A World In Sound: Recent Episodes
Mike Johnson
An Aladdin's cave of good storytelling - featuring personal experiences from around the globe, which help make sense of how the world is working
From cars to cutlery, fridges to bridges, steel has become an essential part of our lives. But the carbon emissions which result from steelmaking are taking a heavy toll on the environment. With climate change at the top of the global political agenda, the race is on to forge a new generation of greener steel. But there are fears about how much that will cost to achieve
With a smartphone only an arm's reach away, gambling has never been so easy. For some people the temptation is too much, and the resulting debts spiral out of control. In this episode, one smartphone gambler who became an addict talks of how her habit led to self-harm and thoughts of suicide. Authorities and experts are getting concerned. So could the global gambling industry be doing more to help?
African music is taking the world by storm. African artists are winning global awards and embarking on international tours. Major record companies are keen to cash in. So what does it all mean for a new generation of African musicians? Features interviews with artists including Nomcebo Zikode from South Africa and Ghana's Eazzy. Warning: contains great music
In the wake of the financial crisis, staff from the global bank Citigroup gather to rehearse for a Christmas concert. They are members of the Citigroup corporate choir, where executives and the people who clean their bins stand shoulder to shoulder and sing their hearts out. But why?
As China imposes a new security law on Hong Kong, is this the beginning of the end for the city's cherished freedoms - and its position as a global centre for business?
Each year thousands of African migrant workers travel to southern Spain. The fruits of their labour end up on dining tables across Europe. But is enough being done to protect them from abuse?
It's the end of April, 2020. Italy begins to awake from its cornavirus nightmare. Two businesspeople talk about how they must get back to work. With the economy on its knees, what help can Italians expect from the rest of the EU family?
It's March 2020. Italy embarks on the world's toughest lockdown to try to control the spread of the coronavirus. Three Italians talk about how that's affecting their life and work
Across the world, lockdown has forced millions of us to work from home for the first time. So how's that going? And is this the end of the work as we know it? People in Brussels, Nashville and Karachi tell their stories of copying with quarantine
The coronavirus has stretched the US food supply chain to breaking point. How farmers and consumers have been hurting, as meatpacking plants became virus hotbeds
Live music fell silent under lockdown. How musicians on three continents - Europe, North America and Africa - have been coping, including South Africa's Berita (pictured)
US coal mines are going bankrupt and closing, despite promises from President Trump to revive their fortunes. A jobless Kentucky miner tells his story