← Global News Podcast
Global News Podcast
Trump ally Matt Gaetz paid for sex and drugs while in office, ethics report says
00:29:19
Investigation alleges the former congressman broke multiple state laws while in office
Loading summary
Transcript104 lines
- [00:00]
Valerie Sanderson
This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK.
- [00:06]
Nicola Coughlan
I'm Nicola Coughlan and for BBC Radio.
- [00:09]
Valerie Sanderson
4, this is History's Youngest Heroes. Rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth.
- [00:16]
Nicola Coughlan
She thought, right, I'll just do it. She thought about others rather than herself.
- [00:21]
Ryan Seacrest
Twelve stories of extraordinary young people from across history.
- [00:24]
Valerie Sanderson
There's a real sense of urgency in them.
- [00:27]
Hugh Schofield
That resistance has to be mounted. It has to be mounted now.
- [00:30]
Ryan Seacrest
Follow history's Youngest Heroes wherever you get your podcasts. Ryan Seacrest here. When you have a busy schedule, it's important to maximize your downtime. One of the best ways to do that is by going to chumbacasino.com Chumba Casino has all your favorite social casino games like spin slots, bingo and solitaire that you can play for free for a chance to redeem some serious prizes. So hop on to chumbacasino.com now and live the Chumba Life, sponsored by Chumba Casino. No purchase necessary. VGW Group void where prohibited by law 18/ terms and conditions apply.
- [01:08]
Tom Bateman
This is the global news podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Valerie Sanderson and in the early hours of Tuesday, the 24th of December, these are our main stories. In Washington, an ethics report has found that Donald Trump's top pick for Attorney General Matt Gaetz picked aid women, including a 17 year old, for sex and drugs. In Magdeburg, marches take place as the German city mourns those killed in Friday's attack. A new government in France after days of political turmoil. Also in this podcast, they're still celebrating.
- [01:45]
Feruz Kalani
They'Re still happy, but they don't know what's coming. They don't know which kind of system it will be. Some of them, they think that they are heading to a kind of religious state.
- [01:56]
Tom Bateman
Our correspondent, born and raised in Syria, returns to his home in Damascus for the first time in 15 years. We begin in the United States where a report into Donald Trump's original pick to become U.S. attorney General. Matt Gaetz has said that the former congressman broke multiple state laws while he was in office. In the much awaited house ethics report, Mr. Gates is accused of paying a 17 year old girl for sex and of buying and using illegal drugs. He denies any wrongdoing and withdrew from consideration as America's top law officer. Last month on North America, correspondent Tom Bateman told me more about the report.
- [02:40]
Sarah Ruberg
Well, a whole series of allegations, as you say, and that searing conclusion that it says there was substantial evidence that Matt Gaetz violated both House rules and other standards, it said prohibiting prostit, statutory rape, illicit Drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges. And it says obstruction of Congress. So a whole litany of findings here that Mr. Gates has repeatedly, categorically denied any wrongdoing and basically has been on X on social media most of today to say that this is a smear campaign by his political enemies. That's been the line he's taken throughout this. It will, I think, do more damage to him. But it also raises further questions about the judgment of Donald Trump, who originally picked him to be Attorney general, not just any position, but the position to oversee the justice system in the United States. Now, it was clear that these allegations were swirling at the time. Having said that, I think the damage it will do to Mr. Trump's questions about his judgment is quite limited given his deliberately combative style and that he was elected, seen by his supporters to, you know, take on the Washington system and to challenge what he had described as a weaponized legal system.
- [04:04]
Tom Bateman
But are there other nominations for key posts that might cause more controversy in the future?
- [04:10]
Sarah Ruberg
Well, there still are. And I think probably the leading contender there is Pete Hegseth, who is Donald Trump's nominee for defense secretary. Now, Mr. Hegseth also has been facing a slew of accusations around sexually inappropriate behavior year that he has had a drinking problem. And so whether or not he can still muster the support of Republicans in Congress in the Senate, that he will need to approve the nomination still remains to be seen. I mean, he'd been spending many days trying to gather support among senators. But I think that remains the outstanding controversial choice and one in which there will be a lot of attention on that process in the Senate when the confirmation hearings begin. And so, you know, once we get into the new year, I think it will bring a new spotlight onto some more of Mr. Trump's choices.
