Stay calm on Greenland UK tells Trump and EU

Summary

---

Global News Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode: Stay calm on Greenland UK tells Trump and EU
Date: January 19, 2026
Host: Valerie Sanderson, BBC World Service

---

Overview

This episode covers several major global stories, with a particular focus on President Trump’s controversial aim to acquire Greenland and the escalating tensions between the US, the EU, and the UK over threatened trade tariffs. The podcast also reports on the tragic train crash in Spain, Japan’s snap election announcement, President Trump's creation of a "Board of Peace" for Gaza, a new blood test for Alzheimer’s, and a thoughtful discussion on how screen culture and social media are changing the way we watch films.

---

Episode Highlights & Key Segments

1. US–EU–UK Tensions over Greenland (01:05–07:31)

• President Trump’s Greenland Ambition:
  President Trump intends to acquire Greenland, a semi-autonomous Danish territory. He has threatened trade tariffs against any countries opposing this plan, prompting a strong backlash from European leaders.

• European Response:

  • Germany and France have firmly spoken against what they describe as “blackmail.”
    • "Germany and France agree that we will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed. There will be a united, clear response from Europe and we are now preparing united countermeasures..." — EU statement read by Valerie Sanderson (02:29)
  • President Macron advocates deploying the EU’s “Trade Bazooka”—major counter-tariffs initially designed for hostile powers.

• UK's “Calm” Approach:

  • PM Keir Starmer called for calm discussions between allies and opposed the use of tariffs among partners.
    • "The use of tariffs against allies is completely wrong. It is not the right way to resolve differences within an alliance..." — Keir Starmer (03:26)
  • BBC political correspondent Rob Watson explains that Starmer is taking a diplomatic “softly, softly approach,” resisting domestic pressures to confront Trump more aggressively.
    • "Have a sort of Love, Actually moment... That isn’t going to happen." — Rob Watson (03:51)
    • Emphasizes the importance of the US-UK relationship.

• Uncertainties Loom:

  • What if Trump refuses diplomatic talks? Starmer avoids discussing this, insisting a peaceful outcome is possible but acknowledging crisis potential.
    • "He refuses to countenance that, saying... there will be a diplomatic solution..." — Rob Watson (04:48)

• Outlook:

  • Kellyanne Shaw (former US official) expects frank negotiation at Davos between Trump and EU leaders.

    • "When I see the president threatening tariffs, what I hear is I want to negotiate something here..." — Kellyanne Shaw (05:31)

  • Nick Beak (Brussels correspondent) comments on EU unease:

    • "If they don't do anything, they can look weak... If they go too far, then there's the risk of a trade war with the US, their biggest partner..." — Nick Beak (06:09)
    • Italy's Giorgia Meloni urges avoiding escalation and seeking a diplomatic solution.

---

2. Trump Links Greenland Ambition to Nobel Peace Prize (07:31–10:28)

• Trump's Statements:

  • Trump connects his desire for Greenland to feeling snubbed by the 2025 Nobel committee.
    • "The world would only be safe if the US had total and complete control over Greenland..." — Read by Paul Moss (07:54)
  • He blames the Norwegian government for his Nobel Peace Prize loss, although the prize is awarded by an independent committee.

• Analytical Perspective:

  • Paul Moss suggests Trump's fixation on the prize is deeply tied to his competition with Barack Obama, who also received the Nobel.
    • "Can't overestimate how much he wants this. He's actively lobbied for the prize... he acts as if receiving it secondhand is the same as winning..." — Paul Moss (09:00)

---

3. Spain Train Crash – Worst in a Decade (10:28–12:30)

• Tragedy in Spain:
  • At least 39 dead, 120 injured in a head-on train collision near Madrid.
  • Survivors describe chaos:
    • "The first thing we noticed was a sudden braking... then another much stronger impact... suitcases, clothes and people were scattered all over the carriage." — Survivor’s account (11:06)
  • Ongoing rescue efforts, with the death toll expected to rise.

---

4. Japan Calls Snap Election (14:47–17:32)

• Political Developments:
  • Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi announces a snap election for February 8.
  • Motivation: Push through an ambitious economic stimulus bill; seeking a stronger parliamentary majority.
  • Historical context: Takaichi is Japan’s first female Prime Minister and is leveraging strong personal popularity, but her party remains vulnerable.
    • "No Japanese prime minister has been this popular since 2012 when Shinzo Abe was in power..." — Jik Kwon, Seoul correspondent (15:52)
  • Tension with China: Her tough stance on Taiwan has increased her popularity among conservatives but risks economic retaliation from China.

