In The News

By The Irish Times

What's In The News about?

In The News is a daily podcast from The Irish Times that takes a close look at the stories that matter, in Ireland and around the world. Presented by Bernice Harrison and Sorcha Pollak. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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In The News episodes:

05.03.2024
Has Simon Harris's Mount Street clearance backfired?
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...
05.02.2024
The incredible story of Narendra Modi's rise to power in India
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...
05.01.2024
Is the cost of living crisis over?
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...
04.30.2024
The major row between Ireland and the UK over migration, explained
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...
04.29.2024
Housing, immigration, Gaza: Which issues are Irish voters really paying attention to?
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...
04.26.2024
Should Ireland boycott Eurovision over Israel?
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...
04.25.2024
Are the lessons of the Rwandan genocide being ignored 30 years on?
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,...
04.24.2024
The low-profile gang leader whose lavish lifestyle was laid bare by Cab
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...
04.23.2024
Are we in a new, dangerous climate era? Our weird weather suggests it is possible
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...
04.22.2024
From Amy Winehouse to Queen: Why we love musical biopics
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...
04.19.2024
Why did justice for Stardust victims take so long?
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...
04.18.2024
'He seemed pretty smug and arrogant' - Inside the secret online dating groups where women review men
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...
04.17.2024
Rising road deaths: What will it take to make Irish roads safer?
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...
04.16.2024
'A terrible thing' - why Eir's mistreatment of customers was more than just irritating
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...
04.15.2024
Havana Syndrome - all in their heads or a Russian spy attack?
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...
04.12.2024
How cannabis-induced psychosis can cause deadly harm
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...
04.11.2024
What Dublin's new 'bus gates' will mean for your journey through town
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...
04.10.2024
Who is the Kennedy running for US president?
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...
04.09.2024
A new Taoiseach, new Ministers and a new policy on Palestine
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...
04.09.2024
The challenges facing Ireland's youngest, most untested Taoiseach
On Tuesday, Simon Harris will be officially voted into office by TDs in Dáil Éireann and become the new Taoiseach. Harris, who is the youngest ever Taoiseach at 37, will then reveal his Cabinet reshuffle, by which he hopes to signal...
04.08.2024
What is behind the rise in ‘school phobia’?
Nearly three years have passed since Irish schools started reopening in March 2021 and children began returning to the educational environment that was abruptly erased from their lives the previous year. In the months that followed children and teens, who had...
04.05.2024
Country lane to fashion destination: the history of Grafton Street
From stately townhouses to cinema screens and Turkish baths, Grafton Street has had a fascinating and varied history. But how did it evolve to become the premium retail street that it is today? And who now owns the ornate buildings...
04.04.2024
How ex-Irish soldiers are training a rogue Libyan militia
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...
04.03.2024
The Israel-Iran proxy war has escalated - now what?
On Monday, suspected Israeli war planes bombed the Iranian consulate in Syria’s capital city of Damascus, marking a major escalation in Israel’s war in the Middle East. At least 11 people – including a senior Iranian commander – were killed...
04.02.2024
How controversial president Javier Milei is changing Argentina
When he was elected president last November, Javier Milei promised to fix Argentina's ailing economy and divided society with radical reforms. How is that going? Irish Times contributor Tom Hennigan returns with an update on how the controversial leader is...
04.01.2024
The crisis at Boeing has cost its management their jobs. But are the planes safe to fly?
This episode was first published in January 2024. A door that blew off a Boeing 737 Max shortly after take-off was not properly secured after maintenance to the aircraft, an investigation has found. This is just the latest in a list...
03.29.2024
As the clocks go forward, here's how to get a better night's sleep
How much is enough sleep? What is the best time to go to bed? What counts as a good night’s sleep? Is there any point in taking a nap and how long should it be? How do you know if your...
03.28.2024
Why Isis still poses a deadly threat - and what the Moscow attack means for Ukraine
The Moscow attack which killed at least 137 people and injured many more was carried out by an Isis affiliate called Isis-K. On today’s In the News podcast, Colin P Clarke, director of research at the Soufan Group and an expert...
03.27.2024
The toll of war on the children of Gaza
At least 13,000 children have died in Gaza in the last six months; more than in 4 years of global conflict. Despite the UN Security Council calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Monday, life-saving food aid is still...
03.26.2024
How the investigation into Annie McCarrick's disappearance took a wrong turn
