Taiwan to boost defence spending

Summary

Global News Podcast — Taiwan to Boost Defence Spending

Host: Celia Hatton, BBC World Service
Date: November 26, 2025

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Episode Overview

This episode covers pressing international news stories, focusing on Taiwan’s announcement of a $40 billion increase in defence spending amid escalating regional tensions with China and Japan. Other key developments include a Palestinian-American teenager’s detention in Israel, shifts in Ukraine peace negotiations, catastrophic flooding in Thailand, gender bias experiments on LinkedIn, and a heartwarming story from Blackpool, UK.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

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[01:08] Taiwan to Boost Defence Spending

• Announcement: Taiwan’s President, Lai Ching, has pledged an extra $40 billion for the military over eight years, bringing annual defence spending to over 5% of GDP by the decade’s end.
• Motivation: Driven by rising pressure from China—who continues to assert its claim over Taiwan—and new tensions involving Japan.
• Expert Insight: Fei Fan Lin, Deputy Head of Taiwan's National Security Council, explained:

  “Modern warfare is totally different from previous years... we must think about more asymmetric in defending ourselves. I think that's a consensus also what we are building.”
  (Fei Fan Lin, 02:45)

• Japan Factor: Following Japan’s announcement (PM Sanai Takaichi) that it might intervene militarily if China were to attack Taiwan, regional security dynamics have become more complex.
• US Position: The US believes China could be ready to invade by 2027, raising urgency for regional defence upgrades.
• Analysis:
  • Mariko Oi (BBC): “If you actually look at how much China has been spending ... it's almost nothing compared to what they've been doing. So, yes, it is a lot of money for Taiwan, but a lot of experts think that if China was to invade Taiwan… they would have the huge military power over Taiwan.” (03:38)
  • Noted Taiwan’s concerns regarding US support, especially with shifting rhetoric from President Trump.
• Japan Deploying Missiles:
  • Japan is proceeding with deploying missiles to Yonaguni Island (100km from Taiwan) to “defend Japan”, not attack others.
  • Chinese officials reacted with strong disapproval, particularly after Japanese PM Takaichi's comments linking Taiwan’s security to Japan’s own survival.

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[06:50] Detention of Palestinian-American Teenager in Israel

• Case: Mohammed Ibrahim, a 15-year-old Palestinian-American, has been detained in Ofer prison without trial or public evidence for nine months, accused of throwing stones at settlers.
• Family Testimony:
  • Zaher Ibrahim, his father:

    “He confessed from the beating they gave him, no choice.” (08:45)

• US Reaction:
  • 27 US senators called on the State Department to push for Mohammed’s release.
  • Senator Chris Van Hollen:

    “If this were any other country, you would be seeing a much bigger effort... the Trump administration does not want to push the Netanyahu government.” (09:35)

• Context: Over 350 Palestinian minors are similarly detained; human rights groups allege widespread abuse.

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[11:08] Ukraine Peace negotiations – Trump Plan and Russian Response

• Update: Moscow confirms receipt of President Trump’s revised Ukraine peace plan after objections from Ukraine and European partners.
• Key Points:
  • US envoy Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow for talks.
  • Leaked audio reveals Witkoff coaching Russian officials on courting President Trump—a move seen as unorthodox or possibly troubling.
• Expert Analysis:
  • Paul Adams (Diplomatic Correspondent):

    “Wyckoff has a different way of conducting diplomacy... off the cuff, rather more personal... critics say it underlines this uncomfortably close relationship with the Russians.” (13:50)

  • New plan reportedly addresses Ukrainian concerns about territorial concessions.

