In The News

Was death of billionaire fashion mogul an accident or murder? 02.06.2026 19min

When Isak Andic, who created the Mango clothes brand, died from a fall while our hiking with his only son, Jonathan, in the mountains outside Barcelona, it was treated as a tragic accident.But for the Spanish police, something about events on that hiking trail in December 2024 just didn’t add up.First there were inconsistencies in Jonathan’s police statements. Then forensics found evidence that suggested something more sinister may have happened to the 71-year-old billionaire.In May, in a move that created shock and headlines in Spain, Jonathan was arrested in connection with his 71-year-old father’s death.He has been released from custody having posted €1 million in bail. But what happens now? Will the case go to trial to decide if the fashion mogul’s death was an accident or murder?Madrid-based reporter Guy Hedgecoe has been following the story.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our food reviewers give their picks for great summer restaurants 01.06.2026 20min

Is there such a thing as “summer on a plate”? What makes a great seasonal dish? And where is the best restaurant in Ireland for a memorable staycation night out?These were some of the factors Irish Times restaurant reviewer Corinna Hardgrave and food writer Joanne Cronin had to consider when they come up with their annual must-keep list: “100 great restaurants, cafes and places to eat around Ireland for summer 2026″.It appeared in The Irish Times Saturday magazine and is available now online.They came into studio to give the run down on the list and how restaurants are navigating a challenging time to do business. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Andrew McNair.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeffrey Donaldson sex abuse trial: What the jury has heard so far 28.05.2026 12min

The trial of Jeffrey Donaldson began on Wednesday with the jury warned they would hear about “difficult and traumatic incidents” the two alleged victims claim they experienced as children.By the end of the second day, Thursday, they had heard more of the substance of those alleged incidents, including watching a video of a police interview with the witness known as Complainant A.She and the other witness, Complainant B, allege sexual abuse by Donaldson when they were children.The jury heard how Donaldson wrote to Complainant A, saying he regretted “all the hurt, pain and distress” he had caused. The former DUP leader, one of Northern Ireland’s most high-profile politicians, is accused of 18 offences – one count of rape, four counts of gross indecency with or towards a child, and 13 counts of indecent assault – between 1987 and 2008. The 63-year-old denies all charges.Eleanor Donaldson (60), who has been judged medically unfit to stand trial, is charged with aiding and abetting in connection with the charges. She denies the charges.Irish Times Northern Editor Freya McClements is reporting from Newry Crown Court. She tells Bernice Harrison about what the jury has heard so far, how Donaldson's defence lawyer questioned Complainant A, and what comes next.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why aggressive drivers are stopping Irish women cycling 28.05.2026 20min

Aggressive driver behaviour, speeding, poor cycling infrastructure and the increased size of vehicles are deterring women from getting on their bikes, research by Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) has found.Most women in Ireland can cycle and have access to a bike, but are only half as likely as men to choose cycling as a mode of travel, according to the Empowering Women to Cycle report.And all those jibes about women being worried about “helmet hair”? They don’t hold up in the research.Half those surveyed said unsafe roads were a barrier to cycling. And then there was the fear of being on the receiving end of verbal abuse from drivers.So what has to change to encourage women to cycle?Irish Times Dublin editor and daily cyclist Olivia Kelly explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Andrew McNair with additional research by Ellen Clusker.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

AI is coming for tech jobs: what will it mean for the Irish economy? 27.05.2026 18min

Just a few years ago Meta’s workforce in Ireland was about 3,000. When the newly announced round of job cuts are complete, the tech giant’s headcount at its Irish bases will be halved.The reasons for the job losses – the cuts are part of a global redundancy programme – have not been made public but AI is widely acknowledged as a driver. But how?And Meta isn’t the only company shedding jobs. The Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp owner joins a list that incudes Amazon, Oracle and Covalen with several tech giants with major footprints in Ireland expected to follow.In a country which depends so much on global tech giants to prop up the economy, it's a worrying prospect. But is the IMF right in its pessimism about how AI is going to impact the Irish economy?Irish Times economics columnist Cliff Taylor explains the AI effect.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How is AI being used in Irish primary schools? 26.05.2026 19min