This time last year, the 1993 disappearance of Annie McCarrick, a young American woman living in Dublin, was upgraded to a murder inquiry. For three decades, it was believed the last definitive image captured of the American student came from the...
03.25.2024
From farming to the sex trade - Ireland’s human trafficking problem
Trafficking of women and girls into Ireland to work in the sex industry is one aspect of a transnational crime that has been discovered in a range of sectors, from food production to fishing, forced marriages to farming, nail bars...
03.22.2024
Unmasked: the Co Armagh man at the centre of the world’s largest ‘catfishing’ investigation
When it was put to Alexander McCartney that he had, in the words of the Belfast court, “unlawfully killed a female child”, the 26-year-old from Northern Ireland pleaded guilty. That child was just 12 years-old, she lived outside the UK...
03.21.2024
Why did Leo go - and who will replace him?
Today on In the News we bring you an episode of our sister podcast, Inside Politics. Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Jack Horgan-Jones joined host Hugh Linehan to discuss the unexpected announcement by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar that he is resigning...
03.20.2024
Breaking news: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to step down - listen to his full speech
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has announced he is to step down. Listen to his full speech in this bonus episode. More to follow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
03.20.2024
The 'ghost student' visa scam spreading through the English language school sector
Earlier this week, an Irish Times investigation revealed a rising number of foreign students from outside the EU are using forged documents to secure study visas to work in Ireland. The Irish Times spoke to a number of people who...
03.19.2024
Why did it take so long to convict prolific sex offender Bill Kenneally?
Paedophile Bill Kenneally is serving an 18-year sentence for the sexual abuse of 15 young boys in Waterford in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. But it took until 2016, decades after the abuse occurred, for the former basketball coach to be...
03.18.2024
Were Irish colonisers too? A new book reveals our forgotten dark history
In 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...
03.15.2024
"There's no way he would have sex with me if I said to use a condom" - why STIs are spreading so quickly in Ireland
Ireland has the highest reported rate of gonorrhoea infection across 30 European countries, with a record number of cases reported in Ireland in 2022, according to research published last week. What is driving this surge in infections in Ireland and how...
03.14.2024
Could Daniel Kinahan finally face trial in Ireland?
In February 2016, just three days after the notorious Regency Hotel Shooting, 59-year-old Eddie Hutch was gunned down outside his home in Dublin’s north inner city. Hutch’s murder was the first in a two year killing spree by the Kinahan...
03.13.2024
Charlie Bird's courageous final act
The death was announced yesterday of broadcaster and journalist Charlie Bird. The former RTÉ chief news correspondent, who was 74 when he died, was diagnosed with motor neuron disease in 2021. One of Ireland’s best-known journalists, he reported on of the...
03.12.2024
Why are Chinese millionaires buying up South Dublin homes?
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...
03.11.2024
How vulnerable children were put at risk by Ireland’s state care system
A large provider of accommodation for children in care, Ideal Care Services, has been found to have put young people at risk by failing to carry out proper background checks on staff. The company run by Jossy Akwuobi (45), from Tyrrelstown,...
03.08.2024
Can Cillian win the Oscar - and who else deserves one?
Cillian Murphy looks unbeatable for the Best Actor gong. But who else should win at the 96th Academy Awards on Sunday night? And who will win? Irish Times chief film correspondent Donald Clarke says that it’s shaping up to be Oppenheimer’s...
03.07.2024
Russia claims leaked audio proves Germany wants war
On Monday, Russian media published an audio recording of high-ranking German military officers discussing weapons which could be used by Ukrainian military in the war against Russia. German officials immediately rejected any claims that the audio indicated Berlin was preparing for...
03.06.2024
The arguments for Yes and No in the referendums, explained
If you're not sure how you're going to vote in Friday's referendum, you're not alone. According to an Irish Times / IPSOS B&A; poll in February, 53% of those surveyed admitted to hardly knowing anything at all about the ballot...
03.05.2024
What will happen to Dublin’s empty office blocks?
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. Last week the Central Bank aired its...
03.04.2024
What’s wrong with University Hospital Limerick?
The death last month of a 33-year-year old first-time mother at University Hospital Limerick once again put the troubled hospital in the headlines. Shortly before that tragedy, a teenage girl with breathing difficulties died in the emergency department, while in 2022...
03.01.2024
Intermittent fasting: the good, the bad and the hungry
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....
02.28.2024
The 'impulsive joke' tweet that caused an Irish MEP three years of 'torture'
When Diarmuid Hayes send a strange tweet from his employer MEP Luke 'Ming' Flanagan's account, the resulting mockery caused huge damage to Flanagan's life and reputation. But why did Hayes do it? Naomi O'Leary and Jack Power report. Hosted...
02.28.2024
Can we trust the new FAI?
Last week’s FAI’s appearance before the Public Accounts Committee did not go particularly well. Members of the committee expressed concern regarding the role of the chief executive after Jonathan Hill explained that an €11,500 payment in lieu of holidays not...

