Global News Podcast - General strike in Israel amid calls for hostage release deal

Episode Date: September 2, 2024

Hundreds of thousands strike in Israel to pressurise PM Netanyahu to secure a hostage release deal with Hamas. Also: Analysis of Germany's regional elections, and how boys are flooded with violent social media content.

Hello, this is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service, with reports and analysis from across the world. The latest news seven days a week. BBC World Service podcasts are supported by advertising. Life and death were two very realistic co-existing possibilities in my life. I didn't even think I'd make it to like my 16th birthday, to be honest. I grew up being scared of who I was. Any one of us at any time can be affected by mental health and addictions. Just taking that first step makes a big difference.

It's the hardest step. But CAMH was there from the beginning. Everyone deserves better mental health care. To hear more stories of recovery, visit camh.ca. If you're hearing this, you're probably already listening to BBC's award-winning news podcasts. But did you know that you can listen to them without ads? Get current affairs podcasts like Global News, AmeriCast and The Global Story, plus other great BBC podcasts from history to comedy to true crime, all ad-free.

Simply subscribe to BBC Podcast Premium on Apple Podcasts or listen to Amazon Music with a Prime membership. Spend less time on ads and more time with BBC Podcasts. This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Valerie Sanderson and at 1300 hours GMT on Monday the 2nd of September, these are our main stories. Israel's biggest trade union says hundreds of thousands of people joined its general strike aimed at forcing the government to secure a hostage release deal with Hamas. Germany's government tells mainstream parties

not to work with the far-right AFD, who've won a state election. Mexico's outgoing president, Andres Manuel López Obrador, defends his legacy as he attempts to push through a controversial reorganisation of the judiciary. Also in this podcast, our correspondent has travelled to Ukraine's border with Russia to meet the latest recruits from Ukraine as they prepare to join the fighting on Russian territory. And how boys are besieged by violent content on social media. I've tried putting a little not interested thing, but then three videos later you'll get another one.

It ruins your mood, it makes you a bit numb, it desensitises you to everything. We begin in Israel, where a general strike was called by the country's largest union to pressurize Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into agreeing a ceasefire deal after the bodies of six hostages were recovered by soldiers in Gaza on Sunday. Hundreds of thousands of people have been taking part across the country. Businesses were shut down and highways blockaded. The Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv was operating with reduced staff. This was the response of one traveller. We plan to go on a wave to Greece for a one-week holiday. Unfortunately,

our flight has been delayed due to the changes, the strike today. Having said that, I've participated in the big event last night for the hostages and for me, the cause justified the impact on me. The strike follows a huge protest on Sunday where many accused the Israeli Prime Minister and his government of not doing enough to bring hostages home from Gaza. It's believed 97 are still being held there. The US government has been trying for months to broker a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel. More than 40,000 Palestinians have been killed in the conflict, according to the Hamas-run health authority.

That followed the Hamas attack on Israel in October, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed and 251 were abducted. Union leader Peter Lerner told the BBC why he believed the strike in Israel was the right course of action. The damage to Israel's economy, to the workers of Israel, the concerns that we have with political influences in the negotiation process and the need for unity, not division in our society and the requirements to restore the safety and security to people of Israel and the intention to displace people here in Israel required a general strike. Doctors have cancelled operations too. The chief of the surgery division at Rambam Hospital in Haifa, Professor Yehuda Ullman, explained why he and his colleagues decided to walk out.

We are striking. It's a very hard word for physicians who are here to take care of the life and the well-being of our patients. But we are in a very, very hard situation now, we and all the country, because of the hostages. And yesterday, it was maybe the hardest day. The Israeli government took legal action to block the strike, which it says is political. John Donison is our correspondent in Jerusalem. I spoke to him before the unions agreed to comply with the court order to end the strike at 14.30 hours local time.