---

5. Gaza “Board of Peace” – Trump and Putin (17:32–20:05)

• New International Body:
  • President Trump’s new “Board of Peace for Gaza” invites leaders of 60 countries, including President Putin.
  • Sebastian Usher explains the board’s role:
    • "If it is successful in Gaza, it will then be almost an alternative UN..." (17:52)
  • Permanent membership requires a $1 billion fee—highlighted as an odd detail.
  • Notable figures like Jared Kushner and former PM Tony Blair sit on executive boards for Gaza reconstruction.

---

6. Alzheimer’s Blood Test Trial (20:05–23:23)

• Medical Breakthrough in Testing:
  • UK and US researchers are trialing a finger-prick blood test as a simple, cost-effective way to diagnose Alzheimer’s risk.
  • Dr. Giovanni Lally explains:
    • "We are looking at the presence of three proteins... blood-based biomarkers of Alzheimer’s disease." (21:25)
  • Dr. Ema McSweeney gives feedback to a patient:
    • "So in terms of risk, at the minute you're well down, you're not even on the radar..." (22:19)
  • If successful, this could transform Alzheimer’s screening by making it widely accessible.

---

7. How Social Media & Screens Are Changing Movies (23:23–27:14)

• Hollywood Shifts to Shorter Attention Spans:
  • Matt Damon and Ben Affleck discuss the influence of modern viewing habits:
    • "Now they're like, can we get a big one in the first five minutes... You reiterated the plot three or four times... because people are on their phones while they're watching." — Matt Damon (23:48)
  • Debate among critics (Tim Roby, Hannah Verdier) over the future of cinema:
    • "Do we treat cinema as kind of like a glorified screensaver that's just on in the background while everyone doom scrolls...?" — Tim Roby (24:31)
    • "When you're at home, realistically, who isn't watching two or three screens at the same time?" — Hannah Verdier (25:20)
  • Concerns over diminishing film quality versus the commercial advantages of adapting to these trends.

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On EU Resolve Against US Pressure:
  "Germany and France agree that we will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed." (02:29)
• On Calm Diplomacy:
  "The use of tariffs against allies is completely wrong. It is not the right way to resolve differences within an alliance..." — PM Keir Starmer (03:26)
• On Movie Viewing Changes:
  "Do we treat cinema as... a glorified screensaver... while everyone doom scrolls...?" — Tim Roby (24:31)

---

Timestamps for Reference

• 01:05 – Main headlines and Greenland crisis introduction
• 02:29 – EU leaders' statement against US pressure
• 03:26 – Keir Starmer's message to allies
• 05:31 – Kellyanne Shaw’s negotiation outlook
• 06:09 – EU’s dilemma and trade risks
• 07:54 – Trump’s Greenland/Nobel Peace Prize connection
• 10:28 – Train crash in Spain, survivor accounts
• 14:47 – Japan’s snap election and China tensions
• 17:52 – Gaza “Board of Peace” explanation
• 20:05 – Alzheimer’s blood test trial segment
• 23:48 – Matt Damon & Ben Affleck on films for the phone era
• 24:31 – Critics debate movie culture shifts

---

Episode Tone

• The tone is serious and analytical, with moments of subtle, dry humor (especially regarding Trump's Nobel ambitions).
• Contributors are objective but do not shy away from critiquing world leaders or highlighting the surreal elements of current politics.
• The film segment closes with a more conversational and lightly nostalgic reflection on changing media habits.

---

This summary provides listeners with a thorough yet brisk guide to all major subjects featured in this Global News Podcast episode, preserving both key insights and the flavor of the original discussions.

