In The News

Eddie Hobbs, once a fixture on RTÉ, says, “The mainstream media is the North Korea of Europe”.He was speaking on Steve Bannon's popular War Room podcast and it was a meeting of minds between one of the architects of Maga and the financial adviser-turned podcaster and campaigner.Bannon recently said he has been helping to form an Irish “national party”, working “behind the scenes” on “the Irish situation”.But has he? Where is the evidence for that? And how receptive would an Irish audience be to the former White House strategist's vision for the country?Meanwhile Hobbs told a conference in Athlone this month that those who want to see a new government in Ireland that would cut immigration and break ties with globalist elites need to “reach across the Atlantic” and seek help from the Irish diaspora in the US Maga movement.So could Hobbs be an Irish Trump? What are the other likely candidates?And why is Bannon so out of touch with the political system in Ireland.Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher, an expert in the Irish far-right, explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. As we head into the New Year, The Irish Times wants to hear listener feedback on our two news podcasts; In The News and our more recently released sister podcast Early Edition.This survey is open to anyone who has listened to either In The News or Early Edition- whether you listen regularly, occasionally, or have listened in the past.This survey should take around 3-5 minutes to complete. All responses are anonymous. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The devastating cruelty endured by four-year-old Mason O'Connell-Conway, who was murdered at his home in Limerick in 2021, was laid bare during the trial of his father's girlfriend, Tegan McGhee (32).Doctors reported that the child's injuries were similar to those suffered by car crash victims.McGhee and the child's father, John Paul O'Connell, had told paramedics that the little boy had fallen from a bunk bed in their Limerick home. He died three days later in hospital in his mother's arms.McGhee pleaded guilty to his murder at the trial in November and on Wednesday she was jailed for life. The boy's father has already been jailed for seven years after pleading guilty to neglect and impeding the prosecution of McGhee, knowing or believing she had murdered his son.Mason's mother Elizabeth Conway gave a powerful and heartbreaking victim impact statement in the Central Criminal Court which court reporter Eoin Reynolds describes here.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.As we head into the New Year, The Irish Times wants to hear listener feedback on our two news podcasts; In The News and our more recently released sister podcast Early Edition.This survey is open to anyone who has listened to either In The News or Early Edition- whether you listen regularly, occasionally, or have listened in the past.This survey should take around 3-5 minutes to complete. All responses are anonymous. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The installation of traffic cameras at junctions in Dublin city to catch motorists who break red lights has been shelved.It's a puzzling decision given that cameras were proven to work in a 2025 trial. And what about congestion charges? They've been talked about, but would they work and are they fair?As work on new elements of the Dublin City Transport Plan is set to begin – including one of the bus corridors that promise to make sense of the BusConnects route changes – Olivia Kelly, Dublin Correspondent, explains what is and isn't getting the city moving.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For more than two weeks, anti-government protests have taken over the streets of Iran. The regime has responded to the demonstrations with a heavy hand. According to various human rights agencies, more than 650 people are believed to have been killed by security forces. The violence towards protestors has only intensified in recent days, with the regime shutting down access to the country's internet and phone lines - leaving the people of Iran cut off from eachother and the rest of the world. In today's episode Irish Times producer Suzanne Brennan talks to Bel Trew, chief international correspondent with the Independent about the background to the unrest and whether this latest uprising could signal the fall of the regime Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

An app that allows millions of users to create sexualised images of children has brought the dangers of Artificial Intelligence into sharp focus – and shown how ineffective governments are in implementing safeguards on digital behemoths.A new feature of Elon's Musk's AI tool, Grok – available to users of his X platform – allows people to create intimate photographs of people without their consent and create child sex abuse imagery.Women have reported that their photos had been taken from the internet and digitally altered by strangers on X, to “nudify” them so they appeared naked or in a bikini.As Irish Times political correspondent Ellen Coyne explains there are few consequences for those who use the AI model to create illegal sexual images of women and children.Meanwhile Musk initially responded to the avalanche of international criticism of his AI tool with crying face emojis but since then the platform has reportedly moved to restrict access to the feature.