If the junior infants in St Joseph’s Primary School in Dundalk, Co Louth want to know something they can ask AI.An AI voice assistant named Merlyn will tell them the answer, type it on a digital whiteboard with photos and illustrations and prompt them to delve deeper into the subject.Every class is being taught how to use AI because St Joseph’s is taking part in a Merlyn AI pilot programme alongside 48 schools across Ireland.It’s easy to see why getting its technology into Irish schools could lead to a big financial win for Merlyn Origin, the US tech company behind Merlin, if it can ultimately persuade the Department of Education to adopt its technology for all schools. But what’s in it for the students? How can pupils be prepared for an AI driven world? Do teachers have the training to guide pupils in the use of AI. And how is AI impacting on education, particularly at senior cycle?Irish Times education correspondent Niamh Towey explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeffrey Donaldson: The former politician goes on trial 25.05.2026 14min

Jeffrey Donaldson (63) was arrested and charged with sexual offences in March 2024. The former DUP leader and MP is accused of 18 offences – one count of rape, four of gross indecency with or towards a child, and 13 of indecent assault on a female, on dates between 1987 and 2008.His wife Eleanor Donaldson (60), is charged with aiding and abetting her husband but she has been judged to be unfit to stand trial and will instead face a trial of the facts.Why was the trial, which was originally due to begin in March 2025, postponed twice? And how will the court case unfold following jury selection in Newry on Tuesday?Freya McClements, Northern Editor of The Irish Times, explains the case and the delay.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why RTÉ is caught in a never ending payments drama 22.05.2026 29min

RTÉ’s announcement that the salary of Derek Mooney, one of its most well-known on-air staffers, had been publicly misrepresented for years sparked a very public controversy.It prompted debate in the Dáil and an appearance for the broadcaster’s director general Kevin Bakhurst before the Oireachtas media committee.At issue was how pay is calculated in the organisation, with the suspicion that, once again, when it comes to how the “talent” is being remunerated, the public are not being told the full story.And with the DG before it, the committee took the chance to talk about other presenters and their pay, including Oliver Callan and the late Sean Rocks.So what did we learn from the weeklong controversy that once again put the spotlight on RTÉ.Irish Times media columnist Hugh Linehan explains what this latest controversy means and why it differs from others that have gone before.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Byelections: who are the favourites to win in Dublin Central and Galway West? 21.05.2026 29min

When two TDs left for bigger gigs last year it triggered elections to fill their places.Fine Gael’s Pascal Donohoe left for a big job at the World Bank and Independent TD Catherine Connolly left for a bigger job in Áras an Uachtaráin.Voters tomorrow will be faced with long ballot papers but the Irish Times IPSOS B&A poll suggests the early emergence of a small number of clear favourites in both constituencies.But who are? How did the candidates perform in the last week of canvassing? And will the Government have a bad day at the polls?Irish Times political editor Pat Leahy gives his take on what’s happening in these two large constituencies and predicts who will win.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why videos of Yves Sakila’s last moments on Dublin street are key to Garda investigation 20.05.2026 17min

On Friday at about 5pm, Yves Sakila(35) was pursued by security guards on Dublin’s Henry Street. He was suspected of shoplifting. As he ran down the street, it is believed he collided with an elderly man.What happened next was witnessed by several bystanders and by thousands of others because of a distressing video posted on social media. It shows the Congolese man’s last minutes as he lay face down restrained by several security men.When gardaì arrived on the scene, Sakila had been held on the ground for at least five minutes. The injured man, in his 80s, was also on the ground a few metres away.Both were taken to hospital where Sakila was pronounced dead and the older man was operated on.So what happened? The incident is being investigated by both the Garda and by Fiosrú, the police ombudsman. How will these investigations proceed? Sakila had lived in Ireland since he was a teenager, what else is known about him?Irish Times crime and security editor Conor Lally explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The son of killer dentist Colin Howell tells his story 19.05.2026 27min

