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While walking through Dublin city, journalist Quentin Fottrell was scammed.
A pleasant sounding, nicely dressed man stopped him and started chatting. Didnât Quentin remember him? After all, the man said, he had worked on his house some years ago. Not wanting to be rude and a little embarrassed at forgetting a face, Quentin continued the chat which slowly turned to the fact that the man had forgotten his wallet and needed some help to get home. It was only when he had walked away, âŹ40 lighter, that Quentin realised he had been scammed.
He wrote about the experience in The Irish Times and his article elicited multiple replies from men who had also been scammed by the same man in Dublin city centre.
Donal Cronin was one such reader. Although he is a communications expert and deeply knowledgable in the psychology behind persuasion, he too fell victim to the smooth-talking scammer. He took a photograph of the man while they were chatting and Quentin was able to confirm it was the same confidence trickster.
Quentin and Donal came into studio to explain how the scam worked and how they feel now having being duped.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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After 15 months of bloodshed, a ceasefire will commence in Gaza on Sunday. The pause in hostilities for an initial six week period will allow food and medical aid in to desperate Palestinians. They will also be allowed to return to what is left of their homes. But with previous ceasefire agreements failing, the peace is precarious.
The release of hostages held by Hamas is among the conditions on which the long-awaited deal is based. The first of 33 hostages to be released in the first stage of the deal, among the near 100 still held captive by Hamas, will be released on Sunday. The names of those to be released have been given to Israeli authorities, but families do not know if they will be receiving their loved ones alive or dead.
Journalist Mark Weiss says despite the ceasefire being supported by 70% of Israelis, many feel it is a bad deal. So why is it happening now? What has changed for Israel's prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu to agree a deal with Hamas at this stage?
Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by Declan Conlon
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Two years ago, climate scientist and activist Dr Peter Kalmus moved his family away from Los Angeles because as Californiaâs climate kept growing drier and hotter, he was afraid that his much loved, indeed idyllic sounding, neighbourhood would burn. He had lived in Altadena for 14 years.
Now, from his new home in North Carolina, he has had the deeply upsetting experience of watching Altadena razed, as climate-driven wildfires caused death, destroyed homes and ruined livelihoods.
Kalmus tells In the News that even he â who has spent his career warning about the deadly impact of our fossil fuel dependence â didnât expect fires of this scale. It is he says proof that climate models which consistently predict the sort of temperatures that will alter life on earth, have tended to err on the side of optimism.
Our inability â in a world shaped by the interests of big business, billionaires and the fossil fuel industry â to grasp the threat caused by carbon emissions, means he says that nowhere is safe from unpredictable, and even devastating weather events. The LA fires wonât be the last.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The next government of Ireland is taking shape. Fianna FĂĄil, Fine Gael and nine Independents will go into coalition and we now have a blueprint for the next five years with the Programme for Government. The Healy Rae brothers are in, with Michael also negotiating a junior ministry. But what other concessions might they have brokered in exchange for their support? What is a super-junior ministry and does Ireland really need an extra one? Which pre-election promises have made the cut and which have been left out? Political editor Pat Leahy joins us to explain everything we know so far about the 34th DĂĄil.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Consumer journalist Conor Pope says he loves a good bandwagon and it was in that spirit that three years ago he â and his wife â thought theyâd give Dry January a go.
The idea â to give up alcohol for the first month of the year, as a post Christmas detox â has gained traction over the years and for most who try it, and who make it through to the end of the dreariest month, February 1st signals the opening of a favourite tipple and a return to drinking as usual. Not so for Conor.
The February 1st target gave way to staying off alcohol until the summer and then he stopped counting.
Not drinking had become a habit and he found that he was having a good time. Heâs still, very happily, off alcohol. It did bring its challenges. In an alcohol-soaked culture, not drinking can prompt a range of reactions from suspicion to derision, but the benefits he says far outweigh any awkward questions.
The three years has also given him time to reflect on his drinking habits, which began as it does for many, as a teenager raiding his parentsâ drinks cabinet.
The rewards, he says, are a clear head, more energy and, theoretically, a healthier bank balance. He estimates that the Pope household has saved âŹ10,000 in the three dry years.