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The killing of Renee Nicole Good (37) in her car on the streets of Minneapolis by an immigration officer has been witnessed by millions of people around the world.Countless bystanders took videos on their phones from all angles on the snowy suburban street as the mother and US citizen drove by, was surrounded by armed Ice (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) agents and was shot dead.So it should be possible to quickly reach a definitive conclusion as to what happened.But as Rachel Leingang, Midwest political correspondent for Guardian US, explains the killing instantly became politicised in a city where tensions were already on a knife-edge, with armed Ice officers swarming neighbourhoods as part of the Trump administration immigration crackdown.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Sunday US president Donald Trump said he needed Greenland “very badly”. It's a sentiment he expressed during his first term, but what then sounded like something of a fantasy wishlist has now hardened into policy.Reaction to Trump's intentions has taken on some urgency following his removal by military force of Venezuela's president, Nicolás Maduro, last weekend,Quite how he might move to take over the vast Arctic territory is unclear.This week the White House said the use ‍of the US military is “always an option”; it also said it might seek to buy the island from Denmark.Greenland is part of the Danish kingdom. Mette Frederiksen, the Danish prime minister, has said an attack by the US on a Nato ally – Greenland as part of Denmark – would mean the end of the alliance.But in a week that saw the Trump administration doubling down on its intention to take over the mineral rich island, the EU is scrabbling to respond to the threats from Washington in a way Trump might take seriously, as Brussels-based Irish Times reporter Jack Power explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since he took over as head coach at Manchester United Ruben Amorim has been outspoken, dishing up post-match commentary that frequently centred on how poor he felt his players had performed.On January 4th, after a desultory 1-1 draw with Leeds, he took aim, not at his players but at United's top brass – his bosses. He was, he said, the manager, not the coach; the heavy implication being that he wanted to make his own decisions and that management were getting in his way.On Monday it was announced that Amorim would be leaving the club with immediate effect.Once again Manchester United is on the hunt for a manager – or to be more accurate in the modern game – a coach.Irish Times columnist Ken Early explains why Amorim was never a good fit for United and why coaches at top-flight clubs have an increasingly short sell-by date.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday, captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores appeared in a court in New York City on charges including drug-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine-importation conspiracy, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. The pair pleaded not guilty to all charges, with Maduro telling the court, “I'm innocent. I am not guilty … I am a decent man. I am still president of my country”. But if Maduro is in New York, who is in charge in Venezuela? US President Donald Trump says, “we are” – but what does that really mean? In today's episode, Tom Hennigan who reports on South America for The Irish Times explains what Maduro's arrest means for the country and its people. Presented by Declan Conlon, produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Hyrox came to Dublin's RDS last November, it was a completely sold out event. The tickets for the fitness race were snapped up in minutes of going on sale, with organisers adding extra dates just to meet demand. But one person who was able to get their hands on a ticket was Irish Times sports writer Gordon Manning. The only problem? He'd never tried Hyrox before and hadn't done any training for the event. Manning - who isn't even a member of a gym - decided to take on the gruelling challenge to find out why this fitness craze has become so popular in Ireland and around the world. But with so little preparation, did he survive the race? And what does it involve anyway? In today's episode, we'll hear all about Manning's Hyrox experience, whether he'd do it again and whether you should do it too.Presented by Bernice Harrison, produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was first published in August.In the space of a few short years, generative AI has exploded into our daily lives, impacting the way we learn, work and understand the world around us.Open AI, the American artificial intelligence company cofounded by Sam Altman and Elon Musk in 2015 which runs ChatGPT, claims its non-profit “mission” is to ensure these systems “benefit all of humanity”.And while the launch of ChatGPT has undoubtedly lightened the workload of many, engineer, journalist and AI expert Karen Hao says the AI race for world domination carries a huge human and environmental cost.In 2019, Hao spent three days embedded in the offices of OpenAI and discovered this company, which claims to be transparent and operating “for the good of humanity”, was in fact highly secretive.In her bestselling book ‘Empire of AI: Inside the reckless race for total domination', Hao warns that the world has entered a new and ominous age of empire, where a small handful of companies are writing the future of humanity.Today, on the In The News podcast, how the race for total AI domination is repeating the worst of human history.Karen Hao discusses the severe cost of the seemingly unstoppable growth of OpenAI.