In The News

Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday night for a two-day visit that both the United States and China hope will stabilise their relationship and prolong a truce in the trade war that began over tariffs last year. The state visit – with all the pomp and ceremony that entails – had been scheduled for April but was deferred because of the war in Iran. There is a lot on the table and, in the shorthand favoured by analysts, they are: the three Ts (Taiwan and Tehran and trade) and the three Bs (beans, Boeing and beef). On day one, Trump flattered Xi Jinping but was that reciprocated? And what about the two superpower’s key interests outside trade and tariffs: Trump wants China to help open the Strait of Hormuz; Xi considers Taiwan as the most important issue in the relationship between China and the United States? Is the fact that the meeting happened at all the real win for the two countries following a period of fraught relations.Irish Times China correspondent Denis Staunton is in Beijing.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Dubliners first saw the multi-tiered, gleaming white, iron and glass shopping centre on St Stephen’s Green in the late 1980s, it was quickly nicknamed “the Mississippi showboat” and “the wedding cake”. And in a city that prides itself on its Georgian heritage and its historic buildings, it was seen by some as kitsch, an architectural pastiche and a bit embarrassing. But it grew on others. Now that plans have been approved by Dublin City Council to knock the shopping centre and replace it with a new scheme, a campaign has begun to save the centre.So what is planned to replace it? Why are objectors so against it? And why do so many people have a new appreciation for this “historic” building?Dublin editor Olivia Kelly isn’t one to sit on the fence when it comes to how the city is shaping up and she explains her reservations about the plans.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

British prime minister Keir Starmer is clinging to power after scores of Labour MPs – and several ministers – called on him to resign or at least plot a clear path for a change in leadership.The immediate prompt is the collapse of the Labour vote during the local elections which saw more than 1,500 councillors lose their seats.Add the party’s losses at the devolved elections in Scotland and Wales and the turnaround in Labour’s fortunes since its landslide general election win couldn’t be more stark.But do the roots of dissatisfaction with the solid, steady and uncharismatic Starmer, and the party, go much deeper than a few bad days at the polls?And while he says he is going nowhere and that he will stay and fight Reform UK for “the soul of Britain”, is his position really tenable? Is there a contender in the wings, waiting for the chance to oust him from Number 10, someone who would be more popular with Labour voters?Irish Times London correspondent Mark Paul reflects on a dramatic day in Westminster.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Irish Times consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope got an email last June about the non-delivery of garden furniture, he couldn’t have known that it would be the start of a deluge of similar complaints from hundreds of frustrated customers.All had ordered from Rathwood, a family business, operating for more than 30 years that had grown into one of the biggest outdoor living retailers in the State. And all had received excuses about delays, supplier issues and new investors.It has now been estimated that customers are owed in excess of €2 million and that the company, now in examinership, is mired in debt.So how did this family business come to be the second most complained about company in Ireland after Ryanair? Now that it has entered examinership what does that mean for consumers who have already paid for a range of items from furniture to fuel? Do they have any chance of getting their money back? And what is going to happen to this once thriving business?Conor Pope outlines the experience of Rathwood customers over the past year and what they can now expect.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced Declan Conlon and Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For online fraudsters to be successful they need a web of bank accounts to first receive the money they steal and then to channel it, often out of the country.Some people, often students, willingly let their bank accounts be used in exchange for a small sum of money. For others though, they have no choice, like the victim of sextortion before the courts this month who was blackmailed into letting his Revolut account be used by a crime gang.Drug gangs still use bricks-and-mortar operations to launder money; businesses that are often cash based, from barbers to nail bars. But the volume of cash generated particularly by online fraud needs a more sophisticated banking-based solution.Ten years ago An Garda Síochána was uncovering just 50 cases of money laundering a year in Ireland, in 2025 it was nearly 2,800. So why the huge increase and does the Garda have the resources to deal with this growing category of crime?Irish Times crime and security editor Conor Lally explains why money laundering is now big business in Ireland.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey and Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Wednesday, in the midst of a tentative ceasefire, Iran issued what could be the first step in a deal with the US over the Strait of Hormuz.Meanwhile Iran’s foreign minister was in Beijing meeting China’s top diplomat who urged an end to the blockade of the vital waterway and an end to the war. Could a peace deal finally be in sight?And why did German chancellor Friedrich Merz torpedo his relationship with US president Donald Trump by saying “an entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership”? Was it a tactical move by the German leader or was he shooting his mouth off? And at what cost?Also, with Trump set to visit Chinese president Xi next week, what will be on the agenda for this meeting of two of the globe’s strong men?Denis Staunton, Beijing correspondent and author of the Irish Times daily Global Briefing newsletter, considers the issues.