In The News

Since early Sunday morning, 35 members of the Orange Order have been waiting at Drumcree Church to parade down the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road in Portadown. It is a march that, in the 1990s, sparked tension and violence in Drumcree, and with the result that the Protestant loyalist organisation has been refused permission to march through the Catholic area for nearly 30 years. So why was it given permission now? As of Tuesday, the Orangemen remain determined to march, saying they now have the legal right to do so. The local nationalist community is equally intent on preventing them. And the repercussions are being felt at Stormont. The DUP and the Orange Order have made complaints to the PSNI about the presence of Sinn Féin president Mary Lou McDonald and Northern Ireland's First Minister, Michelle O'Neill, at the protest. With tensions running high on the streets of Drumcree, and the DUP-Sinn Féin political partnership fraying, could this standoff bring down Stormont? Mark Hennessy, The Irish Times Ireland and Britain Editor, reports from the Garvaghy Road. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Susanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When property developer Paddy Shanahan built Buckingham Village, a scheme of 125 apartments in north inner-city Dublin in 1991, hopes were high that it would help rejuvenate this socially deprived part of the north inner city.But by 1994, Shanahan was dead; he had been fatally shot as he left a gym in Crumlin and the development's connection to the Dublin underworld was cemented.It regularly featured in crime stories and court reports, including the infamous Regency Hotel attack that kicked off the Hutch-Kinahan feud.By 2018, Dublin City Council's inspections revealed slum-like conditions being endured by the renters.Using planning documents, enforcement data, property folios and company records, along with interviews with residents, activists, elected representatives and gardaí, Irish Times investigative reporter Conor Gallagher pieced together a history of Buckingham Village over its 36-year existence. He talks to In the News.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A comprehensive 3-0 away victory for the Republic of Ireland should have cause for celebration. Instead, it has been overshadowed by unprecedented crisis within Irish football.In the days before Ireland's Uefa Nations League fixture against Israel, players faced mounting calls from politicians, celebrities and activists to boycott the match over Israel's genocide in Gaza and its continued expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank.Behind the scenes divisions emerged within the squad, culminating in the withdrawal of second goalkeeper Gavin Bazunu and a rancorous team meeting on Saturday. In the end an anonymous vote amongst the players resulted in the decision to proceed. But the damage had been done.Sports correspondent Gavin Cooney speaks to In the News from Debrecen, Hungary. He explains the day as it unfolded, how the controversy escalated and what the fallout could mean for the future of the Rep. of Ireland team.Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After more than a decade living openly in Dubai, Christy Kinahan snr's visa has been cancelled and he has been told to leave the United Arab Emirates before September 29th.The founder of the Kinahan drugs cartel moved to Dubai when it was considered a safe haven for criminals, insulated from extradition treaties and where it was possible to live a life of considerable luxury with no questions asked as to where the funds were coming from.In recent years however that has changed as the UAE seeks to burnish its image on the world stage. For Kinahan and two of his sons, Christopher jr and Daniel, there has also been the complication of being sanctioned by the United States in 2022 as key figures in the transnational organised crime group. This brought further attention to their presence in Dubai.So where will Christy go now? He is facing no criminal charges at home or anywhere in the world but the long reach of US sanctions mean his world is considerably smaller and his options, even as a wealthy man, are limited.And with the US having put a $5m bounty on his head, is there a chance that once he moves from the safety of the UAE, some former associate will look to cash in?Irish Times crime and security editor Conor Lally explains this latest chapter in the life of the most significant organised crime figure ever to emerge from Ireland.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since the fixtures were announced earlier this year, the voices calling for the Republic of Ireland to boycott its Nations League games against Israel have grown progressively louder. They come from all quarters: from former Ireland players to diehard green jersey fans and from politicians to big names in other sports. The two soccer games are going ahead, behind closed doors and with minimum coverage; Israel's “home” game in Debrecen, Hungary on Sunday, with the return fixture also in a neutral venue of Backa Topola, Serbia on October 4th. The FAI says Ireland has too much to lose; the penalties for boycotting the fixtures would be huge. But would they? A war of words has now broken out between Republic of Ireland manager Heimir Hallgrímsson and the Israel FA. “We are not playing with genocide, we are playing against genocide,” he said. Israel responded calling Hallgrímsson's use of the word genocide as the embodiment of “stupidity, ignorance and hypocrisy”. According to Irish Times sports writer Gavin Cooney, who will be covering the games, the days ahead are likely to bring more tension and acrimony - but no boycott. