Bangkok bar fire kills at least 27

Summary

Global News Podcast: Bangkok Bar Fire Kills At Least 27

BBC World Service · July 13, 2026
Host: Charlotte Gallagher

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Episode Overview

This episode covers the tragic fire at a Bangkok bar that claimed at least 27 lives, international tensions in the Strait of Hormuz between the US and Iran, the arrest of a major figure in the global fentanyl trade, the auction of a rare T. rex fossil, the death of US Senator Lindsey Graham, new developments in the historic Ruth Ellis case, and a look back at the career of BBC correspondent David Willey. The episode delivers in-depth reporting, expert analysis, and eyewitness testimony.

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Main Story: Deadly Bangkok Bar Fire

Incident Details

• A fire at a busy bar in Bangkok killed at least 27 people and injured over 60.
• Some victims remain in critical condition; others are still missing.
• The fire spread rapidly due to the foam ceiling material and blocked exits.

“My friend who is singing on stage said at first they noticed the smell of something burning, then a little after they saw the ceiling was on fire. Some people were injured because of the debris from the ceiling, because it seems that the ceiling was made out of foam material to absorb sound.”
— Musician eyewitness (02:09)

• Witness reports: Power went out, the room filled with smoke, and many couldn’t find their way out (03:00).

On the Ground:

• Correspondent Jonathan Head describes the devastation:
  • Acrid smell of burnt plastic, melted instruments, police tape, and shattered windows.
  • “...All the windows, they're these very narrow windows, have been shattered, probably by the heat. Apart from that, you don't really get a sense of the horrific scenes that onlookers witnessed when there were incredible jets of flame roaring out through the exits...”
    (Jonathan Head, 03:00)

Context and Safety Lapses

• Previous deadly nightclub fires in Thailand highlight systemic safety failures.
• Persistent issues with building and fire code enforcement, often linked to corruption:
  • Bars pay bribes to police to remain open and possibly to pass safety inspections (04:25).
  • The bar had been inspected as recently as April.

“Bars in this country operate in a fairly casual legal environment where corruption is endemic. They often pay bribes to the police to be allowed to stay open when they shouldn't...”
— Jonathan Head (04:25)

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Middle East: US-Iran Tensions over Strait of Hormuz

Military Escalation

• US military launched new strikes on Iranian air defense, radar, and small boats.
• Iran claims to have closed the Strait of Hormuz; the US insists it remains open.

"It's open. We bombed the hell out of them last night. They're very, very evil and sick people."
— Donald Trump (06:27)

• Ongoing "game of chicken" risks uncontrolled escalation (Barbara Leaf, 07:06).

Maritime Impact

• Oil prices rose on escalating conflict (07:27).
• Current status: Shipping traffic slow and at a standstill; Memorandum of Understanding up in the air (08:24).
• The UN urges de-escalation and renewed talks (09:18).

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Fentanyl Kingpin Case: Zhang Zedong (Brother Wang)

Background

• US indicts Zhang Zedong, a Chinese national alleged to be a central fentanyl supplier via Mexico, now awaiting trial (10:14).

“The subject we're investigating is Brother Wang, a Chinese national whose Real name is Zhang Zidong. News of Zhang Zedong's arrest in November 2025 made headlines around the world.”
— Miguel Angeliweger (11:29)

Cartel Testimonies

• Cartel members describe Zhang's intelligence and key role:

"That's why it started generating jobs for us. People gave him affectionate nicknames. He was called number one, the King of Fentanyl."
— Luis (Cartel Member, 12:25)

• Arrest caused temporary disruption, but replacements are already in place (13:24).

Human Cost

• Fentanyl's devastation affects even those involved in trafficking:
  • “A relative of mine recently moved to the US and died from an overdose. And that's when my conscience was shaken. But work is work, and we don't know another way to make a living.”
    — Enrique (Cartel Associate, 13:58)

Broader Impact

• System is resilient; demand in the US ensures ongoing trade (14:18).
• Legal outcome pending; Zhang pleads not guilty.

