In The News

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

Two years ago, climate scientist and activist Dr Peter Kalmus moved his family away from Los Angeles because as California’s 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 – who has spent his career warning about the deadly impact of our fossil fuel dependence – didn’t 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 – in a world shaped by the interests of big business, billionaires and the fossil fuel industry – 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 won’t be the last.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and John Casey.

The next government of Ireland is taking shape. Fianna Fáil, 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 Dáil.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.

Consumer journalist Conor Pope says he loves a good bandwagon and it was in that spirit that three years ago he – and his wife – thought they’d give Dry January a go.The idea – to give up alcohol for the first month of the year, as a post Christmas detox – 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. He’s 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 parents’ 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 €10,000 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 it’s touched a nerve.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

Michael Healy-Rae may be offered a junior ministerial role in the next government. The Kerry TD is in talks with Fianna Fáil 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 Fáil 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.

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 “secured the winning” of the State’s second mobile phone licence for Denis O’Brien’s company, Esat Digifone. It also found that Lowry, a former Fine Gael minister, was given money by O’Brien, with the payments “demonstrably referable” 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 Fáil 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.

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 – promoting free expression.And the reason? That fact-checking had led to “too much censorship” and “too many mistakes”.He positioned himself as a supporter of free speech, an American virtue that’s 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 – and with millions of people using these social media platforms every day it risks ushering in “an age without facts”.Irish Times tech journalist Ciara O’Brien goes through Zuckerberg’s 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.

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.” 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.

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 “doesn’t have what it takes”.Musk’s decision not to back, or financially support, Britain’s 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 “the rape of Britain”.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 “incompetent fool”.And back in the United States, the world’s 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.