Thousands of businesses are closed, some schools, universities and government ministries as well, banks, some bus networks and a forum representing some hostage families has called for more protests today across the country with plans to block some of Israel's busiest roads. And this comes after last night's protests, which were the biggest scene in Israel since the start of the war, with hundreds of thousands demonstrating across the country. And what do the protesters want? Well, the outrage at Hamas is a given, but these protests are not about that. The anger is directed at the government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,

who is accused of blocking a ceasefire and hostage release deal to prioritise his own personal political survival. So what the protesters want is a ceasefire and hostage release deal. Now after the discovery of the bodies of six hostages over the weekend or at the end of last week, some families have said their loved one's blood is on the Prime Minister's hands. And at last night's protest, we had extraordinary scenes, really, with people chanting murderer directed at Mr Netanyahu. He, of course, entirely rejects that. He says it is Hamas who is blocking a deal and insists he will pursue them and bring them to account. So does that mean there is no change in strategy, or do you think there is some room for the government of Benjamin Netanyahu

to accede to some of the protesters' demands? Well, he's in a tight spot. There is pressure from the public. There is pressure from the opposition parties in Israel. There is pressure from the opposition parties in Israel. There is pressure from the international communities who have been pushing for a comprehensive ceasefire and hostage release deal for Gaza for months. And there is pressure from within his own government. Mr. Yoav Galant has reportedly been in a shouting match with Mr. Netanyahu in recent days because he also feels that now is the time to do a deal and that Mr. Netanyahu, with his demands, is blocking that.

But he's in a tight spot, the Prime Minister, because also within his government you have far-right nationalist ministers who have said they will bring the government down by quitting if he goes ahead and does a deal. So he's in a difficult position, but the pressure is building all the time. John Donison. Ukraine has launched widespread drone attacks against targets across the Russian border and in the capital, Moscow. The mayor of Moscow said that at least five drones flying towards the city were destroyed.

Local governors said nearly 40 others were destroyed over several regions. Steve Rosenberg reports from Moscow. According to Russia's defence ministry, overnight more than 150 Ukrainian drones targeted 15 Russian regions. The Russian military claimed that the drones were intercepted and destroyed. But as a result of the attack, a fire has broken out at an oil refinery in Moscow, in a separate technical room, the Moscow mayor said. Meanwhile, 100 miles from the Russian capital, loud blasts were heard close to the Konnikova power station. There were reports of a blaze there too. The government in Kiev says it's continuing to seize more Russian land following its surprise incursion a month ago.

But the biggest military operation into Russia since the Second World War has failed to ease the huge pressure that Ukraine faces on the eastern home front. And Kiev now faces tough strategic choices about where to commit its troops. Our Europe correspondent Nick Beek travelled to the Sumy and Chernihiv regions near the border with Russia to meet the latest Ukrainian recruits as they prepare to join the battle. We've joined a Ukrainian military convoy and we're heading towards the Russian border, moving along these dusty roads through one village after another that's already been scarred from Russian shelling. The windows in a lot of places have been blown out. Whole houses

have been completely obliterated. All the civilians have been evacuated from here. And we're driving towards a new base that the Ukrainians have set up. This was in the aftermath of their lightning-quick incursion into Russian territory. Under a canopy of thick forest, we meet troops who have just returned from Kursk. Among them, a platoon commander from the 22nd Mechanized Brigade, who goes by the call sign Storm.

The Russian soldiers who surrendered, we took as prisoners of war. The Russians who attacked us, we killed. Do you know how long you'll be on Russian territory when you go back? We are fulfilling an order. We'll be there as long as we are told to. If we have an order to move forward, we can get to Moscow. It feels that in taking us here, Ukraine is trying to send the message that it's got no intention of giving up the Russian land, that it gained so quickly, and that in fact it's digging in, setting up new bases like this one, and preparing more troops to cross the border into Russia.

But it's a gamble. A gamble because Ukraine is now fighting on yet another front. And the generals need to decide where to send the newest army recruits, either into Kursk or to defend the battered eastern front line at home. This is a training camp in the Chernihiv region that also borders Russia. The military, anxious that the location remained secret, asked us to view the footage we recorded, but did not have any editorial control. Just looking around at the recruits who are being trained today, and most of them are in their 30s, a significant number, over 40 and over 50. Two and a half years into this war, and Ukraine is desperate for troops on the front

line. For years, Rostislav worked as a driver in his home city of Odessa. Within weeks, he could be part of Ukraine's operation in Russia. I think this is the right thing to do. Look how long they've been on our land. You can't just sit there while they're capturing our territory. What will we do then? Kiev had hoped that Moscow would divert thousands of troops from the east of Ukraine to defend Kursk, but so far that hasn't happened. I want that the war begin to end. Valentin tells us he's had a busy month recovering Ukrainian vehicles recently damaged or destroyed inside Russia. It's hard to assess the level of casualties that Ukraine has taken

in its surprise operation. But everyone here, unsurprisingly, is backing the mission. Rostislav, the new recruit from Odessa, is adamant Ukraine deserves more help. We would like to hit Moscow to end this dirty war. Children and civilians suffer. Everyone does. A month after Zelensky's Kursk gamble, the initial morale boost of the incursion has faded away. A strategic dilemma remains, and none of Ukraine's next moves look simple. Nick Beek reporting. Finland is planning to stop Russians buying and renting property in the country.

