In The News

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.

On Wednesday, a multi-agency operation got to work, moving up to 290 migrants who had been sleeping in tents outside the International Protection Office (IPO) on Dublin’s Mount Street. Buses and taxis brought the men to centres in Citywest, Crooksling and Swords. The streets were cleaned, the tents removed and barriers erected. But there was no room on the buses for 30 men, and as Irish Times reporter Jack White found, they either walked the streets all night or took the tents handed out by a charity and moved to another part of the city to sleep.By Thursday, they were back at Mount Street, joined by up to 40 men who had been brought to Swords in north Dublin for the night but were returned to the city centre with no clear plans as to where they might go. White tells In the News about the excitement among the asylum seekers when they thought they were being brought to safe accommodation and of the confusion and chaos surrounding the move by Government to clear the “shantytown”. And Irish Times political editor explains the challenges facing the Government.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Nearly one billion Indian citizens are eligible to vote in a lengthy election that began on April 19th and runs until June.Prime Minister Narendra Modi looks set to retain power, in part thanks to the economic transformation that has lifted millions of Indians out of poverty on his watch. But Modi himself is an enigma. For her podcast series Looking for Modi Australian journalist Avani Dias set out to profile one of the most powerful people in the world.She tells In the News about the humble background that endeared Modi to voters. But his backstory has some holes in it, like his formative experiences with a far-right Hindu nationalist organisation, the secret marriage he walked away from, and his role in fomenting India’s deadly religious tensions.As South Asia bureau chief for Australia’s ABC News, Dias was based in New Delhi until her investigation into allegations Modi's government was behind the assassination of Indian dissidents in Canada resulted in the non-renewal of her visa.Modi’s suppression of his critics is having a chilling effect on the media and undermining the democratic process, she says.This episode tells the story of Modi's origins, his rise in politics and the questions over the direction of India under his leadership. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Grocery inflation over the past 12 weeks was running at just under 3 per cent. During the same period last year it was almost 13 per cent. So our shopping baskets are still getting more expensive – but at a slower rate. So that is some of sort of good news, isn’t it?Energy prices are down from their peak, interest rates are set to fall and new entrants are expected to drive down prices in the banking and insurance sectors.So why does everything still feel so expensive?Irish Times consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope explains why the sums aren’t adding up for most people and how, though we didn’t realise it at the time, we were living in an era of cheap food that is simply never going to return.And he explains why shrinkflation hurts, what the French are doing about it and why own-brand products should be top of our shopping lists.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A major diplomatic spat has erupted between the Irish and British governments over migration.It began when Minister for Justice Helen McEntee stated that more than 80 per cent of recent international applicants came to Ireland from the UK across the border with Northern Ireland.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has made political hay with this 80 per cent figure, saying it proves his Rwanda scheme is deterring migrants from remaining in the UK.The two governments are seemingly a major impasse over how to resolve the issue.It’s a story that involves political posturing in advance of elections on both sides of the Irish sea, but also also an issue of genuine importance to voters and to those seeking international protection.Political Editor Pat Leahy and London Correspondent Mark Paul look at the ramping up of tensions, where it leaves British-Irish relations and its impact on the political issue of immigration here.Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Snapshot, an Irish Times poll with Ipsos B&A, captures the issues that citizens are taking notice of.Every month, 1,000 people, over the age of 15 and from all around the country are asked an open-ended question on what they’ve noticed about the Government’s actions – and given space to add their own comments.The results, tracked since last July, are published every month in The Irish Times. In each poll, the list of top-of-mind subjects changes but two consistently top the list – housing and immigration.During the period of April’s poll, well-reported events included the arrival of a new Taoiseach, the ramping up of the attack on Gaza and the roll-out of the bottle recycling scheme. But what did people notice and how happy are they with the Government’s response.Jennifer Bray from the Irish Times political team explains what it all means.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A group of 400 Irish artists have signed an online petition calling on singer Bambie Thug to boycott the Eurovision. The Macroom performer was chosen to represent Ireland in the upcoming competition in Sweden. But there have been persistent calls to refuse to take part as long as Israel is included in the line-up. The middle eastern country's participation has been described by protesters as 'art-washing.' It echoes similar campaigns across Europe for their respective entrants to drop out, following months of relentless bombardment of the Gaza strip. Bambie has expressed solidarity with the protesters and believes the European Broadcasting Union has made the wrong decision to allow Israel perform - but like their fellow competitors, the 'ouija pop' singer won't be boycotting the event in May. Irish Times reporter and Eurovision superfan, Laura Slattery, talks about Bambie’s predicament, about the competition’s long history of political controversy and what will happen in Malmo.