Transcript

[Valerie Sanderson]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk. This message comes from Schwab. At Schwab how you invest is your choice, not theirs. That's why when it comes to managing your wealth, Schwab gives you more choices. You can invest and trade on your own plus get advice and more comprehensive wealth solutions to help meet your unique needs. With award winning service, low costs and transparent advice, you can manage your wealth your way at Schwab. Visit schwab.com to learn more. If you're the purchasing manager at a manufacturing plant, you know having a trusted partner makes all the difference. That's why hands down you count on Grainger for auto reordering. With on time restocks your team will have the cut resistant gloves they need at the start of their shift and you can end your day knowing they got safety well in hand. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Valerie Sanderson at 1600 hours GMT on Monday the 19th of January. These are our main stories. The British Prime Minister Keir Starmer says President Trump's president plan to impose tariffs on countries opposed to his goal to take over Greenland is completely wrong. At least 39 people have died in a train crash in Spain. Japan's prime minister calls a snap election. Also in this podcast I'm looking at the presence of three proteins that have been linked to Alzheimer's disease, so so called blood based biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease. Could a simple finger prick blood test be the future for diagnosing Alzheimer's? There have been many tests for European leaders during the first year of Donald Trump's second term in the White House, but so far they've tried to manage, placate and charm the US President. Now his aim of acquiring the semi autonomous territory of Greenland, part of the Kingdom of Denmark, has alarmed politicians to such an extent that they're pushing back. Some senior EU figures are openly accusing the US President of blackmail over Greenland. Here's Germany's Finance Minister Lars Klingweil speaking alongside his French counterpart.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Germany and France agree that we will not allow ourselves to be blackmailed. There will be a united, clear response from Europe and we are now preparing united countermeasures with our European partners. We are preparing for the event that President Trump maintains his tariff threat.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Washington insists there will be punishment in the form of trade tariffs from next month for any country that stands in the way of the President's ambition to acquire Greenland. President Macron of France wants the EU to fight back by deploying for the first time the EU's trade bazooka. We'll have more on that shortly. By contrast, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called for calm discussion between allies. In a speech at Downing street, he reiterated the unifying EU position that the future of Greenland is for its people and Denmark to decide. And he criticised President Trump's threat on tariffs.

[Valerie Sanderson]

The use of tariffs against allies is completely wrong. It is not the right way to resolve differences within an alliance, nor is it helpful to frame efforts to strengthen Greenland security as a justification for economic pressure.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Our political correspondent Rob Watson gave me his assessment.

[Valerie Sanderson]

It would be fair to say that amongst America's European allies, he is the leader of what might be described as the softly, softly approach, Valerie. That let's take it diplomatically, let's not turn the heat up any higher. But it is difficult domestically here in the uk, because of course, there are plenty of politicians and of course, plenty of ordinary voters who think, come on, Sakir, tell Donald Trump what you really think, that this is all completely unacceptable. In other words, have a sort of love, actually moment. That film where the British Prime Minister takes it to a fictional American president, that that isn't going to happen. And he repeated the argument he's made, really, ever since President Trump's inauguration, which is, look, you know, however angry you might feel about stuff, the relationship between the US and the UK is so important for us in terms of our security and economics. You have to keep talking.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Yeah, but what happens if Mr. Trump isn't up for calm discussions?

[Valerie Sanderson]

But that is the great question, Valerie. And it was put to him after his statement in Downing street by several of my colleagues, and he refuses to countenance that, saying that he believes that there will be a diplomatic solution, that he doesn't think that this will come in any way to sort of military action or anything remotely like it. But. But that is the key question. I mean, what does happen if this talking and if this diplomacy doesn't work? I mean, I think that would be a crisis of absolutely exist proportions for the West.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Rob Watson. So what might happen next? Kellyanne Shaw was the Deputy Assistant to the US President for International Economic affairs in the first Trump administration. She told the BBC she believes Mr. Trump is prepared to negotiate.

[Valerie Sanderson]

I think there's a negotiated outcome here. We'll see the President in Switzerland this week, in Davos with a number of European leaders. I would imagine there'll be Some very frank conversations. But when I see the president threatening tariffs, what I hear is I want to negotiate something here. And so I think we'll ultimately see something that works for Denmark, something that works the United States, and something that works for Greenland.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

As Kellyanne Shaw mentioned there, European leaders are meeting this week on Thursday to discuss their response, and it's thought they'll consider a raft of retaliatory measures. One potential issue. Well, our Brussels correspondent Nick Beak says not all the countries are on the same page.