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Iran war, which began on February 28th, has disrupted air traffic routes and pushed up jet fuel prices. That much is clear. But with the war showing little sign of resolution, what is less clear is what will happen as the aviation industry grapples with inevitable fuel shortages?The disruption to aviation has been severe in the Middle East and Asia but, to date, the impact on European airlines has been relatively minimal. Flights have been cancelled and prices have risen marginally but for most, it has been a case of travelling as usual.That though could change radically and soon as jet fuel becomes scarce and the price airlines must pay for it – already 90 per cent higher than before the war began – rises even further.The industry is now talking of rationing but what might that look like?Irish Times consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey and Declan Conlon.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In June 2025, the Mancel family left their apartment in Leopardstown in south Dublin, headed to Dublin Airport and flew to Reykjavik. They checked into the luxury Edition hotel for what appeared to be a weeklong holiday for husband Emeric Mancel (57), wife Ming Ting and their 29-year-old daughter, Catherine.But on the day they were due to fly home, Emeric and Catherine were found dead from stab wounds in the hotel.Shortly after the grim discovery in the hotel, Ming Ting was arrested and she is now facing a murder charge over the killing of her daughter Catherine. Her husband is suspected of assisting in their daughter’s death.Reykjavik-based Irish journalist Karen McHugh explains this most troubling case, including the inheritance issue; how Ming Ting changed her story and why she is being allowed to live freely in the Icelandic capital while she awaits trial.NOTE: This episode contains discussions about suicide, which some listeners may find upsetting.For support: Samaritans on freephone 116 123 or text HELLO to 50808. Pieta freephone: 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444. Or visit yourmentalhealth.iePresented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last November former Kilkenny hurler DJ Carey was sentenced to five and a half years in prison for fraud. In July, the disgraced sportsman pleaded guilty to ten counts of deception involving thirteen individuals. It was a stunning fall from grace for the Kilkenny man, who was once the most celebrated hurler in the country. For years Carey spun a web of lies, convincing friends, acquaintances, and even strangers that he was battling terminal cancer and needed large sums of money for life-saving treatment. At times, his stories were meticulously crafted, rich in detail. Sometimes they were just spur of the moment pleas for cash.   In today's episode journalist and author of The Dodger, Eimear Ní Bhraonáin maps out Carey’s decade long deception and explains how he got away with his crimes for so long.The Dodger: DJ Carey and the Great Betrayal published by Merrion Press is out now.This episode was first published in November 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Sean McGovern, a trusted member of the Kinahan organised crime cartel, was extradited from Dubai last May he can’t have known the depth and breadth of the evidence gathered by the Gardaí that would prove that he had directed cartel murder plans at the height of the deadly Kinahan-Hutch feud.It was all laid out in the Special Criminal Court this week as encrypted phone messages between him and fellow gang members during 2015 and 2017 were read out, surveillance footage from over a decade ago was shown and data culled from his laptop was revealed.The solid case against McGovern (40) saw him plead guilty to two charges of directing an organised crime gang.According to Irish Times Crime and Security Editor Conor Lally, the encrypted messages read out in court show how casually the Kinahan cartel talked about taking lives – and how hard they worked at it.In this episode, Lally details how the sentencing trial unfolded, the drama in court and how McGovern, once a feared lieutenant who thought he had escaped justice by fleeing to Dubai, reacted.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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.

Last Saturday evening, a food delivery driver was hijacked in Co Antrim, a bomb was placed in his car and he was ordered to drive to Dunmurry police station. When he got there he ran in to raise the alarm. Minutes later, a police officer’s bodycam recorded the car exploding as nearby houses were being evacuated, with two babies among those who were being brought to safety at the time. The attack is being treated by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) as attempted murder and comes just weeks after an attempted car bomb attack on Lurgan police station in Co Armagh. The New IRA has claimed responsibility for both attacks but who is this dissident republican group?The car bombs were crude but according to Irish Times Northern correspondent Freya McClements, what counts in these attacks is the attention they receive for the organisation and the fear they instil in local communities and members of the PSNI. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For a man who has been targeted by assassins, Gerry Hutch is surprisingly easy to track down in the village in Lanzarote where he has lived for more than 10 years.He hikes in the morning, frequents the island’s many Irish bars – Paddy’s Point is a favourite – and is happy to stop for selfies with the Irish holidaymakers attracted by the island’s winter sun.Irish Times investigative reporter Conor Gallagher travelled to the Spanish island last week to interview the veteran criminal as part of a wider investigation into the Dubliner’s property holdings.Hutch has long maintained that his lifestyle is funded by savvy property investments although in a wide-ranging interview he tells Gallagher they have been “exaggerated”.From his sunny base he talks of his political ambitions for the May 22nd Dublin Central byelection, his reaction to his son’s recent arrest in Lanzarote and the ongoing criminal investigation by the Spanish authorities into his own activities.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Ellen Coyne heard her phone buzz in bed on a dark October night in 2022, she couldn’t have known that answering it would lead to the “biggest thing to happen to Irish dancing since Riverdance.”A dossier of messages and WhatsApp screen grabs claimed to uncover what had long been suspected about the sport and art-form; that competition-fixing between teachers and adjudicators was widespread, and that the practise hadn’t just been a problem in recent years but rather stretched back over decades.The feis-fixing scandal as it came to be known revealed a global culture of lobbying judges to promote or demote a given dancer with the implicit understanding the favour would be returned.