The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals dissolved an order by a different 9th Circuit panel from a week earlier that suspended an injunction issued by a judge who concluded the Democratic-led state's law violated the right of citizens to keep and bear arms under the US Constitution's Second Amendment.

Last week's order had temporarily stayed the injunction and allowed the law to take effect on 1 January.

Gun rights groups then asked the 9th Circuit to reconsider, and yesterday a different panel of judges dissolved the order suspending the injunction.

"So the politicians' ploy to get around the Second Amendment has been stopped for now," CD Michel, a lawyer for the gun rights groups, said in a statement.

California's appeal of the injunction will now be heard in April. The state's attorney general in court papers had argued "tens of millions of Californians will face a heightened risk of gun violence" if the law was blocked.

"This dangerous decision puts the lives of Californians on the line," said Daniel Villaseñor, a spokesperson for Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, who signed the measure into law in September.

The law was enacted after a landmark ruling in June 2022 by the conservative-majority US Supreme Court that expanded gun rights nationwide.

The Supreme Court in that case struck down New York's strict gun permit regime and declared for the first time that the right to keep and bear arms under the Second Amendment protects a person's right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense.

The ruling, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v Bruen, also set out a new test to assess the constitutionality of gun laws by holding they must be "consistent with the nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation."

Martyna

Aon's Global Risk Management Survey gathered insights from 2,842 respondents across 61 countries, including Ireland, to identify their most-pressing business challenges.

The study found that 94% of firms in Ireland have a formal plan or are reviewing processes to mitigate against cyber risk.

Amid the current tight labour market, failure to attract or retain top talent has risen eight places from the last survey in 2021 to number five in the top risks identified by businesses in Ireland.

The risk posed by climate change has also risen significantly for Irish firms, up 21 places to tenth in the top current risks.

Supply chain or distribution failure has risen to number three in the current risks facing companies in Ireland.

"The world is more volatile with profound changes in trade, technology, weather and workforce issues impacting companies across Ireland," said Rachael Ingle, CEO of Aon Ireland.

"From cyberattacks and geopolitical instability to low growth and a tight labour market, leaders in Ireland face an increasingly complex risk landscape.

"The Global Risk Management Survey published by Aon provides an important insight into the top risks facing firms in Ireland and the actions they’re taking to mitigate against their potential impact," Ms Ingle said.

Anna

• Maldives suspended three of its deputy ministers for posting derogatory comments about Indian prime minister. 

• The remarks triggered a diplomatic row and tourism boycott by its powerful South Asian neighbour. 

• The three ministers called Mr Modi a "clown", "terrorist" and "puppet of Israel" in posts on X/Twitter after Mr Modi shared videos and pictures of himself visiting the Indian island of Lakshadweep to promote local tourism. 

• Without mentioning India by its name, foreign minister Moosa Zameer called the remarks “unacceptable” and said the government is committed to forging positive dialogue with neighbours. 

• The ministers were suspended on Sunday. 

-The British Ambassador to Ireland Paul Johnston issued the letter yesterday evening.

-The UK government's laws are opposed by many victims groups in Northern Ireland and all the main Stormont parties.

-Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said the Government was left with "no option" but to legally challenge the UK government over the Legacy Act.

-He said the "strong" legal advice was that the UK Legacy Act breached the UN Convention on Human Rights.

-Mr Martin said they were taking the case reluctantly after having spent time trying to change the UK government's mind.

The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) confirmed to the PA news agency that a letter had been issued formally registering "profound regret" at the interstate case.

"The Secretary of State, in his letter, repeats his call for the Irish Government to clarify the number of criminal prosecutions brought in Ireland since 1998 relating to Troubles-related cases, and presses the Irish Government more widely to answer questions regarding its own record on tackling legacy issues in its own jurisdiction," the NIO said in a statement.

The letter criticises the timing of the Irish decision, describing it as a "delicate time" in Northern Ireland amid the efforts to restore powersharing at Stormont.

by Julia

-Gypsy Rose Blanchard, the child abuse victim who was convicted of killing her mother, has been released from prison, starting 2024 as a free woman.

-ever since gypsy was born her mother forced her or tricked her into thinking she was very, very sick. Her mother was making her ill and forcing her to undergo unnecessary surgeries and take unnecessary medicine. Gypsy rose spent her childhood in hospitals.

-On the stand, Gypsy Rose Blanchard described how her mother took her to doctors throughout her life to treat her for various conditions, including leukaemia and muscular dystrophy, that she never actually had.

Gypsy Rose detailed how her mother forced her to use both a wheelchair and an oxygen tank although she required neither,

-she was a victim of Munchausen by proxy.

-gypsy rose killed her mother in 2015 and was sentenced 10 years in jail however was grated early release. Gypsy rose spoke out about how she thought that the only way out was to kill her mom.

-“The choice that I made to commit murder was never the right choice,” she told People. “So my mission now is to take what I’ve done and what (my mom) did and make it worth something. So I think it’s really important for me to get out as much awareness about Munchausen by proxy as I can and really try to focus in on mental health.” Gypsy rose said in an interview.

