In The News

Football writer and broadcaster Ken Early speaks to Sorcha Pollak about why football players are "taking the knee", why some fans are choosing to boo them for doing so, what the dynamic means for the European Championships and whether it will continue beyond the Euros. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Northern Ireland, Unionism has been in an unhappy place since the turn of the year, when the Northern Ireland protocol, the part of the the Brexit deal that creates a customs border in the Irish Sea, was implemented. Now Unionism's main party, the Democratic Unionist Party, is in political turmoil after a change in leadership left many of its membership angry and alienated. With an election less than a year away, and with a real possibility of Sinn Féin becoming the largest party at that election, can the DUP under new leader Edwin Poots come together to save the Union - or do its problems run too deep? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In early 2018 things started to unravel for Ireland’s scouting movement. For decades it had stood as a paragon of honour and wholesome positivity but then sex abuse scandals and grave concerns about the management of the organisation saw it facing an existential threat like never before.First there was a stark report written by child protection expert Ian Elliott which pulled no punches in making it clear that Scouting Ireland’s dysfunctional approach to child protection had put the organisation at risk of “extinction”.The approach to safeguarding policy from some senior figures was “reckless and inappropriate” and its handling of a rape allegation involving two adult volunteers, was described as “deeply flawed”.Irish Times reporter Jack Power broke the story in late February 2018, after which leading figures stepped aside before, ultimately, being expelled.This initial controversy would eventually lead to revelations of major historical child sexual abuse involving Scouting Ireland’s two predecessor bodies: the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland (CBSI) and Scout Association of Ireland.Most recently Power reported that an organised “clique” of child abusers operated at high levels in the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland (CBSI), sharing knowledge with each other and in some cases providing children for others in the group to molest.On today's podcast, Power talks to Conor Pope about the abuse scandal at Scouting Ireland and where the organisation can go now, as it seeks to unshackle itself from a troubled and troubling past and look towards a brighter future.In the News is presented by reporters Sorcha Pollak and Conor Pope. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A steady stream of false information has been a part of the Covid-19 pandemic, with many conspiracy theories emerging around the existence of the virus, whether it poses a real risk to health, and the safety of vaccines. But where are these false claims about the virus and vaccines coming from and why do people believe them? Is there a large, coordinated network behind the spread of this false information or are these just individuals acting on their own? And as the pandemic subsides, what comes next? Irish Times crime correspondent Conor Gallagher, who has been tracking the spread of false information over the past year, explains on today's podcast how people are no longer “falling down rabbit holes” of fake news online, but are sometimes being dragged into these spirals of disinformation by high profile figures.“It's very hard to accept that the world is so random and unpredictable that this pandemic can kill millions and there's not really much we can do about it. It's much easier to blame a government or pretend the pandemic doesn't exist", says Gallagher. “Almost inevitably it's starts to drive a wedge between you and your loved ones and you're even more alone which reinforces your belief that you're the only one that has cottoned on to the truth.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last week the former advisor to the UK prime minister, Dominic Cummings, spoke before a parliamentary committee about the early days of UK's response to the Covid-19 pandemic.His dramatic testimony highlighted the gravity of the decisions that politicians around the world have had to make during this pandemic – decisions that have quite simply meant life or death for thousands of people.Is it time for Ireland to hold its own public inquiry into how the State has handled the pandemic to date, or is it too early for an in-depth examination of how this country has coped? Is our Government ready for such detailed scrutiny of their handling of the crisis?Meanwhile, Irish society is only starting to emerge from months of restrictions. Don't we deserve some respite before the State dives into an exhaustive analysis of this extraordinary, and frequently painful, period in our lives?On today's In the News podcast, Irish Times columnist Fintan O'Toole argues that the Government should launch a cross-party public inquiry straight away so that Ireland can start to learn from its mistakes.He also asks what the Irish people have learned about the most vulnerable and disenfranchised during times of crises. Nursing home residents, meat plant workers, direct provision residents – what does our treatment of these groups during the pandemic tell us about Irish values?The ability to reflect on what we've done wrong during Covid-19 will be the real “test of the maturity of our democracy”, O'Toole told presenter Sorcha Pollak. “If we can't do this, then we're in real trouble.” Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In June 1981, a US medical journal published the first sketchy details of a disease which came to be known as Aids.In the 40 years since then, 33 million people have died as a result of Aids-related illnesses.The Irish Times's London editor Denis Staunton describes the fear and uncertainty of the early days of the Aids crisis and draws parallels with the coronavirus pandemic today.  Dr Kim Roberts, a virologist at Trinity College Dublin, explains the origins of HIV/Aids, the scientific advancements that mean it is no longer a death sentence for those who can access the right drugs and why there is still much work to be done to end the epidemic.Presented by Conor PopeProduced by Declan Conlon, Jennifer Ryan and Suzanne BrennanTheme music by Hugh Rodgerswww.irishtimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Belarus's audacious snatching of Roman Protasevich from a Ryanair flight forced to land as it passed through Belarusian airspace has raised fears for the young journalist's safety and created a crisis for the European Union.The bloc has responded to the unprecedented move with anger, condemnation and sanctions. But is Belarus under President Alexander Lukashenko, who stayed in power last year only with support from Russia, beyond European influence? And is there any hope for Protasevich's release?Guests: Dan McLaughlin and Naomi O'Leary.Presented by Sorcha PollakProduced by Declan Conlon and Suzanne BrennanTheme music by Hugh Rodgerswww.irishtimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will data stolen in the HSE ransomware attack appear online today? And if so, what will it mean for Irish citizens? Conor Lally explains.Plus: Karlin Lillington on why we should have been better prepared for the ransomware attack - but weren't.Presented by Conor PopeProduced by Declan Conlon, Jennifer Ryan and Suzanne BrennanTheme music by Hugh Rodgerswww.irishtimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

COMING SOON: In The News, a podcast from The Irish Times that takes a close look at stories that matter, in Ireland and around the world. Hosted by Sorcha Pollak and Conor Pope. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.