In The News

In October 2001, Apple chief executive Steve Jobs debuted the original iPod, the first MP3 player that could hold 1,000 songs and had a 10-hour battery life. This week the company announced it was discontinuing the iconic device, saying other gadgets have made the iPod redundant. Patrick Freyne talks to Conor Pope about how the iPod transformed the way we consume music and the impact it has had on the relationship between music, culture and identity.This episode was originally published in May 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

European countries are welcoming Ukrainian refugees with open arms. But migrants from other parts of the world get much different treatment, as reporter Sally Hayden reveals in her new book. 'My Fourth Time, we Drowned" tells the story of how EU policy has helped create an inhumane system that ends in imprisonment in Libyan detention centres for thousands of migrants. Sally talked to Sorcha Pollak about how she communicated with migrants trapped in Libya and the unseen consequences of Europe's determination to keep migration numbers down.This episode was originally published in April 2022. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How much do you think about where your food comes from, how the animals used to produce it live and die, or its impact on the environment? Journalist and author Henry Mance investigates our relationship with animals in his book How To Love Animals: In a Human-Shaped World. He talked to Conor Pope about what he discovered.This episode was originally published in September 2021. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in August 2021. As more and more people take to the outdoors to explore Ireland’s hiking trails and mountain paths, rescue services are experiencing an alarming rise in callouts. In the first 19 days of August, Kerry Mountain Rescue responded to one incident per day, stretching their volunteers and resources to the limit. So why have more people started hiking around Ireland and why are so many embarking on these adventures with zero preparation?Hosted by Sorcha PollakGuests: Harry McGee and Gerry Condon Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in December 2021. Demand for cosmetic procedures is on the rise across Ireland, but what are the risks involved when the industry remains unregulated? Features writer Jennifer O’Connell speaks to Sorcha Pollak about the growing demand for fillers and 'tweakments'. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode was originally published in January 2021. More than two dozen “lunatic asylums” were built throughout Ireland in the 1800s. Today some are hospitals, while others are derelict.Through interviews and archive research, Rosita Boland pieces together what life was like inside the walls of these state-run institutions.She discovers that for many of the thousands of Irish citizens who passed through them, mental illness was not the only reason, or even a reason at all. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Conservative leadership contest has been underway for two weeks and the eight candidates have been whittled down to two.Now things get serious. London editor Denis Staunton explains the strengths, weaknesses and campaign strategies of Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the war in Ukraine approaches its sixth month, many of the five million refugees who fled the country are returning. In total, more than two million Ukrainians have gone back so far. But what awaits them when they get there? Sorcha Pollak talks to Irish Times central and eastern Europe correspondent Daniel McLaughlin about life inside the country as those returning and those who stayed, try to rebuild their lives. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week, British athlete Mo Farah revealed he was illegally trafficked into the UK at the age of nine. Flown over from Djibouti, he was given the name Mohamed Farah and forced to work as a domestic servant. Sharing his story in a BBC documentary this week, the olympic champion has put the spotlight firmly on the global issue of human trafficking. What impact will his revelations have on helping other victims come forward and how difficult is it to secure prosecutions against traffickers? Sorcha Pollak speaks to Sally Hayden, who reports from Africa for The Irish Times and Senior Counsel Fiona Murphy to find out. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At Eleventh Night bonfires and 12th of July parades, the experience hits very differently depending on your background. Northern correspondent Seanín Graham reports on events she witnessed and people she spoke to, and how the burning of effigies of female politicians has overshadowed the events and drawn criticism from all sides of the political spectrum.Plus: Much of the fight to define the meaning of Loyalist events now takes place online, in shared videos, memes and posts, explains Paul Reilly, a researcher at the University of Glasgow who has looked at the role of social media in sectarian conflict in Northern Ireland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.