The Global Story

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'Unwanted': Australia and disabled migrants Aug 06, 2024

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Australia is a proud ‘migration nation’ with a third of its population born abroad. But many foreigners with disabilities or medical conditions are often denied a visa – and those already living in Australia face the threat of being made to leave. Campaigners are now pressuring ministers over policies that the UN has labelled as discriminatory.

Lucy Hockings speaks with our Australia correspondent Katy Watson about the country's migration policies and how they have affected her own family.

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.

Producer: Alice Aylett Roberts and Tom Kavanagh. Sound engineers: Ben Andrews, Jack Graysmark and Mike Regaard Assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas Senior news editor is Richard Fenton-Smith

Russia-West prisoner swap: An emotional and diplomatic spectacle Aug 05, 2024

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The high stakes talks which freed some of Putin's harshest critics. The biggest prisoner exchange between Russia and the West since the Cold War era took place last week, with 24 people released in total, including former US Marine Paul Whelan, and journalist Evan Gershkovich.

In this episode, Azadeh Moshiri speaks to the BBC's Eastern Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford and our Security correspondent Gordon Corera.

This episode was made by Richard Moran and Tse Yin Lee. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Richard Fenton-Smith.

Why did Trump turn his back on Project 2025? Aug 02, 2024

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Project 2025, described as a possible policy blueprint for a second Trump presidency, has become a lightning rod on the campaign trail. Donald Trump has been attempting to distance himself from it for weeks, stating that he had no involvement. Meanwhile, Democrats have recently intensified their criticism of the measures outlined in its pages. After the architect of Project 2025 - Paul Dans - stepped down earlier this week, Trump's campaign stated it would welcome the demise of the project.

In this episode, Sumi Somaskanda speaks to the BBC's North America correspondent Anthony Zurcher and Bob Costa, Chief election & campaign correspondent for CBS News.

This episode was made by Richard Moran, Eleanor Sly and Tse Yin Lee. The technical producer was Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Richard Fenton-Smith.

Israel, Iran and fears of a wider war in the Middle East Aug 01, 2024

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Iran vows to avenge the killing of Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh on its soil. A week of deadly air strikes – in the Israeli occupied Golan Heights, in Lebanon and Iran – have once again brought Israel to the cusp of a multi-front war. Sumi Somaskanda speaks to BBC International Editor Jeremy Bowen and BBC Middle East Correspondent Hugo Bachega about the threat of a wider conflict with Iran and its proxies Hamas and Hezbollah.

TGS is part of the BBC News Podcasts family. The team that makes The Global Story also makes several other podcasts, such as Americast and Ukrainecast, which cover US news and the war in Ukraine. If you enjoy The Global Story, you may well like some of our other pods, too. To find them, simply search on your favourite podcast app.

This episode was made by Peter Goffin and Alix Pickles. The technical producer was Dafydd Evans. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Richard Fenton-Smith.

CrowdStrike: Is our tech too vulnerable? Jul 31, 2024

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What can we learn from the biggest IT outage in history? A glitch at the major cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike brought banks, hospitals, airports, and thousands of businesses to a standstill. It was a reminder that our digital world is reliant on a few big companies to keep it running. So how vulnerable are they to accidents or attacks that could shut down wide sections of society? Lucy Hockings speaks to the BBC's Cyber Correspondent Joe Tidy.

This episode was made by Peter Goffin and Alix Pickles. The technical producers were Jack Graysmark and Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Richard Fenton-Smith.

Venezuela: What's next after disputed election? Jul 30, 2024

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Protests have erupted across Venezuela, with thousands taking to the streets over the outcome of the country's presidential election on Sunday. President Nicolás Maduro, who electoral authorities say won a third term, blamed the "extreme right" for stirring unrest as security forces clashed with those demonstrating. Meanwhile, the opposition are questioning the legitimacy of the official result, and say they have proof their candidate Edmundo González secured a clear victory.

With a growing number of western leaders also showing scepticism, what next for the South American nation as it continues to navigate a severe economic crisis and crippling rates of emigration? On this episode, Sumi Somaskanda is joined by the BBC's regional correspondents Ione Wells and Will Grant to discuss the struggles millions of Venezuelans are facing, and examine the political context.

Producer: Laurie Kalus and Beth Timmins Sound engineer: Jack Graysmark and Mike Regaard Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Why do so many trains crash in India? Jul 29, 2024

Show notes

Just over a year ago, a devastating crash involving three trains killed nearly 300 people and injured more than 800 in India’s eastern Odisha state. It was one of the deadliest train crashes in history. But this isn’t the only crash to happen on Indian railways – one of the largest railway networks in the world. Lucy Hockings talks to Alessandra Bonomolo – the director of a new BBC documentary about last year’s collision called Why Trains Crash - and BBC India correspondent Soutik Biswas. They discuss why so many train crashes happen in India. Could the Odisha rail crash have been prevented - and are we doing enough around the world to make our railways safe?

Producer: Alice Aylett Roberts and Tom Kavanagh Sound engineer: Gareth Jones and Ben Andrews Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

Olympics: Is Paris poised for success? Jul 26, 2024

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France is grappling with climate, security and political turmoil as the Games officially begin. So what’s the mood on the streets of Paris? Will this be the “greenest” Olympics and Paralympics ever, as organisers have promised? And could the Games offer a lifeline to President Emmanuel Macron after disappointing parliamentary elections? James Reynolds speaks to the BBC’s Paris Correspondent Andrew Harding.

This episode was made by Peter Goffin, Alix Pickles and Eleanor Sly. The technical producers were Jack Graysmark and Philip Bull. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Richard Fenton-Smith.

Divorce: The art of breaking up Jul 25, 2024

Show notes

Divorce rates have been in decline across the West for decades. Experts put this down to a variety of factors, from fewer marriages to a widening dating pool, but cultural differences mean it is difficult to draw broad conclusions on the trends around splitting up. So how can we judge how attitudes to divorce have changed?

On today's episode Lucy Hockings is joined by divorce mediator and former BBC presenter Joanna Gosling, as well as Marina Adshade, a professor at the University of British Columbia who focusses on the economics of sex and relationships. They interrogate some of the stats on divorce, and discuss how the process of dissolving marriage is portrayed in popular culture.

Producer: Alice Aylett Roberts, Laurie Kalus and Emilia Jansson Sound engineer: Hannah Montgomery and Phil Bull Assistant editor: Sergi Forcada Freixas Editor is Richard Fenton-Smith

What’s behind the deadly protests in Bangladesh? Jul 24, 2024

Show notes

Over 150 people have been killed in violent clashes across Bangladesh. The protests started with students demanding an end to the quota system that reserved a third of public sector jobs for the relatives of veterans from the country’s war for independence from Pakistan in 1971. But now the Supreme Court has ruled just 5% of the roles can be reserved. The protests represent the biggest challenge to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the world’s longest-serving female head of government.

In this episode Caitríona Perry speaks to the BBC World Service South Asia Regional Editor Anbarasan Ethirajan, and Sabir Mustafa, who was the head of the BBC’s Bengali language service for 22 years and now works for VOA.

This episode was made by Alice Aylett Roberts and Tom Kavanagh. The technical producers were Ben Andrews and Mike Regaard. The assistant editor is Sergi Forcada Freixas and the senior news editor is Richard Fenton-Smith.

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