The Irish Times World View Podcast: Recent Episodes
The Irish Times
The Irish Times' unrivalled foreign affairs coverage, now brought to you in weekly podcast form. Hosted by Chris Dooley with regular contributors Patrick Smyth, Denis Staunton, Lara Marlowe, Suzanne Lynch, Derek Scally, Tom Hennigan, Clifford Coonan and Ruadhan Mac Cormaic.
Mark Weiss reports from Jerusalem where there is a possibility of a ceasefire between Hamas militants in Gaza and Israel. What needs to happen to make a ceasefire work, and how do Israelis feel about the conflict that has claimed many more Palestinian than Israeli lives and been met with widespread condemnation as disproportionate?
Are the UK's Labour Party facing an existential crisis? Is there a way back to power for the party - for example, by following the advice of its last successful leader Tony Blair? We talk to Denis Staunton.
Joe Biden has spent his first 100 days as US president powering through an ambitious agenda and tackling issues on the economy, coronavirus and climate policy. What are the key actions he has taken thus far and where has he fallen short? Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch joins Chris Dooley to take a look back at the start of his presidency.
In the Indian capital of New Delhi, one person is reportedly dying of Covid-19 every four minutes. With a population of 1.3 billion, the surge in new infections has pushed the country’s health system to breaking point, with hospitals running out of critical supplies of oxygen and available beds to treat the seriously ill. In this episode Irish Times India correspondent Rahul Bedi describes the scenes in New Delhi and a country struggling to cope with a deadly second wave.
Recent polls of Welsh voters show growing support for the idea. To find out what's behind the trend and what it would take for it to become a reality, we talk to Denis Staunton.
Angela Merkel is on her last lap as German Chancellor and will stand down when September’s federal election ends her fourth and final term in office. Meanwhile her party, the ruling Christian Democratic Union, is trapped in a high-stakes stand-off with its Bavarian ally, the Christian Social Union. The impasse? Which of their leaders should guide their centre-right alliance through the upcoming election campaign, the first in over two decades without Mrs Merkel at the helm. In this episode, the Irish Times Berlin correspondent Derek Scally has the latest in Germany's unfolding political drama.
Dan McLaughlin explains the background to a new flare-up in the war in eastern Ukraine between the government in Kiev and Russian-backed separatists, and the news that Russia has sent troops and tanks to its border with Ukraine for what it insists are military exercises. Why is trouble in the region increasing now, and is the threat of a major escalation real?
Brazil's Covid-19 case numbers and deaths have hit staggering new highs in the past month: over 60,000 died in March alone. Now it is facing a political crisis to match its health crisis. President Jair Bolsonaro, his authority undermined by the raging pandemic, sacked his defence minister and three top military chiefs in what looks like a struggle for control over the armed forces. Tom Hennigan in Sao Paolo reports.
Voters in Israel went to the polls this week in a bid to free the country of the political stalemate that has seen it hold four elections in two years.
But after another cliffhanger result, the deadlock continues and it may be weeks before it becomes clear if prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu will be able to form another government.
Exit polls after Tuesday’s vote indicated it might be possible for Netanyahu - or Bibi as he is known to some – to form a wafer-thin majority if he could persuade the right-wing Ya-mina party to come on board.
But that was before the anti-Zionist Arab party, Ra’am, surprised pundits by crossing the threshold needed to win a place in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament.
Ra’am’s projected five seats means the support of Ya-mina will no longer be enough to keep Netanyahu in power – he will need the support of both. An unlikely prospect, given that Ra’am and Ya-mina would seem very unlikely to countenance going into government with each other.
To find out more, we talk to our correspondent in Jerusalem Mark Weiss.
Brazil's often chaotic political scene got even more complex recently when former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's conviction for corruption was suddenly overturned. Will Lula's expected return to politics, combined with the government's disastrous pandemic response, spell the end for current right-wing president Jair Bolsonaro?
Suzanne Lynch on the fall from grace of New York State governor Andrew Cuomo, whose early handling of the pandemic won him praise but is now subject to increasing scrutiny, and whose declining fortunes have been worsened by accusations of sexual harassment.
When voters elect a new government in Germany this year, it will bring the curtain down on the 16 year chancellorship of Angela Merkel. In parliament since 2005, Merkel has been one of Europe’s most influential leaders, steering her country and the bloc through numerous crises. What will be the consequences of her departure from office and who will replace her? Derek Scally reports from Berlin.
Later, London editor Denis Staunton takes us through the highlights of Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon’s testimony to a parliamentary committee inquiry into her government’s handling of sexual harassment complaints made against her predecessor Alex Salmond.
Italy's new prime minister Mario Draghi, a compromise choice asked to lead a national unity government after the collapse of the previous coalition, has several tough challenges on his hands: to administer EU Covid-19 relief funds in an effective way, to navigate the pandemic, and to retain control of the unwieldy coalition of parties that voted him in. Can he do whatever it takes? Chris Dooley talks to Brussels correspondent Naomi O'Leary.
Plus, how did some Texans end up paying thousands of dollars in electricity bills?
The issue of Brexit and the popularity of SNP leader and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon have put the idea of Scottish independence back on the agenda. Public opinion polls show a majority in favour, but with implacable opposition from Boris Johnson assured, what paths are there to an "Indyref 2"? Denis Staunton reports.
And Guy Hedgecoe in Madrid explains the social complexities behind the jailing of a Catalan rapper for insulting the royal family and glorifying terrorism.
Suzanne Lynch reports from former president Donald Trump's Senate impeachment trial. Under attack from a well-organised prosecution, Trump's own legal team have not impressed. But will it matter?
Plus, a decade after Hosni Mubarak was toppled, what remains of Egypt's revolution? We talk to Declan Walsh, chief Africa correspondent at the New York Times.
A few months ago Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny was lying in hospital in Berlin, recovering from being poisoned with the nerve agent Novichok. This week he was imprisoned after returning to Russia to continue his campaign against Vladimir Putin, despite the clear risks. But who is Alexei Navalny? And does his campaign have any chance of success? We talk to our correspondent Dan McLaughlin.
Plus, the story of the Chinese writer first praised but then shunned for sharing her insider account of the Wuhan lockdown.
Today on the podcast: Tom Hennigan on the dire Covid-19 situation in Brazil, where the second-highest number of people have died of the disease. A more spreadable variant of the disease has deepened the crisis, as has the corruption and dysfunction of the national response, led by anti-vaxxer President Jair Bolsonaro.
Our Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch was one of the lucky few to attend President Joe Biden's inauguration yesterday. She talks to foreign editor Chris Dooley about the message Biden sent in his address and his early policy moves.
And we talk to Omar Wasow, an assistant professor of political science at Princeton University. He says the violent events of January 6th were more akin to a lynch mob than a riot or a coup, and explains why he thinks calls for unity are unlikely to work in the long run.
The race is on to roll out the coronavirus vaccine across the European Union. Denmark is sitting proudly in first place, with 2% of their population already vaccinated. All EU countries have had the same level of access to the first vaccine approved by the bloc, the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine, so how has Denmark managed to administer doses at such an efficient rate? Joining David McKechnie to discuss the different elements of the rollout process and the reasons behind the delay in some member states is our Europe Correspondent Naomi O’Leary.
Yesterday the world watched on in disbelief as a group of pro-Trump protesters stormed the US Capitol, in a violent display of loyalty to the president. While Congress gathered to certify the election results, thousands of flag-waving supporters broke through police barriers and gained access to the historic building, tearing through offices, breaking furniture and smashing windows. In today’s episode, Irish Times Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch joins David McKechnie to discuss how the dramatic events unfolded.
In this week's podcast, Chris Dooley speaks to foreign policy expert Thomas Wright about the incoming Joe Biden administration and the issues that the president-elect will have to deal with when he takes office in January. How will president Biden deal with China? What will an international taxation agreement mean for Ireland's relationship with the US? Can Biden hold the Democratic Party together?
Thomas Wright is a Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution, a Washington-based foreign policy think tank, where he is also the director of the Center on the United States and Europe.
To mark the end of the year with something a little different, we asked a handful of our regular contributors - Denis Staunton, Naomi O'Leary, Sally Hayden and Derek Scally - to choose a moment or a theme that stood out for them in this most eventful of years.
Happy Christmas to all our listeners from the World View team.
Produced by Declan Conlon and Suzanne Brennan.
Last month Armenia and Azerbaijan agreed a peace deal after six weeks of fierce fighting over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Tens of thousands have died and up to a million people have been displaced, since a bloody war between the two countries ended in a ceasefire in 1994. Central and eastern Europe correspondent, Daniel McLaughlin, explains the background to the conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh and its regional and global implications.
Paris correspondent Lara Marlowe on the destruction and salvation of the city's iconic Notre Dame cathedral, destroyed by fire in April 2019. Lara has spoken to the people at the centre of the cathedral's expensive and at times controversial reconstruction.
A month after the US election, President Donald Trump has yet to concede to President-elect Joe Biden and continues to cry foul over the process.
Despite recounts, legal challenges and Trump’s claims on Twitter that he will “win”, local officials have quietly gone about their business certifying the results.
Suzanne Lynch talks us through recent events and what's to come between now and Biden’s inauguration on January 21st.
Sally Hayden recently visited Ethiopia, just before the outbreak of a conflict between the central government and a region in the east African country's north that threatens to escalate. Sally joins deputy foreign editor David McKechnie to discuss what is behind the outbreak of fighting that has reportedly already left hundreds dead and caused a refugee crisis.
A power struggle at Downing Street, Dominic Cummings out and a damaging gaffe by the Prime Minister to do with Scottish devolution, all while the Labour party finds itself at odds, once again, over former leader Jeremy Corbyn.
Will the upheaval in Boris Johnson’s team make a Brexit deal more or less likely? London editor Denis Staunton reports on a turbulent week in British politics.
Our hard-working Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch is back to discuss President Trump's failure to concede the election battle he has clearly lost to President-elect Joe Biden. Is it just Trump being Trump or is there more to it? What are his fellow Republicans thinking? And how will it all affect the now-crucial Georgia Senate elections in January?
Suzanne Lynch with the latest from the US presidential election on Thursday, November 5th. Biden is on course to win, but doubts remain over whether votes remaining to be counted in key states will turn out to be red or blue.
Suzanne Lynch is back with one last report before polling day in the 2020 US presidential election. What do the final polls tell us, what what final moves are Joe Biden and Donald Trump making?
As many EU countries reenter lockdown, we ask Naomi O'Leary what went wrong with Europe's Covid-19 response.
Plus, Suzanne Lynch on what the final few days of campaigning will look like as Joe Biden carries a slim lead into the last stage of the US presidential election.
Suzanne Lynch on the swing state battles that will decide the election, Lindsey Graham's battle to save his seat and Barack Obama's return to the campaign trail for the final two week stretch of the campaign.
Suzanne Lynch and Chris Dooley dig into five election battles to watch for seats in the US Senate and House of Representatives, in Texas, Maine, South Carolina Arizona and Montana.
Plus, does Joe Biden have a Cuban-American problem in Florida, a crucial state in the race?
Even by the standards of the Trump administration, the past week has been remarkable.
The outbreak of Covid-19 in the White House and President Trump's actions since his diagnosis seem to be having a negative effect on his reelection chances, says Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch.
Plus, a quick look at some of the competitive races for seats in the powerful US Senate.
Suzanne Lynch on how Tuesday night's ill-tempered debate between President Trump and Joe Biden is affecting the race.
Plus, the Democrat's plan for dealing with the Supreme Court nomination of Amy Coney Barrett.
Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch on the extraordinary life and consequential death of US supreme court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Hope springs eternal, even when it comes to Brexit. London editor Denis Staunton tells Chris Dooley how a post-Brexit trade deal could still be negotiated, despite the deterioration in UK-EU relations over Boris Johnson's Internal Markets bill. But first Denis explains what all the fuss over that bill is about.
Back in 2015, Lara Marlowe reported on what turned out to be just the first of many terror attacks in Europe: the Charlie Hebdo massacre. Now Lara is covering the trial of 14 people for involvement in the events of January 2015 that left twenty, including three assailants, dead. She talks to Dave McKechnie about the details of the story and its impact on France.
With the Democratic and Republican party primaries over, the US presidential election is now entering the final straight, and the real battle between Donald Trump and Joe Biden is beginning. At the moment, Trump seems to be having some success, focussing attention on 'law and order'. Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch describes the state of the race.
This is the final instalment of the Confronting Coronavirus podcast series. For part two of the final two-part episode, we’ve asked a handful of Irish Times journalists to reflect on the last couple of months and how the pandemic has played out. Today, we’ll hear from Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary, sports reporter Malachy Clerkin and health editor Paul Cullen.
This is the final instalment of the Confronting Coronavirus podcast series. For the final two-part episode, we’ve asked a handful of Irish Times journalists to reflect on the last couple of months and how the pandemic has played out. Today, we’ll hear from Public Affairs Editor Simon Carswell and our Political reporter Jennifer Bray.
Traditionally, one in five of the population experience mental health challenges. In the coming year there will be many more. In today’s episode, Clinical Psychologist Tony Bates speaks to Deirdre Veldon about the emotional impact of the pandemic and how different sections of society will be affected in the weeks and months ahead.
In today’s episode, we hear from Irish Times journalist Sally Hayden, who has been living in lockdown in Northern Uganda for the past three months.
In March, during the onset of the pandemic, Hayden travelled across the border from Rwanda into Gulu, a city at the epicentre of a two decade long civil war which ended in 2006. Hayden speaks to Deirdre Veldon about the impact of lockdown restrictions on the people of Gulu, in a country with no social protections and where aid is politics.
As the global race to find a vaccine for Covid-19 continues, the question of how it will eventually be supplied and distributed is now under the spotlight.
Billions of euro have been donated by governments and philanthropic organisations to pharmaceutical companies for research and development of vital Covid-19 vaccines. However, in most cases, few if any conditions for access or affordability have been included as a precondition to any of this funding. In today’s episode we hear from Kate Elder, Senior Vaccines Policy Advisor for Médecins Sans Frontières Access. MSF is calling for authorities to ensure any future vaccines are sold at cost and are universally accessible to all.
Ireland is approaching Phase 3 of the Roadmap for Reopening Business and Society. In this episode, Conor Pope talks us through some of the changes that will be coming into place as the country continues to ease lockdown restrictions.
The return of restrictions on life in Beijing comes as over a hundred new cases are linked to a huge food market. Peter Goff explains what's happening in Beijing, how the city is handling it and why the outbreak is a major blow to the efforts of China, and the world, to control the virus and reopen economies. Plus, a deadly skirmish on the India-China border.
This week the Irish Prison Service put forward a paper to the World Health Organisation as a model of best practices for keeping Covid-19 out of it’s settings. With 3,738 prisoners nationwide and zero positive cases, there is a lot to be learned from their management of the virus. In this episode, Deirdre Veldon speaks to Irish Times Crime Correspondent Conor Gallagher about the quick action and careful planning which shaped their successful handling of the outbreak. They also discuss the overall impact the pandemic has had on crime levels and how the Irish court system has been coping with virtual hearings and socially distanced court rooms.
In this episode, Irish Times Features Writer Patrick Freyne brings us back to the year 2011 and the release of the scientific thriller movie Contagion. Starring Matt Damon, Contagion tells the story of a deadly virus which explodes into a global pandemic, bringing society to its knees. Nine years on, in the midst of our own virus outbreak, it all feels eerily familiar. Freyne catches up with Contagion’s screenwriter Scott Z. Burns and the virologist who advised the script and plotline for the movie, Dr Ian Lipkin. The pair explain how their working relationship began over a couple of cocktails in a Manhattan bar and was sealed on the agreement that this pandemic movie would be grounded in science rather than blockbuster action. So, nine years on from its release, what it is like looking back on Contagion for Burns and Lipkin? Has the pandemic played out like they expected both scientifically and politically?
Conor Pope has been looking at how Ireland is reopening this week, in shops and other public places. His assessment: it's going quite well, but many small problems remain, from queuing to distancing and the wearing of masks. And as more restrictions are eased, more such problems will crop up for Irish consumers and businesses.
In our hospitals and psychiatric clinics, it has already begun. Increasing numbers of people are seeking help for mental health problems associated, in one way or another, with Covid-19. Professionals warn that the psychiatric effects of the pandemic and the lockdown will endure much longer than the physical effects of the virus.
And those psychiatric effects are alarmingly diverse: anxiety, psychosis, eating disorders, PTSD.
Prof Fiona McNicholas is a Consultant in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at Crumlin Children's Hospital. She talks about the tsunami of mental health problems we face, the unexpected ways Covid-19 can harm our minds, and the potential for technology to aid therapy in a time of social distancing.
Next week, Ireland will enter phase two of the roadmap out of lockdown. We’ll be able to travel 20km from our homes and visit another household while maintaining social distancing. Street level shops will open and some sporting and fitness activities will begin again. But will this taste of freedom mean people will push the boundaries even more? Large crowds flocked to beauty spots over the long weekend, while thousands gathered in close proximity at a Black Lives Matter protest earlier this week. In today’s episode, Deirdre Veldon speaks to Pete Lunn a behavioural economist with the Economic and Social Research Institute. With community transmission quite low, Lunn explains how this may affect willingness to comply to ongoing restrictions.
Should all retailers, restaurants and tourism be allowed to open sooner? Business affairs correspondent and columnist Mark Paul has been arguing for an accelerated easing of restrictions on businesses, especially for the sake of our small and medium sized enterprises, "the lifeblood of our economy". He tells Deirdre Veldon that no-one seems to be fighting their corner, and that the balance of risks to our society is skewed.
Barry Smyth is a data scientist. Early on in the outbreak, he was among the first to realise the importance of looking closely at the number of excess deaths in the population, as revealed by website Rip.ie, to track the true toll of the virus. Since then, he has written about the nature of lockdown measures imposed across Europe, as revealed through data. Which countries are strictest, and what happens to the virus when people start moving about again? Barry talks to Deirdre Veldon about what the data reveals.
Barry Smyth holds the Digital Chair of Computer Science in University College Dublin and is a Director of the Insight Centre for Data Analytics.
Coronavirus has presented a huge challenge for our health services, especially in our nursing homes. The devastating death toll in these settings has come under the spotlight this week for the Dáil's Covid-19 committee. On Tuesday, the committee heard from Tadgh Daly, the head of Nursing Homes Ireland who claimed the sector was left “abandoned and isolated”. Hundreds of pages of newly released documentation, reveal a timeline of correspondence which suggests it took more than a month for a specific plan for nursing homes to be put in place. Jennifer Bray is political reporter with The Irish Times and has been looking into these exchanges between Nursing Homes Ireland and Key State Organisations. In this episode, we also hear from Health Editor Paul Cullen who reflects on the state response to the issues raised by nursing homes.
Businesswoman and author Margaret Heffernan writes about leadership and strategic thinking. Her latest book Uncharted: How to Map the Future is about the pitfalls of forecasting. In it she argues that societies and businesses should develop a better kind of readiness that doesn't rely on the false sense of security such forecasts bring. Published in February, the book eerily foretold the current crisis, using historic pandemics as an example of how difficult it is to predict the outcome of complex events.
Yesterday we reached a significant milestone in our fight against coronavirus. For the first time since the 21st March, there were no new deaths from Covid-19 in Ireland. But how can we keep this figure down as the country continues to emerge from lockdown? In today’s episode, we hear from Dr David Nabarro, a professor of global health at Imperial college London and the World Health Organisation’s special envoy for Covid-19. Dr Nabarro spoke to Deirdre Veldon about the need for localised lockdowns to maintain control over the virus when new peaks emerge and why an effective vaccine could be over two and a half years away.
Among the people most affected by this crisis are children and especially teenagers. Lockdown has put an abrupt stop to their education and their social lives. In today's podcast Deirdre Veldon speaks to psychotherapist and Irish Times columnist John Sharry about the developmental impacts the lockdown will have on young people and how parents can prepare for the weeks and months ahead.
Is it time to dispense with nursing homes? The death toll from Covid-19 in these institutions is bringing the arguments for and against them into focus. Today we talk to two experts about what a different future might look like and the challenges getting there. Professor Gerard Quinn is a legal academic who contributed to the drafting of the United Nations Convention on the treatment of persons with disabilities, and is now working on a similar convention on the treatment of the elderly.
Professor Des O'Neill is director of the Centre for Ageing, Neuroscience and the Humanities at Trinity College and a doctor specialising in geriatric care.
Political correspondent Harry McGee tells Deirdre Veldon about the news that Ireland will begin a programme of testing for Covid-19 antibodies in the population next month. How does this test differ to how we are already testing, and what benefits will it bring?
Today we're recapping a very eventful few weeks in the United States' response to Covid-19 with the help of Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch.
This week President Trump caused controversy when he announced he is taking an unproven drug to prevent infection.
Meanwhile the politicisation of the virus response has been exacerbated by a growing feud between Donald Trump and Barack Obama, the former's new attacks on the latter perhaps giving us a taste of what to expect later this year as the election campaign heats up.
The pandemic will remain an unavoidable backdrop for Trump's reelection efforts. But will it move the needle on his support?
Yesterday some retailers reopened in phase one of the easing of lockdown. Conor Pope went out to meet shoppers and see whether their behaviour had changed (and to pick up some lavender and compost. He tells Deirdre Veldon what he saw, and some ways he thinks retail will be different from here on.
The argument for taking 19 private hospitals into public control was clear in late March: to avoid the overrun of our health services with cases of Covid-19, as had happened in Italy. But now with that risk diminished, the decision about what to do next is much less clear-cut. Here we dig into how the deal is working, its shortcomings and the knock-on effects it is having on our imperfect healthcare system.
Martin Wall is The Irish Times industry correspondent.
Professor Sam McConkey has been one of the most prominent communicators of the science behind the pandemic response in Ireland. Here he talks to Irish Times deputy editor Deirdre Veldon about how we will live with Covid-19 in the months and years ahead, affecting how our businesses work, making smaller school class sizes necessary, and creating a new global divide between nations on top of the virus and those where it remains widespread.
Professor McConkey is Associate Professor and Head of the Department of International Health and Tropical Medicine at the RCSI.
This week the Northern Ireland Executive published plans for easing out of lockdown, going against Boris Johnsons 'Stay Alert' exit strategy. The five stage plan revealed by Stormont is subject to change and will be guided by science and not by the calendar. In today's episode, Deirdre Veldon speaks to Dr Lindsay Broadbent, a virologist at Queens University Belfast about the easing of restrictions, a realistic time frame for a vaccine and the search for a drug treatment for Covid-19.
This week the special committee on Covid-19 met for the first time in the Dáil chamber. Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan and HSE boss Paul Reid will be the first to appear before the committee next week, which was established to consider and take evidence on the State’s response to the coronavirus pandemic. So what issues will they be focusing on over the coming weeks and will they be able to hold power to account? Irish Times parliamentary reporter Marie O’Halloran speaks to Deridre Veldon.
