It reads less like a reform bill and more like a blueprint for an authoritarian state. If enacted in its current form, it will drive a coach and four through the protections that journalists and whistleblowers have relied upon to speak truth to power. “This Bill enables the State to trawl through journalistic materials under the guise of oversight. “Instead of building in higher safeguards, this Government is effectively trying to legislate around the judiciary’s defence of press freedom,” he said. “We have an opportunity to show leadership; or we can slide further down the path of soft authoritarianism.

If I wanted freedom to make the most of life in Hanoi, the phone would give them comfort. I managed phone-less back in Ireland until about the age of 19. Messages were efficient, and I’d kick myself for accidentally going into a second message and eating away at my credit. Still now, living minutes apart, we check in on each other several times a day by text, with, I estimate, a hundred thousand messages having been exchanged between us. When I open the phone to a message about a jacket in lost and found, I see that Gemma is typing.

Meanwhile, the monthly unemployment rate continues to rise for young people aged between 15 and 24, with the youth unemployment rate climbing to 14%, up from a revised rate of 13.7% in the previous November. The youth unemployment rate has increased every month since May 2025, and on an annual basis, has risen from just 11.8%. Almost 8,000 more young people are now unemployed compared to December 2024, figures from the CSO show. For those aged 25 and over, the monthly unemployment rate was unchanged from the previous month at 3.8%. "As previously pointed out, it was predicted that the unemployment rate would increase to close to 5% by the end of 2025 before steadying.

It might be simplistic to draw a straight line between the emergence of generative artificial intelligence and the slowdown in graduate recruitment, but the latter has sent a shiver down spines. KPMG in the UK has slashed graduate recruitment by 33 per cent, while Deloitte has reduced its graduate hiring programme by 18 per cent. James Reed, chair of Reed, one of the world’s largest family-run recruitment firms, is pessimistic. But, almost by definition, anyone who holds on to their job in the coming AI “utopia” will not need AI for their job. It is hard to see the professional classes of south Co Dublin marching on data centres in west Dublin and burning them to the ground.

Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei, is reported to have set a distinction between “protesters” whose demands were “fair” and “rioters” who must be put in their place. Despite the rapid spread of the protests, opinion is divided on the extent of the threat that it poses to regime stability. The supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, is 87 years old and in poor health, leading to widespread speculation over succession. Speculation ranges from hardline figures such as Khamenei’s son Mojtaba to the more reformist Hassan Khomeini, grandson of Iran’s first supreme leader, Ruhollah Khomeini. [ After US captures Nicolás Maduro, could Iran’s supreme leader be next?Opens in new window ]There is also some speculation that the next leader may not be a religious figure.

Photograph: Alan BetsonThe number of people entering homeless services after leaving direct provision has surged since the pandemic, according to a confidential paper circulated to senior ministers and officials. The paper, which the Local Government Management Agency drew up, shows that 16 per cent of all new presentations to emergency accommodation services are coming from settings including direct provision, prisons, psychiatric care, substance abuse treatment, hospitals or HSE childcare services. However, the growth has been less pronounced from these areas than from direct provision, an issue which homelessness campaigners say they have been warning of to no avail. He said solutions should be developed, such as charging those remaining in direct provision a rent if they had to stay for a longer period, or for local authorities to purchase some of the direct provision housing stock and convert it into homelessness accommodation. He said the problem of people leaving direct provision and ending up homeless was “entirely predictable”, as was their difficulty in sourcing housing.

STEUBENVILLE — The Sycamore Youth Center welcomed Ohio Valley residents for an evening of traditional music as Faire May performed on Friday. Faire May is a Wheeling-based folk music group comprised of Zac Gordon, Jariel Henthorn and Jacob Coughlan. Gordon and Henthorn serve as service choir directors and folk dance instructors at the Sycamore Youth Center. “Sycamore was thrilled to host Faire May and open our doors to the community for this special evening,” stated Bobbyjon Bauman, executive director of the Sycamore center. Details on programs and events at the Sycamore Youth Center can be found by visiting SycamoreCenter.com.

