In The News

Ross O'Carroll Kelly creator, Paul Howard, decided to get a basset hound because Columbo - the iconic tv detective - had one. It's definitely not the soundest of decisions on which to embark on dog ownership, but Humphrey went on to become Howard's constant companion for the next 13 years. His death in May hit the writer hard. He's experienced bereavement many times but losing Humphrey was different, leaving him to wonder how long you're allowed to grieve an animal. Since publishing a tribute to his comical canine in The Irish Times, there's been an outpouring of sympathy with many owners sharing their experience of pet grief. In this episode, Paul Howard chats fondly about his stubborn, loveable, "bendy-bus of a dog."Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After more than a year of civil war in Sudan, the situation is being described as the worst humanitarian crisis anywhere in the world. The death toll is unknown, ten million people have been displaced and 25 million are experiencing catastrophic food shortages or famine. For those trying to flee, women face being raped and men murdered by members of the Sudanese military or paramilitary RSF. And yet the conflict has failed to garner the same western media attention or diplomatic as Gaza or Ukraine. Sally Hayden reports from Africa for The Irish Times. She explains the background to the war, the level of suffering being endured by millions and why any international efforts to end the hostilities have so far come to nothing.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon and Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The new transport plan for Dublin is due to be implemented in August. It aims to stop drivers using the city centre as a rat-run to get to other destinations. Even though it was agreed last April by Dublin City Council after lengthy consultation, last minute changes have been made to certain elements of the plan and there are now calls to delay its introduction. On Monday, a protest was held outside Dublin City Hall calling on the council to bring in the plan on time and as agreed .   So why has opposition emerged now? Who is objecting and who will win?  Dublin editor Olivia Kelly has followed the twists and turns in what should have been a simple plan to ease congestion in the capital.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Sunday evening, France witnessed one of the biggest surprises in the country’s electoral history when the recently formed left-wing alliance won the highest number of seats in the election, dealing a surprise blow to Marine Le Pen’s far right National Rally.The shock result followed a week of tactical voting to hold back a surge in support for the anti-immigrant National Rally, led by 28-year-old Jordan Bardella under the wing of Le Pen.Le Pen’s party had come out on top in last week’s first round of electoral voting and appeared on track to secure the largest number of seats in parliament, if not an outright majority However, it was the leftist New Popular Front who emerged as the dominant force in the second round of legislative electoral voting.But with the French parliament now split into three blocks and the leftist New Popular Front falling far short of the majority it needs to lead the government, the future of French politics is shrouded in confusion and uncertainty.Irish Times Europe correspondent Jack Power joins the podcast to discuss the implications of the French legislative election results.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today’s In the News podcast we look at a new report that reveals the shocking health problems affecting children who spend years spent living in emergency accommodation. In May there were 4,316 homeless children in the State, living in a range of emergency accommodation types, from B&Bs to family hubs, often in overcrowded conditions – an entire family sharing one small room, for example – or without adequate cooking facilities.At the Lynn Clinic in Temple Street children’s hospital in Dublin, Dr Aoibheann Walsh is seeing malnutrition effects more common in developing countries, such as rickets, anaemia, faltering growth and extreme tooth-decay, and skin “infestations” like scabies.Kitty Holland, Irish Times social affairs correspondent, has visited the clinic and talked to some parents about the reality of child homelessness and the devastating impact on a growing group of children.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Security guard Gavin Plumb hatched an online plot to kidnap, rape and murder British TV personality Holly Willoughby. Yesterday he was found guilty of all charges.His vile plans and years of obsession were uncovered when he tried to recruit a “crew” to help him. One was an Irish man called “Mark” - the other was an American policeman who saw in a dark chatroom what Plumb was writing online and considered him to be so dangerous - even though he had never heard of Willoughby - that he adopted a pseudonym so he could draw Plumb out. His clever ruse worked, leading to the FBI contacting the British police.Plumb (37) was arrested last October and at his trial at Chelmsford Crown Court over the past two weeks he faced charges of soliciting murder, incitement to rape and incitement to kidnap. He denied the charges, saying it was all just a fantasy. The jury disagreed. Ellis Whitehouse, a reporter with Essex Live, attended the trial and he tells In the News how the troubling case unfolded.