In The News
In The News is a daily podcast from The Irish Times that takes a close look at the stories that matter, in Ireland and around the world. Presented by Bernice Harrison and Sorcha Pollak.
Episodes
Does President Trump's 'energy ceasefire' really exist?
US president Donald Trump announced on Sunday that Ukraine and Russia had agreed an “energy ceasefire” effective immediately, warning either side against breaking the deal. The only problem was that the warring neighbours, who have made attacking each other’s energy plants a key plank of their attack strategy, appeared not to have even heard of the agreement. The statement came after another torri
Strike: is there any chance it could be called off?
On Wednesday Ireland is facing the biggest coordinated public sector strike since 2009. To find out what it is about, why it hasn't been averted despite the Government's offer to talk with unions and whether it still could be called off, we talk to Irish Times work correspondent Emmet Malone. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How notorious predator George Gibney finally faced justice
Before the summer court recess George Gibney (77), former Irish Olympic swimming coach, was found guilty of sexually abusing four girls in the 1970s and 1980s.The jury found him guilty of 39 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape of children.One of Ireland’s most notorious paedophiles, he was extradited from Florida last year where he had escaped justice for decades.Due to repo
Who was the millionaire who died in a homeless hostel in Galway?
For years Victor Spaggiari was a familiar sight on the streets of Galway.A homeless man, he lived in the Cope Hostel and spent his days sitting on a bench in the city. He spoke little, caused no trouble and seemed content. When he died in 2024 aged 65, his funeral was small and he was buried in the city, far from his Italian birthplace.Then, when his will went to probate it emerged that Victor was
The astonishing fall of a German spymaster
It’s a story that could have come straight out a John le Carré thriller. The retired German spy chief accused of selling classified information amounting to thousands of secret documents; an alleged act of treason that continued for years and was only uncovered during a kidnapping investigation involving a steakhouse heiress and ex-Israeli spies.August Hanning, head of the BND foreign intelligence
What is the row between RTÉ and Minister Patrick O'Donovan really about?
Jack Horgan-Jones has the latest on a row that has blown up in the aftermath of Tuesday's Budget, reopening RTÉ's rolling funding crisis and leaving questions unanswered about why Minister for Media Patrick O'Donovan "reneged" on a funding commitment to the broadcaster. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How the eviction of an 87-year-old woman sparked a political crisis in Spain
Over the past two weeks, tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Spain to protest the country’s worsening housing crisis. The demonstrations were triggered by the eviction of an 87-year-old woman, Maria del Carmen Abascal, from her home in Madrid.Known in Spain simply as Maricarmen, she had lived in the same apartment for more than seven decades and was evicted after it was sold t
What will happen to Christa Pike, the Tennessee woman who survived the lethal injection?
Christa Pike spent 30 years in jail in Tennessee on death row, waiting for the day the state would kill her. When that day finally came, last week, she was first given a lethal injection, then a second one when the first dose failed. She survived that too and the 50-year-old convicted murderer was taken to hospital where she was placed on life support. So who was Colleen Slemmer, her teenage victi
Budget 2027: what's in it for you?
Ministers Simon Harris and Jack Chambers have been explaining how the Government will tax and spend in the year ahead. They have promised to deliver changes we will feel in our daily lives. But will you really feel a difference in your daily life? Consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope has been listening. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A look behind Brendan Kavanagh's business deals
Wicklow businessman Brendan Kavanagh (61) has an entrepreneurial skill for building connections and seeing gaps in the market. That has led him to set up multiple businesses including the successful education-technology focused Olive Group.But what happens when some of his high profile business relationships turn sour?TV sports pundit and psychotherapist Richie Sadlier has a tale to tell; so too h
Why Andy Burnham says ‘Brexit has done more harm than good’
At the Labour Party conference last week, British prime minister Andy Burnham surprised delegates by putting the prospect of rejoining the EU firmly on the political agenda. In a rousing speech he said the Brexit vote in 2016 had left the country weaker and failed to allow Britain to “take back control” of its borders and rules, as promised by the Leave campaign. “Brexit has done more harm than go
Manchester City or Scam FC - the €1bn scandal
Premier League football club Manchester City has been found guilty of boosting its coffers by more than €1bn by arranging “sham contracts” with big name commercial partners.The infringements to the league’s funding rules were found by an independent commission to have taken place between 2009 and 2018 – a time when the club experienced unprecedented success. So what did the club do with the money?
