In The News

One city in China produces 80 per cent of the world’s Christmas decorations.Yiwu International Trade City exports more than 20,000 types of Christmas products to more than 100 countries, with Europe and the Americas the most important markets for most producers. That’s a lot of plastic Christmas trees, wreaths, baubles, life-size elves, tinsel and flickering lights.When Irish Times Beijing correspondent Denis Staunton visited, he found manufacturers with a clear idea of just what westerners want and the emerging trends – there’s a new trend towards pastel coloured decorations, including trees.He tells In the News that although Communist Party members are forbidden from practising religion, Christian churches are allowed to operate under the supervision of the authorities. But some state schools have recently been discouraging children from marking western holidays such as Halloween and Christmas, urging them to celebrate Chinese traditions instead.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.

A French court on Thursday found Dominique Pelicot guilty and sentenced him to 20 years in prison for repeatedly drugging and raping his ex-wife Gisèle Pelicot over a nine-year period from 2011 and inviting dozens of men to rape her unconscious body in their home.The retired electrician and former estate agent was also found guilty of making sexual images of his daughter Caroline and the wives of his sons.The five judges also found the 50 other men on trial guilty. Some of their sentences were lower than those that had been suggested by the state prosecutor.In an act of immense bravery Gisèle waived her right to anonymity so that Dominique and the names of the 50 men accused of raping her could be made public.The case has gripped France, prompting discussion on misogyny, sexual abuse and the country’s laws around rape and it has made Gisèle a national hero, particularly among the thousands of women who turned up each day to the court to support her.Laura Gozzi was in court in Avignon every day reporting for the BBC and she tells In the News about the case and how the details unfolded in the court.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.If you have been affected by sexual violence, you can contact the 24-hour Rape Crisis Centre helpline at 1800 778888 for free, confidential and non-judgemental support

On Tuesday, gardaí and emergency services found the body of Anthony Maguire (36) in his Drogheda home, six days after he was arrested in connection with the disappearance of Kyran Durnin. He is believed to have had access to Kyran in the period before the last confirmed sighting of the boy as a six-year-old in the summer of 2022. He was a close associate of another suspect in the case. Gardaí had also been looking into whether he was involved in the presentation of a different child to Túsla, in an attempt to pass that boy as Kyran Durnin. Maguire's death is being treated as a suicide. Now as Conor Lally, Irish Times crime and security editor, explains Gardaí investigating the suspected murder of Kyran are working to determine if Maguire left behind any vital information on the disappearance of the child.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Aideen Finnegan.

Israel’s move to close its embassy in Ireland means the diplomatic rift between our two countries is wider than ever, with potentially big implications for Ireland.Israel has called Taoiseach Simon Harris, as well as the entire country, anti-Semitic. He, however is holding firm, and insists Ireland will not end its criticism of Israel’s actions in Gaza.President Michael D Higgins has also responded, saying it is “deep slander” to accuse the Irish people of being anti-Semitic because of criticisms of the Israeli government.Israel’s Ambassador to Ireland Dana Erlich has been at the forefront of her country’s criticism of Ireland and she spoke to Irish Times political editor Pat Leahy, who tells In the News what’s behind Israel’s move, why now – and how damaging it is – potentially – for Ireland.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.

Irish Times international correspondent Sally Hayden is the only journalist from any Irish media outlet to witness, first-hand, the dramatic scenes that have unfolded in Syria, in the days following the ousting of Bashar al-Assad. Hayden has spoken to ordinary citizens as well as members of the rebel alliance responsible for toppling the dictator on the 8th of December. The award-winning author has also visited the notorious Sednaya prison - dubbed 'the human slaughterhouse' - where she met families desperately searching for information on loved ones who were disappeared by Assad's secret police during his 24-year reign.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.

Another report, another disturbing finding about governance at one of Ireland’s best known, and well-funded charities, the Peter McVerry Trust.Between 2022 and 2023, the charity paid near €1.7m to Lavelle Solicitors, whose managing partner Michael Lavelle is a brother of McVerry director Richard Lavelle.The finding is contained in a report from the Approved Housing Bodies Regulatory Authority (AHBRA), the supervisor of not-for-profit groups that receive public funds to provide affordable housing.Since 2023 when it was revealed that the charity – which provides essential services to the growing number of homeless people in the State – needed a €15m bailout, it has been subjected to heightened scrutiny. In addition to the AHBRA, the Comptroller & Auditor General and the Charities Commission have been asking questions. The answers when published have, since 2023, pointed to lax financial controls and poor board oversight.The findings have caused significant reputational damage to the organisation and runs significant risk of spilling over to the entire charity sector, impacting on much-needed fundraising.Current affairs editor Arthur Beesley has been following this unfolding story.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.

Irish house prices are overvalued by up to 10 per cent, the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has warned, adding that an increasing number of households are carrying “elevated” levels of mortgage debt. That's not a large percentage when compared to the Celtic Tiger property bubble - so why is the think-tank cautioning it could still mean a 'painful correction'? Economics correspondent, Eoin Burke-Kennedy, explains why loan-to-income rates are creeping upwards, why house prices could come down but remain out of the reach of the average earner, and which global trends are preventing a price drop here.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.

On Wednesday, December 4th, Brian Thompson (50), the UnitedHealthcare chief executive was murdered in cold blood outside a hotel in Manhattan.The manhunt to find his killer ended on Monday when the chief suspect, 26-year-old Luigi Mangione, was arrested as he sat in a McDonald’s in a railroad town in Pennsylvania. He has been charged with murder.From the moment the CCTV of the shooting went viral, the police investigation began but so too did an onslaught of social media commentary: from amateur sleuths joining the manhunt; from infatuated posters who had become Mangione fans; and a deluge of online comments and memes either sarcastically or explicitly calling out the greed of private healthcare companies.Now that a suspect has been caught says Irish Times Washington correspondent Keith Duggan, the intense fascination has shifted from “who?” to “why?”.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.

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.