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US Politics: Death of Senator Lindsey Graham

Career Highlights & Legacy

• One of the most influential voices on US foreign policy, a supporter of Ukraine and Israel (17:25).
• Transition from Trump critic to key ally.

"I want to talk to the Trump supporters for a minute. I don't know who you are and I don't know why you like this guy. He's a race baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot. He doesn't represent my party."
— Lindsey Graham, 2015 (18:31)

"Mr. President, when you endorsed me early on, it changed everything. ... I'm going to help you change this world and change this country."
— Lindsey Graham (18:58)

• Tributes from world leaders, including Benjamin Netanyahu (19:12).

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UK Legal History: Ruth Ellis Conditional Pardon

Background & Family Impact

• Ruth Ellis, last woman executed in the UK (1955), posthumously granted a conditional pardon (20:05).
• Her granddaughter Laura Enston explains the significance for the family:

"As a family, we now have been given permission to think about what life could have been like for us if Ruth had been reprieved."
— Laura Enston (22:52)

• Discussion points:
  • Generational trauma from the execution.
  • Misrepresentation and harsh judgment of Ruth Ellis at her trial.
  • The campaign to correct historical injustice and recognize domestic abuse.

“She was on trial for so much more than what she'd done.”
— Laura Enston (22:52)

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Science & Culture: T. Rex Fossil 'Gus' Up for Auction

The Fossil & Market Dynamics

• 'Gus': 61% complete T. Rex skeleton, auction estimate up to $30 million (24:58).
• Includes copyright for commercial replica sales.

“He's 61% complete, which is an incredibly high percentage figure for a fossil of this size. And... this dinosaur comes with the copyright...”
— Esme Stallard (24:58)

• Rising prices put fossils out of reach for most museums, fueling concerns by scientists.

Private vs. Public Ownership Concerns

“People are buying dinosaur specimens on the private market and particularly auctions for tens of millions of dollars. And this is really problematic.”
— Prof. Susanna Maidment, Natural History Museum (26:20)

• Possible solution: Preference for museums to buy rare fossils before public sale.

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Tribute: Veteran BBC Correspondent David Willey (1933–2026)

Career Retrospective

• Over 50-year career in journalism, 40 years in Italy with Vatican expertise (28:24).
• Reporting highlights: Treaty of Rome, East Africa, assassination attempt on John Paul II.

“To the Chinese [Mao] is a sort of Shakespeare, Moses and successor to Karl Marx all rolled into one.”
— David Willey circa 1960s (28:37)

• Remembered for incisive analysis and mentorship to subsequent generations (29:33).

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Highlight | |-------------|-----------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:09 | Eyewitness Musician | “My friend who is singing on stage said at first they noticed the smell of something burning...” | | 03:00 | Jonathan Head | “Incredible jets of flame roaring out through the exits, making it very hard for people to run out.” | | 06:27 | Donald Trump | “It's open. We bombed the hell out of them last night. They're very, very evil and sick people.” | | 07:06 | Barbara Leaf | “The two sides are in a state of controlled escalation, a sort of game of chicken, if you will.” | | 12:25 | Luis (Cartel Member) | “People gave him affectionate nicknames. He was called number one, the King of Fentanyl.” | | 13:58 | Enrique | “A relative of mine recently moved to the US and died from an overdose. And that's when my conscience was shaken...” | | 18:31 | Lindsey Graham | “He's a race baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot. He doesn't represent my party.” | | 22:52 | Laura Enston | “As a family, we now have been given permission to think about what life could have been like for us if Ruth had been reprieved.” | | 24:58 | Esme Stallard | “He's 61% complete, which is an incredibly high percentage figure for a fossil of this size...” | | 26:20 | Prof. Maidment | “People are buying dinosaur specimens on the private market and particularly auctions for tens of millions of dollars...” | | 28:37 | David Willey | “To the Chinese [Mao] is a sort of Shakespeare, Moses and successor to Karl Marx all rolled into one.” |