It also wants to ban others from acting on behalf of Russian citizens and companies in such transactions. Risto Piko has the details. Over the past decades, Russians have bought more than 3,000 properties in Finland. Many are in strategic locations, near garrisons or close to critical infrastructure like major power lines or shipping lanes. All of these are obvious targets for sabotage, something Russia has been accused of carrying out in a number of European countries. Finland tightened its restrictions on Russian ownership seven years ago,

but the defence minister, Antti Hakkanen, acknowledged that that had not been enough. The country had been too naive about the threat Moscow poses. Similar concerns have been raised in neighbouring Sweden and Norway. Risto Pico. Now to Mexico, where thousands packed the capital's central square, the Zocalo, for President Andres Manuel López Obrador's final annual address to the nation. Following his Morena party's resounding victory in June's elections, the president is leaving office in a month,

handing power to Claudia Sheinbaum, soon to be Mexico's first female president. Before he goes, Mr López Obrador, who's often called AMLO, has promised to push through a huge reorganisation of the judicial system there. He told supporters he stands by his record as Mexico's defender of democracy. We've denounced acts of corruption and influence that prevail in the judiciary. That is why we have sent to Congress an initiative for the people to elect judges, magistrates and ministers so that they impart justice for the benefit of all and are not at the exclusive service of organised crime and white-collar crime. They must serve the people. Katerina Schultz is a freelance journalist based in Mexico City and she told Alex Ritson about the controversy behind these reforms.

At the heart of the reform is a proposal to elect judges by popular vote. And the leftist government argues that the judiciary now serves the political and economic elite, not the public. But detractors say that this plan could dangerously politicize the justice system and compromise independence. For the United States, which is Mexico's principal trade partner, they buy 83% of its exports. The U.S. ambassador, Ken Salazar, said the reform represents a risk for democracy and it could be a threat to the free trade agreement linking the two countries and Canada. Is he going to be able to do it in the time that he's got left or is this something he's going to have to hand over to his successor, Claudia Scheinbaum? Yeah, this is something that he's going to hand over. For Scheinbaum, you know, she models

pretty much exactly what we've seen in Amlos' government. He endorsed her throughout her entire campaign trail. She's taking on most of what he's left behind and continuing with that. So it wouldn't be surprising if despite the controversy around this, she picks it up and continues to run with it. What can we expect from her presidency? She's taking over a huge majority in Parliament. Yes, and this is the first time in this century that a Mexican government will have a supermajority in Congress. She won by a landslide, 60% of the vote, and overall, Shinbom has made it clear that her government,

like I said, will essentially model that of AMLO's government. Of course, this time, though, said, will essentially model that of AMLO's government. Of course, this time, though, the majority will allow them to modify the constitution without needing any opposition votes. And the opposition has actually filed suits with Mexico's electoral court, both about the presidential elections in June and about the distribution of legislative seats. So this is something that we haven't seen before. She's also the first woman president, and it's going to be really interesting to see how her presidency unravels. What are the key takeaways from President Obrador's time in office?

Well, economic policies, his austerity measures, he cut salaries and government expenses, including his own, to reduce spending, and social welfare, which was a huge point for the majority of Mexican voters because he expanded programs like scholarships for youth, for young people, pensions for older adults, and he increased the minimum wage, which also really impacted the vote. But his presidency didn't come without controversies. He was accused of, and still is, of centralizing power, undermining press freedom, and faced criticism for fossil fuel investments. So there were quite a few things that struck chords with a lot of the voters.

Of course, it wasn't enough for people to stray away from voting for the same party, for a sort of continuity of the same presidency. Katerina Schulz. Still to come. I've had some indication from the powers that be, Gandalf will make an appearance. I'm not letting anybody else put on the pointy hat and the beard if I can help it. We hear from veteran actor Sir Ian McKellen, following his fall from a London stage earlier this year.