Tourism makes a vital contribution to the Irish economy. It’s a lucrative industry employing over a quarter of a million people, yet in the space of just a few weeks, it has completely collapsed. In today's episode Deidre Veldon speaks to Irish Times Consumer Affairs Editor Conor Pope about the future of Irish tourism. Plus Senior Features Writer Rosita Boland explains the innovative ways businesses in Co. Clare are hoping to keep their industry alive.
On Saturday afternoon, the Minister for Business, Heather Humphreys launched the ‘Return to Work Safety Protocol’ at Government Buildings. It sets out a series of steps employers and their workers must undertake before a workplace reopens, and while it continues to operate. In this conversation with Deirdre Veldon, Ms Humphreys outlines some of the requirements set out in the protocol and what the future of the workplace will look like. The Minister also remains hopeful that some businesses such as hairdressers and pubs will reopen earlier than expected, “if we do well on the figures and manage to reduce the number of people contracting the virus, there is flexibility to allow them to open more quickly”.
There have been a number of conflicting opinions on whether face masks can prevent the spread of coronavirus in the community. In this episode, Deirdre Veldon speaks to Heath editor Paul Cullen and Science and Environment editor Kevin O'Sullivan about the reasons for and against the wearing of masks.
Coronavirus has forced us to change every aspect of our lives including the way we grieve our loved ones. While funerals are still going ahead, under current restrictions, there must be no more than ten people in attendance. We have been asked to end the familiar customs and traditions that help us let go of those we have lost. These days, families say their goodbyes over Facetime and mourners tune in to funeral mass over Zoom. Following an open call, readers of The Irish Times have been sending in their personal experiences of bereavement during this pandemic. In this episode, we invited those who contributed, to share their story.
Contributions from: Berna Brennan, Martin Osbourne, Geraldine Eskinazi, Emma O'Grady, Sarah Judge, Louise O'Connor and Brendan Hayes
As the world continues its battle against the spread of coronavirus, testing remains one of the key ways to keep infection under control. But how can we reach a level of testing which will allow the public to return to their daily lives while preventing a second wave of the disease? In today’s episode, we hear from Peter Fraizer, a professor of Operations Research at Cornell University in New York. Together with his colleagues, Fraizer has devised a group testing protocol, which if implemented, would see over 90% of Americans returning to work in just one month.
In today's episode, we hear from Professor Donal O'Shea, the HSE clinical lead on obesity and a consultant endocrinologist at St. Vincent's and St. Columcille's Hospitals in Dublin. Prof O'Shea speaks to Deirdre Veldon about the worrying decline in patients seeking primary care and the research which shows obesity and diabetes are major risk factors in becoming seriously ill from coronavirus.
In today's episode Deirdre Veldon speaks to Irish Times political correspondent Jennifer Bray and Health Editor Paul Cullen about the roadmap for reopening Ireland as announced by Leo Varadkar on Friday evening. Most of the current restrictions will remain in place until May 18th and will be eased in stages, three weeks at a time. Finally psychotherapist and advice columnist Trish Murphy has some helpful tips for coping with the extended period of lockdown
In today's episode, we hear from Irish Times Social Affairs correspondent Kitty Holland, who has been speaking to people availing of homeless services across Dublin City. At the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak, over 10,000 people in Ireland were registered as homeless and in recent weeks the demand on services has greatly increased. For those in emergency accommodation, it’s almost impossible to self isolate and adhere to the strict measures imposed by the government, while detox programs for drug addicts have been put on hold.
Rebecca O'Carroll, service manager with the Dublin Simon Community also explains how residents in long term supported care are dealing with the changes in their daily lives.
Yesterday French prime minister Edouard Philippe announced plans to ease lockdown restrictions in France. To find out more, Deirdre Veldon talks to Paris correspondent Lara Marlowe.
'The Hammer and the Dance' are terms used by Tomas Pueyo to describe two stages of Coronavirus management. The Hammer - major restrictions on most normal social activities - is where we are now. The Dance - managing to return to something like normality without allowing the virus to spread - is where we want to be. But what would the details of that look like, and, as things are now, are we on course for an easing of restrictions on May 5th? Simon Carswell talks to Deirdre Veldon.
Today we hear from Diarmuid Ó’Dálaigh, owner of Oaklodge Nursing Home in Cloyne, Co, Cork. With sixty five residents, Oaklodge specialises in the care of those with dementia and so far, has no recorded cases of the virus. Almost half of the Covid-19 deaths in Ireland have been in nursing homes and the government has been criticised for their lack of focus on this vulnerable sector. Diarmuid explains how daily life has changed in Oaklodge since the outbreak and how, along with preventative measures, cooperation from staff and a bit of luck, they have managed to keep the virus at bay. In this episode we also hear from full time Oaklodge residents Jim and Breda.
Coronavirus has put airlines and travel firms under unprecedented strain and consumers are baring the brunt of it. Airlines are holding back on refunds and pressing customers to take vouchers instead. The whole affair calls into question public confidence in airlines, which may have an impact on their very uncertain future. Irish Times consumer affairs editor Conor Pope speaks to Deirdre Veldon about how Ryan Air have handled the crisis and what the future of airline travel might look like.
Over the last week, small protests have been popping up across the US demanding the reopening of the country and its economy. Exasperated Americans took to the streets with signs and flags, with some holding rifles. Trump has handed control over to each state governor to implement a phased reopening, when the time is right. Suzanne Lynch is the Irish Times Washington correspondent and she speaks to Deirdre Veldon about the latest events and an uncertain election on the horizon.
In today’s episode we hear from Jane Stout, a professor with the school of natural sciences at Trinity College Dublin. As an ecologist, Jane explores the link between the climate change crisis, global biodiversity loss and the increasing frequency of disease outbreaks across the world. So how has human interference in the natural world contributed to the pandemic and is this just the tip of the iceberg?
Ireland may have to cope with repeated waves of Covid-19 epidemics until a large enough proportion of the population is infected to provide possible herd immunity, new research warns. But does that mean we have to stay locked down indefinitely, or is there a different strategy that can allow us to manage the disease?
Dr Rosalyn Moran is an Irish scientist based in London who led the research team. She talks to Irish Times deputy editor Deirdre Veldon.
The Leaving Cert class of 2020 might be the unluckiest ever. Covid-19 has upended the familiar rite of passage and left students feeling uncertainty, worry, stress and a bit of anger too.
Education editor Carl O'Brien explains why the government made its decision to postpone the Leaving Cert, and the obstacles that still have to be overcome for the exams to take place.
But first, Leaving Cert students Eva Newell, Martha Rose Neville and Luke Casserly tell us how Covid-19 has cast doubt on their futures.
Europe correspondent Naomi O'Leary explains the new role the European Commission is taking on, setting out a "road map" for member states to end their pandemic lockdowns. What does ending a lockdown look like, and what is the role of your smartphone? Plus, remember Brexit?
After 76 days shut off from the rest of the world, China has finally lifted its lockdown order on the city of Wuhan. Now begins the process to resume normal life and get businesses back up and running. Wuhan is home to just over 11 million people, many of whom have not been able to leave their homes since mid January. Irish Times correspondent Peter Goff reports from Beijing on the reality of life after lockdown.
As we enter yet another week in lockdown, many aspects of our lives have been placed on hold, but when it comes to pregnancy and labour, there is no pause button. How have Irish maternity hospitals adapted in the crisis and how are new parents coping with the stricter rules and regulations? In this episode, we hear from Lizanne Tormey who is due her first child in a matter of weeks, Amy Rochfor, a Dublin based midwife and Aideen Goggin who gave birth to her baby boy Henry, on March 26th.
We're facing at least two more weeks of the current restrictions, and probably many more in one form or another. Pete Lunn, a behavioural economist with the Economic and Social Research Institute, talks about what will drive people to abide by, or break, the social distancing and stay-at-home rules in the weeks ahead. But first health editor Paul Cullen on the state of play in the nation's efforts to overcome the outbreak.
As the coronavirus outbreak forces us all to stay apart, technology is playing a crucial role in keeping us all connected. From online lessons, business meetings over zoom and Saturday nights spent on Houseparty with friends; interactions are now predominantly taking place in a virtual world. In this episode we hear from Irish Times tech journalist Ciara O'Brien, on the new and innovative ways people are staying in touch.
To protect themselves from Covid-19, all those over 70 have been asked to "cocoon" - basically to stay at home all day, every day. How are they finding it? We ask cocooners Gemma, Kieran and Mary. And then we talk to Professor Des O'Neill, a specialist in geriatric medicine and director of the Centre for Ageing, Neuroscience and the Humanities about the specific challenges facing the elderly in this crisis. In particular, does the way Covid-19 emerged in nursing homes hold lessons for how we treat the elderly in Ireland?
A recent study from the US has shown that countries with high BCG vaccination rates have fewer coronavirus deaths. This may be due to the known immunological benefits of the vaccine. Trials have now begun in Australia and The Netherlands to test whether the vaccination can prevent thousands of healthcare workers from becoming infected. To understand this study and the potential behind the findings, we spoke with Luke O'Neill, an immunologist and Professor of Biochemistry at Trinity College.
Berlin correspondent Derek Scally on the response to the pandemic in Germany, which has seen over 100,000 cases but yet reported far fewer deaths than Spain, Italy, the UK or France.
In this episode, we hear from Mary Leahy, the National Coordinator for Nurse/Midwife Safety, Health and Wellbeing. Mary has been instrumental in raising funds for much needed personal protection equipment for health care workers in Ireland. She recently set up the 'Heroes Aid' Go Fund Me Campaign which has raised over €55,000 for PPE and other resources to keep healthcare workers safe. The money will also be used to provide psychological and practical supports for those workers negatively impacted by Covid-19. Mary also explains the innovative ways Irish companies are working together to design and produce protective equipment to fight the outbreak.
Dr Jack Lambert is a consultant in infectious disease at the Mater Hospital. In this in-depth conversation about Ireland's approach to the coronavirus outbreak, Dr Lambert tells Irish Times deputy editor Deirdre Veldon that testing in Ireland at its current rate won't be sufficient to "flatten the curve", and identifies other problems, too.
As India begins a second week under complete lockdown, we hear from Rahul Bedi, an Irish Times contributor based in New Delhi. Last week, In his address to the nation, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned that if action was not taken over these 21 days of lockdown, “it would set India back 21 years”. However, these restrictive measures remain a significant challenge as hundreds of millions of citizens live in extreme poverty or in packed urban areas with poor sanitation and little access to public health care.
Dr Zoe Lynch is a young Irish medic who has recently returned home to Ireland to join in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak. As Australia prepared to go into lockdown and airlines began cancelling flights, Zoe set about organising a rescue flight which brought nearly one hundred Irish doctors back to our shores. She spoke to Róisín Ingle for The Irish Times Women's Podcast about her decision to return home.
What steps do we need to take to protect the economy and give ourselves a chance to bounce back quickly when it ends? We ask David McWilliams and Chris Johns for some ideas. Plus, Cliff Taylor has the latest economic figures, including a sliver of positive news.
It was another eventful weekend. To help make sense of the reasons for the new restrictions, and to understand how prepared our system is for a virus that's proving difficult to thwart, we talk to health editor Paul Cullen.
In today’s episode we speak with Dr. Oisin O’Connell, a respiratory consultant at the Bons Secours hospital in Cork. Dr. O’Connell and his colleagues have been in regular conversation with medical professionals in Italy and China, in a bid to stem the outbreak here in Ireland. So what have they learned from their counterparts in Wuhan and Lombardy? And how have these interactions prepared our healthcare system for what is to come? Despite the government's relatively quick action on social distancing and school closures, Dr O’Connell explains “We’re still going to get a surge and that surge is going to hurt”.
In this episode, Science and Environment Editor Kevin O’Sullivan brings us up to speed on the latest developments of the coronavirus vaccine. As Covid-19 spreads rapidly across the world, research is taking place at breakneck speed. It is a global effort involving many different countries, institutions and individual researchers, all facing huge challenges along the way. So who is making the most progress and when will we see a vaccine made available to the public?
Yesterday the government announced new restrictions on personal movement and businesses, and also gave details of new measures to help those left out of pocket by the outbreak. What does it all mean for you? We ask Conor Pope.
In this episode, we hear from Irish Times digital journalist Glen Murphy who tested positive for Covid-19 just two weeks ago. This was the first case of coronavirus within The Irish Times and led to a complete closure of the office, with all staff asked to work remotely. Despite developing a high fever, persistent cough and a splitting headache, Glen was deemed a “low risk case” and found it difficult to secure a test from the HSE. Here, he speaks to Deirdre Veldon about his close contacts who are still awaiting tests and what it’s like being a "statistic in a global pandemic".
Today we talk to Sinead Walsh. Sinead was Ireland's ambassador to Sierra Leone and Liberia during the 2014 Ebola outbreak and is currently the EU's ambassador to South Sudan.
South Sudan doesn't yet have its first confirmed case of Coronavirus, but is a country massively reliant on foreign aid. That's coming under threat from Coronavirus outbreaks elsewhere, as flights are cancelled and NGO staff are drawn back. And the virus is present in the surrounding countries, meaning its arrival there is only a matter of time. With only two ventilators for 12 million inhabitants, South Sudan woefully unprepared.
First: Cliff Taylor on measures announced today by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe.
Then: Denis Staunton on the UK's confused and confusing response to the outbreak.
Podcast producer Suzanne Brennan talks to psychologist Mark Smyth about how to handle the anxiety many are experiencing as the Coronavirus outbreak continues and intensifies.
A new daily podcast about the Coronavirus outbreak in Ireland, hosted by Irish Times deputy editor Deirdre Veldon.
It seems certain that the Coronavirus outbreak is going to worsen int he days ahead, and tougher restrictions may be applied to us all as we try to slow down the spread of the virus. But what might that look like, and how should we prepare? Conor Pope explains the facts and debunks some myths.
And health editor Paul Cullen explains testing and contact tracing.
We're taking a short break from producing World View. Apologies to our listeners, it'll be back soon.
A new podcast from The Irish Times covering the Coronavirus outbreak.
On this episode, health editor Paul Cullen talks about how we should maintain distance between children who are now off school and their friends and also elderly relatives.
And we find out about a case from the US that tells us a lot about how the virus spreads.
This podcast will soon be available via its own podcast feed. Until then, check back here for episodes every weekday.
Italy is in lockdown, but in The Netherlands there is a strangely calm response to growing rates of coronavirus infection. Naomi O'Leary on Europe's mixed response to the outbreak. It is nine years since the Fukushima nuclear disaster. This summer, part of Japan's motive for hosting the Olympic Games is to demonstrate how it has got to grips with the catastrophe, even reopening restricted areas so the Olympic Torch can pass through. But is such a display what the people of those devastated areas want? And what effect could coronavirus have on the "Recovery Games"?
Not long ago he was written off but, following Super Tuesday primaries in fourteen states that handed him key victories and renewed momentum, Joe Biden is back and once again the front-runner to take on Donald Trump later this year. How did it come about, and where do the other candidates now stand? Suzanne Lynch is on the line from Washington.
As the Covid-19 coronavirus spreads in Italy, Iran and elsewhere, we talk to health editor Paul Cullen about what we have learned about the disease so far.
And we return to Peter Goff in China, to find out how life there has been affected by the implementation of strict measures designed to counter the spread of the disease.
Plus: Over the last couple of months, Australia has been ravaged by the worst wildfires seen in decades. The fire season has finally eased, but the recovery is ongoing. One fifth of the country’s forests have been destroyed and over one billion animals have lost their lives. Kangaroo Island, a wildlife haven just off the coast of South Australia, lost over half of it’s 50,000 population of Koalas, with many more endangered species now at risk.
Following the devastation, animal protection agency Humane Society International deployed a disaster response team to Kangaroo Island. Their Australian CEO Erica Martin, reflects on her time during the search and rescue mission.
Lara Marlowe on a complex and bizarre sex scandal that has robbed French President Emmanuel Macron of a potential ally and raised questions over the possibility of foreign interference in the democratic process.
Derek Scally on the shock resignation of Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer (or AKK), Angela Merkel's anointed successor, as leader of joint-ruling party CDU. AKK's authority had been undermined by the striking of a deal, against her wishes, between the CDU and the far-right Alternative for Germany party at the regional government level. What does the affair tell us about modern German politics? Derek Scally is on the line.
And Suzanne Lynch reports from Manchester, New Hampshire where votes will be counted tomorrow in the state Democratic primary, a key contest for some of the leading presidential hopefuls. But why is it being ignored by others?
Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch reports from Des Moines on the recent chaos at the Iowa caucus.
And as trade negotiations begin between Britain and the EU, Patrick Smyth in Brussels reveals who has the strongest hand.
An outbreak of disease caused by a new virus is spreading throughout China and beyond its borders. The death toll has risen to 106 and the number of infected is over 4,500. Our correspondent in China Peter Goff describes cities in lockdown, mass screening for fever and some panic buying as the state struggles to control the situation.
Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch on what to watch out for as the Senate impeachment trial of President Donald Trump begins.
And Dan McLaughlin is back in Kiev to find out how the involvement of Ukraine in the scandals surrounding Trump is affecting the troubled nation's relationship with the US, Russia and Europe.
In this episode, Chris Dooley is joined by Irish Times journalist Sally Hayden, who spent the Christmas break on board The Alan Kurdi, a migrant rescue ship which patrols an area close to the Libyan coast. It’s a 70 year old former fishing vessel run by the German charity Sea-Eye, which now tackles daring rescue missions along the world’s deadliest migration route. This year alone, at least 1,256 people have died in the Mediterranean Sea while trying to cross to Europe. Sally spoke to Chris about her experience with the crew and how just two days out at sea, she witnessed her first rescue, which pulled 32 Libyans, including 10 children to safety.
This week we're focussing on the fallout from the assassination by a US drone strike of Iranian General Qassem Suleimani.
Thomas Wright, a senior fellow at The Brookings Institution, a Washington-based think tank, calls the killing a strategic mistake by the US in the Middle East despite the legitimacy of Suleimani as a target.
And our correspondent Suzanne Lynch reports on the political fallout in Washington and the implications for the Iran nuclear deal signed by President Obama in 2015.
To mark the end of the year, we ask four of our regular correspondents to reflect on a moment or event that defined 2019 for them.
Suzanne Lynch, Denis Staunton, Paddy Smyth and Lara Marlowe.
London editor Denis Staunton on UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson's declaration that he will pass a law requiring Brexit to be complete by the end of 2020 - no extension of the transition period, then. What are the implications?
And New Delhi-based journalist Rahul Bedi on the passing of controversial new citizenship laws that India's Muslim population see as an attack on their status in the majority-Hindu nation.
As the UK Election campaign enters it's final phase, London Editor Denis Staunton joins Chris Dooley to discuss what turned out to be a 'disastrous' day for Boris Johnson this week. With just two days to go until the vote, how will Labour use this to their advantage?
Also, during a tense meeting in Paris this week, the leaders of Russia, France, Germany and the Ukraine came together in a bid to end the struggle in Ukraine's eastern Dombas region. Daniel McLaughlin speaks to Chris about the progress of The Normandy Talks and what agreements have been made between the world leaders.
Donald Trump touched down in London earlier today to attend the Nato summit, alongside 28 other world leaders. However, on the 70th anniversary of the military alliance, it’s future looks less certain than ever. Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch joins Chris Dooley to discuss the fraught build up to the gathering and what outcome we can expect.
Also, London Editor Denis Staunton explains what effect the recent terror attack is having on the election debate.
The China Cables are leaked documents which detail the inner workings of the controversial detention centres in the Xinjiang region of China. An estimated one million ethnic minority Muslims are believed to be held within these camps under harsh and cruel conditions. Irish Times journalist Colm Keena is a member of The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, the organisation which obtained these classified documents, and he joins Chris in studio to discuss what was uncovered by the leak. Beijing correspondent Peter Goff visited these detention camps earlier this year and he speaks to Chris about how the Chinese government are reacting to the global spotlight.
Also: With only sixteen days until the UK General Election, our London Editor Denis Staunton is on the line to discuss whether tactical voting will be enough to stop Boris Johnson, why Liberal Democrat leader Jo Swinson is struggling and how Jeremy Corbyn needs to survive a televised grilling following more focus on anti-Semitism in Labour under his leadership
Denis Staunton on the risks facing Boris Johnson as he gears up to debate Jeremy Corbyn in a televised head-to-head debate.
And from Washington, Suzanne Lynch on the key moments in the impeachments process so far.
The Vox party in Spain has become the thirst largest political party in the country, but with their controversial views on feminism, separatism and migration, how has this come about? Guy Hedgecoe joins us from Barcelona to discuss the meteoric rise of the far right in Spain.
Later: With Nigel Farage declaring the Brexit Party will not contest 317 seats won by the Tories at the last election, can Boris Johnson now secure his longed-for majority? London editor Denis Staunton joins us from Hartlepool.
As a six-week election campaign in the UK begins officially today, London editor Denis Staunton talks to foreign editor Chris Dooley about the various parties contesting the race, what their goals are, what challenges they face and, of course, how the Brexit factor plays into it all.
Paris correspondent Lara Marlowe talks to foreign editor Chris Dooley about the presidency of Emmanuel Macron, his successes and failures, and the major challenges he faces as he reaches the mid-point of his five-year term. How has France changed since he came into office, and how has the experience of leadership changed his politics?
London Editor Denis Staunton explains the forked paths and numerous pitfalls facing Boris Johnson as he tries to get his Withdrawal Agreement Bill through the House of Commons. Recorded at 2.30 pm on Tuesday, October 22nd.
On Monday, lengthy prison sentences were handed down by Spain’s supreme court to Catalan politicians involved in the organisation of an independence referendum two years ago. The 13-year sentences sparked protests across the region, reigniting the territorial crisis that has dominated Spanish politics in recent years. Guy Hedgecoe has the latest from Barcelona.
Later: US president Donald Trump has moved to punish Turkey for its military offensive against its Kurdish neighbours across its southern border in Syria, threatening to destroy the Turkish economy and urging his counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan to call a ceasefire. Is it just an attempt to camouflage his role in creating this mess? Suzanne Lynch reports from Washington.
From Brussels, Patrick Smyth on how the EU views Boris Johnson's Brexit proposals, where the problems lie, and what EU insiders think is going to happen next.
From Washington, Suzanne Lynch with the latest on the accelerating scandal concerning President Donald Trump's efforts to uncover evidence of Joe Biden's corruption, a mess from which neither man is likely to emerge unscathed.
As the US House of Representatives moves ahead with its impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump, we ask just how much trouble the US president might be in. Trump has, up to now, appeared to revel in the myriad controversies his term in office has been mired in, but has a tipping point now been reached? Suzanne Lynch has the latest from Washington.
Daniel McLaughlin meanwhile reports from Ukraine on the fallout from that phone call in July between Donald Trump and the then-newly elected president Volodymyr Zelensky, which is at the centre of the impeachment inquiry. Did Ukraine's inexperienced new president go too far in his attempts to please his US counterpart?
