Across Ireland last year, a devastating number of nearly 5,000 vehicles were illicitly taken, marking it as the most challenging year in over ten years for car theft. While opportunistic criminals and thrill-seekers have always been known to steal cars, Conor Lally highlights an emerging trend with gangs now operating throughout the nation. Their modus operandi commonly involves stealing luxury cars, transporting them to secluded locations known as chop shops and then dismantling the vehicles to sell the parts abroad. Astonishingly, parts from Irish vehicles have been tracked down in Lithuania, as revealed by the Garda. Lally sheds light on how these organised crimes take place and shares advice on how owners can safeguard their vehicles. The information is shared through the insight of Bernice Harrison and the production efforts of Suzanne Brennan. Other notable headlines include the potential rise of Le Pen’s extreme right party in France, changes to landmark gambling laws and delays in state payments for fire-safety renovations in defective apartments.