Early Edition

A former garda who was assaulted by her ex-husband says she will handcuff herself to the gates of Leinster House if he is allowed to keep his job in An Garda Síochána. In an interview with The Irish Times, Margaret Loftus says Trevor Bolger was able to exert power and influence over her right up until the point of sentencing.As the EU considers how to respond to Donald Trump’s threats to take Greenland, Cliff Taylor observes any form of retaliation will be bad news for Ireland’s economy.Colin Howell walked into a Co. Derry police station in 2009 and confessed to the murder of his wife and his lover’s husband. Now Freya McClements reports audio of that confession is to be made public for the very first time.And the sika deer has been added to a list of invasive species that shouldn’t be in the EU. Caroline O’Doherty explains Ireland will now have to come up with a national strategy to cull the breed, which is a major pest in parts of the country.Presented by Aideen Finnegan

As we head into the New Year, The Irish Times wants to hear listener feedback on our two news podcasts; In The News and our more recently released sister podcast Early Edition.This survey is open to anyone who has listened to either In The News or Early Edition- whether you listen regularly, occasionally, or have listened in the past.This survey should take around 3-5 minutes to complete. All responses are anonymous. Thank you! The number of Irish people being deported from the US amid Donald Trump’s hardline immigration crackdown has surged, writes Martin Wall.An Irish citizen, who went back to his native Russia to visit family last August, has been in custody ever since and risks being sent to a forced labour camp, writes Órla Ryan.The Dublin rioters: Conor Gallagher on who are they and what 82 prosecutions have told us about those involved on the night of November 23rd 2023.John Fitzgerald, the professor at the Economic and Social Research Institute, has spoken of the time he unexpectedly ended up at a cabinet subcommittee in 1983 much to the surprise of his father, the then Taoiseach Garrett Fitzgerald. And somehow John manages to link this amusing anecdote to the controversial Mercosur deal.And Rachel O’Dwyer has written a deeply touching article today where she takes issue with the film Hamnet being described disparagingly as “grief porn.”Presented by Aideen Finnegan.

A selection of today's top stories from The Irish Times. Schools must use the preferred name and pronoun of transgender childrenIreland could create more jobs if it had a better energy supply Senior officials at Ireland’s inward investment agency say the jobs market it being held back by constraints in the electricity networkThe company which runs Dublin and Cork airports has until 6 o’clock this evening to file court papers; in relation to the legal action begin taken against it by its suspended CEOGreenlanders tell our correspondent Derek Scally what they think of Donald Trumps threatsThe Oscar winning actor Brendan Fraser reveals his Grandad cross the Atlantic to escape the Famine 

Just one single data centre in west Dublin consumes energy equivalent to 200,000 homes, according to an internal government document seen by The Irish Times. Jack Horgan-Jones reports that’s ten times the electricity consumption of a nearby pharmaceutical plant.The number of US citizens seeking International Protection in Ireland has quadrupled in the past year. Although the numbers are small, the amount of Americans immigrating to Ireland on visas has spiked by almost 100%. Katie Mellett reports that figure equates to 9,600.The €750,000 cost of constructing 14 steps and a ramp at a south Dublin park was half a million more than the local authority which developed the project had initially estimated, the National Transport Authority has told Martin Wall.2026 could be the year you take back control of your devices instead of your devices controlling you, writes Ciara O’Brien. She has these tips to help declutter your digital life, secure your privacy and free up some mental bandwidth.And the hit ice hockey show Heated Rivalry, featuring a same sex romance, is getting the Patrick Freyne treatment. In a bid to appreciate more “sports”, he says he’s learning about ice hockey from the HBO series. Or as Patrick calls it, Canadian snow hurling.

A selection of stories from The Irish Times.  Children in Ireland are waiting years for primary medical assessments Extreme weather - The EU’s climate service says Ireland is in for more of it Execution of a protestor in Iran is schedule for today, human rights group saysDead whales washing up on Irish beachesBehind Pierce Brosnan's latest character, the renowned Irish boxing coach Brendan Ingle

It’s the first day back in the Dáil for TDs after their Christmas break. Political editor Pat Leahy takes a look at the issues expected to command the most attention in this Dáil term.The unsavoury confluence of Grok’s “nudification” function, and the shooting dead of Renée Good in Minneapolis last week have ushered in our new media dystopia, argues Hugh Linehan in his column today.Scientists hope the intermittent fasting trend could, in the future, play a part in reducing neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.And Greenlanders are sporting red baseball caps akin to the iconic MAGA hats worn by fans of US president Donald Trump. Except in the capital, Nuuk, the acronym stands for Make America Go Away.Presented by Aideen Finnegan.

A selection of today's stories from The Irish Times.An especially vulnerable women, and survivor of the Donnybrook Magdalene Laundry, who’s facing eviction at the age of 70 speaks to the Irish Times.The scheme to compensate survivors of mother and baby homes says its received 7,000 applications for redress.  The government promises tighter regulations on e-scooters.A group of Irish students head to Bavaria on exchange.Read more at IrishTimes.com

A selection of today's top stories from The Irish Times. A crucial vote on the EU’s Mercosur trade deal in Brussels. The Health Minister criticises two hospitals over patients waiting on trolleys.President Catherine Conolly tells the launch of Dublin TradFest Irish music plays a huge role in communities across the country.One of the Republic of Ireland's 2002 World Cup squad writes the Saipan film is full of inaccuracies.

On today’s Early Edition:The US seizure of a Russian-flagged tanker en route from Venezuela in the North Atlantic yesterday.Minister for Higher Education James Lawless on how the shortage of skilled labour will impact housing - and why he believes ministers should leave social media platform X. New figures released by MyHome.ie show signs that house price inflation stabilised towards the end of last year.And how Belfast’s TV and film industries are booming.