Donald Trump’s Rapid Start

From Our Own Correspondent

BBC

News, News Commentary

4.4 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 1 February 2025

⏱️ 29 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Kate Adie presents stories from the US, Mexico, Bangladesh, Guatemala and Malaysia Donald Trump marked his return to the White House with a deluge of executive orders and announcements, which included an immigration crackdown, ending federal diversity programmes and withdrawing the US from the WHO. Anthony Zurcher travelled with the president on board Air Force One.

In cities across the US, the Immigration Enforcement Agency has been conducting raids and arresting thousands of undocumented migrants, as part of President Trump’s crackdown. Mexico is preparing itself for the potential arrival of tens of thousands of people in the coming weeks. Will Grant reports from both sides of the border.

In Bangladesh, deaths related to diseases, such as cholera and rotavirus are considered especially high, because of long-standing issues with overcrowding, poor sanitation and access to clean water. Rebecca Root visited a hospital in the capital, Dhaka, which is leading the way in treatment and prevention.

Many of Guatemala’s indigenous communities live outside the major cities, and the stress of living isolated lives has fuelled mental health problems. A group of indigenous women is trying to change that. Jane Chambers went to lake Atitlan to meet them.

The Malaysian state of Sabah, in northern Borneo, is a mountainous region covered in dense rainforest. On a recent visit there, Stephen Moss came across the increasingly rare black hornbill – and a new generation of keen birdwatchers.

Series Producer: Serena Tarling Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith Production coordinators: Katie Morrison & Sophie Hill

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hello, today we're on the Mexico-U.S.
0:08.6	Where towns are preparing for an influx of deportees as Donald Trump begins his immigration
0:15.6	crackdown. In Bangladesh, we visit a hospital leading the treatment of life-threatening conditions like cholera.
0:24.0	The facilities are state-of-the-art, but not everyone has access.
0:28.7	In Guatemala, we hear how indigenous communities are tackling poor mental health through traditional means.
0:36.2	We attend a healing circle on the shores of Lake Atitlan.
0:40.8	And finally, we're in Borneo, where we encounter the charismatic black hornbill and learn about
0:46.4	the crucial role it plays in rainforest conservation. But first, Donald Trump marked his return to
0:53.4	the White House with an immediate deluge of
0:55.8	executive orders and announcements, a tactic known in political circles as flooding the zone,
1:02.3	leaving opponents struggling to muster a coherent response. Mr. Trump has launched his much-promised
1:09.1	immigration crackdown, ended federal diversity programs,
1:13.4	withdrawn the U.S. from the Paris Climate Agreement and the World Health Organization,
1:19.3	moved to end birthright citizenship, and announced pardons for nearly 1,600 people convicted or
1:27.0	charged in connection with the U.S. Capitol Hill
1:29.6	riots. On top of this, he took a tour of the regions recently affected by natural disasters.
1:37.0	Anthony Zerker joined the president on board Air Force One.
1:41.9	On Monday night, as Air Force One began its descent towards Washington, White House spokesperson
1:47.5	Caroline Leavitt came back to the press cabin to tell us that the president wanted to talk
1:52.0	one more time.
1:53.9	The handful of reporters in the traveling press pool scrambled to gather our gear and notepads
1:58.8	for a final round on a weekend trip that had been full of
	...

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