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Elon Musk seems particularly taken with the opinions of three Irish men active on X: far-right activist Michael O'Keeffe; Barry O'Driscoll, whose idea of calling the US's new cost-cutting agency DOGE was seized on by president Donald Trump's right-hand man, and Keith O'Brien, a white nationalist who goes by the name Keith Woods on X. Musk interacts with these men and often amplifies their posts to his millions of followers. So what image of Ireland is the billionaire being fed by these men and why does it matter that so much of what he sees, and endorses from his “awesome” Irish friends, is often simply factually wrong? Crime and security editor Conor Gallagher profiles the men, including the Cork-based O'Driscoll who goes by 'Sir Doge of the Coin' on X, and explains what happened when he wrote about them in The Irish Times.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was first published in June 2025. In the early hours of May 8th, two masked men in a stolen Audi staged a drive-by shooting, firing nine shots indiscriminately at houses on Limerick's Hyde Road, including at April Collins's home. More shots were fired at a Collins-owned home on the Hyde Road in November 2024, and in two separate attacks in January 2025. Since then, there have been a dozen violent incidents, including pipe and petrol bomb attacks.The Garda Emergency Response Unit now conducts nightly armed checkpoints in flashpoint areas. The gangs appear undeterred.Between February and April, the Cork-based bomb disposal unit was deployed on multiple occasions to deal with pipe bombs seized in Limerick's criminal strongholds.In 2012 there was hope that the violent territorial feud between the city's key drug suppliers, the McCarthy-Dundon gang and the Keane-Collopy gang had been calmed, particularly with the jailing of key members of the Dundon family. April Collins's evidence sealed the case for the State. She moved away from Hyde Road following the court case but in late 2023 she moved back and tit-for-tat attacks ensued.And what of the new generation street criminals? Some are so young they were not even born when the original feud was in at its peak, but their actions show those gang lines that were drawn still exist: that the feud has never gone away.Brian Carroll tells In the News about the resurgence in drug-related gang violence in Limerick.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was first published in May 2025. From the moment he reported her missing in 2017, Richard Satchwell stuck to his story that his wife Tina had run off.His many media appeals begged her to come home. But as the jury heard during his five-week trial in the Central Criminal Court for her murder, she was indeed home and she had been all along.Richard had killed her in 2017, dug a hole under the stairs of their terraced Youghal home and buried her.The Garda did look for her – as a missing person – but “red flags” emerged soon after her disappearance were “simply ignored” by gardaí, the court was told.What were they? And why did it take until six years after her disappearance for a thorough search of the Satchwell house to take place?Irish Times legal affairs correspondent Mary Carolan tells In the News how the court case unfolded and what happens next.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was first published in August 2025. For years the Irish Republican Brotherhood – the IRB – was remembered annually in a curious ceremony at Dublin's Mansion House when its self-styled president Billy McGuire conducted a ritual that involved turning a golden harp to reaffirm the sovereignty of Ireland.The existence of an IRB will come as a surprise to historians who consider that the secret-oath-bound society of the same name was disbanded more than 100 years ago.But in recent years, a new cohort has taken over the IRB name, turning it into a growing organisation steeped in the pseudo-legal language of the sovereign citizen movement, which believes citizens are not subject to State laws.This has caused officials in Dublin and nationally to become increasingly nervous about the group's intentions.The leaders of the modern IRB are in large part veterans of the Covid-19 anti-mask and anti-lockdown campaigns, along with property owners who turned to conspiracy theories after losing vast sums during the crash. Its leaders include a prominent Clare businessman, a teacher, a healthcare worker and a life coach.This version of the IRB has a shadow government, a nascent court system and a network of local government bodies. It has also adopted a new time zone, Irish Rising Time, which is 25 minutes slower and based on the time zone used in Dublin until the 1916 rising. It even claims control over Óglaigh na hÉireann.So is this fringe group like those harmless re-enactors who cosplay historical events or does it have the potential to go the way of some sovereign citizen groups in the US and Germany who have escalated their actions to include violence?Irish Times Crime and Security Correspondent Conor Gallagher explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's Christmas Eve and so much about this time of year is about the things we do and eat – not because we particularly want to do them or even enjoy eating them – but it's traditional.So what are the traditions we've clung to and what are the new ones that have crept up on us?Who sends Christmas cards anymore? And why have Poinsettias, once such an exotic seasonal plant, fallen out of favour?Irish Times feature writer Laura Slattery has been teasing out the traditions that make an Irish Christmas.