In The News

Mari Steed was just five months old when she was subjected to an experimental vaccine trial at Bessborough mother and baby home in county Cork. She was administered a ‘4 in 1’ inoculation, without her mother’s consent. Four decades later, when she gained access to her medical records, she discovered the horrifying truth. Now, survivors just like Mari are looking for answers and for compensation from GSK (GlaxoSmithKleine), the pharmaceutical company responsible for undertaking these medical trials. But GSK won’t pay and the door has been shut on redress negotiations. To understand what took place and why the multi-billion pharma company have taken this firm stance, Bernice Harrison is joined by Current Affairs editor Arthur Beesley, former Special Rapporteur on Child Protection Prof Conor O’Mahony and survivor Mari Steed. With any subscription you'll get unlimited access to the very best in unique quality journalism from The Irish Times. Subscribe today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bertie Ahern is back. But why did he ever leave? New polling about Mr Ahern, conducted by Ipsos for The Irish Times, suggests there are plenty of people who don't remember much about the former Taoiseach's legacy, either as a contributor to peace in Northern Ireland or as someone whose finances came under scrutiny at the Mahon Tribunal. So what happened back then? Reporter Colm Keena tells the story. \Plus: Political editor Pat Leahy on what new polling about Mr Ahern reveals. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Are our sentencing laws too harsh or too soft? Any opinion offered depends on who you ask. International research shows people tend to think sentencing is more lenient than it actually is. Judge Martin Nolan is no stranger to controversy over some of his decisions. Social media users frequently criticise the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court judge for opting to fine some offenders while jailing others. Barristers take a more nuanced view and say much of the criticism is ill-informed. In this episode Legal Affairs Correspondent, Mary Carolan, and Senior Counsel, Tony McGillicuddy, aim to demystify the process. Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan McLaughlin was in Kyiv on Monday morning when US President Joe Biden arrived for a surprise visit, pledging to support Ukraine against Russia's invasion "for as long as it takes"But how long will that be?Dan updates us on the military, political and economic situation in Ukraine as the first anniversary of the beginning of the war approaches. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Niger is one of the world'd poorest countries. Like many other places in Africa, it is suffering from the worsening impacts of climate change. On a recent visit, Sally Hayden found poverty and other problems including an enduring culture of child marriage. But there were also moves underway to tackle those problems by the people of Niger themselves. And despite their relative lack of resources, the Nigeriens she met were happy to welcome refugees, hundreds of thousands of whom are arriving from neighbouring north-west Nigeria, where banditry and lawlessness is out of control. Sally talks to Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last night the US president said he would make "no apologies" for taking down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the east coast of America earlier this month. Joe Biden told reporters the country is developing “sharper rules” to track, monitor and potentially shoot down unknown aerial objects. But many questions remain about the massive surveillance device, and three other smaller balloons, shot down over the US and Canada. Washington Correspondent, Martin Wall, brings us up to date about what we know so far, as well as explaining how official UFO sightings by the US military have been conflated with the international incident. China Correspondent, Denis Staunton, has the reaction from Beijing and analyses how the row might blow over, as the US and China rescue their stuttering reconciliation. Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A former leading GAA star has been accused of taking large sums of money from people to pay for cancer treatment - treatment that some of those who gave him money now say they believe never took place. The prominent ex-player, who cannot be named, has been targeted in a Garda search as part of a criminal inquiry that is now under way.Aideen Finnegan talks to Simon Carswell about the story. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Friday, January 27th, Nicola Bulley dropped her two children to primary school in a Lancashire village. She walked around the corner to a popular local riverbank where she was in the habit of walking her dog, Willow, after school drop off. And then she disappeared. While the official police search continues, there is a parallel – unofficial - investigation. The puzzling disappearance has prompted a troubling surge in amateur detectives getting involved – online and on the ground. Irish Times London correspondent Mark Paul visited St Michael’s on Wyre, the village where Ms Bulley disappeared – and tells Bernice Harrison that the impact of the amateur sleuths is clear to see. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The weekend marked an important anniversary for Mary Lou McDonald, having been handed the reins of Sinn Fein this time five years ago. In her time as party president, it has faced electoral wipe-out and unprecedented success. But how has she changed in that time? And in a party that so tightly controls dissent, what do her troops really think of her? Political Correspondent, Jennifer Bray, looks back her first five years as Sinn Fein president and how her political long-game might play off. Presented by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The deadly earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria in the early hours of Monday morning – along the border of those two countries – has mobilised governments and humanitarian agencies worldwide to respond.But all week, politics – not need – has dictated aid delivery, with life-saving help arriving in Turkey from around the world within hours, while it took until Thursday for the first UN aid convoy to reach northwestern Syria through Bab al-Hawa border crossing – the UN managed border crossing between the two countries. In northwest Syria it has mostly been left to local White Helmet volunteers to try to provide emergency assistance. In the News speaks to White Helmet volunteer Ismail Abdullah who has been rescuing survivors and collecting the dead from collapsed buildings all week; and to Natasha Hall, senior fellow in the Middle East programme at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies in Washington DC who explains why, in this already devastated region, delivering aid was never going to be simply about need, and what should happen next. Presenter: Bernice Harrison. Producer: Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.