Briefed - Your Daily European Podcast

In this episode, we continue our reporting from the area of Gioia Tauro. We meet journalist Michele Albanese who lives under police protection these days. And discover the reach and connections of the Italian Ndrangheta mafia across Europe. From the reporting the differences and red threads connecting Barbate and Gioia Tauro become manifest. Sea of Rage is a reportage podcast dealing with the bord...

In this episode, we travel to the Italian coast and port-town of Gioia Tauro, in the Southern region of Calabria. We discover the history of the construction of the port of Gioia Tauro and the role of the Italian mafia, Ndrangheta, in the narco-trafficking of cocaine into Europe.  Sea of Rage is a reportage podcast dealing with the borderless narco-trafficking business as seen from the perspe...

After visiting the neighbourhood of El Pinar and the port of Barbate, in this episode we try to understand deeper reasons for why this south-western Spanish port town struggles in changing its status of entry door for hashish into Europe. We discuss the impact of geography, education and, eventually, local politics on Barbate.  Sea of Rage is a reportage podcast dealing with the borderless na...

Walking the streets of Barbate is not enough to grasp why drug trafficking affects this small town in South-Western Spain. In this episode, the team of reporters behind Sea of Rage visit the port of Barbate, where everything - the smuggling - happens.  Sea of Rage is a reportage podcast dealing with the borderless narco-trafficking business as seen from the perspective of ordinary people who...

In this episode, the team of reporters behind Sea of Rage set foot for the first time in Barbate, Andalusia, South-Western Spain. They meet people from El Pinar, a notorious neighbourhood in town which is known to be a pivotal place for drug trafficking.  Sea of Rage is a reportage podcast dealing with the borderless narco-trafficking business as seen from the perspective of ordinary people w...

Sea of Rage is a reportage podcast dealing with the borderless narco-trafficking business as seen from the perspective of ordinary people who live in two towns in Southern Europe: Barbate (Andalusìa, Spain) and Gioia Tauro (Calabria, Italy). Over the past few decades, Barbate and Gioia Tauro have become entry points for hashish and cocaine into Europe. But why have these towns become such pivotal...

From behind the walls of Silivri Prison, Istanbul’s mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu sent a clear message: “If there is even a shred of conscience left, stop this harassment of my family.” İmamoğlu has been imprisoned since March 19, on corruption and terrorism charges widely seen as politically motivated. He was expected to be officially nominated as the opposition presidential candidate. But his arrest, bes...

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is in Washington to meet with Donald Trump, a visit that puts her in a delicate position, as she tries to balance the interests of the European Union while staying in the good graces of the  U.S. president. To dig a bit deeper into what this visit means for Europe, but mostly for Italy and Giorgia Meloni’s political strategy, I’m joined by David Carretta,...

On Tuesday, a Russian court convicted four journalists of “extremism”, specifically, for allegedly collaborating with Alexei Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation, which the Kremlin labeled “extremist” and outlawed back in 2021.  But what does this case reveal about the state of press freedom and political repression in Russia? And can an appeal offer any hope for justice in this case? Join us...

On Monday, Russia claimed that its deadly missile attack on the Ukrainian city of Sumy, which killed and injured dozens, including children, was aimed at a gathering of Ukrainian troops. Meanwhile, European leaders condemned the attack and are calling it what it is: a war crime. But are European leaders planning to respond? Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continen...

Today, Monday, Hungarian lawmakers are expected to vote on a controversial constitutional amendment that would ban LGBTQ+ events, including Pride marches, under the pretext of protecting children. The amendment, backed by Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz party, would also enshrine the recognition of only two sexes in Hungary’s constitution and allow for the suspension of citizenship for...

What is ecological debt? Why am I experiencing déjà vu? How do you get better results with ChatGPT?... Do you love learning new things? Do You Really Know is a Bababam Originals podcast which brings you answers to all your questions in under 3 minutes,... even the questions you didn’t know you had! You can tune in and listen to new episodes every day to feed your curiosity, on...