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At a time when there are media think pieces galore about how atomised entertainment is, how people don't talk about TV like they used to; how the music industry is fractured beyond repair; and how young people are too stuck to their screens to engage in real-life politics, 2025 proved all that wrong.RTÉ's smash hit reality TV show Traitors Ireland was a ratings juggernaut that dished up endless water-cooler moments. Oasis played two triumphant Croke Park gigs, with all talk about eye-watering ticket prices forgotten in the blazing sunshine and general euphoria. And Kneecap's frontman Liam Óg hAnnaidh aka Mo Chara's London court appearances became mini-festivals with music mixing with politics.And then where was Lily Allen's tell-all album, West End Girl and presidential hopeful Maria Steen and her handbag.These and other much-talked about highlights are picked over by Aideen Finnegan from the Irish Times podcast team and journalist Niamh Browne.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

British far-right activist Tommy Robinson is the UK's most notorious anti-Muslim activist.At 43, he is the street leader of the radical right-wing nationalist upsurge gripping Britain.An estimated 150,000 like-minded protesters turned out in London in September for his “Unite the Kingdom” march and for months Irish Times London correspondent Mark Paul has tried to get an interview with him.And then the call came out of the blue on a cold December evening.Robinson was planning a stunt in an hour's time – to announce the date of his next protest – and would the Irish Times like to come?In the end the stunt failed for technical reasons but Paul got to see how the avowed right-wing radical works and got to shadow him the following day.At a choral service – to “bring the Christ back into Christmas” he got to see how Robinson is mixing his newfound conversion to evangelical Christianity with his anti-immigrant message.Paul tells In the News how Robinson's new style of campaigning echoes the Maga movement that got Donald Trump elected.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2025 was a year of global upheaval, from the activities of the Trump Administration to instability in the Middle East and the reshaping of power politics as China continues its rise. But what will it be remembered for in the long run? Irish Times foreign correspondents Denis Staunton, who is based in Beijing, and Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary, each picked two events whose impact will be felt into the future. They include the meeting between Narendra Modi, Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, a trilateral power meeting in China that said much about the relationship between the US and the rest of the world; the October 10th ceasefire in Gaza, which is broadly holding in a way other ceasefires haven't; the record S&P stock surge in the US and why it loudly hints at an AI bubble and what that could mean for Ireland; and Europe's growing willingness to break a taboo, to reconsider the terms of the UN 1951 Refugee Convention which gave immigrants and refugees rights and imposed obligations on European countries.And amid all the gloom there were some lighter moments that struck our two correspondents.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After 25 years the Mercosur deal is reaching crunch time. The trade deal which would permit free trade between the EU and the South American countries that make up the Mercosur bloc has a deadline of December 20th.It allows the EU to export more cars, wines and spirits to South America, with goods including meat coming the other way – and that's what worries Iris, but also French, farmers.There are hopes it will be signed off at this week's two-day EU summit in Brussels; hopes at least on the part of the European Commission and Germany.France and Italy are still holding out on signing up – urging a push-back to January on any decision – while Ireland appears stuck in the middle.Mercosur countries form the world's sixth largest economy with a total population of 270 million people. It's a vast market for EU producers.So how will the Mercosur talks play out this week and what pressure will Ireland be put under to sign up to a deal that Irish farmers say would greatly injure not just them, but the economy as a whole.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 2025 roll call of Irish sporting heroes is long and notable for the variety of sports that saw stunning feats of excellence.Golfing great Rory McIlroy made history at The Masters; a new athletics star was born in Kate O'Connor; and Troy Parrott made football fans of us all with his stellar performance against Hungary to keep our World Cup dreams alive.And there were so many more sporting moments – including surprise retirements – throughout the year that set records and pulses racing.Irish Times sports writers Malachy Clerkin and Muireann Duffy give their sporting highlights from 2025.