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Early Edition
Tobacco lobbyists; sexually abusive homes; A.I. in schools
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Irish diplomats in Brussels have been warned to be on high alert for lobbying by the tobacco industry.
The European Commission has signalled tighter restrictions on exports that could be used by Russia’s military, following concerns raised about materials leaving the EU.
Fear of homelessness is increasingly trapping people in sexually abusive situations, according to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.
The couple who built a house in Co. Meath without planning permission face a legal bid by the council to recover costs for its demolition.
An A.I. tool being used in a primary school is helping teachers plan lessons and answer pupil’s questions, but are teacher’s concerns about the technology being addressed?
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Anti immigration protests in Belfast; Canadian PM's Mayo visit; relocating flood prone communities
09:41|Hundreds of protesters gathered on the Newtownards Road in east Belfast where a bus was hijacked and set alight, stoking racial tensions after a horrific attack on a man in his 40s on Monday night.The government needs to start preparing to relocate communities away from areas where repeat flooding or coastal erosion can’t be stopped, according to the Climate Change Advisory Council.And the village of Aughagower in Co. Mayo is preparing for the visit of Canadian prime minister - and grandson of Irish emigrants - Mark Carney this weekend. His second cousin Rosaleen Heraty will meet him for the first time.Presented by Aideen Finnegan.Sentencing of Sean McGovern; should Ireland consider nuclear energy?
10:58|Sean McGovern, a senior figure in the Kinahan cartel, has received what The Irish Times understands to be one of the longest gangland sentences in Irish history.There has been a rise in reports of wildlife habitat destruction, but according to new figures, prosecutions for it aren’t keeping up, according to the National Parks and Wildlife Service.An “exponential” rise in Irish language exemptions among school children could be “disastrous” for identity and education, according to a new study.Should Ireland consider overturning the ban on nuclear energy?Concerns over staffing in An Garda Síochána; the rise of ‘free births’ in Ireland
10:52|An Garda Síochána is facing what insiders are calling a “ticking time-bomb” of retirements as new projections show nearly 1,700 Garda members are due to retire over the next decade.Concerns have been raised over the number of landlords asking for sex in exchange for accommodation.A row has erupted over what’s believed to be the use of artificial intelligence in Irish politics after one TD submitted thousands of parliamentary questions this year which ministers say is draining resources.Sea swimmers in Dublin are being warned to stay out of the water at several of the city’s most popular bathing spots due to poor water quality.Doctors and midwives are raising alarm over the rise of so-called “free births,” where women give birth without any medical assistance.Presented by Andrew McNair.The Russian oligarch believed to control Aughinish Alumina; supermarket turf war
09:21|A confidential report by Swedish authorities claims the Russian billionaire, Oleg Deripaska, still controls the metals giant Rusal, which owns the Aughinish Alumina plant in County Limerick, despite sanctions meant to limit his power.Researchers at Maynooth University say the record for the hottest day ever in the month of May was smashed by more than 2 degrees, and it wouldn’t have happened without manmade global warming.The European Commission says peat cutting is taking place across parts of Ireland without planning permission, environmental assessments, or enforcement.A turf war is brewing between supermarket chains Lidl and Supervalue over planning permission for new stores.It’s day three of the state exams and The Irish Times speaks to one Leaving Certificate student and a careers consultant.Lidl warns government; Trump's UFC ring; Shergar; Rotunda row reaction
10:03|The planning system for commercial development is being exploited, sometimes for anticompetitive purposes through spurious objections, supermarket chain Lidl has said.There’s been a huge reaction from readers to Fintan O’Toole’s column this week which was about the row that’s kicked off between the Rotunda Hospital and the HSE and Department of Health.There could surely be no more appropriate or damning symbol of Donald Trump’s presidency than the sight of construction crews erecting a UFC cage on the White House lawn for his 80th birthday, writes Bobby McDonagh.Just about every time Séamas O’Reilly has heard Shergar mentioned in casual conversation, it has been from the mouths of the many salty old dogs he’s met in Derry pubs who’ve claimed to know the precise location where the world’s most famous stallion might be found – specifically because they themselves buried him there.Presented by Aideen Finnegan.Car scrappage scheme; Rotunda Hospital; Leaving Cert; Space X; Big feet blues
10:04|People with petrol and diesel cars that are more than 13 years old are to be eligible for grants of €8,500 to purchase a new electric vehicle (EV) under a State scrappage scheme.The Rotunda maternity hospital has been warned it could have its funding pulled if it does not withdraw permission for consultants on public-only contracts to practise privately on its premises.60,000 students will not only have to sit the first paper of the marathon Leaving Cert exams today, but also listen to an unknown quantity of people telling them they “did terribly, but turned out just fine!” Jen Hogan has some advice for students and parents alike.John McManus writes in his column today that if Elon Musk succeeds in listing SpaceX on the stock market, “our pensions could be invested in this one-sided racket.”After a lifetime of being foot-shamed, Genevieve Carbery has ordered new shoes from Denmark: Duckfeet, size 8, and she is “finally liberated from the shame of the larger-footed woman.”Presented by Aideen FinneganJeffrey Donaldson trial; rise in arson attacks on council houses
09:41|The jury hearing the trail of former DUP leaderJeffrey Donaldson, 63, has been told he wrote a letter to one of the two alleged victims expressing “regret” and that he had sought God’s forgiveness. He denies 18 charges, include rape.Electric Ireland says prices will go up by 8 per cent, affecting around 1.1 million customers.New figures seen by The Irish Times reveal a sharp rise in arson attacks on council homes across Ireland.Health correspondent Shauna Bowers examines services for people with severe acquired brain injury.Irish visas for Russians; ADHD and addiction; reckoning for dating apps
10:03|There are concerns ‘hostile’ agents may be among the 14,000 Russians granted Irish visas in the past four years.The Government hopes to make “swift progress” pushing forward negotiations on Ukraine’s stalled bid to join the European Union when Ireland holds the union’s rotating presidency in the second half of this year.Dating apps are struggling with the AI revolution as users lose faith. Can the industry recover?From today Trinity College Dublin is offering a course free of charge to anyone who wants it, in response to findings which highlight the prevalence of neurodivergence amongst users of drug addiction services. There was a warm reception for Bertie Ahern yesterday in Croke Park as members of the muslim community gathered for the feast of Eid al-Adha. Some 500 men, women and children had gathered for the seventh annual Eid celebration at the famed GAA stadium.Presented by Aideen FinneganNaval service names online; wind farm objections; most annoying phrases
08:03|The names of dozens of Defence Forces personnel, including those involved in intelligence work and sensitive counterdrug smuggling operations, are being published online by the European Union, triggering safety concerns among members.A chill wind – why are wind farms drawing so many objections at a time of climate crisis?Does your household have the “two good salaries, but still feel broke” problem? You’re not alone. Financial planners say they are meeting an increasing number of comparatively high-earning households who say they’re still feeling the pinch.An email has kicked off a deluge of Letters to the Editor from readers who have “reached out” to express their irritation “in terms of” the most annoying phrases people are using in 2026.Presented by Aideen Finnegan.