[Valerie Sanderson]

This feels like a precarious moment for the EU because it's been on this roller coaster ride for the past year trying to placate or charm or manage Donald Trump. But this is the most dangerous turn yet. And what you've got is openly some EU leaders accusing Donald Trump of blackmail. The dilemma here is if they don't do anything, they can look weak. And that may embolden Mr. Trump even further over Greenland. If they go too far, then there's the risk of a trade war with the US Their biggest partner, President Macron of France, he says the EU really needs to be tough at this moment. He's talked about using the EU's Trade Bazooka, as it's known. Basically, this would be counter tariffs. It was a weapon that they designed originally to basically deal with bullying by a hostile external country. And at the time, they were thinking of China. You know, they weren't thinking of the United States. But you've got people like Giorgio Maloney of Italy saying that a trade war would be really damaging to both sides. She says there needs to be a diplomatic solution to this. And she's tried to characterize this as a misunderstanding of the EU and the US position. Greenland. But I think the problem is that the positions of the two sides, you know, they're poles apart and they're completely incompatible with each other.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Nick Beak. Well, as all this is unfolding, President Trump has linked his aim for control of Greenland to his failure to win the Nobel peace Prize in 2025, telling Norway's prime minister he no longer feels obliged to think purely of peace. He's blamed the Norwegian government for the decision, though it's not in that government's gift. Our global affairs reporter Paul Moss told me more.

[Valerie Sanderson]

The text started by reiterating America's claims over Greenland. Donald Trump said the world would only be safe if the US had total and complete control over Greenland. He then questioned why Denmark currently had sovereignty. He said it was just there were no documents to support this and it was just down to the fact that a Danish boat landed there a few centuries ago. And rather ominously, he said plenty of American boats had landed at Greenland. And yes, as you say, he went on to say that because Norway hadn't given him the Nobel Peace, he didn't have to think purely about peace when it came to foreign policy decisions. Now, I should emphasize Mr. Trump did say that peace would remain a predominant consideration, but nonetheless, he made clear his thinking had changed because Norway hadn't given him the prize. As you say, it's particularly odd because it isn't the Norwegian government that gives it. It's an independent committee. The Norwegian Prime Minister, Jonas Kastura says, look, I have repeatedly tried to explain to Donald Trump, it's not us, but it seems the message didn't get through.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Now everybody listening to this is going to wonder, why does the Nobel Peace Prize mean so much to Donald Trump?

[Valerie Sanderson]

It's hard to understand. Is it? I mean, as so often in explaining Donald Trump's stance, I think, you know, political analysis will take you a certain amount of the way, but you do need a psychologist. I will have a go. I think it's partly because of his relationship with Barack Obama. Donald Trump really was contemptuous of Barack Obama. He was part of the birther movement, which claimed, completely falsely, that Barack Obama had been born abroad in Africa and therefore wasn't allowed to be president. And then what did Barack Obama do? He had the temerity not just to be elected, but to be reelected, and he got the Nobel Peace Prize. Now, many think Donald Trump's thinking as if it was good enough for Barack Obama, it's good enough for me. And, you know, can't overestimate how much he wants this. He's actively lobbied for the prize. This just isn't the done thing. And last week, it emerged that the woman who did get the Nobel Peace Prize last year, the Venezuelan Maria Machada, flew to Washington and presented Donald Trump with her Nobel Prize Award. And there he is, grinning, holding up this award as if he won it. I mean, you know, just for comparison, if last year's winners of the Pulitzer Prize for journalism for some reason decided that they'd been a terrible mistake, and really, the journalism award should have gone to Paul Moss, they could turn up at the office and hand over the medal to me. But the fact is that wouldn't mean that I'd won. And yet Donald Trump seems to act as if it does. This really is a top issue for the US President, Paul Moss.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

And for more on this story, you can go on YouTube search for BBC news, click on the logo, then choose Podcasts and Global News Podcast. There's a new story available every weekday next to the worst train crash in Spain in more than a decade, according to the country's Civil Guard. As we record this, there are still no clear answers as to why a high speed train bound for Madrid is derailed and barrelled into an oncoming train, killing at least 39 people and injuring more than 120 survivors from the crash in Angelicia say the initial impact felt like an earthquake.

[Valerie Sanderson]

The first thing we noticed was a sudden braking, although we remained in place, but we didn't have time to react when in a fraction of a second another much stronger impact came, which caused suitcases, clothes and people to be scattered all over the carriage.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

The impact was like a sudden blow.