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What were the big political stories of 2025? Were there issues we were obsessed with at the time and now can't quite remember why? And were there any laughs to be had around Leinster House?For a look back on the year in Irish politics, Irish Times political correspondents Ellen Coyne and Jack Horgan-Jones came into the studio with their standout stories – from the fretting about the threat of US tariffs to the highs and lows of the presidential election; and from Paschal Donohoe's exit for a more glamorous job to the Government's new housing manifesto.Then there was Tipperary North TD Michael Lowry's unparliamentary sign language.And what exactly are “country pursuits” and why did they emerge as a talking point during the presidential election.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan with Andrew McNair on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the most shocking stories of the year was the disappearance of Kerry farmer Michael Gaine, whose dismembered body was found on his farm almost two months after he went missing. This murder remains unsolved.In June, Evan Fitzgerald (22) walked into a busy shopping centre in Carlow and opened fire. He then turned his weapon on himself and ended his own life.The year also saw some high-profile court cases, including the trial of Richard Satchwell, who was found guilty of murdering his wife, Tina. And there was the case of former superstar hurler DJ Carey, who was given five and a half years in prison for deception and fraud.For Crime and Security Editor Conor Lally, three stories stood out – for the events themselves but also for what they tell us about crime and policing in Ireland in 2025: the missing toddler Daniel Aruebose, whose absence went unnoticed for years and whose death is now a homicide inquiry; the discovery in Portlaoise of a far-right group who were allegedly planning an attack on Galway Mosque and the extradition of Sean McGovern from Dubai. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Australia became the first country in the world to impose a social media ban for children aged 16 and under.Welcomed by parents there but criticised by big tech and some free-speech advocates, the ban will see companies such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok face massive fines if they fail to take reasonable steps to remove the social media accounts of Australian children. And to stop children getting such accounts in the first place.Ireland is also taking steps to make children safer online, with a Government push to design a digital wallet linked to social security numbers as proof of age. And the Department of Health's online safety taskforce will also lay out its proposals today.Irish Times Political Correspondent Ellen Coyne explains the Government's advanced plans to protect children from accessing harmful material online.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The M in M50 stands for motorway – multiple lanes, fast speed limits and easy access to a network of national roads. More than 30 years ago it was designed as a modern piece of infrastructure to get the country moving.Now for many motorists for long stretches of the day - it's a car park.So are there any quick fixes? Are more roads the answer, more tolls? Better public transport certainly is the key, but why is our infrastructure so dire that people who live in the ever expanding Dublin commuter belt have no other option but to get in their cars and drive?The road that partially circles Dublin is congested and that's the problem. There's too much traffic on it. So what can be done to get it moving?Brian Caulfield, professor in transportation at Trinity College Dublin, explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Department of Housing is an unexpected source of top tips for young adults on how to behave. “Help out around the house”, it advises, “Set house rules” and “Communicate with your family”.All generally sound advice but widely perceived as tone deaf as it is in an information campaign aimed at young people forced to move back into their family homes, to once again sleep in their childhood bedrooms.The housing crisis with its high rents and lack of choice has meant many young people stay living with their parents for far longer than they want. The average age for Irish people to leave the family home is 28.The video, created by youth group SpunOut for the Housing Agency, has sparked negative responses from online commentators and Opposition politicians.Irish Times political correspondent Jack Horgan-Jones explains why the messaging fell so flat and how the controversy is playing out in Leinster House.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gardaí have opened a double murder investigation after a young boy, Tadhg Farrell (4) and his great-aunt Mary Holt (60) were killed in a suspected petrol bomb attack on a house in Co Offaly.Tadhg's grandmother, who was also in the house on Saturday evening, is in critical condition in hospital having suffered extensive burns in the blaze at Castleview Park, Edenderry.The house has been attacked before, in one incident all its windows were broken in what is believed to be an ongoing drug debt feud.Gardaí suspect a criminal gang involved in the drugs trade in the Midlands were behind the firebombing.Garda sources said the incident was probably intended as an intimidatory attack and they did not believe the people at the property were the intended targets.Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher reports from the scene.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A leak of documents, including photographs, from the regime of Bashir al Assad has laid bare the bloody inner workings of his regime.More than 33,000 photographs of detainees, mostly believed to have been taken in 2015-2024, show the extent of the degradation and torture inflicted on them by Assad's regime.For some families, the leak to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), finally gives the tragic answer to what happened to their loved ones.Assad presided over Syria during the country's 13-year civil war during which about half a million people were killed including more than 200,00 civilians at the hands of the regime and more than 160,000 were forcibly “disappeared”.Many of the bodies in the leaked photographs bear clear signs of torture. Nearly half are naked and most show signs of starvation.Irish Times Beirut-based reporter Sally Hayden worked with the ICIJ on the leak and she explains the importance of this evidence.She notes that as soon as the Irish Times became aware of the existence of the leaked photographs in October, it has advocated for consulting victims' families regarding their release.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The latest round of Ukraine-Russia peace talks have been the most complex and lengthy since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia began in February 2022.The latest round of talks started two weeks ago with a leaked 28-point draft peace proposal which alarmed Ukrainian and European officials who said that it was weighted too much in Moscow's favour. The proposal would have seen Ukraine cede territory to Russia, Russia readmitted to the G8 and Ukraine banned from joining Nato.There followed a 20-point plan, and then a 27-point plan. The talks – with the US represented by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner – moved from Geneva to Moscow where, on Tuesday, five hours of talks with Russian president Vladimer Putin around the table yielded no agreement. Talks are currently taking place in Miami.Putin has been clear, Russia is winning the war and while he is willing to come to the table to negotiate, there is no urgency. Ukraine has indicated it too is keen for a deal – but not on any terms. While in Washington, the US president has been making hopeful noises, reflecting the widespread belief that he just wants to get a peace deal done.Meanwhile at home Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been rocked by a corruption scandal that has seen his chief of staff, who had led the Ukrainian delegation at peace talks, resigning on Friday.Irish Times Europe Correspondent based in Kyiv, Dan McLaughlin, explains how the talks evolved and what next for the war.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Uniformed gardaí are being issued with Taser guns as part of a six-month trial.It has long been a point of pride in Ireland that the police force are not armed unlike their European counterparts. And while these guns fire electric shocks and not bullets, this is change in how the gardaí police the streets.So does this move bring closer the day when the Garda will be an armed force? How will it change the way the gardaí interact with the public? And why now?Irish Times crime and security editor Conor Lally explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a major military operation that began in September, the US administration continues to put pressure on Venezuela with navy warships massing in the Caribbean Sea.US president Donald Trump claims the air strikes on boats in the region are not acts of aggression but enforcement operations to prevent alleged drug trafficking.To date it is estimated that 83 people have been killed but it has not been made clear by the administration the intelligence that led up the attacks proving the boats were indeed carrying drugs.So is this a “war on drugs” or is it part of a broader plan to oust Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro?And with Trump now saying the country's air space should be shut down, is a ground offensive on the horizon?I speak to professor of Latin American history and migration studies at Vassar College, Daniel Mendiola.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New figures from the Residential Tenancies Board are stark: the number of eviction notices issued by landlords in the third quarter of this year increased by 35 per cent on the same period last year.This at a time when rents have never been higher.The reason given most frequently by landlords is that they are selling up. Why?New rent regulations which improve the rights of long-term tenants are set be introduced in March 2026. Could this be the reason landlords are getting out of the market?And why are small landlords more likely to want to exit the market than big institutional investors who dominate the private rental sector?Irish Times housing reporter Niamh Towey has talked to landlords and estate agents to get a clearer picture.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gerry Hutch, also known as The Monk, is eyeing up the Dáil seat left vacant by the resignation of Paschal Donohoe.Already it is believed that the convicted criminal, encouraged by his near success in last year's general election, is using what will be a long build-up to next year's byelection to get his campaign in order and to register hundreds, even thousands, of new voters in Dublin's north inner city.So will his €800,000 tax bill from the Criminal Assets Bureau put a stop to his political ambitions and could the man named as the head of the Hutch organised crime group become a TD?I talk to Irish Times crime and security editor Conor Lally who has long covered Hutch's career in crime.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

