especially when they share their amazing images of Ireland with us. Such as this from Darren Ryan, this from Robin Blandford and this sunset at Booterstown Marsh from Orla O’Grady.

• The ‘Buy a House Board Game’ from the very first edition of Slate magazine in December 2000 seems to predict the property crash and the subsequent mortgage arrears crisis.

(H/T Peter Connolly and BrandNewRetro.ie)

• The Fug Girls take on the Beyoncé/Jay-Z/Kimye friendship. Gas.

THINGS WE SHARED

• The winners of the prestigious National Geographic Photo Contest 2012 were announced today, with this image called Tender Moment getting the nod from viewers in the Nature category. The photographer’s caption reads:

Everyday in mara starts with something new and different and day ends with memorable experiences with spectacular photographs. I was very lucky of sighting and photographing Malaika the name of female Cheetah and her cub. she is well known for its habit to jump on vehicles. She learned that from her mother Kike, and Kike from her mother Amber. Like her mother she is teaching lessons to her cub. Teaching lessons means addition of another moment for tourist. This is one of the tender moment between Malaika and her cub. I was very lucky to capture that moment. (© Photo and caption by Sanjeev Bhor/National Geographic Photo Contest)

• Solicitor Simon McGarr’s column for TheJournal.ie about the National Newspapers Of Ireland’s position that they own rights in links to websites garnered much attention here and overseas today. Responding to the controversy, the representative body said it has no objections to newspaper content being linked to for personal use but reiterated its suggestion that links to Irish newspapers are a breach of copyright.
• We are so disappointed we didn’t get a Tailly for Christmas. So disappointed. D’ya hear that Santa?

(YouTube Credit: Shota Ishiwatari)