This episode was first published in February 2026. On the night of his second birthday in May 1991, Seamus Daniel Howell’s mother Lesley was murdered by his father, Colin Howell, and his father’s lover, Hazel Stewart.The pair also killed Stewart’s husband Trevor Buchanan.They left the two bodies in a garage in Castlerock, Co Derry, staging the scene to make it look as if they had taken their own lives.The pair had committed the perfect murder so they could be together. And they had got away with it.That is until 2009 when Colin Howell, a respected dentist and devout evangelical Christian, walked into a police station out of the blue and confessed to the killings. He and Stewart were convicted of the murders and jailed for a minimum of 21 years and 18 years respectively.Seamus grew up being told that his mother had killed herself, until the truth came out. By then he was a medical student in England. Now a doctor in New York he tells In the News what it was like growing up in the Howell house and how his discovered that his father was a murderer. He explains how it impacted on his life, and how it has made him acutely aware of injustice which now for him includes advocating for Palestine.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan and Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How punters on Polymarket have bet big on Gerry Hutch to lose 18.05.2026 23min

Betting on the results of an election is not unusual but Polymarket is not a typical bookies. It allows punters to take and then change their position on all manner of events, from when the Strait of Hormuz might open to whether Taylor Swift will be pregnant before she gets married.So when Irish Times investigative reporters Conor Gallagher and Rachel Lavin noticed almost €1 million had been wagered on the upcoming Dublin Central byelection on Polymarket, it raised enough red flags for him to delve deeper.Bets on Gerry Hutch accounted for the bulk of the spend by punters. And while the amount of money involved is significant, it was the activity of the Polymarket users once they’d placed the bets that was unusual. And where did all this money come from?Gallagher explains how Polymarket works, why the Dublin Central byelection has proved such a magnet and what experts say the activity around the bets on Hutch point to.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why Donald Trump is in China 15.05.2026 17min

Donald Trump arrived in Beijing on Wednesday night for a two-day visit that both the United States and China hope will stabilise their relationship and prolong a truce in the trade war that began over tariffs last year. The state visit – with all the pomp and ceremony that entails – had been scheduled for April but was deferred because of the war in Iran. There is a lot on the table and, in the shorthand favoured by analysts, they are: the three Ts (Taiwan and Tehran and trade) and the three Bs (beans, Boeing and beef). On day one, Trump flattered Xi Jinping but was that reciprocated? And what about the two superpower’s key interests outside trade and tariffs: Trump wants China to help open the Strait of Hormuz; Xi considers Taiwan as the most important issue in the relationship between China and the United States? Is the fact that the meeting happened at all the real win for the two countries following a period of fraught relations.Irish Times China correspondent Denis Staunton is in Beijing.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Why do Dubliners suddenly love Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre? 14.05.2026 19min

When Dubliners first saw the multi-tiered, gleaming white, iron and glass shopping centre on St Stephen’s Green in the late 1980s, it was quickly nicknamed “the Mississippi showboat” and “the wedding cake”. And in a city that prides itself on its Georgian heritage and its historic buildings, it was seen by some as kitsch, an architectural pastiche and a bit embarrassing. But it grew on others. Now that plans have been approved by Dublin City Council to knock the shopping centre and replace it with a new scheme, a campaign has begun to save the centre.So what is planned to replace it? Why are objectors so against it? And why do so many people have a new appreciation for this “historic” building?Dublin editor Olivia Kelly isn’t one to sit on the fence when it comes to how the city is shaping up and she explains her reservations about the plans.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keir Starmer is clinging on to power but for how long? 12.05.2026 19min

British prime minister Keir Starmer is clinging to power after scores of Labour MPs – and several ministers – called on him to resign or at least plot a clear path for a change in leadership.The immediate prompt is the collapse of the Labour vote during the local elections which saw more than 1,500 councillors lose their seats.Add the party’s losses at the devolved elections in Scotland and Wales and the turnaround in Labour’s fortunes since its landslide general election win couldn’t be more stark.But do the roots of dissatisfaction with the solid, steady and uncharismatic Starmer, and the party, go much deeper than a few bad days at the polls?And while he says he is going nowhere and that he will stay and fight Reform UK for “the soul of Britain”, is his position really tenable? Is there a contender in the wings, waiting for the chance to oust him from Number 10, someone who would be more popular with Labour voters?Irish Times London correspondent Mark Paul reflects on a dramatic day in Westminster.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How a Carlow garden centre left buyers millions out of pocket 12.05.2026 22min

