In The News

Why was a 99 year old woman put on trial for Nazi atrocities?

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, a 99-year-old German woman, who worked in a Nazi-era concentration camp office in her late teens, was confirmed guilty of being an accessor...

'I had no sleep for the first 24 hours' - a mother's record breaking run from Malin to Mizen head

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last June, Sophie Power has just done something extraordinary – she ran 563km from Malin Head to Mizen Head in record time.It took her a record-brea...

The cover-up: Jonathan Creswell's crimes are laid bare - Part 2

20 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last April, Jonathan Creswell’s trial for the rape and murder of 21-year-old Katie Simpson opened in Derry’s Crown Court.    B...

The cover-up: How Jonathan Creswell tried to get away with murder - Part 1

19 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In August 2020, in a small housing estate in Derry, 21-year-old Katie Simpson was found in a critical condition. According to the man who discovered h...

The trouble with Temu, the cut-price Chinese competitor to Amazon

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was originally published in May 2024.A pair of trainers for the price of a sandwich; a Dyson-dupe hair straightener for a fraction of the...

How cannabis-induced psychosis can cause deadly harm

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the most recent murder case where cannabis use was judged to be a factor, the court ruled that Diego Costa Silva killed his wife while in...

What will happen to Dublin’s empty office blocks?

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dublin’s office market is likely to get worse before it gets better with no relief in sight until 2027 amid a collapse in demand and a glut of new d...

How ex-Irish soldiers are training a rogue Libyan militia

13 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was originally published in April 2024. In Libya, former members of the Irish Defence Forces, including men who served in the elite Army ...

Is Ireland on the brink of a Fentanyl crisis?

12 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The global heroin supply is under threat. But observers of international narcotic trends warn that drugs addicts will replace heroin with - synthetic ...

Stripping an Islamic terrorist of his Irish citizenship

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A new process to strip citizenship from Irish citizens has been passed by the Oireachtas more than three years after the previous system was struck do...

The Limerick man investigating some of the world's worst crimes

08 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Malachy Browne heads up the New York Times’s visual investigations unit where he and his team investigate key events, from breaking news at home to ...

'Googlepocalypse' - the way you search the internet is about to change forever

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In May, Google launched AI Overviews – software which uses artificial intelligence to answer people’s questions quickly, skipping the step of scro...

Intermittent fasting: the good, the bad and the hungry

06 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This episode was originally published in March 2024.Health and family editor Damian Cullen had already ticked off a long list of diets before he hit o...

The dark history of Irish slave owners

05 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Were Irish colonisers too? A new book reveals our forgotten dark historyIn discussions around empire and colonisation, including popular movements suc...

Film classification: we're cool with sex, careful about suicide

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ireland has come from a place where movies were regularly censored out of puritanical panic, to classifying gay sex scenes as suitable for a 16 audien...

Derry O’Rourke: Ireland’s most convicted child sex abuser

01 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Content warning: This episode contains details of child sexual abuse and may cause some listeners distress."They called him God, and the room where he...

Venezuela: Maduro clings to power after disputed election result

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Protesters across Venezuela have been met with a violent crackdown by security forces following the disputed re-election of Venezuela's president Nico...

What is daily life really like in the West Bank?

30 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For nearly ten months, the eyes of the world have remained fixed on the devastating war and human catastrophe unfolding on the Gaza Strip.However, thi...

Why China's young people are making a surprising life choice

29 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Chinese graduates are heading to the factory floor. During the first quarter of 2024, the number of people under 25 applying for blue-collar jobs rose...

Is the RTE funding plan a reward for its mistakes?

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After more than a year of crisis at RTE and handwringing about how to fund it into the future, the government has decided the license fee should stay ...

Sinn Féin's plan for housing asylum seekers, explained

25 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Tuesday, Sinn Féin launched its new immigration policy document. The proposals, which come eight weeks after the party’s poor performance in the...

Olympics 2024: The key events for Irish viewers

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ireland’s Olympic medal hopes have never been higher. Many of the athletes are already household names, including Rashidat Adeleke, Kellie Harringto...

Biden is out, but is Kamala Harris ready to win the White House?

23 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Sunday evening, shortly before 7pm Irish Time, US president Joe Biden posted a letter on X confirming his intention to withdraw from the 2024 presi...

Inside Ireland’s ‘fight club’ for right-wing extremists

22 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Comhaltas na nGaedheal (CnG) is a newly-established group of right-wing extremists in Ireland. It focuses on physical confrontation and is part of a g...

Kneecap: The Northern Irish rappers leading a Celtic revival

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Belfast and Derry rappers Kneecap have been in the news for many things in the past year: they took a case against the previous UK government for inte...

What has Simon Harris done in his first 100 days as Taoiseach?