- [05:08]
Tom Bateman
Tom Bateman in Washington. Protesters have taken to the streets in Germany where a car drove into a Christmas market last Friday, killing five people and injuring more than 200 others. More information is coming to light about the 50 year old Saudi refugee who allegedly carried out the attack. Our reporter Bethany Bell sent us this report from Magdeburg.
- [05:33]
Valerie Sanderson
Supporters of the anti immigrant AFD party are out in force in Magdeburg. They gathered in the Cathedral Square on Saturday. A church service for victims of the attack was held here. But now it's political and the anger is palpable. Officials have said the suspect was an untypical attacker critical of Islam. He even voiced support himself on social media for the AfD. Tonight, the AfD rejected that as propaganda away from the protests. Many people in Magdeburg are still struggling to come to terms with what happened. Eidvich told me her granddaughter was at the market when it was attacked.
- [06:18]
Hugh Schofield
She didn't answer for two hours and my husband and I were just about.
- [06:22]
Valerie Sanderson
To search the hospitals, but then, thank God, she got in touch.
- [06:27]
Hugh Schofield
She was really in shock.
- [06:28]
Valerie Sanderson
It's just awful.
- [06:30]
Hugh Schofield
She's feeling a bit better now, but we had to go back to the hospital yesterday because she kept having tremors.
- [06:36]
Valerie Sanderson
Around the market, crowds gathered to form a chain of lights. This event was organized by an anti racism group as a counter demonstration to the AfD. They say migrants are being scapegoated. At least 70 people remain in hospital, some with severe injuries. It's a sad Christmas for them, their families and friends.
- [06:59]
Tom Bateman
Bethany Bell the President of France, Emmanuel Macron, has named the Country's new cabinet 10 days after the appointment of Prime Minister Francois Beyroux. The country has been in a state of political turmoil since the elections in June, which resulted in a hung parliament and was followed by the collapse of Michel Barney's government. Our correspondent in Paris, Hugh Schofield, gave him the details.
- [07:21]
Valerie Sanderson
It's a government which Francois Bero hopes will be able to do what Barnier couldn't do, which is get a budget passed, get any kind of legislation passed through this hung parliament. To do that, he needed to have a cabinet with as many different faces, different political complexions in there as possible. It turns out he hasn't been able to reach out very far. He's got his own, the centrists of the Macron crowd and the center right, much as Barnier did. But what he hasn't been able to do really is reach out to the left in any significant way. So we have a number of faces who were there before, such as Bruno Retail from the right at Interior, the Defence Minister, Sebastian Locornio again on the right, and the newcomers, well, they're very important figures. Elizabeth Born, Manuel Vos, two former prime ministers, two people who identify with the left. They would say they're on the left, but they're kind of personae non gratae with the actual left, today's left. So they're not going to really be able to build bridges.
- [08:14]
Tom Bateman
What's been reaction to this so far?
- [08:17]
Valerie Sanderson
The left is critical because they're saying that this is a government which is pretty much the same as the one that was there before, so it's unlikely to be able to get through its budget. The other sort of opposition force, the far right, is just a bit like With Barney, you know, keeping his powder dry, watching and waiting. They scored a bit of a victory because one initial plan had been to get a man called Xavier Bertrand in, a very senior figure on the right, but he's hated by the National Rally Party, and they kind of forced Beirut not to include Xavier Bertrand. So that seen as how the far right still certainly can apply pressure when it wants to.
- [08:54]
Tom Bateman
Do you think it draws a line, though, under the political turmoil there's been in France?
- [08:59]
Valerie Sanderson
Not at all. Not at all. I think it's a. It's a thread. It may see us through a few weeks, but there's absolutely nothing to suggest that this government would be able to do what Barnier's government was not able to do, which is to get through a budget, a budget which will require tough, tough decisions about taxes and spending and cutting state output and so on. And that is an absolute no, no for the left, who can bring it down, and indeed for the far right.
- [09:23]
Tom Bateman
And what's the impact of all this? President Macron?
- [09:28]
Valerie Sanderson
Obviously negative. You know, very obviously. He's someone who's devoting his time now to international affairs. His standing is at rock bottom, really, in France. He always has a core of supporters in the urban kind of liberal elites, if you like, people who see in him the hope, the one hope for France, which has now faded. So he's still got a core of support there in the cities, but the rest of the country, his name is mud, I would say.
