In The News

Renters and landlords alike are confused about exactly how the forthcoming changes to rules governing tenancies will affect them. In what circumstances can rent be raised? In what circumstances can a landlord legally ask a tenant to move out? Consumer Affairs Correspondent Conor Pope sets out to answer their questions, as submitted to The Irish Times.

A new chapter in the fractious relationship between Iran and the US began this week with America’s bombing of three Iranian nuclear-development sites; Iran’s retaliatory strike on a US military base in Qatar, and the tentative ceasefire in the Israel-Iran war announced by President Donald Trump.The two countries have history: Key dates include 1953 when a CIA-orchestrated a coup, with British support, overthrew Iran’s democratically elected government and installed the monarch in exile, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi – the Shah of Iran; 1979 when Iranians, rebelling against his autocratic rule and fuelled by anti-American sentiment ousted the Shah putting the theocratic revolutionaries in power with their hard-line rule; November 4th, 1979 when Iranian students held more than 50 American citizens hostage at the US Embassy in Tehran in captivity for 444 days; and 1980 when US-Iran diplomatic relations broke down and stayed that way until US President Barack Obama struck a deal in 2013 with Iran to curtail its burgeoning nuclear programme.In his first presidency Trump called that nuclear deal “the worse deal over” and pulled the US out. This left the way open for Iran to ramp up its nuclear programme.But what happens now? Are the days of diplomacy over and how will Iran react?Borzou Daraghi, Iranian-American journalist and long-time Middle East-based Journalist, explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. 

Last weekend, former Ireland international and premier league star Damien Duff sent shock waves through Irish football when he announced he was resigning as manager of Shelbourne FC.In a statement, the Tolka Park club said it was “regretfully” announcing Duff’s departure.“While all at Shelbourne FC are deeply saddened by Damien’s decision, we fully respect that he feels this is the right choice for him at this time,” it said in a statement.“His impact on Shelbourne FC was transformational ... we are eternally grateful for the indelible mark he has left on our club,” said the club.Duff steps away from the club four and a half years after taking on the managerial role. During that time, he rebuilt the north Dublin club and delivered last season’s League of Ireland Premier Division title – its first since 2006.Duff will also be a huge loss to the League of Ireland having built a new legacy for himself as the man who helped to transform the credibility of league.Why did he suddenly leave and what does it mean for the future of Shelbourne FC? And what about the ongoing revival of League of Ireland football?Today, on In The News, why did Damien Duff walk out on Shels?Irish Times sports writer Malachy Clerkin discusses the fallout from Duff’s decision to step down.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon. 

In the early hours of March 15th 2024, a woman walked into a hospital in the city of Boston and reported she had been raped.The following day, Dublin firefighter Terrence Crosbie (38) was arrested at Boston Logan International Airport when he was boarding a plane to fly back to Ireland.Last week, after a six-day trial and more than 22 hours of jury deliberations, a Boston judge declared a mistrial after the jury failed to make a unanimous decision.Mr Crosbie, who has spent 15 months in jail, has been sent back to prison until his next trial, which is set for October 14th.Today on In the News, investigative journalist Susan Zalkind discusses the details of the Boston rape trial.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. 

At least 184 journalists and media workers have been killed in Gaza since October 2023, according to Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a non-profit organisation that advocates for press freedom and the rights of journalists. Of these, 176 were Palestinian.For nearly 19 months, Israel has blocked the foreign press from entering Gaza to report on the war, leaving a small number of local Palestinian journalists to cover the conflict.Israel’s ongoing refusal to grant foreign journalists access to the strip is “without precedent in modern times”, a recent letter from the world’s media warned.Today on The Irish Times In the News podcast reporter Sally Hayden and CPJ chief executive Jodie Ginsberg discuss the implications of barring journalists from entering Gaza and the realities of reporting from a war zone.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon. 

Tattle Life is a gossip site that many will have never heard of until a landmark defamation trial in Belfast this month.Donna and Neil Sands bought a defamation case against the site – and won. They were each awarded £150,000 (€176,000) in damages, with the court saying their costs should also be covered.The married couple who live in Northern Ireland said that cruel, untrue and hateful anonymous postings over several years on the site left them fearing for their safety, their businesses and their relationships and impacted on their mental health.Award-winning journalist Aoife Moore knows exactly how the Sands feel. She too has been the victim of an onslaught of online abuse on Tattle Life, with entirely untrue gossip spread about her personal and professional life.She tells In the News how that impacted on her and what the defamation case means for her. And while this is the first successful defamation case against the gossip site, she says it will not be the last.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

Since Israel launched air strikes on Iran last Friday, the two states have traded missiles with mounting casualties on both sides.Iranian military leaders have been killed as have some of its nuclear scientists but the country’s citizens have borne the brunt of the air attacks.Israel has said its rationale for the middle-of-the-night attack that sparked the war was its need to ensure, for its own protection, that Iran’s nuclear programme is halted.How close Iran is to actually having a nuclear bomb is unclear but for Israel to obliterate entirely the nuclear threat it needs the US to join the war, to send its “bunker buster” mega bomb to destroy the Fordo uranium enrichment facility buried deep in the mountains.But if the US does enter the war, what will that mean for the region? And what is Donald Trump’s position on entering the war?Is there any chance that Iran, whose military capabilities have been weakened, will surrender?Faraz Gergez, Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is the author of several books on the Middle East including The Great Betrayal: The Struggle for Freedom and Democracy in the Middle East.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.

Someone in Ireland has just won €250 million. It's the biggest ever lottery win in Europe and it means the winner's life will never be the same again. But history shows that suddenly coming into vast wealth is not always a good thing. Conor Pope talks to Bernice Harrison about the pitfalls of winning the Euromillions - and what you should do in the extremely unlikely event you find yourself in that position.

On Monday, preparatory works began at the former site of the mother and baby institution in Tuam, Co Galway in advance of the long-awaited excavation to identify the remains of nearly 800 infants. The excavation, which is due to start in mid-July, takes place 11 years after research by local historian Catherine Corless found 796 children had died at the institution run by the Bon Secours religious order between 1925-1961. How long will the excavation take, what does it expect to find and what will happen to the remains of the infants uncovered at the former mother and baby home? Irish Times reporter Órla Ryan reflects on the decade since the Tuam revelations and the latest steps in bringing closure to family members still seeking answers. Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.