Thailand PM suspended over leaked phone call

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary Released on July 1, 2025 | Host: Alex Ritson | BBC World Service

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1. Political Upheaval in Thailand

Suspension of Prime Minister Petong Thanh Shinawat

At the outset of the episode (02:05), host Alex Ritson delves into the significant political turmoil in Thailand. The Constitutional Court has suspended Prime Minister Petong Thanh Shinawat following a leaked phone conversation that contained disparaging remarks. Shaima Khalil provides an in-depth analysis:

“The court essentially voted on two things... they violated an ethical code, but also asked the court to investigate a leaked phone conversation...” (02:05).

The controversy stems from a leaked private call where Shinawat referred to Cambodian leader Hun Sen as "uncle" and was dismissive toward a Thai army general. This incident has eroded public trust in her leadership, especially amidst ongoing border disputes with Cambodia. Shinawat, hailing from a prominent political dynasty, faces further challenges as her party's majority in parliament has dwindled following the incident. She responded to her suspension by stating:

“I accept the court's deliberation... I have 15 days to explain it... If she is dismissed, that will make her the second prime minister to be dismissed from that same party in the last two years.” (04:36).

2. Tensions in the Middle East: Gaza Humanitarian Aid Dispute

Israeli Ambassador Criticizes UN Aid Distribution

Shaima Khalil transitions the discussion to the Gaza conflict, highlighting Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon’s criticism of the United Nations' aid distribution system. At 05:08, Danon accuses the UN of:

“putting politics over humanitarian work... spreading disinformation promoted by Hamas-controlled sources...” (05:08).

This comes in response to allegations that the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), an alternative to UN supplies, has been implicated in violent incidents, with reports of over 400 Palestinians killed while seeking aid. A poignant voice message from a pregnant woman in Gaza underscores the human toll:

“I suffered terribly as I had to walk the whole way because there were no cars there... It was terrifying.” (05:56).

Ground Reality and Aid Effectiveness

Wira Davis provides a comprehensive perspective from Jerusalem (06:46), contrasting Danon’s stance with the challenges faced by aid agencies on the ground. She notes that while some UN agencies like UNRWA have faced accusations, the broader UN support remains crucial. The inefficiency of the GHF, with only four distribution centers compared to the previous 400 sites managed by agencies like the World Food Program, has led to chaos and increased civilian casualties.

3. Crackdown on Opposition in Turkey

Mass Arrests in Izmir's CHP Party

Shifting focus to Turkey, the podcast reports on the arrest of over 100 local government officials from the opposition Republican People's Party (CHP) in Izmir (09:28). Emrat Tamel from BBC Turkish explains:

“Izmir has been run by the main opposition Republican People's Party over two decades... Now, 157 arrest warrants were issued on corruption charges.” (10:08).

The opposition party claims these arrests mirror the earlier detention of Istanbul's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, suggesting a judicial system biased against political rivals. The Turkish government, however, maintains that the judiciary remains independent. Additionally, clashes erupted outside a satirical magazine akin to Turkey's Charlie Hebdo, where several individuals were detained for allegedly publishing a controversial cartoon (11:12).

4. Sports Highlights: FIFA Club World Cup Upsets

Al Hilal’s Victory Over Manchester City

In a surprising turn of events at the FIFA Club World Cup, Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal defeated English Premier League giants Manchester City in a thrilling match (12:14). Wael Jabir, a Riyadh-based football journalist, shares the exhilaration of Saudi fans:

“It was worth every minute of it... Hilal were one nil down... finally a 4-3 victory. Huge moment for not just for Hilal, but I think for all of Saudi football.” (12:53).

Despite challenges such as injuries to key players and facing formidable opponents like Real Madrid and Manchester City, Al Hilal’s triumph marks a significant achievement in Saudi football.

AI Robot Football Match in China

Exploring the intersection of technology and sports, the podcast covers China’s inaugural AI robot football match (26:34). Reporter Alfie Habershan describes the spectacle:

“A little less sci-fi horror, a little more robot freak show... one collapsed on the floor and the other then dropped beside it in a metal heap.” (27:53).