Conor came into studio to tell In the News about his new alcohol-free life and with a huge response from readers to his Irish Times article on his Dry January that has gone on forever, why itâs touched a nerve.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Michael Healy-Rae may be offered a junior ministerial role in the next government. The Kerry TD is in talks with Fianna FĂĄil and Fine Gael on entering a coalition with other independents. The deal would likely involve favourable terms for his constituency in exchange for his support, and that of his brother Danny. The horse trading is one element of the government formation talks that are proceeding faster than expected. Political correspondent Jack Horgan Jones says we could see a deal struck by tomorrow and a government in place as early as next week. But who would be Taoiseach first in a new arrangement between Fianna FĂĄil and Fine Gael, which Independents could land a ministerial portfolio and why is controversial Tipperary TD Michael Lowry playing such a central role in the deal-making?
Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Aideen Finnegan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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News that the Garda is to send a file to the DPP following its investigation into the findings of the Moriarty tribunal will test the memory of even the most avid news watcher.
The tribunal, which lasted 14 years and cost the taxpayer millions, explored in jaw-dropping detail the relationship between prominent business people and politicians. It filed its report in 2011.
One politician featured prominently: Michael Lowry, and the tribunal found that he âsecured the winningâ of the Stateâs second mobile phone licence for Denis OâBrienâs company, Esat Digifone. It also found that Lowry, a former Fine Gael minister, was given money by OâBrien, with the payments âdemonstrably referableâ to his winning of the licence. Both men have disputed the findings.
It is not known if there is any recommendations in relation to Lowry in the file submitted to the DPP.
Lowry is a vote topper in his native Tipperary as an Independent TD and he has been in the news since the recent election, labelled a kingmaker because he is leading negotiations on behalf of the nine-strong Regional Independents group, with Fianna FĂĄil and Fine Gael.
So, will this latest development in the Moriarty tribunal saga impact on his role in government formation?
Colm Keena reported on the Moriarty tribunal from its inception in 1997 to 2011. He explains what it did and why, and who exactly is Michael Lowry.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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On Tuesday, Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Threads, was ending its fact-checking programme and going back to its roots â promoting free expression.
And the reason? That fact-checking had led to âtoo much censorshipâ and âtoo many mistakesâ.
He positioned himself as a supporter of free speech, an American virtue thatâs a world away from Europe, a tech backwater with ever-creeping censorship.
But critics say the move is a cynical ploy to curry favour with incoming US president Donald Trump â and with millions of people using these social media platforms every day it risks ushering in âan age without factsâ.
Irish Times tech journalist Ciara OâBrien goes through Zuckerbergâs five-point plan for Meta and explains why the newly bullish Meta boss is changing the way his business operates.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Amber (not her real name) is among the first people to use Ireland's long-awaited Supervised Injection Facility in Dublin. Speaking to Irish Times social affairs correspondent, Kitty Holland, Amber says up until now her day has been taken up by procuring heroin and crystal meth and then strategising about where she can consume them. Suffering from substance abuse since her teens, she says the new centre at Merchants Quay Ireland will change her life. "I am so tense when I am injecting I have had a needle break in my arm. Being able to relax, there is no price on the peace that would come with that.â The SIF was first proposed in 2015 and hasn't been without controversy. Objections to the centre came from stakeholders like the local primary school, where parents fear it will increase dealing and dangerous behaviour in the area. But those behind the pilot project say it will take intravenous drug use off the streets, encourage addicts to link in with local services and prevent deaths by overdose.
Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Earlier this week, tech billionaire Elon Musk publicly withdrew his support for the Reform UK party, posting on his social media platform that Nigel Farage âdoesnât have what it takesâ.
Muskâs decision not to back, or financially support, Britainâs right-wing reform party came as he continues a barrage of online attacks against prime minister Keir Starmer, who he has accused of being complicit in âthe rape of Britainâ.
His interest in European politics extends to Germany where Musk has backed the far-right Alternative for Germany party and labelled outgoing German chancellor Olaf Scholz an âincompetent foolâ.