- [09:54]
Tom Bateman
Hugh Schofield in France, Syria's civil war devastated large parts of the country, but one area of Damascus in particular became synonymous with the suffering of the Syrian people. Yarmouk refugee camp was the de facto capital of the Palestinian refugee diaspora in the Middle east, housing around 150,000. But it was eventually destroyed, having endured a siege and a brutal fight between the Syrian government, rebel fighters, and then occupation by Islamic State. Now, in the days since President Assad's regime collapsed, people have begun returning, including the BBC Arabic's Feruz Kalani. He was forced to leave Syria because of his work for the BBC. He made an emotional return to Yarmouk for the first time in 15 years.
- [10:45]
Feruz Kalani
I lived in this house almost 25 years. Think left even a piece of paper. There was a big library and now it's all looted. The doors. I don't know how to feel so sad.
- [11:05]
Tom Bateman
Feriz Kalani has just returned to London and I spoke to him about his time in Syria.
- [11:11]
Feruz Kalani
I crossed from Lebanon to Syria a few hours after Bashar Assad fled the country and to the heart of the mosque, where thousands of people were gathering there happily celebrating. First impression. It was really shocking to see the streets without the intelligence, because, as you know, it's a security state. No one is asking you for anything. I couldn't even dream to see it this way.
- [11:37]
Tom Bateman
And Faraz, when you went back to the camp or the area of the camp where you were brought up, the Yarmouk refugee camp, what was it like?
- [11:47]
Feruz Kalani
It was really emotional. It's that place where I was born, grew up, friends, everything, relatives. All my childhood. When I stand at the very front of the Yarmouk, I see some kids from the camp itself. I start cleaning the streets and they just give me like a very positive feeling. The coming days are better, but the more you get into the streets and see the destruction, it was really shocking. It happened at the heart of the heart of the camp, where no fighting was going on. It was done by barrel bombs, which destroyed indiscriminately, everything. So it was hurtful. It was shocking. Remembering this now, when I was there, it makes me very sad.
- [12:33]
Tom Bateman
What was it like living there under what was effectively a police state under the Assad regime?
- [12:43]
Feruz Kalani
It's honestly a disaster. You can't do anything. You can't breathe, you can't. Even at school, in elementary school, you feel it. You feel them everywhere, counting your words. We have lots of our family imprisoned by Assad regime from my mother's family or my father's family. My father used to work as a journalist for a long time. It's a horror. The worst actually started after 2011. They start killing people, they start bombing them. Thousands of people disappeared in prisons, and now we don't know anything about them after the regime collapsed.
- [13:17]
Tom Bateman
And what did people say to you about what they're hoping for now in Syria?
- [13:24]
Feruz Kalani
I think it's one of the most difficult questions for the Syrians. They're still celebrating, they're still happy, but they don't know what's coming because they know that you know, that the army collapsed, disappeared at night. They don't know which kind of system it will be. Some of them, they think that they are heading to a kind of religious state because of the new rulers will not of being Islamists. But they don't mind this because what they've seen since that moment is still by far better than where they were under the Assad, especially In the last 13 years of fighting and bombing.
- [14:01]
Tom Bateman
Ferris Kalani, a woman has died after being set on fire on a subway train in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. A man has been arrested in connection with the incident, but police are still working to establish a possible motive. Sarah Ruberg is covering the story for the New York Times and spoke to Andrew Peach.
- [14:20]
Andrew Peach
Early Sunday morning just before 7:30, a man, which seemingly had no interaction with this woman, approached her and she seemed to be motionless on the end of the subway train and he lit her clothes on fire. And police who were patrolling upstairs came down after seeing and smelling some smoke and they found her on fire. And the woman unfortunately died from her injuries.
- [14:45]
Nicola Coughlan
Right. So it's just too late by the time they got there, even though they were close at hand. And what do we know about the man who's been arrested?
- [14:51]
Andrew Peach
We know very little about the man. So far, they have not publicly identified him. But we do know that he immigrated to the US from Guatemala in 2018. Under what circumstances? It's not clear yet.
- [15:05]
Nicola Coughlan
What sort of reaction has there been in the city? Because it's one of those stories where you hear it and you think, that could have been me.
- [15:12]
Andrew Peach
Sure, yeah. I mean, whenever there's random acts of violence, there's. There's certainly a lot of outcry, especially from, you know, local leaders. It's important to keep in mind that crime on, violent crime on the subway has been down over in recent years since the pandemic, even as ridership has gone up. But still, you know, random acts of violence, especially something as tragic and awful as this, definitely can frighten some people the following day.
- [15:38]
Valerie Sanderson
Yeah, I was going to ask you.
