In The News

Newly-elected Labour MP Andy Burnham has made no secret of his ambitions to become the next UK prime minister.

Now, it looks as though his time has come.

Keir Starmer’s announcement on Monday morning that he is to step down as prime minister paves the way for a leadership contest in the Labour Party, with the leadership of the country the automatic prize.

Starmer has said he would stay on until September but unless a strong candidate emerges to go up against Burnham, the new occupant of Number 10 Downing Street could be named as early as mid-July.

Where did it go so wrong for Starmer and so right for Burnham? His nickname is the King of the North, but he’s also been called Captain Flipflop, so what does Burnham stand for?

And why is Britain’s political system so unstable that the country is now facing into its seventh prime minister in just 10 years.

Irish Times London editor Mark Paul was at Downing Street on Monday as Starmer stood at the much-used podium, bowed to the inevitable and made his sometimes emotional announcement.

He explains what led to this moment and what will happen next.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan.
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The former DUP leader Jeffrey Donaldson has been found guilty of all 18 child sex abuse charges against him, including rape. His wife Eleanor was also found by the jury to have aided and abetted him, but she was not convicted due to inability to stand trial.

The outcome of the trial hinged on whether the jury believed Donaldson or his two victims. Freya McClements explains how the jurors may have been convinced of Donaldson's guilt, what happened when the verdict was delivered and how religion, faith and forgiveness were major themes of the case.

Plus, Mark Hennessy looks back on Donaldson's rise and fall and how his conviction could affect the DUP and unionism more broadly.
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A new landmark study followed 4,000 primary school children, tracking everything from their education attainment to their wellbeing as they progressed through the school system.

The Children’s School Lives study tracked the children from 2019 to 2023. As it coincided with the Covid lockdown years, it revealed a wealth of data, some of it seriously troubling and challenging for policymakers.

The longitudinal study was commissioned by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA) and conducted by the UCD School of Education.
Irish Times education correspondent Niamh Towey delved into the details.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon.
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Late on a quiet Sunday night in May, gardaí in Limerick arrived on the scene of what they expected would be a routine call-out to a road traffic incident.

Instead they were met with an extraordinary scene.

In one of the damaged cars they found a dead man on the back seat. He was wearing a balaclava and there was a loaded pistol at his feet. The driver of the anonymous looking Seat Leon had escaped, leaving his phone behind.

The Garda quickly established that the dead man was a Swedish hitman and the pair were in Limerick for a contract killing. They were just minutes from their victim.

But who was the target? Has there been a resurgence in the deadly feuding that blighted Limerick for years? Where is the hitman who fled the scene and why has the manhunt for him been so muted?

Irish Times crime and security editor Conor Lally reports on the latest in this most unusual case.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by John Casey.
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In November 2023, a group of primary schoolchildren were lined up by the railings outside their school in Dublin city centre, ready to be brought to after-school care. As their minder bent down to close the coat of one of the children, a man launched a vicious knife attack on the children.

The alleged assailant was arrested at the scene and the trial of Riad Bouchaker (52), an Algerian native, is now under way.

He is charged with 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. He denies all charges.

Eoin Reynolds reports from the court, where the jury has heard harrowing testimony from the parents of some of the victims, witnesses and those who attempted to stop the knife attack.

Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Andrew McNair.
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