THESE ARE THE things you need to know as we round off the day in three easy steps.
THINGS WE LEARNED:
#KATIE TAYLOR: Is an Olympic medalist. However, the colour of that medal is still to be determined. The young Bray woman secured at least a bronze after today’s 26-15 victory over Team GB’s Natasha Jonas. Taylor will fight for silver against Tajikistan’s Mavuna Chorieva in the semi-final on Wednesday afternoon (2pm).
The Olympic Games reveals the highs and lows of sport and, unfortunately, today wasn’t a lucky one for Irish sailor Annalise Murphy who took fourth place in the Laser Radial event.
#LIFE ON MARS? NASA has landed a one-ton rover on the surface of Mars. A culmination of eight years of hard work and “seven minutes of terror”, the astronauts celebrated early this morning when engineer Allen Chen announced, “Touchdown confirmed. We’re safe on Mars.” The Curiosity robot will spend 98 weeks searching for signs of life on the Red Planet.
#SYRIA: As violence continues to escalate in Syria, the country’s Prime Minister Riad Hijab has defected to Jordan, piling even more pressure on president Bashar Assad. Meanwhile, the Russian interior ministry has been the victim of a hoax Twitter message. An imitation account tweeted that Moscow’s ally Assad, and his wife, had been killed in an attack on Syria’s western mountains.
#TEMPLE SHOOTING: The gunman suspected of killing six people at a Sikh temple in Wisconsin was a “frustrated neo-Nazi” who once led a white supremacist punk band, according to reports today. He was also a former US army psychological operations specialist.
#IRISH ABROAD: An Irish man has been arrested in Australia after he was caught on camera kicking a Darwin politician. Footage of the incident, which occurred during a press conference about alcohol-fuelled crime, has been broadcast across the Northern Territory.
Separately, five Irish people have been arrested in Spain following a street fight in the ‘English zone’ of Benidorm.
#CHIVALRY IS DEAD: At sea, that is. A new study into past shipwrecks has revealed that men were more likely to survive as only five of 18 captains issued a ‘women and children first’ order. The only exception? The Titanic.
THINGS WE LOVED:
-This snap of Nelson Mandela after he enjoyed a rare visit and private lunch with the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton at his home in Qunu, South Africa.
The 94-year-old legend, whose ill-health has seen him retire to his rural house and away from the public eye, cracked a smile for the occasion. (Image: Jacquelyn Martin/AP/Press Association Images)
-Although it is US-centric, this New York Times interactive of every medalist ever in the 100 metre dash is compelling viewing as it tracks how men have become three whole seconds faster since 1896.
-The very engaged West Yorkshire Police Dogs Twitter account. And the fact it swaps messages to arrange dates with the WY Police Horses.
THINGS WE SHARED:
-Olympic swimmer and grill wearer Ryan Lochte was probably the most-talked about US Olympian last week (other than Michael Phelps…sorry Ryan). But his Twitter account did win out for providing the most distracting and oddly-entertaining feed. So captivating, it made the Daily Edge’s story list but it turns out we were pipped to the post by NY Mag’s The Cut. And we couldn’t have done it better.
-We’ve been having a look back at what Irish people spent their disposable income on during those so-called boom years. Now that is nostalgia.
-Have you seen the film Taken? Well, this is what would happen if your Dad isn’t Liam Neeson.
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