Episodios
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The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has published its latest projections for the 2030 climate targets and it’s bad news for Ireland.
The Irish State has the worst emissions per capita in Europe – projections show our greenhouse gas emissions will fall by just 23 per cent by 2030, compared to our original national target of 51 per cent, according to EPA data published on Wednesday.
The latest figures indicate none of the State’s biggest emitting sectors – transport, agriculture and electricity – will meet their climate commitments. In most sectors, emissions continue to rise or are going down only marginally.
The cost of missing these targets is obvious – extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and disruptive. And countries who fail to meet these commitments must pay huge fines.
What can Ireland do between now and 2030 to reduce emissions? And how much will Ireland pay if it fails to meet these legally-binding targets?
Irish Times environment and science correspondent Kevin O’Sullivan discusses the implications of Ireland’s failure to meet climate targets.
Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Five years ago, and three months into the 2020 global pandemic, the Leaving Cert was cancelled.
The Department of Education announced in May 2020 that students due to sit their final school exams would instead receive predicted or ‘calculated’ grades from their teachers.
These much more generous results led to grade inflation which has seen tens of thousands of students receive bumper Leaving Cert results in recent years. The rise in grades also forced universities to use lotteries for entry to some high points courts, especially highly competitive courses such as medicine, dentistry, pharmacy and others.
The Government is now moving to reduce this grade inflation, meaning Leaving Certificate results will be lower this year.
What does this mean for the class of 2025 and what price will they pay for the reversing of grade inflation?
Irish Times Education editor Carl O’Brien discusses the plans to bring grades back down to pre-pandemic levels.
Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Butter is becoming a luxury item. Rents have reached an all time high – just two examples of prices that seem to be constantly on the move upwards.
Good news for the hard-pressed consumer is in short supply – even as inflation has reduced to around 2 per cent.
And to add to the uncertainty, US president Donald Trump on Friday said he will impose a 50 per cent tariff on goods from the EU starting on June 1st.
In previous years, the government has sought to help households with a range of one-off payments and double allowances, but the mood music coming from Leinster House is that those days are over as the chill winds of changing US tax and tariff policies start to bite.
Two years ago, it seemed that every second headline and radio discussion was about the “cost-of-living crisis” but we don’t hear that expression much any more. Are we worn down with ever-rising prices? Or could it be that those price rises might reverse?
Irish Times consumer correspondent Conor Pope explains why prices are staying stubbornly high and suggests ways people can help themselves. Cliff Taylor looks at the potential impact of tariffs.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Former US president Joe Biden’s announcement on Sunday that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of prostate cancer paused the avalanche of damning stories about his mental acuity and cognitive fitness for office during his presidency.
The leaks and pre-publicity around a new book Original Sin: President Biden’s Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again by Alex Thompson and Jake Tapper have been going on for weeks.
The authors contend that Biden’s decline was obvious during his tenure as president and accelerated while he was campaigning for a second term. They say the facts of the 82-year-old’s health were kept secret from the wider Democratic party and the American public by a small inner circle, led by his wife, Jill.
Then last weekend audio surfaced of his interview with former special counsel Robert Hur in 2023 in which Biden sounded confused, rambling and with a notably weak voice.
There were public messages of support and sympathy for Biden and his family from his supporters and political rivals - even president Donald Trump - when he announced the news.
But as the week has gone on, commentary has turned to speculation around the timeline of his diagnosis, reviving questions about what health issues he was dealing with while in the White House.
Irish Times Washington correspondent Keith Duggan looks back a monumental week for Biden and the Democrative party.
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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A new investigation drawing on thousands of internal emails and documents reveals the activities of Pravfond, a Russian organisation established in 2012 with the stated goal of protecting the rights of Russians living abroad, primarily by offering assistance in legal matters.
However, the EU and European intelligence agencies say that in some countries Pravfond acts as a safety net for Russian intelligence assets – agents or spies – who get into legal trouble. In some countries, it also provides cover stories for these spies.
Two lawyers operating in Ireland, Elizaveta Donnery and Olga Shajaku, are mentioned in the documents.
There is nothing to suggest that Donnery, Shajaku or other Russians in Ireland supported by Pravfond engaged in intelligence gathering, influence operations or illegal activity.
But the connection shows that Russia has an interest in Ireland.
Conor Gallagher tells In the News about the investigation, Pravfond’s activities and its significance.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The trial of Richard Satchwell, who has pleaded not guilty to murdering his wife Tina at their home in Youghal, Co Cork in March 2017, has now entered its fourth week.
The first three weeks of this high-profile trial featured testimony from gardaí, crime scene managers, the family doctor, a forensic archaeologist and friends regarding the disappearance of Tina Satchwell in 2017 and the discovery of her body six years later.
On Tuesday, the Central Criminal Court heard a cause of death for Tina Satchwell, whose skeletal remains were found buried under her Co Cork home in 2023, could not be determined due to the level of decomposition.