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week Minister for Justice Helen McEntee announced that five more countries have been added to the list of safe countries. They are Egypt, Morocco, India, Brazil and Malawi, and their addition has implications for anyone coming from there to Ireland seeking asylum. There are already 10 countries on that list – and it’s a list that has changed and grown over recent years.So why these countries, and why now? And what does ‘safe’ mean in the context of the International Protection process?Sorcha Pollak has been looking into what this means for new arrivals and for Ireland’s system of assessing refuge applications.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a big week in US politics with Donald Trump's partial legal victory in the Supreme Court and Joe Biden's disastrous head-to-head debate with his predecessor. A debate that went so badly, Democrats have openly called for him to be replaced by a younger candidate with just 5 months to go before the election. Meanwhile Trump is highly unlikely to face trial over allegations he tried to overturn the 2020 election. The conservative-leaning Supreme Court has ruled that any president in the White House should not be held liable for any crime they may have committed in the course of their official duties. The liberal minority of judges could barely hide their contempt for their fellow justices with one declaring "with fears for our democracy, I dissent." Irish Times Washington correspondent, Keith Duggan, breaks down the ruling and analyses the likelihood of Biden withdrawing from the race.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three weeks ago, French president Emmanuel Macron stunned and bewildered French voters, and his own Government, by calling a snap general election. By Monday morning of this week, it appeared the president’s gamble had backfired.Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally led in the first round of these high stakes elections, taking 33 per cent of the popular vote. It was followed by the leftwing New Popular Front, which secured 28 per cent, while Mr Macron’s ruling centrist Together bloc trailed in third place with just 20 per cent.The clear takeaway from this first round of voting is the National Rally party, currently led by 28-year-old Jordan Bardella, is now the dominant political force in France.Is Le Pen’s anti-immigrant, Eurosceptic party on course to secure an absolute majority in France’s National Assembly?Or could Mr Macron’s calls for voters to join together and prevent National Rally from taking control change the course of these elections?Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last year, nearly 5,000 cars were stolen across Ireland – making it the worst year for car thefts in more than a decade.Opportunists and joyriders have always stolen cars but what is new, according to Conor Lally, is the gangs now operating across the country. They typically steal high-value cars, bring them to remote chop shops, break up the cars and export the parts.Lally explains how are they doing it and how owners can keep their cars safe?Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dublin’s housing market has reached the point where a three-bed semi-detached house in Coolock priced at €475,000 is deemed ‘affordable.’ The long awaited development of state-owned land off Oscar Traynor Road was supposed to yield public housing and affordable purchase homes between €204k and €306k. But now that the first sixteen homes are coming on stream, the actual price is up to €170k higher than what was quoted in 2021. It doesn’t appear to be down to cost over-runs on the developer’s side. Dublin City Council has confirmed Glenveagh Homes built the properties at the agreed cost, fixed at 2020 prices. The council insists the price tag still represents good value because it’s 18% cheaper than if the homes were sold on the open market. Dublin editor, Olivia Kelly, has been looking into why the homes are so dear, and why people earning €106k are qualified to apply for the state subsidy.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Revelations that members of UK prime minister Rishi Sunak's inner circle correctly bet on the timing of the general election have damaged the Tory party as it tries to shore up support ahead of an expected Labour victory. To add to Sunak's woes, Nigel Farage's Reform UK party is polling well. London correspondent Mark Paul on whether Sunak can avoid an historic wipeout next week - and whether Farage can convert votes into seats. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Another protest is planned today in Limerick over the suspended sentence handed down to a serving soldier who was convicted of assault last week. Two years ago, 22 year-old Cathal Crotty beat his victim, Natasha O'Brien, until she was unconscious and later bragged about it on social media. The 24 year-old woman was set upon in the unprovoked attack after she asked him to stop shouting homophobic slurs at people in the street. Crotty avoided jail time after the judge took his guilty plea and his career in the Defence Forces into account. Natasha O'Brien went public with her dismay at the outcome and it is widely expected the case will be referred to the Court of Appeal. Tom O’Malley, barrister, author, law lecturer and Ireland’s foremost expert in sentencing, offers this explainer on how sentencing works in Ireland, the factors that are taken into consideration and why a suspended sentence can sometimes be the appropriate response.