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The 9 at 9 Climate goals, penalty points, and a chilly start to 2023.

GOOD MORNING.

Here’s all the news you need to know as you start your day.

Climate action

1. In our lead story this morning, Lauren Boland reports how the pressure is on the coalition government to deliver on climate pledges in the new year, after a mixed bag of successes in 2022.

At the final Cabinet meeting of the year, ministers signed off on the publication of the Climate Action Plan 2023, the first of the annual plans to be released since the introduction of legally-binding carbon budgets and sectoral limits during the summer.

However, experts say the progress made is not yet at a pace that is sufficient to match the level of change that must happen to reduce emissions and help to prevent the climate crisis from worsening.

Covid surge

2. The World Health Organisation has held a “high-level meeting” with Chinese officials on the current surge in Covid cases in the country, stressing the importance of sharing real-time data on the rising cases.

The WHO also invited Chinese scientists to present detailed data on viral sequencing at a meeting of the Technical Advisory Group on the evolution of the virus on 3 January.

Penalty points

3. New figures reveal a slight rise in the number of people with penalty points on their license in Ireland.

Data released by the Road Safety Authority shows that a total of 543,089 people had points on their licences on 30 September 2022, up from 540,174 people the year previous.

The highest numbers were seen in some of the most highly populated areas of the country – Dublin (115,960 people) , followed by Cork (59,452) and Galway (28,874).

Ireland in the EU

4. Tánaiste Michéal Martin has penned a piece for The Journal to mark 50 years since Ireland joined the European Communities, the body that would later become the European Union.

“This event was the catalyst for a remarkable transformation of our nation,” he writes.

“Progress has been neither linear nor constant, but it has been profound and indisputable: We are living more than a decade longer than we did in 1973, we are far better educated at all levels and we have access to vast opportunities to get jobs across many sectors. There is, however, no room for complacency.”

Brazil

5. Brazil’s outgoing president, Jair Bolsonaro, who has not acknowledged his electoral defeat, has left the country two days before his successor’s inauguration and shortly after bidding his followers a tearful farewell.

This means he will miss Sunday’s swearing-in ceremony and will not transfer the presidential sash to leftist president-elect Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, as is the tradition.

Winter viruses

6. The HSE remains ‘significantly concerned’ over the continued rise in flu cases in Ireland, The Irish Times reports.

Chief clinical officer Colm Henry told the paper that there is no indication of when cases of the virus will peak, describing it as an ‘exceptional year’.

It comes after a warning yesterday that urgent care services in Ireland are facing never-seen-before demand.

ABC host

7. Pioneering television journalist Barbara Walters has died at the age of 93, her long-time employer ABC has said.

Walters upended a male-dominated industry as the first woman to anchor an evening news show in the United States.

Gambling laws

8. The Irish Examiner reports on what experts are calling “a big miss” in Ireland’s overhaul of its gambling laws.

A slew of changes have been proposed, such as a ban on advertising between 5.30m and 9pm, but will not introduce ‘affordability checks’ to discern when someone is making losses beyond their means.

New Year weather

9. 2022 is set to close with some unpleasant weather, and 2023 beginning with a chill.

Met Éireann forecasts a mostly cloudy day with patchy rain, drizzle and mist, before further outbreaks of rain develop in southern countries and move northwards. Heavy falls as well as thunder and lightning are possible.

Tomorrow will be “rather chilly”, with heavy rain, hail, and thunder all possibilities – and you might even see a wintry shower overnight.

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    Mute Nakedcleanersireland.com
    Favourite Nakedcleanersireland.com
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    Apr 6th 2020, 9:43 AM

    Has anyone else noticed that since this covid 19 started, that the weather has been amazing, the skies have been clearer and the water taste better

    160
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    Mute Logan Shepherd
    Favourite Logan Shepherd
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    Apr 6th 2020, 10:37 AM

    @Nakedcleanersireland.com: Maybe this is Mother Natures way of putting us back in our box.

    65
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    Mute Sharp Elsi Mate
    Favourite Sharp Elsi Mate
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    Apr 6th 2020, 10:54 AM

    @Nakedcleanersireland.com: How’s business these days?

    29
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    Mute John Jones
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    Apr 6th 2020, 10:57 AM

    @Nakedcleanersireland.com: Amazing weather??? It’s been cold. Lower than the average monthly temperature for March.

    11
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    Mute Francis Devenney
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    Apr 6th 2020, 10:57 AM

    @Nakedcleanersireland.com: Do you think the fact it’s spring might be a factor?