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in July 2026.Employees of three key State agencies use a computer programme called Passwork to generate and protect their passwords. It's a cybersecurity measure.But what they didn't know, before it was revealed by The Irish Times, is that Passwork, which purports to be EU-based, has extensive links to a Russian company licensed by Russia's security service.The agencies using Passwork are the Office of Public Works, the State Laboratory, which provides chemical testing and scientific advice to Government departments, and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC), the agency tasked with, among other things, helping consumers stay cyber safe. It is unclear how many other Irish State agencies use Passwork.So what does it mean for State security? Who has access to these passwords? And what does the Russian owner of the Spanish-based company that sold the Passwork programme to the State agencies say? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The scenes of violence and rampant destruction on the streets of Belfast on June 9th were reminiscent of disorder we've seen before.But these were not sectarian-motivated attacks, instead they were race riots, with mobs of young men attacking migrants.When calm was restored, at least 88 migrant families had been made homeless, either because their home had been attacked or burned out, or because the threats were so terrifying they are too fearful to return.The riots had been sparked by a brutal knife attack earlier that day; a Sudanese national has since been charged with the crime.Why has there been a resurgence of anti-immigration sentiment in Northern Ireland? Who were the rioters on June 9th? And what does it mean for future peace and stability that anti-immigrant violence has replaced sectarian attacks in Northern Ireland?Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today we're sharing the opening episode of a three-part series by Róisín Ingle that tells the untold origin story of U2. We hope you enjoy it. The full series can be found on irishtimes.com, or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for Drummer Seeks Musicians: The Making of U2.It is 50 years this month since 14-year-old drummer Larry Mullen stuck a note on a school noticeboard looking for fellow musicians to form a band. That note led to U2.In this three-part podcast series to mark the 50th anniversary, Róisín Ingle traces the formation of the band in a school on the northside of Dublin through interviews with their classmates, teachers, friends, family and band members.Why did U2 happen in Mount Temple? And how are Bono, Edge, Larry Mullen and Adam Clayton still friends and still making music together fifty years later? Drummer Seeks Musicians is a remarkable origin story, told by the people who were there from the very beginning. From Mount Temple Comprehensive to the world stage, this is the story of how U2 began.Episode one goes back to the radical experiment that was Mount Temple Comprehensive School on Dublin's northside in 1976, where fifty years ago 14-year-old Larry Mullen pinned a note on the school bulletin board. That note brought together Larry, Adam Clayton, Dave ‘The Edge' Evans and Paul ‘Bono' Hewson of U2, four teenagers who were destined to become one of the world's biggest bands. Róisín talks to the people who were there - the ones who nearly made the band, the teachers who supported them and the classmates who watched it happen. We hear about the architect of a remarkable school and discover the back stories of Paul 'Bono' Hewson and Larry Mullen Jr. Drummer Seeks Musicians: The Making of U2 is presented, written, researched and produced by Róisín Ingle. Editing by Rob Sutton.Additional production by Suzanne Brennan. The podcast is dedicated to Donald Moxham.Thanks to the staff at Mount Temple, to U2 and to everyone who took part in the podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Staying ahead of organised drug gangs is the daily challenge facing the scientists and analysts at Forensic Science Ireland (FSI).And with criminal organisations having their own sophisticated labs to make new drugs, genetically engineer existing ones and disguise drugs in all manner of inventive ways to avoid customs detection, it requires considerable expertise.“Camouflaged cocaine” blended with coal or soaked in plywood are increasingly common.In labs across FSI's new 13,000sqm base near Celbridge, Co Kildare scientists analyse fingerprints, bodily fluids, chemicals and exhibits, including murder weapons and victims' clothing. It is their evidence that is used in court.Irish Times security and crime editor Conor Lally speaks to the In The News podcast about his wide-ranging interview with FSI boss Ciarán Seoighe.