A dog looks over the back of a pew as people take part in a mass at San Anton Church in Madrid, in honor of Saint Anthony, the patron saint of animals. (AP Photo/Daniel Ochoa de Olza)

HERE ARE THE things we learned, loved and shared today.

THINGS WE LEARNED:

#HOSTAGE: An Irish man who was one of a number of hostages being held at a gas field in Algeria has been freed, the Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed. However there are a number of conflicting and unconfirmed reports about the other hostages, with some reports indicating that there have been a large number of fatalities during a military rescue operation.

#HORSE MEAT: Results from the most recent round of tests carried out on meat samples from two processing plants where horse meat was found in beef burgers are expected to be made known later this evening.

#HMV: Representatives from Deloitte Ireland – the receiver to HMV’s Irish operation – are talking to employees of the music store around the country today as staff at two Limerick stores continue to stage a sit-in on the premises saying they are owed wages. Around 300 jobs look set to be lost at HMV’s 16 stores in Ireland.

#NORTHERN IRELAND: Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore pledged to ‘repair the damage done’ as a result of the recent violence in Northern Ireland. He was in Belfast earlier today where he met with Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers, along with the First Minister and Deputy First Minister.

#NURSES: The main nursing union has said that its boycott of the new graduate hiring scheme is working as the HSE has extended the deadline for applications and opened it to a wider group of graduates in a bid to attract more applicants.

#PAY INCREASE: Around 14,000 employees of Dunnes Stores are to receive a pay increase of 3 per cent – the first increase for staff since December 2007 – under a Labour Court agreement made this morning.

#PRIORY HALL: It was revealed today that the ex-residents of Priory Hall will not be liable to pay the upcoming property tax. The news came in response to a Parliamentary Question by Labour TD Aodhán O’Riordáin. They residents are facing yet another hurdle, however, as the management company for the development has been wound-up.

THINGS WE LOVED:

• Ever wondered what an interactive travel map of the Roman Empire would look it? The answer is… very cool.
• This video, harmlessly titled Top 10 Ways to Destroy a Snowman, has made us want it to snow really, really badly. Number three is our favourite. What’s yours?

(Thrash Lab/YouTube)

THINGS WE SHARED:

• Don’t you just hate it when people who are sick and really shouldn’t be in work decide to come in anyway? No? Well then you won’t agree with this so.
• It’s pretty impossible to think of a DeLorean without thinking of the wonderful Back to the Future. That car had everything you could need, from a flux capacitor to doors that opened in an unconventional manner. We never remember it being able to do this, however.

(Terry Barentsen/YouTube)