Wednesday’s Top Stories: Hottest year takes world close to 1.5-degree threshold; man sleeping rough dies in Dublin

Hottest year in Ireland and rest of world could be surpassed again as El Nino peaks

Last year broke the record for the hottest year on record by a huge margin, providing “dramatic testimony” of how much warmer and more dangerous today’s climate is from the cooler one in which human civilisation developed, according to leading climate scientists.

2023 shattered the previous global temperature record by almost two-tenths of a degree – the largest jump ever observed. The planet was 1.48 degrees hotter in 2023 compared with the period before mass burning of fossil fuels and other polluting activities ignited the climate crisis, Copernicus Climate Change Service (CCCS) said on Tuesday.

The figure is very close to the critical 1.5-degree temperature target of the 2015 Paris Agreement, though the global average temperature would need to be consistently above 1.5 degrees for the target to be considered broken.

Top News Stories

• Former judge convicted of sex assaults still eligible for his pension: Gerard O’Brien, a former Circuit Court judge who has been convicted of sexually assaulting six males, is still eligible for his judge’s pension.
• Man sleeping rough dies in Dublin city centre: The body of a man who had been sleeping rough has been found in Dublin city centre.
• Children and adults should take Vitamin D supplements up to St Patrick’s Day, Department of Health says: Children and adults should take vitamin D supplements throughout the winter, up to St Patrick’s Day, the Department of Health has advised.
• Proportion of single men among asylum seekers fell sharply in final weeks of 2023: The proportion of single men among asylum seekers arriving in Ireland declined sharply in the final weeks of last year as the State ran out of capacity to offer beds to this cohort of migrants.
• ‘Higher levels of antisocial behaviour and truancy’ among students in fee-charging schools: Levels of antisocial behaviour and truancy are higher among students in fee-charging secondary schools in Ireland compared with those attending other schools, according to research.
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News from around the World

• US and UK forces ‘shoot down’ barrage of Houthi missiles, drones in Red Sea: US and UK forces shot down 21 drones and missiles fired by Yemen-based Houthis on Tuesday into the Southern Red Sea towards international shipping lanes, the US military said.

The Big Read

• Make your money work harder for you in 2024: As far as months go January has an unshakeable bang of Lent off it. The previous festive period was for indulging ourselves physically and financially.

The best from Opinion

• Kathy Sheridan: Demonisation of single, migrant men has bounced from far-right into the mainstream
• Michael McDowell: If it’s not broke, don’t fix it: voting No is wisest option in upcoming blindman’s buff referendums
• Maeve O’Rourke: Ireland could and should join South Africa’s genocide case against Israel

Today's Business

• Probate office delays will impact housing supply, says Lisney: Sales of second-hand homes will continue to be affected by lengthy delays in the Probate Office this year, impacting the supply of properties to the market during the normally busy spring selling season, estate agent Lisney has warned.

Top Sports news

• Gordon D’Arcy: Schools system seems to be coaching the flair out of Leinster’s backs: For the first time in a long time Leinster’s squad depth looks ill equipped to manage the twin-track approach of Champions Cup and URC as they pursue their quest for their first silverware since 2021.

Martyn Turner

Culture and Life & Style Highlights

• Rosita Boland: Anyone who thinks that TikTok is only for the young is totally wrong: TikTok. I confess, I am obsessed. I was never one for Facebook. Twitter was fun until it wasn’t, and since Your Man bought it, I’ve scarcely engaged. Instagram didn’t interest me either. But TikTok. Ob-sessed.

Video & Podcast Highlights

• In the News: Is the West retreating from the Ukrainian cause?

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