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three decades ago, on April 7th 1994, the genocide and State-sponsored extermination of Rwanda’s minority Tutsi minority began. The country was gripped by a wave of unprecedented violence that lasted 100 days and resulted in the deaths of 500,000 men, women and children.“Here you had neighbours killing neighbours, priests killing parishioners, doctors killing patients, teachers killing students,” recalls New Yorker staff writer Philip Gourevitch, interviewed on today’s In The News podcast.And while reports and images of these horrific atrocities filled newspapers around the world, the international community just stood by and watched.“Everybody had pulled out and left them, other African countries had betrayed them, no one had come to their defence,” says Gourevitch, whose harrowing account of the genocide We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families was published in 1998. “The lesson of the Rwandan story at that moment in time, in a global sense, was the people who depend on the world for their protection are unprotected.”Following the Rwandan genocide, and the Srebrenica massacre a year later, world leaders pledged never again to stand by and allow such atrocities to unfold. And yet, in the three decades since, millions of citizens have been murdered or starved in conflicts across Africa and the Middle East.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Convicted drug dealer, David Waldron, played a senior role in the Finglas-Cabra crime gang following the deaths of Martin 'Marlo' Hyland in 2006 and Eamon 'The Don' Dunne in 2010. But rather than attracting press attention in the way his associates had, Waldron flew under the radar to build his drugs empire out of the limelight. Last week, his lavish lifestyle was laid bare after he lost his four year High Court battle against the Criminal Assets Bureau. His 25 year run in the drugs trade extends beyond narcotics to feature luxury Celtic Tiger properties bought with the proceeds of crime, a sex shop-owning 'headshop czar' and a funeral business his wife, Charlene, claimed to found called 'Elegant Send-off.' Conor Lally explains who David Waldron is and how he managed to evade authorities for so long.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon and Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2024 had the hottest March ever recorded. And it was the 10th month in a row to break its record.On one day in March, the Antarctic was 38.5 degrees warmer than the average. Climate change is a terrifying reality.Even if that heat measure proves to be an anomaly we’re still in big trouble – because of the level of emissions we pump into the atmosphere.As climatologist and director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies Gavin Schmidt tells In the News, we’re in uncharted waters because climate models can’t explain the huge heat anomaly in 2023 – and now 2024 with the impact of El Nino to be factored in, sure outcomes look even more difficult to predict.We’re on course for catastrophic warming, one way or the other, unless radical changes are made.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last weekend, the Amy Winehouse biopic ‘Back to Black’ jumped straight to the top of the Irish and UK box office. The release of the movie’s trailer earlier this year prompted immediate backlash from fans who argued the biopic had come too soon after the British singer’s death and risked exploiting her story.However, in reality, most of the viewing public just can’t seem to get enough of musical biopics. Following the success of Queen biopic Bohemian Rhapsody and the Elton John film Rocketman, studios are confident of a return-on-investment on these pictures. And audiences even love the satirical movies that mock the genre.The problem is, they can be tricky to get right. You need great acting, singing or miming – and clever storytelling if you’re diverging from the truth.Today, on In the News, Irish Times film correspondent Donald Clarke discusses why audiences love musical biopics and what separates a show-stopper from a bum note?Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan, Suzanne Brennan and John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The jury in the Stardust inquests has returned a verdict of unlawful killing in the cases of each of the 48 young people who died in the fire at the Artane nightclub 43 years ago.That means the survivors and the families of those who lost their lives have been vindicated in their long search for justice and accountability. But why did it take so long - and what happens next?We hear from Stardust families, who spoke to Aideen Finnegan just after the verdict was read out.And Irish Times social affairs correspondent Kitty Holland, who covered the inquest for the past year, talks about the meaning of the verdict and why this final official say on the tragedy was long coming.Presented by Aideen Finnegan and Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon and Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2022 Paola Sanchez, wanting to check out men she met online, created a Facebook group called “Are We Dating the Same Guy”. Its sisterhood-fuelled goal was to create a private space where women could “empower each other and keep each other safe from dangerous and/or toxic men”.It quickly grew. Most US cities now have their own Are We Dating the Same Guy group and it has spread outside the US with a reported 3.5 million members in more than 200 groups sharing red flags about men. The group for Dublin has nearly 50,000 members.Lawsuits have followed with men claiming they have been defamed, and in the latest one, in LA, Stewart Lucas Murrey is suing more than 50 women saying they “conspired to harm [his] reputation”.Brittany Shammas and Marisa Iati, from The Washington Post, reported on the impact of the group; on some of the men featured, and on what happens when the rules of the group are broken.They tell In the News about the ongoing court cases and the value of such a site in a world where women report feeling frightened while engaging with online dating apps.