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The war of words between Aer Lingus and the pilots union Ialpa ratcheted up at the weekend with the airline accusing Ialpa of “blackmail” and the union responding with claims of “greed” and refusing to rule out an all-out strike.On Sunday both sides said they were ready for talks while blaming the other side for being the stumbling block to meaningful negotiations happening.At the heart of this dispute is the pilots’ demand for a 24 per cent pay hike while management has made an initial offer of just under 10 per cent.The pilots begin a work-to-rule on Wednesday, a move that has forced the airline to cancel more than 200 flights between Wednesday and Sunday. Then on Saturday, the pilots will escalate their industrial action with an eight hour all-out strike prompting Aer Lingus to cancel 120 flights.All disputes eventually end but with the gap between the pilots’ demands and the company’s offer so wide, it’s difficult to see who will blink first. What is clear is that it is the travelling public who will suffer.Consumer correspondent Conor Pope looks at how we got here – and where this dispute might eventually land.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week the Dáil will vote on the EU migration and asylum pact.Why is Ireland opting in to the EU-wide system of migration control? And how will it operate? And why is it proving controversial – not just in Ireland but in states across Europe?Irish Times social affairs correspondent Kitty Holland explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Slow ticketing”, VIP packages and platinum pricing - there's a new lexicon involved in buying concert tickets. But all of them involve forking out much more for certain concerts since live entertainment resumed after the pandemic. Anyone who managed to snag tickets for Taylor Swift at the Aviva next Friday will probably have spent about €200. Why are concert tickets so expensive now, how much responsibility does Taylor bear and will stadium gigs ever come down in price again?Irish TImes media columnist, Laura Slattery, explains the new business model and how US lawmakers - incensed at the Taylor Ticketmaster fiasco last year - are moving to try and break up the allaged Live Nation monopoly of the American market. She also outlines why she herself is such a committed Swiftie.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The global heroin supply is under threat. But observers of international narcotic trends warn that drugs addicts will replace heroin with - synthetic opioids including Fentanyl and nitazenes - are even worse. Crime Editor Conor Lally explains why these drugs may soon be making headlines in Ireland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Green Party leader, Eamon Ryan, is stepping down after 13 years at the helm. However, the Transport Minister is staying on as a member of the Cabinet, as the government enters its final phase in power. He says it will be up to the next leader of the party to decide if he remains in that role. The Greens lost their European seats and half their councillors in the local and European elections earlier this month. It was a poor result but it wasn’t quite the collapse that had been speculated upon. After Leo Varadkar’s shock departure in March as the leader of Fine Gael, and this latest announcement, is the prospect of an early general election even closer? And who is likely to succeed Ryan as the party leader?Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last April, Jonathan Creswell’s trial for the rape and murder of 21-year-old Katie Simpson opened in Derry’s Crown Court.    But as we heard in yesterday’s episode, it only sat for one day.  In today's episode, part 2, journalist Tanya Fowles explains how the prosecution's opening statements painted a terrifying picture of what really happened to Katie Simpson at the hands of her sister's long term boyfriend. And we also hear how Creswell, a manipulator and serial abuser, used the women in his life to help cover up his crimes. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In August 2020, in a small housing estate in Derry, 21-year-old Katie Simpson was found in a critical condition. According to the man who discovered her, her brother-in-law Jonathan Creswell, the young woman had attempted suicide.Six days later, Katie died in hospital from her injuries. The community was shocked that this outgoing and talented showjumper had taken her own life.But all was not as it seemed. The publicly charismatic and well-connected Creswell, a jockey and former showjumper, had a dark and violent past.Although the PSNI were quick to treat this case as suicide, news of Katie’s death raised suspicions within the community.Journalist Tanya Fowles tells In the News how she tried again and again to raise the alarm about Creswell – but it took until March 2024 for the violent abuser to appear in court in Derry to face charges of rape and murder.Why did it take so long to bring him to justice and why did the trial end after just one day?Presented by Bernice Harrison, produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When the UK banned ownership of XL Bully dogs – with certain exemptions – on February 1st, In The News explored whether Ireland should also consider a similar ban, particularly in the wake of the disfiguring of a nine year old boy in Co. Wexford. But authorities were slow to act, until this week which saw the funeral of 23-year-old Nicole Morey in Limerick. She died having been attacked at her hall door by one of her four pets, a massive XL Bully. This episode is an edited version of our February podcast. Listen to dog behaviour expert Nanci Creedon explaining how, where and crucially, why this relatively new type of dog was bred. She now says that it is time for a ban, until more data is gathered.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan and Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the fast fashion behemoth, Shein, prepares to float on the London Stock Exchange, there's renewed focus on the company's sustainability credentials and conditions for garment workers. Undercover footage from last year's Channel 4 documentary 'Untold: Inside the Shein machine' exposed breaches of Chinese labour laws and Shein's own code of conduct. The company insists it is "investing tens of millions of dollars in strengthening governance and compliance" across its supply chain. But despite concerns, budget-conscious Shein shoppers are enticed by the low prices and highly sophisticated algorithm. We speak to Irish consumers Isobel and Rosie, as well as British journalist Iman Amrani who fronted the Channel 4 programme.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's all over bar the shouting in the local elections while in the European elections, counting is continuing in centres around the country. Sinn Féin has been left licking its wounds after a poor showing while Independents are the big winners in local government. Members of the far-right have made a foothold in mainstream politics for the first time and there appear to be more floating voters than ever before. Irish Times political correspondent, Jennifer Bray, has described the local elections as some of the most intense she's ever covered. She breaks down the five key messages we can take from Friday's vote.For an even deeper dive into how MEPs might shape European policy over the next five years, check out last week's explainer with Europe Correspondent Jack Power.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Israeli forces rescued four hostages captured by Hamas and held since October in a raid in Gaza on Saturday that Palestinian officials said resulted in the death of more than 200 people, one of the single bloodiest Israeli assaults of the eight-month-old war.The Israeli military claimed that less than 100 people died during the operation - still a significant death toll.Meanwhile, on Sunday, Israeli minister Benny Gantz announced his resignation from prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s emergency government, withdrawing the only centrist power in the embattled leader’s far-right coalition, amid the months-long war in Gaza.Today on In the News we talk to Sky News Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall about the impact of the raid and Gantz's exit on the situation in Israel and Palestine.Hosted by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What happened on day two of the local and European election count? Yesterday evening on The Irish Times Inside Politics podcast, host Hugh Linehan talked to Jack Horgan-Jones and Harry McGee about the latest news from count centres, and also to Taoiseach Simon Harris about his reaction to better than expected results for Fine Gael and its coalition partners. Will Harris now be tempted to call an early general election? We play that conversation for you this morning. In the News will be back tomorrow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today and tomorrow voters will find out who will fill council seats up and down the country and who Ireland will send to Europe to represent its interests. In most constituencies the ballot papers facing voters were longer than ever – with candidates from new parties with far-right policy platforms, as well as many independents who broadly share the same views, seeking election. Forceful anti-immigration sentiment is a common thread. But who are they, and what are their chances? Conor Gallagher has been tracing the rise of these would-be political representatives and has reported how their calls to action and anti-immigrant messaging has crossed over from the virtual world on social media where they are most active, to real life. Will their followers now also move offline and into the voting booth? Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey and Aideen Finnegan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sophie Power has just done something extraordinary – she ran 563km from Malin Head to Mizen Head in record time.It took her a record-breaking three days, 12 hours and eight minutes and she beat the existing record by an astonishing three hours. And it’s not even her most gruelling run – not by long way.The 41 year-old mother to Donnacha, Cormac and Saoirse is an ultra runner and the morning after she finished running the length of Ireland she posted on social media: “My body had about 2 hrs sleep over 3 nights so is still in shock. Finally in a proper bed I still woke up last night every 30 minutes thinking it was time to go running again.”She tells In the News how on the first two days she ran in driving rain, on the last day, heading into Cork she got heatstroke. She injured her knee less than half-way through but she kept running and outside Longford she started hallucinating.An unsporty child she took up running at 26 and astonishingly her first race was the infamous Marathon des Sables, a seven-day, 250km run in the Sahara. She has run while pregnant and a photo of her breastfeeding mid-race went viral. She founded SheRaces, an organisation to encourage women of all ages and abilities to run.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With a landslide victory for Keir Starmer’s Labour Party predicted, the UK general election looks to be all over bar the shouting.But then this week the shoutiest voice in British politics, Nigel Farage, announced he is to run for Reform UK.Mark Paul explains why that’s more bad news for the Tories – and a jolt of excitement in what has been a dull run up to the July 4th election.Also on Tuesday, Rishi Sunak was judged to have won the first televised leaders debate. The Irish Times London correspondent was in “the spin room” afterwards – upstairs in the Coronation Street visitors’ centre – with party advisers, media and politicians, and he says the Sunak side took the (slight) win as a glimmer of hope.But why, when he’s so far behind?Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Have you ever shared a photo of your child wearing her Halloween costume on Instagram? Or, perhaps you’ve uploaded a video of your nephew dancing to TikTok. We live in a world where sharing images of our lives, and in turn the lives of our children, has become completely normalised. But there are serious safety risks and privacy concerns around this type of content. Deepfakes using a child's image and / or voice, identity theft and abusive material are just some of the frightening ways in which young people are at risk when their data is shared, either on an open forum or a messaging app. Leah Plunkett, author of ‘Sharenthood’ and faculty at Harvard law school, explains the pitfalls of sharing images of kids online, the ethical quandary we may unwittingly find ourselves in and how we can protect the young people in our lives.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Friday 7th June, the country will go to the polls to decide who should represent us at a local and European level. Voters will elect 14 MEPs to the European Parliament and 949 councillors to 31 local authorities. While it’s easier to feel the tangible changes that are made by city and county councillors, it’s perhaps harder to get a handle on what exactly our MEPs do for us.  So what is the role of the MEP and can they make any difference at a European level?And how did our outgoing MEPs fare over the last five years?Jack Power reports from Brussels.Presented by Aideen Finnegan, produced by Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, father and daughter Tom and Molly Martens will be released from prison after serving just over six months for killing Jason Corbett in 2015. The pair were sentenced last November, following their guilty plea of involuntary manslaughter.  Following the sentencing hearing last year, documentary maker and journalist Brian Carroll spoke to In the News, about the Marten’s case and the Corbett family’s long fight for justice.   This is the first of a two-part episode on the case, originally published in November 2023. In the first part, Caroll explains how the Marten’s used the sentencing hearing to completely annihilate Jason’s Corbett’s character. In episode two, available here, we hear how the Limerick man’s family, including his two children, finally had their day in court to tell the world about their loving father and what their lives were like with their manipulative stepmother. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A plan to reintroduce National Service in Britain has been roundly criticised by former military personnel and opposition parties alike. But serving your country militarily is an accepted part of life in many countries like Finland, Sweden and Israel. Security analyst, Declan Power, explains how people in Scandinavia are predisposed to the idea because it's woven into their life in the same way Gaelic games, our literary history and the 1916 Rising are in this country. The former Irish solder also explains how the same concept wouldn't fly in Ireland and what we need to do instead to beef up our Defence Forces. Power also posits how the military offensive in Gaza may well turn out to expose the flaws in Israel's national service model. Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this month, Google launched AI Overviews – software which uses artificial intelligence to answer people’s questions quickly, skipping the step of scrolling through links. The new search system has made headlines for generating hilariously incorrect answers, a glitch Google says it is taking swift action to remedy. But this bumpy start will quickly be ironed out, says Irish Times writer Hugh Linehan who wrote this week about the “Googlepocalypse” sweeping the United States. The introduction of this pilot version of Google’s AI Overviews tool has already “significantly harmed” small businesses and content creators who have seen a collapse in web site traffic, and has been described as an extinction-level event for news media. These “devastating effects” are heading quickly our way, says Linehan. So, what is the Googlepocalypse and how will it change how the average person searches the internet? And will a reliance on AI to answer our questions only further enhance the misinformation plaguing the online world?Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the past week, two incidences of severe air turbulence have made international headlines.More than 100 people were injured and one man died last week when a Singapore Airlines plane flying from London to Singapore hit an unexpected air pocket, forcing the plane to make an emergency landing in Bangkok.Five days later, on Sunday, six passengers and six crew members were injured following turbulence on a flight from Doha, Qatar to Ireland.Turbulence has always a been a risk factor in aviation, but the ferocity of the sudden extreme turbulence experience on the Singapore Airlines flight was out of the ordinary.However, is this type of extreme, clear-air turbulence becoming more common? And are climate change and warming air currents making turbulence worse?Irish Times environment and science editor Kevin O’Sullivan joins the podcast to discuss the impact of climate change on air travel, while flight attendant Paula Gahan reflects on why she thinks severe flight turbulence is becoming more common.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Malachy Browne heads up the New York Times’s visual investigations unit where he and his team investigate key events, from breaking news at home to war atrocities abroad, to piece together second-by-second what really happened.The work exposes the truth of events, particularly ones that are shrouded in misinformation, conspiracy theories and official denials. He and his team have won two Pulitzer Prizes.Investigations, presented on the New York Times website, range from uncovering the devastating sequence of events of the atrocity at Bucha in the early days of the Russian invasion of Ukraine to plotting exactly happened in 2017 when a gunman opened fire at a concert in Las Vegas killing 60 people.On In the News he talks about these projects and more while explaining just how his team works, from 3D modelling and AI to painstakingly exploring satellite images and mining phone records, and how the Limerick man who began his career in Dublin before moving to New York works to stay one step ahead in a media landscape flooded with fake news.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Wednesday, British prime minister Rishi Sunak stood in the rain outside 10 Downing Street and called a general election. But why? The Tories are performing poorly in the polls and his party is divided.Six weeks out from election day on July 4th, the odds of him winning look slim. By Irish standards, the campaign is long, so is there anything he can do in the run up to election day to change the hearts and minds of British voters or has Labour leader Keir Starmer’s time come?Irish Times London correspondent Mark Paul went to Derby to see Sunak in action on Thursday on his first day of campaigning and he tells In the News about the timing of the election, the disarray in the Tory party and why Sunak is taking the chance of going to the country after less than two years in office.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A pair of trainers for the price of a sandwich; a Dyson-dupe hair straightener for a fraction of the real thing – just about everything you can think of buying, and random, bizarre things you couldn’t even imagine exist, are for sale via Temu, the ecommerce app that is taking over the online shopping world. With millions of bargains, it promises buyers can “shop like a billionaire”.In January 2024, the app recorded nearly 47.8 million downloads worldwide. Once you buy from Temu, the bombardment of emails begins, offering deals and discounts on already rock-bottom prices.But authorities worldwide have been quick to investigate; to warn for example that some toys and electrical goods on the site do not meet safety standards. And the US State Department has cautioned that the labour conditions in some of the factories that make the goods for the third-party sellers on Boston-headquartered Temu could amount to forced labour.So while the prices might be attractive, the quality of some of the products and relentless sales techniques are less so according to Irish Times consumer editor Conor Pope who explains Temu’s business model and why it has got such a hold so quickly.