In The News

The streets of Dublin city centre were ablaze on Thursday night, with at least one Garda vehicle, a double-decker bus and a Luas tram set alight and several shops looted.In the wake of the stabbing attack on several schoolchildren on Parnell Square, a major riot broke out on O’Connell Street, the city centre’s main thoroughfare, and surrounding streets.Large numbers of gardaí were mobilised in an attempt to restore order, clashing with large groups of rioters. The shops broken into and looted include Arnotts and Footlocker.Crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher and reporter Jack Power covered the stabbing attack and witnessed the riot. They talk to In the News producer Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Javier Milei will be sworn in as president of Argentina next month. But just why is this political outsider called "The Madman" - and what can Argentinians expect from his administration? Tom Hennigan reports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last weekend, millionaire businessman and former Dunnes Stores chief executive Ben Dunne died suddenly in Dubai. He was 74 years of age,In 1992, Dunne made headlines again when he was arrested in his Florida hotel room for cocaine possession. Shortly afterwards, back in Ireland, Dunne’s siblings moved against him to wrest control of Dunnes Stores from him. It was this intense family feud that led to journalists exposing Ireland’s deeply entrenched political and financial corruption in the 1980s and 1990s.Had it not been for Dunne’s cocaine-fuelled psychosis in Florida, would the revelations of former Taoiseach Charles Haughey’s secret financial dealings ever have happened?On today’s podcast, columnist Fintan O’Toole reflects on Dunne’s eventful life and the extraordinary impact he had on Ireland.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Documentary maker and journalist Brian Carroll was in court for the sentencing hearing of Molly Martens and her father Thomas for the killing of Molly’s husband Jason Corbett.For two weeks the strategy of their defence team was to paint the brutal killing that took place in the bedroom of the couple’s home in August 2015 as an act of self-defence.In episode two we hear how the Limerick man’s family, including his two children, finally had their day in court to tell the world about their loving father and what their lives were like with their manipulative stepmother. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Documentary maker and journalist Brian Carroll was in court for the sentencing hearing of Molly Martens and her father Thomas for the killing of Molly’s husband Jason Corbett.For two weeks the strategy of their defence team was to paint the brutal killing that took place in the bedroom of the couple’s home in August 2015 as an act of self-defence.In episode one we hear how the Limerick man’s character was assassinated as the pair sought to present what they claimed were mitigating circumstances, all in a bid to have their jail-time minimised. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997 it was under a ‘One Country, Two Systems’ governance model that guaranteed the continuation of a free press, an independent judiciary and the capitalism that underpins the former British colony’s wealth. The agreement was to stay in place until 2047 but in the past decade China has begun stamping out key freedoms, with XI Jingping apparently intent on undermining Hong Kong’s independence and on bringing the determinedly capitalist country more under its control. Irish Times China correspondent Denis Staunton explains how a security law introduced in 2020 is being used to stifle debate and press freedom and explores how far China is willing to go tear up the 1997 deal. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For decades, a flood of foreign money has poured into the island of Cyprus, bringing extreme wealth to a few, but leaving the EU member status with a reputation as a shady financial hub.On Tuesday, the eight-month Cyprus Confidential investigation, carried out by dozens of journalists across the globe, revealed the sheer scale of dirty money that has been moved through Cyprus for oligarchs, tyrants, criminals and Russian president Vladamir Putin in recent years.Among them is billionaire and former owner of Chelsea FC, Roman Abramovich, who like many oligarchs was sanctioned in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.But how did Abramovich funnel money through Cypriot financial institutions and what does he buy with these vast sums of cash?Did Abramovich’s funding of Chelsea FC breach financial fair play rules? And, what financial investments did the Russian football club owner have in Ireland?Irish Times journalist Colm Keena, who is also a member of the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists which produced Cyprus Confidential, joins the podcast to discuss the how Cyprus fuelled the Kremlin’s financial machine in the years leading up to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why has UK prime minister Rishi Sunk brought former prime minister David Cameron in from the cold after all these years? And what will Stella Braverman, fired as Home Secretary but still powerful on the right of the Conservative Party, do next? We ask London correspondent Mark Paul. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

For Irish beef producers, China is a prize – capture that vast market and the troubled sector is secure. And Chinese influence in Asia means cracking that market is the key to opening others in the region such as South Korea.The Chinese though – mindful of the horrific global health crisis around beef in the 1990s – have a zero tolerance of BSE, a bovine disease that when it enters the food chain causes deadly CJD in humans. It closed its market to Irish beef three years ago when a case of BSE was found and it had only recently reopened when last week it was announced that a case of atypical BSE had been found in an Irish cow.The Chinese immediately shut down Irish beef imports. As farmer and agri journalist Hannah Quinn-Mulligan explains, it’s a massive reputational blow for Irish beef, and a major worry for Irish farmers. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Since September, three nursing homes have been forced to close – in Kilkenny, Waterford and Cork. The residents, all vulnerable and elderly have had to be placed in new care facilities. All were private nursing homes, run by Aperee Living, part of a group of 10 such homes.The move follows highly critical reports by Hiqa which found serious issues in each of the homes. In some, the issues included financial irregularities. It’s a move the HSE does not take lightly. Irish Times reporter Jack Power has seen the Hiqa report and he explains what happened – and what next for Aperee Living. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.