And back in the United States, the worldâs richest man will take up his position as co-leader of the newly created department of government efficiency, when Donald Trump re-enters the White House later this month.
In recent years, Musk has met presidents, prime ministers, lawmakers and political candidates from all around the world.
So, what is his end game and how much political influence does he really have?
Inside Politics presenter Hugh Linehan joins the podcast.
Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Red pill, normies and soyboys. The world of âmasculinity influencersâ comes with its own jargon and those consuming the social media content become well-versed in speaking it.
For the uninitiated, to be red pilled is an appropriated term from the film The Matrix, where the main character suddenly becomes alert to the worldâs âtruthâ, while us normies and soyboys (the ignorant and emasculated) wander through life like sheeple.
While absurd and almost comedic to many, there is a growing body of young men who internalise the message that feminism has disempowered them, men must be stoic, virile and violent- and that staying in school is a waste of time when they could pay for an online course of [insert âhustlerâ of choice here] and become a âhigh value male.â
A new resource has been created to provide guidance to schools, teachers and parents on how to address the impact of online masculinity influencers on children and young people, particularly teenage boys, across Ireland.
The 39-page guide has been created by Dr Darragh McCashin, Dr Catherine Baker, alongside Dr Fiona OâRourke at The Observatory on Cyberbullying, Cyberhate & Online Harassment in the Anti-Bullying Centre at Dublin City University.
It sets out how much of the social media content of the so-called âmanosphereâ promotes harmful ideologies that are not just damaging to women but also boys and young men, and crucially, how to counter the message.
Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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On Friday Diarmuid Phelan, a senior counsel and Trinity law professor, was acquitted of murdering a trespasser on his farm almost three years ago. Keith Conlon, a 35 year old father of four, had been planning to go badger-baiting on Phelan's Co. Dublin land when he was shot in the back of the head, and died two days later from his injuries. Neither of his associates, and witnesses to the shooting, took part in the subsequent trial. After ten weeks, the jury returned their verdict following seven hours of deliberation. Legal affairs correspondent Mary Carolan takes us through the evidence heard about that day in Feburary 2022, and explains what the jury had to consider.
This episode contains strong language.
Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Produced by Declan Conlon.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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For more than a decade, between 2012 and 2023, non-European millionaires could secure residency in Ireland by investing hundreds of thousands of euro into Irish business or public bodies.
Most of the millionaires who availed of the Immigrant Investor Programme, or âgolden visaâ scheme, came from China.
In February 2023, the Government abruptly closed the scheme with only a dayâs notice.
Nearly two years on, the full list of names of companies, public bodies and charities, who received âŹ1.25 billion through the programme, remains hidden in State files.
Newly released documents now reveal Department of Justice officials warned of the need to guard against potentially âunlawfulâ and âunethicalâ practices when granting visas to millionaire immigrants through the scheme.
Irish Times Current Affairs Editor Arthur Beasley, who has been investigating the now defunct scheme for more than two years, joins the podcast to discuss the latest revelations regarding this controversial residency scheme.
Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This episode was originally published in September 2024.
An Garda Siochana has a serious retention and recruitment problem.
The Commissioner knows it, so does the Minister for Justice but despite public commitments to reach enrolment targets, ongoing recruitment campaigns and changes to admission criteria, efforts to increase the size of the force to the Government benchmark of 15,000 continue to falter.
There are now fewer sworn Garda members than at the start of last year.
Why? Itâs a well-paying public service job, it offers career variety and progression and it offers the possibility of retiring with a full pension at 60 or even earlier.
Crime and security editor Conor Lally tells In the News the many reasons why encouraging citizens to join up is an uphill battle and what it means for policing in the State.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey and Declan Conlon.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This episode was originally published in October 2024
Anti-female genital mutilation advocates expected high-profile speakers at a packed Dublin conference â they found a small room in a hotel with 25 people and were left with large bills.Last February, the Cycle of Life Global Forum was billed as an international conference to help eradicate FGM. In exchange for large sums of money, attendees from as far away as Kenya and the US were expecting to hear from high-profile speakers such as Richard Branson, Denis OâBrien and Auma Obama.But what greeted them was far more underwhelming.The event was organised by Sean Collins-McCarthy, a self-described âSocial Entrepreneur, Strategy Advisor, Filmmaker and Media Pioneerâ.Irish Times journalist Olivia Kelly investigated and tells In the News what went on behind the scenes at Cycle of Life.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Every year, the release of the State Papers reveals a treasure trove of opinions, views and attitudes all committed to paper by ministers, diplomats and officials who wrote safe in the knowledge that the documents wouldnât be revealed to the public for 30 years.