[Valerie Sanderson]

The lights went out. I was sitting in the last seats of the carriage and I was thrown over. I don't know how many times I rolled over, I don't know how, but I hit my back. There were people screaming and all the.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Suitcases fell on top of people's heads. Our correspondent Guy Hedgeko is close to the scene of the accident.

[Valerie Sanderson]

We know that a train heading from the southern city of Malaga, heading north, some of its carriages were derailed just as another train was heading the other way, heading south. That second train was then derailed by the collision and it was pushed down an embankment. Ever since then, rescue workers have been working first of all to pull survivors out of the wreckage, a wreckage that was twisted metal carriages that had been turned upside down. And then more recently we've been told that the rescuers work is probably more about recovering bodies because the local authorities here in Andalusia have said that they believe that the death toll is probably going to increase even further.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Guy Hedgeko in Spain. Still to come in this podcast, I.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Think it might be a bit of a fork in the road, you know, because do you respect films as a great popular art form or do we treat cinema as kind of like a glorified screensaver?

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Has the way that movies are made, produced and consumed changed forever in the age of the smartphone? If you're an H vac technician and a call comes in, Grainger knows that you need a partner that helps you find the right product fast and hassle free.

[Valerie Sanderson]

And you know that when the first.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Problem of the day is a clanking blower motor, there's no need to break a sweat.

[Valerie Sanderson]

With Grainger's easy to use website and.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Product details, you're confident you'll soon have.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Everything humming right along.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

[Valerie Sanderson]

If you're the purchasing manager at a manufacturing plant, you know having a trusted partner makes all the difference. That's why hands down, you count on Grainger for auto reordering. With on time restocks, your team will have the cut resistant gloves they need at the start of their shift and you can end your day knowing they've got safety well in hand. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

If you're an H Vac technician and a call comes in, Grainger knows that.

[Valerie Sanderson]

You need a partner that helps you.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Find the right product fast and hassle free.

[Valerie Sanderson]

And you know that when the first.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Problem of the day is a clanking blower motor, there's no need to break a sweat.

[Valerie Sanderson]

With Grainger's easy to use website and.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Product details, you're confident you'll soon have.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Everything humming right along.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. If you're an H Vac technician and a call comes in, Grainger knows that.

[Valerie Sanderson]

You need a partner that helps you.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Find the right product fast and hassle free.

[Valerie Sanderson]

And you know that when the first.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Problem of the day is a clanking blower motor, there's no need to break a sweat.

[Valerie Sanderson]

With Grainger's easy to use website and.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Product details, you're confident you'll soon have everything humming right along. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. Japan is set to hold a snap election on February 8th. It's been announced by the Prime Minister, Sanae Takechi, who's been in office since October and is currently enjoying popular support. I got more from our correspondent in Seoul, jik kwon.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Well, Ms. Takaichi came to the office with a promise of boosting Japan's economy, which has been sluggish for many years, and her party, the Liberal Democratic Party, barely managed to hold onto power in the last election and now has a minority government. So she has a really ambitious stimulus bill that she wants through the parliament and this is supposed to deliver the economic boost that she promised. So to push that through with ease, she wants a large majority and she feels now is the time.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

And tell us more about her. She is Japan's first female Prime Minister and has big plans for the country, doesn't she?

[Valerie Sanderson]

She does. I mean, she is the first female prime minister and she is also a conservative prime minister here. And she is really flying high on her personal popularity. No Japanese prime minister has been this popular since 2012 when Shinzo Abe was in power. Now she is clearly leveraging her popularity to have an election win here. She said today that this is a vote for vote Liberal Democrats to keep her in power. So she might also be betting that the public is now ready for some stability. She is Japan's fourth prime minister in five years. But her win is also far from guaranteed come February. Japan is still going through the cost of living crisis. And while she is popular, her party is not.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

And she has made controversial comments, hasn't she, on Taiwan, that have angered China. Tell us more about that.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Well, back in November when she was just elected, Ms. Takaichi suggested that Japan could send its military to defend Taiwan. This is the self governing island that Beijing still holds claim. And of course, this is a red line for Beijing. It made Beijing very, very angry and they pulled out all kinds of tools to retaliate, including export control. And you have to remember that China is Japan's number two trading partner. And this is very much concerning to many businesses in Japan. But it also had contributed to her popul. In fact, her popularity went up after this spat with China, especially among her conservative base. And they really see her as a brave politician who is standing up to what they see as China's bullying.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Jake Kwon the Kremlin says President Putin has been invited to join Donald Trump's Board of Peace for Gaza. A draft charter has been sent to 60 countries inviting them to take up three year memberships. Our global affairs correspondent Sebastian Usher told me more about the Board of Peace and what we're to make of the invitation to President Putin to join it.

