The Decibel

The 2023 murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Surrey, B.C., led to a major diplomatic rift between Canada and India. Mr. Nijjar was a prominent Canadian Sikh separatist. Then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused agents of the Indian government of being involved in the killing. Four people had previously been arrested in connection to Nijjar’s killing. Now, U.S. officials have unsealed an indictment alleging gang leader Lawrence Bishnoi and his alleged North American deputy “ordered the assassination” of Nijjar.

Mike Hager is a staff reporter with the Globe’s B.C. bureau. Today, he joins the show to explain who Lawrence Bishnoi is, what his gang is accused of, and alleged connections to the Indian government.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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A lot of Canadians struggle to take their allotted, paid vacation days, according to new research, meaning those days go unused. It’s not just internal pressures making people skip a holiday, it’s coming from higher up – from managers’ attitudes towards vacation all the way up to the state of the economy.

Today, Globe reporter Zosia Bielski explains the reasons why Canadians aren’t taking their paid days off, and the deeper consequences – for our productivity and health – when we don’t.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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In the heat of USA ’94, Roberto Baggio carried the nation of Italy on his shoulders— and then saw it all slip away from twelve yards. This episode explores one of soccer’s most spellbinding talents and the penalty kick that turned his decorated legacy into a lingering question mark. But this isn’t only about one miss. 

Host Eoin O’Callaghan and guests John Foot, Ben Lyttleton and Kevin Kilbane explore the strange hold penalty kicks have, and why that ritual reveals so much about pressure, identity, and the human condition.

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Decisions in two landmark trials in the U.S. found social media companies responsible for harms to youth on their platforms, earlier this year. They follow years of growing concern about the dangers that social media poses to young people. And now, those concerns are starting to show up in policy decisions. Back in December, Australia banned those under 16 years old from creating accounts on platforms like YouTube and TikTok. Other countries are considering similar legislation — including Canada. But what do teenagers themselves think of these potential social media bans?

Samantha Edwards is The Globe’s online culture reporter. She assembled a group of Canadian teenagers to talk about how they actually use social media, what adults get wrong, and what they think about losing access to the platforms they use to talk to their friends.

This episode was originally aired on March 27, 2026 
Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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Canada’s Big Six banks are doing very well financially – their stocks are up an average of 62 per cent over the past year. In previous years, five or 10 per cent increases would be considered good for the banks. Financial reporter and columnist Tim Kiladze says this development is “absurd” and “baffling”.

Today, Tim explains why the banks are doing so well. (Spoiler alert: it’s connected to a red-hot stock market.) He’ll talk about whether this rise will last, the risks and what it says about the health of Canada’s economy.

Questions? Comments? Ideas? Email us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com

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