What the papers say: Saturday's front pages
Ottoline Spearman
A variety of politics, crime, and international stories dominate the headlines on the first Saturday morning of 2026.
The Irish Times leads with a tanker that is on course for Irish waters. The tanker is being pursued by the US military as part of the Trump administration’s targeting of Venezuelan oil. It's set to be a cold, wintry weekend, with weather warnings in place across the whole of Ireland. And more than one in five vape shops tested by the HSE were found to be selling highly addictive vapes to children despite a ban on sales to under-18s since 2023.
Short-term lets are mostly empty, with occupancy rates dropping to as low as 4 per cent across the country, reports the Irish Examiner. And a child waiting for spinal surgery is facing his second year on a waiting list despite being cleared for his operation a year ago.
The Echo covers a court case where a father of two, charged in connection with an €800,000 cash and drugs seizure, told the court he had transported €1 million worth of drugs in each of the three trips he made from Dublin to Cork.
The Irish Independent reports on the plan to introduce a new law, under which drivers will face extra points depending on how much they speed. This comes as road deaths reached 190 this year.
Communications Minister Patrick O'Donovan has told the Irish Daily Mail of his plans to introduce new age verification for social media companies later this year, in an attempt to protect children from online harm.
The Irish Daily Star leads with Paul Mescal saying he will ration his workload to avoid ending up hating his job.
The Irish Daily Mirror leads with the New Year's Day fire at a Swiss ski resort, with families waiting for news of their loved ones.
The Herald's splash looks at how the number of bins on Dublin's streets has fallen since the beginning of 2024.
And finally, the Belfast Telegraph covers the resignation of UUP leader Mike Nesbitt as the party prepares for a leadership contest in the coming weeks.
