In The News
Episodes
Who is Madeleine McCann suspect Christian Brückner?
25 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Police investigating the disappearance of Madeleine McCann are currently searching a reservoir in Portugal, 50km away from the holiday resort where th...
How Ireland reluctantly fined Facebook €1.2 billion
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Data Protection Commission (DPC) has hit Facebook owner Meta Ireland with a fine of €1.2 billion – the largest such fine to date und...
When is it right to 'dename'?
22 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It was recently announced that Trinity College Dublin will 'dename' its Berkeley Library, because of the links to slavery of its current namesake, the...
What will it take for the Inch blockade to end?
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the small townland of Inch, Co Clare, locals have blockaded the entrance to the former Magowna House Hotel, where 34 asylum seekers were sent on Mo...
With jail looming, is Theranos fraudster Elizabeth Holmes sorry?
19 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The headline on the New York Times interview with the one-time darling of Silicon Valley, now convicted fraudster, said it all: “Liz Holmes Wants Yo...
Why did German police shoot Oisín Osborn dead?
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On May 22nd, 2019 Oisín Osborn was shot dead in Hamburg in his own home by German police, 10 days after he had become a father.On that fateful mornin...
Could Annie McCarrick's disappearance finally be solved?
15 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The upgrading of the Annie McCarrick case from a missing persons inquiry to a murder investigation has occurred at the same time two men are being exa...
How E Jean Carroll won her case against Donald Trump
11 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, a jury in a civil trial in New York found that Donald Trump sexually abused and defaming writer E Jean Carroll. It ordered that the former ...
Will prices ever come back down?
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Consumer Affairs Correspondent Conor Pope explains why there has been so much controversy about how much we're paying for food in supermarkets recentl...
The secret deal for the UK to protect Irish skies
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since the 1950s, a hidden agreement between the Republic of Ireland and Britain has allowed the RAF to enter Irish airspace in the event of security t...
Eurovision: Where did it all go wrong for Ireland?
08 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Irish Times media columnist – and diehard Eurovision fan – Laura Slattery is heading to Liverpool this week for the annual song contest. It’s ha...
Trump goes on the attack in Doonbeg
04 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump was on his best behaviour as he visited his property in County Clare. Political reporter Jack Horgan-Jones was there to report on local a...
Did Ed Sheeran copy Marvin Gaye's biggest hit?
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The stakes are high for Ed Sheeran this week in a Manhattan courtroom. The family of the late Ed Townsend claim that the singer’s 2014 hit song Thin...
'They have one chance at this' - is a Ukrainian counter-offensive about to begin?
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In Ukraine, Russia's invading army has been on the offensive for months - but with little to show for it. Meanwhile, Ukraine is preparing a counter-at...
How wealthy is the British monarchy?
01 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
King Charles III's Coronation will take place this Saturday at Westminster Abbey in London. The one-day event is estimated to cost the taxpayer betwee...
The 65 billion euro question: how to spend the massive budget surplus
28 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Over the next three years the Government is going to have a cumulative budget surplus of a projected €65 billion - the biggest budget surplus in our...
Power, ambition and money: Why Sudan's generals are fighting
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why has armed conflict broken out in Sudan?To answer this question we need to understand the backgrounds of the two generals on opposing sides: Abdel ...
Pentagon leaks: How a 21-year-old exposed America's weakness
24 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Classified documents about the war in Ukraine and China’s experimental weapons are just some of files that were recently leaked from the Pentag...
The controversial landlord: How Marc Godart and his family built an Irish rental empire
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
How did controversial landlord Marc Godart build his extensive portfolio of properties, owned and managed, in Ireland? Europe correspondent Naomi O’...
What next for Gerard Hutch and the Regency case?
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After his acquittal for murder ‘The Monk’ Hutch emerged from Dublin’s Special Criminal court a free man. He was found not guilty of the mur...
Not guilty: why did the State's case against Gerard Hutch fail?