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Important Timestamps

| Segment | Start Time | |--------------------------------------------|------------| | Bangkok Bar Fire (main story) | 01:36 | | US-Iran Tensions in Strait of Hormuz | 05:47 | | Fentanyl Kingpin Story | 10:14 | | Senator Lindsey Graham Obituary | 17:25 | | Ruth Ellis Conditional Pardon | 20:05 | | T. Rex Fossil Auction | 24:52 | | David Willey Career Retrospective | 27:57 |

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This summary captures all major themes, personalities, and developments discussed in the episode, with direct speaker quotes and clear attributions for each segment.

Transcript

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[Charlotte Gallagher]

This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Charlotte Gallagher and in the early hours of Monday 13th July, these are our main stories. A fire has killed at least 27 people in a bar in the Thai capital Bangkok. The US and Iran launch more attacks amid conflicting claims over whether the Strait of Hormuz is open or not. And we'll hear about the Chinese man accused of being Mexico's Fentanyl King also in this podcast.

[Laura Enston]

As a family, we now have been given permission to think about what life could have been like for us if Ruth had been reprieved.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

The granddaughter of the last woman to be executed in Britain tells us what her conditional pardon means for the family. We're beginning in the Thai capital Bangkok, where a fire at a busy bar has killed at least 27 people and injured more than 60. Some of those in hospital are in a critical condition. Others who are at the venue are still missing outside the bar. These people are trying to find their friends.

[Eyewitness Musician]

My friend who is singing on stage said at first they noticed the smell of something burning, then a little after they saw the ceiling was on fire. Some people were injured because of the debris from the ceiling, because it seems that the ceiling was made out of foam material to absorb sound.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Chan Wu Rangkoon has been to the scene.

[Musician Witness]

I asked one musician that happened to be on the stage when the incident took place. He said that there was a fire at the cutout switch and after that thing happened very quickly and everybody tried to free themselves from the smoke and the flames.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Our correspondent Jonathan Head is outside the bar and has been telling me the latest from outside.

[Jonathan Head]

This is quite a substantial building, very typical of the bars. You can find thousands of the kind all over Thailand would have been absolutely filled with tables they're usually very crowded. So from outside this morning, we can see they put some police tape up there. There have been forensic inspectors going in and out throughout the morning. There is this awful smell, this acrid smell of burnt plastic. And you can see some of the furniture that's not been burnt piled up outside, a few completely melted musical instruments from the band that was on stage that have been left outside. And all the windows, they're these very narrow windows, have been shattered, probably by the heat. Apart from that, you don't really get a sense of the horrific scenes that onlookers witnessed when there were incredible jets of flame roaring out through the exits, making it very hard for people to run out. And when we saw, from video taken, people racing out with their clothes on fire. So the fire clearly moved extremely quickly inside. What witnesses say the power went out, the room filled with smoke, it made it very, very difficult in a large space packed with people and furniture to find their way out. And of course, as we know now, many people did not get out. Even those who sought safety in a bathroom did not survive.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

And this isn't the first fire of this kind in Thailand, is it?

[Jonathan Head]