- [15:39]
Nicola Coughlan
About that because my sense from talking to people in New York is that some are pretty scared about the subway and think of it as being a dangerous place. And yet the statistics tell a totally different story that actually is becoming safer and safer.
- [15:53]
Andrew Peach
People's perception, it can be, you know, influenced by a lot of different things. Whether, you know, there's writers who are theoretically something of that nature. It can make people feel unsafe. But the stats show us that violent crime is down overall and the subway is actually comparatively safe to other public transit systems around the world.
- [16:15]
Tom Bateman
Sarah Ruberg from the New York Times. Coming up, Norway's car revolution. With more electric vehicles on the road than those fuelled by petroleum.
- [16:26]
Valerie Sanderson
I don't think a green mindset has much to do with it. It has to do with strong policies over time, people understanding gradually that this works. There's not really any reason why not. Other countries can copy Norway.
- [16:48]
Nicola Coughlan
I'm Nicola Coughlan and for BBC Radio.
- [16:51]
Valerie Sanderson
4, this is History's youngest heroes Rebellion Risk and the radical power of youth.
- [16:58]
Nicola Coughlan
She thought, right, I'll just do it. She thought about others rather than herself.
- [17:03]
Ryan Seacrest
Twelve stories of extraordinary young people from across history.
- [17:07]
Nicola Coughlan
There's a real sense of urgency in them.
- [17:09]
Hugh Schofield
That resistance has to be mounted. It has to be mounted now.
- [17:12]
Ryan Seacrest
Follow history's youngest heroes wherever you get your podcasts.
- [17:21]
Tom Bateman
In Tibet, hundreds of people protesting against a Chinese dam were rounded up in a harsh crackdown earlier this year, with some beaten and seriously injured, according to a BBC investigation. Our Asia Pacific regional editor, Charles Havland, gave me the details.
- [17:37]
Nicola Coughlan
The bone of contention that prompted this movement of protest was a dam, of course, dams, huge infrastructure projects, are commonplace in China and they are some of the biggest dams in the world. This one is a dam which is under planning. It's called the Gang Tuo Dam. It's in the Tibet, the western Chinese province of Tibet, contentiously occupied by the Chinese since the 1950s. It seems that this dam, once it forms a reservoir, will submerge places of great cultural significance, including a 700-year-old Tibetan Buddhist monastery known for its Buddhist murals, and would also displace thousands of people, some of whom, I believe, have already been moved. So, in contrast to many infrastructural projects in China, this one prompted protests by people who felt enough is enough and we must appeal to try and stop this happening, or at least stop the project being so big and tell us.
- [18:34]
Tom Bateman
What happened to them when they did demonstrate.
- [18:36]
Nicola Coughlan
The demonstrations took place in Sichuan Province, neighbouring Tibet, in a part of western Sichuan which is ethnically Tibetan populated and indeed, I believe, governed. The BBC has investigated and has found what it considers to be well verified footage and pictures that show show people demonstrating in their hundreds, including monks and people begging for mercy, sometimes kneeling in the street. One source told the BBC in its investigations that more than 20 of his relatives and friends were detained, including an elderly person over 70, that some people sustained injuries all over their body, including in their ribs and kidneys, and were kicked and hit. And indeed the UN has got involved via a special rapporteur who's also said that some of the demonstrators were beaten and severely injured.
- [19:27]
Tom Bateman
Now, this happened some months ago. Do we know what's happened to these.
- [19:30]
Nicola Coughlan
People since it happened in February and what happened in the days after these demonstrations? That the authorities tightened the restrictions still further, making it difficult for anyone to verify the story, particularly given, for instance, that journalists can't freely travel to Tibet. So some Tibetans living in exile had tried to contact their family members and maybe had been able to do so at the time, but then just stopped being able to contact them. So it has been harder and harder for information to actually get out. What is quite interesting is that the Chinese Embassy in London was asked for comment on this. It didn't confirm or deny that the crackdown has taken place. It's perhaps not surprising that it came out with a statement saying that anyone is allowed to demonstrate and express their concerns about what's going on in China, even though that is patently not the case. They've also separately, the Chinese authorities have said that people were given due warning, warning of what the effects of this dam would be, were properly briefed about it, and were given choices about where to move to, etc. These statements are quite contentious and their veracity can't be proved.
