In The News

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After more than a year of crisis at RTE and handwringing about how to fund it into the future, the government has decided the license fee should stay and the model of funding continue as it always has. While the status quo remains for the consumer, media minister Catherine Martin revealed the state will pump €725 million euro into the broadcaster over the next three years. But will this golden envelope be enough to put RTE on a sustainable path and is the failure to address the impact of the digital age a missed opportunity? The Irish Times' Laura Slattery explains this week's long-awaited funding announcement.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Declan Conlon and Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Tuesday, Sinn Féin launched its new immigration policy document. The proposals, which come eight weeks after the party’s poor performance in the June local elections, call for a system where “fairness is paramount”, people are “treated with dignity” and where “local communities are treated with respect”.The plan also proposes to “end private profiteering” by private landlords housing asylum seekers and a move to state-run accommodation.Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said audits should take place beforehand, examining the housing, healthcare and transport facilities available in a community before any centres are established. She also made it clear centres should be located in more affluent parts of the country.The proposal comes in the aftermath of more unrest at the site of a proposed accommodation centre, this time in the Dublin suburb of Coolock.How would this plan work and might it change voters’ minds in the upcoming general election?Jennifer Bray, political correspondent, discusses the key takeaways from Sinn Féin’s immigration plan.Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by Declan Conlon. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ireland’s Olympic medal hopes have never been higher. Many of the athletes are already household names, including Rashidat Adeleke, Kellie Harrington and Paul O’Donovan, while others will be new names for those watching on the sofa, including Daniel Wiffen and Jack Woolley. According to Irish Times sports journalist Ian O’Riordan it’s not a question of if Ireland wins a medal, it’s when the first one will be claimed. And Paris is set to put on a show this Friday night: the opening ceremony kicks off on Friday with a flotilla down the Seine.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan and Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Sunday evening, shortly before 7pm Irish Time, US president Joe Biden posted a letter on X confirming his intention to withdraw from the 2024 presidential election campaign.With 21 of Biden’s fellow Democratic politicians publicly calling for him to step aside, the 81-year-old’s announcement was not unexpected – his candidacy had become untenable.Shortly after his announcement, Biden formally endorsed Kamala Harris, his vice-president, to replace him on the ticket. However, other party voices are calling for an opening nomination process in advance of the Democratic national convention on August 19th.What are the pros and cons of Harris taking over as Democratic candidate in the race to the White House? What does the former California senator stand for and could she beat Donald Trump?Quite simply, are Americans ready to elect a black, Asian-American woman to the White House?Presented by Sorcha Pollak. Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Comhaltas na nGaedheal (CnG) is a newly-established group of right-wing extremists in Ireland. It focuses on physical confrontation and is part of a growing international network of so-called “active clubs”.The Active Club movement mixes extreme right-wing positions with a focus on masculinity and physical fitness, particularly mixed martial arts. The CnG group frequently posts photographs of its members engaged in combat sports training. Great care is taken to blur faces and other identifying marks. In some cases, participants’ footwear is even blurred to conceal their identities.Members of the group have shown up at several anti-immigrant protests, including in Coolock last March. CnG does not just want a dramatic reduction in immigration, it wants mass deportations, according to an associate of the group who spoke with The Irish Times.In this episode, Irish Times Crime and Security correspondent Conor Gallagher assesses just how much of a threat these groups of self-styled “Irish patriots” are and how the Garda is handling this wave of far right groups. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Belfast and Derry rappers Kneecap have been in the news for many things in the past year: they took a case against the previous UK government for intervening to block an arts grant; they led a boycott at South By Southwest in Texas over the festival sponsor's links to the Gaza bombardment; they played Glastonbury, released their debut album, Fine Art, and their debut feature film, Kneecap, is about to hit cinemas after an award-winning outing at the Sundance Film Festival. They arrived to that event in a jeep designed to look like a PSNI vehicle. Una Mullally has been following Kneecap since they were an underground act. She says their film “will be a landmark moment for the Irish language, Irish cinema, and Irish music”.Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Aideen Finnegan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In April, Simon Harris became Taoiseach - today he is 100 days in office. It’s a milestone beloved of political commentators as a yardstick to measure achievements, assess style and predict what might come.The “first 100 days” political metric originated in the US but as Irish Times political reporter Jack Horgan Jones says, Harris, the media savvy, PR aware, “TikTok Taoiseach” will be all to aware of the date in his very busy calendar.So what have been his achievements? What has he kicked to touch as a general election looms on the horizon? And has he changed the mood in Government?Presented by Bernice Harrison. Produced by Suzanne Brennan. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.