The UK’s supreme court has ruled that Boris Johnson acted unlawfully in suspending parliament for five weeks. “Parliament has not been prorogued. This is the unanimous judgment of all 11 justices,” the court said. The ruling, all the more powerful for its unanimity, is an enormous blow to the prime minister’s personal authority and has led to calls from all opposition leaders for his immediate resignation. As parliament prepares to resume at 11:30am on Wednesday, London editor Denis Staunton is on the line to explain what happens next.
Plus: Binyamin Netanyahu’s political career hangs in the balance after his Likud party suffered a serious setback in the recent Israeli elections, which saw Benny Gantz’s Blue and White party edge into the lead. Mark Weiss has the latest from Jerusalem.
It's less than three years since a historic peace deal ended a 52-year war between the Colombian state and Farc guerrillas. Over 200,000 people were killed in that war and 7 million more were displaced. Today, the peace process is still taking root. But two weeks ago on August 29th, Colombians were shocked to see a video message from the jungle appearing on YouTube, featuring several former Farc commanders dressed in camouflage and brandishing assault rifles.
In the video, the former FARC commanders Ivan Marquez and Jesus Santrich accuse the government of not living up to its commitments under the peace deal and declare their return to arms.
To talk about the threat posed by dissidents to the peace process, the peace deal’s difficult implementation, deputy foreign editor David McKechnie interviewed Emilio Archila, Presidential Counsellor for Stabilisation in Colombia, and one of the key people in charge of implementing the peace deal.
Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch on the events of the summer that has seen the lengthy list of Democratic candidates for the 2020 presidential election race reduced significantly. Gone are no-hopers such as Swalwell, Moulton and Hickenlooper. Only ten will take to the stage for this Thursday night's televised debate, the third so far. Who are the remaining candidates and how are they faring?
The House of Commons is set for a showdown as rebel Tory MPs seek to introduce legislation today, blocking a no-deal exit from EU. Prime minister Boris Johnson held a last-ditch meeting with potential rebels within his party this morning, including former cabinet ministers, but is reported to have failed in his bid to win them over. Denis Staunton is on the line from London to explain how things might play out this evening and whether a general election is likely to be called. Johnson, meanwhile, has yet to provide the EU with alternatives to the Irish backstop as outlined in the Withdrawal Agreement. Europe editor Paddy Smyth reports on how the goings on at Westminster are being viewed in Brussels. Is there any truth to Johnson's claim that negotiations are bearing fruit?
Brazilian president Jair Bolsonaro found himself under the spotlight at last weekend’s G7 summit, amid international alarm at a spike in fires in the Amazon, linked to his administration’s disdain for environmental controls. Eight months after he was elected by a comfortable margin, Brazil's economy is still staggering along and Bolsonaro has so far failed to deliver on reforms he promised during his election campaign. Yet, many Brazilians still support him and believe he is doing a good job. In this week's podcast, Irish Times South America correspondent Tom Hennigan talks to Chris about why that is and how long Brazilians are likely to put up with Bolsonaro's autocratic leadership style.
The Chinese say their vocational training centres are voluntary and aimed at eradicating extremism and terrorism. Others say they are extra-judicial detention centres and part of an elaborate system to assimilate Muslims into Han China. Irish Times correspondent in China Peter Goff visited some of these centres in the country's barren northwest Xinjiang province, where an estimated 1.5 million Uighurs, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz and other Muslim minorities have been placed over the past few years. He speaks to Chris Dooley about what he saw. He also talks about the Hong Kong protests, how the authorities have reacted there and what could happen next.
The death in prison of financier Jeffrey Epstein has thrown up many questions, not least among them, how did US authorities allow this to happen? But who was Jeffrey Epstein and why was he such a notorious figure even before his arrest? Suzanne Lynch has the latest on this story from Washington.
Plus: Large parts of Kashmir remain under a communications and security lockdown, more than a week after the Indian government stripped the troubled Himalayan region of its special rights. Rahul Bedi reports from New Delhi on the continuing fallout from the Indian government's decision.
This week's podcast is a discussion with foreign policy expert Thomas Wright on:
- The emergence of global "Great-power competition"
- How Trump views the EU, and why the EU's 'wait-and-see' approach to Trump's presidency makes sense
- The logic behind Trump's North Korea policy
- The role of foreign policy in the Democratic Party's challenge to Trump in 2020
Thomas Wright is a Senior Fellow at The Brookings Institution, a Washington-based foreign policy think tank, where he is also the director of the Center on the United States and Europe.
Donald Trump launched fresh attacks on black political opponents this week, labeling civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton “a con man” who “Hates Whites & Cops”. It follows comments he made on Sunday about Congressman Elijah Cummings, an African-American Democrat who represents Baltimore, describing the city as a “rodent-infested” place where “no human being would want to live”. Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch reports on the controversy, which comes after the president told four non-white female members of congress to “go back” to the countries they came from earlier this month. Is it all part of a plan, and if so, is it working?
Plus: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has spoken to British prime minister Boris Johnson for the first time since his appointment, in a phone call described as “warm” by both Dublin and London. Denis Staunton is on the line to assess Johnson’s first week in the job.
Boris Johnson is poised to become the next British prime minister after a resounding victory in the Tory leadership contest, beating his rival Jeremy Hunt by 92,153 votes to 46,656. Johnson began his career as a journalist and is the author of a number of books. London editor Denis Staunton has explored his back catalogue and in today’s podcast he speaks about what he has learned about prime minister designate from his writing.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s party is on course to secure a historic win in the country’s parliamentary election, with Servant of the People expected to claim around 253 of 424 available seats. The vote is an endorsement of the reform agenda of its new president, a former comedic actor, who came to power three months ago. Daniel McLaughlin reports.
President Trump's tweets calling for four Democratic congresswomen to 'go back to where they came from' have elicited a strong international backlash - but not much condemnation from other Republicans. Will it matter in 2020? Meanwhile, for the Democrats the controversy may have helped heal some internal division. Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch talks to Foreign Editor Chris Dooley about the story.
Reporter Sally Hayden talks to Foreign Editor Chris Dooley about the plight of migrants from countries across Africa and the Middle East who, while trying to make their way to Europe, have instead been detained in Libya. Some of them have talked to Sally about the conditions there, including indefinite imprisonment, forced labour and a shortage of food. Last week an air strike on one detainment centre killed dozens of them, an act the UN is describing as a potential war crime. Why have they been attacked, and what is Europe's role in their predicament?
Also on the podcast, Peter Goff reports from Hong Kong where protestors remain sceptical and defiant despite city's leader Carrie Lam describing the proposed law at the heart of the trouble "dead".
Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch is live in studio to talk with Foreign Editor Chris Dooley about the Democratic Party primary debates, President Trump's own 2020 campaign launch, and the escalating tensions between the US and Iran.
Boris Johnson remains the front runner in the Tory leadership race. However, as his campaign appears to be faltering, Jeremy Hunt seems to be a more formidable candidate than first thought. Boris is under pressure. Can he handle it? Denis Staunton is on the line from London.
Plus: Questions are being raised about the integrity of Brazil’s historic Car Wash investigation which saw former president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva jailed for nine years, in a scandal centered on the state-owned oil giant Petrobras. Lula’s defence team are arguing for his release, claiming the judge who convicted him in 2017 was biased against him. Tom Hennigan reports from Sao Paulo.
The US is to send 1,000 extra troops to the Middle East, following a move last month to send 1,500 troops to the region. It comes as tensions between the US and Iran continue to escalate, amid fears that a misstep by either side could trigger a military conflict that nobody wants. Suzanne Lynch is on the line from Washington with the latest.
Plus: EU leaders hoping for a break from Brexit at this week’s summit in Brussels will be sorely disappointed. As the Tory leadership competition continues, and with claims from some contenders that they could get a new deal from Brussels, Brexit has been forced onto the summit agenda. No official statement is expected out of the meeting, but Brexit is likely to get a mention during the end-of-summit press conference. Europe editor Patrick Smyth reports on what else will be up for discussion.
Protesters gathered in Hong Kong last Sunday demanding a looming extradition Bill be quashed, in one of the largest rallies since the region was returned to China more than 20 years ago. The bill, if enacted, would allow for crime suspects to be extradited to mainland China to face trial. In this week's podcast China-based reporter Peter Goff has the background to the story.
Later: Ten Conservative candidates are competing for the Tory leadership and the chance to become prime minister. With campaign launches, public endorsements and stories of candidates’ cocaine use, London editor Denis Staunton has the latest on the contenders for the UK’s top job.
On the second day of his official State visit to the UK, US president Donald Trump on Tuesday promised Britain a “phenomenal” post-Brexit trade deal, suggesting Britain’s public health service should be on the table, and congratulated outgoing prime minister Theresa May. London editor Denis Staunton is on the line with the highlights from the visit.
Plus: As the dust settles on the European elections, discussion in Brussels and Strasbourg has turned to who will lead the European institutions. Manfred Weber is the European People’s Party ‘spitzenkandidat’ to succeed Jean Claude Juncker as president of the European Commission, but it seems he will not be a shoo-in for it. Patrick Smyth reports on who is in the running for Europe’s top jobs.
This week's podcast features analysis of the European election results in the UK and across Europe, from Denis Staunton and Patrick Smyth. Plus, the slow race to succeed Theresa May as Tory leader and UK Prime Minister.
Less than two years after it came to power on an anti-corruption platform, the Austrian far-right Freedom Party is reeling from the resignation of its leader after an apparent sting in which he promised government contracts for campaign money. Heinz-Christian Strache stepped down as vice-chancellor last weekend after German media published footage secretly recorded in Ibiza in 2007 purporting to show him promising government contracts in exchange for political donations. The FPO leader says no crime took place, but the conservative chancellor Sebastian Kurz has triggered a snap election in response to the scandal. Berlin correspondent Derek Scally reports.
Indian prime minister Narendra Modi’s Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party is gearing up for a return to federal power for the next five years, with the results of the country’s general elections due to be announced on Thursday. Modi has failed to deliver on any of his previous election promises during his time in office, the Indian economy is in dire straits and unemployment is at its highest rate in 45 years. So, how has the prime minister managed to pull off this coup and what does it mean for the future of India? Rahul Bedi is on the line from New Delhi.
First: Theresa May’s cabinet has set the Westminster summer recess as the deadline to pass the EU withdrawal agreement bill and agreed to continue their discussions with the Labour party in a bid to reach cross party support. With pressure growing on both the prime minister and Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn from within their own ranks, Denis Staunton has the latest from London.
Later: Australians go to the polls in federal elections this weekend, with the result too close to call as the opposition Labour party cling to a narrow lead over the ruling National-Liberal coalition in opinion polls. Voting is compulsory and around two million people have already cast their ballots in early voting, in what has been a fractious election campaign. Pádraig Collins reports from Sydney.
Europe Editor Patrick Smyth looks ahead to the EU summit in Sibiru, Romania. It was billed as a Brexit-Free opportunity to plan for Europe's future, but the failure of the UK to leave on time means the meeting still takes place in Brexit's shadow. Also looming is the probability of a realignment of power in the European parliament.
Plus, David McNeill in Tokyo on the significance of the ascension of a new Emperor to Japan's Chrysanthemum Throne.
It has been a good election for Spain's centre left Socialist Party. But incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will still have difficulty forming a government in a political landscape overshadowed by the Catalan issue. Guy Hedgecoe reports.
Joe Biden launched his campaign to become the next US president at a rally in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, a state he says he must win to defeat Donald Trump in 2020. Suzanne Lynch was there.
World View is hosted by Foreign Editor Chris Dooley.
Brexit talks between the British government and the Labour party resume today as MPs return to Westminster following the Easter break. Prime Minister Theresa May is on borrowed time and no closer to a deal with Jeremy Corbyn, after the EU extended the UK’s withdrawal period until October 31st. Meanwhile, the anti-Brexit party Change UK - The Independent Group has announced its candidates for next month’s European elections. London editor Denis Staunton outlines what the coming weeks may bring.
Later: Comedian Volodymyr Zelenskiy has promised not to let Ukrainians down and held up his country as a democratic example to all post-Soviet states, after claiming a crushing presidential election victory over incumbent Petro Poroshenko. Zelenskiy made a name for himself on TV playing a teacher who becomes president by a twist of fate. What will his real-life presidency mean for Ukraine’s key relationships with Russia and the EU? Daniel McLaughlin reports from Kiev.
The partial destruction of Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral has stunned France, a nation already suffering from social and political unrest. What do we know about the cause of the fire, and will the country unite in the face of this calamity? We ask our correspondent, and recently-naturalised French citizen, Lara Marlowe.
Plus: Mark Weiss on the outcome of elections in Israel and what it means for returned Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the West Bank and the fate of the two-state solution.
Theresa May is expected to be granted a Brexit extension when EU leaders meet tomorrow, but the British prime minister will first have to convince the bloc that she has a credible plan in place to get a deal passed. European Council president Donald Tusk has floated the idea of a ‘flextension’ of up to 12 months which could be cancelled at any time in the event of a deal, but May is looking for a shorter one – until June 30th. Europe Editor Patrick Smyth has the latest.
Plus: President Trump looks set to push for tougher border security with the resignation of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and the removal of Secret Service Director Randolph “Tex” Alles. Further departures from the department are likely, as the president targets those seen as close to Nielsen and her predecessor John Kelly. Suzanne Lynch reports from Washington.
Denis Staunton on the ever-narrower set of options facing UK Prime Minister Theresa May as Parliament fails to find a way forward and the April 12th Brexit deadline draws near.
Plus: Asli Aydıntaşbaş, Senior Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, on the electoral defeat of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in local elections in Istanbul, Ankara and other urban areas of the country. Is it a classic 'kick in the shins' delivered to an incumbent party in a second order election, or a sign of a more significant shift among Turkish voters?
The Mueller report is complete and while we only know what President Trump's Attorney General has told us about its contents, it is being interpreted as a major fillip to the Republicans and their leader. Will they now seek to take revenge? Suzanne Lynch reports.
Plus: Five years after their Maidan uprising ousted Russian-backed leader Viktor Yanukovich and 14 years on from their Orange Revolution against rigged elections, Ukrainians may take another leap of faith when they choose a president on Sunday.
Surveys favour not the incumbent Petro Poroshenko or former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, but a man whose closest brush with politics until now was playing a fictitious president in a television comedy show. Dan McLaughlin was recently in Kiev to find out about Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
Patrick Smyth in Brussels and Denis Staunton in London talk about the latest Brexit developments, including Speaker John Bercow's very consequential ruling, and why the EU is likely to agree to Theresa May's request fora short extension but may baulk at a long one.
Theresa May secured what she claimed were significant legal changes to the Brexit backstop in Strasbourg on Monday night, but it hasn’t been enough to convince MPs. With just 17 days left until the UK is due to leave the EU, the prime minister’s plan appears doomed to failure before it faces a vote in the House of Commons this evening. London editor Denis Staunton is on the line to explain what might happen next.
Plus: Venezuela’s opposition-controlled congress has declared a “state of alarm” over a five-day power blackout that has pushed the country further into crisis. South America correspondent Tom Hennigan, who was in the border town Cúctua recently, reports on how the ongoing political crisis is having a devastating effect on Venezuelans.
Is the net closing around Donald Trump? Certainly the pressure has intensified in recent weeks. With the publication of the Mueller report just around the corner, chairman of the House of Representatives judiciary committee Jerrold Nadler added further fuel to the fire on Monday when he said that it was "very clear" the president has obstructed justice. The committee investigating President Trump’s financial and other affairs has sent dozens of letters to government agencies and individuals demanding documents and information. Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch is on the line with the latest.
Later: French President Emmanuel Macron has called on Europeans to mobilise “for the values of progress” and warned against the trap of “national entrenchment” in a letter published in newspapers across Europe, including the Irish Times. Paris correspondent Lara Marlowe reports on the reaction to the letter.
First: Denis Staunton on a whirlwind Brexit week in Westminster. Driven by fear of losing control of Brexit altogether, UK Prime Minister Theresa May has given ground, meaning Brexit is much more likely to be delayed if no deal has been struck by March 29th.
Later: Rahul Bedi on an air strike carried out by India in Pakistan, targeting what India says was the camp of a militant group responsible for terrorism, including a recent bombing that left 40 dead. The outbreak of violence has raised the heat in the Kashmir region, a source of recurring clashes between the two nuclear powers over decades.
Guy Hedgecoe on a looming general election in Spain that may herald the return of deadlock to the Cortes Generales. What role will Vox, the new right wing party, play?
Middle East analyst Michael Jansen on Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman's tour of Pakistan, India and China. Cold-shouldered in the West following the killing of journalist Khashoggi, the prince is being warmly welcomed in the East. But what are his goals?
In July 2014 Washington Post Iran correspondent Jason Rezaian was on the brink of a two-month sabbatical in the US with his wife Yeganeh when his Tehran home was raided by police. A gun was pointed at his head, he was arrested and accused of spying. Yeganeh, who is Iranian, was released after two months, but Rezaian was held in Iran's notorious Evin Prison for 544 days, including a period of solitary confinement. Now back at the Washington Post, Rezaian has written about his imprisonment in his memoir, Prisoner. On today's podcast he talks to Chris about what kept him going throughout the torture and interrogations at Evin, the role of the Obama administration in his eventual release and why he will one day go back to Iran.
Prisoner, by Jason Rezaian, published by Harper-Collins, is out now.
First: Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch on the achievements President Trump is likely to highlight in his State of the Union address this evening. Will he use the opportunity to declare a national emergency in order to get funding for his border wall? Suzanne also reports on the twists and turns in the story of the Democratic governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, who has refused to resign over racist yearbook photographs from his student days in 1984. Senior Democrats including Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton have called on Northam to step down. Will he cling to power and risk exposing a rift in the party?
Plus: Dan McLaughlin reports on fears of a renewed arms race between the US and Russia after both countries pulled out of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty.
First, Chris talks to Tom Hennigan about the political crisis in Venezuela. Protests had been growing since Nicolas Maduro began a second term as president this month. Then last week, opposition leader Juan Guaidó declared himself president, a move that has been recognised by more than 20 countries, including the US, which has imposed sanctions on Venezuelan oil for the first time. But even if Maduro is successfully ousted, there’s no quick turnaround for Venezuela.
Plus: Theresa May looks set to ask the EU to reopen the withdrawal agreement, in order to win parliament’s support for her Brexit deal. London editor Denis Staunton has the latest ahead of tonight’s vote.
After her Brexit deal was rejected by MPs last week, British Prime Minister Theresa May returned to the House of Commons on Monday with her Plan B. Is it any different to Plan A? And, are there any other alternatives should it too be rejected by MPs? Denis Staunton is on the line from London.
Plus: Paris correspondent Lara Marlowe on the signing of a new Franco-German treaty. Is this a meaningful step towards deepening ties between the two countries, or a largely empty gesture?
After more than two years of talks, British MPs will gather this evening to vote on Theresa May’s Brexit deal. There is no doubt the deal will be rejected by the House of Commons, but what is not clear is just how big that defeat will be. Even less clear is what comes next. On a momentous day in British politics we talk to Europe Editor Patrick Smyth and London Editor Denis Staunton.
Denis Staunton from London as Westminster braces for a vote, finally, on Theresa May's Brexit deal. Has anything changed over Christmas?
Suzanne Lynch from Washington on the continuing US government shutdown over President Trump's demand for border wall funding, which is about to be felt in a serious way as pay checks and food stamps fail to arrive. Neither Democrats nor Republicans have felt the political heat yet, but that may be about to change.
Brexit has dominated the agenda in the EU throughout 2018 but today we take a look at the other major trend: how political parties on the far right have taken control in a number of member states, creating new tensions between those states and the European Union. What are the policies that challenge the authority of the European Union, and what has been the response from Brussels?
With Europe Editor Patrick Smyth.
Denis Staunton on the last news from London including Jeremy Corbyn's motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Theresa May and a growing optimism among members of her government that her deal can pass.
And Dan McLaughlin reports from Budapest where street protests against Hungarian PM Viktor Orban have been taking place. What is behind the demonstrations?
EU leaders have made it clear: there will be no renegotiation of the Brexit deal. So what then is left to be said? But Europe Editor Patrick Smyth says there still are things the EU can do to help Theresa May get her deal through the House of Commons.
Plus: Suzanne Lynch in Washington on the latest developments in the Mueller Investigation and president Trump's search for a new chief of staff.
In a major political humiliation for French President Emmanuel Macron, a tax increase on diesel, due to take effect in January, has been suspended for six months. The spectacular climbdown came on Tuesday after weeks of protests and rioting by the so-called Yellow Vests movement that have left four people dead. A fourth demonstration, to take place on Saturday, is expected to be a calmer affair, but Paris Correspondent Lara Marlowe says there is a feeling that we’re set for a long period of social unrest in France.
Plus: Theresa May will open five days of debate in the House of Commons today, culminating in a vote on her Brexit deal. First though, she must see off a motion submitted late on Monday evening calling on MPs to find ministers in contempt over their decision not to release the full legal advice on the Brexit deal. London editor Denis Staunton is on the line.
(An earlier version of this podcast was deleted due to a problem with the audio file. Apologies for any inconvenience caused.)
As the conflict in eastern Ukraine grinds towards its fifth winter, there’s still no sense of how it will end. Thirty days of martial law have been announced by President Petro Poreshenko after Russia seized three Ukrainian naval ships and captured their crews at the weekend. It has sparked fears of an attack by Russian, but what caused the clash? Dan McLaughlin reports on this and the emergence of a rift between the Ukrainian and Russian Orthodox churches as Kiev prepares to secure independence.
Plus: the race to succeed Angela Merkel as leader of the Christian Democratic Union party is on. Derek Scally introduces us to the candidates, one of whom could end up as Chancellor sooner than expected.
The European Council is expected to endorse the draft Brexit withdrawal text when it meets this Sunday 25th November. Theresa May appears to have seen off the detractors within the Tory party for now, but the real challenge for the British Prime Minister will come in the form of parliamentary arithmetic when she attempts to get that deal through the House of Commons. On the face of it right now, she doesn’t have the numbers. Could there be a narrow way through? London editor Denis Staunton and Europe editor Patrick Smyth are on the line.
Later: Last week the former president of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos was given the Tipperary International Peace Award in recognition of his role in brokering a peace deal with FARC, bringing to an end 50 years of violence in his country. But two years after the peace agreement, the situation for Colombians appears to be worse. Irish Times deputy foreign editor David McKechnie spoke to Mr Santos at the ceremony in Tipperary Town.
As Brexit negotiations enter what the British prime minister Theresa May has described as the ‘endgame’, what is the likelihood of a second referendum being held?
Resigning as Transport Minister last week, Tory MP Jo Johnson said it would be a democratic travesty not to go back to the people for another vote.
London editor Denis Staunton describes the likelihood of such an event and the complicated road to it.
Later: Next month Spain will mark the 40th anniversary of its constitution, which laid down the foundations for the country’s entire democratic system following the death of General Franco.
The document is held in high regard, but with the Spanish judiciary thrust unwillingly into the spotlight through a series of damaging high-profile cases recently, many Spaniards are beginning to ask if it’s time to reform.