The event highlighted the current limitations of robotics in replicating human athleticism, humorously assuring football legends like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo that their positions remain secure.

5. International Security: Allegations of Espionage

Denmark Arrests Suspect for Spying on Jewish Targets in Germany

The podcast reports on the arrest of a Danish national, Ali S, accused of spying for Iranian intelligence to surveil Jewish locations in Berlin (15:17). Danny Eberhardt outlines the severity of the allegations:

“He was employed by Iranian intelligence to gather information about Jewish locations... possibly including attacks against Jewish targets.” (15:17).

Germany's Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, emphasized the potential risks, warning of possible Iranian targeting of Jewish sites in the country.

6. US Politics: Budget Bill Debates and Foreign Aid Cuts

Senate Standoff Over Trump’s Budget Bill

In the United States, the podcast details the ongoing Senate debates over President Trump's expansive budget plan, known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" (16:22). Senator Eric Schmidt, a Republican from Missouri, defends the bill:

“They want tax relief, they want border security... But ultimately we're going to deliver for the American people.” (17:01).

Democrat Senator Mark Kelly opposes the bill, highlighting its adverse effects:

“This is going to kick 17 million people off of their health care... transfer to the richest people... that’s wrong.” (17:22).

With Republicans divided and influential figures like Elon Musk threatening political repercussions, the bill's future remains uncertain.

Impact of US Foreign Aid Cuts

Highlighting the global implications of US policy, the podcast references a Lancet Journal study predicting over 14 million deaths in the next five years due to the Trump administration’s dismantling of USAID (20:05). Davide Rasella, a co-author of the study, emphasizes USAID’s crucial role:

“USAID funding was able to prevent more than 91 million deaths in the last two decades... Now they are being absorbed into the State Department.” (20:55).

7. European Integration: Eresund Bridge Milestone

25th Anniversary Celebration of the Eresund Bridge

Celebrating a quarter-century of the Eresund Bridge, which connects Copenhagen and Malmö, the podcast explores its impact on cross-border collaboration (22:57). Maddie Savage reports from Copenhagen, noting:

“Cross-border commuting has increased by more than 400% since then... more than a hundred businesses have moved headquarters or specialist offices here.” (23:29).

Challenges such as administrative complexities and train overcrowding are acknowledged, with plans for future infrastructure improvements to accommodate growing demand.

Conclusion

The episode concludes with a reflection on the diverse global issues discussed, from political instability and international conflicts to advancements in sports technology and infrastructure development. The Global News Podcast provides listeners with comprehensive insights and expert analyses on critical events shaping the world today.

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Transcript

[Alex Ritson]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. Lowes knows how to help you save this 4th of July upgrade your laundry routine with a new and exclusive first of its kind, all in one vented laundry combo. Wash and dry in just 68 minutes. Save up to 40% on select major appliances. Plus when you buy more, you save more. Shop Samsung this July 4th at Lowe's. Valid through 7nineseeloes.com for details. Savings vary based on purchase amount. Selection varies by location. This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Alex RITSON and at 13 hours GMT on Tuesday 1st July, these are our main stories. Thailand's Prime Minister Petong Thanh Shinawat has been suspended by the Constitutional Court and over disparaging comments she made in a leaked phone conversation. Police in Turkey have arrested more than 100 people in the city of Izmir in what critics say is another crackdown on the main opposition party. Also in this podcast I woke up.

[Wael Jabir]

At 3am to go and watch the game and it was worth every minute of it.

[Alex Ritson]

How Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal caused a stunning upset in the FIFA Club World cup we begin this podcast in Thailand where major political upheaval appears to be a regular occurrence. Last year the country's prime minister was dismissed. The Constitutional Court has acted again today by suspending his successor, Petong Thanh Shinawat, who's under investigation following her handling of the country's border dispute with Cambodia. She is from the Shinawat Dynasty, her father is a former prime minister, and the pro military, pro royalist elite consider the powerful family a threat to the kingdom's traditional social order. I heard more from Shaima Khalil.