Premier League: West Ham 1 Nottingham Forest 2A defeat by West Ham ended up costing Nuno Espirito Santo his job as Nottingham Forest manager in August. Had third-bottom West Ham won they would have been just a point behind Forest, who might have lost patience with Sean Dyche after five straight defeats. That run stopped at four however and it is West Ham, win-less in 10 now, staring down the barrel of a seven-point chasm. It all went wrong for him in August however - and for West Ham, then in the last days of Graham Potter's tenure. West Ham sent on their other new attacking recruit, the Brazilian Pablo, in the hope of regaining the lead but he was off target with his first attempt.

Photograph: Chris MaddaloniIt is a “good thing” that Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro is gone from power, Simon Harris has said – while stating that his capture by the United States is “complex when it comes to international law”. Mr Harris was asked if he agreed with Mr Sánchez’s position during a press conference on 2025 exchequer returns. He’s a brutal dictator who had no democratic legitimacy.”Mr Harris said Mr Maduro “resoundingly” lost an election in 2024 and he was “bringing pain and misery to his people”. Charges against Mr Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in the US include “narco-terrorism”, drug trafficking and money laundering. He also referred to the charges against Mr Maduro, which the “courts will determine”, adding “that’s why I think it’s complex”.

Total of 30 patients on trolleys in PortiunculaA total of 30 patients are on trolleys in Portiuncula today, Wednesday, January 7, according to today’s INMO Trolley Watch. This includes 10 patients waiting on beds in the Emergency Department, and a further 20 patients waiting on beds in the wards of the hospital. Across the country, a total of 670 admitted patients are waiting for beds this morning. Of those, 419 patients are waiting in the emergency department, while 251 are in wards elsewhere in the hospital.

Fall in number of people approved for mortgages as banks blame shortage of homes to buyThere was a drop of 11pc in November compared with the previous monthFall in number of people approved for mortgages as banks blame shortage of homes to buyCharlie Weston Today at 06:30A shortage of homes for sale has been blamed for a fall in the number of people approved to take out a mortgage in November.

Mullooly outlined that the parliamentary vote is decisive: MEPs must either approve or reject the agreement, and there is no automatic outcome assumed at this stage. The MEP said the upcoming vote represents one of the most significant trade decisions facing Irish representatives in recent years, with far-reaching implications for Irish agriculture, food standards and rural communities. “In two weeks’ time, Irish MEPs will be asked to take a clear position on Mercosur,” Mullooly said. It raises real questions about fairness, standards and the future of Irish farming. Those concerns should be heard and considered before Parliament is asked to decide.”

Man Utd is rotten from the top down - Ruben Amorim's puppet masters are to blame for this messManchester United is not a quick fix - and those who make all the wrong decisions behind the scenes should be held accountable. That burden that comes with managing a team which belongs to one of the most dysfunctional football clubs on the planet. View 2 Images Ruben Amorim was sacked on Monday (Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA, Getty Images)‌Solskjaer had his chance to manage United and wasn't good enough. Amorim wasn't sacked because of results, like losing at Grimsby Town or failing to beat Wolves and West Ham. He was sacked after refusing to become a puppet for Wilcox, Berrada and Ratcliffe.

Brian Lande, head of mortgages at Avant Money. Picture by Jason ClarkeFast-growing Avant Money has put it up to its larger rivals with mortgage rate cuts and a doubling of the cash it gives back to borrowers. “Avant Money in the first week of the year is setting out its intention to grow its market share with these changes. Avant Money is part of Bankinter, one of Europe’s leading banking groups. Avant Money offers a growing range of financial products in Ireland, including credit cards, personal loans, and residential mortgages.

Met Éireann have issued snow and rain warnings for Cork, Kerry, Waterford and Wexford. The warnings come as Storm Goretti tracks over the UK and Europe, only narrowly avoiding Ireland. The countries most likely to take a hit from Goretti’s wintry showers are further east of Ireland, including the UK and other areas of Europe. Met Éireann meteorologist Holly O’Neill said that, while Ireland will avoid the worst of the conditions brought by Storm Goretti, there remains a degree of uncertainty. As Storm Goretti tracks over the UK and Europe tomorrow, wintry falls will lands in the southern counties, while northern counties will remain drier with just coastal showers.