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Orla Barry

Europe correspondent

The World

Orla Barry is the Europe correspondent for The World. She has been a producer with the BBC World Service for six years, working on Outside Source, World Have Your Say and Newsday. Orla has been a national broadcaster on the Irish radio station Newstalk, where she presented the daily morning show and a weekend arts and culture show.Orla has produced a series of documentaries from East Africa, including Rwanda, Ethiopia, Tanzania and Uganda. She also presented a BBC Radio 4 documentary on the Irish women who built Britain. She previously worked as an independent producer for NBC and Arte.  Orla has been a columnist with two Irish national newspapers, the Irish Examiner and the Irish Independent. She has a Master’s degree in politics and development studies.

Facade of Hotel Sacher with ornate architecture, multiple flags including American and European, and a few parked cars outside.

Inside the trial shaking Vienna’s long tolerance for spies

Global Politics

The largest spy trial in decades is currently underway in Austria. The case has drawn international attention to the country’s lax espionage laws and intensified calls for tougher legislation.

A bakery display case featuring various cakes: a walnut cake with icing, a chocolate almond cake with a decorative edge, and a rectangular cake with white frosting and colorful sprinkles. Labels with descriptions are placed in front of the cakes.

From pensions to pastries: Vienna café supports elderly workers

Community
A cozy room with an open door and window, featuring a wooden chair with patterned cushions, a table covered with a white cloth, a painting on the wall, and a potted plant on the windowsill.

Housing affordability around the world

Lifestyle
An art gallery wall featuring a large landscape mural of a seaside view with trees and grass. Various artworks, including paintings and photographs in different frames, are displayed on the wall. Two prominent abstract pieces on yellow and pink backgrounds are positioned in the lower center and right of the image.

Ireland hopes to make a program giving artists a stable income permanent

Arts, Culture & Media

From shipwreck to symphony: Prisoners in Italy turn migrant boats into violins

Migration

From San Francisco to a Dutch refugee camp: Why transgender Americans are fleeing home

LGBTQ

For decades, people fleeing persecution have sought safety in the United States. Now, in a striking reversal, dozens of American citizens are seeking asylum in Europe — in the Netherlands in particular.

From car-free streets to cooling centers, locals confront Milan’s rising heat

Climate science and solutions

Southern Europe is sweltering under record-breaking temperatures, with firefighters battling wildfires across Spain, Greece and Albania this week. In Italy, 16 cities, including Rome and Milan have been placed under the highest red heat alerts. Environmentalists warn that lawmakers are not doing nearly enough to address the mounting crisis. In Milan, some residents are taking matters into their own hands.

‘It feels like we’re going backwards’: Activists sound alarm on Europe’s retreat from climate action

Climate science and solutions

The rise of far-right parties in Europe is intensifying concerns about the future of EU climate policy. Italy’s populist Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is a vocal critic of the EU’s green agenda, and environmentalists fear her influence could stymie progress. But the threat to Europe’s climate ambitions isn’t coming solely from the far-right.

From canals to concrete: How Milan lost its cool

Climate science and solutions

Temperatures in Milan are increasing, with summers becoming hotter earlier. Some residents say the city’s infrastructure is contributing to the heat, and they want politicians to take the issue more seriously.

College campuses across the UK fight for free speech as protests come under scrutiny

The World's Global Classroom

Protests and passionate debate have long been hallmarks of college life. But university campuses across England have recently become battlegrounds in a broader struggle over free speech, particularly in the context of the ongoing war in Gaza. Now, the UK’s higher education regulator is stepping in with new guidelines meant to safeguard freedom of speech. But not everyone is convinced the rules do enough.