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[14:38] Rediscovery of Rare Indonesian Flower

• Discovery:
  • Indonesian conservationists Septayan Andriki and Dr. Chris Thorogood rediscovered Rafflesia haseltii in Sumatra—first sighting since 2011.
• Expedition:
  • Trek involved 20 hours by land and a 3-hour mountain climb.
  • Nightfall added risk from hunting tigers.
• Description:
  • Dr. Thorogood:

    “There are 40 or so species of rafflesia... but this one is a super rare one. It’s kind of like white with these big red spots... the buds take up to nine months to mature, and the flower only opens for a few days.” (16:06, 16:14)

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[19:24] Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban Challenge

• Law: New legislation would ban under-16s from social media platforms, with fines for non-compliant companies.
• Court Challenge:
  • Two 15-year-olds, Noah Jones and Macy N, backed by the Digital Freedom Project, argue this curtails free speech and political engagement for youth.
  • Macy N:

    “Young people deserve to be engaged in political communication. If you stop them going on social media completely, then they won’t be able to do that... compared this ban to George Orwell’s book 1984...” (20:02)

• Government Stance: Ban aims to shield children from harmful content and misinformation; vows to continue pursuit despite opposition.
• Legal Question: Proportionality—balancing free speech rights versus online safety.

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[22:03] Severe Flooding in Thailand

• Event: Southern Thailand suffers heaviest rainfall in 300 years; city of Hat Yai largely submerged, 33 dead, thousands stranded.
• Challenges:
  • Army appeals for boats and rescue equipment.
  • Many residents stranded on rooftops.
• Climate Change: Intensifying storms blamed, with officials acknowledging need for better preparedness.
• Correspondent Report:
  • Jonathan Head:

    “You’ve got the fifth largest city in the country... only the tops of roofs visible... people have been on their roofs for two or three days.” (22:39)

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[24:25] Gender Experiments on LinkedIn

• Experiment:
  • Female professionals emulated male profiles and tone (“bro coding”) to test algorithmic bias.
  • Results: Posts got more visibility; “bro boost” noted.
• Expert Commentary:
  • Zoe Kleinman (Technology Editor):

    “Maybe more men have more powerful networks and they’re more likely to comment and share each other’s posts... maybe the algorithm is reflecting something that's happening in society.” (26:07)

  • Women did not enjoy having to adapt styles or change gender presentation for increased engagement.
• LinkedIn Response:
  • The company denies gender is a factor in algorithmic ranking, asserts regular checks for disparities.

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[27:03] Heartwarming Story: ‘One Last Dance’ at Blackpool Tower

• Story:
  • Elderly couple Ron and Marilyn Hill, both former Tower Ballroom regulars, are given a surprise last dance at the famous venue by their granddaughter before Ron enters care for dementia.
• Memorable Moments & Quotes:
  • Ron:

    “I was gobsmacked. You know, I came in... I thought, yes, this is our place.” (29:08)
    “It's home from home to me... I’m really honored to actually sit at [the organ], let alone play it.” (28:36, 29:19)

  • Marilyn:

    “I absolutely love it and it's just exactly the same and it's absolutely fabulous. This is a beautiful, beautiful ballroom.” (29:33)

  • Olivia (granddaughter):

    “He wasn’t able to dance... but he came, he was dancing amazingly. Now he’s sat playing… but it is the power of music with dementia. It brings your memories back.” (30:29)

• Theme: The power of music, family, and cherished memories in the face of illness.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “[Taiwan must] think about more asymmetric in defending ourselves… that’s a consensus.”
  — Fei Fan Lin, Taiwan National Security Council (02:45)
• “Yes, it is a lot of money for Taiwan, but… China would have the huge military power over Taiwan.”
  — Mariko Oi (03:38)
• “He confessed from the beating they gave him, no choice.”
  — Zaher Ibrahim, father of Mohammed (08:45)
• “If this were any other country, you would be seeing a much bigger effort...”
  — Senator Chris Van Hollen (09:35)
• “There are 40 or so species of rafflesia... this one is a super rare one. Hardly anyone has seen it.”
  — Dr. Chris Thorogood (16:06)
• “Young people deserve to be engaged in political communication... compared this ban to George Orwell's book 1984.”
  — Macy N, teenage challenger to social media ban (20:02)
• “I was gobsmacked. You know, I came in... I thought, yes, this is our place.”
  — Ron Hill, Blackpool dancer (29:08)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Taiwan Defence Spending & Regional Tension: 01:08 – 06:50
• Palestinian-American Teen Detained: 06:50 – 11:08
• Ukraine Peace Plan Negotiations: 11:08 – 14:38
• Rediscovery of Rare Flower in Indonesia: 14:38 – 17:03
• Australia Social Media Ban Challenge: 19:24 – 22:03
• Thailand Flooding Crisis: 22:03 – 24:25
• Gender & LinkedIn Experiment: 24:25 – 27:03
• Last Dance at Blackpool Tower Ballroom: 27:03 – 31:05

