In The News

Lara Marlowe met Bashar al-Assad twice during his early years as president of Syria. The writer and journalist also interviewed the dictator's father, Hafez, who seized power in the 1970s and groomed Bashar to assume the presidency before his death in 2000. The regime collapsed on the 7th of December after 13 years of civil war, which claimed the lives of at last 560,000 Syrians and made refugees of six million more. Marlowe recounts her interactions with the totalitarian rulers, profiles the dynasty which includes Bashar's British-born wife, Asma, and explains why the their tyrannical regime crumbled so quickly and breathtakingly at the weekend. Prresented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.

Four years ago, Sinn Féin changed the landscape of Irish politics by securing the highest share of first preference votes in the 2020 general election and breaking Ireland’s two-party system.The question among many voters in those weeks before the pandemic hit was not if Mary Lou McDonald would become taoiseach of this country, but when.Jump forward four years, and the party has emerged from the 2024 general election with 39 seats, just two more than its 2020 haul. Sinn Féin TDs are now facing up to five more years on the Opposition benches, with disappointment and dismay palpable at different levels across the party.What went wrong for Sinn Féin in the 2024 election, how can they turn things around and what does this all mean for Mary Lou McDonald’s future at the party’s helm?Today, on In the News, after a year of disappointment, what’s next for Sinn Féin and its leader Mary Lou McDonald?Irish Times political correspondent Jennifer Bray discusses what lies ahead for the party.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon

Veteran republican Marian Price has initiated legal action against streaming giant Disney+ over the TV series Say Nothing, based on a book of the same name by Patrick Radden Keefe, which her lawyers say depicted her as being involved in the murder of Belfast woman Jean McConville.Lawyers for Price, who was jailed for her part in the IRA’s London bombing campaign of 1973, said the allegation was “not based on a single iota of evidence”.On today's podcast we replay an interview with Patrick Radden Keefe, recorded when Say Nothing was published in 2018.Radden Keefe explains how he reached his conclusion that Marian Price was centrally involved in McConville's killing, along with her sister Dolours Price. The Disney dramatisation of Say Nothing has brought the stories of the Price sisters and Jean McConville to a new global audience. "Such allegations published on an international scale are not only unjustified, but they are odious insofar as they seek to cause our client immeasurable harm in exchange for greater streaming success. Our client has now been forced to initiate legal proceedings to hold Disney to account for their actions", Prices lawyers said. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.

When a taxi driver told Irish Times economics correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy that there was a ghost train station under Terminal 1 in Dublin Airport he was intrigued. The architects who designed the terminal in the late 1960s were smart enough to future-proof it – to incorporate into their plan a vast underground train station because, surely it wouldn’t be long before a metro would connect the airport with the city centre. Their thinking was right – but they didn’t reckon with Ireland’s sluggish planning system and an endemic failure to plan and build. Area 14 is a metaphor for so much that is wrong with Ireland’s approach to key infrastructure projects, from housing to energy supply, transport to health.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.

South Korea’s unpopular President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law late on Tuesday in a move that surprised citizens and parliamentarians.His attempt to ban political activity and censor the media saw armed troops force their way into the National Assembly in Seoul.The martial law order was lifted just six hours later and there is now a move to impeach Yoon if he doesn’t resign.But what does this political crisis in Asia’s fourth largest economy mean for the region?What were Yoon’s reasons for the shock declaration and how was it foiled? And what was the international reaction – particularly in Washington – to the move?Irish Times Beijing correspondent explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

Joe Biden has granted his son Hunter Biden a full and unconditional pardon following his criminal conviction on tax and gun charges. The US president's only surviving son was due to be sentenced this month. The 82 year-old had repeatedly stated he would neither interfere in the judicial process nor use his presidential power to pardon him. So why the u-turn and what will the fallout before Democrats and Republicans alike? Our Washington correspondent, Keith Duggan explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.

Last week, Mayo farmer Padraig Nally, the man who was jailed for less than a year for the manslaughter of an intruder in his home near Lough Corrib in 2004, died. He was 81 years of age.Two decades ago, his shooting of John ‘Frog’ Ward became one of the most divisive murder cases in Ireland. Nally was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment for the manslaughter of Ward. However, his conviction was quashed in a retrial when he was found not guilty of manslaughter.It was a case that divided opinion across the country. Nally argued self-defence, saying “there was only one way out of it: it had to be him, or it had to be me”.What exactly happened in November 2004, why was Nally’s initial conviction quashed and why are people still speaking about this case 20 years later?Mick Clifford, special correspondent with The Irish Examiner who covered Nally’s case at the time joins the podcast.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

The count continues with seats in several constituencies throughout the country still to be filled. As it stands, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael are in pole position to form the next government. The Greens have suffered a near wipeout, retaining just one seat; while Social Democrats and Labour have outperformed expectations.In today’s episode we’re bringing you coverage from our colleagues over on the Election Daily podcast – Hugh Linehan and the Inside Politics team – who have spent the weekend watching Ireland’s political future take shape.Produced by Declan Conlon and Suzanne Brennan.

Angela Merkel's eagerly anticipated memoir lifts the lid on parts of her childhood, her private meetings with world leaders and what she thought of Ireland and the bailout. But only partially. In fact, for those who are wondering what her personal reflections are on some of the most consequential decisions she ever made, they're likely to be left as disappointed as Irish Times Berlin correspondent Derek Scally. He's read Merkel's autobiography so you don't have to, sharing the most interesting episodes of her life and analysing how her legacy looks now in the cold light of 2024.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.