In The News

On the Mediterranean, migrants face grave danger in the attempt to cross from Africa to their targets in Europe, places like the small Italian island of Lampedusa. Jade Wilson visited Lampedusa to report on how a new law governing the activities of NGO rescue missions has made the voyage, often on unsafe, overcrowded boats, even more hazardous. And Sally Hayden looks at a recent UN report on the human rights situation in Libya. The report adds to the mounting evidence that the EU, through programmes designed to keep migrants away from its borders, has cooperated with groups that have perpetrated human rights abuses including murder, torture and sexual slavery. Within the EU itself there is little outcry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

CNN news reporter Donie O'Sullivan doesn't usually cover the White House beat. He's more likely to be seen talking about online political movements or the use of technology to create misinformation. But he insisted on coming along to cover Joe Biden's four day visit to Ireland as the 'token Irishman', he tells Bernice Harrison and Simon Carswell. With Biden due to arrive today, they discuss past presidential visits and the political significance of this one, both here in Ireland and back across the pond. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In contrast with his son Daniel Kinahan, little has been known about the activities of Christy Kinahan snr, the founder of the Kinahan drug cartel.Irish Times reporters Colm Keena and Conor Lally have now discovered that, along with his partner and three young children, Mr Kinahan snr has been attempting to build a new life for himself in Africa.These efforts involved an attempt to establish himself there as a player in the humanitarian aviation sector through the purchase of airplanes from the Egyptian military.The new information about Mr Kinahan snr was revealed in an Irish Times investigation in conjunction with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ).Conor Lally and Colm Keena talk to Aideen Finnegan. This episode was originally published in November 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Sean Quinn knows exactly what he did but chooses not to understand. It’s very easy for him to find others are to blame.”Enniskillen-born filmmaker, Trevor Birney, has spent five years on his documentary, Quinn Country, which aired on RTE late last year. The three-part series paints a visceral portrait of a man haunted by feelings of injustice and betrayal; not least in part due to the contributions from the former billionaire himself, from his palatial home in Co. Cavan.The documentary charts the rise and fall of Quinn and his business empire, with a particular focus on his Anglo Irish Bank gamble and the violent attack on former Quinn executive, Kevin Lunney.In a story to rival a Shakespearean drama, Birney skilfully pulls all the strands of the complicated story together in one place.Here he speaks to In The News about his many hours of interviews with Sean Quinn, filming during outbreaks of vigilante violence, and the fatal character flaw that brought down one of the titans of Irish business.Also on this episode is Irish Times Public Affairs Editor Simon Carswell. This episode was originally broadcast in December 2022. Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The landlord of a Dublin apartment block, who evicted tenants last year claiming he intended to sell up, has been found by Dublin City Council to be using the property for unauthorised holiday letting.The rooms began appearing on AirBnB, the holiday rental site. And the price? Up to €100 euro a night for a bunkbed in a shared room, or €280 for a private one.  Bernice Harrison talks to Dublin Editor Olivia Kelly about the case and to political correspondent Cormac McQuinn about why moves to regulate short-term lets - potentially freeing up thousands of properties for long-term housing - have not been realised. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Sex education in Ireland is getting a revamp. From September, students in the junior cycle will be taught about consent, relationships, the effects of pornography on sexual expectations and LGBTQ issues as part of their Social, Personal and Health Education curriculum (SPHE). While the proposed changes are largely welcomed, there is still some pushback, specifically on issues relating to gender identity and porn literacy. Meanwhile, many young people are learning about sex and relationships from friends, the internet and porn. In this episode, education editor Carl O’Brien explains what to expect from the new syllabus, what impact the objections have had so far and why some schools might opt out of teaching it. While Eoghan Cleary, a teacher in Greystones Co. Wicklow tells host Aideen Finnegan about a wellbeing program in his school that teaches students about consent, respectful relationships and “how to consume porn in a critical manner”. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump is the first ever former president to face criminal charges. To understand how he ended up in that ignoble position, we have to go back to the chaotic events of the 2016 presidential election. Washington correspondent Martin Wall explains. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The controversial decision to allow the no-fault eviction ban lapse on March 31st has barely left the news cycle since the Minister for Housing announced it three weeks ago. Darragh O'Brien insists that reimposing the embargo would exacerbate the housing supply crisis. Meanwhile, thousands of renters brace themselves for potential Notices to Quit and homeless services voice concerns over their capacity to cope with the fallout. In a country where property has traditionally been seen as a route to financial security, landlords and renters are on a collision course of competing interests. But are the rest of us standing idly by as human tragedies play out, and should they override an investor's right to their asset? Aideen Finnegan speaks to The Irish Times' Patrick Freyne, Jack Horgan Jones and homeless woman and activist, Jessica Freed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russian spy Sergey Cherkasov spent four years deep undercover as a politics student in Trinity College Dublin. His classmates knew him as Victor Muller Ferreira, a Brazilian national, eager to further his education and his prospects in Ireland. Five years on from his graduation, Cherkasov is in Brazil serving a 15 year prison sentence for several counts of fraud. And now, the Trinity graduate is facing fresh charges in the US, for acting as an illegal agent of the Russian intelligence service; in other words – a spy. Irish Times public affairs editor Simon Carswell explains how Cherkasov was busy making connections but unusually careless about leaving an information trail. A carelessness that finally caught him in the end. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With more than half a billion downloads last year, TikTok has become the most popular app in the world. Despite its global popularity, suspicion around the app is growing over privacy and data collection matters. As the US considers an all out ban on the app, and western Governments move to block it on staff devices, we ask, will Ireland be next? Should we be next? In this episode, Forbes technology reporter Emily Baker-White explains how she herself became the target of TikTok surveillance last year, while data protection expert Darragh O Brien analyses the risks for Irish users. Hosted by Bernice Harrison. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.