It's not. And it's indicative of persistence, safety issues in Thailand, and that relates to things like road safety as well, building safety, accidents that should be entirely preventable, continually happening. I mean, I covered a fire in a nightclub back in 2009, so 17 years ago, where 66 people died. It was found that the exits were blocked, there weren't enough of them, and that the ceiling was insulated with incredibly inflammable material that ignited almost instantly. Now, we don't know the cause of this fire, but from what eyewitnesses are saying, again, it. From the moment it started, it moved very, very fast indeed and made it very difficult for people to get out. It's not clear how well illuminated the exits were or whether even all the exits were free to get out of that will be discovered in the investigation. Bars in this country operate in a fairly casual legal environment where corruption is endemic. They often pay bribes to the police to be allowed to stay open when they shouldn't. And there are presumptions that the same thing happens during inspections. And we know this pub was inspected as recently as April and presumably was found to be up to standard. But the speed with which that fire spread last night and the difficulty people found in getting out suggests there were serious lapses.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Jonathan Head, the US military says it's completed another wave of strikes on Iran aimed at continuing to degrade Tehran's ability to attack commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz. It said the strikes hit Iranian military air defense systems, coastal radar sites and small boats. Iran says it has closed the strait, and the latest strikes render futile recent diplomatic efforts. It's carried out more attacks itself, targeting US Assets with sirens and explosions heard in several Gulf states. But President Trump told NBC on Sunday that the crucial waterway was still open.

[Donald Trump]

It's open. We bombed the hell out of them last night. They're very, very evil and sick people. We had meetings with them for the last. They agreed to a deal yesterday, a perfect deal for us. No nuclear, no this, no that, no nothing. They gave up everything. And then after that, they left the room, and then within an hour, they launched a drone and a ship.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

There are fears the military escalation over the strait could further undermine the efforts to extend the ceasefire between Iran and the U.S. here's Barbara Leaf, a former U.S. ambassador to the United Arab Emirates.

[Barbara Leaf]

The Iranians are determined, come what may, to exert control over it, not just in this 60 days, but forever after. So they are in. The two sides are in a state of controlled escalation, a sort of game of chicken, if you will. But there's real risk that it can become uncontrolled escalation.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Oil prices began the week higher as news of the latest strikes came in. We've been getting more from Nick Johnson in Washington.

[Nick Johnson]

These strikes have been steadily ratcheting up over the past few days in both intensity, but also the number of munitions that have been used on both sides. And this all follows what the US Says has been continued attacks by Iran on commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. But in terms of the strait itself, there is an ongoing war of words between both Tehran and Washington. Tehran says that the Strait of Hormuz is now entirely closed to shipping, whereas Washington and Donald Trump himself maintains that the strait is completely open.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

So we've been in this situation before where Iran has said one thing about the strait and the US has said another thing. So do we know if anything is moving at all?

[Nick Johnson]

Looking at recent radar pictures, and don't forget, some of these ships will have their transponders turned off anyway, so they won't be able to be tracked. There is still some traffic moving slowly through the strait, but the traffic that is there is largely at a standstill at the moment. And don't forget, even though the Memorandum of Understanding was signed, which paved the way for the strait to remain open, it's still at a far reduced capacity, a far reduced amount of ships passing through the strait than had been previous to the war. But that memorandum of understanding is looking increasingly fragile day by day. It was signed, it's not even a month old and it's still got over a month to go until those 60 days are up where the two countries should have more of a lasting peace agreement in place. But there is just absolutely no sign of that happening at the moment.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

And we've also heard from the UN about this escalation, haven't we?

[Nick Johnson]

Yeah, that's right. So the spokesperson for the Secretary General, Antonio Gutierrez, has released a statement today basically urging both sides to step back, to de escalate and get back to the table and talk. Also, Donald Trump has been speaking to cnn. And again, as far as he concerned, he, he believes the Strait of Hormuz is open. But he also said that his explanation for the renewed strikes over the past day or so is because he said that actually Iran and the US had been very close to a deal over the weekend, and then Iran attacked a ship after they were so close to the deal, and off we go again. Now, the President didn't release any further details about the nature of the deal they were supposed to be very close to, but the fact that he is still talking about talks, you know, he clearly is leaving that door still open for some sort of diplomatic solution to this.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Nick Johnson. The synthetic opioid drug fentanyl kills tens of thousands of people in the US Every year. One man said to have been behind a significant supply chain to the US Via Mexico is Chinese national Zhang Zedong, also known as Brother Wang or the Fentanyl King. He's accused of building a criminal empire linking China's chemical factories with the drug cartels that are flooding the United States with the drug. He's awaiting trial in the US and has pleaded not guilty. Sean Yuan investigates his rise and fall and the impact his arrest will have on the trade.