18 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In April, Simon Harris became Taoiseach - today he is 100 days in office. It’s a milestone beloved of political commentators as a yardstick to measu...

Coolock clashes: 'A complex and volatile security threat'

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Garda representatives say officers were left potentially exposed "to extremely volatile and dangerous conditions" in Coolock in north Dublin on Monday...

How the assassination attempt on Trump could affect the race for The White House

16 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Saturday evening, in the small American town of Butlers in Pennsylvania, former president Donald Trump narrowly escaped death after a bullet grazed...

Why are Irish property prices still rising?

15 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

According to property website MyHome.ie, house asking prices rose by 7.3 per cent year on year in the second quarter, the fastest pace of growth recor...

Paul Howard on loving and losing his dog Humphrey

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ross O'Carroll Kelly creator, Paul Howard, decided to get a basset hound because Columbo - the iconic tv detective - had one. It's definitely not the ...

Sudan: The conflict that's left 25 million people without food

11 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After more than a year of civil war in Sudan, the situation is being described as the worst humanitarian crisis anywhere in the world. The death toll ...

Why has Dublin’s traffic plan stalled?

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The new transport plan for Dublin is due to be implemented in August. It aims to stop drivers using the city centre as a rat-run to get to other ...

Why the far right failed to take power in France

09 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Sunday evening, France witnessed one of the biggest surprises in the country’s electoral history when the recently formed left-wing alliance won ...

The shocking health problems affecting Ireland's homeless children

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On today’s In the News podcast we look at a new report that reveals the shocking health problems affecting children who spend years spent living in ...

The plot to kidnap Holly Willoughby

05 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Security guard Gavin Plumb hatched an online plot to kidnap, rape and murder British TV personality Holly Willoughby. Yesterday he was found guilty of...

Immigration: What is a 'safe country'?

04 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week Minister for Justice Helen McEntee announced that five more countries have been added to the list of safe countries. They are Egypt, Morocco...

Trump's immunity ruling and will Joe go?

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's been a big week in US politics with Donald Trump's partial legal victory in the Supreme Court and Joe Biden's disastrous head-to-head debate with...

Is France set to have its first far-right government since the second world war?

02 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Three weeks ago, French president Emmanuel Macron stunned and bewildered French voters, and his own Government, by calling a snap general election. By...

Car theft in Ireland: Are international gangs to blame?

01 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last year, nearly 5,000 cars were stolen across Ireland – making it the worst year for car thefts in more than a decade.Opportunists and joyriders h...

The 'affordable' homes costing twelve times the average wage

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Dublin’s housing market has reached the point where a three-bed semi-detached house in Coolock priced at €475,000 is deemed ‘affordable.’ The ...

Gamblegate: Is a Tory wipeout inevitable after yet another scandal?

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Revelations that members of UK prime minister Rishi Sunak's inner circle correctly bet on the timing of the general election have damaged the Tory par...

Cathal Crotty case: Are judges out of touch with the public?

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Another protest is planned today in Limerick over the suspended sentence handed down to a serving soldier who was convicted of assault last week. Two ...

The Aer Lingus pilot strike will end - but when?

25 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The war of words between Aer Lingus and the pilots union Ialpa ratcheted up at the weekend with the airline accusing Ialpa of “blackmail” and the ...

What is the EU migration pact and what will it mean for Ireland?

24 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week the Dáil will vote on the EU migration and asylum pact.Why is Ireland opting in to the EU-wide system of migration control? And how will it...

How Taylor Swift ushered in a new era of exorbitant ticket prices

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

“Slow ticketing”, VIP packages and platinum pricing - there's a new lexicon involved in buying concert tickets. But all of them involve forking ou...

Is Ireland on the brink of a Fentanyl crisis?

20 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The global heroin supply is under threat. But observers of international narcotic trends warn that drugs addicts will replace heroin with - synthetic ...

What's behind Eamon Ryan's shock resignation?

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Green Party leader, Eamon Ryan, is stepping down after 13 years at the helm. However, the Transport Minister is staying on as a member of the Cabi...

The cover-up: Jonathan Creswell's crimes are laid bare - Part 2

18 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last April, Jonathan Creswell’s trial for the rape and murder of 21-year-old Katie Simpson opened in Derry’s Crown Court.    B...

The cover-up: How Jonathan Creswell tried to get away with murder - Part 1

17 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In August 2020, in a small housing estate in Derry, 21-year-old Katie Simpson was found in a critical condition. According to the man who discovered h...

Deadly dogs - the case for banning XL bullies

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When the UK banned ownership of XL Bully dogs – with certain exemptions – on February 1st, In The News explored whether Ireland should also consid...

Shein: How the Chinese fashion giant's low prices come at a cost

13 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the fast fashion behemoth, Shein, prepares to float on the London Stock Exchange, there's renewed focus on the company's sustainability credentials...