This year thousands of declassified documents are being released relating mostly to 1994. Irish Times journalists Mark Hennessy and Ronan McGreevy have spent a week reading through the files â from official memos to personal notes â in search of the stories, views and attitudes from 30 years ago that reveal a side to Irish officialdom previously under wraps.
It was a pivotal year for politicians, the Catholic Church and Anglo-Irish affairs â and for Irish dancers when Riverdance debuted, the Irish football team at the world cup, for taoiseach Albert Reynolds who stood waiting â in vain â on the tarmac in Shannon Airport for an âunwellâ Russian president Boris Yeltsin to make an appearance, and so much more.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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For this episode, In the News presenters Bernice Harrison and Sorcha Pollak take a listen back - to pick the podcasts that covered the biggest news stories and explained the stories behind the headlines.
There were elections in Ireland, and across the globe to be explained; the housing crisis covered in all the ways it impacts on society - and why solving it will be harder than the easy answers promised at election time; Irish Times foreign correspondents and guest experts reported on the US, Gaza, Syria and Ukraine; and the persistent and worsening issue of women being killed or sexually abused by their partners or family members was documented. The two part mini-series on the murder of 21-year-old Katie Simpson by Jonathan Cresswell in Derry told a powerful story of control and violence with themes that echoed in so many other stories.
A podcast with court reporting on the Conor McGregor trial told a powerful story.
And of course other hot topics featured, including Taylor Swift in Dublin, the price of Oasis tickets, and consumer issues ranging from trends in online shopping to the backlash against EVs.
Presented by Bernice Harrison and Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This episode was originally published in September 2024
If you don't have young children in your life, you may be completely unaware of one of the world's biggest game platforms. Roblox is a digital playground where children can create block-like avatars, pay to accessorise them, use them to take part in role-playing games and talk to others. Therein lies the inherent danger. While it's mostly harmless fun, several terrifying cases of grooming, abuse, blackmail and even kidnapping have been highlighted in the US. In September, an Irish report found most primary school children who'd had upsetting experiences online had experienced them on YouTube or Roblox. Irish Times journalist Conor Capplis argues the platform is social media by stealth, and should be regulated as such to keep users safe.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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This episode was originally published in September 2024
A record 10,600 Irish people emigrated to Australia last year, according to the Central Statistics Office; the highest number since 2013. With its year-round sunshine, high wages and laid back lifestyle, itâs not hard to understand the attraction. Push factors in Ireland include the diminishing hopes of home ownership for many young people. But Australiaâs economy is slowing down and property prices in Sydney are even higher than in Dublin. Irish Times columnist and returning emigrant, Brianna Parkins, outlines the Instagram V Reality of moving down under.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Carlo Acutis was just 15 when he died in 2006. British-born and living in Milan, the teenager became a devout Catholic and used his computer skills to develop a website detailing miracles. Just a few days after he launched his website, he fell ill and died.
By 2013 he was on the way to sainthood having been named a âServant of Godâ; in that same year a woman in Brazil claimed that praying to Acutis helped heal her sonâs pancreatic illness. In 2020 Pope Francis authenticated the miracle and Acutis was beatified. Then, in 2024, a second miracle was recognised.
The Pope approved Acutisâ canonisation in July, with an official ceremony set for 2025.
Already relics of the âsaint dressed in jeans, sneakers and a sweatshirtâ are touring the world with a lock of his hair being stolen at this yearâs National Ploughing Championships in Co Laois.
Former Irish Times religious correspondent Patsy McGarry explains the path to sainthood and what the teenagerâs elevation means.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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