Guy Hedgecoe is on the line from Spain to explain the background.
First: In Brexit negotiations over the Northern Irish border, sides have moved closer in the last 24 hours, facilitated by new forms of words over the 'backstop'. Denis Staunton explains.
Later: Donald Trump recently announced he wants to tear up the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty and told reporters he would increase the US nuclear stockpile – including against China – “until people come to their senses”. Has a new arms race arrived, and what does it mean for security in Europe? Patrick Smyth has analysis.
Suzanne Lynch previews some key battles in next week's midterm elections for the United States Senate and House of Representatives.
Plus: Tom Hennigan on why Brazilian president-elect Jair Bolsonaro's moderate victory speech should not reassure you.
The immediate threat to British Prime Minister Theresa May’s leadership receded this week as she made some progress and delivered a defiant speech to the Commons on Monday, setting out four Brexit backstop solutions. But even if she strikes a deal with the EU, can Mrs May get it through the house and will she have to rely on support from the Labour back benches? Denis Staunton is on the line from London.
Later, Irish Times Middle East analyst Michael Jansen is in studio with her take on the latest plot twists in the murder of Saudi journalist Kamal Khashoggi, after Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan failed to deliver on his promise to reveal the details of the case “in all its nakedness” in a speech today.
First: German chancellor Angela Merkel faces another potential state election disaster in two weeks time, after her CSU allies were punished at the polls in Bavaria at the weekend, shaking an already wobbly coalition. Berlin correspondent Derek Scally is in studio to explain what might happen next.
Later: Saudi Arabia is reported to be preparing to acknowledge the death of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, who disappeared in Istanbul two weeks ago. Just how much damage has the controversy caused to Saudi Arabia's relations with its Western allies and what might the consequences be? Middle East analyst Michael Jansen and Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch are on the line with the latest.
Science Editor Kevin O'Sullivan on a major new report on climate change. The report paints a dire picture of a world devastated by the effects of climate change by the middle of this century unless action is taken now.
Plus: Tom Hennigan from Sao Paolo on Jair Bolsonaro's strong showing in the first round of Brazil's presidential election. The crude candidate has done so well, he has brought several down-ballot candidates along with him. His success in the second round seems likely - more bad news for the environment.
The FBI has broadened its investigation into allegations of sexual assault against Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh. But will they find anything conclusive? Expectations are low. Democratic lawmakers are instead focussing on the judge’s embittered comments in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee last week, arguing he demonstrated a partisan attitude unsuited to the highest court. Do they have a point? We talk to Ruadhán MacCormaic and Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch.
Later: Former British foreign minister Boris Johnson delighted an audience at the Conservative Party conference, once again calling on prime minister Theresa May to "chuck Chequers.” But the audience he delighted are not the ones he needs to convince. Denis Staunton is on the line from London.
Denis Staunton is in Liverpool for the Labour Party conference. The party's official stance on Brexit has always masked a deep division between principle and pragmatism. Is that about to change?
Tom Hennigan reports from Sao Paolo on the candidacy of Jair Bolsonaro, a far-right demagogue with a history of misogyny and a fondness for authoritarian figures. Could he ride an anti-political mood to power in Brazil's presidential election?
First: Historical sexual assault allegations against President Trump’s supreme court nominee Brett Kavanaugh have complicated what had appeared to be a smooth confirmation process. Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford, the woman accusing him of a 1982 sexual assault, will give their sides of the story when they testify in the Senate next Monday. With memories of the Anita Hill case in the ether in Washington, Republicans are treading carefully ahead of crucial mid-term elections in November. Our Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch has the details.
Later: EU leaders meet for an informal summit in Salzburg this week. Will it mark a Brexit turning point? Anyone hoping for a dramatic breakthrough is likely to be disappointed while the outstanding issue of the border awaits a compromise. Europe Editor Patrick Smyth is on the line from Brussels.
First: The White House press corps had their first briefing in 19 days on Monday, after weeks of a news cycle dominated by scandal. There were leaks from an explosive book by Bob Woodward offering insights into a chaotic presidency, followed closely by an anonymous and damning Oped by a senior administration staffer in the New York Times and then Barack Obama stepped out of the shadows to attack the president directly in a speech last week. Suzanne Lynch is on the line to take us through a particularly tumultuous period for Donald Trump, ahead of crucial midterm elections in November.
Later: Are we any further along the road to a Brexit deal as the process enters a crucial stage? British hopes remain pinned on an informal meeting of EU leaders in Salzburg on September 20th, when Prime Minister Theresa May will make the case for her Chequers deal directly to the other EU leaders. London Editor Denis Staunton explains why there’s still plenty of room for things to go horribly wrong.
First: It's a familiar story. A far right party on the rise, causing a rightward shift across the political spectrum. It has happened across the continent and Sweden is no different, where a sense of doubt has crept in to a society once better known for its successes, but now concerned about migration and a perception of rising crime rates. Our correspondent Derek Scally reports from Stockholm.
Later: Journalist Sally Hayden on the strange plight of hundreds of refugees who were abandoned in Libyan detention centres when their guards fled due to the outbreak of fighting between local militias. The refugees, returned to Libya after being stopped by the Italian coastguard, contacted Sally to report that they and their families went for days without food and water. What does the story tell us about Europe's response to migration?
The Ebola virus exploded in West Africa in 2014, causing the deaths of over 11,300 people. Sinead Walsh was there, serving as Ireland's ambassador to Sierra Leone, and she witnessed first-hand how the international humanitarian system operated, and failed to operate, under the toughest of circumstances.
Getting to Zero, the book Walsh has co-written with Oliver Johnson, a British doctor who ran an Ebola isolation unit in Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone, is a powerful account of the struggle to bring the outbreak under control. She talked to Ruadhan Mac Cormaic for The Irish Times.
What happens if the UK crashes out of the EU? On the EU side, there is a special task force dedicated to figuring just that out, while the UK is publishing numerous papers covering what will happen in all walks of life. Little, though, is certain, and much is entirely unclear. Especially unclear is what will happen on the Irish border. But whatever the outcome, the world will be a very different place the day after.
Our guest today is Europe Editor Patrick Smyth, who talks though what is known and unknown about No Deal Brexit, how likely it is and what is being done to avoid it.
Lara Marlowe has worked at the Irish Times for the past 22 years. During that time she has reported from far-flung locations including Algeria, Kosovo, Georgia and Iraq. She was the Irish Times Washington correspondent for the first term of Barack Obama's presidency and as Paris correspondent - her current role - she has covered France under four presidents. On today's podcast Marlowe talks to Chris Dooley about how that country has changed from the Chirac era to Macron, and how it has stayed the same. She also talks about reporting from conflict zones and the dangers faced by foreign journalists in those countries.
First: Derek Scally on the harshening of political rhetoric emanating from Bavaria, and in particular its ruling party the CSU.
Later: Dan McLaughlin looks back at the 2008 Russia-Georgia war. What caused it, how did it play out, and what did it symbolise?
This week's podcast: Suzanne Lynch on the week in Washington. Ahead of crucial midterm elections, the downsides for Republicans of President Trump's tariffs are becoming clear, while Trump's deepening feud with billionaire right-wing donors Charles and David Koch threatens to further alienate elements within the party.
Plus: Bill Corcoran in Zimbabwe on what we know so far about a historic election, the first of the post-Mugabe era.
It is 26 years since Imran Khan cemented his status as a national hero by leading its cricket team to glory in the World Cup. Throughout that time, three things have remained constant in Pakistani politics: the Sharif dynasty, the Bhutto dynasty and the powerful military. But now polls show Khan's party leading ahead of next week's elections. We talk to Lorraine Mallinder about the charismatic Khan and the campaign which has been marred by violence as well as the usual accusations of corruption and rigging.
Later: Denis Staunton provides a final Brexit dispatch before Westminster rests for the summer.
When historians reflect on Donald Trump’s presidency, will yesterday’s press conference alongside Vladimir Putin in Helsinki be seen as one of its defining moments?Trump sided with Putin over his own intelligence agencies, saying he saw no reason not to believe the Russian president when he said they did not try to fix the 2016 election. The performance has been dubbed embarrassing, disgraceful and treasonous, drawing criticism from both the left and right, with even Fox News saying it was not a good outing for the president.
Analysing what it means for the Trump presidency, the United States and the wider world, today's guests are Suzanne Lynch and Paddy Smyth.
British Prime Minister Theresa May has faced down the 'big beasts', David Davis and Boris Johnson, as she pushes for a soft Brexit. It is just the first of many battles she will have to win, at home and abroad, to get Brexit over the line and keep the Conservative Party intact - potentially including one with the DUP. But there is also now the possibility that no solution to the Brexit riddle exists within Westminster. Has the likelihood of a no deal Brexit just increased?
Guests: London Editor Denis Staunton and Europe Editor Patrick Smyth.
This week: Derek Scally on the last-minute deal struck to save Angela Merkel's coalition government, after her Christian Democratic Party's Bavarian sister party threatened to pull the plug over immigration. But there are doubts over the legality of what is being proposed, and over whether the weakened Chancellor can endure much more political punishment.
And Denis Staunton on another one of those big weeks in Brexit. With her mysterious "third proposal", can Theresa May find her way onto the edge of the European dancefloor?
Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his ruling AK Party claimed victory in presidential and parliamentary polls on Sunday, overcoming a revitalised opposition that in recent weeks had gained considerable momentum and looked capable of staging an upset. Stephen Starr reports on the win, which gives Erdogan sweeping executive powers and extends his grip on the nation of 81 million until at least 2023.
In the second part of the show, Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch reports on the latest in the US immigration crackdown and president Donald Trump's reiteration of his zero-tolerance approach, calling for illegal immigrants who enter the country to be sent home immediately.
Two world leaders, in two key elections, 10,000 km apart: One is a political novice, whose election last Sunday threatens to undo a historic and hard won peace deal. The other has been criticised for authoritarian tendencies after 15 years in charge of his country. Tom Hennigan reports from Colombia where Iván Duque, the conservative political newcomer, was elected as the country's president last Sunday. Meanwhile in Turkey, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, leader of the Justice and Development Party (AKP), is running for the presidency again this weekend. Stephen Starr has the latest from there.
On this week's podcast, Clifford Coonan reports from Singapore where US president Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un met in a historic summit today. Comparisons have been drawn with president Richard Nixon’s 1972 trip to China to reopen relations with Chairman Mao Zedong. But with a good deal of vagueness in the wording and nothing concrete on denuclearisation plans, the day was largely symbolic with much left to be done.
In the second part of the show, nine months after many of them were driven from their homes in Rakhine State, the one million-strong Rohingya community in Bangladesh faces a defining period. A repatriation deal providing for them to return to their homes has been signed, but not delivered upon. Now, the approaching cyclone season poses a major threat to vulnerable refugee camps. Irish times deputy foreign editor David McKechnie and video producer Kathleen Harris have just returned from a trip to Bangladesh with Concern. They speak about the conditions on the ground.
Guy Hedgecoe on a dramatic week when Spanish politics was turned on its head. Mariano Rajoy is out. What comes next?
Dan McLaughlin on the strange story of Ukrainian journalist Andrei Babchenko, who faked his own death in order to expose an alleged Russian plot to assassinate him.
Chris Dooley talks to Patrick Smyth about Italy's unfolding constitutional and political crisis, and to Suzanne Lynch about the scarcely believable saga of the Trump-Kim Summit.
A bizarre political experiment in underway in Italy, and Brussels is watching with concern. Patrick Smyth on the makeup of the new government, its internal contradictions, its plans for the economy and immigration - and the novice who will likely become the next Prime Minister.
Plus, Tom Hennigan on the reelection, widely seen as democratically illegitimate, of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Despite his win, Maduro faces huge obstacles both within and without the chavista movement he leads, as Venezuela lurches away from democracy.
Today's guest is Thomas Wright, director of the Center on the United States and Europe at the Washington-based thinktank The Brookings Institute.
Last summer, Thomas talked to us about his expectations of the Trump Administration in the foreign policy arena.
Almost a year on, the Trump Administration has made many consequential foreign policy moves, including pulling out of the Iran nuclear deal, striking in Syria and agreeing to a meeting with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
Trump has also made major changes in his foreign policy staff, most notably the replacement of former senior figures and "adults in the room" H. R. McMaster and Rex Tillerson by the more hawkish John Bolton and Mike Pompeo.
We asked Thomas back to talk about a chaotic year of Trump foreign policy.
Will Bolton and Pompeo empower the President - and can they work together?
Is the Trump administration still a genuine player in the Middle East peace process after the bloodshed of recent days?
Is the forthcoming Korea Summit set up to fail?
Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch explains the many twists and turns in the story of porn actor turned political player Stormy Daniels, and her alleged affair with President Donald Trump. Could his attempts to handle the controversy, including a payment made by attorney Michael Cohen that is now under investigation, potentially lead to his downfall?
On this week’s World View podcast, London Editor Denis Staunton reports on the appointment of Conservative MP Sajid Javid as Home Secretary following the resignation of Amber Rudd.
The son of Pakistani immigrants, Mr Javid has promised action on the Windrush immigration targets scandal that led to the exit of his predecessor.
Described as unsentimental, a Thatcherite and a man prone to recitations of Ayn Rand, his appointment should take some of the poison out of the crisis for the Prime Minister but weakens the Soft Brexit side of her Cabinet.
It comes as the Conservatives suffered another major defeat on Brexit in the House of Lords on Monday night.
Also on the podcast: In Spain, thousands have protested against a decision by a court in Pamplona to absolve five men of rape, in a case that has garnered international attention and ignited the country’s MeToo movement.
Guy Hedgecoe reports on the details of the story, concerning the attack of an 18-year-old woman during the San Fermines bull-running festival in the city in the summer of 2016.
This week podcast features Beijing Correspondent Clifford Coonan on the historic inter-Korean summit taking place at Panmunjeom in the Demilitarized Zone this week. How did we get here, and what are the two nations hoping to achieve?
The Korea summit will also be watched closely in Washington, where our correspondent Suzanne Lynch is covering the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron.
London Editor Denis Staunton on the two stories dominating Westminster this week: Theresa May's decision to join the United States and France in bombing Syria last weekend, and the appalling treatment of a group of immigrants who were welcomed to the United Kingdom as children but have lately found their lives becoming more difficult.
Hungarians head to the polls on Sunday for parliamentary elections whose results may have consequences across Eastern Europe, says Dan McLaughlin on this week's podcast.
At stake in Budapest is Prime Minister Victor Orban's supermajority in parliament, which he has used to push through a number of authoritarian reforms.
On the campaign trail Mr Orban has promised "moral, legal and political revenge" on Hungary's enemies, for which many read Mr Orban's own political opponents.
That approach has helped galvanise Hungary's fractured political opposition, with polls showing Mr Orban's supermajority is now under threat.
Mr Orban has warned of a conspiracy to install a new pro-immigration government masterminded by billionaire George Soros and has called on voters to "save Hungary".
The outcome of Sunday's vote will be watched closely by other leaders in the region who may wish to emulate Mr Orban's approach.
Also on the podcast: Israel has rejected the prospect of an inquiry into the shooting dead of 16 Palestinians by its army at the Gaza-Israel border during demonstrations last Friday.
Mark Weiss reports from Jerusalem on the tensions, which are expected to rise again on Friday after Muslim prayers.
Ireland today joined the collective move by western nations against Russia, announcing that one diplomat is to be expelled after a nerve attack on a former Russian agent earlier this month.
It follows similar declarations by 16 other EU countries on Monday, as tensions between Russia and the West deepen over the attack on Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia in Britain.
On today’s World View podcast, Europe editor Patrick Smyth reports from Brussels on what lasting impact the crisis is likely to have on EU-Russia relations and whether Europe can maintain a united front on the issue.
But first, former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont is preparing to spend Easter in prison in Germany after he was detained on Sunday by local police just south of the Danish border.
We hear from Derek Scally in Berlin and Guy Hedgecoe in Madrid.
"I've covered a lot of financial scandals in French politics.... they usually get off".
Lara Marlowe talks to Chris about the latest financial scandal to cross her desk: the arrest of former president Nicolas Sarkozy on suspicion of taking illegal cash donations from the late Libyan dictator Colonel Gaddafi.
And it's been yet another significant week on the road to Brexit. The 'backstop' - a UK government promise to maintain the status quo at the Irish Border if no better solution is found - is back, after doubt was cast on the pledge by Prime Minister Theresa May last month. Europe Editor Patrick Smyth explains why the concession is a minor win for Ireland.
Theresa May says it's “highly likely” that Russia was behind the poisoning of former double agent Sergei Skripal and his daughter with a military-grade nerve agent in Britain. Denis Staunton has the latest from London.
Also, Clifford Coonan reports from Shanghai, after China’s rubber-stamp parliament cleared the way for Xi Jinping to rule indefinitely at the weekend, giving overwhelming approval for an historic constitutional amendment abolishing presidential term limits.
A hung parliament in Italy and the prospect of a government led by one of two populist parties has caused a considerable amount of nervousness in Brussels.
The maverick, eurosceptic Five Star Movement, which before the election rejected any prospect of a coalition government, has softened that stance since emerging the victor with 32 per cent of the vote.
Government formation is likely to take several months and the anti-immigrant Lega party has also emerged as a major force, led by Matteo Salvini who has in the past spoken of selective ethnic cleansing in parts of Italy.
On today’s podcast, Europe Editor Patrick Smyth reports from Brussels on why the Italian election is bad news for Europe and will further strengthen Euroscepticism in the EU.
Also, Eastern European correspondent Dan McLaughlin has the latest on the murders of journalist Jan Kuciak and his girlfriend Martina Kusnirova, which has sent Slovakia into a political crisis.
With further anti-government protests are expect, populist prime minister Robert Fico and president Andrej Kiska are at loggerheads, amid calls for a snap election.
Another week, another milestone on the road to Brexit. This week features three such markers: a speech by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn that has caused a fresh headaches for Prime Minister Theresa May, a speech from May herself (to come on Friday) and the release of a crucial document by the EU. London Editor Denis Staunton reports.
In part two we turn to the United States and the push for gun control in the wake of the latest mass school shooting.
Since the shooting in a Florida high school that left 17 dead, President Donald Trump has repeatedly called for armed schoolteachers as a solution to this peculiarly American problem.
But voices calling for stricter controls on gun ownership are growing louder. After Sandy Hook, Orlando, Las Vegas and too many other shootings to mention, could Republicans finally be willing to cede ground on the issue? Suzanne Lynch is on the line from Washington.
The surge in support for populist parties across Europe in recent years is well documented.
Right-wing populists are in office in Poland, Hungary and Austria, and in the Czech Republic, recently re-elected president Milos Zeman campaigned on an anti-immigration and Eurosceptic agenda.
Next month in Italy, the Five Star Movement could capitalise on anti-immigration sentiment and a stagnant economy in the country’s parliamentary elections.
But how should the European Union react? Are sanctions appropriate, or might they only serve to exacerbate the problem? And what are the consequences for French President Emmanuel Macron's vision of further European integration?
Today’s World View podcast features European Editor Patrick Smyth, Eastern Europe Correspondent Daniel McLaughlin and Assistant Editor Ruadhan Mac Cormaic.
Today's podcast focusses on Colombia. It is now over a year since the government ratified a peace deal with Farc rebels that had been rejected by a narrow majority in a referendum. Today, progress is stalling as the country faces into national elections. Many citizens still struggle to tolerate the normalisation of former guerilla fighters, and dozens of Farc members have been assassinated.
To find out about the problems facing Colombia, Dave McKechnie talked to Rafael Pardo, Colombia's post-conflict minister, and Tom Hennigan who reports on Colombia for The Irish Times.
The UN estimates that more than 200 million women and girls around the world have undergone female genital mutilation.
Today has been designated UN Zero Tolerance Day on FGM, and on today's podcast reporter Sally Hayden describes her recent visit to the Karamoja region of Uganda in east Africa. In parts of Karamoja, FGM is as high as 95%.
She details the horrific cycle of violence against women caused by FGM and why claims of its status as a cultural practice make it difficult to eradicate.
But first: Brexit. The clock has begun ticking again as the EU27 awaits details on what the UK wants the final arrangement to look like, and particularly when it comes to customs. But with rebellious MPs making conflicting demands, Prime Minister Theresa May faces a major challenge to keep her party on side. London Editor Denis Staunton reports.
Former Brazilian president Lula da Silva, the charismatic man of the people once dubbed 'the most popular politician on Earth' by Barack Obama, is barred from contesting the country’s presidential elections in October, after his conviction for corruption was upheld on appeal last week.
Lula, who has two appeals left, has the support of 33 per cent of the electorate and his followers say that is reason enough not to convict him, so that he may run in the election. Tom Hennigan reports from Brazil where he says there is suspicion in some quarters that Lula’s pledge to fight for the right to contest the presidency is a ploy to avoid jail.
If Lula does win the right to stand for election, he will have to face down Brazil’s extreme right-wing candidate Jair Bolsonaro, a Trump fan whose racist and misogynistic statements have angered some and won support from others.
Also on the podcast, European Affairs Editor Patrick Smyth reports back from Brussels where the mood is one of weary resignation, as the EU waits for Theresa May to make Britain’s position clear heading into the next stage of Brexit talks.
On today's podcast:
Suzanne Lynch on the government shutdown in Washington and what next for President Trump and Congressional Democrats and Republicans.
Derek Scally on the tortuous path to a new 'grand coalition' between Angela Merkel's Christian Democrats and the reluctant Social Democrats, and how the two major parties have not come to grips with the political reality of their diminished power.
Sean Spicer talks to Irish Times Foreign Editor Chris Dooley about his time in the West Wing, the nature of his former role, the contents of Michael Wolff's book Fire and Fury, the Mueller investigation and more.
Islamic State, or ISIS, has lost 98% of its territory in Iraq and Syria. But it persists, and even as its enemies declare victory, recent fatal attacks across the world, from New York to Kabul, remind us of the threat it still poses.
Rukmini Callimachi is a three-time Pulitzer-nominated reporter covering terror groups for The New York Times. She talks to Chris Dooley about how she got into her unusual and sometimes dangerous line of work, the state of ISIS in 2018 and the logic behind the organisation's behaviour.
The death toll is still rising in Iran as protests continue across the country. Middle East analyst Michael Jansen says that, while economics are behind the demonstrations' unexpected strength, the spark for the protests came from conservative hardliners opposed to moderate president Hassan Rouhani, seeking an opportunity to undermine him - a move that seems to have backfired.
Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch, Europe Editor Patrick Smyth and foreign affairs specialist Ruadhan Mac Cormaic stay down with host Chris Dooley to look back on another historic year in world affairs.
Catalonians cast ballots for the regional government on Thursday. Guy Hedgecoe reports on the campaign and some of the likely outcomes.
In South Africa, the dominant ANC party has elected a new leader, Cyril Ramaphosa. Reformers hope he will be a new broom after the Zuma years, but he comes with his own baggage and faces obstacles before he can assume power himself, says Bill Corcoran.