Five key takeaways from the local and European elections

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It's all over bar the shouting in the local elections while in the European elections, counting is continuing in centres around the country. Sinn Féi...

How Israel saved four hostages at a terrible cost

11 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Israeli forces rescued four hostages captured by Hamas and held since October in a raid in Gaza on Saturday that Palestinian officials said resulted i...

Will Simon Harris call an early election after a good weekend for the Government?

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

What happened on day two of the local and European election count? Yesterday evening on The Irish Times Inside Politics podcast, host Hugh Linehan tal...

How Ireland's far-right campaigned

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today and tomorrow voters will find out who will fill council seats up and down the country and who Ireland will send to Europe to represent its inter...

Heatstroke and hallucinations: A mother’s record-breaking run from Malin to Mizen Head

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Sophie Power has just done something extraordinary – she ran 563km from Malin Head to Mizen Head in record time.It took her a record-breaking three ...

What is Nigel Farage's endgame?

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With a landslide victory for Keir Starmer’s Labour Party predicted, the UK general election looks to be all over bar the shouting.But then this week...

Are you sharing too much of your children's lives online?

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Have you ever shared a photo of your child wearing her Halloween costume on Instagram? Or, perhaps you’ve uploaded a video of your nephew dancing to...

What exactly does an MEP do and why does your vote count?

04 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Friday 7th June, the country will go to the polls to decide who should represent us at a local and European level. Voters will elect 14 MEPs t...

Release day for convicted killers Tom and Molly Martens

03 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week, father and daughter Tom and Molly Martens will be released from prison after serving just over six months for killing Jason Corbett in 2015...

How countries make national service an accepted part of life

31 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A plan to reintroduce National Service in Britain has been roundly criticised by former military personnel and opposition parties alike. But serving y...

'Googlepocalypse' - the way you search the internet is about to change forever

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Earlier this month, Google launched AI Overviews – software which uses artificial intelligence to answer people’s questions quickly, skipping the ...

Is flying more dangerous due to worsening turbulence?

28 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the past week, two incidences of severe air turbulence have made international headlines.More than 100 people were injured and one man died last we...

The Limerick man investigating some of the world's worst crimes

27 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Malachy Browne heads up the New York Times’s visual investigations unit where he and his team investigate key events, from breaking news at home to ...

Why did Rishi Sunak call an election?

24 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Wednesday, British prime minister Rishi Sunak stood in the rain outside 10 Downing Street and called a general election. But why? The Tories are pe...

The trouble with Temu, the cut-price Chinese competitor to Amazon 

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A pair of trainers for the price of a sandwich; a Dyson-dupe hair straightener for a fraction of the real thing – just about everything you can thin...

What a leaked report tells us about Ireland's housing crisis

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Tuesday, a leaked report revealed the Housing Commission’s criticism that the Government has not resolved the “fundamentally systemic” failur...

What will the death of Iran's President mean for tensions in the Middle East?

21 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Sunday afternoon, a helicopter carrying Iran’s President Ebrahim Raisi and several of his delegates, including the country’s Foreign Minister H...

Would prime minister Keir Starmer be good for Ireland?

20 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Later this year, UK citizens will cast their votes in a general election. And, with polls showing Labour well ahead of the Tories, it appears Keir Sta...

The Portal: Are we overreacting to a bit of 'bad' behaviour?

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

New Yorkers have been given a window into how some Dubliners behave in front of a camera. The portal is the city's newest public art installation; a t...

Is Ireland's welcome for refugees over?

16 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The Government this week flagged its intention to further reduce the financial supports available to Ukrainian refugees. There will also be a review o...

Gangster's Paradise: How the Kinahans secretly make millions on property in Dubai

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A major new investigation by The Irish Times has uncovered details of the Kinahan cartel's property empire being secretly sold off in Dubai. Most of t...

Ireland is getting stricter on cigarettes. But is vaping the real threat?

14 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On today's podcast, In the News producer Aideen Finnegan explains what we know about a proposal from Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly to raise the...

‘It’s hard to stop scrolling’: What Irish teens are watching on TikTok

13 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

From cute dance videos to antifeminist and racist ones, the social media app is a growing part of young people’s lives. There are concerns, though, ...

A stormy week for Donald Trump but Daniels fails to land a blow

10 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump had to sit in front of Stormy Daniels in a New York courtroom this week, as the former adult film star spoke in excruciating and very fra...

What will it take for Israel to cease fire in Gaza?

09 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Monday spirits were lifted in Gaza when Hamas issued a statement declaring it would accept the terms of a ceasefire deal brokered by Egypt and Qata...