-What Did Gypsy Rose Blanchard Do And Where Is She Now? (today.com)

o A new study has revealed that 37 out of 42 African raptor species analysed have experienced significant population declines of around 88% in the past 40 years

o  

Out of these, 29 species constituting 69% have seen drops over 3 generation lengths that qualify them as globally threatened under IUCN criteria of endangerment.

o The analysis found 6 raptor species endemic or near-endemic to Africa already overshot the minimum threshold of loss of habitat and numbers that signals heightened extinction risk.   

o  There is pressing need to reassess the status of over 10 declining yet currently least-concern species which might be more endangered than categorized.

o Habitat destruction, loss of nesting sites and prey base along with poisoning and hunting have accelerator declines, especially in West Africa’s high poverty, corruption and misgovernance contexts.

Irish-produced film Poor Things wins best comedy as Succession dominates TV awards. 

Cillian Murphey has won the Golden Globe for best actor in a drama at an amusing ceremony in Beverly Hills, California, that saw Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, featuring the Cork actor in the lead role, with its famous rival Barbie. 

 Oppenheimer won the Globes battle comfortably, topping the charts with five awards. Barbie won just two Globes, the same as Poor Things. Lanthimos appeared most happy about meeting a musical idol. “I just wanted to speak to Bruce Springsteen all night,” he said. “We have the same birthday.”  

The so-called Barbenheimer phenomenon that, last summer, pitched the biopic of the father of the atomic bomb against Greta Gerwig’s variation on the fashion doll reverberated throughout the show at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles.” 

 In an upset, Yorgos Lanthimos’s Poor Things, a wild feminist fantasy produced by Dublin’s Element Pictures, beat Barbie to best comedy or musical film. Andrew Lowe and Ed Guiney, members of the Irish film industry, are among the winning producers. Poor Things also won top prize at the Venice Film Festival in September. 

• Ireland generated about 770316 Tonnes of food waste in 2020 with 23 percent of it coming from restaurants and food services. 

• It's much better not to overload somebody's plate but allow them to come back for seconds and there will be a lot less putting food in the bin. 

• He says that every bussiness should look at the amount of waste they have 

• He also said customers should not be able to ask for a box or bag so that they can take the food home from a restaurant. 

• The government has committed to reducing waste by 50 percent by 2030in line with the United Nations sustainable development goals. 

• Ireland remains one of the biggest wasters in the eu when it comes to food. 

 Evie

poverty

Daventry Food Bank reports referrals up by a third

·       Daventry Food Bank in Northamptonshire managed 1,704 cases in 2023 - up from 1,321 the previous year.

·       Its volunteers handed out a total of 60,900 meals, worth about £75,500.

·       In a converted school caretaker's house, volunteers have been sorting through hundreds of tins, packets, and bottles of food to supply to increasing numbers of families struggling to put food on the table.

·       Ms Gee said: "Because of the cost-of-living crisis, we are seeing more and more things that are hitting everyday households in ways that they never expected."

·       The number of children involved in family referrals has broken the 2,000 barrier - up from 1,543 in 2022, a figure which Ms Gee described as "horrific".

·       I chose this article because it relates to the last chapter, since its about family’s seeking help from the food bank because they cannot afford to put food on the table. I see this as a current affair, even though the numbers mentioned are from the past year, because the number of clients is continuously growing.

After severe flooding in south Dublin in October 2011, in which a nurse unfortunately drowned, flood defenses were promised and are finally happening this year. 

Flood risk assessments were ordered for the river Poddle, which flows from Cookstown west of Tallaght into the Liffey in Dublin city center, following the 2011 floods during which the river broke its banks after almost 90mm of rain fell in six hours. More than 1,250 were damaged from the flooding. 

The 2011 flood was the most severe in terms of loss of life and damage to property, with €127 million in estimated damages citywide and €30-€40 million of it attributed to Poddle flooding. ~ by Charley

Dancing with the stars 2024!!!!

https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/tv-radio/review/2024/01/07/dancing-with-the-stars-the-show-returns-to-kick-off-the-new-year-in-whizz-bang-fashion/

As RTÉ has lurched from crisis to crisis, one rare glimmer of light has been the continued popularity of Dancing With The Stars (RTÉ One, Sunday, 6.30pm). Despite fears its chunky budget might condemn it to the chopping block, the show has survived to twirl into 2024, and an enjoyable season opener is full of the traditional sweat and spice.

There’s an early front-runner, too, in Belfast drag queen Blu Hydrangea. To the strains of Icona Pop and Ultra Naté ‘s You’re Free, Hydrangea and pro partner Simone Arena deliver a knock-out cha cha cha that has the judges going wow, wow wow. “Textbook,” swooned Loraine Barry. “Fantastic, loving the hair. Work the hips a bit more – get out of here!” says an exultant Brian Redmond.

Eliminations don’t begin until week three, explain presenters Jennifer Zamparelli and Doireann Garrihy. Opening night is all about celebs and viewers finding their feet. Mercifully brief clips of the 11 contestants meeting their pro partners and pretending to be delighted are followed by that terrifying first dance.

Not all celebrities are created equally; some come to the show with more star power than others. Viewers will have recognised Rosanna Davison, who won Miss World in 2003 and, in her own words, “has been knocking around for the past 20 years”.

There is also a headline performance by retired RTÉ newsreader Eileen Dunne, who dons an emerald dress and shows that sometimes it is easy being green as she performs a waltz that the judges deem full of potential.

Insect eating tropical bird data collected over ten years shows logging is pushing small birds to cooler climates. Larger birds declined in logged forests as they are unsuited to colder locations with less food. Logged forests have fewer insects for birds and with high temperatures and low humidity, habitats turn unusable for birds. Larger birds need more energy and cannot adapt to other forests that do not meet their needs, unlike smaller birds.