Who is the Irish citizen facing a murder charge in Hungary?
Irish citizen David Anderson (45) is charged with the premeditated murder of his ex-wife, Megumi Anderson, who died in January 2025 aged 43. Megumi died in a fire in her apartment in Budapest. The Japanese woman was found on the sofa with a cigarette nearby, surrounded by candles and empty wine bottles.Police initially believed the fire was a tragic accident, but five days later they arrested Ande
How will the Drumcree standoff end?
Since early Sunday morning, 35 members of the Orange Order have been waiting at Drumcree Church to parade down the mainly nationalist Garvaghy Road in Portadown. It is a march that, in the 1990s, sparked tension and violence in Drumcree, and with the result that the Protestant loyalist organisation has been refused permission to march through the Catholic area for nearly 30 years. So why was it gi
How a Dublin flat complex became a hub for organised crime
When property developer Paddy Shanahan built Buckingham Village, a scheme of 125 apartments in north inner-city Dublin in 1991, hopes were high that it would help rejuvenate this socially deprived part of the north inner city.But by 1994, Shanahan was dead; he had been fatally shot as he left a gym in Crumlin and the development’s connection to the Dublin underworld was cemented.It regularly featu
Ireland v Israel: win overshadowed by division and discord
A comprehensive 3-0 away victory for the Republic of Ireland should have cause for celebration. Instead, it has been overshadowed by unprecedented crisis within Irish football.In the days before Ireland's Uefa Nations League fixture against Israel, players faced mounting calls from politicians, celebrities and activists to boycott the match over Israel's genocide in Gaza and its continued
Kicked out of Dubai: where will Christy Kinahan snr go now?
After more than a decade living openly in Dubai, Christy Kinahan snr’s visa has been cancelled and he has been told to leave the United Arab Emirates before September 29th.The founder of the Kinahan drugs cartel moved to Dubai when it was considered a safe haven for criminals, insulated from extradition treaties and where it was possible to live a life of considerable luxury with no questions aske
Ireland v Israel: Why the contentious soccer games are still going ahead
Since the fixtures were announced earlier this year, the voices calling for the Republic of Ireland to boycott its Nations League games against Israel have grown progressively louder. They come from all quarters: from former Ireland players to diehard green jersey fans and from politicians to big names in other sports. The two soccer games are going ahead, behind closed doors and with minimum cove
Does Russia have access to Irish state passwords?
This episode was originally published in July 2026.Employees of three key State agencies use a computer programme called Passwork to generate and protect their passwords. It’s a cybersecurity measure.But what they didn’t know, before it was revealed by The Irish Times, is that Passwork, which purports to be EU-based, has extensive links to a Russian company licensed by Russia’s security service.Th
Belfast’s race riots: what happened next?
The scenes of violence and rampant destruction on the streets of Belfast on June 9th were reminiscent of disorder we’ve seen before.But these were not sectarian-motivated attacks, instead they were race riots, with mobs of young men attacking migrants.When calm was restored, at least 88 migrant families had been made homeless, either because their home had been attacked or burned out, or bec
50 years on, the story of how Ireland's biggest band was born
Today we're sharing the opening episode of a three-part series by Róisín Ingle that tells the untold origin story of U2. We hope you enjoy it. The full series can be found on irishtimes.com, or wherever you get your podcasts. Just search for Drummer Seeks Musicians: The Making of U2.It is 50 years this month since 14-year-old drummer Larry Mullen stuck a note on a school noticeboard looking for fe
How Irish scientists are fighting sophisticated drug gangs
Staying ahead of organised drug gangs is the daily challenge facing the scientists and analysts at Forensic Science Ireland (FSI).And with criminal organisations having their own sophisticated labs to make new drugs, genetically engineer existing ones and disguise drugs in all manner of inventive ways to avoid customs detection, it requires considerable expertise.“Camouflaged cocaine” blended with
What does Canada want from the EU?
In her speech to MEPs on Wednesday, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen spoke about Canada becoming an “associate” member of the EU in future, a concept that does not exist in the union’s governing treaties.The following day Canadian prime minister Mark Carney spoke to the same group of MEPs about wanting to be closer to the bloc during the “ferocious” storm that had ruptured allian
Is it time to rein in the data centre boom?
