Protesters across Venezuela have been met with a violent crackdown by security forces following the disputed re-election of Venezuela's president Nicolas Maduro. Tallies show the real winner was the opposition, led by the popular and charismatic Maria Corina Machado. The economy has collapsed after years of mismanagement leading to 1 in 4 Venezuelan's emigrating, in what's one of the biggest migrant crises in the world right now. Tom Hennigan, who reports from South America for The Irish Times, says there's little doubt anymore that Maduro is a dictator who clings to power by force rather than the will of the people.

Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Aideen Finnegan.

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For nearly ten months, the eyes of the world have remained fixed on the devastating war and human catastrophe unfolding on the Gaza Strip.

However, this war has not just destroyed the lives of people in Gaza – daily life for the three million Palestinians living in the occupied West Bank has also transformed since the October 7th Hamas attacks on Israel.

The territory’s economy has collapsed, unemployment is soaring, Jewish settler violence is on the rise and Palestinians say they are trapped by mobility restrictions.

Earlier this month, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel’s settlement policies and occupation of the territories were in breach of international law. The court’s announcement is historic, but non-binding, so will it bring about change?

And what is daily life like for Palestinians living in these occupied territories?

Today, on In The News, Irish Times international reporter Sally Hayden discusses the week she spent reporting from the West Bank and the implications of the Gaza war on Palestinians in the region.

Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon and John Casey.

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Chinese graduates are heading to the factory floor. During the first quarter of 2024, the number of people under 25 applying for blue-collar jobs rose by 165 per cent compared with the same period in 2019.

This is partly a response to increased demand for workers in the manufacturing and service sectors driven by the dramatic growth of ecommerce in China. There are now eight times more jobs in distribution than there were in 2019.

But what about white collar jobs – the ones these young people might have aspired to when they embarked on their expensive degrees? And what do their parents think about this new employment trend?

Irish Times correspondent Denis Staunton is based in Beijing and he talks to Bernice Harrison about changes in the Chinese workforce that are causing ripples throughout the entire society.

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