After more than three weeks of testimonies, what else have we learned from the Richard Satchwell murder trial about the death of his wife in 2017?
Today, on In The News, courts reporter with Ireland International news agency Alison O’Riordan discusses the Satchwell trial.
Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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On Monday morning, Israel’s Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu posted a video on his Telegram account pledging to take control of all of Gaza.
“We are going to take control of all areas of the Strip, that’s what we’re going to do,” said Mr Netanyahu in the video.
He also addressed Israel’s humanitarian aid blockade into the besieged area, saying “minimal” food aid would be allowed into the strip, “just enough to prevent hunger”.
Preventing famine among Palestinians is necessary both from “a practical and a diplomatic standpoint”, said the Israeli prime minister.
This latest announcement comes one day after the Israel military launched Operation Gideon’s chariot – a major new ground offensive across the Gaza Strip.
Aid agencies have continued to warn that the 2.1 million Palestinians in the besieged area are at “critical risk” of famine, while Unicef says the “entire child population” is at risk of malnutrition.
Today, on In The News, Israel says it plans to “take control” of all of Gaza. But what does that mean for Palestinians in the strip?
Sky news Middle East correspondent Alistair Bunkall discusses the intensifying violence in Gaza and the implications of Israel’s latest ground offensive.
Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Kerry farmer Michael Gaine disappeared in March. In April Gardaí upgraded the search to a murder inquiry, despite not finding a body. Now, following a macabre discovery, a man has been arrested on suspicion of murder. Irish Times southern correspondent Barry Roche explains what we know.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Ten years ago this week, on May 23rd, 2015, the people of Ireland voted to legalise same-sex marriage.
Writing in The Irish Times the day after the referendum, columnist Fintan O’Toole noted the overwhelming victory for the Yes side “looks extraordinary” but was actually “about the ordinary”.
“Ireland has redefined what it means to be an ordinary human being,” wrote O’Toole.
“Everybody gains from equality – even those who didn’t think they wanted it. Over time, those who are in a minority on this issue will come to appreciate the value of living in a pluralist democracy in which minorities are respected.”
Ten years on, is Ireland a pluralist democracy in which minorities are accepted and equal? Or has the rise of far right groups and the fear-driven, macho-infused culture of Trump and Tate, impacted how gay and lesbian people in this country are perceived and treated?
Buzz O’Neill Maxwell, a nightclub promoter and freelance events manager who campaigned for a Yes vote in the 2015 referendum, is one of many LGBTQ people who feel acceptance has declined and homophobia has increased over the past five years.
Today, on In The News, ten years on from Ireland’s referendum to legalise same-sex marriage, have old prejudices returned?
Social affairs correspondent Kitty Holland and Buzz O’Neill Maxwell reflect on whether Ireland has become a better or worse place for gay people to live their lives.
Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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From the end of June, the people of Ireland will no longer be able to pick up the phone and talk to Joe.
Last week, Joe Duffy announced he was leaving his role as presenter of the RTÉ radio phone-in show after 27 years in the hot seat.
The 69-year-old broadcaster, whose contract was due to expire this summer, said he was “deeply privileged and eternally grateful” to have worked for so long presenting the programme. He also said he hoped Liveline had “made people feel heard”.
Over nearly three decades, Duffy presided over Ireland’s court of public opinion, while his tagline, ‘talk to Joe’, could be seen as either an invitation or a threat.
His weekday radio slot gave a platform to issues that were sometimes ignored by the rest of the media. And some of the most unintentionally hilarious, totally unplanned, moments on Irish radio also emerged through the Liveline phone lines.
What legacy does Duffy leave behind and who has the experience, and kudos, to fill his shoes?
Today, on In The News, Joe Duffy is leaving but who will replace him?
Irish Times radio columnist Mick Heaney discusses the history of Liveline, Duffy’s career and the names already in the mix for the much-coveted afternoon slot.
Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Mark Paul on why UK prime minister Keir Starmer evoked the arguments for Brexit - which he had opposed - when announcing a new crackdown on migration into the UK.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Members of Gaeltacht community groups and Irish language campaigners have issued a stark warning. They say the lack of housing, and oversupply of short-term holiday lets in Gaeltacht areas, is displacing native Irish speakers from their home counties.
As a result, many fluent Irish speakers, who seek to bring up their families fully immersed in the Irish language and return home to their native town lands or villages, are unable to find a place to live.
Census data in recent years continues to how the language is in decline – the number of daily Irish speakers dropped from 36% to 33% between 2016 and 2022.
And now, the housing crisis in the Gaeltacht is creating a linguistic and cultural crisis.
Campaigners have repeatedly warned that without a national language, Ireland will lose a unique part of its heritage. As the familiar Irish proverb warns – Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam.
Dr Lorcan Sirr, senior lecturer in housing at the Technological University Dublin, discusses how Airbnb landlords and holiday homeowners are squeezing native speakers out of Gaeltacht areas.
