The 9 at 9: Friday

LAST UPDATE | 21 hrs ago

GOOD MORNING. 

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

Compensation

1. In our main story this morning, Patricia Devlin reports that slips, trips and falls have cost Dublin City Council over €18m in personal injury payouts in just three years.

The staggering amount was paid out between 2023 and September 2025 for 950 separate claims, figures obtained by The Journal reveal. In 2024 alone, the city’s council settled over €7.6m in compensation claims for injuries caused by its footpaths.

Crans-Montana

2. Investigators are working to identify the victims of a fire that ripped through a bar in the Swiss Alps town of Crans-Montana, which killed around 40 people and injured about 115 others in the early hours of Thursday morning.

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Housing

3. The typical gap between the initial listed price and the sale price of homes in Ireland has widened to a near-record high of 6.6% – with asking prices now, on average, 41% above their pre-Covid levels and just 10% below their Celtic Tiger peaks. 

Inside the West Bank

4. An Irish solicitor who spent three months in the occupied West Bank alongside a team of volunteers last year spoke to The Journal about how Palestinians live in a two-tiered society there now more than ever. 

Digital access

5. OpenAI, the tech company behind the AI service ChatGPT, has signed a government charter aimed at improving digital inclusion and access to emerging technologies across Ireland.

Under pressure

6. Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro has said he is open to talks with the United States on drug trafficking, oil and migration, following weeks of escalating military pressure from the Trump administration against his government.

Douglas

7. Two men have been charged after gardaí seized a large haul of drugs and cash as part of an operation targeting organised crime in Cork. 

Crystal ball

8. While the unpredictable is sure to happen, there are some big events that will dominate the headlines this year that we are already aware of. Here are the notable Irish news stories to look out for in 2026. 

Just resting my eyes

9. US President Donald Trump has denied falling asleep while attending public meetings and blamed aspirin for large bruises that have been seen on his hand as he sought to combat concerns about his health.

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