Germany’s new coalition government, made up of the conservative CDU/CSU alliance and the center-left Social Democrats, is planning to hit the brakes on a reform introduced in 2023: the 3-year fast track to citizenship for well-integrated immigrants.  But what does all this actually mean for the people who’ve been waiting years to become citizens, or those who finally got their German passport...

As the war in Ukraine grinds on, Europe’s defence ministers have gathered in Brussels to discuss the possible deployment of international peacekeeping troops, despite there being no actual peace agreement in sight.  In this episode of Long Story Short , we unpacks the latest meeting of the so-called “coalition of the willing”, led by France and the UK, as they try to sketch out future securit...

The European Union’s border protection agency, Frontex, announced this week that it's investigating a dozen serious allegations of human rights violations by Greece when it comes to handling irregular immigration.  The latest addition to the long list of violations is the investigation carried by Solomon, Swiss investigative outlet Republik, and the Swiss research collective WAV, into the liv...

The European Union is gearing up to respond to the United States in a long-standing trade dispute over steel and aluminium. With a 25% retaliatory tariff on a wide range of American goods back on the table, tensions between the two transatlantic partners are rising once again.  But what is behind the EU’s move, why some member states are urging caution, and what this all means for businesses...

This weekend, the streets of Spain turned to an orange and green “no” due to mass protests over housing. Tens of thousands of people across 40 cities took to the streets demanding what should be pretty basic in 2025, affordable housing.  But what action is the government taking to solve the housing crisis and why is this more than just a Spanish problem? Join us on our journey through the eve...

What is ecological debt? Why am I experiencing déjà vu? How do you get better results with ChatGPT?... Do you love learning new things? Do You Really Know is a Bababam Originals podcast which brings you answers to all your questions in under 3 minutes,... even the questions you didn’t know you had! You can tune in and listen to new episodes every day to feed your curiosity, on...

Marine Le Pen, the leader of France’s far-right National Rally, is now, we could say, a convicted criminal. And her allies across the Atlantic, US Vice President JD Vance and president Donald Trump are not holding back, talking about witch hunts and a minor offense.  But why are they supporting Le Pen and what is the reaction from France’s far right?  Join us on our journey through the e...

Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day” just delivered a pretty nasty blow to the global trading system. The United States has decided to impose a 10 percent minimum tariff on all imports coming into the country. The EU, and other top trading partners like China, Japan, and Vietnam, got hit with even higher rates.  What kind of economic fallout can we expect from these tariffs? And what is Europe goi...

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is set to visit Budapest tonight in his very first trip to a European country since the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants against him and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes committed in Gaza. But Netanyahu will not be detained in Viktor Orban’s Hungary and the ICC not only will be defied but it also has limited means...

On Monday evening, the European People’s Party EPP tried and failed to push for a review of how the European Commission funds certain climate NGOs. The text voted by the MEP’s in Strasbourg argues that the Commission is basically paying NGOs to lobby for the Green Deal. Or,simply put, hiring cheerleaders for its own policies. But what is the underlying reason the EPP has declared war on NGOs and d...

The latest news says that Marine Le Pen and eight other MEPs have been found guilty of embezzling EU funds by a Paris court. This isn’t just a slap on the wrist,  it’s a political earthquake.  The presiding judge, Bénédicte de Perthuis, warned from the start that the judgment would be lengthy, packed with explanations for the decision taken. And yet, here’s the first headline: guilty as...

What is ecological debt? Why am I experiencing déjà vu? How do you get better results with ChatGPT?... Do you love learning new things? Do You Really Know is a Bababam Originals podcast which brings you answers to all your questions in under 3 minutes,... even the questions you didn’t know you had! You can tune in and listen to new episodes every day to feed your curiosity, on...

Donald Trump has warned that if the EU and Canada team up against the US, we’ll see huge tariffs, much larger than anything we’ve seen so far. This is coming after Trump announced plans to slap a 25% tariff on hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of imported cars and auto parts from countries like Mexico, Canada, South Korea, Japan, and, of course, Germany.  But what does this move mean for...