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Tone & Style

The episode maintains BBC’s authoritative yet accessible reporting style, blending expert analysis, human stories, and global perspectives. The host and correspondents ensure even complex issues are presented with clarity and empathy.

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This summary omits ads, intros, and outros, focusing exclusively on main news and stories. For feedback, contact [e-mail].

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Celia Hatton and at 1600 GMT on Wednesday 26th November, these are our main stories. Taiwan announces an additional $40 billion in defense spending. Will it be enough to deter China? Parts of southern Thailand have seen their heaviest rain in 300 years and a huge swathe of the country underwater. Two teenagers in Australia are fighting the country's social media ban. Also in this podcast.

[A]

So after 13 years of waiting, we had to travel.

[C]

Over 20 hours on land.

[A]

Then we had to climb the mountain and descend the mountain for three hours.

[B]

Researchers in Indonesia locate one of the rarest flowers in the world. Now to Taiwan, where the president Lai Ching there has sent Taiwan will do all it can to resist Chinese aggression. He's announced a plan to spend an extra $40 billion on the military over the next eight years. That means by the end of the decade, Taipei will be spending more than 5% of its GDP on defense. Fei Fan Lin, the deputy head of Taiwan's National Security Council, said the spending boost reflected the changing nature of warfare. I think we must understand that the modern warfare is totally different from the previous years. I think the conventional or traditional warfare has already been changed so dramatically and so we must think about more asymmetric in defending ourselves. I think that's a consensus Also what we are building. That announcement comes as China is embroiled in a dispute with Japan over Taiwan. Japan's new Prime Minister, Sanai Takaichi, said a Chinese attack on Taiwan could trigger Japanese military involvement. Tokyo has also said it will deploy missiles on one of its islands close to the Taiwanese coast. Beijing considers Taiwan part of its own territory, and it said repeatedly that it wants to unify Taiwan's islands with its mainland China. The US says China could be ready to invade by 2027, and Beijing hasn't discounted that. I spoke to Mariko Oi and I asked her if this new defense spending by Taiwan would deter a potential invasion by China.

[D]

Well, Silvia, as you say, it is a lot of money, but if you actually look at how much China has been spending on its military and so on, I think it's almost nothing compared to what they've been doing. So, yes, it is a lot of money for TaiW1, but a lot of experts think that if China was to invade Taiwan using force, then, you know, they would have the huge military power over Taiwan. Of course, Taiwan has been allies with the United States and others and has been hoping that Washington would help them if that hypothetical situation happened. But of course, once Mr. Trump returned to the White House, the rhetoric has been a bit different. So I think from Taiwan's point of view, with the recent tensions between Japan and China, because of Mr. Kaichi, the Japanese Prime Minister's comment about Taiwan, they're probably feeling a bit insecure. They want to show the United States that they're willing to spend extra money.

[B]

China has reacted angrily to Japan's decision to deploy missiles on the island of Yonaguni, only about 100 kilometers from Taiwan's coast. What's the thinking behind that move by the new Japanese prime minister?

