In The News

A steady stream of false information has been a part of the Covid-19 pandemic, with many conspiracytheories emerging around the existence of the virus, whether it poses a real risk to health, and the safety of vaccines.But where are these false claims about the virus and vaccines coming from and why do people believe them? Is there a large, coordinated network behind the spread of this false information or are these just individuals acting on their own? And as the pandemic subsides, what comes

Last week the former advisor to the UK prime minister, Dominic Cummings, spoke before a parliamentary committee about the early days of UK's response to the Covid-19 pandemic.His dramatic testimony highlighted the gravity of the decisions that politicians around the world have had to make during this pandemic – decisions that have quite simply meant life or death for thousands of people.Is it time for Ireland to hold its own public inquiry into how the State has handled the pandemic to date, or is

In June 1981, a US medical journal published the first sketchy details of a disease which came to be known as Aids.In the 40 years since then, 33 million people have died as a result of Aids-related illnesses.The Irish Times's London editor Denis Staunton describes the fear and uncertainty of the early days of the Aids crisis and draws parallels with the coronavirus pandemic today.Dr Kim Roberts, a virologist at Trinity College Dublin, explains the origins of HIV/Aids, the scientific advancements

Belarus's audacious snatching of Roman Protasevich from a Ryanair flight forced to land as it passed through Belarusian airspace has raised fears for the young journalist's safety and created a crisis for the European Union.The bloc has responded to the unprecedented move with anger, condemnation and sanctions. But is Belarus under President Alexander Lukashenko, who stayed in power last year only with support from Russia, beyond European influence? And is there any hope for Protasevich's

Will data stolen in the HSE ransomware attack appear online today? And if so, what will it mean for Irish citizens? Conor Lally explains.Plus: Karlin Lillington on why we should have been better prepared for the ransomware attack - but weren't.Presented by Conor PopeProduced by Declan Conlon, Jennifer Ryan and Suzanne BrennanTheme music by Hugh Rodgerswww.irishtimes.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

COMING SOON: In The News, a podcast from The Irish Times that takes a close look at stories that matter, in Ireland and around the world. Hosted by Sorcha Pollak and Conor Pope. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.