[Sean Yuan]

First thing they always tell me is, Miguel, are you sure this Sean is not an undercover DEA agent? And I say, no, he's a real journalist.

[Miguel Angeliweger]

This is Miguel angeliweger. He knows people I'll never meet on my own. Dangerous people.

[Sean Yuan]

They tell me like, well, Miguel, if this man is not what he claims to be, I'm gonna cut you in little pie that it's a little scary. But, you know, this is what I do. Today I'm going to meet with the cartel member and I think he knows our subject.

[Miguel Angeliweger]

The subject we're investigating is Brother Wang, a Chinese national whose Real name is Zhang Zidong. News of Zhang Zedong's arrest in November 2025 made headlines around the world. The United States government announced they'd caught one of the most wanted men. Miguel Angeli drives us to a safe house in a rundown part of the city. We knock on the heavy metal gate and enter a compound. We're introduced to Luis, obviously not his real name. An actor is speaking his words. One hot afternoon in 2019, Luis says he was at a ranch on the edge of the city.

[Luis (Cartel Member)]

Then this man showed up. He came to talk to the bosses, to offer his products. They opened the window to a new drug.

[Miguel Angeliweger]

The new drug was fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that has killed hundreds of thousands of Americans over the past decade.

[Luis (Cartel Member)]

That's why it started generating jobs for us. People gave him affectionate nicknames. He was called number one, the King of Fentanyl.

[Miguel Angeliweger]

How do you think he managed to become number One, become King of Fentanyl?

[Luis (Cartel Member)]

Well, mainly because of his brain, his intelligence more than anything.

[Musician Witness]

I think we gotta go.

[Miguel Angeliweger]

Miguel angel explains that a place like that could be attacked anytime. As we're leaving, he points out a house a few doors down, which is pierced with hundreds of bullet holes from a previous hit. Early the next morning, we meet a guy I'll call Enrique. We talk in our car as he's worried about being overheard.

[Enrique (Cartel Associate)]

I Greek fentanyl on ice. I am also responsible for transporting the liquids from China to Mexico and from Mexico City to Sinaloa. Brother Wang, it was very important. He was number one on the connection.

[Miguel Angeliweger]

I just want to know more about whether his arrest has disrupted the supply chain at all.

[Enrique (Cartel Associate)]

Yes, the business is affected because he is the one with the connection over there. They took the man and that caused a mess. But they have more people because you always have to have an ace up your sleeve.

[Miguel Angeliweger]

Have you found any person yet?

[Enrique (Cartel Associate)]

They are talking about a person, but for my own safety, I can't say.

[Miguel Angeliweger]

Can you at least say if it's Chinese?

[Enrique (Cartel Associate)]

Yes.

[Miguel Angeliweger]

You play a quite important role in fentanyl production. Does it trouble you to know tens of thousands of people are dying from it every year?

[Enrique (Cartel Associate)]

Yes, of course. In fact, a relative of mine recently moved to the US and died from an overdose. And that's when my conscience was shaken. But work is work, and we don't know another way to make a living.

[Miguel Angeliweger]

The band is playing a Nako Korido, a ballad about the city of Kuryakan descending into hell due to cartel violence. Given what I saw in Koryakan it's clear the system is built to survive the fall of any one person, and while demand largely from the US Remains high, the flow of fentanyl will continue. Zhang Zhidong has pleaded not guilty and remains in federal custody in the US we approached Zhang Zhidong's lawyer, but as the case is pending, he declined to comment. His replacement, as the cartel members made clear, is already in Mexico.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Shawn Yuan still to come in this

[Valerie Sanderson]

podcast People are buying dinosaur specimens on the private market and particularly auctions for tens of millions of dollars, and this is really problematic as a T. Rex

[Charlotte Gallagher]

skeleton is auctioned off. Scientists say too many dinosaurs are ending up in private collections.