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday, Taoiseach Simon Harris called a meeting the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to discuss the rising number of deaths on Irish roads.Mr Harris said road safety was a “top priority” and announced actions to crackdown on careless and dangerous driving and additional RSA funding.So far this year, sixty-three people have died in road accidents across the country, an increase of 14 on the same period last year.And while the RSA has welcomed the new 30 minute mandatory road safety policing directive, questions remain as to why road-related deaths are going in the wrong direction.Have Irish attitudes towards road safety and drink driving changed in recent years? And, is the RSA campaign aiming for no road-related deaths or serious injuries by 2050 actually achievable?Irish Times head of audience David Labanyi and reporter Mark Hilliard join the podcast to discuss the RSA’s legacy and the steps needed to make Irish roads safer.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A training manual provided to eir employees by parent company Eircom warned them that they would face disciplinary proceedings if they obeyed Irish laws covering customer complaints.The same manual also outlined a series of “trigger words” that would allow people calling the company with complaints to have their concerns dealt with in an expeditious fashion. If those words were not used, the concerns raised by customers frequently went nowhere.In a case taken against the company by the communications watchdog ComReg before Dublin District Court, the telecommunications company pleaded guilty to 10 breaches of the law related to its failures to acknowledge customer complaints, to provide a complaint response within 10 working days, and to provide an email address to progress a complaint after 10 working days. These are requirements of regulations governing the telecoms sector.But now eir says the documents were taken out of context and that ComReg made 'incorrect claims'. What is not in doubt is that customer mistreatment by telecoms companies is nothing new, says Consumer Affairs Correspondent Conor Pope. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2016 US diplomats in Cuba’s capital reported a range of mysterious symptoms that were soon experienced by colleagues in other parts of the world.Staff reported bloody noses, headaches, stomach issues, vision problems and hearing strange sounds. The phenomenon was quickly dubbed the Havana Syndrome and investigations began to try to ascertain its origin – or if it was a real illness at all.Now, a new report led by US TV investigative show 60 Minutes has said Russian intelligence is responsible, that it is a hybrid warfare tactic.The finding contradicts a US government report last year which suggested that the “anomalous health incidents” were not caused by an energy weapon or foreign enemy.Julian Borger, Guardian world affairs editor tells In the News how the latest report is being received in the US – and Moscow.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. 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.

In August two more sections of the quays in Dublin will become no-go areas for private cars. When the “bus gates” open on Aston Quay on the southside of the river, and Bachelor’s Walk on the northside, private cars will no longer be able to complete their journey from one of end of the city’s quays to the other. They are the first measures of the Dublin City Centre Transport Plan, which will restrict motorists driving “through” instead of “to” the city centre.Some knotty problems still need to be ironed out - most notably how will Diageo transport Guinness from where it is made at St James’s Gate to the port for export if it can’t use the straightest route down the quays. And what is a bus gate anyway? Are taxis allowed use them? And cyclists? Dublin Editor Olivia Kelly explains the plan - and how it is a key part of a strategy to make Dublin a move liveable city.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Robert F Kennedy jnr is on the campaign trail, attempting to get on the ballot for the US presidential election.A scion of the Kennedy political dynasty, he had hoped to challenge Joe Biden for the Democratic nomination but when that hope faded, he announced he would continue as an independent candidate.The long-time environmental lawyer is the son of the former US attorney general and senator Robert F Kennedy, and a nephew of president John F Kennedy. He’s also a controversial figure not least for his anti-vaccine activism.Dr Pippa Malmgren, former economic adviser to president George W Bush explains how RFK jnr could shake up the presidential race and tells why Americans who don’t want either Donald Trump or Biden just might be persuaded to vote for him.Last week he announced his running mate and Irish Times Washington correspondent Keith Duggan explains why he chose California lawyer Nicole Shanahan, ex-wife of Google co-founder Sergei Brin.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today on In the News we bring you an excerpt from another episode of our sister podcast, Inside Politics. Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray joined host Hugh Linehan to talk about Simon Harris's appointment as Taoiseach and the details of his minimal Cabinet reshuffle. Did he go far enough to satisfy Fine Gaelers or voters looking for change? But first, they discuss the news that the reconstituted Government's first act will be to recognise the statehood of Palestine. You can listen to the full episode on the Inside Politics podcast feed or on irishtimes.com. New episodes of Inside Politics are available each Wednesday and Friday wherever you get your podcasts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.