[Shaima Khalil]

The court essentially voted on two things. One is to accept a petition that was put forward by 36 senators asking for her to be suspended after they said that she violated an ethical code, but also asked the court to investigate a leaked phone conversation between Pei Tongtang Shinawatra and the former Cambodian leader Hun Sen. The court voted unanimously to accept this case and to accept the petition, but also voted with a majority of seven to two to suspend her. She now has 15 days to present her defense to the court, but the actual ruling of the court could last months.

[Alex Ritson]

This was a private phone call. She was the prime minister. Why was this so controversial?

[Shaima Khalil]

Well, this private phone call was actually leaked by Hun Sen himself and it was controversial because of the tone of it, because it further eroded trust in in her leadership. This call was leaked between Petongtang and Mr. Hun Sen, in which she called him uncle, she was disparaging and dismissive to an army general. And so those who have gathered in the streets only a few days ago, thousands of them from the opposition said that it was such a deferential tone that it just showed that this was a leader that couldn't be trusted with leading the country. Especially that this was happening amidst an ongoing festering feud between the two neighbors over a border. And so it was a very sensitive time as well in the way that she handled it. She said that she apologized for it and it was quite telling that she apologized surrounded by army generals at the time. But she said that this was a negotiating tactic.

[Alex Ritson]

Yeah, you say she was surrounded by army generals. Thailand has long had this tussle between the democratically elected politicians and the military. Is this a continuation of that?

[Shaima Khalil]

The army so far has called for unity. We haven't seen any moves by the army, if you will. So far it's been kept at. On a political level. She actually stands as slim majority now in parliament because one key coalition party withdrew after this happened, after the call was leaked. So already she stood on very shaky ground when it came to her majority and her party's majority in parliament. But now she's been suspended. She actually reacted to that suspension by the Constitutional court saying, I accept the court's deliberation. I'm not certain for how long the suspension is going to last, But I have 15 days to explain it. And she further apologized again, quote, I'm just looking at it to every Thai who was uncomfortable or upset with this issue. If she is dismissed, that will make her the second prime minister to be dismissed from that same party in the last two years.

[Alex Ritson]

Shaima Khalil in Tokyo, the Israeli ambassador to the United nations has attacked critics of the controversial food distribution system set up in Gaza as an alternative to United nations supplies. Danny Danon accused the UN of backing a deliberate Hamas led campaign of disinformation about the Israeli and U. S backed Gaza Humanitarian foundation or ghf. He made the comment after a UN meeting to discuss the plight of Palestinian civilians.

[Danny Danon]

The UN is putting politics over humanitarian work. Many in the UN are actively spreading disinformation promoted by Hamas controlled sources defaming the GHF's work and providing cover for further attacks. This is our campaign, an organized orchestrated campaign.

[Alex Ritson]

Earlier, some of the world's biggest aid agencies described the GHF as a deadly military run program. The UN says more than 400 Palestinians have been killed while seeking aid from The Foundation. This pregnant woman in Gaza sent us a voice message giving us a sense of the fear and disruption facing many Palestinian civilians.

[Shaima Khalil]

I'm originally from Jabalia, north of Gaza. I'm pregnant and I was displaced to be Inhia. We suffered a lot. We faced explosions, immense fear and hunger. The situation was extremely difficult. Then the Israeli army forced us out of Bethlehia to western Gaza. And while fleeing, I suffered terribly as I had to walk the whole way because there were no cars there. Israeli tanks were terrorizing us, firing at people and causing a lot of dust. I feared I might lose the baby. When the Israelis surrounded Behlahia, they ordered us to leave through the quadcopter drones. It was terrifying.

[Alex Ritson]

Our correspondent in Jerusalem, Wirra Davis, explained the row over the ghf, starting with those comments by Israel's ambassador at the un.