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The State has failed in its effort to convict Gerard Hutch of the murder of David Byrne at the Regency Hotel. The conclusion of the dramatic case with...
The brutal crimes of IRA double agent Freddie Scappaticci
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
During the Troubles the IRA set up a unit to find informers within its organisation.Informally called the ‘nutting squad’, it was led by Freddie S...
Why has the appointment of RTÉ's next leader run into trouble?
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The role of RTÉ Director-General, held by Dee Forbes since 2016, is well-paid, prestigious but daunting. The task of finding funding to maintain the ...
How European policies are causing misery for migrants
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On the Mediterranean, migrants face grave danger in the attempt to cross from Africa to their targets in Europe, places like the small Italian island ...
CNN's Donie O'Sullivan on the meaning of Biden's visit
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
CNN news reporter Donie O'Sullivan doesn't usually cover the White House beat. He's more likely to be seen talking about online political movements or...
Revealed: Christy Kinahan's Zimbabwe connection
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In contrast with his son Daniel Kinahan, little has been known about the activities of Christy Kinahan snr, the founder of the Kinahan drug cartel.Iri...
"Sean Quinn chooses not to understand" - filmmaker Trevor Birney on the making of Quinn Country
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"Sean Quinn knows exactly what he did but chooses not to understand. It’s very easy for him to find others are to blame.”Enniskillen-born filmmake...
Rental crisis: why can't Ireland put limits on AirBnb?
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The landlord of a Dublin apartment block, who evicted tenants last year claiming he intended to sell up, has been found by Dublin City Council to be u...
Sex education overhaul: 'It’s great that porn is going to be addressed'
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Sex education in Ireland is getting a revamp. From September, students in the junior cycle will be taught about consent, relationships, the effects of...
Trump facing trial: How the 2016 election is returning to haunt the former president
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump is the first ever former president to face criminal charges. To understand how he ended up in that ignoble position, we have to go back t...
'There's literally nowhere to go' - how Ireland failed renters
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The controversial decision to allow the no-fault eviction ban lapse on March 31st has barely left the news cycle since the Minister for Housing announ...
The Russian spy who went to Trinity: 'He was private and had an unusual accent'
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Russian spy Sergey Cherkasov spent four years deep undercover as a politics student in Trinity College Dublin. His classmates knew him as Victor Mulle...
Why is Tiktok under fire - and should you be worried about it?
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With more than half a billion downloads last year, TikTok has become the most popular app in the world. Despite its global popularity, suspicion aroun...
Kerry Babies: 'There's no good end to this'
25 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A man in his 60s and a woman in her 50s have been released without charge, following their arrest this week in connection with the death of a newborn ...
An apology that came 50 years too late
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The St John Ambulance organisation has been rocked by a report into its handling of child sexual abuse allegations. Jack Power tells Bernice Harr...
Capital murder: the trials of Steven Silver
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In June 2020, Garda Colm Horkan was shot and killed while on duty in Castlerea, County Roscommon. His murder shocked the community and his colleagues ...
Could another crisis engulf Irish banks?
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Banks in the US and Europe are failing. Why? And could this new banking crisis spread to Irish shores? Cliff Taylor explains what's happening, why it'...
What's behind the huge drop in Irish gun crime?
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Something strange is happening in the Irish gangland scene. After years of escalating violence, gun crime across the country has now reached record lo...
Will we ever escape the drunken Irish stereotype?
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A cringey segment on Saturday Night Live went viral earlier this week ahead of the Oscars; lampooning the Irish accent and playing into the drunken, f...
Will Lineker vs The BBC go to extra time?
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Gary Lineker will return to present Match of the Day on BBC this weekend. While it appears the story is reaching it’s conclusion, many questions sti...
"We need guns and men" - inside the group chat of Ireland's new far right party
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
At first glance, many of the policies of Ireland First seem conservative rather than extreme. But a private, invite-only Telegram group paints a much ...