When Irish Times consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope got an email last June about the non-delivery of garden furniture, he couldn’t have known that it would be the start of a deluge of similar complaints from hundreds of frustrated customers.All had ordered from Rathwood, a family business, operating for more than 30 years that had grown into one of the biggest outdoor living retailers in the State. And all had received excuses about delays, supplier issues and new investors.It has now been estimated that customers are owed in excess of €2 million and that the company, now in examinership, is mired in debt.So how did this family business come to be the second most complained about company in Ireland after Ryanair? Now that it has entered examinership what does that mean for consumers who have already paid for a range of items from furniture to fuel? Do they have any chance of getting their money back? And what is going to happen to this once thriving business?Conor Pope outlines the experience of Rathwood customers over the past year and what they can now expect.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced Declan Conlon and Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How money laundering has become big business in Ireland 11.05.2026 23min

For online fraudsters to be successful they need a web of bank accounts to first receive the money they steal and then to channel it, often out of the country.Some people, often students, willingly let their bank accounts be used in exchange for a small sum of money. For others though, they have no choice, like the victim of sextortion before the courts this month who was blackmailed into letting his Revolut account be used by a crime gang.Drug gangs still use bricks-and-mortar operations to launder money; businesses that are often cash based, from barbers to nail bars. But the volume of cash generated particularly by online fraud needs a more sophisticated banking-based solution.Ten years ago An Garda Síochána was uncovering just 50 cases of money laundering a year in Ireland, in 2025 it was nearly 2,800. So why the huge increase and does the Garda have the resources to deal with this growing category of crime?Irish Times crime and security editor Conor Lally explains why money laundering is now big business in Ireland.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey and Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Iran war: what a deal could look like - and why Trump blinked first 07.05.2026 32min

On Wednesday, in the midst of a tentative ceasefire, Iran issued what could be the first step in a deal with the US over the Strait of Hormuz.Meanwhile Iran’s foreign minister was in Beijing meeting China’s top diplomat who urged an end to the blockade of the vital waterway and an end to the war. Could a peace deal finally be in sight?And why did German chancellor Friedrich Merz torpedo his relationship with US president Donald Trump by saying “an entire nation is being humiliated by the Iranian leadership”? Was it a tactical move by the German leader or was he shooting his mouth off? And at what cost?Also, with Trump set to visit Chinese president Xi next week, what will be on the agenda for this meeting of two of the globe’s strong men?Denis Staunton, Beijing correspondent and author of the Irish Times daily Global Briefing newsletter, considers the issues.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What do sky-high jet fuel prices mean for travellers? 06.05.2026 22min

The Iran war, which began on February 28th, has disrupted air traffic routes and pushed up jet fuel prices. That much is clear. But with the war showing little sign of resolution, what is less clear is what will happen as the aviation industry grapples with inevitable fuel shortages?The disruption to aviation has been severe in the Middle East and Asia but, to date, the impact on European airlines has been relatively minimal. Flights have been cancelled and prices have risen marginally but for most, it has been a case of travelling as usual.That though could change radically and soon as jet fuel becomes scarce and the price airlines must pay for it – already 90 per cent higher than before the war began – rises even further.The industry is now talking of rationing but what might that look like?Irish Times consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey and Declan Conlon.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A suspected murder-suicide in Iceland with an Irish connection 05.05.2026 17min

In June 2025, the Mancel family left their apartment in Leopardstown in south Dublin, headed to Dublin Airport and flew to Reykjavik. They checked into the luxury Edition hotel for what appeared to be a weeklong holiday for husband Emeric Mancel (57), wife Ming Ting and their 29-year-old daughter, Catherine.But on the day they were due to fly home, Emeric and Catherine were found dead from stab wounds in the hotel.Shortly after the grim discovery in the hotel, Ming Ting was arrested and she is now facing a murder charge over the killing of her daughter Catherine. Her husband is suspected of assisting in their daughter’s death.Reykjavik-based Irish journalist Karen McHugh explains this most troubling case, including the inheritance issue; how Ming Ting changed her story and why she is being allowed to live freely in the Icelandic capital while she awaits trial.NOTE: This episode contains discussions about suicide, which some listeners may find upsetting.For support: Samaritans on freephone 116 123 or text HELLO to 50808. Pieta freephone: 1800 247 247 or text HELP to 51444. Or visit yourmentalhealth.iePresented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.