Life and death were two very realistic coexisting possibilities in my life. I didn't even think I'd make it to my 16th birthday, to be honest. I grew up being scared of who I was. Any one of us at any time can be affected by mental health and addictions. Just taking that first step makes a big difference. It's the hardest step. But CAMH was there from the beginning. Everyone deserves better mental health care.

To hear more stories of recovery, visit camh.ca. If you're hearing this, you're probably already listening to BBC's award-winning news podcasts. But did you know that you can listen to them without ads? Get current affairs podcasts like Global News, AmeriCast and The Global Story, plus other great BBC podcasts from history to comedy to true crime, all ad-free. Simply subscribe to BBC Podcast Premium on Apple Podcasts or listen to Amazon Music with a Prime membership. Spend less time on ads and more time with BBC Podcasts.

Germany's anti-immigration Alternative for Germany, or AFD party, is celebrating an historic success with a victory in the eastern state of Thuringia. The AFD came a close second in Sunday's other state election in the more populous neighbouring state of Saxony. The German Chancellor Olaf Scholz has urged mainstream politicians not to lend support to the party. But the deputy leader of the AFD, Beatrice von Stock, said ignoring the AFD would mean disregarding the wishes of voters. It is very clear what voters have asked for. And you can see in both states, there is a good majority for the CDU and the AFD to form a coalition. And if you ask the people, this is also backed by a majority of the people.

So by not doing so, this is neglecting of what the people want. A member of the ruling SPD, Nils Schmid, told the BBC he doesn't expect the outcome to have a significant impact on how the federal government functions. These states count about 5 million inhabitants out of 80 million in Germany. So yes, a huge blow to the government, a wake-up call to defend democracy against anti-democratic forces like the far right. But there will be no immediate effect on the federal government.

I asked our correspondent in Berlin, Damien McGuinness, to give us his analysis. Usually, regional elections are not connected to federal elections or the national vote. So in that sense, you could say he's right. Having said that, I think what we're already seeing is a real effect nationally. And that's because the three parties who are in this ruling national coalition government all did so badly in these elections. The difficulty is that for the past couple of years in government they've all had to make so many compromises because these are three very different parties, they usually wouldn't form an alliance together,

that they've really lost a lot of their voters. A lot of their core voters are really disappointed with the compromises they've had to make. What we're now seeing is that because they've all done so badly and because the AFD has done so well, people within their parties are already now calling for them to defend their turf even more. And the problem is it's a bit of a vicious circle

because that's now going to lead to an even more argumentative coalition government. And these spats within the governing coalition are one of the reasons why the government has been doing so badly. So it's sort of a vicious circle in that the worse these parties do, the more they fight. And the more they fight, the worse they do. And I think we're in this sort of almost a death spiral for the governing coalition where people are saying, no, no, we're not going to split apart. We're not going to let the government fall. But for government members to say that we're not going to let the government fall, that kind of shows how bad it is, really. And how much widespread support is there for the AFD? Well, certainly in parts of eastern Germany, they are very popular and by far the strongest

political force. So in some local councils, they have quite powerful positions on a local municipal level, particularly in rural depopulated parts of eastern Germany. They're very strong in the cities in eastern Germany. They do less well. The cities are booming, a more diverse population, a younger population, and there the AFD doesn't necessarily always do that well. In Western Germany, it really depends where you're looking. There are pockets where the AFD does well, there are pockets where they don't. I think, though, the main impact they've had nationally is on the rhetoric, on the discourse. Since they entered the national parliament, the Bundestag, in 2017, they've really shifted the debate the whole debate in parliament

has become much more rancorous the way the afd talks the way they talk about minorities the way they talk about certain communities within germany has really shifted the dial on what's acceptable in germany that combined with more ferocious discourse on social media and other chains in society but i think we've really seen a change in the rhetoric and that's impacted mainstream with more ferocious discourse on social media and other chains in society. But I think we've really seen a change in the rhetoric, and that's impacted mainstream parties as well, in terms of policy as well. So, for example, on migration, the AFD is fiercely anti-migrant, anti-refugee, in some cases anti-Islam.