Ozempic: the reality of the ‘miracle’ weight-loss jab
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ozempic is a drug, designed for diabetics, but which has a game-changing secondary use. It has the power to transform the lives of people with complex...
The mystery virus: why we still aren't certain where Covid-19 came from
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The idea that Covid-19 emerged from a lab in Wuhan was broadly dismissed as a conspiracy theory in the early stages of the pandemic. But experts have ...
What happened at the Ballyseedy Massacre?
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week marks 100 years since the Ballyseedy Massacre, arguably the worst atrocity of the Irish civil war. On that fateful night, nine Kerrymen were...
Sensible urban policy or sinister globalist plot? The uproar over 15 minute cities
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The concept of the "15 minute city" is pretty straightforward: designing urban areas so that most of what an individual needs is within a short walk o...
Why pharma giant GSK won't pay mother and baby home trial victims
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Mari Steed was just five months old when she was subjected to an experimental vaccine trial at Bessborough mother and baby home in county Cork. She wa...
Bertie Ahern at the Mahon Tribunal: 'He said "I never lodged $45,000" - but they didn't believe him'
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Bertie Ahern is back. But why did he ever leave? New polling about Mr Ahern, conducted by Ipsos for The Irish Times, suggests there are plenty of peop...
Controversial sentencing laws: why the focus on Judge Martin Nolan?
24 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Are our sentencing laws too harsh or too soft? Any opinion offered depends on who you ask. International research shows people tend to think sentencin...
It's the first anniversary of the war in Ukraine. Will there be a second?
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Dan McLaughlin was in Kyiv on Monday morning when US President Joe Biden arrived for a surprise visit, pledging to support Ukraine against Russia's in...
In one of the world’s poorest nations, refugees are welcome
20 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Niger is one of the world'd poorest countries. Like many other places in Africa, it is suffering from the worsening impacts of climate change. On a re...
How high altitude balloons are taking spying to new heights
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last night the US president said he would make "no apologies" for taking down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the east coast of America earlier th...
The GAA star and the alleged cancer claim fraud
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A former leading GAA star has been accused of taking large sums of money from people to pay for cancer treatment - treatment that some of those who ga...
Why are armchair detectives and TikTok sleuths obsessed with the case of Nicola Bulley?
15 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On Friday, January 27th, Nicola Bulley dropped her two children to primary school in a Lancashire village. She walked around the corner to a popular l...
Has Sinn Fein changed under Mary Lou McDonald's leadership?
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The weekend marked an important anniversary for Mary Lou McDonald, having been handed the reins of Sinn Fein this time five years ago. In her time as ...
Earthquake-stricken Syrians asked for help. Why didn't the world answer?
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The deadly earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria in the early hours of Monday morning – along the border of those two countries – has mobilised go...
Who's really benefitting from the Irish 'golden visas' bought by Chinese millionaires?
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
'Golden visas' give wealthy non-Europeans the right to live in Ireland in exchange for an upfront investment or donation. The scheme enacted in 2012 h...
The strange story of the man who spent 18 years in an airport
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The man who inspired Steven Speilberg’s 2004 movie The Terminal, died last year at what is believed to be the age of 77. Mehran Karimi Nasseri, or S...
'Hunk correspondent' Patrick Freyne on why we're obsessed with TV dating shows
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Love them or hate them, reality TV dating shows are one of the most enduring formats of the small screen. It seems like TV producers will take any con...
Lismore Protests: 'It would be like if The Shelbourne was used for Direct Provision.'
01 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Last weekend up to 300 people gathered outside the historical Lismore House Hotel in Co Waterford, protesting over plans to use the vacant building as...
Men with dogs, sticks and baseball bat attack Dublin migrant camp
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A number of men with dogs, sticks and a baseball bat attacked a migrant camp in Ashtown, north Dublin, on Saturday, telling the multinational group of...
