Global News Podcast – "Kremlin: Russia is a Real Bear"

Host: Nick Miles, BBC World Service
Date: September 24, 2025

Overview

This episode of the Global News Podcast covers high-profile global developments including escalating rhetoric between Russia and the United States, a historic moment at the United Nations for Syria, breakthroughs in HIV prevention and Huntington’s disease treatments, the impact of Typhoon Ragasa in East Asia, Denmark’s apology to Greenland, and a media controversy in the United States. The episode also dives into cultural history with a feature on London’s iconic Blitz nightclub.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Russia Responds to "Paper Tiger" Accusation

• Background: Donald Trump, following a meeting with Ukraine’s president, referred to Russia as a "paper tiger" and suggested a real military power would have subdued Ukraine in a week.
• Kremlin Reaction: Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesperson, countered that “Russia is a real bear.”
• Analysis:
  • Vitaly Shevchenko (Russia Editor, BBC Monitoring) explores the significance of words versus actions in the ongoing Ukraine conflict.
  • Points out that while President Trump’s comments might be unprecedented in criticizing Russia and supporting Ukraine, US policy has not shifted accordingly.
  • Ukrainian response is increasingly indifferent—attention is focused more on tangible support rather than rhetoric.
• Notable Quote:
  • "We’ve learned at this stage that the US President’s words have often been remarkably divorced from reality and action." – Vitaly Shevchenko (06:38)
  • "Ukrainians… are paying much less attention to what the US President is saying about their country." – Vitaly Shevchenko (07:03)

2. Syria’s President to Address United Nations

• Historic Event: Ahmed Al Shara, Syria’s interim leader, is set to speak at the UN General Assembly, marking the first such address by a Syrian president since 1967.
• Voices from Damascus:
  • Syrian civilians respond with hopefulness and national pride at the significance of the moment.
  • One interviewee shares:
    • "I've never… lived a year in my life where we were represented like that." (10:30)
• Context & Analysis:
  • Leena Sinjab (BBC Damascus Correspondent) suggests this is a big symbolic moment for both the country and Al Shara. His former designation as a terrorist has been rescinded, and he is now welcomed by international leaders.
  • The return to the international stage comes as Syria recovers from 14 years of civil war, though internal issues remain: human rights violations, corruption, and a lack of inclusivity.
• Outlook: Syrians are hopeful yet cautious, pressing for reforms and genuine reconciliation.
• Notable Quote:
  • "Everyone is watching and Syrians are jubilant about this moment." – Leena Sinjab (12:39)

3. Landmark Deal on HIV Prevention Drug

• Summary:
  • A new agreement will slash the annual cost of the injectable HIV prevention drug Lenacapavir for lower-income countries from $28,000 to under $40.
  • The deal’s backers include the Clinton Health Access Initiative, Gates Foundation, and South Africa’s RHI.
• Details from Marnie Jones (BBC Africa):
  • The generic version will be produced in India, becoming available in about 120 countries by 2027 subject to regulatory approval.
  • This twice-yearly injectable (PreP) aims to be a “game changer,” particularly for young women in Sub-Saharan Africa where daily pill routines are difficult and stigmatized.
• Notable Quote:
  • "They've managed to reduce the price… to just under $40 a year. So around 0.1% of the cost." – Marnie Jones (16:47)
  • "For these women… having this twice yearly injection will be a game changer for their infection rates." – Marnie Jones (18:25)

4. Breakthrough: Huntington’s Disease Treatment

• Context:
  • Huntington’s disease, previously untreatable, has shown a dramatic response to new gene therapy—a trial slowed the disease’s progression by 75%.
• Interview with Prof. Edward Wild (National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery):
  • Describes the therapy as “breathtaking”—the first to convincingly demonstrate slowing and biochemical improvement in the disease.
  • Gene therapy involves injecting an inactivated virus carrying therapeutic DNA into the brain’s striatum, effectively turning neurons into “factories for their own cure.”
• Notable Quote:
  • "It's unlike anything we've ever seen before… This gene therapy news is really the first time… we've convincingly slowed the progression of Huntington's disease." – Prof. Edward Wild (22:00)
  • "It reprograms the neuron to become a factory for its own cure." (23:27)

5. Typhoon Ragasa Devastates Taiwan and Southern China

• Impact:
  • At least 17 deaths in Taiwan; 62 injured in Hong Kong, primarily due to extreme winds, flooding, and storm surge.
• Expert Analysis by Prof. Johnny Chan (Asia Pacific Typhoon Centre):
  • Typhoon amassed strength due to passage over warm water, minimal land interference.
  • Comparison to Typhoon Mangkhut (2018)—preparedness has improved since then.
  • Global warming is likely to make such storms even more severe in coming years.
• Resilience Strategies:
  • Importance of disaster preparedness and infrastructural measures.
• Notable Quote:
  • "You can't tame the storm, so you just need to be able to be prepared for it." – Prof. Johnny Chan (30:29)