Some Alabama Republicans are ignoring President Donald Trump's call to back their own party's candidate for the Senate, Roy Moore, and are instead voting for Democrat Doug Jones. But many others are still backing Moore despite accusations he sexually assaulted several underage girls. The race is on a knife edge.
On today's podcast Suzanne Lynch explains why a victory for Moore presents a real headache for the GOP, with the former chief justice of Alabama likely to face an ethics committee on his arrival to the Senate.
In the second part of the show Environment and Science Editor Kevin O’Sullivan reports on the One Planet climate conference taking place in Paris this week, where France’s President Macron is putting pressure on world leaders, including laggard Ireland, to up the ante on tackling global warming.
From Barcelona, Guy Hedgecoe explains how things are shaping up for the Catalonian regional parliament's snap election in two week's time, the results of which could determine the future of the region - inside or outside Spain.
In part two we talk to Richard Barrett about the threat posed by ISIS fighters returning to Europe now that the group's territory has been drastically reduced. Richard is the former director of global counter-terrorism at MI6 and is now director of the Global Strategy Network. His new report for the US think-tank The Soufan Group is called Beyond the Caliphate: Foreign Fighters and the Threat of Returnees.
Ratko Mladic, commander of ethnic Serb troops in Bosnia’s 1992-5 war, has now been convicted of genocide and jailed for life. But for years to come his victims and many others will continue to be unearthed across parts of former Yugoslavia.
The collapse of negotiations to form a coalition in Germany have led many to question whether Chancellor Angela Merkel will hold power for much longer. But the Christian Democratic Union leader has confounded critics before. And the rival Social Democratic Party may decide it is in its interests to stave off a fresh election, says Derek Scally.
Meanwhile in Zimbabwe, long-term dictator Robert Mugabe seems certain to be forced from power sooner rather than later. But what comes next? Bill Corcoran spent the last week in Harare.
Prime Minister Theresa May is facing trouble on every front: in her Cabinet, in Westminster, with Taoiseach Varadkar and Minister Coveney in Dublin, and at the Brexit negotiating table. Who would want her job? Denis Staunton is on the line from London.
In part two: heads were turned toward Poland last weekend as an Independence Day march was attended by thousands of far-right demonstrators, an expression of nationalism, anti-immigrant anger and anti-EU sentiment. The marchers were approved of by some of the ruling Law and Justice party. Derek Scally on how the far-right fits into Polish society and the growing gulf between Poland's government and Brussels.
This week's podcast features Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch and Middle East analyst Michael Jansen.
Suzanne Lynch reports from Washington as the city comes to grips with the indictment of former Trump campaign personnel. Former campaign manager Paul Manafort and his business associate Rick Gates plead not guilty to 12 charges. Meanwhile it was revealed that George Papadopoulos, a former foreign policy adviser to the Trump campaign, pleaded guilty earlier this month to lying to the FBI about his communication with Russian officials.
Also on the podcast we hear from Patrick Smyth in Brussels, where Catalan independence leader Carles Puidgemont arrived yesterday, and Guy Hedgecoe in Barcelona about the continuing deterioration of the relationship between Catalonia and the Spanish government.
This week's podcast features Europe Editor Patrick Smyth and Berlin Correspondent Derek Scally.
The Brexit negotiations look painful from here. How do they look from Brussels? Can negotiations get back on track? Is the problem of the Irish border still high on the agenda? Plus, what are the E.U. institutions' attitudes to political unrest in Catalonia?
And today Chancellor Merkel returns to a larger and more disjointed Bundestag than she has become used to. Some are beginning to question her longevity.
As a candidate, President Trump promised to rip up the Iran nuclear deal. Is he about to partially fulfil that promise by refusing to certify that the Iranians are keeping their side of the bargain? Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch explains how all sides - Trump, the Iranians, Republicans in Congress and the other international signatories to the deal - see the current impasse.
After that we talk to Martin Bell, former BBC war correspondent, about his new book "War And The Death of News", which brings together colourful stories and reflections from a formidable career in news journalism and his views on the state of war reporting today, "in an age in which the fog of war is swirling over absolutely everything".
Guy Hedgecoe, who reports from Spain for The Irish Times, talks to David McKechnie about the events of the weekend in Catalonia as a prohibited vote on independence went ahead, the atmosphere there now, and whether Catalonian attitudes have much changed following the police crackdown that caused hundreds of injuries and faced widespread condemnation.
In Spain, conflict between Madrid and Catalonia has reached a new high, but it is still not clear whether an independence vote will take place on Sunday. Guy Hedgecoe reports from Barcelona.
And in Germany political party Alternative für Deutschland are holding the first parliamentary meeting of a far-right party in Bundestag since World War II, after becoming the nation's third largest party in last Sunday's election. But it's not all plain sailing for Afd. Derek Scally reports.
On today's podcast we talk to Erin Kilbride of NGO Frontline Defenders who is on the border between Myanmar and Bangladesh, where thousands of Rohingya Muslim refugees are fleeing a campaign of village torchings, extrajudicial killings and gang rape by the Myanmar military, according to survivors and international rights groups.
Days away from a general election in Germany, we talk to Berlin Correspondent Derek Scally about why the vote matters even if Angela Merkel is all but assured a fourth term as Chancellor.
And we ask London Editor Denis Staunton what exactly Boris Johnson is up to that led to him being labelled a "back-seat driver" in the UK governments drive towards Brexit by his cabinet colleague Amber Rudd.
"This was specifically one of the issues he said he would speak up about. Whenever American values are threatened, whenever various groups of Americans are targeted".
Cody Keenan helped former U.S. president Barack Obama draft his recent statement criticising President Donald Trump's decision to end the Dreamers programme, removing legal protection from the children of undocumented immigrants.
Keenan worked in the White House throughout Barack Obama's two terms of office, becoming his head speechwriter. He understands the criticism Obama came under for breaking the tradition that former presidents not criticise incumbents.
"But you know, Donald Trump has shredded almost every democratic norm there is in America".
Last week Cody talked to Chris Dooley about shaping Obama's key speeches, the successes and failures of the administration and his insights into the apparent chaos of the Trump White House.
Maureen Dowd, Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist with the New York Times talks to Chris Dooley about the Trump presidency, which she says is "the craziest thing that's ever happened in American political history". She shares her unique insight into the pressures faced by occupants of the White House and the psychology of its current tenant, and the role of the media in today's politically charged world.
The delay in dealing with the case of Ibrahim Halawa has left Irish observers with a negative view of Egypt's human rights record. It is a view apparently shared by the U.S. State Department, which last week cut $300 million in military and economic aid to the country and its president Abdel el-Sisi, a leader once praised by Donald Trump, for failing to make progress on human rights . But there is more to the move than meets the eye. We talk to New York Times Cairo bureau chief Declan Walsh.
Later in the podcast we talk to Texas resident John Holden about the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, and what is expected when President Trump visits the stricken region later today.
In eastern Ukraine people are still being killed every day in a conflict between the Kiev government and Russian-backed separatists. And the conflict could be set to intensify. The two sides are drawing nearer, and the Unites States is ramping up its material support for Kiev, defying expectations of a Putin-friendly Trump presidency. Dan McLaughlin went to Ukraine to see U.S. involvement in action.
But first: authorities in Catalonia quickly stopped the 12 known members of the terrorist cell that attacked Barcelona last week, killing eight and arresting four others. But how did such a large group get organised and carry out the attacks without being noticed? And could the attack affect in the forthcoming independence vote? We ask Guy Hedgecoe.
Why did it take Donald Trump several days to explicitly renounce the racist groups behind a weekend protest that turned violent and left one counter-protester dead? Suzanne Lynch on the fallout from Charlottesville, the enduring, painful legacy of slavery in the United States and how the White House could change following this latest crisis.
And Peter Murtagh reports from South Korea, where feelings towards the United States, its protector and ally, are rather complex.
Our Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch is travelling south from the capital city through states that voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump. It's a region divided by race, class and political dispensation. What she has heard will not be welcome news to those who would wish the Trump presidency to end prematurely.
In Venezuela, the arrest of opposition leaders and the establishment of a new assembly with no opposition representation is a major rupture with the nation's democratic past. At the same time, economic breakdown could imminently lead to a 'complete social collapse', says our correspondent in South America Tom Hennigan. But newly applied U.S. sanctions on President Maduro will do more harm than good to both the country's fortunes and those of Maduro's opponents.
Meanwhile, the decision to expel U.S. diplomats from Russia in retaliation to new sanctions imposed by Congress shows just how badly wrong the once-warm relationship between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin has gone. Isabel Gorst has the view from Moscow.
It has become a truism that the global order is weakening and American power in particular is on the wane. But what should or can be done to arrest the decline? Should the U.S. now step back, having failed to spread liberal democracy to Russia, China and the Middle East?
In a new book, Thomas Wright of the Brookings Institution, a Washington based think tank, argues that although a new era of increased competition between powers is here to stay, the United States still has a special role to play on the world stage.
On today's podcast he talks to Chris Dooley about the nature of the global balance of power and how it is evolving, what motivates Vladimir Putin, the future of the European Union and the special risk posed by Donald Trump's presidency.
All Measures Short of War is published by Yale.
Article 155 has been called “the biggest taboo in the constitution” of Spain. That's because it grants unspecified but potentially broad powers to the government and could be used to forestall a push for Catalonian independence. Guy Hedgecoe reports.
But first we hear from Ruadhan Mac Cormaic about how malnutrition or even starvation threatens a staggering 24 million people in east Africa following three successive seasons of drought. Only a third of the aid money needed to prevent this catastrophe has been pledged. Where is the international outcry?
Donald Trump jnr was told by the publicist Rob Goldstone that he had information “that would incriminate Hillary Clinton and her dealings with Russia” and that the information was “part of Russia and its government’s support” for Trump, the president’s eldest son has revealed. Suzanne Lynch has the details.
And in London Prime Minister Theresa May has made a speech that was expected to be a relaunch of her leadership and to set out something of a more inclusive approach to Brexit policy - but proved to be a bit of a damp squib, says Denis Staunton.
So you don't have to, Lara Marlowe reread all 18 pages of President Macron's highly unusual "State of the Union" style address. She breaks it down for us. But first we talk to Canadian journalist Jared Lindzon about another popular young leader, Justin Trudeau, and how his popularity is strangely dependent on Donald Trump.
The latest on the Republican Party's struggle to pass legislation replacing Obamacare, and what failure means for Donald Trump's young presidency.
A report from Berlin on the latest twists and turns on the run-in Germany's general election campaign. Chancellor Angela Merkel is leaving few hostages to fortune by making canny, perhaps cynical, policy shifts.
And a look back at 20 years of Chinese rule in Hong Kong. Were promises made at the time of Britain's handover kept, and has the city been able to maintain its relative freedoms?
Today Republicans are hoping voters in Georgia's Sixth Congressional District will choose their party's candidate again, as they have four decades straight. But the race is tight. How did this red district turn purple? Is Donald Trump to blame? And why is Barack Obama appearing in Republican attack ads? Suzanne Lynch reports.
The murder of a small boy and its shocking aftermath gripped France 30 years ago. Now new arrests have been made in "The Gregory Affair". Lara Marlowe tells the story.
The leaders of France and the United Kingdom are having very different weeks.
Theresa May's occupancy of Number 10 is perhaps fatally threatened after she failed to secure the overall majority and must now rely on the DUP for support. In light of Brexit, the result has huge implications for Ireland and Europe as well as the United Kingdom.
Meanwhile in Paris, Emmanuel Macron is basking in an overwhelming victory for his party in the first round of French parliamentary elections, aided by a sense among voters that France's pride is being restored under his leadership.
Guests: Gerry Moriarty in Belfast, Denis Staunton in London and Lara Marlowe in Paris.
Another terror attack, this time in London, has placed security issues firmly on the political agenda just days ahead of a general election in the United Kingdom. From London Denis Staunton reports on the final days of the campaign.
Meanwhile in Yorkshire, Conservatives are eyeing a seat safely held by Labour since 1931. It's one more sign of a political landscape transformed by Brexit and powerful economic forces. Simon Carswell met the people of Wakefield.
In the Arab world, the sudden cutting by Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the UAE and Egypt of al links with its neighbour Qatar has a lot to do with the attitude displayed by Donald Trump on his recent visit to the region, explains Ian Black, senior fellow at the Middle East Centre of the London School of Economics and former Middle East editor with The Guardian.
In Britain the general election is back on. As the campaign progresses, its beginning to look like the likely winners will feel like losers and the losers will be quite pleased with themselves, says London Editor Denis Staunton.
Angela Merkel has been criticised in some quarters for her comments on the necessity for Europe to rely on itself in a time of unreliable allies. But she was right to make a stand, says our new Europe Editor Paddy Smyth.
Denis Staunton, our London Editor, is in Manchester today where a bomb killed 22 people last night including several children. Denis assesses the particular depravity of this assault on the innocent, and the wider implications for UK security and politics.
And, as controversies at home continues to grow, President Trump is on first major foreign tour. What's at stake on this trip? Suzanne Lynch reports.
On the podcast this week:
Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch on the latest scandal to embroil Donald Trump's White House.
Iran analyst Ellie Geranmayeh on the issues and candidates in next weekend's presidential election. Voters are unhappy that the lifting of sanctions made possible by last year's nuclear deal is yet to deliver much economically.
And from Russia, Isabel Gorst on massive protests in the streets of Moscow against the demolition of thousands of Soviet-era homes. Could it be the start of a broader civic movement?
On the podcast today, Lara Marlowe explains what comes next for France after the election of Emmanuel Macron last weekend. And Rosita Boland tells us about her recent trip to Laos, reporting on the horrific legacy of unexploded bombs dropped on the country by the United States Air Force.
Rosita's trip to Laos was supported by the Simon Cumbers media fund.
http://www.simoncumbersmediafund.ie
Part one: Denis Staunton and Pat Leahy on a pivotal weekend in Europe. Just as we were celebrating the outcome of an EU Brexit Summit that contained a commitment to protecting Ireland’s interests in any Brexit deal, news emerged of a disastrous conversation between Theresa May and Commission President Jean Claude Juncker.
A report of the conversation revealed a startling lack of common ground between London and Brussels that, if accurate, would suggest it is not safe to bank on any deal being reached at all, with damaging consequences for Ireland.
Part two: David McKechnie on his series of reports from Colombia on the people involved in its long civil war and their roles in its nascent peace process.
His series on Colombia was supported by a grant from the Simon Cumbers fund.
Part one: How can Emmanuel Macron, a political neophyte, govern in the Élysée Palace? (That is, if he beats Marine Le Pen in the second round of French presidential elections two weeks from now, as polls strongly predict he will.) And what will his victory mean for Europe's diminished political centre ground? Or for tortuous Brexit negotiations?
Part two: The attacks of "lone wolf" terrorists are impacting daily life and geopolitics across Europe from Paris to Istanbul. Could understanding the psychology of these men help prevent further violence and instability?
Guests: Paris Correspondent Lara Marlowe in Paris, Foreign Affairs Correspondent Ruadhan Mac Cormaic and Dr Paul Gill, a lecturer in Crime Science at University College London.
This week's podcast is all about political power and the ballot box.
In the United Kingdom, Theresa May is gambling that a snap election will give her a mandate to push Brexit through with authority, says London Editor Denis Staunton.
In France, the rising popularity of left-wing candidate Jean-Luc Melenchon has made an uncertain presidential election even more unpredictable, says Lara Marlow in Paris.
And on Sunday the passing of a referendum granted Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan much greater powers. How did he pull it off? Stephen Starr reports from Istanbul.
What is President Trump’s plan for Syria? That’s the million dollar question, says Washington correspondent Suzanne Lynch in the latest episode of the World View podcast.
Last week’s US missile attack on Shayrat air base in response to a suspected gas attack by Assad forces that killed 86 people in the town Khan Sheikhoun, marked a dramatic expansion in the US rules of engagement in Syria.
Questions have been raised about the legality of the retaliation and the Trump administration has struggled to outline its policy on the Syrian conflict since the dramatic U-turn.
Suzanne Lynch reports on the latest developments in the story, as US secretary of state Rex Tillerson meets with senior Russian officials in Moscow today.
Also on the podcast, after forty years of reporting on the activities of the Basque separatist group Eta, Paddy Woodworth says this time it really does seem like it’s all over, after the nationalist organisation handed over their weapons at the weekend.
As well as throwing the delicate balance of power in Syria into further confusion, the missile attack on a Syrian air base ordered by Donald Trump has won support from traditional conservatives and foreign allies, but been condemned by many of his own supporters as well as the Russians. Suzanne Lynch provides analysis of the potential consequences and what might come next.
A little storm has erupted over promises from the European Union that Spain will have a veto on any post-Brexit trade deal between the EU and the UK affecting Gibraltar.
London Editor Denis Staunton has the latest on the British reaction to news, following over the top comments by former Conservative leader Michael Howard that they should go to war with Spain on the issue.
Political Editor Pat Leahy speaks about the parallels with Irish concerns over Brexit, while Guy Hedegcoe reports on the reaction in Spain, which has long claimed that Gibraltar is a tax haven to the detriment of the Spanish economy.
Later in the podcast, we go to Central European Correspondent Dan McLaughlin for details on a new law just passed by Hungary’s parliament that may force the renowned Central European University to leave Budapest, in what critics of Prime Minister Viktor Orban say is his latest attack on liberal institutions financed by billionaire George Soros.
He also reports on the landslide victory of Serbia’s Prime Minister Alexandar Vucic in the presidential elections.
On the eve of Theresa May's triggering of article 50, kick-starting the Brexit divorce proceedings, Denis Staunton reports from London where there have been attempts to wind down tensions as both sides prepare for negotiations.
Michel Barnier this week warned Britain of the colossal "bar bill" it must agree to pay to the EU before any negotiations on their future relationship can be held. That issue is still outstanding.
From the US, Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch has the latest on the spectacular failure of Paul Ryan to get Republicans on board with President Trump's healthcare plan.
Ryan's position is safe for the moment, but the fiasco has caused serious damage to the Speaker of the House of Representatives' credibility, she says.
After her bruising election defeat, Hillary Clinton, one of the most scrutinised women in history, may be "ready to come out of the woods", she told a St Patrick's Day event last week.
On this week's podcast we talk to Amy Chozick, a New York Times reporter who has written about Clinton's career since 2007, about the real Hillary Clinton as she observed her, the popular misconceptions that hindered Clinton's pursuit of the presidency, and what kind of future she may have planned.
She also talks about The New York Time's decision to label certain comments by the 45th president as lies, and the future of the Trump Administration.
Just as Theresa May prepares to pull the trigger on Article 50 and start Britain's departure from the EU, Scotland’s first minister has thrown a spanner in the works with plans for a second referendum on Scottish independence.
Denis Staunton reports from London, where the Brexit stakes have been raised by Nicola Sturgeon who will next week ask the Scottish parliament to get behind #IndyRef2.
Also on this week's podcast, our Berlin correspondent Derek Scally has the latest on the growing row over the Turkish government's attempts to hold rallies in European countries.
And, Asia correspondent Clifford Coonan reports on the strange details of the impeachment of South Korea's disgraced ex-president Park Geun-Hye.
Part One: President Trump has empowered immigration 'police' to deport more migrants. Now those with minor convictions or marks on their record are at risk. Fear is spreading among migrant communities, says Suzanne Lynch in Washington.
Part Two: Some of the content of Mark Zuckerberg's recently published 6,000 word manifesto on the future of Facebook strengthened suspicions that the powerful social media guru has political ambitions. Also among the optimistic ideas and platitudes, Irish Times Culture Editor Hugh Linehan found a creepy vision of future society.
Part One: Donald Trump's behaviour has whipped liberal opponents into a frenzy over the past weeks. But is his chaotic presidency really in crisis and facing a premature end? Not likely, says Fintan O'Toole, who talks to us from New Jersey.
Part Two (15:55): Mark Weiss on what a one-state solution in Israel might look like, the potential for Israel to become a "pariah state" like South Africa under apartheid, and the double-edged sword that President Trump's support represents for Netanyahu.
Speculation is mounting in Washington as to whose head will roll next in the Trump administration, after the resignation of national security adviser Michael Flynn on Monday night.
The president’s fiefdom is in chaos, with the precariousness of press secretary Sean Spicer’s position being highlighted in the US press, as well as that of Trump’s chief of staff Reince Priebus and his senior aide Stephen Miller.
Flynn’s resignation came after revelations he had discussed US sanctions on Russia with the Russian ambassador to the United States before Trump took office and misled Vice-president Mike Pence about the conversations.
On the latest World View podcast, our Washington Correspondent Suzanne Lynch asks whether President Trump knew about those talks at the time and if the whole palaver is indicative of ‘chaotic management’ in his administration.
Also on the podcast, Bill Corcoran has the latest from South Africa where parliament punch-ups are the order of the day and embattled ANC leader Jacob Zuma looks likely to have 783 corruption charges reinstated.
And, Clifford Coonan reports from Beijing on the apparent assassination of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un’s half-brother in Malaysia.
Donald Trump will have many critical dealings with the judiciary in the next four years, from picking Supreme Court justices to tweeting out criticism of those judges who oppose him. Ruadhán Mac Cormaic explains what is known about Trump's choice for SCOTUS, Neil Gorsuch, and why Democrats are in something of a bind over how to handle his nomination.
In Romania the government has been forced into an embarrassing climb-down only months after winning office. Its attempt to soften anti-corruption laws proved too galling for many Romanians and brought hundreds of thousands of protestors on to the streets. Dan McLaughlin reports.
On the podcast this week:
Denis Staunton in London about what Theresa May's visit to the US tells us about the “special relationship” between the UK and the US and also about Donald Trump’s international philosophy – what’s it with the war on the idea of multilateralism, for long the cornerstone of international relations?
Lara Marlowe in Paris on the surprise outcome of the socialist party presidential primary last weekend. The race is now dominated by political outsiders and a former PM who faces serious ethics charges.
And Patsy McGarry unravels an extraordinary row between Pope Francis and the powerful leadership of the ancient Order of Malta. The row, which began over a condom distribution programme, says much about the broader struggle between progressives and conservatives in the church today.
On the podcast this week:
Simon Carswell on Donald Trump's eventful first weekend in the White House and what's on the new President's agenda in the days ahead.
Stephen Starr on Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan using the state to build a bigger personal fiefdom.
And Clifford Coonan in Beijing talks to us about Foxconn, the behemoth manufacturer of iPhone and iPad screens, mainly in China. It has signalled an 'interest' in opening a plant in the United States. It will be music to the ears of Donald Trump - but is there any substance to it?
Theresa May's Brexit speech, a life of crime in the south of Spain and a report from Davos feature on this week's World View podcast.
Prime Minister May has finally given us a few clues as to how Britain will take leave of the EU. In Ireland her commitment to preserve an open border between North and South will be welcome. But does that tally with other commitments she has made? London Editor Denis Staunton heard contradictions and hostages to fortune in May's speech - and some inflammatory and condescending language that won't help negotiations down the line.