- [20:44]
Tom Bateman
Charles Havilland Allegations that the actor Justin Baldoni waged a smear campaign against Blake Lively, his co star in the film It Ends With Us have shed light on the lengths some celebrities will apparently go to in order to protect their reputations and even damage those of others. The accusations was made in a legal complaint. A lawyer for Boldoni called the claims false.
- [21:07]
Ryan Seacrest
Neda Tofik reports tension between Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni overshadowed the promotion of the film. It ends with us over the summer on the red carpet. They never appeared together and their creative differences were apparent. But it's now clear that drama on set went much deeper. Actress Blake Lively taking legal action against Justin Baldoni, her co star.
- [21:29]
Hugh Schofield
She also claims Baldoni added improvised sexual content and nude scenes to the film.
- [21:35]
Ryan Seacrest
In the bombshell legal complaint, Lively says Baldoni hired a PR crisis firm to launch a smear campaign against her after she accused him of inappropriate behavior and sexual harassment on set. In one set of alleged text messages, one of the PR executives said they could bury anyone. It happened. Blake Lively claims after she made a list of 30 alleged demands to Baldoni and a producer during a January meeting to ensure they could continue to produce the film. In a statement, the actor said she hoped to pull back the curtain on sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up. The New York Times journalist Megan Tuohy, whose investigation on Harvey Weinstein helped launch the MeToo movement, has dug into the claims against Baldoni.
- [22:22]
Valerie Sanderson
You know, this really raises the question of who else is engaged in sort of paid for hire online manipulation on behalf of, you know, powerful clients to manipulate public opinion and do damage to people's reputations.
- [22:39]
Ryan Seacrest
Justin Baldoni's legal team said the allegations were categorically false, intentionally salacious, with an intent to Publicly hurt. But the reaction In a post MeToo era Hollywood has been swift. His talent agency dropped him and some of her co stars and a list friends have come out to support her.
- [22:57]
Tom Bateman
Nedatofik an electric car revolution has been underway in Norway for years. There are now more electric passenger cars on the country's roads than petrol vehicles. In November, 94% of all new car sales were electric. Norway, a major oil producer, has set a goal to phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel cars by 2025. And with that date just around the corner, will it get there? And what lessons are there for other countries? Adrian Murray in Oslo. Find out more.
- [23:31]
Hugh Schofield
Here on the streets of Oslo, electric cars aren't a novelty, they're the norm. And every car passing by with an E on its license plate is an ev. There are now more battery powered vehicles on Norway's roads than petrol cars. And out of all new car sales, 9 out of 10 were electric. Tax breaks for low emission vehicles and other perks like free parking, discounted tolls and access to bus lanes have all helped drive Norway's EV revolution. And so for many here, buying a plug in makes economic sense. Star Fuen bought his first evidence 15 months ago.
- [24:16]
Valerie Sanderson
With all the incentives we have in Norway, that was quite important to us, money wise. We figured out that for our day to day needs, an EV would be perfect.
- [24:26]
Hugh Schofield
Marita Eggersboh was an early adopter.
- [24:29]
Valerie Sanderson
I'm one of the very first owners of a Tesla.
- [24:33]
Hugh Schofield
I really wanted a car that didn't pollute.
- [24:35]
Valerie Sanderson
It gave me a better consciousness of driving. Of course we have the SUVs, we have the station wagons. As you can see here.
- [24:42]
Hugh Schofield
Also, this family run dealership has been importing VWS for over 75 years.
- [24:48]
Valerie Sanderson
We're standing in a dealership in the heart of Oslo with only E cars from Volkswagen. I don't think you find that anywhere else in the world.
- [24:55]
Hugh Schofield
Showing me around is Ulfthora Hecknebu, the CEO of Harald A. Muller.
- [25:00]
Valerie Sanderson
It should be an easy choice for the customers. The cars are getting so nice. Long range, higher charging speed. It's very hard to go back.
- [25:09]
Hugh Schofield
Norway hopes to be the first country to completely phase out the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles. A non binding goal was set for 2025. With that date in sight, I asked Norway's Secretary of State for Transport, Cecilia Niebuhr, Kroland, if that goal was still alive.
- [25:28]
Valerie Sanderson
We are closing up on the target and I think that we will reach that goal. And I think that also the transition is Already made. It's our goal to see that it's always a good, viable choice to use the zero emission choice.
- [25:47]
Hugh Schofield
Worldwide, electric cars make up a fifth of all vehicles sold, well up from only 2% five years ago. China, by far the biggest market, has seen sales soar. But in the US and Europe as well as the uk, demand has recently hit a speed bump.