It seems incredible that no one knows how many data centres there are in Ireland. It could be as many as 100, it could be more. Whatever the number there are several others in the planning stages.What we do know is that energy consumed by these vast buildings accounted for almost a quarter of the electricity consumed in Ireland last year, up from 5 per cent in 2015.And, during the long hot summer
Could AI really wipe out humanity?
It has long been known that AI poses risks to humanity, but the scale of them is only starting to become clear. And those risks are terrifying.This month Evan Hubinger, a top scientist at Anthropic, said AI is advancing so quickly he believes there is a greater than 10 per cent chance it “could kill all humans” within the next decade.Jacob Coxon, an AI researcher who has just quit Anthropic and pr
What happens to stolen art?
Thieves who broke into the Renoir Museum in the south of France escaped with two paintings, having dropped two others as they fled the building.The value of the works has been estimated at €9 million, but what are they worth now?Were the thieves stealing to order? And if not, what are they going to do with them?In a world where provenance dictates price, who would buy a stolen piece of art by one
How ‘assassin wanted’ ad links a Cyprus murder plot with Kinahan cartel
In late summer, a criminal using the name “SpongeJob” posted a wanted ad on Telegram, an the encrypted messaging service.He was looking for a hitman to travel to Cyprus to kill two men, twins from the UK. Everything would be supplied, including a gun, for a fee of about €60,000.His ad was answered, but unbeknown to SpongeJob, the willing gun for hire was the Danish police, who then sent an underco
9/11: Could its disastrous legacy have been avoided?
Twenty five years ago al-Qaeda militants hijacked four commercial planes in the US and flew two into the World Trade Center in New York and one into the Pentagon, while the fourth crash-landed in a Pennsylvania field.Almost 3,000 people were killed on that day and the world was changed forever.How the US responded to that attack on home soil reverberates still - through everything from airport sec
Two days of Trump – what to expect in Dublin and Doonbeg
No one doubts that it is the Irish Open at Trump International Golf Links & Hotel at Doonbeg that is bringing US president Donald Trump back to Ireland.It has attracted some of golf’s biggest stars to Trump’s golf course in Co Clare and the sold-out event promises spectacular golf – with the chance that the president will present the trophy to the winner on Sunday.But before that on his overni
Why did Germans vote for the far-right AfD party?
It’s not just the win, but the landslide scale of the win that has shocked Germany – and sent ripples throughout Europe.The Alternative for Germany (AfD) party has been growing in popularity but no one anticipated the election result in the eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt where the far-right party won 44 per cent of the vote on a record turnout of 76 per cent.The party’s manifesto promises several
Why can’t Ireland defend itself?
Minister for Defence Helen McEntee said that a “significant security operation” has been been put in place for Ireland’s presidency of the Council of the European Union.She didn’t elaborate on exaclty who would be providing that security but since long before the presidency began in July, military analsyts were able to easily predict security wouldn’t come soley from the State’s underfunded Defenc
How much rain will supersized El Niño bring to Ireland this winter?
As autumn arrives and the supersized El Niño develops, global temperatures will rise, rainfall patterns will radically change and the number of extreme weather events will increase.But what does that mean for Ireland? After the hottest summer on record, predictions of an unusually mild and wet autumn might sound benign, but persistent rain prompts fears of a repeat of last winter’s flooding in the
How Katie Taylor revolutionised women’s sport
On Saturday, Katie Taylor will fight for the last time as a professional boxer.If she wins against France’s Flora Pili, she will bow out as undisputed light-welterweight champion, a title to add to all the others she has accumulated during a stellar career that changed women’s boxing forever.At a press conference this week she imagined what it will be like: “Walking down in front of 80,000 people,
Why Dublin’s crack cocaine crisis is visible on the streets
The long-predicted crack cocaine epidemic is here and has been compared to the heroin epidemic that ravaged communities and destroyed lives in Dublin in the 1980s. It’s cheap at as little as €10 for a “rock”, though for users smoking that will last just minutes and they’ll spend the rest of their day focused on getting the drug, while eating and self-care become secondary concerns. It makes users
Lost at sea on the ‘world’s deadliest migration route’
In the last week in June a boat set sail from The Gambia heading for the Canary Islands. On board were an estimated 200 people, made up mostly of men of all ages as well as about 20 women and five children.Within weeks, only 36 would be alive; the rest killed by starvation and thirst as the engine failed and the boat got lost on the Atlantic migration route, now regarded as the deadliest in the wo
Tracking down a romance scammer in Nigeria
This episode was originally published in June 2026.When Carlos Barragán discovered his mother was the victim of romance fraud, he flew to Lagos to find the con man – and found the Yahoo Boys, young men whose job it is to rip off westerners. The name comes from the old email platform, first used by the Nigerian scammers decades ago.His mother, Silvia, had fallen in love online with flirtatious, sin
Why almost all Phoenix Park drivers break the speed limit
Every year, more than 10 million motorists drive through Dublin’s Phoenix Park. Almost all are breaking the speed limit.All of the park’s attractions, including Dublin Zoo, the People’s Gardens, the Ashtown Castle Visitor Centre, Farmleigh House and almost 2,300 parking spaces, are accessed from Chesterfield Avenue, the main road that bisects the park. Yet there is no dedicated way for pedestrians
What does it take to win The Traitors?