By Friday, the death toll in the Hong Kong apartment complex inferno had reached 128 with many more people unaccounted for.A blaze that began in one 32-storey apartment block on Wednesday quickly spread to seven of the eight towers in the densely populated complex. So how did one of the city's deadliest ever blazes spread so quickly.The Kwong Fuk Estate, a public housing development, was undergoing refurbishment and the buildings were covered in bamboo scaffolding and netting. New cladding had been installed and now that the rescue operation is over, attention is turning on investigating why and how the fire took hold.As the death toll grows and questions around building standards mount, Irish Times Beijing correspondent Denis Staunton, who reported from London in 2017 sees clear parallels with the Grenfell Tower disaster.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland has been slow to name its airports after people. Streets and housing estates, yes, but as Ronan McGreevy points out, the State is more inclined to honour those who died for Ireland rather than those who lived for it.A Bill to rename Dublin Airport after former taoiseach Seán Lemass has been brought forward in the Dáil.It is not the first time the suggestion has been made; four years ago Taoiseach Micheál Martin proposed it, but talk of it fizzled out.For McGreevy, an Irish Times journalist and historian whose next book is on Lemass, the former taoiseach and leader of Fianna Fáil (1959-1966) is a clear choice.He tells In the News how Lemass was a great moderniser and as minister for industry and commerce when the airport opened in 1940, was a a supporter of facilitating air travel both in and out of the country.The proposed legislation was introduced on Tuesday by Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne, who said the airport “owes much to his policies and foresight”.So will the Seán Lemass Dublin International Airport Bill 2025 succeed? And why are we so reluctant to honour our former taoisigh? He points out that Cork's Jack Lynch Tunnel is the only piece of State infrastructure named after a former leader.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Heart disease is the leading causes of death of women in Ireland but yet, many of us still consider it a male illness.Cardiovascular disease claims more women's lives than breast cancer, while women are more than two times more likely than men to die after a heart attack. The risk of heart disease substantially increases during menopause and yet, women and their doctors often underestimate the severity of their symptoms.Why is that?Years of poor research into women's cardiac health, combined with the perception often promoted through film and TV that heart attacks solely happen to men, has created a distorted image of this disease and resulted in a health system primarily designed to cater for the needs of men, not women.For decades, scientific experts presumed the results of cardiac trials designed using the male anatomy would also hold true for women. Women's hormonal fluctuations during periods and menopause often excluded them from heart disease trials.And while research into heart disease among women has improved in the past decade, many women have no idea the risks they face, particularly during and after menopause.So, what are the heart attack warning signs women need to watch out for? And what changes can they make early to try to avoid heart disease?Today, on In The News, cardiovascular nurse Shirley Ingram reflects on her personal experience of suffering a heart attack. And Dr Sharon O'Donell and Dr Deidre Daly from Trinity College discuss how the university's international Caramel project hopes to transform how women understand this disease.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Black Friday – a Thanksgiving shopping extravaganza imported from the US – isn't just one day any more. Retailers, both online and in the shops, started advertising their Black Friday deals as soon as the Halloween decorations came down. And it's set to continue into December.Irish shoppers have taken to bargain hunting with enthusiasm: a survey by PwC, which looked at Black Friday shopping habits in five European countries, found the Irish spend an average of €329, way more than our more frugal neighbours in Germany, France and Italy.Two-thirds of that is online which opens the digital door for scammers to get in.Irish Times consumer correspondent Conor Pope explains why Black Friday, with its “unbeatable bargains” and countdown clocks is a gift for scammers. He also tells how to beat the scammers at this distracting time of the year.And are their bargains to be had? Pope advises the best time to buy and how to spend you money so you'll get the best bargains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is an episode of our new sister podcast, Early Edition. It's in your feed this morning because -as a listener of In The News, we thought you might like enjoy it. But don't worry, you'll still find In The News in its usual spot. If you enjoy Early Edition - four of our top stories in ten minutes - please give it a follow on your podcast app.