In last Saturday's Irish Times Guy Hedgecoe interviewed Jason Coghlan, an English former criminal turned 'legal advisor' to English speakers dwelling in the south of Spain, some of whom are Irish, and some of whom are involved in organised crime. Why do career criminals flock to that region in such numbers? It's not just the weather, Guy tells us.
The problems posed by globalisation must be faced up to by its leaders and proponents. That's the sense at this year's World Economic Forum, the annual carnival of capitalism in Davos, Switzerland, from where Suzanne Lynch reports.
Subscribe to World View in iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/ie/podcast/irish-times-world-view-podcast/id813704540?mt=2
Back in 2015 at the height of the migrant crisis in Europe, Chancellor Angela Merkel met Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and asked him what was being done about false reports on refugees appearing on his social network. He said he was working on it.
But in 2017 the issue of 'fake news' is seen as an ever-greater threat to centrist politics. A general election will take place in Germany this year and some there fear that false reports on social media platforms will be used as a weapon in that campaign, as it was seen to be in the bruising US presidential election.
On today's World View podcast our Berlin correspondent Derek Scally looks at the issue. What changes does the German government expect from social media platforms?
And picking up another theme of the digital age, we look at moves in France to ban after-hours contact between employers and employees.
Also on the podcast, our Middle East correspondent Michael Jansen on the prospects for peace in Syria in 2017 in the wake of the fall of Aleppo. Who are the main players now, and where do their loyalties really lie?
Happy New Year to all out listeners. To celebrate the end of 2016, we've asked some of our regular contributors to pick a cultural high points from the year that saw so many low points in world affairs.
Featuring:
- Denis Staunton on Glenda Jackson's performance as King Lear
- Lara Marlowe on a battlefield production of Frank McGuinness's Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme
- Derek Scally on Markings, the late UN secretary general Dag Hammarskjöld's book of personal reflections.
We hope you enjoy it. We'll return with our regular analysis next week.
Approaching the end of his tenure as Washington Correspondent for The Irish Times, Simon Carswell joins Patrick Smyth to reflect on a tumultuous period in America.
Happy Christmas and thanks to all our listeners in 2016.
Angela Merkel is expected to come under further pressure to take a hard line on law and order following Monday night’s attack on a Christmas market in Berlin, says Berlin Correspondent Derek Scally.
He spoke to The Irish Times World View podcast from the city where 12 people have been killed and 48 others injured, 18 of them seriously.
The German Chancellor is a leader on the defensive ahead of her bid for a fourth term in next year’s general election, says Scally, and events in Berlin could strike a major blow to her image as a safe pair of hands for her Christian Democrats (CDU).
From Israel, Mark Weiss has reaction on Donald Trump’s latest controversial appointment. Orthodox Jewish bankruptcy lawyer, David Friedman, is to be the next US ambassador to Israel, much to the dismay of liberal Jews and Palestinians alike.
Friedman is opposed to longstanding US issues and supports illegal settlements. He is also against a two-state solution and there is excitement among right-wing Israelis that this would be taken off the table completely when Trump assumes power.
Weiss told the podcast most people are adopting a ‘wait and see’ attitude, but there are fear that an unprecedented move of the US embassy in Tel Aviv to Jerusalem may happen under a Trump presidency, while Palestinians are worried that settlements will be given the green light.
Also in this podcast, presenter Patrick Smyth asks: are Alaska’s polar bears on the verge of extinction from uncontrolled global warming?
He recalled his trip to the village of Kaktovik in the Arctic Circle some years ago, where polar bears are now migrating in greater numbers as their search for food becomes more and more difficult due to climate change.
In Aleppo "the situation, which has been so horrifying for so long, is coming to an apex and possibly a very bloody conclusion," says Daniel Gorevan, Syria crisis policy director with Oxfam.
There are reports of government-allied militias going from house to house shooting civilians, says Daniel, while survivors describe their friends and family being "disappeared".
Daniel calls for a major humanitarian response to help those fleeing the besieged area, and for Western governments to apply pressure on Syria and Russia to assert control over the Syrian armed forces and militias.
Also on the podcast, Simon Carswell reports from Washington where the Donald Trump transition takes new and unexpected turns.
Reports of the appointment as Secretary of Energy of former Texas Governor Rick Perry, who once forgot the name of the Department of Energy while pledging to abolish it, will fuel further criticism of Trump's team.
And Trump's clash with intelligence agencies over suspected Russian interference in elections could complicate his appointment of Rex Tillerson as Secretary of State.
Finally to India, where last month Prime Minister Narendra Modi invalidated 86 per cent of all cash in circulation in an unexpected move targeting the black market.
We hear from our correspondent Rahul Bedhi about the chaos this drastic measure has caused in a country of 1.3 billion people where most business is done in cash. Did Modi fail to anticipate the problems, or does he simply not care?
South Korea’s National Assembly has voted to impeach president Park Geun-hye and suspended her authority after a corruption and influence peddling scandal that has seen huge protests in the capital Seoul.
Clifford Coonan explained how the scandal developed on a recent episode of World View.
Angela Merkel's announcement that face veils should be banned in public "wherever possible" shifts a reversal in her position on the issue and an attempt to fend off populist forces.
The remark will be welcomed by the conservative right wing of her Christian Democratic Party, who have been frustrated by her approach to the migrant crisis and whose support she need to win a strong new mandate to lead, says Berlin Correspondent Derek Scally on this week's World View podcast.
From Washington, Simon Carswell profiles the individuals Donald Trump has chosen for his cabinet, including his one-time opponent (and target for some particularly nasty criticism) Ben Carson and bullish ex-general James "Mad Dog" Mattis.
While his picks mainly show that President-elect Trump intends to reward loyalty shown during the campaign, they also offer clues as to whether he is serious about fulfilling promises made on issues like free trade and Obamacare to the white working class in Rust Belt states.
And from Rome, Paddy Agnew explains why Prime Minister Renzi's defeat in last weekend's referendum is not a judgement on the European Union, but will still embolden Italian Eurosceptics.
Francois Fillon has emerged as the centre-right contender for the 2017 french presidency. Who is Fillon and what are his views? His broadly Thatcherite views will give Marine la Pen plenty of points of discussion in the the lead up to the election, says Lara Marlowe.
Israel always has a vested interest in the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. This time around it would seem they got their preferred outcome with Trump having stated during his campaign that he intends to move the American embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. Will the seemingly pro-Israel Trump become a powerful ally or indifferent after victory? Our London editor Denis Staunton reports from Tel Aviv.
Since his death Fidel Castro's record has been praised and criticised in equal measure. What is Castro's lasting legacy in Cuba and latin America as whole? Journalist and author of 'The Cubans: Voices for change' Lynn Geldof recalls the 1980s in Cuba, a time when the impoverished country saw economic growth and some the positive effects of the socialist regime.
Having a "shaman adviser", as South Korean president Park Geun-hye does, is not as much of a problem for South Koreans as we here might expect, says our Beijing Correspondent Clifford Coonan. But Koreans do have a problem with political corruption, an alleged case of which now embroils the president and her adviser both.
Germany's new populist right "need a villain, a villainess, and Merkel is for them Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama rolled into one". So they won't mind that she has announced she'll run again next year, reports Derek Scally in Berlin.
VP-elect Mike Pence turned up at a broadway musical last week, where he was unexpectedly addressed by the cast on tolerance to Donald Trump's displeasure. Our theatre critic Peter Crawley talks about Pence's attendance at "Hamilton" and the theatre that ensued on stage and on Twitter.
The ripples set off by Donald Trump’s election across the Atlantic are feeding into Europe’s election cycle. We talk to Lara Marlowe in Paris and Derek Scally in Berlin about what this means for France’s presidential election next year and the rerun of Austria’s presidential election in December. In both cases, candidates of the far-right are expected to benefit from the tide of anti-politics sweeping the world.
And we talk to Hugh Linehan, Irish Times Culture Editor, about the seemingly irresistible rise of the far-right Breitbart news site and its former boss Steven Bannon, who has been appointed as Trump's chief adviser. Hugh explains the genesis of sites like Breitbart and the emergence of Bannon as the most effective practitioner of "alt-right" "journalism".
So, what now? How will president-elect Trump influence the world when in power? There are few certainties, and Trump has taken contradictory positions on many issues. But there are three points on which he has been consistent throughout his campaign and before, argues Tom Wright of the Washington think-tank Brookings Institute - and they should be cause for concern.
At home, President-elect Trump's tax policies might delight his GOP colleagues, but how will his plans to build an enormous wall and renew infrastructure at huge expense sit with the frugal Republicans? And to what extent can unified Republican government take advantage of three control of the Supreme Court? Graham Finlay of UCD, a political scientist and American, talks about Trump on the domestic political scene.
Donald Trump looks certain now to pull off one of the greatest upsets in political history by beating Hillary Clinton to the White House. How did he do it, and how did the pundits get it so wrong? Hugh Linehan talks to Simon Carswell and Ruadhan Mac Cormaic, who are in New York at the Trump and Clinton HQs.
Britain has hit a fresh snag on its way out the European door. As we know, Britain must trigger Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty to leave the EU. But today's court ruling that parliament must vote on Article 50 has the potential to severely complicate an already complex process, if not to derail it entirely. Denis Staunton reports on the significance of the ruling and what it means for Prime Minister Theresa May.
If and when Brexit does proceed, a high price will be exacted by Europe for continues access to the common market, predicts former director of communications to David Cameron, Craig Oliver. Before the court ruling came down, Mark Hennessy talked to Craig, who has released a book, "Unleashing Demons: The Inside Story of Brexit". He tells Mark why he feels the referendum was an inevitability, and where he believes it all went wrong.
Today's World View podcast features reports from Florida on the US presidential race, from Moscow on how the campaign is being viewed there, and a discussion of Ireland's role in UN nuclear policy.
With time running out to overtake Clinton, Donald Trump is visiting states seen as unlikely to vote for a Republican, like New Mexico, Michigan and Wisconsin, meaning there's less time to shore up support in what are seen as must-win states like Pennsylvania and Ohio.
He says he has internal polls that shows he can win those states. But does he really have a chance, or is it a sign of desperation? Ruadhan Mac Cormaic reports from Flordia, a must-win battleground state for Trump, where many of the billionaire's supporters say it is a question of choosing the lesser of two evils.
If Russian president Vladimir Putin had a vote in the election, his choice would be much easier. Between the alleged involvement of Russia in leaking Democratic Party emails, and the mutual appreciation of Trump and Putin, Russia and its president have played a huge role in this election.
But what does the campaign look like to the average Russian, who, says Isabel Gorst, feels "very hurt hurt by the criticism they face from America constantly"? As well as an element of schadenfreude, there is pleasure that a pro-Russian candidate could have got so far.
Last week and the UN general assembly, Ireland was among six nations to call for an international conference to negotiate a total prohibition on nuclear weapons. It was passed despite opposition from all known nuclear states.
UCD's Professor Ben Tonra talked to us about this new effort in the stalled campaign for nuclear disarmament and the evolution of Ireland's stance on nuclear weapons over the decades.
How influential would Elizabeth Warren be in a Clinton Administration? Maybe it is too early for that kind of talk, but with Trump still slumping in the polls, Hillary Clinton and the Democrats might be forgiven for thinking ahead to November 9th and down the ballot to Senate and House races. Simon Carswell reports.
They've been celebrating the 60th anniversary of a famous revolt against Soviet control in Budapest this weekend. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban unfavourably compares Brussels today with the Kremlin then. Daniel McLaughlin reports.
And Irish Times food critic Catherine Cleary, whose recent review of a pricey New York eatery did not pass unremarked-upon in The Irish Times' letters pages, describes what it is like to visit a restaurant with three Michelin Stars and the challenge that ranking system presents to restauranteurs.
Ahead of Wednesday's presidential debate in Las Vegas, an embattled Donald Trump seems to be preparing ground for defeat, going as far as questioning the veracity of the voting process itself. Ruadhán Mac Cormaic joins us on the line from Nevada.
Will the EU act "to stop the massacre of the population of Aleppo"? Our Brussels Correspondent Suzanne Lynch outlines the EU's largely ineffectual stance ahead of this Thursday's EU leader's summit.
Thailand's King Bhumibol Adulyadej was a constant source of diplomacy during a 70-year reign. Can his son Maha Vajiralongkorn leave his playboy lifestyle behind when he ascends to the throne next year? Our Asia Correspondent Clifford Coonan talks about the late monarch's special place in Thai society.
As pundits struggle to find the words to describe Donald Trump's performance in the US presidential election over the last week, Donald himself is continuing his campaign and leaving the Republican Party leadership in a lose-lose situation. Simon Carswell reports from the campaign trail in Ohio.
In Italy, a referendum on political reform, a cornerstone of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's efforts to fix the nation's creaking system, looks set to be voted down. What is the referendum about, and why might the people not trust their PM? Paddy Agnew reports from Rome.
British Prime Minister Theresa May has come off the fence on the side of a "hard" Brexit. But what does that mean, for life on these islands and for May politically? London Editor Denis Staunton has the latest. In Colombia the rejection by referendum voters of a peace deal with communist militia FARC has left the peace process there in doubt. How did it come to this? Tom Hennigan reports. “France gave me asylum,” said Oscar Wilde, who spent his last years in Paris, having been driven out of England in disgrace. Lara Marlowe talks about the writer's life there (which is the subject of a new exhibition) and the French capital's allure for Irish writers, from Beckett to Yeats.
On this bonus episode of World View we bring you reflections on the state of British politics post-Brexit, and on Englishness, immigration and the state of the Union, from the commentator, columnist and former Tory and Thatcher aide, Sir Ferdinand Mount. He has just published a book of his essays on English public figures in the last thirty years, entitled English Voices: Lives, Landscapes, Laments 1985–2015.
Ferdinand spoke to Irish Times News Editor Mark Hennessy.
Simon Carswell and Paddy Smyth look at last night's presidential debate between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton: - high and low points for both candidates - Clinton's canny debate strategy - Trump veering off message - where does the campaign go from here?
On World View this week: one year ago the EU laid out its plan for member states to take their fair share of asylum seekers. Today it is clear the plan has not worked. Ireland has taken only 69 of its promised 2,600 refugees. What's the hold-up? Ruadhán Mac Cormaic reports.
In part two, Derek Scally is on the line from Berlin, where Angela Merkel's CSU party had a poor result in elections last week. Her open-door policy for Syrian refugees is blamed for diminished party prospects, and she is moving to reassure voters that matters are in hand. But what does that mean for Germany, Europe and the migrants?
Uncertainty over the reported timeline of events culminating in Hillary Clinton's near-collapse outside a 9/11 commemoration has allowed her opponents to repeat the claim that she is not honest or trustworthy enough to be president. On this week's World View podcast Simon Carswell reports on the turn of events and how damaging they are to Clinton's campaign.
Also on the podcast, Suzanne Lynch looks at moves in Europe to forge closer security ties in the face of terror threats and the continuing influx of migrants. What will it mean for the EU and how much integration will be acceptable here in Ireland?
And Guy Hedgecoe, having spent the morning at the Toro de la Vega festival in Tordesillas, Spain, reports on how a new ban on the traditional slaughter of bulls at the festival has led to conflict between locals and animal rights activists, and why the future for bloodsports in Spain is looking increasingly bleak.
On the podcast this week: The minister with responsibility for Brexit, David Davis, yesterday gave a speech to the House of Commons on what progress is being made. Are we any clearer as a result? Not very much, says London Editor Denis Staunton, but there were some takeaways from the lengthy address.
Denis also explains why Prime Minister Theresa May has ruffled some feathers among Leave campaigners, and how Japanese firms with UK bases have made their feelings about what should happen next very clear.
Also on the show, Lara Marlowe reports from Paris where the mayor Anne Hidalgo has announced plans to set up two new camps for migrants, the first ever camps for migrants in the city. But will they be enough? Meanwhile to the north in Calais, the continuing existence of "the Jungle" with its 10,000 inhabitants is causing local tempers to fray.
Part One: After 52 years Farc rebels have lain down their weapons in Colombia. But the legacy of death and upheaval left by their conflict with the central government present a major challenge to future peace. Former Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore, now EU envoy to the Columbian peace process, explains how the settlement is designed to punish and reintegrate perpetrators without jeopardising the hard-won peace.
Part Two: From Irbil, capital of Iraqi Kurdistan, Ruadhri Giblin reports on a city with aspirations to westernise and modernise. But there are innumerable barriers to Kurdistan's progress, not least that their Peshmerga fighters will soon be taking part in an assault on Isis-controlled Mosul, just 50 miles away.
Part One: Middle East analyst Michael Jansen on the tragedy still unfolding in Syria and the significance of the battle for the divided city of Aleppo.
Part Two: Eight months of political paralysis in Spain may at last have been broken. If it hasn't, yet another fresh election may loom. Guy Hedgecoe reports.
Part Three: Badly-behaved tourists are a well-established phenomenon in this part of the world, but in China, for whose people global-trotting is a nascent hobby, reports of misbehaviour abroad have provoked a strong negative reaction at home. They're merely teething problems for a wonderful new industry, says Clifford Coonan.
Part One: Donald Trump's few electoral paths to the White House are growing fewer by the week as polls show him lagging in the key swing states. One of them is Pennsylvania where, with its history of economic stagnation, his message should be resonating. Why is he failing there? Simon Carswell reports.
Part Two: Scottish National Party MEP Alyn Smith sits down with Patrick to talk about Scotland and Northern Ireland's roles in Brexit negotiations and the prospect of another Indyref.
Part Three: Ideological provocation, or harmless compromise between religious faith and the need to take a dip? The Burkini has been banned by three municipal authorities in France who see it as the former. Lara Marlowe gives her take on the controversy.
The ANC, the political party of Nelson Mandela, has barely lost a vote since the end of apartheid in 1994. Now it has lost control of several districts in municipal elections, in what's being called a tipping point in the nation's political history. Bill Corcoran reports from Johannesburg.
Akihito, Emperor of Japan, is not allow to comment on Japanese politics or laws - including the law that established his own position. Therefore it was tricky for him to let the nation know that he'd quite like to retire at the age of 82, says David McNeill in Tokyo.
And here in our Dublin studio, Ruadhan Mac Cormaic explains how a new selection process for U.N. Secretary General allows potential replacements for Ban Ki-moon to get the message and drop out with dignity, if they lack support - but there's still room for plenty of politicking over the crucial appointment.
Could Donald Trump have really gone too far this time? London Editor Denis Staunton reports on his trip to Philadelphia, where Hillary Clinton's nomination party was overshadowed by yet more controversial remarks from Trump, this time criticising parents of a dead soldier. Has he holed his campaign under the water? Plus, what do Democrats make of Brexit - could it and Trump be two sides of one coin?
Find out everything you need to know about on-again, off-again nuclear power plant, Hinkley Point. Irish Times' resident boffin Dick Ahlstrom visits the studio to provide the backstory to this French-built, Chinese-financed, expensive, white elephant - is it any wonder Theresa May has hesitated with the green light? Or is it just another Brexit bargaining chip?
It's August and the EU is taking a badly needed holiday, as is our Europe Correspondent Suzanne Lynch. She nevertheless obliges with a report on what progress has been made in Brexit negotiations - it's a very, very short report. Suzanne also tells us about Julian King, the UK's new Commissioner, who has been handed the security brief.
Part One: Stephen Starr reports from Istanbul where the heavy crackdown on alleged plotters against President Erdogan is continuing.
Part Two: Bavaria, and its capital Munich, is reeling from four terrorist attacks in the last week. How much pressure will this heap on Angela Merkel, and how much can she withstand?
Part Three: Our Moscow Correspondent Isabel Gorst is in Dublin, so she visited the World View studio to talk about Vladimir Putin's swelling fan club of world leaders - and his standing among Russian citizens.
Part one: Following Turkey's failed coup, President Erdogan has seized the opportunity to purge his political opponents. Some eighteen thousand have been arrested at last count, is Erdogan forcing his agenda or did the plot go that deep? To offer some insight, Ruadhan Mac Cormaic reports from Istanbul.
Part two: "A most unconventional conventional", is how our Washington Correspondent Simon Carswell describes the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Plagiarized speeches and Nixon comparisons are just the beginning.
Part three: Lara Marlowe reports from a shell-shocked Nice. Tensions are still high with Arabs feeling scapegoated for last Thursday's Bastille day attack and support for the right-wing National Front on the increase.
Lara Marlowe reports from the scene of the attacks in Nice, France that have left 84 dead and hundreds injured.
Part One: Race relations in the United States, always fragile, hit a low point in the last week with the shooting of police officers in Dallas, in apparent retaliation for the shooting of African Americans. Simon Carswell reports on the aftermath of the bloodshed and how it is spilling over into the election campaign.
Part Two: Newly relected Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe may now attempt to change the constitution, brought in by the occupying Americans after World War Two, to remove stipulations including a prohibition on waging war and the powers of the Emperor. David McNeill reports from Tokyo.
Part Three: London Editor Denis Staunton on Theresa May's surprisingly straightforward ascent to Number 10.
Part One - Who will be the next Tory leader? Tough, pragmatic Theresa May, who has survived the 'political graveyard' of the Home Office longer than any other politician? Charming ideologue Michael Gove, whose reputation for courtesy belies a willingness to wield the political knife? Or Andrea Leadsom, a hardline Leaver? Denis Staunton reports from London.
Part Two (14:30)- Elvis Nilsson of Swedish paper Svenska Dagblad laments the departure of Britain, the country with whom Swedes - and Danes and Dutch and Norwegians - feel they have most in common.
Part Three (21:00) - Germany's leaders, 'inconsolable' at the news of Brexit, have many questions to ask themselves about their country's role in a diminished Europe. Derek Scally joins us from Berlin to look at Angela Merkel's hardening stance on Brexit negotiations the remergence of an old idea: a "two-speed Europe".
Historian Timothy Garton Ash has called Brexit the “upending of politics and middle-class assumptions in both the developed and the developing worlds". On World View Patrick Smyth and a panel discuss the significance of Brexit in historical terms, Britain's relationship with Europe, and some of the practical implications for Britian, Europe and Ireland.
On the panel are Denis Staunton, Suzanne Lynch, Paul Gillespie and Ruadhán Mac Cormaic.
Irish Times correspondents Denis Staunton, Suzanne Lynch and Amanda Ferguson report from London, Brussels and Belfast on Britain's vote to leave the European Union that has shocked the world this morning.
Part 1: With the vote for Britain's membership of EU imminent Paddy Smyth speaks with our London Editor Denis Staunton about the reaction from both sides to the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox, Cameron's middle England appeal and what next for the PM should the Leave vote prevail.
Part 2: Kevin Cullen of the Boston Globe joins us on the line to talk about the mood of the presidential campaign in the wake of the Orlando killings, Trump's unique ability to campaign on a shoestring and whether divisions in the Democratic voter base will cost them dear.
Part 3: With oil prices dropping, panic has begun to grip Venezuela with food in scarce supply. Our South American correspondent Tom Hennigan discusses the huge problems facing Maduro's regime at the end of the oil boom with looting and food riots now becoming a daily occurrence.