By the time the final episode of The Traitors Ireland was aired last September, the nation was gripped.The RTÉ version of the gameshow was a hit with nearly three quarters of a million people tuning in to see a trio of “Faithfuls”, Oyin, Vanessa and Kelly bag the prize.It’s been quite the year for Vanessa Ogbonna and Oyin Adeyemi.They came into the In the News studio to talk about their time in th
Who is the Swiss politician accused of drugging and sexually abusing an Irish girl and her mother?
Swiss media have compared what happened to Irish teenager Paula and her mother, Iwona, to the Pelicot case in France.Prosecutors allege that Patrick Frei, 57, drugged and raped both Paula, then aged 14, and her mother, Iwona while they were living with him in the Swiss town of Untersiggenthal. It is also alleged that he filmed the assaults.Paula and Iwona had moved from their home in Sligo in 2022
Natalie Harp is devoted to Donald Trump. Why is that a problem?
For Washington insiders observing how the Trump administration conducts its business, Natalie Harp is an alarming figure.The 35-year-old White House aide appears never to leave the president’s side, whether he is meeting a world leader in the Oval Office or playing golf. Her influential role has been questioned, and ridiculed, for years.Harp’s nickname is “the human printer”; she is rarely seen wi
Inside the court: Why did Lindsay Clancy kill her three children?
Now in its fifth week, the trial of Lindsay Clancy in the US for the murder of her three children has been headline news, with blanket TV and press coverage and endless online discussion.What is known – and what she admits – is that on the evening of January 23rd, 2023 while her husband Patrick was out running errands, she killed their three children, Cora, 5, Dawson, 3 and Callan aged 8 months in
How the culture wars spread to Ireland
This episode was originally published in March 2026.In his new documentary Amplified: The Exportation of the Culture Wars, director Mike Sheridan explores the profound influence of toxic discourse in the United States on the rest of the world – and in particular, Ireland.Through interviews and examples he shows how, with the amplification of social media, legitimate grievance can bloom into conspi
How a tech savvy woman lost €30,000 in an invoice scam
This episode was originally published in March 2026. If you got an invoice you’d been waiting for from your builder for work done, you’d get ready to pay it, wouldn’t you?And if, a couple minutes after that, you got another invoice from the builder saying that actually he’d made a mistake and he’d given you the wrong bank details, you’d think nothing of it and proceed to pay.Well that’s exactly wh
Why staff at Oberstown Children Detention Centre have had enough
Staff at Oberstown Children Detention Campus are set to strike again on Tuesday the 25th of August.It will be their fourth work stoppage this summer over plans to expand the capacity of the north Dublin facility for young offenders.Members of the Fórsa trade union have already taken to the picket line this week in a protest relating to staffing levels, saying they’re “running on fumes.”While ackno
Who was Jason Arday and why are there calls for a public inquiry into his death?
On Monday evening, thousands of people took to the streets of central London to attend a vigil in memory of Jason Arday. The former Cambridge professor was found dead in his home just days earlier - at the age of 41. In his final days Arday - who was Black and autistic - was at the centre of a global media storm. Initially over allegations of plagiarism in his previous academic work and
What is 'the Mecca pact' and could it change the Middle East?
