In The News

If elected president in November Donald Trump has promised to slash the US rate of corporate tax to 15 per cent.Kamala Harris has said she would raise it to 28 per cent. So why the massive difference and what could either tax rate mean for Ireland?And should we be less focused on corporation tax and more on trade policy? Trump’s promise of a 20 per cent import tax on all goods would hit hard globally – with exports from Ireland severely impacted.And could Ireland get caught in the crossfire if Trump started a trade war with China?Irish Times economics analyst Cliff Taylor looks at the different policy platforms of the two candidates and who would be better for Ireland?Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sales of EVs in Ireland collapsed in 2024 with the number of newly-licensed electric vehicles down by 24 per cent in the first seven months of the year.But why? The push towards EVs is a key plank in the Government’s climate strategy and the choice of EVs has never been wider.Early adopters worried about range anxiety but advances in technology has seen that replaced by charge anxiety – concerns about the availability of charging stations, whether that be at home or on the road. But that’s just one worry motorist have before considering an EV.The Government’s Climate Action Plan aims to have almost one million EVs on Irish roads by 2030, comprising 845,000 cars and 100,000 vans, trucks and buses.With just over six years to go before that target date, the falling sales figures raise further questions over what was already an ambitious target.Motoring writer Neil Brisco explains why the shine has gone off EV cars for Irish motorists.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, a 99-year-old German woman, who worked in a Nazi-era concentration camp office in her late teens, was confirmed guilty of being an accessory to murder on more than 10,000 counts.Irmgard Furchner worked as a secretary in the Stutthof concentration camp in Nazi-occupied Poland between June 1943 to April 1945, when she was aged 18 and 19. Up to 65,000 people are estimated to have died in the camp.80 years later, Furchner is still alive – and facing the consequences of her involvement in the camp.But what is the point of prosecuting Furchner, who was a teenager with little agency in those crimes?And, with at least five similar cases looming in the coming years, why are these convictions happening now?Today, on In the News, Irish Times Berlin correspondent Derek Scally discusses why this 99-year-old woman was put on trial and the implications of Germany’s belated wave of Nazi-era prosecutions.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last June, 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.This episode was originally broadcast in June 2024. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. 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. This episode was originally published in June 2024. 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.This episode was originally published in June 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in May 2024.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.

In the most recent murder case where cannabis use was judged to be a factor, the court ruled that Diego Costa Silva killed his wife while in a state of cannabis-induced psychosis at their home in Finglas, Dublin on November 4th, 2021. A jury found him not guilty of Fabiola De Campos Silva’s murder, by reason of insanity. His was one of a number of murder cases to come before Irish courts in the past year where cannabis-use was judged to be a factor.Dr Colin O’Gara, head of addiction services at St John of God Hospital in Dublin, tells In the News about the dangers of new, more potent strains of cannabis, what is cannabis-induced psychosis and the link between use of the drug and existing mental health issues.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dublin’s office market is likely to get worse before it gets better with no relief in sight until 2027 amid a collapse in demand and a glut of new developments coming on stream. The Central Bank has aired its concerns over the situation. So will there by a crash in the office market sector and what might that mean for the economy?John McCartney from BNP Paribas Real Estate explains why the fall in demand is part of a cycle and explores the forces – including troubles in the ICT sector and post-pandemic WFH – that have brought us to this tipping point.Irish Times columnist Una Mullally is in no doubt that the crash has already begun and that poor planning has blighted Dublin with empty newly-built office blocks dotting the city while housing is so desperately needed.Both explain where they are coming from and how we can move on.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. This episode was originally published in March 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in April 2024. In Libya, former members of the Irish Defence Forces, including men who served in the elite Army Rangers Wing have been providing training for a militia headed up Libyan strongman, Khalifa Haftar.It’s a lucrative business for the company called Irish Training Solutions but the work is an apparent breach of a United Nations arms embargo imposed on the volatile African country.Naomi O’Leary broke the story in the Irish Times on Wednesday and the official response was swift. Tánaiste and Minister for Defence Micheál Martin called the revelations “deeply shocking”, saying that they cause “reputational damage to Ireland and our Defence Forces”.O’Leary tells In the News about the sort of military training being provided by these former Irish soldiers, who is behind Irish Training Solutions, how much money is involved and, with providing military training in Libya specifically prohibited by the UN, what it means for the reputation of the Irish Defence Forces.