Podcast di Irish Times

Christmas Eve is Santa’s busiest night of the year. Mrs Claus, the elves and all the reindeer help with the preparations. The lists have been made, checked at least twice. The brakes on the sleigh have been tested and tested again and the harnesses polished by the stable team who will also check that all the jingle bells are in fine working order. …

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We are honoured to have you here. This is what you need to know about us Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.Di The Irish Times

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.Di The Irish Times

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 Time…

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.Di The Irish Times

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 t…

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 esca…

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…

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 …

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.Di The Irish Times

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…

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 hi…

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 e…

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 Tim…