In The News

• Syria’s disappeared: Leak of Assad torture photographs reveals fate of thousands

  A leak of documents, including photographs, from the regime of Bashir al Assad has laid bare the bloody inner workings of his regime.More than 33,000 photographs of detainees, mostly believed to have been taken in 2015-2024, show the extent of the degradation and torture inflicted on them by Assad’s regime.For some families, the leak to the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), finally gives the tragic answer to what happened to their loved ones.Assad presided over Syria during the country’s 13-year civil war during which about half a million people were killed including more than 200,00 civilians at the hands of the regime and more than 160,000 were forcibly “disappeared”.Many of the bodies in the leaked photographs bear clear signs of torture. Nearly half are naked and most show signs of starvation.Irish Times Beirut-based reporter Sally Hayden worked with the ICIJ on the leak and she explains the importance of this evidence.She notes that as soon as the Irish Times became aware of the existence of the leaked photographs in October, it has advocated for consulting victims’ families regarding their release.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Ukraine: Why Trump's push for peace is not working

  The latest round of Ukraine-Russia peace talks have been the most complex and lengthy since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia began in February 2022.The latest round of talks started two weeks ago with a leaked 28-point draft peace proposal which alarmed Ukrainian and European officials who said that it was weighted too much in Moscow’s favour. The proposal would have seen Ukraine cede territory to Russia, Russia readmitted to the G8 and Ukraine banned from joining Nato.There followed a 20-point plan, and then a 27-point plan. The talks – with the US represented by special envoy Steve Witkoff and Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner – moved from Geneva to Moscow where, on Tuesday, five hours of talks with Russian president Vladimer Putin around the table yielded no agreement. Talks are currently taking place in Miami.Putin has been clear, Russia is winning the war and while he is willing to come to the table to negotiate, there is no urgency. Ukraine has indicated it too is keen for a deal – but not on any terms. While in Washington, the US president has been making hopeful noises, reflecting the widespread belief that he just wants to get a peace deal done.Meanwhile at home Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskiy has been rocked by a corruption scandal that has seen his chief of staff, who had led the Ukrainian delegation at peace talks, resigning on Friday.Irish Times Europe Correspondent based in Kyiv, Dan McLaughlin, explains how the talks evolved and what next for the war.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Is arming the gardaí with Tasers a good idea?

  Uniformed gardaí are being issued with Taser guns as part of a six-month trial.It has long been a point of pride in Ireland that the police force are not armed unlike their European counterparts. And while these guns fire electric shocks and not bullets, this is change in how the gardaí police the streets.So does this move bring closer the day when the Garda will be an armed force? How will it change the way the gardaí interact with the public? And why now?Irish Times crime and security editor Conor Lally explains.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Is Trump starting a war with Venezuela?

  In a major military operation that began in September, the US administration continues to put pressure on Venezuela with navy warships massing in the Caribbean Sea.US president Donald Trump claims the air strikes on boats in the region are not acts of aggression but enforcement operations to prevent alleged drug trafficking.To date it is estimated that 83 people have been killed but it has not been made clear by the administration the intelligence that led up the attacks proving the boats were indeed carrying drugs.So is this a “war on drugs” or is it part of a broader plan to oust Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro?And with Trump now saying the country’s air space should be shut down, is a ground offensive on the horizon?I speak to professor of Latin American history and migration studies at Vassar College, Daniel Mendiola.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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• Why Irish landlords are selling up and leaving the rental market

  New figures from the Residential Tenancies Board are stark: the number of eviction notices issued by landlords in the third quarter of this year increased by 35 per cent on the same period last year.This at a time when rents have never been higher.The reason given most frequently by landlords is that they are selling up. Why?New rent regulations which improve the rights of long-term tenants are set be introduced in March 2026. Could this be the reason landlords are getting out of the market?And why are small landlords more likely to want to exit the market than big institutional investors who dominate the private rental sector?Irish Times housing reporter Niamh Towey has talked to landlords and estate agents to get a clearer picture.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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