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In her speech to MEPs on Wednesday, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen spoke about Canada becoming an “associate” member of the EU in future, a concept that does not exist in the union's governing treaties.The following day Canadian prime minister Mark Carney spoke to the same group of MEPs about wanting to be closer to the bloc during the “ferocious” storm that had ruptured alliances underpinning the previous world order.Carney sketched out the possible parameters of a new “alliance”, but what does “associate” membership mean? Is it all about trade?And what might the implications be for Ireland?Jack Power, Irish Times Brussels-based Europe correspondent explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It seems incredible that no one knows how many data centres there are in Ireland. It could be as many as 100, it could be more. Whatever the number there are several others in the planning stages.What we do know is that energy consumed by these vast buildings accounted for almost a quarter of the electricity consumed in Ireland last year, up from 5 per cent in 2015.And, during the long hot summer when domestic water restrictions were imposed, it appeared to be water usage as usual for data centres.Questions about how they operate are growing. Do they pay less than households for electricity? With the national grid creaking from decades of underinvestment do they even pay enough to cover their costs?And why is the Government so keen to have them?Irish Times climate and science correspondent Caroline O'Doherty explains the many questions around data centres while political correspondent Jack Horgan Jones looks at how Government defends the explosion of these vast resource-sapping structures against mounting criticism.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced Aideen Finnegan and Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It has long been known that AI poses risks to humanity, but the scale of them is only starting to become clear. And those risks are terrifying.This month Evan Hubinger, a top scientist at Anthropic, said AI is advancing so quickly he believes there is a greater than 10 per cent chance it “could kill all humans” within the next decade.Jacob Coxon, an AI researcher who has just quit Anthropic and previously worked at OpenAI, has warned of “superhuman systems that can hack anything, revolutionise any field overnight, and acquire real power and resources”.AI is a multibillion business that's moving at a speed no one could have predicted. But can it be regulated – and who would actually carry out that function effectively? Are these dire predictions realistic?Seán Ó hÉigeartaigh, director of the AI: Futures and Responsibility Programme at the Centre for the Future of Intelligence at the University of Cambridge, explains the current thinking on AI threats.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thieves who broke into the Renoir Museum in the south of France escaped with two paintings, having dropped two others as they fled the building.The value of the works has been estimated at €9 million, but what are they worth now?Were the thieves stealing to order? And if not, what are they going to do with them?In a world where provenance dictates price, who would buy a stolen piece of art by one of the most famous and collectible painters?The theft is just the latest in a series of high-profile art thefts. In March 2026, an organised crime gang stole a Renoir, Matisse and Cézanne from a private museum in Italy, while last year thieves broke into the Louvre in Paris and took jewels worth an estimated €100 million.Art crime investigator and historian Arthur Brand explains the planning, execution and aftermath of the Renoir thefts.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In late summer, a criminal using the name “SpongeJob” posted a wanted ad on Telegram, an the encrypted messaging service.He was looking for a hitman to travel to Cyprus to kill two men, twins from the UK. Everything would be supplied, including a gun, for a fee of about €60,000.His ad was answered, but unbeknown to SpongeJob, the willing gun for hire was the Danish police, who then sent an undercover officer to Cyprus to pose as the hitman and to foil the murders.That Danish officer was able to tip off the Cypriot police, who arrested three men, two Norwegians and an Irish man who had travelled from Limerick. It is now believed that the hit on the twins was commissioned by veteran criminals with close links to the Kinahan cartel.For Europol, the Cyprus contract is a prime example of the growing underworld phenomenon of international “violence as a service” (VAAS).Irish Times investigative reporter Conor Gallagher explains how the hit was planned – and how it then fell apart.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twenty five years ago al-Qaeda militants hijacked four commercial planes in the US and flew two into the World Trade Center in New York and one into the Pentagon, while the fourth crash-landed in a Pennsylvania field.Almost 3,000 people were killed on that day and the world was changed forever.How the US responded to that attack on home soil reverberates still - through everything from airport security to geopolitics – and above all, America's place in the world. The attack also prompted a rise in Islamophobia.Denis Staunton, Irish Times correspondent and author of the daily Global Briefing newsletter, explores how the world changed after 9/11 and what might have happened if the US had responded to the attacks in a different way.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

