‘Extreme weather events driven by human-induced climate change continued to disproportionately hit poorer communities in 2025, a group of international scientists found.’ www.rte.ie/news/2026/01...

Pope Leo called for Venezuela to remain an independent nation and said he was following developments after the United States' toppling of President Nicolas Maduro with a "soul full of concern" on Sunday. For @reuters.com:

From the World Bank: Over 900 million children in developing countries do not have access to education, health, housing, nutrition, sanitation, or water. See the latest data: wrld.bg/Kq7e50XyinL #EndChildPoverty @globalcoalition @WorldBank @UNICEF

Let’s hope the payment set is commensurate with costs. www.irishexaminer.com/news/arid-41...

“The forcible capture of a sitting head of state by another country, without a clear mandate from an international court, represents a dramatic departure from established norms of law” ~editorial The Irish News

A wonderful Christian and social justice activist. RIP. 🙏 Sister Brigid Reynolds, co-founder of Social Justice Ireland, has died aged 82 jrnl.ie/6918095

As I constantly teach my students, reading well isn't just understanding what's on the page but what's not on the page (and why). I now have the easiest in-class example I could ever hope for.

Ireland and the EU should be actively shouting about US breaches of international law right now - failure to do so contributes to normalisation of a new era of colonial gangsterism.

America’s pretence of respecting sovereignty in Latin America is over, but the consequences will reach far beyond Venezuela, writes Edmund Heaphy

Pope Leo: “With great concern, I am following the developments in Venezuela. The well-being of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over every other consideration and lead to overcoming violence and embarking on paths of justice and peace, guaranteeing the sovereignty of the Country…

Bombing a sovereign nation and kidnapping the President is the behaviour of a cowboy state. The United States’ attack on Venezuela is illegal — and it is utterly shameful that the UK government refuses to condemn this reckless act of war.

‘When the Taliban came, I lost everything. I found Ireland like paradise’ www.irishtimes.com/life-style/p...

At least some countries and politicians have principles and courage.

‘The pretence of respecting sovereignty in Latin America is over, and the post-Iraq consensus died with it’. www.rte.ie/news/analysi...

Amidst the darkness, two lights shine brightly. Happy 23rd birthday, Greta!

And so it continues.

The future of Gaza: Should Ireland contribute troops to the proposed Gaza Stabilisation Force? jrnl.ie/6914899

JOINT STATEMENT: Over 50 international humanitarian organisations warn that Israel’s new registration measures threaten to halt aid operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. READ: oxfam.org/en/letters-and…

‘Peace does not drive procurement cycles or justify emergency budgets or fast -tracked contracts’.

"This bread that you have set aside is the bread of the hungry...those riches that you have hoarded belong to the poor." #SaintBasilTheGreat #LiveTheGospel #RememberThePoor

Let’s build on those movements that are advocating for greater equality in society.

Still some way to go to become an inclusive society.

"When war becomes the baseline — not only in policy, but in our imagination — something in us has already broken." #MakePeace #PrayForPeace #PrayForAmerica www.ncronline.org/opinion/edit...

2025 took a toll on the world’s journalists. "Worldwide, the 126 media industry people killed in 2025 by early December matched the number of deaths in all of 2024.... The [CPJ] estimates there are at least 323 journalists imprisoned worldwide." www.courthousenews.com/a-rough-year...

Yes.

“The most important challenge in 2026 will be the protection of human rights and human rights defenders.” ~Andrée Murphy @ATownNews

An adequate Cost-of-Disability Payment is essential as are targeted supports for low income households. www.irishexaminer.com/news/politic...

From Peter Oborne’s book, Complicit, on Britain's role in the destruction of Gaza.

Great to see this.

Ireland must encourage larger families and higher migration as birth rates fall, report warns www.irishtimes.com/ireland/soci...

I’m planning on being there.

Inside the West Bank: Life under Israeli occupation is cruel and violent jrnl.ie/6911841

‘Personal loneliness, isolation and exhaustion have to be cast to one side, as they prioritise catering for the needs of others. That is why the State must come good on commitments it has made to the sector.’ www.independent.ie/opinion/edit...

A nice reflection on Jimmy Carter, whose first anniversary occurred yesterday. Life is indeed a journey: his post-presidential years were consequential.

‘We want to live in a new Ireland’.

Meanwhile over 300,000 households are in arrears on their electricity bill.

Exclusive: Spinal surgeries for children ‘not sufficient’ to meet demand documents reveal @thenewshughes.bsky.social

Ireland has one of the lowest rates of employment among disabled people in Europe - Kitty Holland

‘ …sectarianism…. was deliberately manufactured, institutionalised and exploited by the British State to maintain control and obscure a dirty counter-insurgency war’.

During Christmas, homilies frequently link the vulnerability of the Holy Family with the need for closeness to poor, marginalised people. That message is made credible by those who 𝙥𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙚 what others merely preach! 𝐏𝐨𝐩𝐞 𝐅𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐬: "𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐈 𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐨𝐫".

How effective is protesting? According to historians and political scientists: very www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025...