Drimnagh murder - a new generation of rival drug gangs emerges

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The murder of a 20 year-old man in a chaotic gun attack on Dublin's southside may be a harbinger of a new gangland feud. Ballyfermot man, Josh Itseli,...

How the culture of gangland funerals provides crucial intel

07 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Over the last twenty years or so, the funerals of significant criminal figures in Ireland have tended towards the extravagant. Last week's sober churc...

Why are Chinese millionaires buying up South Dublin homes?

06 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

When "Niamh" began house-hunting in Dublin's suburbs, she soon noticed that viewings were often attended by agents who were using phones to live-strea...

Has Simon Harris's Mount Street clearance backfired?

03 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Wednesday, a multi-agency operation got to work, moving up to 290 migrants who had been sleeping in tents outside the International Protection Offi...

The incredible story of Narendra Modi's rise to power in India

02 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly one billion Indian citizens are eligible to vote in a lengthy election that began on April 19th and runs until June.Prime Minister Narendra Mod...

Is the cost of living crisis over?

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Grocery inflation over the past 12 weeks was running at just under 3 per cent. During the same period last year it was almost 13 per cent. So our shop...

The major row between Ireland and the UK over migration, explained

30 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A major diplomatic spat has erupted between the Irish and British governments over migration.It began when Minister for Justice Helen McEntee stated t...

Housing, immigration, Gaza: Which issues are Irish voters really paying attention to?

29 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Snapshot, an Irish Times poll with Ipsos B&A, captures the issues that citizens are taking notice of.Every month, 1,000 people, over the age of 15...

Should Ireland boycott Eurovision over Israel?

26 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A group of 400 Irish artists have signed an online petition calling on singer Bambie Thug to boycott the Eurovision. The Macroom performer was chosen ...

Are the lessons of the Rwandan genocide being ignored 30 years on?

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Three decades ago, on April 7th 1994, the genocide and State-sponsored extermination of Rwanda’s minority Tutsi minority began. The country was grip...

The low-profile gang leader whose lavish lifestyle was laid bare by Cab

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Convicted drug dealer, David Waldron, played a senior role in the Finglas-Cabra crime gang following the deaths of Martin 'Marlo' Hyland in 2006 and E...

Are we in a new, dangerous climate era? Our weird weather suggests it is possible

23 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

2024 had the hottest March ever recorded. And it was the 10th month in a row to break its record.On one day in March, the Antarctic was 38.5 degrees w...

From Amy Winehouse to Queen: Why we love musical biopics

22 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Last weekend, the Amy Winehouse biopic ‘Back to Black’ jumped straight to the top of the Irish and UK box office. The release of the movie’s tra...

Why did justice for Stardust victims take so long?

19 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

The jury in the Stardust inquests has returned a verdict of unlawful killing in the cases of each of the 48 young people who died in the fire at the A...

'He seemed pretty smug and arrogant' - Inside the secret online dating groups where women review men

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 2022 Paola Sanchez, wanting to check out men she met online, created a Facebook group called “Are We Dating the Same Guy”. Its sisterhood-fuell...

Rising road deaths: What will it take to make Irish roads safer?

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Monday, Taoiseach Simon Harris called a meeting the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to discuss the rising number of deaths on Irish roads.Mr Harris sai...

'A terrible thing' - why Eir's mistreatment of customers was more than just irritating

16 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A training manual provided to eir employees by parent company Eircom warned them that they would face disciplinary proceedings if they obeyed Irish la...

Havana Syndrome - all in their heads or a Russian spy attack?

15 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In 2016 US diplomats in Cuba’s capital reported a range of mysterious symptoms that were soon experienced by colleagues in other parts of the world....

How cannabis-induced psychosis can cause deadly harm

12 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In the most recent murder case where cannabis use was judged to be a factor, the court ruled that Diego Costa Silva killed his wife while in a state o...

What Dublin's new 'bus gates' will mean for your journey through town

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In August two more sections of the quays in Dublin will become no-go areas for private cars. When the “bus gates” open on Aston Quay on the souths...

Who is the Kennedy running for US president?

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Robert F Kennedy jnr is on the campaign trail, attempting to get on the ballot for the US presidential election.A scion of the Kennedy political dynas...

A new Taoiseach, new Ministers and a new policy on Palestine

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today on In the News we bring you an excerpt from another episode of our sister podcast, Inside Politics. Pat Leahy and Jennifer Bray joined host Hugh...

The challenges facing Ireland's youngest, most untested Taoiseach

09 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On Tuesday, Simon Harris will be officially voted into office by TDs in Dáil Éireann and become the new Taoiseach.Harris, who is the youngest ever T...

What is behind the rise in ‘school phobia’?

08 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Nearly three years have passed since Irish schools started reopening in March 2021 and children began returning to the educational environment that wa...