Regency trial: Jonathan Dowdall's credibility is key
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After 52 days, 140 witnesses, 10 hours of secret audio recordings, phone call data, hours of CCTV footage, eyewitness testimony from 27 National Surve...
Ireland's Oscar joy: What it takes to turn a nomination into a win
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the Irish film industry earned an impressive 14 Oscar nominations. The biggest haul in any one year. But what next? When a film has an Osca...
How mental health services fail families across Ireland
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week the Mental Health Commission released its interim report on the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs). It made for damning rea...
How did mafioso Matteo Messina Denaro evade capture for thirty years?
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Despite claims fugitive mob boss, Matteo Messino Denaro, was in Amsterdam, Liverpool and Brazil, the 60 year-old had been hiding in plain sight in Sic...
Richard Corrigan’s restaurant: ‘I would never work under those conditions ever, ever again'
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
"Elsa" had decades of experience waiting in restaurants before joining the staff at celebrity chef Richard Corrigan's new Dublin restaurant last year....
How the far right spreads misinformation and enflames anger at refugee protests
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ireland’s far-right is mobilising. Heated protests outside buildings used to house asylum seekers in Ballymun, East Wall and around the country show...
Religion in schools: What do people really want?
16 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
About 90 per cent of primary schools in Ireland are Catholic in ethos. The figure is increasingly out of line with the religious makeup of the populat...
Prince Harry: Apparently we do care about the heir and the spare
13 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Just when you thought there was nothing new to learn about Britain's Prince Harry's explosive memoir, it manages to generate even more headlines upon ...
"We need SWAT teams in every ED and CEOs on the frontline"
11 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Despite fears patients may die as a result of delays in our overcrowded Emergency Departments, we are yet again dealing with another trolley crisis th...
How China said goodbye to Zero Covid - and what it means for us
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What does China’s exit from its Zero Covid policy mean for Ireland and the rest of the world? The country has fully reopened, ending the requirement...
What did I miss over Christmas?
06 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode of In The News we are joined by our new co-host, Bernice Harrison, and departing presenter, Conor Pope. If you opted out of sc...
The tools you need to stay healthy and happy
04 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Looking to feel happier and healthier in life, but don’t know where to start? Clinical Psychologist Dr Trudy Meehan joins Conor Pope to talk about t...
Best of 2022: Barack Obama’s speech writer takes us behind the scenes of his presidency
02 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In his new book Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America, speech writer Cody Keenan gives readers an intimate portrayal of life i...
Best of 2022: Tibnin Bridge, the 1982 murder of 3 Irish peacekeeping soldiers.
30 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Since the 1970s, Irish soldiers have served as UN peacekeepers in south Lebanon, a region where complex conflicts ebb and flow. Last week, the tragic ...
Best of 2022: The Black Axe gang's Irish recruits
29 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Originating in west Africa the Black Axe gang has quickly become one of the most successful groups in Irish organised crime. In the Republic, the gang...
Best of 2022: What happens when the fun is taken out of childrens team sports?
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
There are lots of reasons why team sports are a great activity for children to be involved in. They offer kids a chance to improve fitness, make ...
Best of 2022: Christy Kinahan's secret life in Africa
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In contrast with his son Daniel Kinahan, little has been known about the activities of Christy Kinahan snr, the founder of the Kinahan drug cartel. Ir...
Why would Irish peacekeeping troops come under fire in Lebanon?
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The tragic death of Private Sean Rooney in Lebanon last week marks the first Irish peacekeeper death in combat in the region since 1999. The 23 year o...
Will Enoch Burke get out of jail for Christmas?
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Teacher Enoch Burke could get out of jail today if he chose to.All he needs to do is say he’ll follow a court order to stay away from the school whe...
As 2022 draws to a close, what's the situation in Ukraine?
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This Christmas eve will mark ten months to the day since Russia launched their attack on Ukraine. In sub-zero temperatures, civilians are dealing with...