[D]

Yonaguni Island. You know, it's been a plan for a while. You know, the Japanese government has been building up defense system there, and it was basically confirmed that Tokyo is still going to go ahead with it, despite the recent tensions with Beijing. And the Defense Minister, Shinjiro Koizumi basically said that this is not about attacking other countries, this is about defending Japan.

[B]

Tell me more about what we're hearing from China, the announcement from Taiwan, and also, as you say, the decision to go ahead with these plans by Japan.

[D]

Well, Beijing has been really, really angry. You know, the reaction ever since that comment in early November by Ms. Takaichi talking about Taiwan. Basically, she said, hypothetically, if Beijing was to use force to invade Taiwan, that could be considered as a survival threatening situation for Japan, which is basically a term legally for Tokyo to be allowed to use its self defense force to defend its allies. And so far we haven't seen either side backing down. You know, this is something that we've been discussing on our new podcast, Asia Specific as our launch episode. You know, where does it go from here?

[B]

Mariko, as you said, you're launching a new podcast or the BBC is launching a new podcast focused on the region. Tell us about it.

[D]

We have just launched today Asia Specific, which is basically a visualized podcast focusing on Asian perspectives on global issues and also, of course, stories from this part of the world. So this recent tensions between Japan and China is something that we talked about. Also we'll be looking at various other stories like, you know, the battle of soft power between Japan, China and South Korea and other stories from the rest of Asia Pacific.

[B]

Mariko Oi that new podcast, Asia Specific is available every Wednesday and Saturday on YouTube and BBC sounds to the Middle east now. Mohammed Ibrahim, a Palestinian American teenager, was arrested in February in the West bank aged 15 when Israeli forces reportedly entered his family home and then handcuffed and blindfolded him. He's been in Israeli detention since then. He has been charged with throwing stones at settlers, according to court documents. There has not been a trial and no evidence has been presented publicly. U.S. embassy staff have visited him in Ofer prison where they report he has lost a quarter of his body weight. His family have not been allowed to visit him. 27 US senators have signed a letter urging the State Department to ensure his release. The BBC's John Donison reports from the West Bank.

[E]

You can ask anybody, you know, he's.

[B]

A real, real sweet boy. You know, just into Sports, his PlayStation school, you know, he's just a regular fun kid that likes that, loves and respects everybody.

[E]

Over coffee in the occupied West Bank, Zaha Ibrahim tells me about his son Mohammed, who's been held in an Israeli prison with no charge or trial for nine months.

[B]

He was here when he got arrested. He was here for a month and maybe 40 days.

[E]

Mohammed Ibrahim was arrested in a raid on his home in the middle of the night by Israeli soldiers. They accused him of throwing stones at Israeli settlers. Unable to speak to his son for nine months, Zaher has only heard accounts of his detention through court documents and officials and says his son was forced to confess. So he told him, I just woke.

[B]

Up and found all these soldiers around me.

[E]

He says on that report that I.

[B]

Confessed from the beating they gave him no choice.

[E]

The US Embassy here Assigned a caseworker who visited Mohammed in prison. Zaher says they told him he'd lost a lot of weight and wasn't doing well. He has this message for President Trump. You know, just do what you said from day one.

[B]

You know, America first, and he's American and he's a citizen and he's a child. So, you know, as a president, his duty is to protect Americans. And we're not seeing that from Hamlin. Well, this is a case where the.

[A]

US does have influence.

[B]

It's just failing to exercise its influence. And that's a great dereliction of duty.

[E]

This is Democratic US Senator Chris Van Hollen, along with 26 other US lawmakers. He's written a letter to the State Department demanding more to be done to release Mohammed.

[B]

If this were any other country, you would be seeing a much bigger effort. But for whatever reason, the Trump administration does not want to push the Netanyahu.

[F]

Government to do what it needs to do.

