The 9 at 9: Saturday

GOOD MORNING. HERE are the top stories as the weekend gets underway.

Epstein files

1. The US Justice Department has begun publishing a long-awaited trove of records from investigations into the politically explosive case of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, though many files have been redacted.

Among the material are multiple photographs showing former Democratic president Bill Clinton and other high-profile figures, including Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger, in Epstein’s company.

Joshua V Paul

2. Former world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua knocked out YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul in their controversial Netflix-backed bout in Miami in the early hours of this morning.

The fight at the Kaseya Center had triggered alarm across boxing due to the gulf in physical size and class between England’ two-time former world champion Joshua and Paul, an internet personality who has forged a lucrative career through a handful of novelty boxing contests.

Syria strikes

3. The United States struck more than 70 Islamic State group targets in Syria yesterday in what President Donald Trump described as “very serious retaliation” for an attack that killed three Americans last weekend.

Washington said a lone gunman from the militant group carried out the 13 December attack in Palmyra – home to UNESCO-listed ancient ruins and once controlled by jihadist fighters – that left two US soldiers and a US civilian dead.

Footage

4. The Department of Defence has declined a request from the Labour Party to release footage of the recent drone activity during the visit of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

Minister for Defence Helen McEntee said her department “does not comment on security issues” in response to the Parliamentary Question from Labour TD and Oireachtas Defence Committee member Duncan Smith. 

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HRT

5. Pharmacists are pushing back on the Department of Health’s suggestion that they should determine who is eligible for the free Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT) scheme, amid continuing confusion surrounding the eligibility of trans people.

HRT has been free in Ireland since June, but there are questions within the healthcare system over who qualifies, and whether a person’s reason for taking it affects their eligibility.

Kilgarvan

6. Gardaí have arrested a man as part of an investigation into the death of a man in his 70s who was found unresponsive on a street in Kilgarvan, Co Kerry last July. 

The man, aged in his 60s, was detained at a Garda Station in Co Kerry under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984.

Sport

7. Patrick O’Donovan has said his predecessor Shane Ross set back women’s roles in Irish sport by “around 20 years”. 

O’Donovan said Ross, who was minister for sport between 2016 and 2020, had “trampled all over” a proposal he made about women’s roles in sport governance when he was a junior minister in the department. 

Dropped

8. Bestselling children’s author and comedian David Walliams has been dropped by his publisher, HarperCollins UK, following an investigation into allegations of inappropriate behaviour towards young women.

The investigation reportedly began in 2023 after a junior employee raised concerns about Walliams’ conduct.

According to The Telegraph, some staff were instructed to work in pairs when meeting him and to avoid visiting his home.

Maud Coffey

9. The family of a woman killed by her partne  while he was suffering a relapse of a schizoaffective disorder have spoken about their devastation and disbelief over her violent death at the hands of the “big friendly giant” who loved her.

The family of the deceased also criticised the HSE Mental Health Services who knew that Austin Mangan (53) had not been taking his psychiatric medicine for three months before he killed 41-year-old Maud Coffey.

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