“If a judge had marked up your students, let’s say a major competition six months previously, [and] it’s your turn to judge when it comes to the Al-Irelands, there’s an expectation that you have a debt that needs to be repaid.”Despite the spotlight suddenly being shone on the alleged practise, Coyne came up against a wall of silence.“A lot of people kept drawing parallels with the mafia, which I initially thought was a little bit over the top.”But the longer she spent researching the claims the more she realised that those who put their heads above the parapet felt genuine fear of retribution.“There was always this theory that dancers would get bombed, basically, where one judge would mark them down so significantly that it would obliterate their chances of competing.”Coyne paints a picture of a world that has lost itself to toxic competitiveness. Rather than being a joyful expression of Irish culture the sport has simply become about winning, at the expense of the youngsters taking part.“Children were put in the position of looking at the medals and trophies on their bedroom wall and starting to question what is probably the single most important trusting relationship they have with an adult outside of the ones that they’re directly related to.”The governing body abandoned disciplinary hearings in 2024 but has the cheating scandal changed the culture for good?You can listen to this episode on the player above or search for In the News wherever you get your podcasts.Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Notorious Dublin criminal Robbie Lawlor was shot dead in Belfast in 2020, when he arrived at a house in the Ardoyne area of the city, to collect a drug debt.Lawlor was a 36-year-old father originally from Coolock, Dublin, though he had relocated to Laytown, Co Meath, for the final years of his life. He was the chief suspect in a number of gangland attacks, including five murders over a 15-year period to 2020.Now new details have emerged, which outline the alleged planning of the killing, and the economics that underpinned it. They are contained within a legal document, seen by Irish Times crime and security editor Conor Lally. It alleges a three-way coalition acted together to murder Lawlor and how the main players in this plan stood to gain financially because debts they owed would die with Lawlor, or would be cancelled as a reward for his murder.In this episode, Lally explains how the murder took place and the impact it had on the gangland scene. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sally Hayden reports on her visit to south Lebanon, where weeks of war between Israel and the Iran-linked paramilitary organisation Hizbullah have left a trail of destruction. Thousands were killed or injured in strikes. Buildings and entire villages have been left in ruins and an exclusion zone established by the Israeli military has left up to one million people permanently displaced, many of them now homeless. Meanwhile a week-old ceasefire has been extended for another three weeks, with further meetings due to be held between Israel and Lebanon in Washington. But can the ceasefire hold? The Lebanese government is in a precarious position as it seeks to rein in Hizbullah without being seen to take too weak a line with Israel - who increasing numbers of Lebanese citizens hold responsible for the scale of the destruction. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former British prince Andrew fell further from grace in February with his arrest as part of an investigation into whether he abused power by sharing confidential information with his friend Jeffrey Epstein.Up to then, the scrutiny of Andrew's relationship with the notorious Epstein focussed on allegations of sexual exploitation. But this affair shifted the focus onto Andrew's conduct while working as a trade envoy for Britain. In that time he travelled the world at British taxpayers expense, promoting British business but also making plenty of connections that he would use to his own advantage.So what did Andrew get up to in those years? And how much did his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth, and his brother King Charles know about the way he was behaving and the people he was associating with? The answers could determine the future of the Royal Family.In this episode of In the News from February Bernice Harrison talked to Andrew Lownie, author of Entitled, a biography of Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Daniel Kinahan, the leader of the Kinahan cartel and a member of the “super cartel” that runs about a third of the European cocaine market, was arrested last week in Dubai, where he has lived openly for years.In today’s episode Irish Times Crime Editor Conor Lally talks about the significance of this arrest, what charges Kinahan will face and what this means for the future of the cartel.Presented by Conor Pope. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The appointment of Peter Mandelson as UK Ambassador to the United States is a moment Keir Starmer will rue.On Monday, he faced MPs in the UK Parliament to explain what he knew about the vetting process, which it has been revealed Mandelson failed.Starmer says he knew nothing about it and has sacked the most senior civil servant in the Foreign Office over what he says was the failure to inform him.Mandelson resigned as Ambassador following revelations about his links to the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and allegations he had shared sensitive documents with the billionaire.If he wasn’t told, how could Starmer have failed to check Mandelson’s vetting properly? And as many politicians in Britain are demanding to know, why didn’t he ask?Irish Times London Correspondent Mark Paul explains.Presented by Mark Hennessy. Produced by Declan Conlon and Andrew McNair.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The amount of cannabis being smuggled into Ireland has risen significantly in recent years, with most of the product for sale now coming from the United States.So why have drug gangs here turned to overseas product and why from the US?In today’s episode, 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.This episode was originally published in January 2026.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.