[E]

I'm up on a hilltop in Petunia in the occupied west bank overlooking Offa Prison. It's about as close as we're allowed to get with our camera and our microphones, but it's where Mohammed is being held. There are also adult detainees in the prison, but there are around about 350 Palestinian child security detainees in Israeli jails. Many of them have never been charged and some of them, according to human rights groups and the un have suffered abuse and torture. We asked the Israeli Prime Minister's office for comment on Mohammed's case, but we've not received a reply. It's not the first trauma the Ibrahim family has suffered this year. This was the funeral in July of Mohammed's cousin, 20 year old Saif Musalat, another Palestinian American citizen. Mohammed and Saif worked together in the family ice cream shop in Tampa, Florida. No one has ever been charged with Saif's murder. And for the family, life is on hold. Mohammed's parents have extended their trip to the west bank indefinitely, whilst thousands of miles away in the U.S. his brothers and sisters wait for news.

[B]

John Donnison in the West Bank. Moscow says it's now seen President Trump's revised plan to end the war in Ukraine. The details about what's in the proposal are unclear, though it's reportedly been amended after Ukraine and its European allies objected to some of the original suggestions put forth a week ago. Will President Putin accept the changes? Donald Trump's envoy, Steve Witkoff will travel to Moscow next week for talks with Russian leaders. Meanwhile, Mr. Witkoff has been making the News in his own right. A leaked audio recording obtained by Bloomberg appears to reveal him coaching a Russian official on how best to appeal to President Trump. Paul Adams is our diplomatic correspondent.

[F]

In terms of Wyckoff's visit, the fact that he's going again shows that this is still a process that is unfolding. He is a regular visitor to Moscow. He's had many, many meetings with Vladimir Putin. And so even though the cast of characters surrounding this process does seem to change from one week to the next, the fact that he's going, I think is key here. Whether this means that we're getting close, as Donald Trump has indicated in the last couple of days, well, we just don't know. I think it's probably wiser to say that we're still in the middle of a process with an awful lot of unresolved issues still lying ahead of us.

[B]

Thanks for helping us to read the tea leaves on this, Paul. I mean, do we have any idea what's in this amended peace plan?

[F]

We really don't. All we know is that it is shorter than the 28 point plan that was leaked last week and that the Ukrainians seem to be a lot happier than they were before. The two sides, the Americans and the Ukrainians, that is, sat down in Geneva at the weekend. President Zelenskyy said the results of that meeting were significant. Ukrainian officials said that some of the gaps had been narrowed and that some of the things that had worried them Most about the 28 point plan, particularly this demand that Ukraine give up even more territory, had been addressed. They also said that some of the really tricky stuff, including territory, would have to be discussed by the leaders themselves. The Russians haven't said a whole lot, although Yuri Ushakov, Kremlin adviser, has said this morning that Russia has seen the latest draft views, some of it positively, but needs to have some serious analysis before coming up with a response.

[B]

So, Paul, I mentioned at the top of the program this leaked audio recording that was released by Bloomberg that appears to show Mr. Wycoff coaching a Russian official. What do you make of it?

[F]

Well, look, I don't think it makes a great deal of difference in the long run. I mean, we know that Wyckoff has a different way of conducting diplomacy. It's rather more off the cuff, rather more personal than perhaps seasoned U.S. state Department officials are used to. And this is the kind of report, the kind of transcript that will cause people to shudder somewhat because, as you say, it does rather imply that there's a cozy relationship between Wyckoff and his Russian interlocutor. I think Donald Trump's view is, this is how my team conducts diplomacy. There's nothing to see here. But certainly to the critics of the Trump administration, it does rather underline for them this uncomfortably close relationship that Steve Witkoff appears to have with the Russians.

[B]

Our diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams to the rainforests of Indonesia, where researchers have located one of the rarest flowers in the world that's not been seen in the wild for more than a decade. It's a biggie. Its flowers grow up to 1 meter in width, and the discovery has made one man in particular very happy indeed. Pete Ross has this report.