[Wira Davis]

This is Danny Danone, of course, and he's saying basically this new American backed operation hasn't been given a chance to succeed. Because his argument is that the UN and, and the hundred or so other agencies who previously operated in Gaza haven't given it a chance to succeed. Of course that's a matter of opinion, but I think the evidence from the ground is that, you know, hundreds of people have been killed, according to various sources in the month since the Gaza Humanitarian foundation began its operations in and around these distribution centers. We've heard evidence from an Israeli newspaper who's spoken to Israeli army officers and enlisted soldiers who say they've been ordered to fire at or near large crowds of people near these distribution sites even when there was no threat. I think from the point of view of the aid agencies, they say that because GHF only has four distribution centers, mainly in southern Gaza, it's impractical. It's chaotic. It forces tens of thousands of people to travel long distances to get aid. Whereas the previous UN World Food Program, World Health Organization system, delivered aid to about 400 sites across Gaza. So it got aid to the people who needed it most. And what the aid agencies are saying is that that old system, which they want to see reintroduced if you like, was the most effective way of getting aid to people in Gaza.

[Alex Ritson]

Yeah. The Israelis though, would probably see the United nations, where this row has been playing out, as not being entirely impartial in this.

[Wira Davis]

Well, look, the Israelis and the UN clearly haven't been getting on. You know, Israel has accused one UN agency, unrwa, which is the United nations agency for Palestinian refug, have been complicit in the October 7 attacks. But out of A workforce of several thousand, only a handful of UNRWA employees. There was evidence against them and they were sacked by unrwa. UNRWA still says it has a really important job to do in Gaza, even though it is stopped from operating by the Israelis where they can. But there are other UN agencies who do do a valuable job. And of course, when we did have a previous ceasefire back at the start of the year, a lot of aid did get in through the normal UN channels to the people who needed it. You know, that's not to pretend there isn't still a crisis in Gaza. But of course, what Danny Danon, the Israeli ambassador to the UN is saying and what the Israeli government and the Americans are saying is that they can deliver aid and they can bypass Hamas, which they accuse of stealing and appropriating aid for their own purposes.

[Alex Ritson]

Wira Davis in Jerusalem and as we record this podcast, Israeli planes and tanks have continued to attack areas of north and south Gaza, reportedly destroying homes and prompting thousands of residents to flee now to Turkey where police in the city of Izmir have arrested more than 100 local government officials from the opposition CHP party. Izmir, located on the Aegean coast, is the third largest city in Turkey and is seen as a bastion of opponents to President Erdogan. The officials have been arrested on charges of corruption. Emrat Tamel from BBC Turkish gave me more details.

[Emrat Tamel]

That was a very important operation because Izmir has been run by the main opposition Republican People's Party over two decades and it has been a stronghold for the opposition. We haven't seen the indictment, but 157 arrest warrants were issued on corruption charges. Turkish media reported that these charges were linked to tender bidding. More than 120 people were arrested and Izmir's former mayor Tun Sawyer was arrested as well. Main opposition party CHP denies accusations of corruption Murat Bakan, an MP from the party in Izmir, said members were facing a similar crackdown to what happened in Istanbul earlier this year. And he also argued that it appeared that a judicial system acting on instructions were behind this. Turkish government denies these claims, saying the judiciary and courts are independent.

[Alex Ritson]

Yeah, you mentioned the events in Istanbul. That was where the city's mayor Ekrem Emomolu, the main rival to President Erdogan, befell a similar fate.

[Emrat Tamel]

Yes, yes. A similar operation in opposition run Istanbul in March saw the arrest of city's mayor Ekrem Imamoglu. He was removed from the office, jailed pending trial on corruption charges. And his political feature actually has been thrown into jeopardy because his university diploma was revoked. Having a college degree is compulsory to be able to be a presidential candidate in Turkey and he's been jailed. Indictment has not been released and we still don't know what's going to happen to his political future.

[Alex Ritson]

Briefly, while we have you Clashes in Istanbul outside the offices of of a satirical magazine.

[Emrat Tamel]

Yes, four people from the prominent satirical magazine Lyman, which can be dubbed as Turkey's Charlie Hebdo, were detained for publishing what the authorities say is a cartoon of Prophet Muhammad. The magazine denied this. Cartoonists and the editor were detained as well. Authorities announced that the issue would be recalled and banned.

