In The News

In his new documentary Amplified: The Exportation of the Culture Wars, director Mike Sheridan explores the profound influence of toxic discourse in the United States on the rest of the world – and in particular, Ireland.Through interviews and examples he shows how, with the amplification of social media, legitimate grievance can bloom into conspiracist, and how easily performance, paranoia, and power intertwine.As Irish Times reviewer Tara Brady notes, the film which “begins as a study of toxic discourse in the United States expands into a sobering excavation of recent unrest in Dublin. The riots of November 2023, along with the persistence of aggressive anti-immigrant demonstrations, are presented as symptoms of a transnational malaise”.Sheridan explains to In the News how he made the documentary, how imported misinformation can gain such a powerful hold, and why high-profile US commentators including Tucker Carlson and Nick Fuentes became so invested in the Dublin riots without any apparent factual knowledge of what occurred.Amplified: The Exportation of the Culture Wars is available to rent on Apple TV and other digital platformsPresented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. 

AI is turning the recruitment process upside down and leading to a jobs market which can be frustrating and difficult to navigate.So while it is easy to apply for a job online – multiple jobs even, in one go – it’s a harsh reality particularly for business or tech graduates looking for their first job that their achievement-filled CV won’t be read by a person.Instead it will be put through an AI-powered predictive hiring tool designed to evaluate CVs.In a blink it will find keywords related to many categories such as education and experience, and weight them according to the company’s requirements.And there is a strong possibility it won’t just be looking at the CV; it will also scrape the web for a candidate’s social media posts and any other web mention.And then if the candidate does get through that process, a video interview, with AI, might follow. Meeting an actual human is a long way off.So how does it all work and why are recent graduates having such a hard time finding suitable employment?Peter Cosgrove, managing director of Futurewise explains what AI does in the recruitment process, and why not getting the job might not be entirely the algorithm’s fault.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.

Within minutes of the war beginning on Saturday, allies Israel and the US had achieved a stated goal: Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed alongside his powerful inner circle. His death would, according to both US president Donald Trump and Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu, pave the way for regime change, allowing opposition forces in Tehran to rise up and take control. Iran retaliated with attacks on Israel, while Iranian drones have also hit countries across the Middle East. Hizbullah, an Iranian-backed militia, fired missiles into Israel in the early days of the war, and by Wednesday Israeli forces entered Lebanon. The death toll – notably in Iran – is mounting. And the rest of the world is feeling the impact with threats of economic instability, oil shortages and travel and trade chaos. But are the US and Israel on the same page when it comes to the war’s objectives? And are they equal partners in this or is this Israel’s war with the US providing military support? Irish Times contributor Mark Weiss in Jerusalem explains how the US and Israel are looking for different outcomes from this war. And Shashank Joshi, defence editor with The Economist Magazine, explores how the war might end – and when – and why the Kurds might be drawn in to war. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Declan Conlon. 

In late January, the Spanish government announced a mass legalisation scheme which will provide migrants with a one-year, renewable residency permit, allowing them to be hired legally.Opening for applications next month, it will benefit about half a million people.For socialist prime minister Pedro Sánchez, the move is about the Spanish values of dignity, community and justice. It also makes the country an outlier in Europe.So who are the migrants likely to benefit from the amnesty and why, at a time when its European neighbours are tightening the rules around undocumented arrivals, has Spain offered such a sweeping amnesty. How will it work and how have Sanchez’s political opponents reacted? And will any other country in the bloc be encouraged to copy the Sanchez plan.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. 

A Dublin man who admitted killing a young American nurse in Budapest in November 2024 will face trial in April. He has pleaded not guilty to murder, insisting her death was the result of an accident during consensual sex.The 38-year-old, who cannot be named for legal reasons, previously admitted to killing Mackenzie Michalski (31) during a sexual encounter and hiding her body.At a preliminary hearing in February, the man’s lawyer made an application to have his client released with an electronic tag until the end of his trial. The court heard that his parents had purchased a flat in the Hungarian capital for this purpose and were willing to put up more than €50,000 for bail. The application was rejected.Hungarian journalist Bálint Dömötör details the case.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. 

US president Donald Trump came to power promising an end to foreign entanglements. Instead he has ramped up American aggression against its enemies. The weekend's attack that killed Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei along with regime leaders and hundreds of others, including civilians, was his most extreme move yet. But it was done without the constitutionally required approval of Congress, and with polls showing little public support. Washington correspondent Keith Duggan reports on what was behind US president Donald Trump's decision, how it is being received in the US and what happens next.

Ireland is to buy hundreds of new armoured vehicles and artillery pieces from France, a move that will significantly expand the capabilities of the Irish Army to conduct on-island defence.The deal is expected to be worth €600 million and is the biggest investment in Army equipment in the history of the State. It is one of several deals with French suppliers to provide a range of equipment and services with an estimated €2billion spend.The coming years will see Ireland work in closer co-operation with our European neighbours on security matters.Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher explains why Ireland has chosen France as its supplier of choice for the modernisation of our defence capabilities.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. 

When gardaí raided the homes of 11 senior members of the Black Axe crime organisation this week they found more than they expected.As well as data-crammed mobile phones and laptops, they found merchandise emblazoned with the logo of the international fraud and money laundering gang.The caps and bags – the sort of memorabilia a golf club might offer – feature “Ireland” and also slogans such as “Ireland Zone, Stay Safe”.The gang has a significant operation in Ireland, having been linked to the theft and laundering of €94 million since 2020. Gardaí have arrested 636 people in relation to Black Axe activities, with 1,400 potential suspects. The gang originates in Nigeria.Also seized was something that will be of interest to law enforcement agencies around the world: a copy of the gang’s constitution. Security sources believe it is the first time the document has ever been found by a police force in a western country.Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Lally explains how the Black Axe gang operates in Ireland and the threat its growing membership poses.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan and Andrew McNair.