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkey have signed a mutual defence pact that "echoes Nato’s article 5 in saying they will treat an attack on one as an attack on all". But will they? What does the pact mean for US leadership in the region, for the Iran war and for global security? We ask Denis Staunton. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
How ‘wrong way’ motorway driving has become a dangerous trend
Five people are dead and four people - including a seven year old boy are seriously injured - after a stolen BMW was driven the wrong way on the M9 motorway in County Kildare. Five teenage boys in the stolen BMW were killed instantly in the head on collision, in the early hours of Sunday morning. Three sisters and a seven year old boy were in the other car. They are all in a serious con
Who is Fergie Chambers? The Dublin-based millionaire wanted by US authorities
For more than a year, Fergie Chambers, an American multi-millionaire and self-described communist, has called Ireland home. The 41-year-old who is heir to one of the richest families in America had been living in South Dublin, until a trip to Ibiza with his family last month ended in his arrest. While on the Spanish Island, police arrested Chambers on foot of an e
How an Irish building contractor conned US homeowners out of €1.3 million
This episode was originally published in April 2026.John O’Brien’s scam was simple. Arriving in the US on a tourist visa in 2021, he set himself up as a building contractor in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. By the time the authorities caught up with the 28 year-old, he had conned more than 100 victims out of an estimated $2.5 million.Many of the homeowners who handed him their life savings for pr
What led to the mass migrant crossing in Ceuta and will it happen again?
The city of Ceuta - the Spanish territory on the north African coast – is preparing for another potential wave of migrants hoping to cross the border from Morocco. Images of some 72-thousand people reaching Ceuta went around the world almost a fortnight ago, on the 30th and 31st of July, after they climbed or swum around the border fence separating it from European territory.  
Who is the Irish man who helped shape FIFA's deal to sell the World Cup?
Last month, Fifa's President Gianni Infantino shocked football fans around the world when he announced plans to sell a slice of the World Cup’s business to private investors. Unsurprisingly, the proposal went down like a lead balloon, with critics pointing out how Infantino had orchestrated the deal in secret. But one man - who not only knew about the plan but spent months working on it behin
Daniel Kinahan is back in Ireland – what now?
Ten years after the Regency Hotel attack, and four years after the US Treasury Department imposed sanctions on the leaders of the Kinahan cartel, Daniel Kinahan is back on Irish soil following his extradition from the United Arab Emirates.A major security operation was put in place to transport the 49-year-old from Casement Aerodrome in Baldonnell, County Dublin, to the Special Criminal Court, whe
‘Irish only or it burns’ - Why Ireland's far right is targeting vacant council houses
This episode was originally published in June 2026. For the past 18 months, Dublin City Council has been keeping track of a worrying trend: an increase in the number of vacant council houses being targeted in racist attacks.The criminal damage, which happens just before the council moves a new tenant in, ranges from racist graffiti to making the house uninhabitable.So where is this happening? And
Dire reviews and controversy: Why the Michael Jackson movie broke box-office records
This episode was originally published in May 2026.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 m
Was death of billionaire fashion mogul an accident or murder?
This episode was originally published in June 2026. When Isak Andic, who created the Mango clothes brand, died from a fall while our hiking with his only son, Jonathan, in the mountains outside Barcelona, it was treated as a tragic accident.But for the Spanish police, something about events on that hiking trail in December 2024 just didn’t add up.First there were inconsistencies in Jonathan’s poli
Modern slavery in Donegal: how gardaí saved seven victims
This episode was originally published in June 2026.For the six men and one woman trafficked to Donegal by Georgijs Poniza and Armen Pogosyan, life was unimaginably harsh.They worked long, gruelling hours, lived together in dire conditions, rummaging in public bins for food and walking up to 30km to get to work. When they stepped out of line they were subject to abuse including physical violence.In
Why concern is growing around the 'free birth' movement in Ireland
This episode was originally published in June 2026. Naomi James (38) was pregnant with her fourth child when, disillusioned with Ireland's maternity services, she chose to give birth at home without medical assistance.Shortly after her baby was born at home in Drogheda in June 2024, she became ill and was taken to hospital, where she died.Naomi was just one of an unknown but growing number of wome
Inside Andrew Tate's toxic world - Part 2
This episode was originally published in September 2024. In July 2026 Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested in Florida. They are currently detained in prison, awaiting extradition to the UK on charges of rape, human trafficking and sexual exploitation.In the summer of 2022, journalists Matt Shea and Jamie Tahsin were in Romania filming a documentary about Andrew Tate and his social media infl
Inside Andrew Tate's toxic world - Part 1
This episode was originally published in September 2024. In July 2026 Andrew and Tristan Tate were arrested in Florida and are currently detained, awaiting extradition to the UK on charges of rape, human trafficking and sexual exploitation. In 2019, before Andrew Tate became the household name he is today, documentary makers Matt Shea and Jamie Tahsin decided to tell Tate's story and investig
Did model scout Daniel Siad take Jeffrey Epstein’s secrets to the grave?