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[Charlotte Gallagher]

This is the global news podcast the US Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who was a close ally of President Trump, has died, age 71. His office said he'd had a brief and sudden illness. The South Carolina politician was one of Washington's most influential voices on foreign policy and a staunch supporter of both Ukraine and Israel. From Washington, our North America correspondent, Irony Wells reports Lindsey Graham was a strong

[Irony Wells]

advocate for interventionist US Foreign policy. Just this week, he had been working on a new Russian sanctions bill and in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said he was deeply saddened by the news of his death. When some in the Republican Party were skeptical about continued financial and military support for Ukraine, Mr. Graham argued for arming Kyiv and further Russian sanctions. Mr. Graham, who ran to be the Republican presidential nominee in 2015, had initially been a fierce critic of Donald Trump After Mr. Trump called for a shutdown of Muslims entering the US in December that year. Here's how Lindsey Graham described him in an interview with cnn.

[Lindsey Graham]

I want to talk to the Trump supporters for a minute. I don't know who you are and I don't know why you like this guy. He's a race baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot. He doesn't represent my party.

[Irony Wells]

After the US Capitol riots in 2021, he gave a speech to the Senate where he said, count me out, enough is enough. But he later became one of Mr. Trump's strongest backers and supported him in the 2024 election campaign where he was re elected as a senator.

[Lindsey Graham]

Mr. President, when you endorsed me early on, it changed everything. You're the gold standard in the Republican world, the most consequential endorsement, I think, in the history of politics. I'm going to help you change this world and change this country.

[Irony Wells]

Mr. Trump said on social media that Mr. Graham was one of the greatest people and senators he had ever known. Many diplomats and world leaders who knew him from many international visits have also paid tribute to him, including Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who calls him a beloved friend.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

That was irony Wells. Ruth Ellis was the last woman to be executed in the UK she was hanged in London in 1955 for murdering her abusive lover, David Blakeley. Her family have campaigned for years to have her murder conviction overturned, arguing she was physically and emotionally abused. Last week, she was given a posthumous conditional pardon. Ruth Ellis's granddaughter, Laura Enston, was in the House of Commons when the announcement was made, and she told the BBC's Jane Hill what that moment was like for her and her family.

[Laura Enston]

It was incredible. It really was just so surreal. And to hear the support, you know, once the announcement was made, it was just, just unbelievable. I just can't believe we've managed to achieve what we've, what we've done today. It's a really historic moment and incredibly profound for our family.

[Jane Hill]

Talk to us a little bit about that. Why has it been so important for your family? I know you were there with your brother today to fight for this.

[Laura Enston]

This whole thing has cast a long shadow over our family. You know, ultimately when Ruth was executed, she had two young children. She had a 10 year old, my uncle and she had a three year old daughter, my mother Georgina. And ultimately, you know, I truly believe when that death sentence was handed out, the clock was started on their lives too. You can't even begin to imagine what those two children must have gone through and the impact it had on their mental health. And you know, ultimately my uncle committed suicide and my mother led a life of chaos. She died at the age of 50. And the ripple effect is still being felt today. It's been two generations. You know, we are still feeling the impact of the shame and embarrassment that ultimately, that we all grew up with and ultimately that, that shame and embarrassment was all based on a fictitious character. You know, Ruth was portrayed at the time of the execution to be this cold blooded killer, you know, social climber. All these crazy headlines and that's the narrative I grew up believing. And I spent 40 something years distancing myself from the story because I didn't want to be associated with that, you know, as a teenage girl, I don't want to be associated with all the things that Ruth had been associated with.

[Jane Hill]

So did you sometimes not want people to know that she was.

