In The News

There’s a rough rule of thumb when it comes to paying to dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant: stars cost around €100 each. That’s according to Irish Times restaurant reviewer Corinna Hardgrave, who explains what it takes for a restaurant to win a Michelin star and what it means for them when they do.Ireland has 18 one-star and five two-star restaurants – but no three stars.For the first time the Michelin Guide is holding its awards ceremony in Dublin, on Monday, and Hardgrave gives her predictions on who might get a new star and who might be awarded an extra one. However she says nothing is predictable with the highly secretive Michelin.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.The Irish Times wants to hear listener feedback on our two news podcasts: In The News and 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The US justice department has made public more than three million pages of records related to the late financier Jeffrey Epstein - and the fallout has dominated global headlines.Much of the content was redacted, sparking accusations of a cover-up designed to protect US president Donald Trump, although authorities claim they were protecting victims.Just what is contained in them – and who is named or seen in the emails and videos – is slowly emerging as reporters sift through the vast data dump.What is clear is that Epstein was a trafficker and abuser of children and young women and that he maintained a transactional friendship with wealthy and influential men. The emails reveal a pattern of disgusting misogyny and depravity.Academic and political commentator Scott Lucas explains the timing of the data release and what’s next.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

‘Melania’, the documentary about US first lady Melania Trump, took in an estimated $7m when it hit US cinema screens at the weekend making it the highest debut by a non-music documentary or concert film in more than a decade. These are the sort of figures other documentaries can only dream of, so it’s a hit? Far from it says Irish Times journalist Hugh Linehan who points out that it cost Amazon $45 million to make plus a reported $35 million in marketing costs so financially it makes no sense. And critically? Well “boring” is probably the nicest thing reviewers have said. Over nearly two hours it reveals very little about the former Slovenian model other than she wears nice clothes and even nicer shoes. For Linehan, it’s a classic Trump family grift, this time with Melania making the money. She is expected to be paid $28 million for the documentary which charts the 20 days in the lead-up to her husband’s 2025 inauguration. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“I don’t love you and I can’t be with someone out of pity,” Bruna Fonseca (28), a Brazilian woman living in Cork, texted her ex-boyfriend Miller Pacheco (32) on December 18th, 2022.Two weeks later, on New Year’s Day, 2023, gardaí would discover her body in Pacheco’s apartment. She had been strangled.At Pacheco’s trial for her murder at the Central Criminal Court in Cork, this and many other texts, voice messages and recorded conversations were read out in court.As Irish Times Southern correspondent Barry Roche who attended the trial explains, they paint a picture of an angry man, full of self-pity, who could not accept that his former girlfriend who he had followed to Ireland from their native Brazil no longer wanted to be in a relationship with him.He put forward a plea of self-defence but the evidence proved otherwise and he was found guilty of her murder. On January 23rd last he was sentenced to life in prison. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Thursday, a judge in a Belfast court lifted an injunction that would have prevented Michael Flatley’s involvement in the Lord of the Dance show, due to begin in Dublin next week before a multi-date international tour.The Chicago-born dancer was lead performer and choreographer of Riverdance, the 1994 Eurovision interval show that introduced a new, high octane, modern form of Irish dancing to the world.It brought him fame and fortune and in 1996 he developed a global touring show called Lord of the Dance. Critically acclaimed it was for many years wildly successful.With the 30-year anniversary of Lord of the Dance coming up, Flately who is based in Monaco, signed a contract with Newry firm Switzer Consulting to run the shows. And it’s the details of that contract that were in contention.During the civil case taken by Switzer, the court heard claims about Flatley’s lifestyle that will come as a surprise to his many fans.His former financial adviser Des Walshe claimed that his ex-client was “all about image”, and living a millionaire’s lifestyle funded by borrowing. “He was faking it on a multimillion euro scale,” Walshe submitted to the court.So how did Flatley react to this damning characterisation? And what was his reaction when the judge lifted the injunction.Belfast-based reporter Paul Colgan explains the complex case and why it has come to this for the world’s most famous Irish dancer.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Most people who heard the weather forecasts at the weekend that mentioned Storm Chandra will not have expected the devastation it was to bring on Monday and Tuesday. The east coast was hit hardest. Homes were flooded that had never flooded before, rivers burst their banks, road and rail closures caused traffic chaos and businesses were forced to close. Some of the areas worst hit by the floods received almost half their average rainfall for January in one 24-hour period.But shouldn’t there have been stronger warnings of what was likely to come and what are people supposed to do when they are told flooding is likely? Climate change is altering weather patterns with potentially devastating results, so how prepared is the Government for what is to come?Irish Times climate and science correspondent Caroline O’Doherty explains why Storm Chandra hit so hard and why some areas were impacted more than others. And we hear from Rathfarnham resident Ciaran Kirwan whose home was flooded.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When news emerged at the weekend that one of China's most decorated generals had been purged, rumours swirled around Beijing. The official line was that Zhang Youxia, and later another top general, had been ousted from their jobs due to “serious violations of discipline and law”. That is widely understood as code for corruption but no more details were forthcoming. This led to speculation that the reason Chinese president Xi Jinping took the action against Zhang, a man believed to be untouchable because of his military background and his long, personal relationship with the president, was because he was no longer loyal and was plotting against him. For Irish Times Beijing based-correspondent Denis Staunton, talk of a coup by military generals is wide of the mark. Instead it appears that Xi, who has been on an anti-corruption sweep of government at all levels since he took office, began looking at the military and the top brass came into his sights.So is Xi simply – and ruthlessly – consolidating his power? And what does this sudden and dramatic change in military leadership structure mean for the country’s long-stated ambition of taking control of Taiwan?Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and John Casey.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the three weeks since Donald Trump sent thousands of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, to the state of Minnesota, and its capital city, Minneapolis, over 3000 people have been detained suspected of being illegal immigrants.But there’s strong local opposition in this liberal city. When agents appear in a neighbourhood, protests begin and that’s putting ordinary people into contact with the armed and masked officers.Two citizens have been shot and killed. Renee Good earlier this month and, at the weekend, Alex Pretti.Can the Trump administration ignore the growing calls for deescalation and accountability?Declan Conlon speaks to The Irish Times US Correspondent Keith Duggan.Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Andrew McNair.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller is the most zealous supporter of the MAGA agenda. That much is expected from a Trump administration insider, but Miller is much more that a suit in the background.He is the aide tasked with turning even the most vaguely thought-through policy announced by the US president into action – and he relishes the job.To understand just why ICE is so brutally on the ground in American cities, its necessary to know Miller’s own tough stance on immigration.Miller’s aggressive style has served up some of the administration’s most startling soundbites whether that’s on Greenland, tariffs, Europe or immigration.He is not afraid to upset people as he ruthlessly implements Trump’s agenda.But who is Stephen Miller and how did he rise, as Trump says: “to the top of the White House totem pole”.Today’s guest is Ashley Parker, a journalist with The Atlantic Magazine who has been following Miller’s career from Washington intern to hard-right Oval Office enforcer.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

