In The News

On October 6th, 2020 in a school outside Paris, teacher Samuel Paty gave a lesson on freedom of speech – the same lesson he had given several times before which involved showing drawings of the prophet Muhammad – to a class of teenagers.He was later beheaded outside the school in a savage attack that shocked France. The assailant Abdoullakh Anzorov, the young man of Chechen origin who wielded the knife, is dead – shot by police in the minutes after his attack.The next day one of his pupils – the 13-year-old girl – was asked by her father why she was not going to school. She told him she had been disciplined because she dared to stand up to Paty when he told Muslims to leave the class so he could show a naked picture of the prophet. It was all a lie; she was not even in school that day.Believing her, her father took to social media to condemn Paty and the story grew online.On trial are two men accused of identifying Paty as a “blasphemer” over the Internet, two friends of Anzorov who allegedly gave him logistical help, and four others who offered support on chatlines.As BBC correspondent in Paris, Hugh Schofield explains to In the News that the trial is less about the murder itself, and more about the circumstances that led to it.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President-elect Donald Trump has confirmed that Elon Musk, the richest man in the world, will co-lead a newly-created Department of Government Efficiency, with a mission to slash spending by $2 trillion. It hasn’t gone unnoticed that its acronym is DOGE, the cryptocurrency favoured by the tech billionaire. It’s one of a raft of nominations this week, with Dalkey woman Gail Slater, who worked behind the scenes in the campaign, set for a top government role. Irish Times reporter Laura Slattery traces her path to power and analyses Musk's move to The White House. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Postmortem sperm retrieval is a procedure whereby the sperm of dead men is extracted in the hours following their death and stored for potential future use. The practise is banned in many countries while regulated in others. Usually, the gametes are used by the spouse of the dead partner to posthumously conceive a child. But in Israel, it's increasingly being used by parents of Israeli Defence Force soldiers who have died in war in Gaza, with the hope of creating grandchildren. Journalist, author and broadcaster Jenny Kleeman has travelled to Israel for the Financial Times to speak to those involved in the controversial procedure, and explores the contested ethical ground underpinning PMSR.Produced by Aideen Finnegan Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the 9th of November 1995, Josephine "Jo Jo" Dullard disappeared on her way home from a night out and was never seen again.  The Kilkenny woman's disappearance was initially treated as a missing persons case, but it was later upgraded to a murder investigation in 2020.On Monday, a 55 year-old man, who is a member of a well-known family in the Kildare-Wicklow region, was arrested by Gardaí and taken in for questioning on suspicion of murder. He was later released without charge. In conjunction with the arrest, Gardaí are also conducting an open ground search in the east of the country. Up until this week, no arrests have ever been made in relation to the case.On today's episode, Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Lally paints a picture of Dullard's last known movements and explains how this Garda operation marks a major development in this 29 year-old cold case.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After weeks of speculation, Dublin criminal Gerry Hutch has confirmed he will run in the upcoming general election.The 61-year-old, who was arrested in Lanzarote last month on suspicion of money laundering, was granted bail by the Spanish High Court last week to permit him to run in the election and released on a bond of €100,000.Mr Hutch, who is also known as The Monk, is hoping to take one of the four seats up for grabs in the Dublin Central constituency, where Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald is also seeking re-election. However, arriving back into Dublin airport on Monday morning, Hutch refused to share any details of his election manifesto or comment on which policies his campaign will focus on. In this episode, Irish Times crime correspondent Conor Gallagher discusses what Hutch's campaign might look like, his chances of winning a seat and why he has set his sights on political office. Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Rocky Elsom was a fearsome competitor on the rugby pitch, capable of winning matches almost single-handedly with his dominance in attack and defence.Ireland and Leinster great Brian O’Driscoll called the Australian “the best player I have ever played with”.But last month Elsom was handed a five-year sentence having being found guilty of forgery and embezzlement by a French court, in absentia. He had been living in Dublin, coaching rugby at a private school but now his whereabouts is unknown and there’s an international arrest warrant out for him.But that hasn’t stopped him using media interviews to make his case and attempt to clear his name.Irish Times sports writer John O’Sullivan has been following his career from the highs on the pitch to this fall from grace.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After months of speculation Taoiseach Simon Harris finally announced that the general election will take place on November 29th. Later today he will travel to the Áras to ask the president to dissolve the Dáil. Once that happens, it’s every party for themselves with the Coalition partners, Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Greens fighting it out in the constituencies. But what are the key issues? Will immigration be a hot button topic after housing and health? And what about the far-right, particularly those candidates who emerged during this year’s local elections who might now set their sights on the Dáil? And will the parties be looking to the US for tips on campaign strategies? Irish Times political editor Pat Leahy tees up what will be a busy three weeks of electioneering.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump is an unpredictable and chaotic leader so what does his second term as US presidency herald? An interruption in trade between Ireland and the US could cost jobs and a loss to the exchequer. His apathy towards Ukraine could result in a new European border. And his climate denial may stymie attempts to limit global warming. Five Irish Times journalists explain key election promises made by Trump over the course of his campaign, and what they might look like if the 78 year-old follows through with them.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan, Declan Conlon and Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday, Israel formally notified the United Nations of its intention to sever all ties with the UN relief agency for Palestinian refugees (Unrwa).It follows the Israeli parliament’s vote last week to ban Unrwa from operating in Isael and Palestinian territories and prohibiting all Israeli state contact with the agency.The ban is not set to take effect for another three months but Israel has already contacted the UN secretary general officially withdrawing itself from a 1967 co-operation agreement with Unrwa.What are the implications of this ban, both immediate and long-term?Can Unrwa staff continue to carry out their work without co-operation from Israeli authorities and if not, can other agencies really fill the gap that UNRWA would leave behind?John Whyte, Unrwa’s head of projects who is currently based in Gaza, joins In The News, to discuss the consequences of this ban on the Palestinian people, and whether the agency can continue to operate without Israeli co-operation.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

