Bouncing back after getting fired, Brain fog, Sheikh Hasina verdict

14 snips

Nov 17, 2025

Guest

Laura Karpman

Davina Gupta, a seasoned BBC correspondent, dives into the turbulent political landscape surrounding former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her recent court verdict. Laura Brown, a former fashion editor and co-author, shares empowering insights on navigating job loss, emphasizing the importance of reclaiming the narrative around being fired. Emmy-winning composer Laura Karpman introduces her groundbreaking opera 'Balls,' which explores the gender dynamics of the 1973 Battle of the Sexes while advocating for gender parity in music composition.

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INSIGHT

Vulnerability Normalises Brain Fog

Brain fog during midlife transitions is common and widely shared among professional women.
Public vulnerability about it can normalise the experience and prompt supportive conversations.

INSIGHT

Hormones Matter For Memory

Oestrogen receptors in memory-related brain regions mean hormonal loss can impair cognition.
Brain fog from menopause mixes hormonal change with sleep disruption, stress, and mood effects.

ADVICE

Combine HRT With Lifestyle Steps

Try hormone replacement therapy if suitable, because it can markedly improve sleep, mood and brain function.
Also adopt exercise, nutrition and mindfulness to support cognition alongside medical options.

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Former US magazine editors-in-chief Laura Brown and Kristina O'Neill were both ‘let go’ from their respective jobs. They felt blindsided, devastated and temporarily lost their identities - until, united, they learnt how to make a comeback. They join Nuala McGovern to share their experiences as set out in their new book, All the Cool Girls Get Fired, about how they let go of the shame of ‘being fired’, a term they like to use, and how a career setback can become the best thing ever.

Bangladesh's former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has been found guilty of crimes against humanity and sentenced to death. She is currently living in exile in India, so was tried in her absence by a court in Dhaka. Hasina was Bangladesh's longest-serving prime minister, who began her political career as a pro-democracy icon, but fled mass protests against her rule in August 2024. Today she - along with her former Interior Minister and Police Chief - was found guilty of allowing the use of lethal force against protesters and failing to prevent atrocities against them. The UN say that 1,400 protestors died. Hasina has called the court's decision biased and politically motivated. BBC correspondent Devina Gupta updates us on the story.

When BBC Technology Editor Zoe Kleinman shared a post on social media about dealing with brain fog, she had no idea it would be viewed hundreds of thousands of times and resonate with so many women who are going through the menopause. Following a long day of reporting and feeling tired, along with the fear of not being able to remember key words, Zoe used notes on the BBC News At Ten for the first time ever. Zoe joins Nuala to explain why it was important to share her experience of perimenopause and brain fog. Dr Shema Tariq, menopause researcher at University College London, talks about what causes brain fog and how women can protect their brains from cognitive decline.

Nuala is joined by the Emmy award-winning American composer Laura Karpman. Her music can be heard on films such as American Fiction and The Marvels, to TV hits like Down Cemetery Road. Her opera, called Balls, is based on the iconic 1973 ‘Battle of the Sexes’ tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs, and will be having its UK premiere later this week as part of the Philharmonic Orchestra’s 80th anniversary season.

Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Simon Richardson