This Week

The United States has continued to bomb targets in Iran for the eighth night in a row. In response, Iran has continued to retaliate by firing ballistic missiles and deploying drones against US bases in the Gulf and US allies. Paul was joined for an update by BBC analyst Sebastian Usher.

The German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said this morning that his Government will do "everything we can" to stabilise the country's auto industry. Workers at car manufacturer Volkswagen have been roiled by the dramatic news that tens of thousands of layoffs could be on the horizon. Paul was joined by Deutsche Welle journalist Arthur Sullivan.

RTÉ reporter Eithne Dodd joined Paul to discuss how the gambling industry has changed in recent years.

In just over six hours time the World Cup final will kick off in New Jersey, with Spain and Argentina battling it out for the biggest prize in football. It's clinical passing and structure versus ferocious passion and guile. Paul was joined from New York by Miguel Delaney, author and chief football writer with the London Independent.

The new Labour Party leader Andy Burnham will become the Prime Minister tomorrow. What's less clear is what that will mean for the UK and its European neighbours. To evaluate the possibilities, Paul was joined by Rory Montgomery, an honorary professor at Queens University and once-second secretary at the Department of the Taoiseach.

The National Competitive and Productivity Council has called for the speedy delivery of Ireland's offshore wind energy projects. As it stands, Ireland's only offshore wind farm, Arklow Bank Wind Park, ceased operations last year. To establish where we stand, Paul was joined by Caroline O'Doherty, Environment Correspondent with the Irish Times.

“Children and young people are among the most at-risk members of Irish society when it comes to gambling exposure and harm." So says Anne Marie Caulfield, chief executive of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland. She joined Paul to discuss the work of the Authority.

The pay row between the Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan and solicitors working in the District Courts on criminal cases is expected to intensify next week. Paul was joined by Gary Mulchrone, a solicitor in criminal law at Thomas J Walsh Solicitors in Castlebar, and President of the Mayo Solicitors Bar Association.

A diplomatic battle has been underway in recent months between the EU and the United States over the future of the former war-torn Balkan nation of Bosnia Herzegovina. Paul was joined in studio by Kurt Bassuener, co-founder of advocacy group The Democratization Policy Council, for a discussion about what's at stake for all parties.

In just over a week's time, the Government is due to publish its investigation into the Aughinish Alumina plant in Co Limerick amid claims that the plant's exports to Russia are ending up assisting President Putin's war on Ukraine. The directly-elected Mayor of Limerick John Moran joined Paul in studio for a discussion.