[A]

That's the moment Indonesian conservationist Septayan Andriki ended his 13 long search for the rare Rafflesia haselti. The plant is a subspecies of the famous corpse flower, known for its pungent smell. The last time scientists recorded seeing one in its native habitat was back in 2011. Andriki told the BBC he and his partner Chris Thorgood from the University of Oxford trekked through the jungles of western Sumatra for almost an entire day to make the discovery. So after 13 years of waiting, we had to travel over 20 hours on land, then we to climb the mountain and descend the mountain for three hours just to reach the habitat. Difficult terrain wasn't the only problem the pair had to contend with. And we know it's night. We have to get out of there immediately, as quickly as possible because the.

[C]

Tigers are hunting at night.

[A]

Dr. Chris Thorgood described the flower to the ABC News Network.

[B]

There are 40 or so species of rafflesia, the world's largest flowers, but this one is a super rare one. Hardly anyone has seen it. And to my mind, it's the most beautiful.

[E]

It's kind of like white with these.

[B]

Big red spots and then the reverse of that on the petals. It's, it's just crazy. The buds of this flower take several months, up to nine months actually to mature. And then when the flower opens, it only actually stays open for a few days. So the chances of having this, this encounter that we did are so unlikely.

[A]

The discovery brings to an end years of research from a multinational team of scientists who'd been looking for the flower that's likely been seen by more tigers than people.

[B]

And here it is. Chris, are you very lucky?

[F]

Chris I'm very lucky.

[B]

I'm the luckiest guy alive. Pete Ross, still to come in this.

[F]

Podcast, I was gobsmacked. You know, I came in and I thought, yes, this is our place.

[B]

A couple in the UK takes one last turn around the dance floor.

[A]

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[B]

To Australia now and an incoming law that's already received a lot of attention even before it's come into effect. Starting next month, a social media ban will force the likes of Facebook, Instagram and TikTok to remove all user age of 16 or face hefty fines. The ban was justified by the government as necessary to protect children from harmful content and algorithms. Now that law is being challenged in Australia's highest court by two teenagers. Mickey Bristow tells us how they're arguing against the ban.

[C]

As you say, two teenagers, an unusual group of people to launch illegal action. The 15 year olds Noah Jones and Macy N they are being backed by a rights group called the Digital Freedom Project. Macy essentially outlined what their argument was. Young people deserve to be engaged in political communication. If you stop them going on social media completely, then they won't be able to do that. They're the voters of the future. And she compared this banter, George Orwell's book 1984, in which oppressive government tries to stop people speaking their mind. I think the argument is from the Digital Freedom Project is not that it's wrong to try and protect children, but they should do that with safeguards, not with silence that they're educated, savvy and robust enough to be able to deal with things themselves. So the Australian government, they argue, is just going too far.

[B]

Some pretty strong worries if they're bringing up 1984 as an example. Remind us about the government's thinking behind the need for this law.

[C]

Well, you mentioned some of those things. It's social media. Parents across the world worry, and I've got children myself worry about the effect social media has on young people. The government says they could be subject to misinformation, cyberbullying, see inappropriate material. And there's also a level of control that the media companies could have over young people so that the government laid out this law. There could be a fine, as you mentioned earlier, of US$30 million. And after this case was launched, the government said they'd still carry on pursuing this proposed legislation. They would not be intimidated by people with what they said were ulterior motives. And they suggested that big tech companies were behind this push to challenge their legislation in the High Court.

[B]

How watertight would this law be if it comes to effect without any changes?

[C]

Hard to say, but it's going to come down to proportionality whether the courts decide people in Australia's right to political communication outweighs this kind of silence that the government is trying to put on.

[B]

Under 16s Mickey Bristow parts of Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia continue to battle devastating floods. 33 people are now known to have died in southern Thailand. The Thai city of Hatiai records reported its heaviest rainfall in 300 years. Most of it's been submerged. A viral social media Clip shows children walking along power lines inching to safety to avoid the rising water below. Our Southeast Asia correspondent Jonathan Head told us more about the flooding in Thailand.