[Valerie Sanderson]

I think there's a certain amount of confusion about all these different boards that there are over Gaza. The Board of Peace actually is the kind of big oversight one which leaders of the world are being invited to. And in fact, the way that's being presented is it won't just be about Gaza, but if it is successful in Gaza, it will then be like Almost an alternative UN so at least 60 invitations have been sent out. I don't think President Putin should feel too special about his invitation. But obviously when you have something called the Board of Peace and you are sending it out to leaders who essentially have invaded other countries, it does bring that all into quite sharp relief. I mean, the other groups that are involved in Gaza. There's the Palestinian one, the technocratic one, which is meant to deal with the day to day running of Gaza, if it ever gets going to that extent. Their names were announced last week. Israel's not happy with some of those names, as you would imagine. There is also an executive board which is a lot of regional senior officials are involved in that, but also Trump special envoy Steve Witkoff, his son in law, Jared Kushner, Tony Blair is on that one. That's the one which will be actually taking an active role in the reconstruction of Gaza. As I say, this Board of Peace at the moment seems to be more a kind of symbolic membership, maybe a bit like Mr. Trump's own club, Mar a Lago. They have said that for permanent membership you need to pay a billion dollars. Ah.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

So what does it tell us about his ambitions for this? Is it just about money or is it about prestige as well?

[Valerie Sanderson]

I think it's always both when it's President Trump. But as I say, this Board of Peace, wherever that goes, I mean, in a sense it's not, I think the essential part of the way that Gaza, if we ever get to that stage, is rebuilt. I think it's those other boards which are the ones which are going to be directly involved the reconstruction and in trying to find a new way of governance that will really matter. But I'm sure there are many countries, not many have so far said they've signed up. Hungary, certainly one, but many who will be tempted to sign up. But they may balk at the idea of paying a billion dollars to do so.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Sebastian Ascher. An international medical trial is investigating whether a simple finger prick blood test could be used to diagnose Alzheimer's disease. It involves a thousand volunteers over the age of 60 in the US, Britain and the BBC's medical editor Fergus Walsh reports.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Playing tennis is one way 66 year old Michael Sandberg stays healthy, so reducing his risk of a host of diseases, including Alzheimer's. Dr. Sandberg, a London GP, is keen to know how his brain is aging. I think if you pick it up early, people can do better with what's available. All right, so what we're going to do, I'm just going to clean your finger here and then I'm just going to do the little finger prick. That's why Michael is having this finger prick test. A couple of drops of his blood are being collected as part of a trial to see whether it can spot risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. That's brilliant. Thank you. That's all it is very grateful. Pretty straightforward. His sample ends up at the Dementia Research Institute labs in London where it's analysed. Dr. Giovanni Lally from the medical research charity LifeArc explains.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

We are looking at the presence of three proteins that have been linked to Alzheimer's disease, so so called blood based biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease. And analyzing the concentration, the levels of these proteins may tell us whether a person is at risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Michael also has a highly detailed PET brain scan which uses a radioactive tracer to detect the rogue proteins called amyloid and tau that accumulate in the brains of patients who get Alzheimer's. But only two in a hundred Alzheimer's patients ever have this kind of detail and expensive analysis. So how does the finger prick test compare to the scan? Hello, Michael.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Hello.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Come in and sit down.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Today's results day.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Michael is given his results by Dr. Ema McSweeney, a neuroradiologist from Recognition Health. So, Michael, I'm really pleased to be able to report both the negative and both correlate, which is brilliant. So in terms of risk, at the minute you're well down, you're not even on the radar. Michael, that must be a relief. It's a huge relief. So one of the most frightening tests I think you can do, probably being honest, this is of course just one set of results. Scientists will need to analyze the findings from all 1,000 volunteers on the trial in the UK and North America before they know how useful the finger prick blood test is at spotting Alzheimer's risk. But Dr. Ema McSweeney is hopeful. It's a very important moment. If this is successful, it provides a ubiquitous, accurate test which can detect the presence of abnormal amyloid protein in the brain without complicated, expensive investigations.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