And to undermine or to try and win back voters who've gone to the AFD, some mainstream parties have started talking in a way that's not that dissimilar to the AFD and have started suggesting policies which some would say are simply an AFD copy. So we are seeing a change in how mainstream parties are acting as well. Damien McGuinness. More than 4.5 billion people around the world use smartphones. That's more than 60% of the global population. And there are growing concerns about their impact on children. Now a new BBC investigation has revealed that teenage boys have struggled to escape violent and misogynistic content being served to them on their social media

feeds. Our disinformation and social media correspondent, Mariana Spring, has been finding out more about it and why it happens. A lot of this does come back to the algorithms, recommendation systems that push us stuff based on what they think we might like and based on the preferences of other users. It's all to keep us coming back, but the kinds of stuff that can keep us gripped

can also be harmful, especially for teenagers. And I've chatted to several teenagers, including Kai, who's now 18, who told me he's found it very difficult to escape violence and misogyny served up on his TikTok and Instagram feeds since he was 15. He said the tools that he's used indicate that he doesn't want to see particular videos on the site haven't worked. And when he comments on posts to say he doesn't want them or tries to reset his algorithms when he accidentally likes a video, his is just flooded with more he says he's into boxing but he doesn't want to see some of this more extreme content including glorifying domestic

violence for example and not only has this had an impact on him but also some of his friends too he told me about one friend who's started to adopt misogynistic views off the back of watching these kinds of videos and Kai says his feed looks very different from those of girls the same age that he knows. It's like you just scroll you know you get a video after a video it could be a dog and then next minute it's just someone getting run over or a car crash or something like that. It's out of nowhere spontaneous it escalates very quickly you could like it or you could comment your opinion be like I don't agree with this, but you'll still get even more and more and more and more and more.

It kind of just stains your brain and that's all you think about for the rest of the day. To find out why this was happening, I tracked down some of the people who've been working on the inside of the social media companies, including someone called Andrew Kwong, who worked at TikTok in Dublin for 19 months until 2022. And as part of an effort to help keep teenagers safer,

he says he and a colleague decided to check what was being recommended to some 16-year-olds on the app. If you're a female, a 16-year-old who live in London, they're just usually interested in the pop singers, the songs, makeup. Whereas it's very different for teenage boy. So stabbing, knifing type of content, sometimes sexual content. And of course, mostly with the misogynistic sort of controversial hate content as well. According to Andrew Kwong, the algorithm's fuel is engagement,

regardless of whether that engagement is positive or negative. And that could explain in part why Kai's efforts to manipulate the algorithms weren't working. According to TikTok, the algorithms are not informed by a user's gender. But Andrew says the interest teenagers express when they sign up often have the effect of dividing them up along gender lines, which explains why a 16-year-old could be recommended violent content to begin with. Andrew says the algorithm recommending content to TikToks for YouPage doesn't always differentiate between harmful and non-harmful content. And one of the problems he identified when he worked at TikTok was that the teams involved in training and coding that algorithm did not always know the exact natures of the video that it was recommending. I reached

out to the social media companies about all of this. TikTok says that it has 40,000 safety staff working alongside innovative technology to keep its app safe. It says it doesn't use gender to recommend content, has settings for teens to block content that may not be suitable and doesn't allow extreme violence or misogyny. Meta, which owns Instagram, says it's introduced over 50 different tools, resources and features, including for parental supervision and reducing sensitive content for teens. Mariana Spring. Political statements and protests are a recurring theme at the Olympic Games. Paris 2024 was no exception when an Afghan breakdancer was disqualified for wearing a cape with the words free Afghan women during her pre-qualifying routine.

In her first news conference since the Games, Manisa Talash says she has no regrets and if given the chance would do the same again. Since they resumed control of Afghanistan three years ago, the Taliban's restrictions on women's freedoms have drawn sharp criticism from human rights groups and from many foreign governments. Ella Bicknell reports. It was in the noisy open-air arena in the Place de la Concorde that Manitsa Talash made her stand. During her battle against India's Sajo of the Netherlands, the 21-year-old unveiled a light

blue cape made from the material of a burqa, the headdress the Taliban said all Afghan women must wear. It displayed the words, free Afghan women. Rule 50 of the Olympic Charter explicitly bans the display of any political messaging, including signs or armbands. As a result, she was disqualified from the competition, a decision she does not regret. Lots of people ask if it was a difficult decision to sacrifice my Olympic dream to make this message. For me, it was very simple, because when there is a cause to defend, you go out there and do it. It was important to me to use the burqa in the form of wings. I wanted it to symbolise Afghan women escaping,

