The Global Story
The President’s Path: Signalgate
A journalist ended up in a top secret US military group chat. How did that happen? And how is Washington reacting? BBC's Caitríona Perry, Sumi Somaskanda and Bernd Debusmann chat about Signalgate. Plus, a look at the other executive orders signed by President Trump this week. Producers: Aisling Taylor and Peter Goffin Sound engineer: Mike Regaard Editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas
29 mars 2025 - 28 分 31 秒
The Republican crusade against public media
Ever since Donald Trump returned to the White House in January, his representatives have been following through on promises to slash federal spending. Their latest target is public media, and this week fierce Trump-loyalist Marjorie Taylor Greene led a hearing demanding that the bosses of NPR and PBS justify their government funding. Public broadcasting has been a longtime bugbear for many conservatives, who say it is tainted by a liberal bias. So, as pressure mounts, can these organisations survive? On today's episode, Lucy Hockings speaks to Micah Loewinger, co-host of On the Media, a podcast covering the intersection between politics and the media – it's made by WNYC, a member station of NPR. They discuss the resilience of public media, and consider what defunding it could mean for free speech and accountability in the modern political landscape. Producers: Laurie Kalus and Peter Goffin Technical producer: Mike Regaard Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas Senior news editor: China Collins
28 mars 2025 - 28 分 16 秒
Pronatalism: Make America procreate again?
Malcolm and Simone Collins hope to have 10 children to help avoid what they see as a pending demographic collapse. They tell Lucy Hockings that as pronatalists they want to promote the dangers of falling fertility rates and encourage other people to have more children. Whereas many people might see their lifestyle as extreme, pronatalism seems to be gaining support at the heart of the Trump administration. But some people worry that some pronatalist practices cross the line into eugenics and that the far right are also adopting the ideology. Our correspondent in Washington, Nomia Iqbal, helps us to put it all in context. Producers: Richard Moran and Mhairi MacKenzie Technical producer: Frank McWeeny Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas Senior news editor: China Collins
27 mars 2025 - 32 分 22 秒
The Great Wealth Transfer: Will it divide millennials?
The baby boomer generation has become the richest in history. In recent years there has been some degree of animosity between the boomer generation and their younger millennial counterparts. The millennial generation have been much less well off than their parents and are often stereotyped as living beyond their means. But this could all be about to change. Now younger people are expected to inherit billions from their parents. It’s expected to be the largest transfer of wealth in human history. But that won’t be shared out equally… So, what are the social and economic implications of The Great Wealth Transfer? Lucy Hockings speaks with BBC business correspondent Erin Delmore and the BBC's population correspondent Stephanie Hegarty. They discuss what The Great Wealth Transfer could mean for the millennial generation. Producers: Richard Moran, Eleanor Sly and Alice Aylett Roberts Sound engineer: Ricardo McCarthy Assistant editors: Richard Fenton-Smith and Sergi Forcada Freixas Senior news editor: China Collins
26 mars 2025 - 25 分 39 秒
How did one fire paralyse Europe's busiest airport?
London Heathrow saw all its flights cancelled on Friday after a fire at a local power supply station. The news led to rampant speculation online – rumours of foreign interference, accusations against executives, and angry questions about who was to blame. So why wasn’t there a contingency plan to keep such an essential transport hub running? Caitríona Perry is joined by Theo Leggett, the BBC’s international business correspondent, to discuss Heathrow’s temporary closure and what it says about the vulnerabilities of our major infrastructure. Producers: Laurie Kalus and Alice Aylett Roberts Sound engineer: Stephen Bailey Assistant editors: Richard Fenton-Smith and Sergi Forcada Freixas Senior news editor: China Collins
25 mars 2025 - 23 分 06 秒
Noise: The not-so-silent killer?
How sounds could be damaging your health. Long-term exposure to the noises of everyday city life has been linked to higher levels of stress, diabetes and heart disease. On this episode, presenter Jonny Dymond speaks to the BBC’s health and science correspondent James Gallagher about life in two of the world’s loudest cities – Barcelona in Spain and Dhaka in Bangladesh. And James puts his own body to the test, to find out how it responds to the most annoying sounds. The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com You can also message us or leave a voice note via WhatsApp on +44 330 123 9480. Producers: Peter Goffin and Tom Kavanagh Sound engineers: Mike Regaard and Jack Graysmark Assistant editors: Richard Fenton-Smith and Sergi Forcada Freixas Senior news editor: China Collins
24 mars 2025 - 30 分 16 秒
The President’s Path: What's the chance of a constitutional crisis?
This week, Donald Trump and his team are continuing the immigration squeeze. When 238 Venezuelans were deported from the US, a federal judge ordered the planes be stopped and turned around. The administration decided to proceed, setting up a fraught legal battle between the Trump team and the federal courts. Caitríona Perry, Sumi Somaskanda and Bernd Debusmann offer insight and analysis on another whirlwind week in Washington DC. Producers: Richard Moran and Aisling Taylor Sound engineer: Mike Regaard Assistant editors: Richard Fenton-Smith and Sergi Forcada Freixas Senior news editor: China Collins
22 mars 2025 - 30 分 05 秒
Turkey: Erdogan's political deja vu
The mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem Imamoglu, was arrested on Wednesday on corruption and terror charges he insists are politically motivated. Considered the leading candidate to face Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the next election, Mr Imamoglu's eligibility had been thrown into doubt after his university degree was annulled earlier this week. His detention is being compared to President Erdogan's own arrest when he was Istanbul mayor more than a quarter of a century ago - a moment widely seen as the catalyst for his rise to national stardom. On this episode, Jonny Dymond is joined by journalist and author Elcin Poyrazlar, and BBC Monitoring's Dilay Yalcin. They discuss how Turkey has changed under Erdogan’s leadership, and consider what the arrest of his rival says about his fears for future. Producers: Laurie Kalus, Tom Kavanagh and Eleanor Sly Sound engineers: Jack Graysmark and Mike Regaard Assistant editors: Richard Fenton-Smith and Sergi Forcada Freixas Senior news editor: China Collins
21 mars 2025 - 29 分
Are we really getting enough sleep?
We spend around a third of our lives sleeping. But many people struggle with insomnia or have difficulty staying asleep, and research shows that bad sleep can increase the risk of multiple health conditions. How harmful is bad sleep to our health? And what can we do about it? Jonny Dymond speaks with Professor Russell Foster, Director of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute at the University of Oxford, and author and sleep expert Dr Nerina Ramlakhan about how people can get enough sleep. The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas, stories and experiences to help us understand and tell #TheGlobalStory. Email us at theglobalstory@bbc.com Producers: Alice Aylett Roberts and Beth Timmins Sound engineers: Mike Regaard Assistant editors: Richard Fenton-Smith and Sergi Forcada Freixas Senior news editor: China Collins
20 mars 2025 - 29 分 23 秒
Why has Israel gone back to war?
On Tuesday night, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that combat against Hamas in Gaza had resumed in full force. This followed several hours of early morning air strikes targeting Gaza, which killed more than 400 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry, making it one of the deadliest days of the conflict so far. Jonny Dymond speaks to the BBC’s Jon Donnison, who witnessed the strikes from the Israeli border town of Sderot. He helps us to understand this latest escalation and why Israel has decided to return to war. Producers: Richard Moran, Mhairi MacKenzie and Tom Kavanagh Assistant editors: Richard Fenton-Smith and Sergi Forcada Freixas Senior news editor: China Collins
19 mars 2025 - 29 分 21 秒