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In The News
How the October 7th attacks led to a year of war
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October 7th is a date seared into the memory of Israelis. It was the day last year that they awoke to an attack by militant group Hamas, on a scale never before seen in the decades-long conflict.
When In the News first reported on the febrile situation, interviewing Mark Weiss in Jerusalem who assessed the likely Israeli response, the scale of the Hamas massacre was unknown. Today, we know that about 1,200 Israelis were killed by Hamas in the attacks and 251 were taken hostage.
Israel’s onslaught on Gaza in retaliation has been merciless and sustained. As the year has gone on, In the News has reported on many aspects of this relentless war, including on the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza with Unicef’s James Elder; the escape from Gaza by the Alagha family from Blanchardstown who were visiting family when the war broke out; the case brought by South Africa at the International Criminal Courts of Justice, accusing Israel of genocide, with powerful testimony from Irish barrister Blinne Ní Ghrálaigh; the hopes in May of a ceasefire; and an eyewitness report from Irish Times journalist Sally Hayden on life in the Occupied West Bank.
All episodes of In the News covering the Israel-Hamas war – including those mentioned here – are available wherever you get your podcasts.
Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
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The child protection controversy engulfing Sinn Féin
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16:54|Last weekend, The Sunday Times reported that an unnamed Irish politician had been working for Russian intelligence as "an agent of influence” within the Oireachtas. Although the news “came as no surprise” to Taoiseach Simon Harris, it is one of the most serious national security issues in recent history.Gardaí have now compiled a list of members of the Oireachtas and other people, including those in academia, that they believe have been targeted by Russians in Ireland seeking to exploit them for information gathering and destabilising the State.But how are they approached? And how is their co-operation encouraged by local Russian operatives? Also, why would the Kremlin consider an Irish politician a valuable asset?Jack Horgan-Jones tells In the News how such approaches are made and how politicians have reacted to reports that one of their own has allegedly been influenced by Russia.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.Car theft in Ireland: Are international gangs to blame?
20:53|Last year, nearly 5,000 cars were stolen across Ireland – making it the worst year for car thefts in more than a decade.Opportunists and joyriders have always stolen cars but what is new, according to Conor Lally, is the gangs now operating across the country. They typically steal high-value cars, bring them to remote chop shops, break up the cars and export the parts.Lally explains how the gangs operate and how owners can keep their cars safe.This episode was originally published in July 2024. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.Is homework a waste of time?
23:00|Whether you’re eight or 18, homework is part of your school day. But should it be? And how much should children be tasked to do? And what is the point?Irish Times parenting columnist Jen Hogan is clear: primary-school children should not be given homework, ever. She tells In the News that years of parenting and research informs her firm view.Irish Times education editor Carl O’Brien says that while homework is a heavily researched area in other countries, Ireland is lagging behind when it comes to understanding how much homework Irish children are doing and in measuring the benefit – or the harm.Now, says O’Brien, Maynooth University has produced a study that shows that 15 minutes is the optimum time for homework – in each subject – for secondary-school pupils.Produced by Aideen Finnegan and John Casey. Presented by Bernice Harrison.Why the Global South is following China - not the West
27:14|Chinese premier Xi Jinping has a plan to reshape the global security order. His diplomatic initiative is a challenge to the United States-led “rules-based international order” that has dominated since the end of the second World War.Xi’s Global Security Initiative (GSI) has been gathering support from the Global South. Last month, 53 African leaders met in Beijing and supported the doctrine.The GSI is built on six commitments which include “abiding by the UN charter” and “resolving disputes through dialogue”. But the implications of the doctrine are more significant than these phrases suggest.Beijing correspondent Denis Staunton tells In the News how the West lost its influence with the Global South, what China’s “multipolar world” will look like and where Ireland fits in.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.Why are overseas investors buying Ireland's defective apartments?
16:20|Prospective home purchasers are losing out to cash buyers – mostly overseas investors – on apartments with defects, ranging from minor issues to hazardous faults, because banks will not risk lending to people so they can buy them.Irish Times journalist Jade Wilson tells In the News about her investigation which found that mortgage-approved buyers are unable to buy second-hand apartments that require remediation works as banks are unwilling to lend on them due to uncertainty around a Government scheme to fix them.The Government has promised to introduce a €2.5 billion remediation scheme to fix up to 100,000 defective Celtic Tiger-era apartment blocks - many of the developers who built these projects are no longer in business - so that ultimately, the taxpayer is on the hook for the cost.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.Budget 2025: What does it mean for you?
13:42|What did we learn from the budget speeches of Ministers Jack Chambers and Paschal Donohoe? Irish Times reporters fill us in on bonus payments, tax adjustments, welfare increases and a surprise measure. Finally we ask: Is it wise to spend so much money in the way the Government plans? With Conor Pope, Niamh Towey, Jennifer Bray, Ian Curran, Jack Horgan-Jones and Cliff Taylor.Inside Andrew Tate's toxic world - Part 2
22:39|In the summer of 2022, journalists Matt Shea and Jamie Tahsin were in Romania filming a documentary about Andrew Tate and his social media influence. Tate, who had made a name for himself spouting misogynistic content online appeared invincible, but his empire was about to crumble. As concern about his content began to mount, the controversial influencer was banned from Facebook, Instagram and TikTok for violating community guidelines on dangerous individuals and hate speech. But a social media ban was the least of his problems. Back home in London, as Shea and Tahsin continued their investigation into Tate and his business operations, the sinister truth about his webcam industry and his ‘War Room’ began to reveal itself. In June 2023, Tate and his brother Tristan, along with two Romanian women were formally charged with rape, sex trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women. He is currently under house arrest in his compound in Bucharest. In this episode, (part two), Shea tells Bernice Harrison about the women from Tate’s past who decided to speak out against him and how his fans have reacted to his latest string of charges. Clown World: Four Years Inside Andrew Tate’s Manosphere is out now.