[Alex Ritson]

Emre Tomel from BBC Turkish in the biggest shock so far of the FIFA Club World cup, the Saudi pro league side Al Hilal have knocked out the defending champions Manchester City of the English Premier League. Tuesday's match was a seven goal thriller that went to extra time in Orlando, Florida. Al Hilal are now through to the quarter finals where they will play the Brazilian side Fuminense, who caused their own upset by beating the Italian giants Inter Milan 2 0. The Riyadh based football journalist Wael Jabir told us what the win meant to Saudi fans.

[Wael Jabir]

It means a lot for Saudi football. The game kicked off at 4am local time and anyone who's been to Riyadh knows this is a city that comes alive at night. But even more so today despite it being a Tuesday morning, all the coffee shops in the central areas of Riyadh were packed with fans. Everyone either stayed up all night or woke up very early. Myself I woke up at 3am to go and watch the game and it was worth every, every minute of it. It was dramatic. Hilal were one nil down. Then they went two one up at the start of the second half. 90 minutes ended two two and then it went into extra time and finally a 43 victory. Huge moment for not just for Hilal, but I think for all of Saudi football.

[Shaima Khalil]

And did anyone expect Al Hilal to make it this far, to make it to the quarterfinals?

[Wael Jabir]

I think there was definitely quite a lot of optimism before the tournament. Al Hilal have in the in the previous format of the Club World cup they've reached the final, so they have quite a pedigree in this type of competition. However, with the draw obviously first facing Real Madrid in the group stage and now Manchester city in the round of 16. It was not an easy one and to add to that as well, Hilal had to do without their best player, club captain Saudi Arabia captain Salamet Dosari who's arguably one of the best players in the Saudi pro league who got injured before just a couple of days before the Manchester City game. So going into that game I was personally slightly optimistic before the injury news, but after that I thought, no, there's no chance against Man City, but I'm glad to have been proven wrong. I think after the confidence from the draw against Real Madrid and now from the win against Man City, I think they'll be in a positive mood going.

[Alex Ritson]

Into the Flamense game, Saudi football journalist Wael Jabir he was talking to Rebecca Adams of BBC Sport. Still to come in this podcast, can robots play football better than us? A man has been arrested in Denmark on allegations of spying for Iran. A German court issued an arrest warrant for the Danish national. Your original editor Danny Eberhardt has more.

[Danny Eberhardt]

German prosecutors have named the suspect as Ali S, using the first initial of his surname, as is customary. They expect him to be extradited from Denmark. The authorities allege he was employed by Iranian intelligence to gather information about Jewish locations and certain Jewish individuals in Berlin. He is said to have conducted surveillance at three properties in the German capital last month. Prosecutors haven't named these, but local media report that one of them was the headquarters of the German Israeli Society. The authorities believe the alleged surveillance was to prepare for further intelligence operations, possibly including attacks against Jewish targets. Germany is a strong backer of Israel Chancellor Friedrich Metz recently said there was no reason to criticize Israel or the US over their attacks last month on Iranian nuclear facilities. He also warned of the risk of Iran targeting Israeli or Jewish targets in Germany. Iran's Foreign Ministry has been approached for comment on the spying allegations.

[Alex Ritson]

Danny Eberhardt as we record this podcast, the U.S. senate is still holding a marathon vote on President Trump's huge budget bill, but the spending plan hangs in the balance after weeks of fraught negotiations. Republicans who control both chambers of Congress a split over how much to cut welfare programs in order to allow record tax breaks in the One Big beautiful Bill Act. Meanwhile, Donald Trump's former close aide Elon Musk has again attacked the legislation, which the president once passed by the 4th of July. Eric Schmidt is a Republican senator from Missouri who backs the bill.

[Eric Schmidt]

American people's with us. They want tax relief, they want border security, they want. They want to make sure that we're deporting illegal immigrants. They want our military to be strong and that's what this bill does, so Democrats can make up stuff along the way, which is what they're going to be doing. But ultimately we're going to deliver for the American people.

[Alex Ritson]

Democrat Senator Mark Kelly outlined the reasons for his party's opposition to the bill.

