In The News

In the next 15 years an additional 400 pedestrians, cyclists and motorcyclists will be killed on European roads because of the increased average car size.

The figure is based on projections using data from Eurostat and the UK department of transport. Research by the Transport & Environment (T & E) think tank suggests that those road death figures could be significantly higher.

After 25 years of relentless growth, our roads are increasingly dominated by huge SUVs that pose a physical danger to everyone else.

And bigger cars means less space on the roads and in car parks. Big vehicles, such as SUVs and pick-up strucks, simply don’t fit parking spaces that were designed for a different, smaller car, age.

So why are SUVs so deadly for other road users? And why, even when they are made aware of the dangers their large vehicles pose for other road users, do drivers still choose them anyway?

Irish Times motoring contributor Neil Briscoe reports.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.
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Ireland was on the fringe of the heat dome that seared much of Europe for several days late last month.

In some parts of the country temperatures exceeded an uncomfortable 32 degrees and the hot spell ended with unseasonable thunderstorms and hail showers.
Why is this happening?

Climate scientists have recently warned that El Niño would impact temperatures in Europe this year, so is that why two heatwaves arrived in June, one delivering record-breaking temperatures?

The June event was called a “heat dome” but what is that and what causes it?

Another intense heatwave is forecast for Europe, beginning on July 5th.

Recording-breaking temperatures are produced by climate change and they are something scientists have warned about for decades. So why is Ireland so behind in implementing policies that would help reduce our dependence on fossil fuels.

Caroline O’Doherty, the climate and science correspondent with The Irish Times, explains.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
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Riad Bouchaker (52), an Algerian native, has been found guilty of the attempted murder of two girls and a boy, as well as a further charge of assault causing serious harm to a childcare worker and three charges of assault causing harm.

During the trial Eoin Reynolds talked to Bernice Harrison about evidence the jury heard.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Andrew McNair.
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For the six men and one woman trafficked to Donegal by Georgijs Poniza and Armen Pogosyan, life was unimaginably harsh.

They worked long, gruelling hours, lived together in dire conditions, rummaging in public bins for food and walking up to 30km to get to work. When they stepped out of line they were subject to abuse including physical violence.]

In the nearly three years they spent in modern slavery in Ireland, the seven victims, all Latvians, earned about €750,000 but as their bank accounts were controlled, they saw a tiny fraction of that.

This month in a first conviction of its kind in the State, Poniza and Pogosyan, who were long-time residents in Ireland, were jailed for a total of 24 years for human trafficking for the purpose of labour exploitation.

So how did the operation work? Why in a small community in Donegal did no one notice anything? And how were the traffickers caught?

Chris McNulty, a journalist with Donegal Daily, has been following the case and was in court for the sentencing.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
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