The baffling story of an apartment block left empty in a housing crisis
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The prestigious Capital Dock and Clancy Barracks apartments in Dublin were developed by Kennedy Wilson. Fulfilling their legal obligations for 10% soc...
ChatGPT: Could the new AI chatbot take your job?
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
ChatGPT is no ordinary chatbot. It’s a massive advance in AI and machine learning that can handle far more complex requests, and generate answers in...
Everything you need to know about Strep A
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The death of a 4 year-old girl in the north east from the invasive form of Strep A, and a five year-old girl in Belfast, has understandably put parent...
German coup attempt: Who is behind it and why?
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The arrest this week of 25 German citizens for allegedly plotting a coup against the German state came as a big surprise. Who are these people, and co...
North and South: What do Irish people think about reunification?
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Voters in the north and the Republic of Ireland would welcome a referendum on a United Ireland.A straightforward binary question would yield a resound...
"This is an epidemic" - Why can't we stamp out child sexual abuse in Ireland?
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Warning: This episode features discussion of child sexual abuse. Since an RTÉ radio documentary about child sexual abuse at Blackrock College aired l...
"Sean Quinn chooses not to understand" - filmmaker Trevor Birney on the making of Quinn Country
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“Sean Quinn knows exactly what he did but chooses not to understand. It’s very easy for him to find others are to blame.”Enniskillen-born filmma...
What is the quickest way out of the housing crisis?
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We get the expert view on solving Ireland’s housing emergency from Dr Lorcan Sirr, Lecturer in Housing at TU Dublin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com...
Regency trial: Everything that's happened so far - and what comes next
28 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Special Criminal Court has been hearing astonishing evidence in the trial of Gerard "The Monk" Hutch and two other men for their involvement in th...
How to survive the most expensive Christmas in decades
25 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As the permacrisis rumbles on, Christmas is rolling around again and this year’s challenge is the cost of… everything, really. With inflation at a...
Cop27: What was agreed and what difference will it make?
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What was agreed at Cop27 and will it make a difference to the climate crisis? Environment and Science editor Kevin O'Sullivan explains what happened a...
Will Trump and Biden face each other again in 2024?
21 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
“He is still fervently supported by a segment of the republican voter who is predominantly male, largely white and non-college educated.”The retur...
How can the Spiritans abuse survivors get justice?
18 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When the RTE Documentary Blackrock Boys aired nearly two weeks ago, it sent shockwaves through the country. Detailing sexual abuse at the Dublin schoo...
Qatar 2022: the rocky road to Doha
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After a 12 year lead-in time dogged by corruption scandal, human rights abuses and subversion of the football calendar, World Cup 2022 is finally abou...
"She spoke truth to power" - remembering Vicky Phelan
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Yesterday we learned of the death of Vicky Phelan, the outspoken campaigner whose own mishandled case led to reform of the cervical cancer detection s...
Revealed: Christy Kinahan's Zimbabwe connection
14 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In contrast with his son Daniel Kinahan, little has been known about the activities of Christy Kinahan snr, the founder of the Kinahan drug cartel. Ir...
Is Féidir Linn! Barack Obama’s speech writer takes us behind the scenes of his presidency
11 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In his new book Grace: President Obama and Ten Days in the Battle for America, speech writer Cody Keenan gives readers an intimate portrayal of life i...
Trouble in the tech sector: what will it mean for Ireland?
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For years, the tech sector has been Ireland’s golden goose. Multi-national companies like Facebook and Google are worth billions of euro to the Iris...
Cancelled: Is there any way back for Kanye West?
07 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Kanye West has arguably suffered one of the most spectacular downfalls in contemporary culture. Brands like Adidas, Balenciaga and JP Morgan have seve...
Elon Musk and Twitter: Can this end well?
04 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Having bought Twitter, Elon Musk is moving rapidly to change the troubled social media platform, both for its hundreds of millions of users and for it...