freeing themselves and taking flight. When the Taliban retook control, Talash, originally from Kabul, made the decision to flee the country. She ended up settling in Spain. She was one of the 37 athletes and six Afghans selected by the IOC to compete for the refugee team. I am not gifted at speaking publicly, but I like to take action. I am like a bomb because I grew up among the bombs. In the three years under Taliban rule, women have been excluded from

almost every aspect of public life. Last week, the group issued a ban on women's voices being heard and faces being seen in public. Talash says she hopes women's freedoms will one day return to Afghanistan. The day will come when we'll be reunited on our own land. On that day, we can live together again. I want to tell them not to give up, for people who keep fighting for them. The UN has said the Taliban must improve life for women in Afghanistan if they have any hope of international recognition. In reply, the Taliban say their law is firmly rooted in Islamic teachings and it should be respected and understood. Ella Bicknell. And finally, the actor Sir Ian McKellen, known for his role as Gandalf in the

Lord of the Rings franchise and his many appearances in Shakespeare's plays, has told the BBC that at 85 years old, he has no plans to retire from acting. He fell off stage earlier this year during a theatre production in London, breaking his wrist. Tim Muffet has been speaking to him. I'm fine. It was a nasty fall. It was a shock initially, but I fractured my wrist. It's what every kid does when it falls off his bike.

And chipped a vertebrae. And do you remember how it happened? I, moving about, got my foot caught in the remains of a chair, which I tried to kick off, and in doing that, I propelled myself forward, as it were, on a skateboard, on the newspaper, shiny surface, down to the fourth stage and then off the stage which is a three-foot drop, partly broken by a member of the audience on the front row.

I was extremely lucky, even though I was wearing a padded suit because full staff, the part I was playing, is fat. It wasn't that I'd got dizzy or anything like that. It was a pure accident. So I count myself lucky that it's beginning to be a distant memory. Your work ethic has been revered within the industry and beyond for many, many years.

May I reassess that at all? I don't think it's that I've got an ethic. It's what else would I be doing if I wasn't working? I shall take the rest of the year off and then get back to work in January. Just keep at it as long as the legs and the lungs and the mind keep working. I forget names.

And of course, when you say that to somebody, they say, say oh me too and you think well is it the human condition and does one at no too many names when you're older you've got more to remember than people who are young nevertheless

it's a nuisance when you can't remember your best friend's name you know Is there a particular role of which you're most proud i was in a wonderful production by trevor nunn for the royal shakespeare company in 1976 of macbeth if you can manage to take on all the intricacies and subtleties of shakespeare's verse and then make it seem as if you're making it up as you go along, then you've cracked the biggest problem of doing Shakespeare. But then, Lord of the Rings is my Casablanca, you know. Another one, The Hunt for Gollum, is due to be made.

Will you be playing Gandalf in it? Well, I've had some indication from the powers that be, Gandalf will make an appearance. I'm not letting anybody else put on the pointy hat and the beard if I can help it. Sir Ian McKellen. And that's it from us for now, but there'll be a new edition of the Global News Podcast later. If you want to comment on this podcast or the topics covered in it, send us an email. The address is globalpodcast at bbc.co.uk. You can also find us on X at Global News Pod. This edition

was mixed by Nora Hull. The producer was Marion Straughan. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Valerie Sanderson. Until next time, bye-bye. Life and death were two very realistic coexisting possibilities in my life. I didn't even think I'd make it to like my 16th birthday, to be honest. I grew up being scared of who I was. Any one of us at any time can be affected by mental health and addictions. Just taking that first step makes a big difference. It's the hardest step.

But CAMH was there from the beginning. Everyone deserves better mental health care. To hear more stories of recovery, visit CAMH.ca. If you're hearing this, you're probably already listening to BBC's award-winning news podcasts. But did you know that you can listen to them without ads? Get current affairs podcasts like Global News, AmeriCast and The Global Story,

plus other great BBC podcasts from history to comedy to true crime, all ad-free. Simply subscribe to BBC Podcast Premium on Apple Podcasts or listen to Amazon Music with a Prime membership. Spend less time on ads and more time with BBC Podcasts.