6. Denmark’s Apology to Greenland over Forced Contraception

• Overview:
  • Danish PM Mette Frederiksen issues formal apology to Greenlandic Inuit women for decades-long program of forced contraception, largely unconsented and targeting ethnic population control.
• Historical Background:
  • Program lasted from the 1960s for over 30 years, affecting about 4,500 women, some as young as schoolgirls.
• Analysis by Paul Moss (BBC Global Affairs):
  • Apology follows rising awareness stemming from a 2022 Danish podcast and increasing political pressure—including following former US President Trump's calls for a US annexation and criticism of Danish rule.
• Notable Quote:
  • "Some are suggesting that is why Denmark is now on a desperate, rather belated charm offensive." – Paul Moss (34:45)
  • Aya Chemnitz, Greenlandic MP, observed:
    • "I have never seen this kind of movement… it was totally because of Donald Trump's designs on Greenland." (35:31)

7. Media & Free Speech: Jimmy Kimmel Controversy in the US

• Summary:
  • Jimmy Kimmel returns to late-night television after suspension over comments following the targeted killing of activist Charlie Kirk.
  • The suspension, backlash, and reinstatement spotlight tensions between broadcasters, US authorities, and the Trump administration.
• Cultural Impact:
  • Widespread debate on free speech, the role of satire in political discourse, and the politicization of regulatory bodies.
• Memorable Kimmel Quote (from monologue):
  • "The President of the United States made it very clear he wants to see me and the hundreds of people who work here fired from our jobs. Our leader celebrates Americans losing their livelihoods because he can't take a joke." (39:09)

8. The Legacy of London’s Blitz Nightclub

• Feature:
  • New exhibition covers the influence of the legendary Blitz club on the 1980s "New Romantic" scene.
• Key Personalities:
  • Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet), Robert Elms (Broadcaster), and curators recount the club’s status as a haven for creative, often marginalized youth.
  • Emphasis on the safety and inclusivity Blitz provided during a period of pervasive discrimination in Britain.
• Notable Quotes:
  • "We were coming together, we were a bunch of kids who were influenced by Bowie." – Gary Kemp (45:22)
  • "You needed somewhere safe to go, because it really genuinely wasn't safe to look like that and be dressed like that and be gay or be flamboyant or extravagant in normal places." – Robert Elms (46:22)
  • "That need to find your chosen family, so to speak. And club culture is an important mechanism for that." – Danielle Thom, exhibition curator (50:01)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Opening headlines: 02:03
• Russia "paper tiger"/Kremlin "bear" exchange: 03:00–08:30
• Syria at the UN – significance and reactions: 10:12–14:12
• Landmark HIV prevention drug deal: 15:50–20:15
• Huntington’s disease gene therapy breakthrough: 21:30–24:50
• Typhoon Ragasa in Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong: 27:15–32:59
• Denmark apologizes to Greenland: 33:34–36:01
• Jimmy Kimmel media controversy: 38:42–41:56
• Blitz nightclub cultural retrospective: 44:18–51:20

Memorable Quotes

• "We’ve learned at this stage that the US President’s words have often been remarkably divorced from reality and action."
  — Vitaly Shevchenko, 06:38

• "I've never… lived a year in my life where we were represented like that."
  — Syrian woman, 10:30

• "They've managed to reduce the price… to just under $40 a year. So around 0.1% of the cost."
  — Marnie Jones, 16:47

• "It's unlike anything we've ever seen before… This gene therapy news is really the first time… we've convincingly slowed the progression of Huntington's disease."
  — Prof. Edward Wild, 22:00

• "You can't tame the storm, so you just need to be able to be prepared for it."
  — Prof. Johnny Chan, 30:29

• "I have never seen this kind of movement… it was totally because of Donald Trump's designs on Greenland."
  — Aya Chemnitz, 35:31

• "The President of the United States made it very clear he wants to see me and the hundreds of people who work here fired from our jobs."
  — Jimmy Kimmel, 39:09

• "We were coming together, we were a bunch of kids who were influenced by Bowie."
  — Gary Kemp, 45:22

Tone & Language

The episode is informative, concise, and analytical, maintaining the BBC’s hallmark of neutral, fact-based reporting while weaving in direct accounts and expert commentary. The language is accessible, occasionally personal, and often includes direct testimony for greater impact.

Summary

A timely, wide-ranging bulletin presenting diplomatic barbs, national turning points, scientific milestones, coping with natural disasters, confronting historic injustice, defending media freedoms, and celebrating cultural history—all told with clarity, expert insight, and eye for human impact.