January 4: Today’s top stories in 60 seconds

Epstein contacts unsealed
A New York judge has begun to unseal the identities of people linked in court documents to Jeffrey Epstein. Notably included in the unsealed documents, which include almost 1,000 pages of depositions and statements, were former US presidents Bill Clinton and Donald Trump, who have not been accused of any wrongdoing in the case. A woman who has said she was victimised by Epstein said Britain’s Prince Andrew put his hand on her breast at Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse in 2001, according to the documents. More documents are expected to be unsealed or unredacted in the coming days.
RTÉ

Dublin and Cork overdoses
According to chemical testing carried out by the HSE, there was no heroin contained in the batches of drugs behind a series of overdoses in Dublin and Cork late last year, and instead they were almost entirely synthesised in a lab. Instead, they contained nitazenes which were blended in a lab, along with caffeine and paracetamol. Eamon Keenan, national clinical lead for addiction services in the HSE, said the drugs associated with two overdose clusters late last year were nitazenes, a potent and highly risky synthetic opioid, and testing has indicated the batches did not contain any heroin.
thejournal.ie

Donald Trump’s Colorado ballot
Donald Trump has asked the US Supreme Court to overturn a decision to ban him from Colorado’s presidential primary ballot, where it was said last month that he was not fit to be president under the 14th amendment to the US constitution, which prohibits individuals who have engaged in insurrection or rebellion from holding office. The court’s decision was put on hold until January 4 to allow time for an appeal.
Financial Times

Blinken set for Israel visit
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is heading to the Middle East as fears mount that Israel’s war in Gaza will spread across the region, following deadly blasts in Iran and the killing of a Hamas leader in Lebanon. This will be Blinken’s fourth trip to the region since the start of Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza. No details of the itinerary, apart from a stop in Israel, have yet been revealed. The announcement came after at least 95 people were killed and more than 200 wounded in Iran by twin explosions near the grave of a slain Revolutionary Guards general, with Hamas backer Tehran quickly blaming the United States and Israel for the attack.
RTÉ

Antrim murder
Four years since the fatal attack, police in Northern Ireland are renewing an appeal for information about the murder of Glenn Quinn, who was killed in Carrickfergus in 2020. The PSNI is now offering a £40,000 reward to anyone with information that leads to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. The charity Crimestoppers is offering £20,000 of the reward, while a doner who wishes to remain anonymous has offered the rest.
thejournal.ie