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Declan Conlon. 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.This episode was originally published in June 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new process to strip citizenship from Irish citizens has been passed by the Oireachtas more than three years after the previous system was struck down by the Supreme Court.The system will allow the State to revoke the citizenship of Islamic terrorist Ali Charaf Damache, something it has been trying to do since 2018. A convicted terrorist, Algerian-born Damache is in jail in the US where his Irish citizenship helped earn him a shorter sentence through a plea bargain.About 40 other revocation cases are also pending for a range of other issues, for example where an applicant has been later found to have given false information. In this episode from January 2024, Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher explains how Irish citizenship can be revoked, on what grounds it might happen and how the planned new system will change the process.Presented by Bernice Harrison. 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. This episode was originally published in May 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In May, 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. This episode was originally published in May 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in March 2024.Health and family editor Damian Cullen had already ticked off a long list of diets before he hit on intermittent fasting and three years later, and 16kg lighter, he has stuck to the plan. He eats in an eight-hour window. At the more extreme end of intermittent fasting, former British prime minister Rishi Sunak follows the so called “monk fast” of eating nothing for a 36-hour period every week.As a way of losing weight, timed eating is probably the weight loss method of the moment; it follows a long list of diets, some of which became wildly popular for a time and then slid off the menu.Cullen explains how it works for him, while dietician Sarah Keogh gives the expert view. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Were Irish colonisers too? A new book reveals our forgotten dark historyIn discussions around empire and colonisation, including popular movements such as Black Lives Matter and Rhodes Must Fall, Ireland likes to think itself on the “right” side of history, as colonised victims of empire.But as Trinity College Dublin historian Prof Jane Ohlmeyer explores in her new book, Making Empire: Ireland, Imperialism, and the Early Modern World, it’s not as simple as that.On the island of Monsterrat in the West Indies, for example, St Patrick’s Day is a national holiday - the only country outside Ireland to mark the day officially. But the parades there are to celebrate an unsuccessful revolt by enslaved islanders against the European whites - mostly Irish - who colonised it in the 17th century.There are stark examples too of the Irish in India - and other countries too - acting more like colonisers than colonised.Irish Times reporter and historian Ronan McGreevy interviewed Ohlmeyer and talks here about a troubling aspect of Irish history.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. This episode was originally published in March 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland has come from a place where movies were regularly censored out of puritanical panic, to classifying gay sex scenes as suitable for a 16 audience. The Irish Film Classification Office is now asking the public about “the suitability of existing classification guidelines” as it drafts new advisories for the modern era. Irish Times chief film correspondent, Donald Clarke, explains IFCO's latest report, takes a look at the movies that historically fell foul of the censors and reveals the most complained-about films of last year,Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Content warning: This episode contains details of child sexual abuse and may cause some listeners distress."They called him God, and the room where he molested them the ‘chamber of horrors,’" says journalist Justine McCarthy, who has followed the trials of Derry O'Rourke since the 1990s. The former Irish international swimming coach preyed upon young girls he trained, and was only jailed for the first time in 1998. Ultimately he served just nine years for offences that spanned decades. But yesterday he was sentenced to another ten for the rape of a teenage girl 35 years ago. McCarthy recounts his crimes, their impact and the heroic efforts of his victims to ensure the modern-day Swim Ireland is a safe haven for today's swimming champions.