In The News

Most of China’s roughly 10 million Catholics attend officially sanctioned churches but a substantial minority belong to the so-called “underground church”, attending masses in unapproved venues and private homes.Under Pope Francis, the Vatican entered into an agreement with China in 2018 aimed at ending the division between the two Catholic communities by regularising the appointment of bishops.But the agreement, which was renewed last October for four years, has drawn criticism from some Catholics who fear it cedes too much influence to the Communist Party.Irish Times Beijing correspondent Denis Staunton explains the controversy and why Catholicism is growing in China.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and John Casey.

Your 2007 Facebook posts, videos of your children or maybe your voice on Instagram stories. Everything you have ever publicly posted on Facebook and Instagram will now be used to train Meta's artificial intelligence model, Llama. Notifications will start appearing in your social media feed asking whether you want to opt out of the practice which was paused last year on foot of a request from the Data Protection Commissioner. Meta says its AI will improve the service it provides its EU users but campaigners have concerns around privacy and bias. Meanwhile, a group of Irish authors have launched legal action against the company over allegations that pirated versions of their work were used to train Llama. Irish Times business and technology journalist Ciara O'Brien explain it means for your historical uploads and how you can choose to opt out.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.

While ADHD diagnoses among Irish children have risen significantly in recent years, growing numbers of adults are now opting for an assessment for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.ADHD Ireland, a charity supporting those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, says there had been a “tsunami” of demand in recent years that is “overwhelming” services. And in the last budget, the Government announced funding for four new adult ADHD teams.But what does an adult diagnosis of ADHD – a common neuro-developmental disorder which makes it harder to concentrate and manage time – mean for a person’s life?Why are more adults choosing to be assessed for the disorder? And does a diagnosis have a positive impact on a person’s life?For Mairéad Deevy, a Waterford-based barrister, her ADHD diagnosis seven years ago brought a “sense of relief”.“There was probably a sense of hopefulness that things would improve,” Ms Deevy told the In The News podcast. “For me, and I think for a lot of people, when they get the ADHD diagnosis, other symptoms of anxiety and depression very much go into the background. It’s an important piece of an overall diagnostic picture.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. 

Unsuspecting Irish shoppers are being duped by scammers who have figured out a fiendish way to win your trust. Consumer Affairs correspondent Conor Pope explains what the scam is, how it works and how to avoid it.

David Joyce, 38, was killed with a single shot by British police officers at Milton Keynes railway station on April 1st.But who was he and what do we know about his life in the lead up to that tragic day?Irish Times London correspondent Mark Paul visited Milton Keynes to explore what happened at the train station and how Joyce lived and died.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. 

Gardaí have made a renewed appeal on the 20th anniversary of the murder of art student Emer O’Loughlin in Co Clare.Detectives believe that a man they want to speak to in connection with the killing in Ballybornagh, Tubber, is still alive.But where is John Griffin, and why were so many mistakes made when the charred remains of the young woman were found in a burnt out caravan in 2005?While Griffin, who left his clothes on a cliff edge in a failed attempt to make gardaí believe he had killed himself, will have changed greatly in 20 years, it is likely that he still has his very distinctive tattoo – an Eye of Horus symbol on the front of his neck.Crime and security correspondent Conor Lally traces back the details of the death of this vibrant young woman and why so many mistakes were made in finding her killer.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan and John Casey.

Rory McIlroy will tee off on Thursday at 6.12pm Irish time on the first day of the Masters in Georgia.It is the first major tournament of the golf season and this year the news focus will be firmly on the man from Northern Ireland. It’s his 17th Masters and he’s known not so much for how he plays in Georgia but for the way he keeps falling short.While he is a consistent winner of other tournaments, building a golfing fortune estimated to be north of €250 million, and is only second to Tiger Woods in earning power off the course, one prize eludes him – the Masters in Augusta.He has finished in the top 10 seven times but has never won it. Commentators say he chokes, that the fault is not physical but mental. He has, in his interviews, been very open about his inability to seal the deal, to get so close to winning.The stakes are high; if he does finally win, he will complete the career grand slam, something only five other golfers have ever done.Irish Times sportswriter Malachy Clerkin has watched McIlroy’s career from the start and he says that he is in the best form of his life, playing like a man who could win the Masters.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.

Shortly before 10am, on Thursday, March 20th, Kerry farmer Michael Gaine walked into a Centra store in Kenmare to buy phone credit. The 56-year-old farmer was reportedly seen later that day in the tourist town but his trip to Centra was the last confirmed public sighting of him.Nearly three weeks later, the sheep farmer is still missing. Gardaí are increasingly concerned he may have been the victim of foul-play. However, the county-wide search remains a missing person inquiry rather than a murder investigation.Cork-based journalist Liam Coates discusses the investigation into the Kerry farmer’s disappearance.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and John Casey. 

Global markets plunged again on Monday after Donald Trump showed no signs of pulling back from his sweeping tariff plan. All the major stock exchanges across Europe, the US and Asia were affected by the drop in prices, from tech to retail and manufacturing.European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen warned US tariffs were having a “massive impact” on the global economy, while Goldman Sachs raised the odds of a US recession to 45 per cent.And while stock prices don’t mean much to many people, behind the figures, there’s real damage being caused to the economy – in Ireland and around the globe.But when will we start to feel the impact of this financial chaos?How is Europe responding to Trump’s 20 per cent tariff on EU goods and how has China reacted to the rising tariff threats coming from the White House?And is there any indication the plunging stock markets will prompt the Trump administration to rethink its approach to trade?Today, on In The News, how worried should we be about the toll of Trump’s tariffs?Irish Times economics writer Cliff Taylor and China correspondent Denis Staunton discuss the global implications of Trump’s tariff agenda.Presented by Sorcha Pollak, produced by Declan Conlon.