In The News

Molly Martens and her father Thomas Martens have agreed a plea deal with prosecutors in the United States to accept a lesser manslaughter charge over the 2015 killing of Molly’s husband, Limerick man Jason Corbett. The pair were convicted of second-degree murder in 2017 but were successful in having the conviction overturned.Irish Times Washington correspondent Martin Wall has been in court all week in Lexington, North Carolina for the sentencing hearing. He describes the extensive video evidence shown to the court and the disturbing statements given by the Martens as they attempt to convince the judge that they deserve a sentence at the lower end of the scale. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Saturday, Brazilian Deliveroo rider João Ferreira was hit by a Garda car on the M50, while attempting to recover a stolen motorcycle. The 23 year-old lost part of his right leg in the incident. In this episode journalist Isabella Boechat tells Sorcha Pollak how the events unfolded as a group of riders tracked down the missing vehicle and explains how the Brazilian community in Ireland is calling for a full investigation and more protection for delivery riders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On December 16th, 1983, after 23 days in captivity, kidnapped supermarket executive Don Tidey was rescued. He had been taken by members of the Provisional IRA posing as gardaí while driving his daughter to school in Dublin. With the whole country transfixed by the kidnapping, Garda intelligence tracked the culprits and their victim down to Derrada Wood outside Ballinamore in Co Leitrim. And while the release of Tidey safe and well was a success, the day was shrouded in tragedy because during the rescue his captors shot dead Private Patrick Kelly and recruit Garda Gary Sheehan.The murders shocked the country and no one has been brought to justice for them. Most of the kidnappers got clean away. While the event has been the subject of much media attention over the years, Tidey has never spoken about it – until now when he talked to Tommy Conlon and Ronan McGreevy for their new book, The Kidnapping, A Hostage, a Desperate Manhunt and a Bloody Rescue. They talk to In the News about the events in 1983 and the aftermath. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hollywood is on strike. It’s about money of course, but at its heart is changing technology: the way streamers, such as Netflix and Apple TV have altered the way actors and writers work and are paid, and how AI is set to curb the income potential of many in the film and TV business.Irish Times chief film correspondent Donald Clark explains just why the industry is on the picket lines, what it means for upcoming TV and film schedules and why actors are no longer promoting their movies or even appearing on the red carpet. And as he explains, the strike shows no sign of ending.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.This episode was originally published in July 2023. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Earlier this month multinational food giant Nestlé announced the shocking news that it is to close its Wyeth Nutrition plant in Askeaton, Co Limerick with a loss of 540 jobs. And the blame? China’s falling birth rate.The plant which has been providing steady employment in the region for decades produces one thing – baby formula. The company stated: “The number of newborn babies in China has declined sharply from some 18 million per year in 2016 to fewer than nine million projected in 2023.”So, while the falling birth rate in China has led to a decision to close a major employer in Limerick, Beijing correspondent Denis Staunton explains it also has massive implications globally and for China itself as the country tries to boost birth rates and reverse the “one child policy” implemented for 35 years. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Yousef Palani, a homophobic killer, was sentenced to life imprisonment for murdering two men and seriously assaulting a third. The victims were gay men who met Palani through a dating app. The podcast discusses Palani's background, motives, and violent actions. It also explores the gruesome details of the murders and the distress experienced by the victims' families. Additionally, it delves into the investigation, suspicions of terrorism, religious influence, and lack of remorse shown by Palani.

Web Summit co-founder and now ex-CEO Paddy Cosgrave was accustomed to speaking his mind. It never really did him, or his business, any harm, until his remarks about Israel annoyed too many of the wrong people. Now he's out. Can the company he built survive? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Ashling Murphy murder trial began last week at Dublin’s Central Criminal Court. The 23-year-old teacher was killed in 2022 while out for a run on the banks of the Grand Canal near her home in Tullamore, Co Offaly, on a bright January afternoon. Last week, the nine men and three women of the jury listened as the prosecution laid out its case against Jozef Puska, a 33-year-old Slovakian national. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder.As the trial starts its second week, Irish Times legal affairs correspondent Mary Carolan reports on what the court has heard so far. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two weeks on from the savage assault on Israeli civilians by Hamas that left 1,400 men, women and children dead, Israel’s fierce response continues to ramp up. 3,785 Palestinians have been killed and 12,493 wounded, the health ministry in Gaza said on Thursday. Hundreds of those were killed at a hospital in an incident that enflamed the Middle East but that Israel denies responsibility for. With no water, food or fuel getting in, and its citizens having nowhere to go, a dire humanitarian crisis is growing.On today’s In the News podcast, Tel Aviv-based journalist Hannah McCarthy gives an overview of the Hamas-Israel war. In a recording interrupted by an incoming missile warning, she explains the current situation, explores the impact of the visit of US president Joe Biden, the likelihood of a planned ground invasion of Gaza and the information war that has been a feature of this bloody conflict. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Monday, just one day after a record number of Poles voted in their country’s general election, opposition leader and former prime minister Donald Tusk claimed a victory for his Civic Coalition. By Tuesday, it was clear that the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party would not be returning to power for a third term.The political change marks a massive shift in Poland and an end to PiS leader Jaroslaw Kaczynski’s eight turbulent years in power which saw huge changes to the country’s rule of law, media freedom, migration policies and LGBTQ+ rights. Opposition parties have vowed to undo these reforms, which critics say undermine democratic standards, while also re-establishing international ties with Brussels.In this episode, Berlin-based Irish Times journalist Derek Scally speaks to Sorcha Pollak about how Mr Tusk plans to form a new Government, the challenges he faces in reversing PiS policy, and the international implications of what has been described as the most consequential European election in recent years.Presented by Sorcha Pollak and produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.