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Protesters across Venezuela have been met with a violent crackdown by security forces following the disputed re-election of Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro. Tallies show the real winner was the opposition, led by the popular and charismatic Maria Corina Machado. The economy has collapsed after years of mismanagement leading to 1 in 4 Venezuelan's emigrating, in what's one of the biggest migrant crises in the world right now. Tom Hennigan, who reports from South America for The Irish Times, says there's little doubt anymore that Maduro is a dictator who clings to power by force rather than the will of the people.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For nearly ten months, the eyes of the world have remained fixed on the devastating war and human catastrophe unfolding on the Gaza Strip.However, this war has not just destroyed the lives of people in Gaza – daily life for the three million Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank has also transformed since the October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel.The territory’s economy has collapsed, unemployment is soaring, Jewish settler violence is on the rise and Palestinians say they are trapped by mobility restrictions.Earlier this month, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s settlement policies and occupation of the territories were in breach of international law. The court’s announcement is historic, but non-binding, so will it bring about change?And what is daily life like for Palestinians living in these occupied territories?Today, on In The News, Irish Times international reporter Sally Hayden discusses the week she spent reporting from the West Bank and the implications of the Gaza war on Palestinians in the region.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon and John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chinese graduates are heading to the factory floor. During the first quarter of 2024, the number of people under 25 applying for blue-collar jobs rose by 165 per cent compared with the same period in 2019.This is partly a response to increased demand for workers in the manufacturing and service sectors driven by the dramatic growth of ecommerce in China. There are now eight times more jobs in distribution than there were in 2019.But what about white collar jobs – the ones these young people might have aspired to when they embarked on their expensive degrees? And what do their parents think about this new employment trend?Irish Times correspondent Denis Staunton is based in Beijing and he talks to Bernice Harrison about changes in the Chinese workforce that are causing ripples throughout the entire society. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After more than a year of crisis at RTE and handwringing about how to fund it into the future, the government has decided the license fee should stay and the model of funding continue as it always has. While the status quo remains for the consumer, media minister Catherine Martin revealed the state will pump €725 million euro into the broadcaster over the next three years. But will this golden envelope be enough to put RTE on a sustainable path and is the failure to address the impact of the digital age a missed opportunity? The Irish Times' Laura Slattery explains this week's long-awaited funding announcement.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Tuesday, Sinn Féin launched its new immigration policy document. The proposals, which come eight weeks after the party’s poor performance in the June local elections, call for a system where “fairness is paramount”, people are “treated with dignity” and where “local communities are treated with respect”.The plan also proposes to “end private profiteering” by private landlords housing asylum seekers and a move to state-run accommodation.Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said audits should take place beforehand, examining the housing, healthcare and transport facilities available in a community before any centres are established. She also made it clear centres should be located in more affluent parts of the country.The proposal comes in the aftermath of more unrest at the site of a proposed accommodation centre, this time in the Dublin suburb of Coolock.How would this plan work and might it change voters’ minds in the upcoming general election?Jennifer Bray, political correspondent, discusses the key takeaways from Sinn Féin’s immigration plan.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland’s Olympic medal hopes have never been higher. Many of the athletes are already household names, including Rashidat Adeleke, Kellie Harrington and Paul O’Donovan, while others will be new names for those watching on the sofa, including Daniel Wiffen and Jack Woolley. According to Irish Times sports journalist Ian O’Riordan it’s not a question of if Ireland wins a medal, it’s when the first one will be claimed. And Paris is set to put on a show this Friday night: the opening ceremony kicks off on Friday with a flotilla down the Seine.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan and Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Sunday evening, shortly before 7pm Irish Time, US president Joe Biden posted a letter on X confirming his intention to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election campaign.With 21 of Biden’s fellow Democratic politicians publicly calling for him to step aside, the 81-year-old’s announcement was not unexpected – his candidacy had become untenable.Shortly after his announcement, Biden formally endorsed Kamala Harris, his vice-president, to replace him on the ticket. However, other party voices are calling for an opening nomination process in advance of the Democratic national convention on August 19th.What are the pros and cons of Harris taking over as Democratic candidate in the race to the White House? What does the former California senator stand for and could she beat Donald Trump?Quite simply, are Americans ready to elect a black, Asian-American woman to the White House?Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comhaltas na nGaedheal (CnG) is a newly-established group of right-wing extremists in Ireland. It focuses on physical confrontation and is part of a growing international network of so-called “active clubs”.The Active Club movement mixes extreme right-wing positions with a focus on masculinity and physical fitness, particularly mixed martial arts. The CnG group frequently posts photographs of its members engaged in combat sports training. Great care is taken to blur faces and other identifying marks. In some cases, participants’ footwear is even blurred to conceal their identities.Members of the group have shown up at several anti-immigrant protests, including in Coolock last March. CnG does not just want a dramatic reduction in immigration, it wants mass deportations, according to an associate of the group who spoke with The Irish Times.In this episode, Irish Times Crime and Security correspondent Conor Gallagher assesses just how much of a threat these groups of self-styled “Irish patriots” are and how the Garda is handling this wave of far right groups. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Belfast and Derry rappers Kneecap have been in the news for many things in the past year: they took a case against the previous UK government for intervening to block an arts grant; they led a boycott at South By Southwest in Texas over the festival sponsor's links to the Gaza bombardment; they played Glastonbury, released their debut album, Fine Art, and their debut feature film, Kneecap, is about to hit cinemas after an award-winning outing at the Sundance Film Festival. They arrived to that event in a jeep designed to look like a PSNI vehicle. Una Mullally has been following Kneecap since they were an underground act. She says their film “will be a landmark moment for the Irish language, Irish cinema, and Irish music”.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In April, Simon Harris became Taoiseach - today he is 100 days in office. It’s a milestone beloved of political commentators as a yardstick to measure achievements, assess style and predict what might come.The “first 100 days” political metric originated in the US but as Irish Times political reporter Jack Horgan Jones says, Harris, the media savvy, PR aware, “TikTok Taoiseach” will be all to aware of the date in his very busy calendar.So what have been his achievements? What has he kicked to touch as a general election looms on the horizon? And has he changed the mood in Government?Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Garda representatives say officers were left potentially exposed "to extremely volatile and dangerous conditions" in Coolock in north Dublin on Monday night. A long-running sit-in protest at a factory due to be converted to asylum seeker accommodation turned violent after a confrontation with up to 200 gardai. 21 people have since been charged in court. Irish Times security and crime editor, Conor Lally, was an eyewitness to the disturbances. He says 'fast gas' canisters and kerbing were among the missiles thrown at gardai, and there's mounting alarm within the force at a 'growing, complex and volatile' security threat posed by those exploiting immigration fears. This episode contains some brief strong language.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Saturday evening, in the small American town of Butlers in Pennsylvania, former president Donald Trump narrowly escaped death after a bullet grazed his head during a rally speech.The horrifying assassination attempt, which Trump escaped with only superficial issues, sent shock waves across an already deeply divided United States. One Trump supporter lost his life in the attack, and several others were injured.What do we know about Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who tried to shoot the former president?How will Saturday’s shooting impact the November presidential election and could it bolster support for the Trump campaign? And how much did the divisive and extreme rhetoric on both sides of the political divide contribute to Saturday’s shooting?Today, on In The News, could the bullet that grazed the head of Donald Trump fire him back to the White House?Irish Times Washington Correspondent Keith Duggan discusses the assassination attempt on Donald Trump’s life.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

According to property website MyHome.ie, house asking prices rose by 7.3 per cent year on year in the second quarter, the fastest pace of growth recorded in two years.And buyers report that the price they actually pay often way exceeds the original asking price as many buyers chase too few properties so that percentage rise is likely to be an underestimation.This year the Government is spending more than €8 billion to address the housing crisis and inflation is running at 1.5 per cent – so why are prices not coming down? Economics columnist Cliff Taylor explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.