In The News

The Army Ranger Wing (ARW), the most elite and secretive unit of the Defence Forces, is to undertake its largest restructuring in its 43-year history. The most visible change will be a new name: Ireland Special Operations Force or IRL-SOF for short. But as Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher explains, there will also be dramatic changes to its command-and-control structure, making it a central part of military decision-making and, as a result, more likely to be deployed on missions in Ireland and abroad. The changes mirror those in other western militaries which have increased the size of their special operations forces while also granting them more autonomy and status. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Oscar Pistorius murdered his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp in 2013, he was one of the most famous athletes in the world. A double amputee and an Olympian – he was dubbed “Bladerunner” – his trial made global headlines. He was released from prison in South Africa earlier this month having served over half his sentence. At his 2014 trial he claimed that in the early hours of St Valentine’s Day, he had fired his gun thinking there was intruder in his home. The facts, however, proved he murdered the 29-year-old Steenkamp, a model and TV personality who had only been dating Pistorius for four months. Her death added to South Africa’s staggeringly high rates of femicide and the levels of gender-based violence in the country have continued to climb. Bill Corcoran, who covered the former athlete’s trial in 2014 for The Irish Times, explains the reaction in South Africa to his release on parole. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The asking price for a house in Ireland has risen by around four per cent in the past year. It's bad news for those who can't afford to buy their first home. And housing affordability and availability are serious issues for wider society. But there is a positive side for homeowners whose assets continues to increase in value.That dichotomy is at the heart of a debate that may play a major role in the next general election. Last month, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald said the average price of a home in Dublin should be €300,000 - that's €130,000 lower than the average Dublin house price, as it stands. Such a fall in value would help many while making homeowners poorer on paper.Is it possible to reduce house prices by so much - and is it a good idea? Bernice Harrison talks to Irish Times columnist Cliff Taylor. Together they listen to some ideas about how to tackle the housing affordability issue from Lorcan Sirr, TU Dublin lecturer and housing policy analyst, and Conall Mac Coille, chief economist with Bank of Ireland. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, Israel will appear before the International Court of Justice, to reject South Africa’s allegation that it is committing genocide in Gaza. South Africa is calling for Israel to end the military operation in Gaza that has left 20,000 people dead, and millions more displaced and hungry. South Africa says the actions of the Israeli military are in breach of the 1948 Genocide Convention, an accusation that Israel vehemently denies. In this episode, Shane Darcy, a law professor at the University of Galway and deputy director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights joins Sorcha Pollak to discuss what the court will have to consider in this case.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Twelve months ago, Ukraine was optimistic about reclaiming more land after successes against the Russian army. However, the front line is still roughly where it was a year ago and Russia’s grip on the Ukrainian land it still occupies has barely loosened. Meanwhile, political pressure on the military and financial aid being provided by the US and European countries is mounting. Will the West continue to support Ukraine as uncertainty grows over the course of the war? Dan McLaughlin reports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last November, after Josef Puska was sentenced to life for the murder of Aisling Murphy, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar announced that the State needed more spaces in prisons.“If people want dangerous people locked up for a long time, we’re going to need more room in our prisons,” the Taoiseach said. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee later confirmed plans for 600 additional spaces across four prison estates.But, not everyone agrees that building more prison cells is the answer.The Irish Penal Reform Trust (IPRT) has repeatedly called for a reduction in the number of people being jailed, noting that nearly three quarters of committals in 2022 were for 12 months or less. “We need to see a shift to people getting more community service,” IPRT director Saoirse Brady told today’s podcast. “I don’t think that we require extra spaces. It’s actually stated Government policy since August 2022 that we would reduce the number of people going to prison for 12 months or less.”Irish Times Crime and Security Editor Conor Lally also joins the podcast to discuss the pros and cons of building more spaces for inmates in Irish prisons.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Imelda Keenan was just 22 when she went missing from Waterford. Originally from Laois but living and studying in Waterford, she was reported missing on January 3rd, 1994. Her glasses were still in her apartment as was a pile of carefully wrapped Christmas presents under the tree – two of the many details that, to this day, puzzle her family. They are convinced that the young woman, a much-loved daughter and sister to her eight siblings, is dead. Last week on the 30th anniversary of the day she was reported missing the family held a vigil to remember her but also in the hopes that public attention might jog someone’s memory about what might have happened. For decades the case has been classified as a missing persons case but the family, as her niece Gina Kerry explains to In the News, want it upgraded to murder. Imelda, they say, would never have voluntarily gone missing. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Department of Justice is to introduce a new process for stripping citizenship from Irish citizens, three years after the previous system was struck down by the Supreme Court.The system will allow the State to revoke the citizenship of Islamic terrorist Ali Charaf Damache, something it has been trying to do since 2018. A convicted terrorist, Algerian-born Damache is in jail in the US where his Irish citizenship helped earn him a shorter sentence through a plea bargain. About 40 other revocation cases are also pending for a range of other issues, for example where an applicant has been later found to have given false information. Irish Times crime and security correspondent Conor Gallagher explains how Irish citizenship can be revoked, how rare the move is, on what grounds it might happen and how the planned new system will change the process. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former RTE broadcaster Ryan Tubridy kicked off his new job, presenting Virgin Radio UK’s midmorning show, on Tuesday. The London-based commercial radio station is very different from the national broadcaster and this new iteration of The Ryan Tubridy show, where he is more DJ than chat show presenter, is different from his former slot on RTÉ Radio 1; at three hours it’s certainly longer. He was let go from RTÉ in June amid the payments controversy that in 2023 engulfed the broadcaster and in which he was centrally involved. On the new show there is more music and less talk, but as Irish Times radio reviewer Mick Heaney notes on today’s In the News podcast, Tubridy has brought his familiar-to-Irish ears obsessions with him across the water. But will English listeners find references to the Beatles, walks, books, Connemara and pint of Guinness quite so charming? Can he do a Terry Wogan and become a beloved Irish broadcaster in the UK - or are those days over? Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Looking to feel happier and healthier in life, but don’t know where to start? Clinical Psychologist Dr Trudy Meehan joins Conor Pope to talk about the practical tools we can all start using to bring meaningful change into our lives. Positive Health: 100+ Research-based Positive Psychology and Lifestyle Medicine Tools to Enhance Your Wellbeing is available now. This episode was originally published in January 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.