A protester in the background clashes with riot police as a trade union member tries to calm other demonstrators during a 24-hour general strike in  Athens today. (Photo: AP Photo/Nikolas Giakoumidis)

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

THINGS WE LEARNED

#MISSING: The family of missing Irish woman Catherine Gowing have appealed to the local community in North Wales to help locate her. Police today released new footage of the last known signing of Catherine at an Asda supermarket on Friday evening.

#SEXUAL ASSAULT: Judges need guidelines for sexual assault sentencing, the chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre said today. Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop highlighted two recent cases where men received suspended or partly suspended sentences and were instead ordered to pay compensation to the victim.

#CENSUS 2011: Just over 84 per cent of the population now classes itself as Catholic, according to CSO figures from last year’s census – the lowest percentage since records began. The census also found that the number of people who claimed no religion has increased fourfold over the past twenty years.

#NORTHERN IRELAND: Police in Northern Ireland are investigating after the body of a newborn baby girl was found in a car in east Belfast. A post mortem has been carried out and PSNI officers are making enquiries with the family of the infant.

#SHOOTING: Two men have been arrested by Gardaí investigating the shooting dead of Real IRA member Alan Ryan in September. the men are being detained at Coolock Garda Station and can be held for seven days.

#MONEY MONEY MONEY: More than 1,700 bankers at state-supported banks are earning more than €100,000, according to new figures.

#ABORTION: Between 200 and 300 people turned out to protest the opening of a Marie Stopes clinic which will provide medical abortions in Belfast today.

THINGS WE LOVED

• Modern life can be tough. Here’s 99 life hacks to make your life easier.
• Thinking about having a kid? Take this simple test to find out if you’re prepared. Warning: may put you off having children for life.
• These photos, clearly taken during the brief 30 seconds of sunshine in Dublin today, show dancers from the Moscow Ballet on the banks of the Grand Canal practising their moves ahead of their production of Swan Lake, which opens tonight in Drogheda. Our favourite thing about them, aside from the impressive moves, is the look on the faces of the little kid dancers in the second pic:

(Photos: Julien Behal/PA Wire)

THINGS WE SHARED

• Eminem has turned 40, Kelly Clarkson is releasing a greatest hits album, and your jeans have gotten skinnier – it’s 19 things that prove the 00s are over.
• This base jumper somehow managed to survive when his equipment malfunctioned. Wait for the OH MY GOD moment.
• This German guy decided to literally break the ice on a frozen pool. That was his plan, at least. Cue schadenfreude:

(Video: MrRobcalifornia/YouTube)

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