GOOD MORNING. 

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

The greatest

1. Katie Taylor brought the curtain down on her glittering boxing career on Saturday night with a comfortable victory over Flora Pili in Croke Park.

The 40-year-old exhibited hand-speed belying her years, footwork belying the condition of her right calf, and composure belying the magnitude of a historic occasion to create a formality of the fight itself.

Hit-and-run

2. Gardaí are investigating a fatal hit-and-run in which a two-year-old boy was killed in Co Limerick.

The boy has been named locally as Peter Mulcaire, from Abbeycourt, Rathkeale.

Carbon tax

3. Transport and climate minister Darragh O’Brien has said a second deferral of the carbon tax increase is “on the table” in upcoming budget talks.

Speaking as he arrived at the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) annual conference, O’Brien told The Journal said the tax carries a “financial heft” that helps fund retrofit schemes, but he warned the government has to “look at all levers” to keep costs low for the haulage industry and other sectors of the economy.

Armagh

4. In Northern Ireland, a man has been arrested after a viable device was found in Co Armagh.

Police attended a property in the Carrive Road area of Silverbridge shortly after 8.45am on Saturday. 

Jeffrey Donaldson

5. “No relevant information” was identified in a review carried out by the Nothern Ireland Assembly into the conduct of former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson while he was at Stormont.

The 63-year-old was found guilty in June of 18 sexual offences following a four-week trial at Newry Crown Court.

Ukraine war

6. US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff discussed “substantive plans” for next steps to end the Ukraine war during their meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin, the White House has said.

US President Donald Trump’s son-in-law and his business partner visited Moscow in hopes of reviving negotiations to end the four-year conflict, with the pair due to visit Kyiv today for talks with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. 

Tax

7. In this analysis piece, Paul O’Donoghue writes about how civil servants have recommended raising the threshold for PRSI benefits for low paid workers, and examines why. 

Winners and losers

8. In a week that saw a hike to public transport fares and chaos in the criminal courts continue, our political team bring us their two winners and three losers from Leinster House. 

The Traitors Ireland

9. The Traitors Ireland got off to a great start for the faithfuls when they successfully banished a traitor at the first time of asking.

“To get a traitor on the first night, whether she was a traitor or not on day one, it’s still a victory in my eyes,” Laura told a group of journalists this week.