In The News

Conor Lally, investigative reporter for The Irish Times known for deep crime and missing-person reporting, walks through the baffling disappearance of Icelandic tourist Jon Jonsson. He outlines the CCTV timeline, puzzling lack of further sightings, community searches and shrine efforts. He also discusses new person-of-interest leads and how Gardaí handle anonymous tips.

Kitty Holland, Social Affairs correspondent at The Irish Times known for deep reporting on Ireland's care system, unpacks the national crisis over scarce specialist care beds. She highlights judges' growing alarm, the use of private hotel and B&B placements, legal and funding gaps, staffing shortages, and the high cost of emergency arrangements. The discussion traces why the system is strained and what might change.

David McWilliams, economist and Irish Times columnist, explains how Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz has tightened oil supply. He discusses risks of prolonged energy disruption, possible rationing and policy trade-offs. He also examines why oil shocks often lead to recessions and argues for renewables, nuclear and batteries as long-term fixes.

Guy Hedgecoe, Irish Times Spain correspondent known for reporting on Spanish current affairs. He explains the Noelia Castillo case: her injuries and trauma, the legal fight with her father up to Strasbourg, heated hospital scenes with supporters and protesters, and how Spain's euthanasia law and political divide shaped the controversy.

Olivia Kelly, Dublin editor at The Irish Times, explains the push for a tourist bed tax in Dublin and how it works across Europe. She outlines who wants the levy and why national legislation is needed. Olivia discusses proposed rates, revenue estimates and how councils might spend the money. She also covers collection methods, likely exemptions, political hurdles and public reaction.

Shauna Bowers, Irish Times health correspondent who covers medical and public-health stories, explains the surge in fake medicines reaching Ireland. She breaks down massive HPRA seizures, a spike in GLP-1 weight-loss fakes, and why people risk buying unregulated drugs online. She also outlines smuggling routes, testing challenges, and the broader rise in anabolic steroids and bogus erectile dysfunction products.

Conor Lally, crime and security editor at The Irish Times, unpacks the Clifton Collins story. He outlines Collins’ double life as beekeeper and criminal. He traces the chance arrest, the 6,000 BTC stash, why access codes were lost, and how Europol helped unlock one wallet releasing €30 million. Short, sharp and full of surprising twists.

Stephen McCullagh (36) thought he had created a cast iron alibi for himself when he planned the murder of his pregnant girlfriend Natalie McNally (32) in December 2022.An avid gamer he was, he claimed, at home playing a video game live at the time she was killed. But as the PSNI was able to prove, he had in fact pre-recorded hours of himself playing the game. Police found that when he hit “play”, he set off to his girlfriend's house in Armagh where he savagely murdered her.The case against McCullagh was built on circumstantial evidence, so for Natalie’s devastated family, conviction was not certain.Seanín Graham is Northern Correspondent of The Irish Times and she was in court in Belfast for the trial.She tells In the News she has never before witnessed such emotional scenes in court as when the guilty verdict was handed down on Monday.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Conor Gallagher, crime and security correspondent for The Irish Times, traced how alumina from Aughinish in Limerick moves through traders to Russian smelters and defence firms. He outlines the factory’s history, Rusal and oligarch ties, shipment routes from bauxite to aluminium, and why regulators hesitated to sanction this supply line.

Ellen Coyne, a political correspondent at The Irish Times, outlines a women's group that has shifted from campaigning on gender identity to focusing on immigration. She explains the group's origins, its controversial claims linking immigration to sexual violence, the evidence gaps, the political figures who backed them, and how the story could affect wider politics.