The Global Story

Latest Episodes:

Delhi smog: 'My eyes are stinging' Nov 21, 2024

Show notes

Air pollution in parts of India and Pakistan has been likened to witnessing a dystopian movie. India's capital Delhi has been blanketed in a thick layer of smog, with the city's residents complaining of choking and stinging eyes. In neighbouring Pakistan, Lahore has also recorded sky-high air pollution in recent weeks.

On today's episode, Sumi Somaskanda hears from Devina Gupta about what it's like to be living in Delhi at the moment. And Dr Gary Fuller (Imperial College London) explains the impact severe air pollution can have on our health, from birth through to our final years.

The Global Story brings you trusted insights from BBC journalists worldwide. We want your ideas to help us 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: Alice Aylett Roberts, Richard Moran and Beth Timmins

Sound engineer: Mike Regaard

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson

Logan Paul and a viral crypto controversy Nov 20, 2024

Show notes

Logan Paul is among the most recognisable social media personalities on the planet. From YouTuber to entrepreneur and even professional wrestler, his fearless approach has seen him amass a loyal following of millions. Now, as the influencer faces criticism over his role in promoting various crypto projects, the BBC looks into his history in the digital currency industry.

On this episode, Sumi Somaskanda is joined by Matt Shea and Jamie Tahsin, who are behind the new BBC documentary 'Logan Paul: Bad Influence?' They discuss Logan Paul's flourishing career, the controversy surrounding influencer-led cryptocurrency projects, and how the incoming Trump administration in the United States could transform the crypto landscape.

Listeners in the UK can see the full film on iPlayer here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00256wn

Producers: Laurie Kalus and Mhairi Mackenzie

Sound engineer: Mike Regaard

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas and Richard Moran

Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson

The abuse scandal facing the Church of England Nov 19, 2024

Show notes

What the resignation of the Church's most senior figure, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, means for Anglicans worldwide. An independent report found that the Church of England failed to act on allegations that more than a hundred boys were physically and sexually abused by a man running Christian summer camps in the UK and Zimbabwe. What does this mean for the millions of Anglicans in Africa, many of whom were already feeling out of step with the UK leaders of the Church?

On this episode, Lucy Hockings speaks to the BBC’s religion editor Aleem Maqbool and the BBC’s correspondent in Zimbabwe Shingai Nyoka.

WARNING: This episode includes discussions of child sexual abuse. Some listeners may find this content disturbing.

Producers: Peter Goffin and Alix Pickles

Sound engineers: Hannah Montgomery and Mike Regaard

Assistant editors: Sergi Forcada Freixas and Richard Moran

Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson

How social media shapes the way we speak Nov 18, 2024

Show notes

Language is constantly changing. But exposure to social media has seen younger generations, from millennials to Gen Z and Gen Alpha, adopting new terms at a pace never seen before. On this episode, we consider how internet culture is influencing the way many of us speak, as traditional media loses its grip on standard discourse. From vocabulary to grammar, is it possible for politicians to control or protect language, and what is the future of the spoken word in the age of artificial intelligence?

Lucy Hockings is joined by journalist and author Sophia Smith Galer and Neil Edgeller from BBC Learning English.

Producers: Eleanor Sly and Laurie Kalus

Sound engineers: Jack Graysmark and Mike Regaard

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson

Path to the Presidency: Trump prepares for power Nov 16, 2024

Show notes

US President-elect Donald Trump is assembling his future White House team, blending political allies with some surprising choices. Among his picks are vaccine sceptic RFK Jr as health secretary and Elon Musk to head a newly created "Department of Government Efficiency."

On this episode, Caitríona Perry is joined by Sumi Somaskanda and digital reporter Bernd Debusmann Jr. to discuss a period of transition for Joe Biden and Donald Trump, as one prepares to leave the White House and the other plans his return.

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.

Does Singapore's death penalty deter drug crime? Nov 15, 2024

Show notes

Singapore has some of the harshest drug laws in the world. The penalties for trafficking illegal narcotics include decades in prison and even a death sentence. Citizens of Singapore face consequences even if they take drugs while abroad. The government argues its zero-tolerance policy towards drugs – including cannabis - is an effective deterrent.

Katya Adler speaks to journalist and documentary maker Linda Pressly about whether Singapore's harsh drugs laws really deter drug crimes.

You can listen to Linda's full documentary 'Assignment: Singapore – drugs, rehab, execution' by searching for The Documentary wherever you get your podcasts.

Producers: Alice Aylett Roberts and Peter Goffin

Sound engineers: Mike Regaard and Phil Bull

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson

Trump's new top team Nov 14, 2024

Show notes

What the president-elect's inner circle says about his priorities. Donald Trump is surrounding himself with loyalists, billionaires and political newcomers as he prepares for his second term in the White House.

On this episode, Caitríona Perry asks the BBC’s senior North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher about new additions to Team Trump like Elon Musk, and notable absences, like Ivanka Trump.

Producers: Peter Goffin and Tom Kavanagh

Sound engineers: Mike Regaard and Gareth Jones

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson

Germany’s deepening political crisis Nov 13, 2024

Show notes

Chancellor Scholz’s three-party coalition government has fallen apart, leaving Germany mired in a period of political instability. Disagreements between the chancellor and his finance minister Christian Lindner had bubbled for months, ultimately leading to the latter’s dismissal. That prompted two of Lindner’s party colleagues to resign, effectively dismantling the coalition and leaving the chancellor at the head of a minority government.

The political turmoil in Berlin comes as Donald Trump’s second election victory leaves the world wondering whether American support will be pulled from Ukraine. Germany is the European Union’s largest economy, but its manufacturing sector has been struggling, while consumers have been affected by high inflation.

The BBC’s Berlin correspondent Damien McGuinness and The Guardian’s Berlin correspondent Kate Connolly tell host Katya Adler about the roots of this crisis, and discuss how it may have ramifications around Europe and beyond.

Producers: Tom Kavanagh and Alix Pickles

Sound engineers: Mike Regaard

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson

COP29: In Donald Trump’s shadow Nov 12, 2024

Show notes

Can the world fight climate change without the US? Donald Trump’s election victory threatens to derail the COP29 climate talks taking place in Azerbaijan this week. The US is one of the world’s biggest sources of carbon emissions but the president-elect has called global warming a hoax, championed the oil industry and promised to withdraw from international climate agreements.

On this episode, Lucy Hockings speaks to the BBC’s US climate correspondent Carl Nasman and the host of the BBC podcast The Climate Question, Graihagh Jackson.

Producers: Peter Goffin, Alice Aylett Roberts and Beth Timmins

Sound engineers: Jonny Baker and Ricardo McCarthy

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

Senior news editor: Sara Wadeson

Social infertility: What's behind falling birth rates? Nov 11, 2024

Show notes

The proportion of people without children is growing around the world. For some, this new reality reflects changing social attitudes and a desire not to have children, but for others, the decision has been taken out of their hands by a range of factors. The latest statistics available reflect the extent to which this has become a global phenomenon: while the US birth rate is at a record low, China reported its first population decline in six decades in 2022.

The BBC’s population correspondent Stephanie Hegarty tells host Lucy Hockings that economic concerns are among the most important when it comes to individuals and couples deciding whether or not the time is right to have a baby, and discusses how the concept of “male malaise” is impacting fertility rates. 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: Tom Kavanagh, Laurie Kalus and Mariana Hernández Carrillo

Sound engineer: Phil Bull

Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas

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