No one doubts that it is the Irish Open at Trump International Golf Links & Hotel at Doonbeg that is bringing US president Donald Trump back to Ireland.It has attracted some of golf's biggest stars to Trump's golf course in Co Clare and the sold-out event promises spectacular golf – with the chance that the president will present the trophy to the winner on Sunday.But before that on his overnight stay in Ireland he has some house calls to make in Dublin, all conveniently located in Phoenix Park.On Saturday he will visit his ambassador Edward Walsh; drop in on President Catherine Connolly in Aras an Uachtarain and meet Taoiseach Micheál Martin in Farmleigh the official State guest house.All the while the press pack will be hoping for impromptu comments.Irish Times journalists political correspondent Jack Horgan Jones and sportswriter Gavin Cooney tell us what to expect.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's not just the win, but the landslide scale of the win that has shocked Germany – and sent ripples throughout Europe.The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has been growing in popularity but no one anticipated the election result in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt where the far-right party won 44 per cent of the vote on a record turnout of 76 per cent.The party's manifesto promises several anti-immigration measures including mass deportations and separate schools for refugees; its education plan emphasises a new curriculum based on traditional German values, while it proudly proclaims itself pro-Russian.German chancellor Friedrich Merz took office a year ago promising to “halve” AfD support. Instead he has watched that fate befall his own party, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU). So how compromised is he by this result?The AfD vote signals a clear direction of travel in German politics but as Irish Times Berlin correspondent Derek Scally reports, it is also a country that understands its history and the task of defeating extremism.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Minister for Defence Helen McEntee said that a “significant security operation” has been been put in place for Ireland's presidency of the Council of the European Union.She didn't elaborate on exaclty who would be providing that security but since long before the presidency began in July, military analsyts were able to easily predict security wouldn't come soley from the State's underfunded Defence Forces.The Government would need help - but from where? The meetings last week in Druid's Glen in Wicklow of all the EU's defence ministers showed the extent of that help as Irish Times investigative journalist Conor Gallagher has been reporting.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As autumn arrives and the supersized El Niño develops, global temperatures will rise, rainfall patterns will radically change and the number of extreme weather events will increase.But what does that mean for Ireland? After the hottest summer on record, predictions of an unusually mild and wet autumn might sound benign, but persistent rain prompts fears of a repeat of last winter's flooding in the east and southeast.Ireland wasn't alone in feeling the heat from unusual summer heat patterns driven by climate change.As an island that imports 80 per cent of its food, there are warnings of higher food prices.And what did the UN's warning last week about Earth surpassing 1.5 degrees mean?Caroline O'Doherty The Irish Times, climate and science correspondent, explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Saturday, Katie Taylor will fight for the last time as a professional boxer.If she wins against France's Flora Pili, she will bow out as undisputed light-welterweight champion, a title to add to all the others she has accumulated during a stellar career that changed women's boxing forever.At a press conference this week she imagined what it will be like: “Walking down in front of 80,000 people, hearing the Olé, Olé, Olés one last time, seeing the Tricolours around the place.” It's emotional stuff from a woman who is famously reserved, and who, says Irish Times sportswriter Malachy Clerkin, keeps her talking for the ring.Now 40 she has been boxing for 30 years, as a child fighting to even join a club, as an amateur, an Olympian and for the past 10 years, a professional.The 80,000-seater Croke Park match sold out in 30 minutes and as he details Taylor's astonishing success, Clerkin explains why he first thought she'd struggle to sell tickets.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The long-predicted crack cocaine epidemic is here and has been compared to the heroin epidemic that ravaged communities and destroyed lives in Dublin in the 1980s. It's cheap at as little as €10 for a “rock”, though for users smoking that will last just minutes and they'll spend the rest of their day focused on getting the drug, while eating and self-care become secondary concerns. It makes users agitated, paranoid and aggressive – with predictable results. Unlike powder cocaine, Ireland's crack cocaine problem is not distributed evenly across society. Why and how has the crisis developed? And why is crack addiction such a difficult drug to treat? And why are homeless women turning to crack cocaine in such numbers?Eddie Mullins, who spent his career working in the prison service becoming the governor of Mountjoy jail, now heads up Merchants Quay Ireland, the Dublin-based charity offering services to homeless people and drug users. He describes the impact of the surging crack cocaine crisis on users and the wider community.