[Eric Schmidt]

So we'll be here as long as it takes for us to show the American people that this is bad policy. This is going to kick 17 million people off of their health care to give a big giant tax cut to the wealthiest Americans. We're literally going to take money from people that don't have it, that's used to pay a doctor or a hospital when they're sick. And that money is going to be transferred to the richest people in our country. And that's wrong.

[Alex Ritson]

Republicans are divided. Two have already voted against the bill and the Democrats need two more defectors in order to block it. Our correspondent in Washington, Jake Kwon, has this update.

[Eric Schmidt]

Certainly the Democrats are trying to make the Republicans tire them out as much as possible, make it as painful as possible for them by first making them read out nearly 1,000 pages of this bill, which took more than 16 hours and then debated them for 10 hours. Now they're making them, you know, vote on each amendment, which would of course, take hours and hours. We don't know when this thing will end. So essentially, this bill, it cuts, it keeps President Trump's broad tax cuts and then at the same time it increases the spending to enact some of his domestic policies, mainly the immigration. So it will strengthen the border security, it will strengthen his immigration enforcement people. So it's going to add its estimated $3.3 trillion to America's national debt. And at the same time, in order to cut back on some of that deficit, it cuts back on the welfare programs like the food assistance program, as well as the health insurance for the low income people. And this is why some of the people in the Republican Party had their doubts about this bill. But what we saw is President Trump posting on social media over there and he made this claim about 68% tax will rise if this bill does not pass. Now, I just need to point out that that claim, we do not know where that number is coming from. It has not been very clear. And the independent review of this bill says that the in tax will be somewhere on the single digit number. Now, President Trump is chastising any holdouts to pass this bill. It is a very slim margin. And we just saw that Elon Musk not only threatened to start his own party, but he will back any politicians to run against the Republican members who will be voting for this bill come the midterms election next year. So the Republican lawmakers who are in the chamber right now are really stuck between a rock and a hard place. On one side you have the world's richest man who is threatening to fund your opponents next year. And on the other side is of course President Trump, who still has very powerful power within the party.

[Alex Ritson]

Jake Kwan in Washington. And let's stay in the US where the Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced in March that the Trump administration was canceling over 80% of programs at the US Agency for International Development. There were warnings that the funding cuts would have dire consequences for some of the world's most vulnerable people. Now a new study in the Lancet Journal has put a figure on those affected. It says more than 14 million people worldwide could die in the next five years because of the Trump administration's dismantling of US foreign aid. From today, the organization will be officially absorbed into the US State Department. Davide Rassella is one of the co authors of the research and takes us through the findings.

[Danny Danon]

We evaluated the impact of USAID funding during the last two decades and we estimated that the interventions funded by USEAID have been able to Prevent more than 91 million deaths in the last two decades. For example, we have evaluated that USAID funding was able to Prevent more than 25 million of deaths due to HIV, AIDS, more than 11 million deaths due to the real diseases, more of it 8 million deaths due to lower respiratory infections and malaria. Other 8 millions almost 9 million of deaths due to neglected tropical diseases. So there the majority infectious diseases and diseases, conditions due to poverty. And using these estimates, effectiveness parameters, we have projected scenarios for the future and we have compared a scenario where we have estimated how much dismantling of the agency will cause in terms of deaths. And we came up with this number, more than 14 million deaths. USAID is intervening and is supporting health care and health related intervention, but also a lot of intervention related to nutrition, food safety, education, water and sanitation. And all this have an important effect on health. Now they are called the social determinants of health. They are particularly important in extremely vulnerable populations. And that's why we came up with these large numbers, because we don't just consider single health related interventions, but we consider, we want to show the broader picture.

[Alex Ritson]

Davide Rasella the kings and queens of Denmark and Sweden have met on the eresund Bridge exactly 25 years after it first opened. The 8 kilometer road and rail link connects the Danish capital Copenhagen with the Swedish city of Malmo. It is the longest bridge of its kind in the eu. And while it's boosted business and Cross border life in the region. It hasn't been without its challenges. As the BBC's Maddie Savage reports.