What's In The News about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

In The News episodes:

Has Simon Harris's Mount Street clearance backfired?

The incredible story of Narendra Modi's rise to power in India

Is the cost of living crisis over?

The major row between Ireland and the UK over migration, explained

Housing, immigration, Gaza: Which issues are Irish voters really paying attention to?

Should Ireland boycott Eurovision over Israel?

Are the lessons of the Rwandan genocide being ignored 30 years on?

The low-profile gang leader whose lavish lifestyle was laid bare by Cab

Are we in a new, dangerous climate era? Our weird weather suggests it is possible

From Amy Winehouse to Queen: Why we love musical biopics

Why did justice for Stardust victims take so long?

'He seemed pretty smug and arrogant' - Inside the secret online dating groups where women review men

Rising road deaths: What will it take to make Irish roads safer?

'A terrible thing' - why Eir's mistreatment of customers was more than just irritating

Havana Syndrome - all in their heads or a Russian spy attack?

How cannabis-induced psychosis can cause deadly harm

What Dublin's new 'bus gates' will mean for your journey through town

Who is the Kennedy running for US president?

A new Taoiseach, new Ministers and a new policy on Palestine

The challenges facing Ireland's youngest, most untested Taoiseach

What is behind the rise in ‘school phobia’?

Country lane to fashion destination: the history of Grafton Street

How ex-Irish soldiers are training a rogue Libyan militia

The Israel-Iran proxy war has escalated - now what?

How controversial president Javier Milei is changing Argentina

The crisis at Boeing has cost its management their jobs. But are the planes safe to fly?

As the clocks go forward, here's how to get a better night's sleep

Why Isis still poses a deadly threat - and what the Moscow attack means for Ukraine

The toll of war on the children of Gaza

How the investigation into Annie McCarrick's disappearance took a wrong turn

From farming to the sex trade - Ireland’s human trafficking problem

Unmasked: the Co Armagh man at the centre of the world’s largest ‘catfishing’ investigation

Why did Leo go - and who will replace him?

Breaking news: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to step down - listen to his full speech

The 'ghost student' visa scam spreading through the English language school sector

Why did it take so long to convict prolific sex offender Bill Kenneally?

Were Irish colonisers too? A new book reveals our forgotten dark history

"There's no way he would have sex with me if I said to use a condom" - why STIs are spreading so quickly in Ireland

Could Daniel Kinahan finally face trial in Ireland?

Charlie Bird's courageous final act

Why are Chinese millionaires buying up South Dublin homes?

How vulnerable children were put at risk by Ireland’s state care system

Can Cillian win the Oscar - and who else deserves one?

Russia claims leaked audio proves Germany wants war

The arguments for Yes and No in the referendums, explained

What will happen to Dublin’s empty office blocks?

What’s wrong with University Hospital Limerick?

Intermittent fasting: the good, the bad and the hungry

The 'impulsive joke' tweet that caused an Irish MEP three years of 'torture'

Can we trust the new FAI?

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