“Flying blind” and “budgeting like there's no tomorrow” – the government's management of the economy is being roundly criticised by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council.A group of Ranelagh residents have launched a legal challenge to the Metrolink project – with the potential to stall the long-awaited underground rail line.Consumer Affairs correspondent Conor Pope is urging caution in the Black Friday online shopping frenzy.The RDS has been renamed the Laya Arena in a new naming rights partnership, while a bill to rename Dublin Airport after this former Taoiseach has progressed in the Dáil.Presented by Aideen Finnegan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Denmark's immigration laws have evolved over the past 20 years but the intention underpinning them is the same: only asylum seekers who have been invited should come to the country.Danish immigration rules are strict. In 2013, the Danes instituted a so-called “jewellery law” whereby jewellery and valuables could be taken from refugees entering the country to pay for their keep. And while the measure has rarely been enforced, it is an example of government messaging aimed at deterring refugees from travelling to its borders.Gaining residency rights takes longer than in other EU countries and family reunification is more difficult. Those who live in areas where more than 50 per cent of residents are deemed “non-Western” are refused family reunion. Failed asylum seekers are moved to deportation centres where the conditions are basic, the idea being they will self-deport rather than stay there.As the UK's Labour government cites Denmark as a model to be copied as it reforms its own immigration rules, EU states are increasingly looking northwards to the Danes for measures that stem arrivals and manage those already in the bloc.Irish Times Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pharma giant Eli Lilly manufactures the ingredients for its weight-loss drug Mounjaro and its diabetes drug Zepbound in Kinsale, Co Cork.The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (Ifac) has found that the unprecedented surge in Irish exports this year (exports to the US rose by 153 per cent to €71bn between January and May) was almost entirely driven by shipments of these ingredients.Ifac tracked about €36.4bn of this export surge to Indianapolis, where Eli Lilly is headquartered and where it has several manufacturing sites.The jump in exports is expected to see the Irish economy expand by almost 11 per cent in GDP terms this year, which is almost certain to make it the fastest-growing advanced economy in the world in 2025.So with such an over-reliance on foreign direct investment, notably in the pharma sector, at a time of tariff threats and uncertainty, how vulnerable is Ireland?Irish Times economics correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We're happy to share an episode Early Edition, a new podcast from The Irish Times that brings you four of our top stories in under ten minutes. Find it in your podcast app and hit follow to get updates each morning from Monday to Friday. On today's episode:The Minister for Justice and the Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces must hand over the names and contact details of people who may have blocked, or simply ignored, complaints of abuse within army ranks. Ellen Coyne has the details.Nursing home owners want immigration rules relaxed so they can hire more workers from outside the EU, UK and European Economic Area. Martin Wall says they're seeking changes to the so-called 50/50 rule.Tech workers in Ireland think the general public has an unrealistic idea of who they are and what they really do. Three of them have been speaking to Hugh Linehan in the first of our series, The Professionals, which looks at Ireland through the lens of different categories of worker.And winner of The Traitors Ireland, Vanessa Ogbonno, has been chatting to Tony Clayton-Lea for Me and My Money. She describes herself as a saver, but her most extravagant purchase ever was a bit of retail therapy to take the sting out of losing a football competition. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2024 the Criminal Assets Bureau seized assets and money totalling just over €17 million and sold 20 houses that had been bought with the proceeds of crime. The sale of 20 forfeited homes – the highest number to date in any one year – took in early €5 million.And next week, in an auction timed for Black Friday, a haul of designer goods, ranging from Canada Goose jackets and Chanel handbags to Rolex watches and designer trainers, all bought with dirty money and all seized by the Cab, will go under the hammer – with the proceeds going to the exchequer.It's not all assets, the annual report shows that €13.3 million was collected by Revenue and just over half a million euro in Social Welfare recoveries.So it was a good year for the head of the Cab, Det Chief Superintendent Michael Gubbins who explains how he and his team of experts do their work and why, for most of them, anonymity is vitally important.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.