The vote that may profoundly change Europe is one week away, and on this special edition of World View we look at the campaign, the polls and the voters.
In London Denis Staunton reports on how discredited UK pollsters are trying to up their game ahead of next Thursday's vote.
Newton Emerson says this is a political event without precedent in Northern Ireland - a non-sectarian, ideological question. How will it work in a country where people are "born into their political views"?
And Suzanne Lynch is travelling around England, meeting with voters and taking the temperature of constituencies from urban Muslims to rural farmers. She has found a well-informed, but utterly divided nation.
Part One: Simon Carswell updates us on the Clinton and Trump campaigns. Clinton is upping her game, while Trump is... still Trump.
Part Two (15.30): Leave is ahead in some polls and Brexit is beginning to look less unlikely. How are the Brexiteers doing it? Denis Staunton reports.
Part Three (23.50): Micheal Jansen explains the ancient sectarian divides that feed into the ongoing struggle for regional dominance between Iran and Saudi Arabia.
Will strikes in France scupper the travel plans of millions headed for the Euro 2016? The strikes are intensifying at the worst possible time, but there is cause for optimism, reports Lara Marlowe.
To explain how Trump has gone from no-hope candidate to nominee, and what the divisive billionaire needs to do in the next phase of the race, Irish Times columnist Fintan O'Toole, fresh from a three month residency in Boston, is in studio.
And from Hong Kong our China Correspondent Clifford Coonan describes the sensitive reaction there to global criticism of a racist advertisement broadcast that went viral last week.
On this week's World View podcast Mark Weiss reports from Jerusalem where the appointment of a controversial politician as defence minister marks a shift to the right for Benyamin Netanyahu against a background of increasing tensions between the government and the army.
Vienna-based journalist Eric Frey is on the line from Austria, where the narrowest of defeats for Norbert Hofer in the presidential election may only be a bump in the road for far-right Freedom Party of Austria's goal of winning power.
And Beijing-based journalist Didi Kirsten Tatlow has been writing about the legacy of Mao's Cultural Revolution, which led to the deaths of millions of Chinese 50 years ago.
Back in April Berlin Correspondent Derek Scally reported on Austrian far-right presidential candidate Norbert Hofer, his policies and his party, the Freedom Party of Austria, (FPÖ) after Mr Hofer won the first round of voting on April 24th, 2016.
Part One: As the UK debates leaving the EU, other member states marked Europe Day by pressing the case for a future of further integration. Suzanne Lynch reports.
Part Two: (13:30) Amidst accusations of malfeasance, Brazil's Congress voted to impeach the president Dilma Rousseff. But what of the Congress itself? Its 594 members, including suspected violent criminals and a clown named Grumpy, are grouped into 28 different political parties, often for the sake of convenience over any ideological attachment. It's a setup that makes for a deeply corrupt and dysfunctional governance. Tom Hennigan reports from Sao Paolo.
Part Three: (38:20)On Monday president-elect of the Philippines Rodrigo Duterte announced he would reintroduce hanging for capital offences and bring communist guerrillas into his cabinet, conjuring up memories of previous strongman Ferdinand Marcos. Former Irish Times journalist David Shanks recalls the Marcos' regime.
In France extremist fighters, imprisoned on their return from Syria, are being sent to 'deradicalisation centres' to bring them back into the fold of French society. How does it work? Doesn't it sound a bit like "A Clockwork Orange'? Lara Marlowe reports on that story from Paris, and also on the unpopular, teetering government of Francoise Hollande.
In Turkey President Recep Erdgoan has sacked his Prime Minister in a move seen as a consolidation of his increasingly authoritarian control. Stephen Starr reports from Istanbul.
And Derek Scally is in Poland where a constitutional crisis rumbles on over moves by the authoritarian right-wing Law & Justice party to appoint justices to the Constitutional Court.
The row about anti-Semitism in the British Labour Party has become an exercise in name-calling, but behind the politics lies a thorny issue for public discourse in Europe and the Middle East. How are anti-Semitism and and anti-Zionism defined, and where do they overlap? Where is the line between legitimate criticism and abuse? To discuss, London Editor Denis Staunton, journalist and campaigner with Gaza Action Ireland Harry Browne and Yanky Fachler of the Jewish Representative Council of Ireland are in studio.
Part One: Donald Trump has appointed a new campaign manager. Is he about to introduce a more measured, muted Trump? Is such a thing possible? He might moderate his positions but the evidence suggests insults will continue to fly, says Simon Carswell.
Part Two: Austria has moved one step closer to electing a far-right president after first round voters across the country picked Austrian Freedom Party's Norbert Hofer. But unlike when Jorg Haider's inclusion in Austria's government shocked her neighbours in 2000, no-one is very surprised - a sign of the times in Europe. Derek Scally is on the line from Berlin.
Part Three: Patrick Smyth visited the observation platforms, secret tunnels and tourist shops of Korea's Demilitarized Zone last week. World View presents his report on conditions at the narrow strip of land separating North and South - and its unexpected Irish connection.
The vote to impeach Brazilian president Dilma Rousseff has left the country in crisis. Rouseff's supporters are calling it a coup, albeit one within the confines of the constitution. Where do Rousseff and Brazil go from here?
(12.15)Bernie Sanders may be beloved by youthful Democrats, but it is likely that the New York primary will end his run of victories and consolidate Hillary Clinton's grip on the nomination, reports Simon Carswell.
(21.30) And in Syria, The Commission for International Justice and Accountability was established in 2012 to establish links between the top brass in Bashar al-Assad's regime and the detention, torture and murder of suspected opponents, through the collection of the regime's own internal documents. New Yorker journalist Ben Taub, who broke the story, explains how the documents have shed light on shocking atrocities and Assad's own role in the murder of hundreds of thousands of his citizens.
The podcast that brings you news from The Irish Times' global network of correspondents.
Part one: Damian Mac Con Uladh in Greece and Suzanne Lynch in Strasbourg on the EU-Ankara deal to return migrants from Greece to Turkey.
Part two: Denis Staunton on David Cameron's handling of the Panama Papers leak that linked his family to offshore wealth, and what effect it might have on his efforts to lead the Remain campaign.
Part three: with one crisis after another besetting the European Union, Professor Ulrik Guerot of the European Democracy Lab think tank believes that more unification is the answer, not less. Derek Scally interviews her in Berlin.
The Panama Papers have revealed how close some global leaders are to a vast network of offshore wealth, insulated from prying eyes and domestic taxes by the now-famous law firm Mossack Fonseca. Dan McLaughlin and Clifford Coonan report on what the leaked documents reveal about Russian President Vladimir Putin, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Chinese Premier Xi Jinping, and the attempts to deflect criticism by pointing the finger at a Western conspiracy.
Meanwhile South African president Jacob Zuma faces an impeachment vote over his failure to repay state money spent on his private residence. The scandal is arguably the biggest yet to hit the president, who has fended off accusations of corruption, influence peddling and even rape since before he took office in 2009. Bill Corcoran reports from Cape Town.
In part one of this edition of World View Tom Wright joins us on the line from Washington to discuss Donald Trump's long held views on foreign policy and how his "America first" approach could prove dangerous and destabilizing should he become president.
Holy but imperfect, in part two Paddy Smyth is joined in studio by Religious Affairs correspondent Patsy McGarry to talk about Mother Teresa's imminent canonization.
European Correspondent Suzanne Lynch speaks to us amid the aftermath of the terrorist attacks on Brussels.
Our man in Havana Simon Carswell is on the line to discuss President Barack Obama's groundbreaking visit to Cuba.
Tom Hennigan reports from Brazil where ex-President Lula is under investigation for corruption and the implications that could have for current president Dilma Rousseff.
In part one David McNeill talks about how Japan are marking the five year anniversary of the devastating tsunami and the costly recovery from the resulting nuclear disaster.
In part two Derek Scally looks at the upsurge in support for the right wing AfD party following the German state elections and whether this should be a cause for concern for Angela Merkel.
And in part three: who knows the true identity of Booker-nominated novelist Elena Ferrante? Rosie Scammell is on the line from Rome to discuss the mystery of the Italian novelist.
In part one Suzanne Lynch sheds some light on a new deal the E.U. has brokered with Turkey in an effort to ease the migrant crisis gripping the Eastern Mediterranean.
In part two Dan McLaughlin reports on the troubling rise of the far right in Slovakia where an unapologetically Nazi party has won eight seats in parliament.
And in part three Beijing correspondent Clifford Coonan reports on China's recent decision to heavily censor all television content.
In part one Simon Carswell reports on the victories for Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton in the Super Tuesday primaries that leave the two with considerable - but not insurmountable - leads for the nominations of their respective parties.
In part two Guy Hedgecoe reports from Madrid on the ongoing struggle of the four main parties there to form a government four months after an election - a difficulty that will resonate in Ireland, where an inconclusive election result has just been delivered by voters tired of years of austerity.
And in part three London Editor Denis Staunton and Paul Gillespie discuss the many understandings of British and Scottish identity and and how they may play a large role in what decision is taken on Brexit in June.
Dan McLaughlin reports from the Greek-Macedonian border on the unhappy situation there for many migrants who are being refused entry to Macedonia.
Gerry Moriarty explains attitudes to Brexit in Northern Ireland, where support and opposition for remaining in the EU is complicated by the region's relationship with the Republic.
And Davin O'Dwyer explains why Apple is resisting a bid by the US Federal Government to force it to hack into a terrorist's iPhone. What are the stakes for global privacy?
Can David Cameron convince the rest of Europe to accept the deal with which he wants to fight Brexit? An EU summit on Thursday will decide whether he can start the domestic campaign against an exit vote in earnest. Suzanne Lynch and Denis Staunton explain what is at stake.
The death of US Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has focused the minds of Democrats and Republicans on the importance of controlling the court, and by extension of winning the White House. Ruadhan Mac Cormaic and Simon Carswell discuss the situation, and how the Supreme Court of Ireland differs.
The Syrian rebel stronghold of Aleppo is almost encircled now by Bashar al-Assad's forces. Foreign Affairs Correspondent Ruadhán Mac Cormaic details how the tide has turned against the rebels and the major role played by Russia.
In part two, Paris Correspondent Lara Marlowe explains why the French are up in arms about changes to their spelling.
Plus: Bernie Sanders is the best known American socialist, but he's not the only one. Seattle city council member Kshama Sawant was in Dublin last week and spoke with Paddy about life on the left in the U.S.A. and why Bernie is wrong to run as a Democrat.
Washington Correspondent Simon Carswell reports from Iowa where Democratic and Republican caucuses have produced a number of suprising results. Cruz managed to beat Trump but the big winner of the night was Marco Rubio who cemented his position as the establishment candidiate.
London Editor Denis Staunton has read the draft deal on Brexit and outlines the main points.
And Danish Radio EU Correspondent Ole Ryborg discusses the hardline attitude towards migrants in Denmark and what real motives lie behind them.
From Rome Paddy Agnew reports on a bill to introduce civil unions recognising same sex relationships to Italy. The Pope has intervened in the debate, but how much sway does the Catholic Church still hold?
Is time up for Venezuela's socialist revolution? The fall in oil prices has caused spiraling debt and hyper-inflation in a country already weakened by decades of populist Chavismo governance, says Tom Hennigan.
Whats's in a name? Michael Jansen sheds further light on the dispute over the naming of a body of water and the long history of tension between Saudi Arabia and Iran.
The wealthiest 62 individuals now have as much wealth as half of the rest of us - 3.6 billion people. That's according to an Oxfam report on inequality released this week. Jim Clarken of Oxfam Ireland and Foriegn Affairs Correspondent Ruadhan Mac Cormaic discuss the implications of this striking inequality and whether it is responsible for poverty.
In part two Washington Correspondent Simon Carswell looks at Senator Bernie Sanders' uptick in the polls. Can he really challenge Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination?
Derek Scally discusses the political and social fallout from the robberies and sexual assaults of women in Cologne and Hamburg on New Years Eve.
Tsafrir Cohen of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation gives his view on the controversy over a novel about a romantic relationship between a Palestinian man and a Jewish woman, which has shot to the top of Israel’s best-seller list after the education ministry banned it from high-school curriculums, saying it encouraged assimilation.
And Clifford Coonan, en route to Taipei from his base in Beijing, reports on the upcoming election in Taiwan which comes at a sensitive time for the island nation's relationship with China.
In part one Middle East Analyst Michael Jansen explains the complex background to the escalating tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia over the latter's execution last week of a prominent Shia cleric.
In part two David McNeill is on the line from Tokyo to report on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzō Abe's apology to Korea for the sexual enslavement of Korean women by members of the Japanese military during the Second World War.
2015 was a tumultuous one in world affairs as leaders struggled to cope with a range of problems, from political unrest and economic instability to global warming and the rise of violent extremism.
Foreign Policy Editor Patrick Smyth asked our correspondents to reflect on a few of the individuals who played key roles in major events for a special episode of World View.
The Greek economy and the refugee crisis presented the EU with two unprecedented challenges in 2015. European Correspondent Suzanne Lynch and Dr Paul Gillespie join Paddy Smyth to look back at a most difficult year for the European institutions. They also discuss what Brexit would mean for the EU.
In part two: a landslide in China that left 85 people missing is just the latest environmental catastrophe there that can be traced back to human negligence. Beijing Correspondent Clifford Coonan makes a rare appearance in The Irish Times studio to report on the major environmental problems China faces, particularly in his home city.
Guy Hedgecoe reports from Madrid on the forthcoming general election in Spain, where Mariano Rajoy's centre-right party looks likely to outpoll its three rivals but may be forced into coalition with one of them.
In part two Washington Correspondent Simon Carswell profiles Texas Senator Ted Cruz, "further right than Trump", who is polling ahead of his erstwhile campaign trail buddy in the critical Iowa primary.
This week's podcast looks at the rise of far-right, anti-migration politics in Europe.
From Paris Lara Marlowe reports on the success of Marine Le Pen's anti-migrant, anti-Islam National Front party in regional elections, the normalisation of far-right politics in France and the crumbling alliance of traditional parties to keep Le Pen from power.
From Stockholm Derek Scally reports on Sweden Democrats, a party with neo-Nazi roots who are appealing to voters concerned with the influx of migrants, and the far-right Danish People's Party.
In this 100th episode of World View Paddy Smyth talks to Frank McDonald in Paris and Harry McGee in Dublin about Cop 21 and Ireland's part in it.
Later in the podcast he talks to Tom Hennigan in Brazil about the latest corruption scandal there.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is presented by Paddy Smyth and produced by Sinead O'Shea.
In this week's World View podcast Paddy Smyth discusses the rise of Europe's young jihadists with Middle East analyst Michael Jansen, Denis Staunton in London and Suzanne Lynch in Brussels.
Later in the podcast he chats to Paddy Agnew in Rome about the start of the Vatican leaks trial and the Pope's upcoming trip to Africa.
In this week's World View Paddy Smyth explores the aftermath of the Paris attacks with Lara Marlowe, Vincent Durac and Paul Gillespie.
Later in the podcast Paddy speaks to Suzanne Lynch in Brussels to hear more about the latest news on the attacks from there.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is presented by Paddy Smyth and produced by Sinead O'Shea.
In this special edition of World View Paddy Smyth hears from Ruadhan MacCormaic and Lara Marlowe in Paris, Suzanne Lynch from Brussels, and Denis Staunton from London.
Together they discuss what is known about these attacks, and their likely implications.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is presented by Paddy Smyth and produced by Sinead O'Shea.
In this week's World View podcast Patrick Smyth discusses the aftermath of the Burmese elections with Ruadhan Mac Cormaic. Later in the podcast he is joined by Dan McLaughlin to hear about the Bucharest nightclub fire which has so far resulted in 46 deaths. The tragedy has led to mass protests and the resignation of the Prime Minister and his Cabinet.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is produced by Sinead O'Shea and presented by Patrick Smyth.
This week Paddy is joined from Beijing by Clifford Coonan who reports on the lifting of China's one-child policy and whether it will be enough to kickstart population growth in the greying country. The also look at phenomena from forced abortions to "Little Emperors" that have arisen from the decades-old restriction.
In part two (8.39) Washington Correspondent Simon Carswell looks at the increasingly competitive race for the Republican nomination, in which non-politician Ben Carson has seemingly overtaken non-politician Donald Trump. Meanwhile a little further down the poll, there's a battle taking place between slumping Jeb Bush and ascendent Marco Rubio. Who is Rubio, and can he win?
In this episode of World View Patrick Smyth discusses the momentum of the Brexit referendum campaign with Denis Staunton and Paul Gillespie.
In the second half of the podcast Derek Scally presents an audio column from Warsaw in the aftermath of the Polish elections which he describes as the replacement of one right leaning government for another.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is produced by Sinead O'Shea and presented by Patrick Smyth.
In this edition of World View Patrick Smyth discusses the prospects for COP21 and France's determination to lead the charge against global warming with Harry McGee and Diarmuid Torney, author of European Climate Leadership in Question: Policies toward China and India. They also evaluate Ireland's role in this issue.
Later in the podcast Patrick is joined by Lara Marlowe in France and they consider the recent decision there by some councils to remove a non pork option from school menus for Muslim children.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is presented by Patrick Smyth and produced by Sinead O'Shea.
In this week's World View Paddy Smyth hears about life for Syrian refugees in Jordan with Ruadhan MacCormaic following his visit there last week. They also discuss Jordan's approach to the refugee crisis and its standing within the international community.
In the second half of the podcast Paddy Smyth analyses the aftermath of the bombing in Ankara which is now believed to have been the work of Islamic State. He is joined by Stephen Starr in Turkey, Suzanne Lynch in Brussels and Ruadhan MacCormaic in Dublin.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs. It is produced by Sinead O'Shea and presented by Paddy Smyth.
In this week's World View podcast Foreign Policy Editor Patrick Smyth takes over presenting duties from Denis Staunton. He begins with an essay by Derek Scally on the twin crises besetting Germany as it celebrates twenty five years of reunification.
Later in the podcast he is joined by Simon Carswell to discuss the latest shooting atrocities in the U.S. and their possible impact on the presidential elections.
Finally Paddy hears from Patsy McGarry in Rome on the opening of the Vatican's Synod of the Family.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is presented by Patrick Smyth and produced by Sinead O'Shea.
In this week's World View Denis Staunton discusses the shift in U.S. policy towards Syria with Paddy Smyth, Michael Jansen and Isabel Gorst in Moscow.
In the second part of the podcast Denis and Paddy analyse the victory of pro-independence parties in Catalonia's unofficial referendum last weekend. They are joined by Guy Hedgecoe in Madrid.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is produced by Sinead O'Shea and presented by Denis Staunton.
In this week's World View Denis Staunton discusses the victory of Tspiras and Syriza in the Greek elections with Damian Mac Con Uladh in Athens and Paddy Smyth in Dublin.
Later in the podcast Denis and Paddy hear about the migrant crisis in Croatia with Dan McLaughlin in Vukovar.
Inside Politics is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is produced by Sinead O'Shea and presented by Denis Staunton.
In this week's World View podcast Denis Staunton discusses the election of Jeremey Corbyn and what it means for the UK, EU and Scotland. He is joined by Alex Massie and Paull Gillespie.
In the second half of the podcast analyses the latest developments in the EU migrant crisis which this week looks to have lost pace. Paul Gillespie remains in studio and Suzanne Lynch participates also from Brussels.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is produced by Sinead O'Shea and presented by Denis Staunton.
In this week's edition of World View Sinead O'Shea discusses the EU proposal to accept more refugees with Suzanne Lynch in Strasberg. Denis Staunton talks about China's military might with Clifford Coonan in Bejing.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast.
Dan McLaughlin reports from the Hungarian-Serbian border, the crossing point for thousands of refugees fleeing Africa and the Middle East in the hope of reaching the EU.
He explains the political significance of Hungary's razor-wire fence, the closing of Budapest's main train station to those lacking travel visas, and how the EU's unwelcoming stance is bewildering to refugees looking for a way through.
In this week's World View podcast Denis Staunton discusses the progress of the U.S Presidency race with Foreign Policy Editor Patricky Smyth and U.S. correspondent Simon Carswell.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is produced by Sinead O'Shea and presented by Denis Staunton.
This week's podcast discuses the explosion in Tianjin, China and its broader implications for the Chinese economy. Denis Staunton is joined by Bejing correspondent Clifford Coonan.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is produced by Sinead O'Shea and presented by Denis Staunton.
The presidential race in Argentina is hotting up, with a first-round result giving hope to opponents of the ruling Victory Party and a drug scandal involving one of its members threatening to tarnish its candidate Daniel Scioli and outgoing President Cristina Kirchner. Tom Hennigan reports from São Paulo.
In Yemen, conflict between the Hadi government and Houthi rebels continues. Saudi Arabia, leading a US-backed Arab coalition, is supporting Hadi's military with an aerial bombing campaign that has killed and wounded thousands of civilians. Dr Natalie Roberts, Emergency Coordinator for Médecins Sans Frontières in Yemen explains the challenges MSF faces there.
World View is a weekly podcast presented by Denis Staunton. This week's episode is produced by Declan Conlon. Sinead O'Shea is on leave.
In this week's podcast Denis Staunton discusses the anniversaries of the Nagasaki and Hiroshima bombings with David McNeill in Hiroshima. Later in the podcast he previews the Catalan vote for potential independence with Guy Hedgecoe in Madrid.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is produced by Sinead O'Shea and presented by Denis Staunton.
In this week's World View podcast Denis Stauntons hears about conditions in Damascus from Michael Jansen, and discusses the latest developments from within the EU with Suzanne Lynch.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is produced by Sinead O'Shea and presented by Denis Staunton.
In this edition of World View Denis Staunton discusses the impact of the bombing at Suruc in Turkey and its likely effect on Turkish/Islamic State relations. He is joined by Michael Jansen and Al Jazeera correspondent Mohammed Jamjoom.
Later in the podcast Denis examines the German state of mind regarding the EU and Greece with Berlin correspondent Derek Scally.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast presented by Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O'Shea.
This week Denis Staunton analyses the Greek deal and what it means for the future of the EU. He is joined by Suzanne Lynch in Brussels, Ruadhan MacCormaic in Athens and Cliff Taylor, Paddy Smyth and Fintan O'Toole in Dublin .
Later in the podcast he discusses the latest phase of the Iran nuclear talks with Michael Jansen, Paddy Smyth and Simon Carswell in Washington.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is produced by Sinead O'Shea and presented by Denis Staunton.
In this episode of World View Denis Staunton discusses the no vote in the Greek referendum within the context of the EU structure. He is joined by Ruadhan MacCormaic, Paddy Smyth, Suzanne Lynch, Paul Gillespie and Cliff Taylor.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast presented by Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O'Shea.
This week Chris Dooley discusses the Greek debt crisis with Suzanne Lynch in Brussels and Damian Mac Con Uladh in Athens. He also hears about the latest from Tunisia with Lara Marlowe in Sousse where a gun attack last week resulted in the deaths of 38 foreign tourists.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast produced by Sinead O'Shea and presented by Denis Staunton.