And physiotherapist and Gaeltacht housing campaigner Adhna Ní Bhraonáin describes the real-life implications for native Irish speakers who cannot find a place to life.
Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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"The future can be seen" was the tagline of 2002 dystopian cop thriller Minority Report, in which Tom Cruise prevented crimes yet to take place with the help of a snazzy screen and three psychics floating in a tank. Now Gardaí want to use AI technology to do the same - well, kind of the same. Proponents of the technology say it will help avert criminality driven by online disinformation, like the 2023 Dublin riot. The new capability raises questions about civil liberties and the limits of AI surveillance in the hands of State authorities. Conor Gallagher explains why Gardaí want this tool and how it might be used.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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A group of men dubbed the “grandpa gang” are among 10 suspects on trial in Paris on charges of robbing reality TV star and entrepreneur Kim Kardashian at gunpoint and stealing jewellery worth millions of euros during Paris Fashion Week in 2016. The billionaire business woman will be in court tomorrow to give evidence.
Saskya Vandoorne, a senior producer for CNN based in the network’s Paris bureau, explains how the trial has unfolded so far and how the group planned their €10 million heist.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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US-born Robert Prevost, who worked in Peru for two decades and became a citizen there before becoming a cardinal, is now Pope Leo XIV. But what sort of pope will he be?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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For years tourists have been told it’s a tradition in Dublin to rub Molly Malone’s breasts – “for luck”. Something that’s news to residents of the capital.
And it is causing damage – not just to the look of the piece but also to its stability and that has prompted Dublin City Council to take action. Every day this week “Molly minders” were at the statue with one job – to stop tourists climbing up to touch her.
The metal statue made by sculptor Jeanne Rynhart in 1988 shows all the signs of constant friction – the patina has rubbed off her breasts leaving them gleaming in the sunshine, a contrast to the dull finish on the rest of the near life-size figures.
But that’s been obvious for at least a decade, what hasn’t been so visible is the damage people clambering up on Molly is doing to the structure of the piece and increase her stability is now in place.
Irish Times Dublin editor Olivia Kelly explains why Dublin City Council has moved to protect the statue and what will happen next.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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India has conducted what it has described as “precision strikes” in neighbouring Pakistan and Pakistani-controlled Kashmir, days after it blamed Islamabad for a deadly attack on the Indian side of the contested region that killed 26 people.
At least 26 civilians were killed and 46 injured by the Indian strikes, according to Pakistani officials.
The Indian government claimed that nine non-military targets had been hit, in what it called “Operation Sindoor”.
The military operation by India represents yet another bloody chapter in the decades-long simmering conflict over Kashmir, often called the Switzerland of India because of its lakes, forests and snow-capped mountains.
The contested nature of the territory means that Kashmir is one of the most militarised zones in the world.
To understand what happened this week – and why – it’s necessary to look back to 1947 when Pakistan and India became independent from Britain and when both claimed Kashmir.
Shashank Joshi, defence Eeditor with The Economist magazine, explains the background and explores the fears of further hostilities in one of the world’s most dangerous flashpoints.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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In the early hours of Monday morning, a drone carrying a pipe bomb, a viable explosive device, crashed beside a family's home in North County Dublin.
But who was controlling the drone and who or what was the intended target? Irish Times security and crime editor Conor Lally reports.
Presented by Sorcha Pollak, produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Chad now hosts 1.3 million forcibly displaced people, according to the UNHCR, despite itself being one of the world’s poorest countries. More than half of these refugees are Sudanese, mostly women and children, who have fled the fighting between rival militaries which erupted in April 2023.
It has been called “the forgotten war” because of the lack of media coverage and global attention particularly on the plight of the refugees who live in sprawling refugee camps.
The reasons why so few journalists have gone to the African country to report on the war and the massive displacement of Sundanese people include the difficulty in getting there and safety issues.
Two Irish Times journalists, writer Patrick Freyne and videographer Chris Maddaloni, travelled to East Chad in April to report from the refugee camps there.
Their trip was supported by the Simon Cumbers Media Fund.
They tell In the News about what they saw and heard and explore why the world has turned its back on this war.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Note: This episode was originally published in August 2023.
In July 2023, four relatives attended a family lunch at the home of Erin Patterson, a mother of two from Leongatha in Australia. Within days of the lunch, three of the guests were dead, with a fourth left fighting for his life in hospital. A beef wellington that was served for lunch on the day is suspected to have contained poisonous death cap mushrooms. But why were they in there?
A court in Australia must now decipher whether it was simply a tragic accident or if there was something more sinister at play. Patterson's trial opened last week in Victoria, Australia and is expected to last six weeks. She is facing three murder charges and one of attempted murder.
In 2023, following Patterson’s arrest, Bernice Harrison spoke to John Ferguson, a journalist with The Australian who outlined the details of the case; while retired homicide investigator Charlie Bezzina, who has worked on some of Australia’s most high-profile cases explained the challenges for police in a case such as this.
Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Presented by Bernice Harrison.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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