    24
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    Mute Mary Morrisey
    Favourite Mary Morrisey
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    Apr 6th 2020, 11:13 AM

    @Nakedcleanersireland.com: It is the time of year for the weather to be like this. Maybe you’ve been too busy to notice those things before?

    6
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    Mute Mary Morrisey
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    Apr 6th 2020, 11:24 AM

    @Logan Shepherd: I’ve learned I need to slow down and enjoy things more. Career change may be in order after this.

    11
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    Mute John fitzpatrick
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    Apr 6th 2020, 11:27 AM

    @Nakedcleanersireland.com: as a golfer that went out in the bad weather and mud for 5 months, yes I noticed the last 5 weeks.

    4
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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Apr 6th 2020, 12:37 PM

    @Nakedcleanersireland.com: Really ? Lashed rain all day yesterday in the south-east.

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    Mute John kavanagh
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    Apr 6th 2020, 9:04 AM

    17 degrees,, yaaaay if I could only go out it would be great

    52
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    Mute Mary Morrisey
    Favourite Mary Morrisey
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    Apr 6th 2020, 11:16 AM

    @John kavanagh: why can’t you get out?

    16
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    Mute Quiet Goer
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    Apr 6th 2020, 9:18 AM

    Oh dear we will pay for this. Stand by for claims of the hottest April on record, mumbling about carbon tax from Fianma Gael, talk of banning turf and daysul

    43
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    Mute Richard
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    Apr 6th 2020, 10:24 AM

    Think I will dust off the bbq and stock up on a few beers.

    27
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    Mute Justice Mickey
    Favourite Justice Mickey
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    Apr 6th 2020, 10:40 AM

    @Richard:
    Now that sounds like a brilliant plan BBQ in the back garden, good ole bit of craic over the fence with the neighbours while social distancing.
    Gonna give the old BBQ a damn good scrubbing and text the neighbours..
    I’ll raise a glass to you Richard.

    32
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    Mute ThatLJD
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    Apr 6th 2020, 10:44 AM

    @Justice Mickey: we’re still talking about an outdoor charcoal grill type cooking device here right, and not something else? You see where my confusion could’ve come from, you getting all excited, giving something a good scrubbing, messaging the neighbours! Or have I ‘swung’ to the wrong conclusion mate! Either way, enjoy it man!

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    Mute Justice Mickey
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    Apr 6th 2020, 11:07 AM

    @ThatLJD:
    Hahaha, that’s 2 flipping great ideas on the same thread …
    *looking for my drill*

    6
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    Mute Jim Sullivan
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    Apr 6th 2020, 11:48 AM

    @Justice Give the old drill a cleaning as well.

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    Mute Matthew O'Kane ☘️✊
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    Apr 6th 2020, 9:04 AM

    Sounds like my drinking habits

    16
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    Mute John Judd
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    Apr 6th 2020, 10:49 AM

    Biggest drop in Co2 emmissions since WW2, I have noticed bright sunny skies colder nights with less cloud coverage , maybe the climate change deniers can now stay quiet given that there is actual evidence to prove fewer car journeys, flights , indutries closing etc actial makes a difference .
    https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2020/0403/1128226-fall-in-co2-emissions-could-be-greatest-since-ww2/

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    Mute Mary Morrisey
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    Apr 6th 2020, 11:19 AM

    @John Judd: No one denies climate change, only the affect humans have on it.

    14
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    Mute Em Gee
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    Apr 6th 2020, 11:02 AM

    Great. I might be able to leave the heating off for a bit longer and light the stove a bit later. It has been really cold this spring, I’m still wearing thermals and ski mid-layers indoors.

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    Mute Dara O'Brien
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    Apr 6th 2020, 12:04 PM

    Beautiful weather for a run along the river this morning. Definitely time for the BBQ and I’ll try out my first batch of home brew cider while I’m at it – May as well, not much else to do at the moment I guess.

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    Mute Ger
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    Apr 6th 2020, 11:35 AM

    FFS

    4
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    Mute The Great Cornholio
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    Apr 6th 2020, 10:39 AM

    throw on your shorts…

    4
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    Mute Mary Morrisey
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    Apr 6th 2020, 11:21 AM

    @The Great Cornholio: here’s hoping lose wind levels will allow us to feel that glorious warmth.

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    Mute Maximilian Wilde
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    Apr 6th 2020, 11:48 AM

    But, the weather is only sunny and nice 4km from my house at any given time. I can’t go more than 2km from my house. :)

    2
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