[Laura Enston]

People did not know. When I started to lean in on this story, when the narrative changed, was a new book that was published, a drama that was made. The narrative completely changed and I felt completely re educated but I had to go around to people I've known 25 years to say, you know, we've been friends a long time but I've got something I need to tell you.

[Jane Hill]

So some of your friends didn't know,

[Laura Enston]

had no idea because I, it was, I just didn't want to be tarnished with the same brush. What we now know is Ruth was on trial for so much more than just murder. She was on trial for her morality. She was really portrayed in a very sort of sordid light. She represented change. You know, she was a single mother, she was a nightclub hostess, but she was ultimately, she was Doing incredibly well in the face of adversity. She had been abused by every significant man in her life. You know, she'd achieved so much. And don't forget, this is post war Britain. So, you know, women were really being encouraged to go back to the home and be good old housewives. And Ruth was the antithesis of that. And also how she looked, she was very glamorous, very sort of Marilyn Monroe esque. She didn't look like the nice conventional mother that the government were really, really trying to push at the time.

[Jane Hill]

And so does today's announcement remove all

[Laura Enston]

that for you 100%, because as a family, we now have been given permission to think about what life could have been like for us if Ruth had been reprieved. My mother would never have led the life she did if Ruth had survived. You know, Ruth had been given a reprieve. And, you know, ultimately 90% of women in the 20th century were reprie. But Ruth, she was on trial for so much more than what she'd done.

[Jane Hill]

And there will be people listening to you who have absolute sympathy for you. Why should you suffer, why should your siblings suffer for something that's nothing to do with you? But they will also be thinking, a man did die, he was shot dead.

[Laura Enston]

Correct, she killed somebody. You know, facts and she admitted it. But what we now know is that in her trial, none of the trauma, none of the abuse, none of that she suffered was presented properly in court. You know, her trial lasted just over a day. You know, the jury took, I think, 14 minutes to find her guilty. She was executed three weeks later. You know, there's no appetite to save her yet. All the evidence that was spitted into the application for her pardon was all there. Her medical records, extensive evidence to show the suffering and the abuse that she suffered. You know, she was abused by her father, she was abused by her first husband, then abused by David. That was a trauma. WOMAN on the stand. She'd recently suffered a miscarriage. He'd beaten her so badly she was miscarrying. There's so much more that we now realize that she should never have been executed for what she did.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Laura Enston, speaking to Jane Hill. 67 million years ago, a T. Rex roamed the earth. On Tuesday, the fossil of that dinosaur named Gus will be up for auction at Sotheby's. Gus has been valued at $30 million and could be sold for a record break. Making some. The interest in this fossil underlines the huge problem museums face in trying to compete with private buyers. My colleague Valerie Sanderson asked our science reporter Esme Stallard, what's so special about Gus?

[Esme Stallard]

He's 61% complete, which is incredibly high percentage figure for a fossil of this size. And also a lot of the smaller bones have been preserved. Also this dinosaur comes with the copyright. That's why that's really important for collectors and museums, because it means that casts can be made of the fossils that then can be sold as replicas. So it's also another important part of the income. But in terms of why so expensive? I mean, obviously an impressive specimen, but we've also seen the value of dinosaurs go up quite significantly in the last few years. So most recently there was One sold in 2024, Apex, which was a Stegosaurus, which holds the record, sold for $44.6 million. And that was bought by a billionaire, Kenneth Griffin. And that indicates it's not just museums buying these dinosaurs anymore.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Well, you mentioned museums and museums and scientists are unhappy, aren't they, that these fossils are being sold on the private market.