And that report was from our medical editor, Fergus Walsh. Are our attention spans now so short that the way films are made are being affected because we can't concentrate long enough to take in a full length movie? The filmmakers and actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck said in a podcast that special effects and plot scripting are changing to accommodate a world where people are easily distracted.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Netflix. You know, standard way to make an action movie that we learned was you usually have like three set pieces. One in the first act, one in the second, one in the third and they kind of ramp up and the big one with all the explosions and you spend most of your money on that one in the third act, that's your kind of finale. And now they're like, can we Get a big one in the first five minutes. We want people to stay tuned in. And, you know, it wouldn't be terrible if you reiterated the plot three or four times in the dialogue, because people are on their phones while they're watching. You know what I mean?

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

So is this a case of art adapting to suit life, or is life ruining an art form? Anna Foster spoke to Tim Roby, film critic for the Telegraph, and the TV and culture journalist Hannah Verdier.

[Valerie Sanderson]

I think it might be a bit of a fork in the road, you know, because. Do you respect films as a great popular art form that bring people together, whether it's your family or whether it's, you know, a room full of strangers and allow you to escape every everyday reality? Or do we treat cinema as kind of like a glorified screensaver that's just on in the background while everyone doom scrolls through their social media feeds and waits for the world to end? I mean, I. I think I know which side of that. That I'm on, that I'm worried that Netflix is on the other side now. Yeah, I suppose. Hannah as well, to an extent.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

It's where you watch it. If you're in the cinema, it's. I was gonna say it's socially unacceptable. People still do it. You still see people pull out the.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Phone and give it a quick check. But if you're at home, it's a very different experience. Well, it should be illegal to pull out your phone at the cinema. It's a beautiful spectacle you're watching, but.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

When you're at home, realistically, who isn't.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Watching two or three screens at the same time? And also with Netflix, I find the younger generation watch subtitles just so they can distracted by their phone and catch up very quickly, which I think ruins it. But this is how we're consuming it now. Yeah, I mean, there is a question, I suppose, Tim, isn't there? We. We do it a particular way because.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

We'Ve always done it a particular way.

[Valerie Sanderson]

But is that the right way? Yeah, I'm guilty of it myself. I have a pretty bad phone addiction. But I do try at home, if I'm going to stick a film on, to allow that to be a bit of a sanctuary, to put the phone in the other room or something. And I, you know, without wanting village or television as a medium, I understand people sticking the telly on in the background while they do all manner of things. You know, you do the ironing, you watch the TV, etc. But these films that Netflix are paying for, they're paying 100 million, $200 million for these productions and they're just giving up. If they're just saying, well, it's probably just a second priority to everyone's phones at this point. So I think that's a real shame because they should be using that money ambitiously and saying, well, let's challenge the viewer and maybe see if they can concentrate and follow the plot spot. Yeah, I said, I guess as well.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Hannah, on the flip side of that, they've spent all of that money and if people are watching it and simultaneously on social media saying how good it.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Is, maybe that's, maybe that's a good thing for them or for their business model. At least it's a win, win. But I think Netflix has evolved really well to match our attention spans. And I think if you look at the Harlan Coburn adaptations, you get a cliffhanger at the end of every episode to keep you there. And Netflix has been very clever knowing what it's doing there. And yes, if hashtagging it on social media, watching along with social media, then you know, it's more promotion, which is what they need and that's how they can spend the money on it. And it's good quality as well. I don't think you lose the quality, it's just that people can use it in a different way.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Hannah Verdier and Tim Roby. 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 top topics covered in it, send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk you can also find us on x@bcworld service. Use the hashtag globalnewspot. This edition was mixed by Alana Bowles. The producer was Charles Sanctuary. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Valerie Sanderson. Until next time. Bye Bye. If you're an H Vac technician and a call comes in, Grainger knows that.

[Valerie Sanderson]

You need a partner that helps you.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Find the right product fast and hassle free.

[Valerie Sanderson]

And you know that when the first.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Problem of the day is a clanking blower motor, there's no need to break a sweat.

[Valerie Sanderson]

With Grainger's easy to use website and.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Product details, you're confident you'll soon have.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Everything humming right along.

[Various BBC correspondents and guests]

Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.