US presidential election day has arrived and the counting of votes will being tonight. With the race a dead heat according to polls, the results will be a fascinating conclusion to an eventful, high-stakes contest.But the coming days could take a dark turn if former president Donald Trump decides to once again refuse to accept the results should they favour vice president Kamala Harris.So, what should Irish audiences expect from election night? When will things really start to happen and where are the best places to watch? Irish Times journalist and Inside Politics podcast host Hugh Linehan gives his advice for following the 2024 US election results.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On the morning of August 31st, 2018, award-winning film producer Trevor Birney was arrested at his home in Belfast while the PSNI searched the house as his bewildered family looked on.They were searching, they said, for documents used in his powerful documentary, No Stone Unturned, that examined the 1994 Loughinisland massacre when the UVF shot six men dead as they watched the Ireland v Italy football match in a village bar.That film unmasked in unflinching detail the collusion between the security forces in Northern Ireland and loyalist paramilitaries and it’s a controversial subject Birney has returned to in this new book, Shooting Crows.The book’s title refers to the comments of the judge granting the warrant to raid Birney’s home, who worried that it was an exercise in scaring off other journalists.It set Birney on a path to prove historic and ongoing attempts by British authorities to silence journalists, film-makers, lawyers and activists in the North and to uncover surveillance and bugging operations.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

More than a year’s worth of rain fell in southern Spain in barely eight hours on Tuesday.It caused devastation. By Thursday the death toll had reached 155 with an unconfirmed number of people still thought to be missing.Valencia appears to be the worst hit city; the images of cars piled up on narrow residential streets and videos of torrents of muddy water sweeping away all before it were unprecedented scenes in the European city. People of all ages died when they were trapped in their cars or homes or simply swept away by the sheer force of the water.Valencia has experienced significant rain events in the past particularly in autumn – but nothing like this. It’s to do with the DANA weather phenomenon whereby, at its most basic, cold and warm air meet and produce powerful rain clouds. The intensity of such rainfall events appears to be increasing due to climate change and rising global temperatures.As Guy Hedgcoe explains from Madrid that in the calm after the chaos of the flood, citizens in the region are questioning if the authorities could have done more. And who will pay for the clean up in what insurance analysts in Spain have predicted that the floods will mark the most expensive natural disaster to ever hit the country.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this year, The Irish Times gained access to the bankruptcy files of Derek Quinlan, one of the most prolific Irish property investors of the Celtic Tiger period, who lost his fortune in the 2008-09 crash.Quinlan ended up with €3.5 billion euro of debts, making him the biggest debtor to Nama – the State agency set up after the crash to save the banking system.This major Irish Times investigation reveals how Quinlan still owes Irish taxpayers €403 million and why he was blocked from exiting bankruptcy last year.Who exactly is Derek Quinlan and how did he amass so much debt? What do court documents tell us about his lifestyle and current finances, and will his stint in bankruptcy finally end next month?Today, on In the News, London Correspondent Mark Paul delves into the life and finances of Derek Quinlan.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon and Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, the Government rushed through a number of priority Bills in a scramble to clear the decks before the next general election.Five Bills were considered and passed, all in under six hours, a process that normally takes weeks.But, are there any risks involved in rushing these Bills so quickly through the Dáil? And, what happens to the pieces of legislation, such as the Defamation or Mental Health Bills, which are not expected to be passed before the election?Meanwhile, opposition TDs are continuing to call for the Occupied Territories Bill, which would ban trade between Ireland and Israel’s illegal settlements in Occupied Palestinian Territories, to be passed without delay. Can that happen before the end of November?Today, on In the News, how the Government is rushing to pass new laws before its term ends. Irish Times political editor Pat Leahy examines the implications of fast-tracking Bills through the Oireachtas.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kyran Dirnan case puts spotlight on how schools and Tusla monitor children Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.