[Esme Stallard]

There are some newer museums which are opening up. For example, the Abu Dhabi National Museum, which has bigger endowments, they're able to compete. But actually, actually the prices, as I said, being pushed up by these ultra rich individuals. And the concern is, is it means that scientists at museums don't have access to these fossils. Professor Susanna Maidment, who's a researcher at the Natural History Museum, explained to me why that is so important from a research perspective.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Obviously there's no substitute for having the real fossil. We're going to, you know, do any sort of paleobiological study. Thing number one is we need to understand the anatomy. We need to know what's real and what's not. But it seems to me that people are moving away from viewing them as scientific objects and almost like we might view art. So people are buying dinosaur specimens on the private market and particularly auctions for tens of millions of dollars. And this is really problematic.

And Esme, there's even talk, isn't there, of a second extinction of dinosaurs?

[Esme Stallard]

So this is the counter argument coming from those paleo scientists that are trying to find these dinosaurs and the auction houses that are selling, they find. Their argument is that actually over time, as fossils get exposed through, you know, the sort of elements wind and rain, eventually if we don't manage to find them in time, they can get destroyed. I spoke to one fossil hunter or paleontologist that was down in the UK on the Jurassic coast, and he said that after a major storm, what can happen is the fossil gets exposed unless you get there within kind of, even within an hour, the sea can sort of wash that fossil away. So if they didn't go out hunting for them, then scientists at museums wouldn't even have access to them. One potential solution that's being trialed is that if you find what's called a category one fossil, so for example, something really rare, like a new species, you have to offer it up to sale to museums for at least six months before you go to the private market. But ultimately this fossil is being sold in the US and it's an open market and so we don't know on Tuesday who it could end up going to.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

That was Esme Stallard speaking to Valerie Sanderson. Finally, to a career in journalism and broadcasting that lasted more than 50 years, 40 of them spent in Italy. The BBC's David Willie, who's died at the age of 93, developed an insider's knowledge of the Vatican, the centre of power in the Catholic Church. The BBC's Religion Editor, Aline McBoul looks back at his career as a trainee.

[Aline McBoul]

In the late 1950s, David Willey covered the signing of the Treaty of Rome, which paved the way ultimately for the creation of the European Union. In the 60s he reported from East Africa and Asia for the BBC.

[David Willey]

The first thing which hits you in China is the omnipresence of Mao tse Tung, the 72 year old communist Party leader who is the Chinese Revolution in person. Surely it's one of the top 20th century's greatest personality cults. His writings are the bible of modern China. To the Chinese he's a sort of Shakespeare, Moses and successor to Karl Marx all rolled into one.

[Aline McBoul]

But it was David's many decades based in Rome that he's best remembered for covering the assassination attempt on John Paul II.

[Nick Johnson]

We heard from the BBC's correspondent in Rome, that's David Willie.

[David Willey]

Well, I've just been talking to a very high ranking official at the Vatican to hear how they are reacting to, to today's assassination attempt. Apparently the Pope himself was perhaps the person who was least surprised of all at what happened today. He was very conscious of the risks that he's been running addressing these huge crowds, plunging into enormous crowds on his

[Aline McBoul]

foreign travel, he became an authority on the papacies of four Popes and writing books on both John Paul II and also Pope Francis. In 2003, he was awarded an OBE for services to broadcast journalism. David died of heart failure in Italy, the country that he made his home. Until the end, he remained incisive in his analysis and generous with his time and an invaluable resource for those reporters who came after him.

[Donald Trump]

Hello, can you hear me?

[David Willey]

This is David Willie in Rome, where 123456.

David Willie has had a preview and he joins us now. Exciting stuff, David.

[Laura Enston]

Amazing stuff.

[Musician Witness]

Stuff.

[David Willey]

There's a papal document relating to the excommunication of Martin Luther.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

That was David Willie ending that report from Ali McBall. And that's all from us for now. If you want to get in touch, you can email [e-mail]. you can also find us on X, use the GlobalNewspod. And don't forget our subscribers sister podcast, the Global Story. This edition of the Global News Podcast was mixed by Pat Sissons and produced by Steven Jensen and Wendy Urquhart. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Charlotte Gallagher. Until next time. Goodbye.

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