Daniel Siad’s thousands of emails and messages found in the Epstein Files show in grim detail both the depravity of the US fraudster and paedophile and how his sex-trafficking ring operated.Jeffrey Epstein would tell the Paris based “model scout” the type of girl he wanted and Siad would go hunting. Spying a “suitable” victim he would promise the young woman a modelling career in New York.Once the
Will Dublin’s MetroLink really cost €19bn?
Dates for the arrival of Dublin’s MetroLink have changed wildly since the project was first suggested in 1975. So has the budget.The latest figure to emerge – from an unattributed Government source – is €19bn. That’s quite a jump from the estimate released four years ago, calculated at €9.5bn as the midpoint of a “credible” cost range of between €7.16bn and €12.25bn.Why such a significant increase
Glen Hansard: Remembering Ireland's ‘unofficial national bard’ with Patrick Freyne
Glen Hansard died in the early hours of Wednesday morning in a motorcycle crash in the Strawberry Beds area of Dublin. He was 56. He was one of Ireland’s most well-known musicians who leaves behind an incredible musical legacy from a career that took him from being a teenage busker on Grafton Street to winning an Oscar for the song Falling Slowly. A lifelong activist, he was also a husband to Finn
Lorcan Murphy: Why covert filming can be a gateway to more serious offending
Lorcan Tadgh Murphy, who was earlier this month jailed for murdering US nurse Mackenzie Michalski in 2024 in Hungary, had obsessively tried to pick up women across various European cities. Police in Budapest discovered that he had used a “spy pen” to covertly record his attempts, just as he had done previously in Dublin, where 16 women were recorded without their knowledge.The Dublin Rape Crisis C
Is Maura Higgins Ireland’s most successful reality star?
In 2019, Maura Higgins first arrived on our screens as a contestant on the reality show Love Island. She was a fan favourite from the get-go, with her longford accent, quick wit and love of bad language. Not everyone who leaves the Love Island villa can turn their five minutes of fame into a successful career, let alone, break America - but that’s exactly what Higgins has done in the years since h
Why did President Zelenskiy fire his top military leaders?
In the days leading up to Taoiseach Micheál Martin’s visit to Ukraine, tensions were running high on the streets of Kyiv. Protesters marched over president Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s decision to sack his defence minister Mykhailo Fedorov. Young and forward-thinking, he was seen as the main mover behind the country’s drone strategy. The marchers called for the sacking of the country’s army commander-in-
Jim O’Callaghan v solicitors on legal aid reform – who will blink first?
When a defendant in a court case is granted legal aid, the State pays. Before a reform of the payment system introduced on July 1st, solicitors could bill the Department of Justice €239.38 for their first appearance in court for their client and €59.86 for each subsequent one. The invoice is called a legal aid certificate.Defendants frequently face multiple charges that are heard together in the s
Why the fallout from Jeffrey Donaldson’s conviction keeps growing
Jeffrey Donaldson is in Maghaberry prison outside Belfast awaiting sentencing for 18 child sex offences, including rape. If the disgraced politician thought that the blanket media coverage of his trial in June would stop once the jury gave its verdict, he was wrong. He is still making daily headlines in Northern Ireland as shocking stories of his past behaviour emerge; – ones that throw further li
Israeli election: Is Netanyahu’s time in power coming to an end?
Israel is on an election footing. Last week with his government having reached the end of its four-year term, prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu dissolved parliament. Polls show that a new and credible challenger has emerged in Israel’s complex multiparty political landscape. Career soldier Gadi Eisenkot (66), a former head of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) left the army to join Netanyahu‘s post-O
Does Russia have access to Irish state passwords?