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the last week in June a boat set sail from The Gambia heading for the Canary Islands. On board were an estimated 200 people, made up mostly of men of all ages as well as about 20 women and five children.Within weeks, only 36 would be alive; the rest killed by starvation and thirst as the engine failed and the boat got lost on the Atlantic migration route, now regarded as the deadliest in the world.As the days went on, bodies were thrown overboard and tension rose between the remaining desperate travellers who had paid traffickers to take them from impoverishment in west Africa to what they hoped would be a better life in Europe.A fishing boat found the distressed vessel in July, alerted authorities and the survivors were given medical attention in Mauritania before being returned home.It is estimated that since 2022 more than 20,000 people have died on this route.Sally Hayden, Irish Times reporter who specialises in migration, travelled to The Gambia and spoke to two of the survivors Alhagie Ngie (27) and Mustapha Secka (29) who gave eyewitness accounts.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.Sally Hayden's reporting was supported by the Simon Cumbers Media Fund Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in June 2026.When Carlos Barragán discovered his mother was the victim of romance fraud, he flew to Lagos to find the con man – and found the Yahoo Boys, young men whose job it is to rip off westerners. The name comes from the old email platform, first used by the Nigerian scammers decades ago.His mother, Silvia, had fallen in love online with flirtatious, sincere, handsome Brian; she bought rings, planned a future and was convinced that they would one day live together – when he was free to travel to Spain.Her sons though, suspected something sinister was afoot, especially when “Brian” started to make financial demands.Over the course of three years Carlos, a journalist, visited Nigeria multiple times to see the Yahoo Boys in action and to try to understand why this particularly cruel, exploitative form of online fraud has become such an earner for so many young men in Lagos. He also discovered a romance scam involving an Irish woman.His compelling book, The Yahoo Boys: Real Life with the Love Scammers of Lagos by Carlos Barragán is published this week.He talks about the experience on In the News.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every year, more than 10 million motorists drive through Dublin's Phoenix Park. Almost all are breaking the speed limit.All of the park's attractions, including Dublin Zoo, the People's Gardens, the Ashtown Castle Visitor Centre, Farmleigh House and almost 2,300 parking spaces, are accessed from Chesterfield Avenue, the main road that bisects the park. Yet there is no dedicated way for pedestrians to cross this 4km-long road.And even if there were, crossing might still be perilous, as more than 95 per cent of motorists exceed the speed limit. And despite the addition of cycle lanes on some of the park's roads, poor design and maintenance render many unfit for purpose.It's a problem that has been recognised for years, so why haven't speeding motorists been stopped? And how Dublin's biggest park become a commuter rat run?Olivia Kelly, Irish Times Dublin editor and daily park user, explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

By the time the final episode of The Traitors Ireland was aired last September, the nation was gripped.The RTÉ version of the gameshow was a hit with nearly three quarters of a million people tuning in to see a trio of “Faithfuls”, Oyin, Vanessa and Kelly bag the prize.It's been quite the year for Vanessa Ogbonna and Oyin Adeyemi.They came into the In the News studio to talk about their time in the castle under the watchful eye of Siobhán McSweeney; how they won and what the spent the prize on; how they dealt with social media trolls, and their fun new podcast, Oya C'mere.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Swiss media have compared what happened to Irish teenager Paula and her mother, Iwona, to the Pelicot case in France.Prosecutors allege that Patrick Frei, 57, drugged and raped both Paula, then aged 14, and her mother, Iwona while they were living with him in the Swiss town of Untersiggenthal. It is also alleged that he filmed the assaults.Paula and Iwona had moved from their home in Sligo in 2022 to live with Frei, a high-profile right-wing politician, a year after Iwona and Frei had begun a long-distance relationship.So how did the case come to light and when did the alleged abuse begin? How did police build their case? And why did Swiss authorities move to deport Paula and Iwona while the investigation was under way?Frei is due to stand trial in February 2027. His lawyer says he “disputes substantial parts of the allegations and, in particular, the legal characterisation of several of the charges”.Conor Gallagher of The Irish Times investigations team travelled to Switzerland to speak with Paula and her mother, Iwona.