In The News

On January 28th two activists from Riposte Alimentaire (Food Counterattack) threw soup at the Mona Lisa at the Louvre in Paris. Leonardo da Vinci’s masterpiece is safely behind glass and no real harm was done but the act made headlines around the world. So does shock coverage matter more than the message? And will climate activists get more radical in their protests as the crisis deepens? Dana Fis...

Since 2018, there have been 23 arson attacks with a suspected anti-immigration motivation on buildings earmarked, or just rumoured for use, as accommodation or asylum seekers. Thirteen of these attack have taken place in the past year. A flurry of arrests and search operations targeting those behind these arson attacks have taken place since early February. However, at the same time, the attacks h...

A door that blew off a Boeing 737 Max shortly after take-off was not properly secured after maintenance to the aircraft, an investigation has found. This is just the latest in a list of very public crises for the airline behemoth that is still dealing with the fallout from 2018 and 2019 when two of its planes crashed, killing 346 people. Through a mixture of whistleblower information and dogged in...

In Jonathan Glazer’s multi-Oscar nominated and breathtaking new film, The Zone of Interest, Rudolf Höss (Christian Friedel), commandant of the Auschwitz camp, and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) live an idyllic life in their beautiful house and lush garden with their children. We are, as Irish Times chief film correspondent Donald Clarke explains , “dumped into their disconcertingly ordinary world...

On Tuesday, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly brought plans to Cabinet for an urgent catch-up vaccination programme for young people at risk at contracting measles. Measles cases have soared across Europe since the start of 2023, while in England, 170 cases of measles were notified in an outbreak in the West Midlands between December 2023 and mid-January 2024. The HSE is now warning that the pr...

The death of former Taoiseach John Bruton is a moment to remember the life of a decent man and a talented politician, but also an opportunity to reflect on how much Ireland has changed since the brief period he held power - and to think about how things might have been different. A second term for Bruton could have led Ireland on a radically different path, says political Editor Pat Leahy. Hosted...

The murder last February of Brianna Ghey, a 16-year-old transgender girl, shocked Britain. She had been stabbed 28 times, in a public park, in broad daylight. In December, a jury at Manchester Crown Court found two teenagers, Girl X and Boy Y, guilty of the murder; they had lured Ghey to the park to satisfy an “obsession” with death. The judge said she would impose a life sentence but would adjour...

It is now a criminal offence to have an XL Bully dog in England and Wales, although some exemptions do apply. New rules were brought in to stop serious and fatal attacks by the breed and the legislation makes four breeds of dog, originally bred for fighting, illegal including American Pitbull terriers, Japanese Tosas, Dogo Argentinos and Fila Brazileiro. Scotland is to implement a similar ban foll...

Beijing correspondent Denis Staunton on why China sees Ireland as a potential friend at at time when other Western countries are growing increasingly wary of the Asian superpower. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Immigration has overtaken housing and the cost-of-living to become the main issue on the minds of voters, according to a new Irish Times and Ipsos Behaviour and Attitudes survey. The public sentiment research coincides with a study by Maynooth University of what protesters at migration-related rallies really want. Dr Barry Cannon and Shane Murphy have found locals cite security fears, a scarcity o...

Last week, Israeli authorities alleged that some employees of UNRWA, the Relief Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, were involved in the October 7th Hamas attacks. In response, several countries pulled their funding for the UN agency, jeopardising the delivery of vital humanitarian aid to the desperate citizens of Gaza. UNRWA, which was founded in 1949 and employs more than 30,000 people, works w...

AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan and Coventry City midfielder Kasey Palmer both paused their respective games last Saturday after they were subjected to racist gestures and shouts from the stands. Maignan and his team walked off the pitched before coming back and resuming the match. Football’s racism problem was again in the headlines. In what seemed like a hardline solution, Gianni Infantino, the...

Toy Show: the musical lost €2.2m – that much was well known before Grant Thornton delivered its report on RTÉ’s 2022 ill-advised foray into live theatre. What was not known until now was precisely how the RTÉ board allowed the broadcaster to risk public money on such a gamble. Irish Times journalist Jack Power explains the sequence of events as revealed in the lengthy report, while culture columni...

The case against actor Alec Baldwin in the death by gunshot of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on a film set in 2021 collapsed. But why has he been indicted again - same charge, same tragic event? New York Times reporter Julia Jacobs teases out the legal issues and explores what might happen next for the actor. Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast....

On March 8th, voters will be asked to change the Constitution in two referendums: one concerns care and the removal of the reference to the role of women in the home; while the other seeks to expand the concept of the family. Irish Times political correspondent Jennifer Bray gives a quick, clear explainer on what it all means and why now. Why, after been kicked to touch by several governments, the...

On Sunday, Ian Bailey, the prime suspect in the 1996 murder of Sophie Toscan du Plantier, died in West Cork from a suspected heart attack. Despite decades of accusations and legal battles, Bailey maintained his innocence and was never charged for the murder of the French filmmaker. But the family of Toscan du Plantier have always believed he did it - and never stopped pushing for the State to pros...

Landlord Marc Godart is being taken to court by Dublin City Council for allegedly breaking planning laws and breaching fire safety regulations in the running of his rental property empire. Former tenants and a former employee of Mr Godart spoke to The Irish Times' Naomi O'Leary about what they say were negative experiences with the controversial landlord. Plus: Colm Keena on Mr Godart's day in cou...

It’s no secret that Cork GAA is in a financial hole. Rebuilding Páirc Uí Chaoimh went way over budget with a final cost – for the amateur organisation – topping €100 million. Little wonder it is casting around for sources of revenue. Selling the naming rights to the stadium seemed the most straightforward way to bring in much-needed cash – until it wasn’t. As soon as it leaked at the start of the...

For months all the polling and analysis has said Donald Trump is a huge favourite to win the Republican nomination for the US presidency. His win at the Iowa caucus this week made it official. Keith Duggan is The Irish Times' new Washington Correspondent. He was in Iowa to talk to voters and watch the other candidates try to win support in Trump's shadow. He talks to Bernice Harrison about where t...

On Christmas Eve, a shooting in a popular Dublin restaurant that resulted in the deaths of two men shocked the country. In a badly planned attack, Tristan Sherry entered the packed Browne’s Stakehouse on Blanchardstown’s main street and fired at a table where Jason Hennessy snr was sitting. Both men where involved in criminality and were known to the Garda. Immediately after the shooting, Sherry w...

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 structu...

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...

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...

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 Conventio...

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 contin...