Employees of three key State agencies use a computer programme called Passwork to generate and protect their passwords. It’s a cybersecurity measure.But what they didn’t know, before it was revealed by The Irish Times, is that Passwork, which purports to be EU-based, has extensive links to a Russian company licensed by Russia’s security service.The agencies using Passwork are the Office of Public
A life changing e-scooter accident: 'My son was in ICU for five weeks'
In recent weeks, the Irish Government has come under pressure to introduce a ban on e-scooters following a steep increase in the number of serious e-scooter accidents involving children. One of those supporting the ban is Seana Brennan, a mother of two from Cavan whose son, Mason, was involved in a serious e-scooter accident last year.Brennan joins Bernice Harrison on today’s episode to share her
Paul Howard watched every World Cup game – here’s what he learned
For his hosting duties on America 2026, the Irish Times podcast, Paul Howard watched every World Cup single match, even it was on at 4am and featured a no-hoper team in the tournament to make up the numbers.What did he make of England’s loss to Argentina?Why does he think the bloated half-time show featuring Shakira and Justin Bieber, planned for Sunday’s final, highlights just how much Fifa is en
Jamey Carney murder: How will Gardaì bring the chief suspect back to Ireland?
The body of Jamey Carney, a 43-year-old mother-of-one, was found by her teenage daughter at their home in Killarney last week. The American woman had suffered head injuries and a postmortem confirmed she had died a violent death by suffocation. Gardai traced her partner, Ahmed Al Saqar’s, movements immediately after the killing and found that he left Ireland hours after she was killed, flying to T
Was Ann Widdecombe murdered for her political beliefs?
Former British government minister Ann Widdecombe (78) was found dead at her home in rural southwest England last Thursday with what police described as “serious injuries”. On Friday, local police gave a press conference laying out what they knew noting they did not suspect a political motive for her death. By Monday all that had changed. British counter-terrorism police officers are now leading t
What happened to Belfast teenager Noah Donohoe?
After three days of deliberations, the jury in the inquest into the death of Belfast teenager Noah Donohoe could not reach a verdict. They had sat in court hearing evidence for six months.His death six years ago has been one of the most high-profile cases in Northern Ireland in recent years, with conspiracy theories swirling on social media driving controversy and speculation. How did Noah die? Wh
How black-market betting sites lure Irish punters
Online gambling on black-market betting sites is big business. One company, Soft2Bet, which has been licensed in Ireland since 2022, and its related entities received €600 million from dozens of offshore casinos that regulators in Europe had blacklisted or fined.For gamblers using some of these sites, it means few rules apply. Unauthorised betting sites deliberately target people with gambling add
In court as Dublin man is found guilty of American nurse’s murder in Budapest
The details presented in court in the trial of a Dublin man for the killing of Mackenzie Michalski (31) were harrowing. The American nurse was travelling around Europe with friends and was on her last night in Budapest when, on November 4th, 2024, she met the 37-year-old man from Dublin in a bar. Later they went back to his apartment where he killed her. The judge rejected his defence that Mackenz
Who is Marine Le Pen? The convicted criminal who wants to be the next President of France
Hard-right leader Marine Le Pen announced her candidacy in France’s 2027 presidential campaign in typically dramatic fashion on French TV this week.It came after an appeal court shortened her sentence for misappropriating European Parliament funds that had previously barred her from running. The court reduced the five-year ban on holding office to 45 months with 30 suspended, meaning that the susp
Inside the court as George Gibney is found guilty
On Monday, George Gibney (77), former Irish Olympic swimming coach, was found guilty of sexually abusing four girls in the 1970s and 1980s.After a two-week trial, the jury found him guilty of 39 counts of indecent assault and one count of attempted rape of children. He will be sentenced at the end of the month.One of Ireland’s most notorious paedophiles, he was extradited from Florida last year wh
How Gardaí finally cracked the code to a multi-million bitcoin fortune
This episode was originally published in March 2026. Clifton Collins (55) had a thriving business growing cannabis in rented houses around the country.The Crumlin man and expert beekeeper was known for his award-winning honey but his real earner was the fortune he made from years of dealing drugs.He operated under the radar so when gardaí came across him parked in the Wicklow Mountains one ni
Why Zelenskiy’s nod to Aughinish Alumina puts pressure on Irish Government
On a visit to Dublin last week, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy briefly burst the upbeat mood of the EU presidency party by criticising companies based in European countries that continue to supply essential materials to Russia’s military forces. He didn’t need to name the company that was on his mind; all present in Dublin Castle, including Taoiseach Micheál Martin, knew he was referring