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.Support services: Freephone 24-Hour DRCC National Helpline, 1800 77 8888; One in Four, 01-662 4070 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Washington insiders observing how the Trump administration conducts its business, Natalie Harp is an alarming figure.The 35-year-old White House aide appears never to leave the president's side, whether he is meeting a world leader in the Oval Office or playing golf. Her influential role has been questioned, and ridiculed, for years.Harp's nickname is “the human printer”; she is rarely seen without a sheaf of documents ready for her boss. When it emerged that those documents included highly personal letters she had written to him, laying bare her devotion, insider gossip turned into public soap opera.A political attack line delivered by Democratic senator Jon Ossoff put her in the public spotlight when he said of the president: “He doesn't want to do the job. He wants to build his ballroom and travel with Natalie on their apparently defenceless flying palace, gifted by the Emir of Qatar.”Shawn McCreesh, a White House reporter for The New York Times, explains this latest, and perhaps most puzzling, controversy to hit the Trump administration.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan, with Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Now in its fifth week, the trial of Lindsay Clancy in the US for the murder of her three children has been headline news, with blanket TV and press coverage and endless online discussion.What is known – and what she admits – is that on the evening of January 23rd, 2023 while her husband Patrick was out running errands, she killed their three children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3 and Callan aged 8 months in their suburban home.When Patrick came home, and before he found the children, he found her on the ground outside their house.As Shanelle Kaul, a national correspondent for CBS News, tells In the News, his 911 call for help was one of the most harrowing evidence heard in court.Her defence is that she was suffering from post-partum psychosis; the prosecution maintains her actions were deliberate.As the jury prepare to begin deliberations this week, Kaul discusses the key evidence heard at the trial so far. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in March 2026. Stephen McCullagh (36) thought he had created a cast iron alibi for himself when he planned the murder of his pregnant girlfriend Natalie McNally (32) in December 2022.An avid gamer he was, he claimed, at home playing a video game live at the time she was killed. But as the PSNI was able to prove, he had in fact pre-recorded hours of himself playing the game. Police found that when he hit “play”, he set off to his girlfriend's house in Armagh where he savagely murdered her.The case against McCullagh was built on circumstantial evidence, so for Natalie's devastated family, conviction was not certain.Seanín Graham is Northern Correspondent of The Irish Times and she was in court in Belfast for the trial.She tells In the News she has never before witnessed such emotional scenes in court as when the guilty verdict was handed down on Monday.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in March 2026. If you got an invoice you'd been waiting for from your builder for work done, you'd get ready to pay it, wouldn't you?And if, a couple minutes after that, you got another invoice from the builder saying that actually he'd made a mistake and he'd given you the wrong bank details, you'd think nothing of it and proceed to pay.Well that's exactly what the reader who contacts our consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope did. She sent the requested €30,000 to her builder and thought nothing more of it – until a week later when her builder contacted her politely wondering if where the payments was.She is tech savvy, has been made aware through her work about all kinds of fraud, and is cautious by nature yet she had been the victim of payment redirection fraud – also known as invoice fraud.Conor Pope came into the studio to explain how this scam worked and why this particular case should be a lesson to everyone who believes invoice scams are only targeted at big business.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Staff at Oberstown Children Detention Campus are set to strike again on Tuesday the 25th of August.It will be their fourth work stoppage this summer over plans to expand the capacity of the north Dublin facility for young offenders.Members of the Fórsa trade union have already taken to the picket line this week in a protest relating to staffing levels, saying they're “running on fumes.”While acknowledging that management have made progress in hiring 11 new staff, they believe recent high profile events, such as wrong-way motorway driving, will further heap pressure to find beds for teenagers in trouble with the law.Workers are concerned that inadequate staff ratios will undermine their safety, particularly in light of a spate of serious assaults on the campus last summer.One social care worker told Irish Times work correspondent Emmet Malone these “young people often present with challenging and difficult behaviour; they're only in Oberstown as a last resort and we regularly find ourselves in difficult, sometimes dangerous situations ... If we don't have enough staff to operate the unit safely, properly and adequately, the young people we work with on a daily basis are suffering too.”But if management are engaging with the union, why are staff still planning to strike on Tuesday? What are the sticking points and what might draw this dispute to a close? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday evening, thousands of people took to the streets of central London to attend a vigil in memory of Jason Arday. The former Cambridge professor was found dead in his home just days earlier - at the age of 41. In his final days Arday - who was Black and autistic - was at the centre of a global media storm. Initially over allegations of plagiarism in his previous academic work and claims relating to his personal life, it morphed into a controversy relating to racism, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion employment practices, and press harassment. As a result, he resigned from his role as professor of sociology at the prestigious university. In his resignation letter, he told colleagues he no longer wished to feel like he was living “under a constant spotlight, where every aspect of his life was subject to public examination and judgement”. But the media frenzy didn't end there. Coverage about Cambridge's youngest ever Black professor continued.Now public figures and friends of Arday are demanding a public inquiry into the press attention he received before his death. A petition has already secured more than 90,000 signatures. In today's episode, Aideen Finnegan is joined by Irish Times writer and columnist Hugh Linehan to talk about the media storm surrounding Arday and the public outcry following his death. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey have signed a mutual defence pact that "echoes Nato's article 5 in saying they will treat an attack on one as an attack on all". But will they? What does the pact mean for US leadership in the region, for the Iran war and for global security? We ask Denis Staunton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Five people are dead and four people - including a seven year old boy are seriously injured - after a stolen BMW was driven the wrong way on the M9 motorway in County Kildare. Five teenage boys in the stolen BMW were killed instantly in the head on collision, in the early hours of Sunday morning. Three sisters and a seven year old boy were in the other car. They are all in a serious condition in a number of hospitals across Dublin. Alma and Niamh Kinsella were in the front. Their little sister Ellie Hendricken and her nephew were in the back. In today's episode, crime and security reporter Hugh Dooley talks to Aideen Finnegan about the details of last weekend's fatal crash and why 'wrong way' motorway driving has become a worrying trend among thrill seeking teenagers. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For more than a year, Fergie Chambers, an American multi-millionaire and self-described communist, has called Ireland home. The 41-year-old who is heir to one of the richest families in America had been living in South Dublin, until a trip to Ibiza with his family last month ended in his arrest. While on the Spanish Island, police arrested Chambers on foot of an extradition request by US authorities. He's been in prison in Madrid ever since. If the extradition goes ahead, he faces charges of money laundering with the intent of supporting terror organisations; riot; and conspiracy to riot. Friends of Chambers say he's being targeted because of his support for Palestinian activism. They point to donations to humanitarian organisations working in Gaza and his funding of legal fees for protesters associated with Palestine Action in the UK. But who is Fergie Chambers, what does he stand for and why has he become a target of the MAGA movement? And could his case further strain relations between the US, Spain and Ireland over Palestine? Aideen Finnegan is joined by Irish Times journalists Rachel Lavin and Naomi O'Leary. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in April 2026.John O'Brien's scam was simple. Arriving in the US on a tourist visa in 2021, he set himself up as a building contractor in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. By the time the authorities caught up with the 28 year-old, he had conned more than 100 victims out of an estimated $2.5 million.Many of the homeowners who handed him their life savings for promised building work were charmed by his Irish accent and friendly demeanour.Sentencing him to four years and eight months in prison, the judge talked about “the extent and breadth of the harm” done to victims who opened their doors to O'Brien out of kindness and trust. He had pleaded guilty.Many of his victims gave statements in court including Candace Gauvin, a retired school crossing guard, who emptied a life insurance account, eventually paying him more than $90,000 for shoddy work.One of the more than a dozen people who provided character references for O'Brien included fellow Traveller Senator Eileen Flynn who advocated for his early release for the “benefit of his young family”.Local reporter Susan Zalkind was in court in Rhode Island for O'Brien's case and she explains how the scam worked, how it funded his lavish lifestyle and the impact on the victims.