Addressing teachers as “sir” or “ma’am” and calling them by their surname is “Victorian” and it does not fit a modern education system.  So, says Newstalk’s Own Simon Tierney in today’s Irish Independent who spoke to Ciara this morning.

Eoin Hayes has confirmed he will join the Dáil an Independent TD and try to “earn back the trust” of the Social Democrats after he was suspended from the party yesterday. He was suspended after admitting he only sold shares in a US software company supplying the Israel Defence Forces just one month after being elected as a councillor last June.  We discuss this further with People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy.

Christmas ramps up consumerism to even sickeningly dizzy heights, building into a crescendo of consumption that sees us spend vast amounts of money to prove we care about each other by swapping items we have no need for.  We discuss this further with Helen Coffey, Senior Features writer for The Independent UK. 

The head of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Abu Mohammed al-Jolani, has sought to reassure the international community about the future of Syria, telling Sky News that the world has no reason to fear a new Syrian government. We discuss this and more with Fawaz Gerges, Professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics. 

New research by The University of London has found that just 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous daily exercise can boost your memory for up to 24 hours.  Shane spoke to by Ciaran O Fearraigh, a Donegal based GP about these findings.

A woman in her twenties has been arrested on suspicion of the murder of Kyran Durnin. The eight-year-old boy was reported missing from his home in Co Louth in August, however, gardaí believe he was murdered more than two years ago.  For more on this Ciara spoke to Conor Gallagher, Crime and Security Correspondent with The Irish Times. 

2024, a year of big elections and big sporting occasions. Google ‘Year in Search’ results reveal what Ireland searched for in 2024. We asked what did it reveal with Evelyn Mahon, Sociologist. 

A wider age gap can be beneficial to both parents and children, according to Nell Frizzell, author and Vogue columnist. 

The ratio of school leavers who went to university this year has stalled – that's according to the Irish Independent Feeder Schools supplement out today.  Some experts are also calling for reform of Leaving Cert and say a degree isn’t always the right choice. We discuss this with Paul Crone, Director of the National Association of Principals and Deputies.  

New UCC Research Reveals Alarming Impact of Data Centres on Climate Commitments. Campaigners Call for an Immediate Moratorium on Data Centre Expansion.   To discuss further we spoke to Prof Hannah Daly, Professor in sustainable energy at University College Cork Author of the report and also Mike Beary, Chair of the UCD Governing authority and Former Country Head for Amazon Web Services.