[Maddie Savage]

Central Copenhagen is a blend of 17th century, brightly coloured townhouses and edgy bars and fashion boutiques. But I'm here to visit IO Interactive, a Danish gaming company. It's known for creating the globally popular Hitman franchise and is currently working on a new James Bond game. Something I've been doing a lot recently.

[Shaima Khalil]

Is looking at the reaction videos of our launch trailer.

[Maddie Savage]

That's Sandra Mondol, who lives in Malmo, Sweden's third largest city, but commutes over the Irison Bridge to the company's headquarters in Copenhagen several times a month.

[Shaima Khalil]

It takes me about an hour door.

[Alex Ritson]

To door because of the infrastructure with.

[Shaima Khalil]

The bridge and the trains.

[Alex Ritson]

And it's super easy.

[Maddie Savage]

Driving across can take less than 15 minutes. It's around 10 miles long, including a tunnel section.

[Alex Ritson]

I find it magnificent.

[Maddie Savage]

Let me tell you a bit more about the bridge's history as I make my way over to the other side in Malmo. It opened at the turn of the millennium, costing more than $4 billion at the time, with the goal of increasing travel, trade and networking in the region. New figures released by Ericsson's instituted, an independent research organisation suggest cross border commuting has increased by more than 400% since then and there's been a big jump in the number of Danes and Swedes starting businesses on either side of the water. A short walk from the train station is Malmo University's urban studies department, where Helena Bormann is an associate professor. Once you open up the connection, companies can share input markets, customer markets. Finding specialised, skilled staff is easier. Malmo has experienced a surge in new tech start ups and life science companies, and more than a hundred businesses have moved headquarters or specialist offices here to benefit from the region's infrastructure. But I also think for people living in one side of the board and working on the other side, there's a lot of administration involved, you know, taxes, not having to pay double taxes, and so on. Another challenge is punctuality. Helena says major disruptions linked to border controls and reduced services during the pandemic eroded trust amongst some commuters. But a recent study by Swedish public service broadcaster SVT suggests around 90% of commuter trains are now punctual and record numbers of people are using them.

[Wira Davis]

The current challenge is that traveling by train between Denmark and Sweden is a success. So the train is crowded.

[Maddie Savage]

That's Johan Vessmann, CEO of the Erasens Institute at Research Organisation. He says a new generation of faster Trains with larger capacities are on the.

[Wira Davis]

Way though, but it will be established about in five, six, seven years in the future, so until then you still will have crowded trains.

[Maddie Savage]

Despite facing challenges, the Irison Bridge remains a European icon for cross cross border collaboration, and Swedish and Danish authorities are discussing boosting this even further with new fixed connections, including a road and rail tunnel and even a subway between the two Nordic countries.

[Alex Ritson]

Madi Savic now we'd probably like to think that sports in general and football in particular is one area where we humans can still outperform AI driven computers and robots. Or can we? China is putting that to the test. Hosting the first AI robot football match, our reporter Alfie Habershan tuned in to assess the talent on display.

[Alfie Habershan]

The beautiful game definitely has felt a bit robotic in recent times. The obsessive tactics, brutal fitness regimes, the endless graphs and data. It's easy to see why our humanoid friends might be a good fit. So I was curious when six spindly figures with silver arms and legs gathered around the center circle for kick off in Beijing. The result? A little less sci fi horror, a little more robot freak show. Flailing metal legs appeared to entirely miss contact with the ball, which rolled off to the side as four of the humanoids then became stuck together in a confused state of head rubbing. The other two did make a very slow dash for it, but then.

[Wira Davis]

A.

[Alfie Habershan]

Loss of balance and a backwards stagger left one collapsed on the floor and the other then dropped beside it in a metal heap as humans rushed onto the pitch with stretchers. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe. For now, your jobs are more than safe.

[Alex Ritson]

Alfie Habershen and that's all 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, you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co. you can also find us on X@BBC World Service. Use the hashtag globalnewspod. This edition was mixed by Alison Purcell Davis and the producers were Carla Conti and Muzaffar Shakir. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Alex Ritz and until next time, goodbye.