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The city of Ceuta - the Spanish territory on the north African coast – is preparing for another potential wave of migrants hoping to cross the border from Morocco. Images of some 72-thousand people reaching Ceuta went around the world almost a fortnight ago, on the 30th and 31st of July, after they climbed or swum around the border fence separating it from European territory. 83 people died during the rush, with a Moroccan human rights organisation putting the number higher at 141. Of the tens of thousands of people who made it, many of them are children who are still in Ceuta, sleeping rough on beaches. There were protests on Sunday with people voicing concerns and demanding support saying Ceutans alone cannot handle a situation like this. Now social media activity suggests another mass crossing in the coming days. Aideen Finnegan is joined by Madrid-based journalist Guy Hedgecoe. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last month, Fifa's President Gianni Infantino shocked football fans around the world when he announced plans to sell a slice of the World Cup's business to private investors. Unsurprisingly, the proposal went down like a lead balloon, with critics pointing out how Infantino had orchestrated the deal in secret. But one man - who not only knew about the plan but spent months working on it behind the scenes - was FIFA's chief of staff, an Irish Man called Daniel O'Toole. The Dublin man was handpicked by the Fifa president to work alongside him on the potential sale before it was eventually shelved - but who is he? And how did he ascend to the inner sanctum of power at the organisation? Irish Times sports correspondent Gavin Cooney has the details on today's episode. Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ten years after the Regency Hotel attack, and four years after the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the leaders of the Kinahan cartel, Daniel Kinahan is back on Irish soil following his extradition from the United Arab Emirates.A major security operation was put in place to transport the 49-year-old from Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnell, County Dublin, to the Special Criminal Court, where he was charged with one count of directing the activities of a criminal organisation between October 18, 2015, and April 6, 2017.Irish Times crime and security editor Conor Lally was in court as Kinahan was charged.Presented by Aideen Finnegan, produced by Suzanne Brennan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in June 2026. For the past 18 months, Dublin City Council has been keeping track of a worrying trend: an increase in the number of vacant council houses being targeted in racist attacks.The criminal damage, which happens just before the council moves a new tenant in, ranges from racist graffiti to making the house uninhabitable.So where is this happening? And what can be done to stop it?Irish Times crime and security editor Conor Lally explains what's behind the recent surge in these attacks, and the reaction from local communities.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in May 2026.Michael, the biopic tracking the early years of Michael Jackson, opened to dire reviews and criticism over its silence on the child sex abuse allegations levelled at the music superstar.The fans, though, don't care; they made Michael a box office smash. Its first weekend broke records, with the film scoring the biggest opening of all time for any musical biopic.It stars Jaafar Jackson, who does a good job channelling his late uncle Michael, and the music is wall-to-wall with brief detours into some aspects of Jackson's odd life, including his obsession with Peter Pan, his first nose job and his acquisition of Bubbles the chimpanzee. Originally the script included the case of one of the boys who alleged sex abuse, but that was cut.So without the truth of Jackson's life, what is the point of this biopic? And why is Hollywood so fixated on musical biopics?Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in June 2026. When Isak Andic, who created the Mango clothes brand, died from a fall while our hiking with his only son, Jonathan, in the mountains outside Barcelona, it was treated as a tragic accident.But for the Spanish police, something about events on that hiking trail in December 2024 just didn't add up.First there were inconsistencies in Jonathan's police statements. Then forensics found evidence that suggested something more sinister may have happened to the 71-year-old billionaire.In May, in a move that created shock and headlines in Spain, Jonathan was arrested in connection with his 71-year-old father's death.He has been released from custody having posted €1 million in bail. But what happens now? Will the case go to trial to decide if the fashion mogul's death was an accident or murder?Madrid-based reporter Guy Hedgecoe has been following the story.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.