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Tuesday, a leaked report revealed the Housing Commission’s criticism that the Government has not resolved the “fundamentally systemic” failures in the State’s housing system.The report from housing experts also suggests there is an underlying housing deficit in Ireland of up to 256,000 homes.Irish Times political correspondent Jack Horgan-Jones joins the podcast to discuss the most significant elements of Tuesday’s leak, while architect Mel Reynolds examines the Government’s failure to control the current housing model. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Sunday afternoon, a helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and several of his delegates, including the country’s Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian, crash-landed in a remote part of northwest Iran. President Raisi was returning from Iran’s border with Azerbaijan, where he had officiated the opening of two dams, alongside Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. Three helicopters were in the Iranian President’s convoy, but only two landed safely. On Monday morning, following an extensive search and rescue effort, Iranian officials confirmed that no one had survived the crash. It is believed adverse weather conditions were to blame. President Raisi was elected to power in 2021, in a presidential election that had the lowest turnout in the Islamic Republic’s history. He was seen as a conservative, hardline cleric who was tipped to replace Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei later this year. As Iran begins five days of official mourning and the interim President Mohammad Mokhber steps forward, what will the death of Raisi mean for the future of Iran? Will this sudden loss of leadership have ripple effects across the wider Middle East? And what impact, if any, will it have on the rising tensions between Iran and Israel?In the News presenter Sorcha Pollak talks to Sky News Middle East Correspondent Alistair Bunkhall about the death of the man nicknamed “the butcher of Tehran”.Produced by Suzanne Brennan and John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Later this year, UK citizens will cast their votes in a general election. And, with polls showing Labour well ahead of the Tories, it appears Keir Starmer is set to become the next prime minister.This week, Mr Starmer pledged to “rebuild Britain” and set out what he called his first steps in government if his party wins the election, making it clear that Labour is ready to govern Britain.To most people in Ireland, Starmer remains relatively unknown. But after a period of decline in UK-Irish relations, could the Dublin-London relationship be heading towards brighter days under a Labour leader?Today, on In the News, who is Keir Starmer and what would his leadership mean for Ireland? London correspondent Mark Paul on the man leading the Labour party towards victory in the next UK general election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New Yorkers have been given a window into how some Dubliners behave in front of a camera. The portal is the city's newest public art installation; a two-way, real-time live stream between North Earl Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan's Flat Iron district. Except some lewd behaviour on the northside has got it shut down... twice! In The News producer, Declan Conlon, spoke to observers enjoying the atmosphere around the portal when it was still operating this week. Bernice Harrison chats to art critic, Tom Lordan, about the interactive sculpture that's got everyone talking.Produced by Declan Conlon and Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Government this week flagged its intention to further reduce the financial supports available to Ukrainian refugees. There will also be a review of supports for those seeking asylum under the international protection system. But after months of cuts, how much further can the Government go? Is Ireland's welcome for refugees over, and how much of this is about signalling to voters ahead of local and European elections? Harry McGee talks to Bernice Harrison about the details and the politics of Ireland's evolving attitude to refugees and asylum seekers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A major new investigation by The Irish Times has uncovered details of the Kinahan cartel's property empire being secretly sold off in Dubai. Most of the real estate had been purchased in the name of Caoimhe Robinson, the wife of Daniel Kinahan, who is not accused of any criminality. The organised crime group has been put under pressure by sanctions imposed by US authorities two years ago, resulting in the disposal of several luxury assets in the Middle Eastern city. Among them is a property in a gated community where residents have included infamous podcaster Andrew Tate and the family of former Zimbabwean dictator, Robert Mugabe. Crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher outlines the results of the investigation known as Dubai Unlocked.