In The News

Anti-female genital mutilation advocates expected high-profile speakers at a packed Dublin conference – 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 O’Brien and Auma Obama.But what greeted them was far more underwhelming.The event was organised by Sean Collins-McCarthy, a self-described “Social Entrepreneur, Strategy Advisor, Filmmaker and Media Pioneer”.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.

Sinn Féin would likely be taking every opportunity this week to lambast the government in the wake of the budget and with a general election on the cards. Instead, it's being hounded for answers about a child sex abuse controversy in the north. It centres around former press officer, Michael McMonagle, who last month pleaded guilty to 14 counts in a Derry court, and who was given employment references by two party press officers while still being investigated by the PSNI. Now questions are being raised about who knew what, when, and why the information wasn't shared in line with child safeguarding best practice? Northern editor, Freya McClements, untangles the complicated timeline and explains why the controversy isn't going away.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.

Last weekend, The Sunday Times reported that an unnamed Irish politician had been working for Russian intelligence as "an agent of influence” within the Oireachtas. Although the news “came as no surprise” to Taoiseach Simon Harris, it is one of the most serious national security issues in recent history.Gardaí have now compiled a list of members of the Oireachtas and other people, including those in academia, that they believe have been targeted by Russians in Ireland seeking to exploit them for information gathering and destabilising the State.But how are they approached? And how is their co-operation encouraged by local Russian operatives? Also, why would the Kremlin consider an Irish politician a valuable asset?Jack Horgan-Jones tells In the News how such approaches are made and how politicians have reacted to reports that one of their own has allegedly been influenced by Russia.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. 

Last year, nearly 5,000 cars were stolen across Ireland – making it the worst year for car thefts in more than a decade.Opportunists and joyriders have always stolen cars but what is new, according to Conor Lally, is the gangs now operating across the country. They typically steal high-value cars, bring them to remote chop shops, break up the cars and export the parts.Lally explains how the gangs operate and how owners can keep their cars safe.This episode was originally published in July 2024. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

October 7th is a date seared into the memory of Israelis. It was the day last year that they awoke to an attack by militant group Hamas, on a scale never before seen in the decades-long conflict.When In the News first reported on the febrile situation, interviewing Mark Weiss in Jerusalem who assessed the likely Israeli response, the scale of the Hamas massacre was unknown. Today, we know that about 1,200 Israelis were killed by Hamas in the attacks and 251 were taken hostage.Israel’s onslaught on Gaza in retaliation has been merciless and sustained. As the year has gone on, In the News has reported on many aspects of this relentless war, including on the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza with Unicef’s James Elder; the escape from Gaza by the Alagha family from Blanchardstown who were visiting family when the war broke out; the case brought by South Africa at the International Criminal Courts of Justice, accusing Israel of genocide, with powerful testimony from Irish barrister Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh; the hopes in May of a ceasefire; and an eyewitness report from Irish Times journalist Sally Hayden on life in the Occupied West Bank.All episodes of In the News covering the Israel-Hamas war – including those mentioned here – are available wherever you get your podcasts.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

Whether you’re eight or 18, homework is part of your school day. But should it be? And how much should children be tasked to do? And what is the point?Irish Times parenting columnist Jen Hogan is clear: primary-school children should not be given homework, ever. She tells In the News that years of parenting and research informs her firm view.Irish Times education editor Carl O’Brien says that while homework is a heavily researched area in other countries, Ireland is lagging behind when it comes to understanding how much homework Irish children are doing and in measuring the benefit – or the harm.Now, says O’Brien, Maynooth University has produced a study that shows that 15 minutes is the optimum time for homework – in each subject – for secondary-school pupils.Produced by Aideen Finnegan and John Casey. Presented by Bernice Harrison.

Chinese premier Xi Jinping has a plan to reshape the global security order. His diplomatic initiative is a challenge to the United States-led “rules-based international order” that has dominated since the end of the second World War.Xi’s Global Security Initiative (GSI) has been gathering support from the Global South. Last month, 53 African leaders met in Beijing and supported the doctrine.The GSI is built on six commitments which include “abiding by the UN charter” and “resolving disputes through dialogue”. But the implications of the doctrine are more significant than these phrases suggest.Beijing correspondent Denis Staunton tells In the News how the West lost its influence with the Global South, what China’s “multipolar world” will look like and where Ireland fits in.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.

Prospective home purchasers are losing out to cash buyers – mostly overseas investors – on apartments with defects, ranging from minor issues to hazardous faults, because banks will not risk lending to people so they can buy them.Irish Times journalist Jade Wilson tells In the News about her investigation which found that mortgage-approved buyers are unable to buy second-hand apartments that require remediation works as banks are unwilling to lend on them due to uncertainty around a Government scheme to fix them.The Government has promised to introduce a €2.5 billion remediation scheme to fix up to 100,000 defective Celtic Tiger-era apartment blocks - many of the developers who built these projects are no longer in business - so that ultimately, the taxpayer is on the hook for the cost.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.