This Week

French actress, singer and animal rights activist Brigitte Bardot had died aged 91.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Earlier this year, 52 Palestinian scholarship students arrived here to begin their studies at Irish universities, after they were evacuated from Gaza. Among them was Ghada Ashour, who documented her struggle to pursue her studies, while living in a displacement camp. She has now started her Master’s at DCU.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Around 2,000 people have gathered at Newgrange to celebrate the Winter Solstice. The ancient passage tomb is aligned for the rising sun on the shortest day of the year to shine into the inner chamber. Colman O'Sullivan reports.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With more than 5,000 children in the care of the state, there is a huge reliance on foster care. A shortage of foster carers remains a continuous problem however. We are joined by the Chief Executive of the Irish Foster Care Association, Corrinne Hasson.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

There will be a record number of children in homelessness this Christmas in Ireland. For the kids living in a Focus Ireland-run centre in Finglas, Santa arrived a little early to give these homeless children the gift of a book. Eithne Dodd reports.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Australia, one week on from the attacks in which 15 people were killed, a national day of reflection was held. Phil Mercer, Sydney-based journalist, gives us the latest.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the US, there is widespread reaction to the release of documents in the Jeffrey Epstein case. The previously sealed documents were made public for the first time on Friday by the US Department of Justice under the Epstein Transparency Act. We speak to Eric Hamm, political analyst with CTV in Washington.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week, two Opposition TDs lost their High Court challenge to the attendance of junior ministers at Cabinet meetings. James McDermott, barrister and lecturer at UCD's Sutherland School of Law, goes through the case for us.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week saw over 3,200 recorded cases of flu with some hospitals introducing visitor restrictions to restrict the spread. We hear from Dr. Sean Underwood, consultant in emergency medicine at Cork University Hospital.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Taoiseach Michael Martin has been visiting Irish peacekeeping troops this weekend in Lebanon. Justin McCarthy reports from Camp Shamrock in Southern Lebanon where he has been speaking to Ltt Col Mark Lennon.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

US President Donald Trump's special envoy is due to meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and other European leaders in Berlin in the latest efforts to end Russia's war with Ukraine. Christopher Miller, Chief Ukraine Correspondent with the Financial Times, speaks to This Week.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Although Ireland’s population is growing, rural areas have been experiencing consistent population loss. But with more than one-third of the country’s population living in an area defined as ‘rural’ some communities are taking action to keep their towns and villages thriving. Eithne Dodd reports.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The social media platform X has responded after the EU Commission fined it under the new Digital Services Act. Liz Carolan, publisher of The Briefing newsletter, explains.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

At least 12 people have been killed and 29 injured in a terrorist attack targeting a Jewish celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australian police have said. We get the latest from Phil Mercer of the BBC.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With almost 3,000 cases of flu reported last week, and nearly 600 people in hospital with the virus this weekend, Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll-McNeill advises people to get vaccinated.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.