[G]

This part of Thailand gets floods every year. That's used to them. But the amounts of water are on a different scale. And so you've got the fifth largest city in the country, Hatiai, the economic hub of the entire south of Thailand and connected to Malaysia completely underwater. I mean, in the city center only the very tops of the roofs of houses are visible and the only way to get them is by boat. There are not enough boats. So the army is putting out a public appeal across the country for people to travel down if they've got jet skis or flat bottom boats, anything that can be used to reach the thousands of people who are still stranded. Many cases sitting on their roofs, they've had to punch holes, officials in the roof, in the tiles to clamber out onto the roofs. They've been there in some cases for two or three days. You want elderly people, children, pets up there and it's taking time for officials to get round and retrieve them. Thousands more have had to leave their homes and have evacuated to higher ground. The main university campus is one place. There are two or three evacuation centers in Hatchai. But it's kept on raining so the water is still pouring down from the hills and keeping these flood levels pretty high. Officials have reckoned that it's probably going to be several days, maybe 10 or longer before these floodwaters go down. So there's a city of 200,000 people where almost everybody needs help, a lot of people need evacuating and the rescue effort is incredibly complicated simply because of these amounts of water and the fact you can't do it without boats. It's something that some people are saying Thai authorities should have been better prepared for. That will be a debate that goes on after this. But obviously everybody knows that with climate change these annual tropical storms are becoming more intense and we are going to get events like this one where much more water is dropped than the surrounding hills and land can absorb.

[B]

Jonathan Head, does it pay to be a man? Some women are trying to answer that question this week by experimenting with the career focused social media network LinkedIn. A group of female users changed their gender on the LinkedIn site to male and also gave themselves male names to see if it would boost their visibility. Anecdotally it has, as has what they called bro coding their posts. Zoe Kleinman, the BBC's technology editor, explains.

[H]

One woman, she's an entrepreneur. She's very high profile. She's called Cindy Gallup. She's got140,000 followers on LinkedIn, and she says she shared a post which was used 401 times, which just seems quite strange, doesn't it? The maths don't quite add up yet. So some women decided to experiment by changing their gender, making their profiles male, and they said that they saw results. This they called the bro boost. And others said they started using AI or doing it themselves to rewrite their posts using more kind of masculine, business jargony, sort of focused language. And this is called bro coding. And they also said that they noticed that those posts got more invisibility. So what exactly is going on here? Well, LinkedIn has written a blog post in which it denies that its algorithm has, you know, in any way uses gender or age or race as a signal. But it does use hundreds of others, including your job, your industry, who it is that's in your network and how active you are. And it also says that a lot more people have joined the network in recent months, certainly this year. And so there's just a lot more noise, a lot more content that's vying for that attention. But that doesn't stop these experiences from happening, does it? I spoke to a number of social media consultants who said they didn't think that LinkedIn, which is owned by Microsoft, was in any way deliberately targeting gender. But that doesn't necessarily mean it isn't happening by accident. So one man, he's a social media consultant called Mat Navara, and he said he thinks maybe what happens to a post in its first hour, so how many people see it and engage with it and share it, that dictates how well it floats, if you like, across the rest of the network. So that key first hour is really important. And he's also said maybe more men have more powerful networks and they're more likely to comment and share each other's posts. So they're kind of fueling that network amongst themselves. I guess it's that sort of boys network that we might be familiar with, and maybe the algorithm is reflecting is something that's actually happening in society. What I think is really interesting, a number of the women who tried the bro coding and bro boosting said they didn't like it, they didn't actually enjoy presenting like men, and they wanted to go back to being who they actually were on the platform.