This week Denis Staunton analyses the latest round of EU/Greek talks with Paddy Smyth, Cliff Taylor, Suzanne Lynch in Brussels and Ruadhan MacCormaic in Athens.
He also hears from Dan McLaughlin in Szeged on the Hungarian border with Serbia about the efforts of the Hungarian government to keep migrants out of the country.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast presented by Denis Staunton and prodcued by Sinead O'Shea.
In part one of this week's podcast Denis Staunton is joined by Washington Correspondent Simon Carswell and Foreign Affairs Editor Patrick Smyth to look at Jeb Bush's presidential candidacy declaration, Hillary Clinton's continued domination on the Democratic side, and whether their dynastic status harms their chances of winning the race.
In part two Jerusalem Correspondent Mark Weiss and Foreign Affairs Correspondent Ruadhán Mac Cormaic discuss how the growing Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement is affecting Israel, and the Israeli reaction.
Turkey's long-ruling AK party unexpectedly lost its parliamentary majority in elections last week. Stephen Starr reports from Istanbul on the fallout for President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the prospect of a coalition government. Foreign Affairs Correspondent Ruadhán Mac Cormaic is in studio to analyse what the result may mean for Turkey's global relationships and waning EU membership hopes.
Greece was on high on the agenda at the G7 summit in Bavaria last weekend. Berlin Correspondent Derek Scally is on the line to report on the stricken country's negotiations with the EU and IMF to secure the release of emergency funds, and whether patience is running out with Prime Minster Alexis Tsipras.
This week Chris Dooley hears about David Cameron's campaign for EU reforms from Mark Hennessy and Suzanne Lynch and he discusses the Turkish elections with Stephen Starr in Istanbul.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast produced by Sinead O'Shea and presented by Denis Staunton.
Recent gains by ISIS in Iraq have led to criticism of both the Iraqi army by the Obama administration, and of Obama's foreign policy by his political opponents at home. Simon Carswell joins Chris Dooley to discuss the growing support for an increased US military role in Iraq.
Clifford Coonan reports on reaction to the discovery of mass graves containing the bodies of Rohingya Muslims in Malaysia, and how the regional governments are handling this humanitarian crisis.
And from Madrid Guy Hedgecoe tells Chris about the new political landscape in Spain, following recent elections that seem to have ended the status quo of a two party system.
This week Denis Staunton discusses the latest situation in Macedonia with Erwan Fouere who served there previously as EU ambassador. He also hears about Modi's first year in office from Rahul Bedi in New Delhi.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is produced by Sinead O'Shea and presented by Denis Staunton.
In this week's edition of World View Denis Staunton discusses the options for the UK's participation in the EU after the latest elections with Paddy Smyth and Paul Gillespie and Daithi O'Ceallaigh who have edited a new book on the subject called Britain and Europe: The Endgame - An Irish Perspective.
Later Denis hears about the plans for an arms fair in Japan and its broader implications with David McNeill in Tokyo.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is produced by Sinead O'Shea and presented by Denis Staunton.
Denis Staunton discusses the extraordinary election results from the UK with Paddy Smyth, Mark Hennessy and Alex Massie.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast produced by Sinead O'Shea and presented by Denis Staunton.
In this week's podcast Denis Staunton discusses the latest from the UK elections with Prof. Colin Talbot, London correspondent Mark Hennessy and Foreign Policy Editor Paddy Smyth.
Later he hears about new developments within the Saudi royal family from Michael Jansen.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. Is is produced by Sinead O'Shea and presented by Denis Staunton.
In this week's edition of World View Denis Staunton discusses the latest talks between Greece and the EU, and the replacement of Greek Finance Minister Yanis Varoufakis as leader of the debt talks. Denis is joined by Suzanne Lynch, Damian Mac Con Uladh and Paddy Smyth.
Later in the podcast he and Paddy hear from Rahul Bedi about the attempts being made to help those in Nepal.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is presented by Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O'Shea.
This week Denis Staunton discusses the loss of up to 950 people at the weekend off the coast of Libya with Paddy Smyth, Suzanne Lynch in Brussels and Paddy Agnew who is at the Cara di Mineo Refugee Camp in Sicily.
In the second half of the programme Denis analyses the latest from the UK elections with Mark Hennessy in Ramsgate.
World View is a weekly foreign affairs podcast. It is presented by Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O'Shea.
This week Chris Dooley is joined by Clinton confidant and IrishCentral founder Niall O'Dowd and The Irish Times' foreign policy editor Patrick Smyth to discuss Hillary Clinton's campaign for president, the growing field of Republican candidates that may challenge her should she win the nomination, and the high financial cost of running.
Plus Derek Scally is on the line from Helsinki, where upcoming elections are likely to return a conservative coalition and with it austerity measures aimed at correcting a €6 billion budget deficit. They discuss Finland's economic troubles, its political landscape and its changing relationships with Europe and Russia.
Denis Staunton is on leave.
This week Denis hears about the situation in the Yarmouk refugeee camp in Damascus which has fallen under the control of Islamic State. He discusses it with Chris Gunness from UNRWA and Michael Jansen.
He also analyses the latest prospects for the SNP in the upcoming British elections with Mark Hennessy in Scotland.
This week Denis Staunton discusses the burgeoning crisis in Yemen with Peter Salisbury and Michael Jansen. In the second part of the programme he analyses the start of the British election campaign with Mark Hennessy and Paddy Smyth.
Denis is joined by Mark Weiss from Jerusalem and Simon Carswell from Washington to talk about Netanyahu's victory in the election and increasing tensions with The White House. Plus, Simon gives the background to Texas Republican Ted Cruz's campaign for the presidency.
In this edition of World View Chris Dooley discusses the latest events in Russia and Ukraine with Dan McLaughlin in Crimea and Isabel Gorst in Moscow. He also hears about life in Syria from Michael Jansen in Damascus.
This week Denis discusses the Israeli elections with Mark Weiss and Ruadhan MacCormaic. He also analyses Junckers potential idea for a European army with Paddy Smyth, Suzanne Lynch and Derek Scally.
This week Denis Staunton discusses the fallout from the Boris Nemtsov killing with Paddy Smyth in Dublin and Isabel Gorst in Moscow. He also hears about the political tensions in the Maldives where former President Mohamed Nasheed faces another hearing. He is joined by Mary Boland and Maldivian journalist Azra Naseem.
In this week's edition of World View Denis discusses the latest Greek deal from Brussels with European Correspondent Suzanne Lynch and Greek Correspondent Damian Mac Con Uladh. Plus he analyses the current situation in Egypt with human rights activist Scott Long and writer Sharif Nashashibi.
This week Denis discusses the latest from Ukraine with Dan McLaughlin in Slovyansk and security issues for Jewish people in Europe with Paddy Smyth and Mark Weiss.
This week Denis discusses the next moves for Putin and Merkel in Ukraine with Jane Ann McKenna from Medecins Sans Frontieres, Paul Gillespie, Derek Scally in Berlin and Dan McLaughlin from Ukraine.
He also chats about AAP's huge election result in Delhi with Rahul Bedi.
This week Denis Staunton is joined by Paddy Smyth, Guy Hedgecoe and David McNeill to discuss the options for Podemos in the wake of Syriza's election victory and the aftermath for Japan and it's government following the killing of two Japanese hostages by Islamic State.
This week Denis Stauton measures reaction across Greece, Europe and Ireland to the election of Syriza. He is joined by Damian Mac Con Uladh in Athens, Suzanne Lynch in Brussels and Arthur Beesley, Paddy Smyth and Paul Gillespie in Dublin.
In this week's show Denis reviews the new security measures being adopted across Europe in the wake of the Paris attacks. He is joined by European correspondent Suzanne Lynch.
This week Denis examines the causes and consequences of last week's Paris attacks with Lara Marlowe, Paddy Smyth and Vincent Durac.
This week Denis discusses the possibility of a Greek exit from the euro with Damian MacConUladh in Greece, Derek Scally in Berlin and Paul Gillespie and Cliff Taylor in Dublin.
Denis Staunton, Paddy Smyth and Paul Gillespie anticipate what will make the news in 2015.
This week Denis Staunton discusses the persecution of Christians across the world with Patsy McGarry and Michael Jansen.
This week Denis discusses the successful snap election called by Abe in Japan and Erdogan's crackdown in Turkey. He is joined by Paddy Smyth, David McNeill and Stephen Starr.
This week Denis Staunton discusses the Israeli elections with Paddy Smyth and Mark Weiss.
This week Denis hears from Asia Correspondent Clifford Coonan on the resurgence of pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong, and whether the movement can sustain itself. He also discusses the successes of radical left parties in Europe, and how they resonate with the social movements of Latin America, with European Correspondent Suzanne Lynch, Latin American Correspondent Tom Hennigan, Foreign Policy Editor Patrick Smyth and Managing Editor Cliff Taylor.
This week Denis discusses the decision not to charge Darren Wilson over the death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown. He also analyses the options for Iran's nuclear ambitions and the leadership contest within France's UMP.
This week Chris Dooley hears from Paul Cullen about the Western response to the Ebola outbreak, the shock result in the Romanian elections and the challenges facing Obama in respect of the environment.
This week Denis hears about rising tension in the West Bank, the bid for independence in Catalonia and Ed Miliband's struggle to consolidate support within his own party.
A special podcast to mark 25 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall with Denis Staunton, Paul Gillespie and Patrick Smyth. Plus what's next for eastern Ukraine after Sunday's unauthorised election with Dan McLaughlin.
Denis discusses the loss of two female ministers in the Japanese government, Ukraine's parliamentary elections and Juncker's new European Commission.
This week Denis hears about the mid terms from Simon Carswell and the surprising statements from the Vatican on gay marriage.
This week Denis discusses the future of Dilma in Brazil, corruption in Bulgaria and the Hong Kong protests.
This week Chris Dooley hears from Clifford Coonan in Hong Kong and Simon Carswell in the U.S.
In this week's show Denis hears a final account of Scotland as we know it from Mark Hennessy who has been there for the last few weeks and is braced for a tight finish on Thursday.
He also discusses the international plans to defeat Islamic State, Isis, with Patrick Cockburn and Soner Cagapty.
This week's World View begins in Scotland where the latest poll has put the Yes side ahead of the No side for the first time. The British government is promising it will do all it can to save the Union but is it too late? Denis Staunton is joined from Edinburgh by Alex Massie, Mark Hennessy and Paul Gillespie in Dublin.
Later in the show he discusses the latest from Gaza with Lara Marlowe who has been reporting from Gaza for the past week.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
In this week's show Denis discusses Ukraine with Dan McLaughlin in Volnovkha, Suzanne Lynch in Brussels and Foreign Policy Editor Paddy Smyth in Dublin.
He also considers the future role of the Irish peacekeeping troops in Golan Heights with Michael Jansen and about China's move to limit the choice of election candidates in Hong Kong with Clifford Coonan in Beijing.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
After seven weeks of bombardment and rocket fire there appears to be agreement between Israel and the Palestinian factions about a new ceasefire. Denis Staunton discusses with Mark Weiss in Jerusalem and Michael Jansen in Nicosia.
The show begins in Scotland the day after the second debate of the independence referendum campaign. Mark Hennessy was in attendance and reports.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
This week Denis discusses the latest from Ferguson with Kevin Cullen and analyses events in Iraq with Michael Jansen and Vincent Durac. Finally he moves to Islamabad Pakistan and hears about the power struggle between Imran Khan and Nawaz Sharif with Al Jazeera's Kamal Hyder.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
This week Denis hears about the advance of ISIS from Patrick Cockburn and the talks between the Israelis and Palestinians in Cairo with Michael Jansen and Mark Weiss in Jerusalem. He also discusses the latest from Scotland with Alex Massie, Mark Hennessy and Paul Gillespie.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
This week Denis discusses the Israeli-Hamas ceasefire brokered by Egypt with Mark Weiss, Michael Jansen and Paddy Smyth.
He also discusses the Argentine default with Tom Hennigan.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
In this week's World View Denis Staunton discusses Gaza with Ruadhan MacCormaic in what is to be his final dispatch from Gaza for now.
Later in the show he meets with Mary Lawlor, the executive director of Front Line Defenders, an Irish organisation that protects human rights defenders at risk across the world. Earlier this month the French government presented Mary with the Order of Chevalier of the Légion d’Honneur.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
In this week's podcast Denis hears from Ruadhan MacCormaic who has spent the last week in Gaza and is now on the Israeli/Gaza border. He also discusses the diplomatic options with Paddy Smyth.
The other story on World View this week concerns MH17, the passenger airliner which was brought down over Ukraine with the loss of 298 lives. He hears from Daniel McLaughlin in Eastern Ukraine and Suzanne Lynch in Brussels on international reactions to this tragedy.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
In this week's podcast Denis hears the latest from Jerusalem where Gaza is considering the Egyptian proposal for a truce. Israel has accepted but Hamas is considering. Mark Weiss and Paddy Smyth analyse the options.
Denis next moves to Washington where Simon Carswell has just returned from a trip to Murrietta in Southern California where thousands of unaccompanied children have arrived, mostly from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador. Simon describes what he has seen and discusses the impact this has had politically within the U.S.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
In this week's podcast Denis hears from Jerusalem on the mounting tensions between Israelis and Palestinians following the murder of Palestinian teenager Mohammed Abu Khdair.
He also hears the latest from Berlin where the U.S. has been accused of behaving like a 'digital occupying power' after the emergence of fresh spying allegations.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
In this week's podcast Denis hears from Mark Weiss in Jerusalem where the Israeli authorities have reacted swiftly to the discovery of three kidnapped Israeli teenagers with the launch of 30 air strikes on the Gaza strip.
He then moves on to Brussels where the new Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi has been mounting a challenge to Merkel's domain as Italy assumes the EU presidency and prepares to exert greater economic influence. He discusses the possibilities with Paddy Agnew in Rome and Derek Scally in Berlin.
Finally he hears from Fiona McLysaght, Concern's country director in Sierra Leone where the Ebola virus has started to spread rapidly.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
In this week's podcast Denis talks to Suzanne Lynch and Mark Hennessy in London about the now imminent election of Jean Claude Juncker and its consequences for the EU and David Cameron. He is also joined in studio by Irish Times columnist Paul Gillespie.
He then discusses Obama's response to the latest from Iraq with Simon Carswell in Washington before finishing in Rio de Janerio with Tom Hennigan to hear about a World Cup which has utterly defied the dire predictions of its critics.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
In this week's podcast Denis Staunton begins in Iraq where insurgents led by Isis have taken Mosul and are battling the Iraqi army 60km outside Baghdad.
He discusses the situation with Lara Marlowe in Tehran, Michael Jansen in Cyprus and Paddy Smyth in Dublin.
He then moves to Brussels to analyse the latest on the battle to elect Juncker, the man who could bring an end to Cameron's government in the UK.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
In this week's World View Chris Dooley talks to Simon Carswell about Hillary Clinton's new book Hard Choices.
He also hears from Suzanne Lynch in Brussels about the controversy surrounding Juncker's candidacy for the European Commissioner job and he chats to Mark Hennessy in Scotland about the latest on the referendum preparations there.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times, Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
In this week's show Chris Dooley discusses the latest travails of the World Cup competition with Tom Hennigan in Sao Paulo and Ken Early from the Second Captains.
He also hears from Michael Jansen in Damascus as the Syrian elections take place and from Paddy Worthworth on the abdication of King Juan Carlos.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
May 27th 2014
The European election results are in and there has been a sharp reaction across Europe to the relative austerity of recent years.
In this week's podcast Chris Dooley hears about the incredible gains by the National Front in France from Lara Marlowe. He speaks to Mark Hennessy in London about the success of UKIP and to Guy Hedgcoe in Madrid about the sudden rise of Podemos, a party formed 3 months ago which won 12 million votes.
He analyses the impact of these results in Brussels and Berlin with Suzanne Lynch and Derek Scally and Patrick Smyth in Dublin.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times, Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
In this week's World View Denis discusses the latest from Thailand with Clifford Coonan where the military has declared martial law. He hears from Rahul Bedi in Delhi where Modi's is about to begin his rule. Finally Denis speaks with Dan McLaughlin in Lviv, Ukraine where the country is preparing for a presidential election vote on Sunday.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times, Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
In this edition of World View Denis asks what the victory of Austria's bearded transvestite Conchita Wurst means in geopolitical terms for Europe. He hears from Clifford Coonan in Thailand and discusses the letters of Jackie Kennedy with Michael Parsons.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
May 6th 2014
As news breaks of a further kidnapping of schoolgirls in Nigeria by the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram Chris Dooley asks our correspondents Simon Carswell in Washington and Mark Hennessy in London about the potential for international intervention.
We also examine the state of politics in South Africa where the elections are taking place on May 6th. We talk to Bill Corcoran in Cape Town.
We begin in the Ukraine with Dan McLaughlin where the violence continues to escalate.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
29/04/14
In this week's show Denis discusses the latest on the Middle East peace talks with Mark Weiss and Patrick Smyth. He hears from Simon Carswell in the U.S. about the potential for Elizabeth Warren to run for president. Plus he chats to Derek Scally in Warsaw about the Polish reaction to events in Ukraine.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times, Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
22/04/14
World View: Will Scotland say yes? World Cup Disaster in Brazil? In this week's edition of World View Denis begins in Brazil with Tom Hennigan in Sao Paolo and Second Captains Ken Early in Dublin to discuss preparations for the 2014 World Cup. Next we move to Ukraine and hear from Dan McLaughlin in Donetsk and Irish Times columnist Paul Gillespie on the apparent new world order. Finally we finish up in Scotland with Alex Massie from The Spectator on the increasing momentum of the yes side in the upcoming referendum.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times, Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
15-04-14
In this week's edition of World View Denis begins in Ukraine with Dan McLaughlin in Donetsk. Pro Russian separatists are occupying government buildings there and in a number of key cities across Eastern Ukraine. The government in Kiev is showing uncertainty. The international community is threatening further sections.
Next World View moves to France with Lara Marlowe in Paris where the new prime minister Manuel Valls is attempting to establish a new identity for himself and the French economy. We also hear about the return of Segolene Royal and the prospects for Marine le Pen.
Finally we join Michael Jansen in Syria who is in Mallulah outside Damascus to hear her insights on the election that Assad is planning to hold over the coming weeks.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times, Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
08/04/14
In this edition of World View Denis discusses the continuing search for MH370 with Clifford Coonan in Bejing. He also hears about the unstoppable rise of Narendra Modi from Rahul Bedi in Delhi and he considers Italy's fresh start under Matteo Renzi with Paddy Agnew in Rome.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times, Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
01/04/14
In this week's show Denis Staunton hears about the Central African Republic from Lara Marlowe who is on her final day in the capital Bangui and has been witnessing the conflict there.
He next moves to Egypt and discusses the rise of General Sisi and the new alliance with Saudi Arabia and UAE with UCD lecturer Dr Vincent Durac and our Middle East analyst Michael Jansen.
Finally he considers Ed Milliband's prospects with London correspondent Mark Hennessy.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times, Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for FREE to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
25/03/14
In this week's podcast Denis returns and discusses the fate of MH370 with Clifford Coonan.
He hears from Stephen Starr in Istanbul about Erdogan's extraordinary decision to ban Twitter in Turkey.
Plus he provides analysis of the Ukrainian situation with Dan McLoughlin in Kiev, Irish Times Foreign Policy Editor Patrick Smyth and Suzanne Lynch who is in The Hague with the newly formed G7.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times, Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O'Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for free to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
In this week's World View Chris Dooley fills in for Denis Staunton and discusses the situation in Catalonia with Madrid correspondent Guy Hedgecoe. They consider whether Catalonia will now be better positioned to break away from the rest of Spain, a move that Spain's prime minister, Mariano Rajoy has said he can 'guarantee this will not happen.'
Chris is also joined by Clifford Coonan in Bejing to provide futher analysis of the Malaysian Airlines flight MH 370.
The show begins with a discussion about Ukraine with Daniel McLaughlin and Suzanne Lynch.
World View is a free weekly foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times, Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O'Shea.
Why not subscribe to the show or downloaded individual episodes via Soundcloud, iTunes and Stitcher?
11/03/14
In this week's World View Denis Staunton talks to Dominic McSorley from Concern. Next month marks the twentieth anniversary of the start of a 100 day massacre that left up to a million people dead. Today genocide is taking place again in the Central African Republic. Thousands are said to have died in fighting between Christians and Muslims. Dominic Sorley was Concern's first country director in Rwanda in the 1990s explains more to Denis and compares the two countries.
We next move to Pretoria where the second week of the Oscar Pistorious trial is taking place. Irish Times South Africa correspondent Bill Corcoran explains the trial's significance for the South African judicial system.
Finally Denis speaks to Mark Hennessy in London where the eurosceptic United Kingdom Independence Party are going to take on Nick Clegg in a television debate. Hennessy analyses the Lib Dem strategy.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times, Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O’Shea. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for free to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
04/03/14
This week Denis Staunton talks to Dan McLoughlin in Crimea, Foreign Policy Editor, Paddy Smyth.
He then moves to Washington and Berlin with contributions from Simon Carswell and Derek Scally.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times, Denis Staunton and produced by Sinead O'Shea
It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for free to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
25/02/14
This week Denis Staunton finds out the latest from Ukraine with Dan McLaughlin. He also chats to Paddy Smyth, Suzanne Lynch and Harry McGee about the upcoming European elections.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times, Denis Staunton. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for free to you each week via this link. itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
18/02/14
In this week's show Denis Staunton takes a look at the Scottish referendum campaign and examines the potential consequences for Ireland with Paul Gillespie and Mark Hennessy.
He also analyses the prospects for new Italian Prime Minister, Matteo Renzi, with Paddy Agnew in Rome.
Worldview is a foreign affairs podcast presented by the deputy editor of the Irish Times, Denis Staunton. It can be listened to and downloaded via Soundcloud and iTunes. It can be delivered for free to you each week via this link. https://itun.es/i66S3JH #iTunes Android users can access this podcast via http://stitcher.com/s?fid=44906&refid=stpr
11/02/14
Who is winning the Olympics? Putin or sport? This week Denis Staunton hears from Malachy Clerkin in Sochi and Isabel Gorst in Moscow. He also talks about immigration reform with Simon Carswell in the U.S and about the Swiss decision to go it alone with EU correspondent, Suzanne Lynch.
04/02/14
In this week's show Denis Staunton chats to Derek Scally about Habermas's denunciation of German economic policy. He also discusses the recent troubles in Kiev with Ross McDonnell and Paulo Nunes does Santos, two award winning photographers who were working there last week. Plus he hears from Clifford Coonan in Bangkok where tensions continue to escalate.
24/01/14
Pilot for the new Irish Times Foreign Affairs show, World View. This week, deputy editor, Denis Staunton, discusses the new waves of immigration in Europe with London editor, Mark Hennessy, and European Correspondent, Suzanne Lynch. He hears from the paper's Middle Eastern correspondent, Michael Jansen, who is in Geneva to report on the Syrian peace conference. Plus Daniel McLaughlin provides an update from Kiev.