Dancers from the Argentinian group Fuerzabruta, perform their act entitled “Mylar” in a translucent pool suspended overhead in Singapore during the Night Festival which showcases international arts performances in the city-state. (AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

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

THINGS WE LEARNED

#RESIGNATION: With the Dáil returning this month it’s about time we had a bit of political news to report and sure enough the Dublin North TD Clare Daly obliged with news of her resignation from the Socialist Party today. The newly-branded United Left Alliance TD says that claims from her former party that she valued her relationship with Mick Wallace more than her work with the party are inaccurate.

#COURTS: A man has appeared at a special sitting of Dundalk Distict Court charged in connection with the murder of his wife. Michael McDonagh appeared in court today accused of the killing his wife Jacqueline McDonagh, 34, at their home in Hoey’s Lane in the early hours of last Wednesday morning.

#BAILOUT: We know there are letters from the European Central Bank’s former president to our former finance minister Brian Lenihan in November 2010 urging Ireland to take a bailout but we do not know the exact content of those letters and that is likely to remain the case. The Department of Finance ruled out publication of the letters today despite the Irish Times publishing further details of correspondence between Jean-Claude Trichet and the late Lenihan in those turbulent weeks leading up to the bailout application.

#THALIDOMIDE: The company which manufactured the controversial drug Thalidomide may have apologised for the first time in 50-years for the drug’s devastating effect on thousands of people who were born with birth defects but the Irish Thalidomide Association has criticised the remarks of manufacturer Gruenenthal as “condescending”.

#JACK THE RIPPER: Could we finally know the identity of one of the most infamous serial killers in history – Jack the Ripper? Two experts on the notorious murder of a number of women in London in the 1880s now believe that the murders were the work of a cart driver from Bethnal Green district. The Telegraph reports on the story of Charles Cross, who has long since died.

THINGS WE LOVED

Picture: David Davies/PA Wire

• Our paralympians have got off to a great start at the games in London with swimmer Darragh McDonald (pictured above earlier this week) producing an impressive display to clinch a gold medal in the 400m Freestyle final and Jason Smyth setting a new world record and clinching gold in the 100m – our third of the games so far.
• Dublin was buzzing today for the Emerald Isle Classic at the Aviva Stadium as the tens of thousands of fans of Notre Dame (aka the Fighting Irish) and the US Naval Academy (aka Navy) watched their sides battle it out. The match report is here and here are some great pictures.
• The first annual Internet Cat Video Film Festival has been taking place in the US, the New York Times reports. Yes you read that correctly, a festival devoted entirely to cat videos. We can think of a few staff members who would love nothing better than to attend next year’s event but they’ll have to move fast as this year’s event in Minneapolis attracted a crowd that was double what organisers expected.

THINGS WE SHARED

• Something to consider if you’re having a few pints tonight: Drinkers take 12 minutes to consume just over half a pint from a straight glass but just seven minutes from a curved one, according to this fascinating Guardian story based on a recent study.
• And if you’re considering bacon for your breakfast tomorrow then perhaps you might be interested in these strange, strange recipes to mark International Bacon Day (which is today, but it’s okay you can just pretend it’s tomorrrow) including a Maple Bacon Latte.
• Finally, in keeping with aforementioned cats, we’re not quite sure what this fella is all about but we do like it enough to share it with you. Meet the feline version of the Batman character Harvey ‘Two-Face’ Dent. This cat has two different shades of a face and two different eye colours but aside from all that it enjoys just hanging out in the sunshine and going viral, obviously:

YouTube: VenusMommy

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