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's podcast, In the News producer Aideen Finnegan explains what we know about a proposal from Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to raise the legal age to buy cigarettes from 18 to 21. The move comes as Ireland's efforts to curtail smoking have plateaued, with smoking even increasing among male teenagers. But will such a new law be workable in practice? Then we hear from Averil Power of the Irish Cancer Society, who welcomes the move. But she says the Government must urgently tackle the growing use of vapes among young people. Her warning comes as new research predicts some chemicals released by vaping may cause unknown damage to human health in the long term.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From cute dance videos to antifeminist and racist ones, the social media app is a growing part of young people’s lives. There are concerns, though, about sleep deprivation, mental health, attention span – and the messages these young teenagers they are being relentlessly fed.Irish Times parenting columnist Jen Hogan and journalist Patrick Freyne spent time with a group of teenagers, looking over their shoulder as they scrolled for hours on TikTok and talked to them about their relationship with the Chinese-owned app. They explain to In the News just how out of touch adults are when it comes to children’s online activity.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump had to sit in front of Stormy Daniels in a New York courtroom this week, as the former adult film star spoke in excruciating and very frank detail about her sexual encounter in 2006 with the former US president. It was a key week in the trial, ongoing since April, in which Trump is accused of hiding “hush money’ payments to Daniels in 2016 in a bid to influence the presidential election. Meanwhile Trump runs the risk of being jailed for contempt of court over his outbursts – about the case, the jury and the prosecution. Irish Times Washington correspondent Keith Duggan has been at the Trump trial and he says that while what the court has heard so far has been at worst embarrassing, the prosecution has yet to land the blows that might result in a criminal conviction.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday spirits were lifted in Gaza when Hamas issued a statement declaring it would accept the terms of a ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qatar. But joy was short-lived.Israel quickly announced the deal did not go far enough towards releasing the hostages captured on October 7th. At the same time Israeli defence forces began their takeover of a crucial border crossing between Egypt and Gaza.So what now? What will it take for Israeli prime minister Binjamin Netanyahu, a man under pressure at home and abroad, to agree to a ceasefire and call off the invasion of Rafah, a city of last resort for 1.4 million displaced Gazans?Mark Weiss reports from Jerusalem. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The murder of a 20 year-old man in a chaotic gun attack on Dublin's southside may be a harbinger of a new gangland feud. Ballyfermot man, Josh Itseli, was gunned down in what's believed to be the first gangland shooting of the year. Three young men are in garda custody after Itseli's car was rammed to a halt and came under fire in Drimnagh in the early hours of Monday morning. He died at the scene and follow up searches resulted in the seizure of body armour and a military grade assault rifle. A pipe bomb nearby forced residents to leave their homes for a time while the Army Bomb Disposal Team made safe the device. Drimnagh residents were subjected to a long period of gang warfare in the 2000s. Now locals fear public safety is at risk as a new generation of volatile men seek to fill the vacuum left empty by the dismantling of the Byrne organised crime gang.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the last twenty years or so, the funerals of significant criminal figures in Ireland have tended towards the extravagant. Last week's sober church service marking the passing of notorious heroin kingpin, Tony Felloni, was in sharp contrast to the modern day culture of gangland funerals. But quite apart from their eye-catching floral tributes and ostentatious shows of mourning, these occasions provide Gardai with a unique opportunity to glean crucial intel. Security and crime editor, Conor Lally, delves into the subculture of showy funerals, why Gardai and the media attend them, and how they're an important reminder of the human cost of gang violence. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When "Niamh" began house-hunting in Dublin's suburbs, she soon noticed that viewings were often attended by agents who were using phones to live-stream the property to potential buyers in China - some of whom then outbid her.Estate agents have confirmed that it is now commonplace for wealthy Chinese nationals to bid strongly on houses in South Dublin. But why?The answers lie in the details of a now-defunct 'Golden Visa' scheme, the decline of China's own property market and the desire of upwardly-mobile Chinese parents to give their children a Western education.And why are these buyers free to take their money out of the Chinese economy and invest it in countries like Ireland?Guests: Irish Times reporter Colm Keena and Beijing correspondent Denis StauntonPresented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon. This episode was originally published in March 2024, Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.