[B]

Zoe Kleinman and I can give you more of LinkedIn's response. It said our algorithms do not Use gender as a ranking signal and changing gender on your profile does not affect how your content appears in search or feed. We regularly evaluate our systems across millions of posts, including checks for gender related disparities, alongside ongoing reviews and member feedback and let's end this edition of the Global News podcast here in the uk. Blackpool Tower is a tourist landmark on England's northwest coast. Inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, it opened in the 19th century and became famous for ballroom dancing. For Ron and Maryland Hill, it's a special place. They're now in their 80s and live a long way from Blackbool. But for many years, Ron. Ron worked in entertainment in the town and the couple used to dance at the Tower Ballroom. Recently, Ron has started to be affected by dementia and he's due to go into a care home. His granddaughter, Olivia Watts, wanted to give her grandparents one last dance in Blackpool. She put out an appeal on TikTok for them to be able to dance at the Tower Ballroom. And it happened. Ron also played the Wurlitzer organ. Our reporter Alice Sofield was there. What a magical morning.

[F]

I know.

[B]

And it's not even 10am Fantastic.

[F]

It's home from home to me.

[B]

I've heard and I can see that you're quite the entertainer.

[F]

Well, yes, I mean, and I've done that a lot in Blackpool, where there's been a hotel, there'd been let down, no one there to do it. So me and my father, we did all the entertainment for.

[B]

For them.

[F]

It was so successful, they booked us then for the next 10 years. 20 years.

[E]

20 years. Yes.

[F]

To entertain them.

[B]

And how did it feel entering the ballroom today, walking down and then dancing.

[H]

With your beautiful wife Marilyn? How did that feel?

[F]

I was gobsmacked. You know, I came in, I mean, I was watching this on TV not long ago, of course, and I thought, yes, this is our place.

[G]

Yeah.

[B]

And you've played the organ today.

[F]

Yeah, that. No, that really is something. I mean, I'm. I'm really honored to actually sit at it, let alone play it.

[H]

How do you feel being here in.

[D]

The Tower Ballroom today?

[H]

I absolutely love it and it's just exactly the same and it's absolutely fabulous. This is a beautiful, beautiful ballroom.

[B]

There's no words for it.

[H]

This sprung floor is, well, it's just fabulous.

[B]

And your granddaughter, Olivia, she kind of was the launch of all this. She said she set all this up. Yes, she did.

[D]

You have a very special family.

[H]

Yes, absolutely.

[F]

And of course, I didn't know anything about this. It was all done without My knowledge on TikTok.

[D]

Tick Tock.

[H]

Are you on Tick Tock?

[F]

No, no, no, no, no.

[D]

Doesn't even know what it is, do you?

[F]

No, not really.

[B]

Olivia, only a few days ago, you didn't know whether this was going to happen.

[D]

No, not at all. And you are now watching your granddad.

[B]

Play in the Blackpool Tower Ballroom.

[D]

Incredible.

[B]

Absolutely incredible.

[D]

I was just saying a minute ago how what could have is dementia. He's not been able to play the piano very well and there's only been like one tune that he's been able to play and even again, they were dancing a minute ago last night, he wasn't able to dance and we were like, oh, no. But he came, he was dancing amazingly. Now he's sat playing and we're like, where's this all come from? But it is the power of music with dementia. It brings your memories back and it means that you can. You. You know, there's a snippet of you that comes back and that is the power of music with dementia. It's incredible.

[B]

Alice Sofield witnessing that last spin in a special place by Ron and Marilyn Hill. And that's all from us for now. But there will be a new edition of the Global News Podcast later. If you want to comment on this podcast or the topics covered in it, you can send us an email. Email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk you can also find us on X@BBC World Service. Use the hashtag globalnewspod. This edition was mixed by Louis Griffin and the producer was Stephanie Tillotson. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Celia Hatton. Until next time. Goodbye. This is the story of the 1. As a custodial supervisor at a high school, he knows that during cold and flu season, germs spread fast. It's why he partners with Granger to stay fully stocked on the products and supplies he needs, from tissues to disinfectants to floor scrubbers, all so that he can help students, staff and teachers stay healthy and focused. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.