ADHD is commonly characterised by traits like impulsivity, difficulty regulating emotions, and difficulty maintaining focus.But mounting research suggests adults and adolescents with the condition are far more likely to develop substance addiction. Rates of diagnoses for ADHD have been soaring in recent years and addiction programmes in Ireland report high numbers of people with ADHD seeking help for substance misuse.On today’s In The News podcast, Eric, Oonagh and Shane, three adults with ADHD, share their journey navigating addiction.And the head of the charity ADHD Ireland Ken Kilbride calls for addiction services to be better equipped to help people with ADHD who come to them.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Andrew McNair.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump's address at the World Economic Forum made the headlines yesterday as the US president appeared to rule out using force to take over Greenland. But It was Tuesday's speech by Canadian prime minister Mark Carney that may be remembered in the long run.Carney’s used his address to tell allies that the "rules-based international order" is over and that "middle powers" like Canada and the EU needed to band together to resist great powers like China and the US.Carney's message came after recent overtures to China, resetting relations with the superpower as he seeks a less reliant relationship with Trump's erratic US next door.But what exactly does Carney's message imply, and would the leaders he was addressing have the wherewithal to follow through on such a course of action?Irish Times China correspondent Denis Staunton explains what Carney’s new vision for the world means and how Beijing views this growing distance between once close allies.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If anyone thinks that the rioters who caused mayhem and destruction on the streets of Dublin in November 23rd, 2023 were a well-organised group motivated by strongly-held ideology, think again.Of the 99 people arrested in connection with the Dublin riots, 82 have been charged with offences which range from attacking a garda and setting fire to a bus to stealing cigarettes and trainers.The unprecedented scenes of mayhem, damage and looting in and around O’Connell Street, was sparked by an attack earlier in the day of three young children and a care worker by Riad Bouchaker, an Algerian who has lived in Ireland for many years.At the time, the riots were characterised as being anti-immigrant in motivation. But as Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher explains, the picture that emerges from court reports reveals that the majority of the guilty rioters had very different reasons to be there.He also examines the sentencing of the rioters, and what it says about the attitude of the courts to the crimes committed on that night.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. Thank you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US President Donald Trump is not giving up on Greenland.On Saturday he announced tariffs on France, Germany, the UK and others, after those nations sent ⁠military personnel to the island at Denmark’s request.On Monday UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer responded to the threat, describing it as “completely wrong”.And how is the EU responding? Potentially, with tariffs of its own - and that could endanger the US-EU trade deal that was agreed last August.But some countries are calling for caution. Like Ireland, which has a lot to lose from a trade war between Europe and the United States.On today’s In the News, host John Casey speaks to Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times about the implications for Ireland if there is a tariff escalation and the US-EU trade deal is abandoned.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. Thank you! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Thank you! The amount of cannabis being smuggled into Ireland has risen significantly in recent years, with most the product for sale now coming from the United States.So why have drug gangs here turned to overseas product aand why from the US?In today’s episode by Irish Times Crime and Security correspondent Conor Lally explains how drug gangs attempt to get cannabis into the country - and how they are caught. Presented by Bernice Harrison, produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Thank you! 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. 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.