- [26:07]
Valerie Sanderson
Please jump in.
- [26:08]
Hugh Schofield
Christina Pu, the Secretary General of the Norwegian EV association, took me for a spin.
- [26:14]
Valerie Sanderson
When they do European surveys, Norwegians are further down the list. When it comes to being worried about climate change, for example, I don't think a green mindset has much to do with it. It has to do with strong policies over time, people understanding gradually that this works. There's not really any reason why not. Other countries can copy Norway.
- [26:35]
Hugh Schofield
With a million diesel models still on the road and a big used car market here, there's still work to be done. Kell Werner Johansson is from the Norwegian center for Transport Research.
- [26:48]
Valerie Sanderson
I think the government accepts that a few new diesel or hybrid cars will still be on the market. But I don't, I don't know anybody who wants to buy a diesel car these days.
- [27:00]
Hugh Schofield
However, the shift to EVs has had other knock on effects for the government.
- [27:06]
Valerie Sanderson
It has led to reduced tax revenue. We have cheap electric energy and some people have more cars than they would have otherwise.
- [27:15]
Hugh Schofield
As sales of new fossil fuel cars tail off, Norway's electric revolution is shifting up a gear. But the journey to zero may take just a little longer.
- [27:27]
Tom Bateman
Adrian Murray reporting from Oslo and staying in northern Europe this time of year, many people flock to Santa's grottoes to meet, of course, Father Christmas. But in the Finnish town of Rovaniemi in Arctic Lapland, Santa's home has a dual purpose, doubling as a bomb shelter. Stephanie Zakrisson takes up the story.
- [27:51]
Stephanie Zakrisson
Every year, around 100,000 visitors take a trip down to the underground wonderland that sits right on the Arctic Circle to see the snow, Christmas trees, the elf school and of course Santa. But most of them might not realize that this place, full of holiday cheer, could be turned into a protective shelter within hours. Kenneth TourMe is the CEO of Santa Park.
- [28:16]
Valerie Sanderson
Most of them don't. Some of the locals, of course, know about the use, the normal use of this cavern. But our guests, they are here to enjoy themselves and they have other things on their minds.
- [28:29]
Stephanie Zakrisson
The shelter, which is carved around 50 meters into a hill, is in fact built to withstand bombings or a chemical or nuclear attack and could house 3,600 people. It is part of a network of around 50,000 similar shelters spread across Finland. The Nordic nation has for a long time made sure a majority of its population could be protected in case of emergency. With a 1300km long land border with Russia, the recent NATO member is closely following its neighbour's actions. But being prepared is also part of Finnish history and it influences other parts of society too. When other countries were scrambling for face masks and other protective equipment when COVID 19 started spreading, Finland already had stockpiles, although some items had passed their use buy date Tommy Rask has been a civil defence instructor for more than 25 years.
- [29:25]
Valerie Sanderson
Finland has always been preparing for war. Even since the 1917 independence. We have been training and we have been preparing for war and for effects.
- [29:36]
Nicola Coughlan
Against civilians, against citizens.
- [29:39]
Stephanie Zakrisson
Since the 1940s, there has been a legal obligation to build one shelter under every apartment block. The larger ones are used as sports halls or parking garages, or in the case of Rovaniemi, as Santa's cave. It has camping beds, first aid kits and a separate well provides water, although people would need to bring their own food. Kenneth Torme says Santa would be evicted in case of an emergency.
- [30:06]
Valerie Sanderson
The theme would be built down and the facility would be taken into shelter use right away. So basically everything has been planned so that it is really fast to convert into a shelter.
- [30:22]
Stephanie Zakrisson
While most of the Santa themed items would have to be cleared out, some toys from the gift shop would be kept for children seeking safety there.
- [30:31]
Tom Bateman
Stephanie Zachary 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, podcast or the topics covered in it, send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk this edition was produced by Harry Bly and it was mixed by Caroline Driscoll. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Valerie Sanderson. Until next time, bye bye.
- [31:04]
Valerie Sanderson
Hello, I'm Katya Adler, host of the Global Story podcast from the BBC. Each weekday we break down one big story with fresh perspectives from journalists around the world. From artificial intelligence to divisive politics tearing our societies apart from the movements of money and markets, to the human stories that touch our lives, we bring you in depth insights from across the BBC and beyond. Listen to the Global Story wherever you.
- [31:31]
Hugh Schofield
Get your BBC podcasts.