Trials of new Ebola vaccine set to begin

Summary

Global News Podcast (BBC World Service)

Episode: Trials of New Ebola Vaccine Set to Begin

Date: July 13, 2026
Host: Oliver Conway

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Episode Overview

This episode covers a wide range of global news stories with expert analysis, leading with the approval of trials for a new Ebola vaccine in the UK, developed to combat the spread of the Bundibugio strain in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Other major stories include escalating tensions between Iran and the United States over the Strait of Hormuz, Russia’s fuel shortages due to Ukrainian attacks, a growing intelligence threat in Japan, catastrophic wildfires in Spain, Typhoon Bavi’s impact in China, and a tribute to the late actor Sam Neill.

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Key Segments & Discussion Points

1. Ebola Vaccine Trials Approved in the UK

Context & Urgency

• The World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in DRC a public health emergency in May 2026; it has since spread to two new provinces.
• The UK has cleared human trials for one of four vaccines developed against the Bundibugio species, which is particularly deadly (kills 1 in 3 cases).
• “Efforts are underway to fight back.” (01:46)

Vaccine Science & Speed of Development

• The vaccine uses the same platform as the Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, enabling rapid progress thanks to accumulated expertise.

  "The way we’ve been able to make this vaccine so quickly... we’re using the same technology that was used to make the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID vaccine."
  — Alex Sampson, Oxford researcher (02:28)

• The trial involves 50 healthy volunteers (ages 18–55) in Oxford, with a similar trial in Africa to follow within weeks.
• The Serum Institute of India has pre-manufactured over 600,000 doses, ready for emergency deployment.

  “What used to take months and years, the delays between one trial and another, they all happen pretty much overlapped so that they’re ready to go.”
  — Fergus Walsh, BBC medical editor (04:23)

Challenges in the DRC

• Fragile health infrastructure, conflict, population displacement, and distrust of healthcare and authorities threaten rollout.

  "It's a fragile area affected by war… limited health care facilities, a lot of distrust of health care and officialdom."
  — Fergus Walsh (05:27)

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2. US-Iran Escalation Over Strait of Hormuz

Latest Developments

• President Trump announces reinstatement of a US naval blockade on Iran, charging 20% on all cargo through the strait (05:57).
• Iran is retaliating for recent US strikes; the US targets Iran’s military infrastructure aiming to degrade its capacity to threaten shipping.

Escalating Tensions

• Despite an interim peace deal, attacks have intensified, and the dispute over control of the strait is stalling further diplomatic progress.

  "It looks as if it’s something that is not going to go away... the dispute over it has basically stalled any progress on the deal."
  — Barbara Plett Usher, BBC Jerusalem (07:55)

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3. Russia’s Fuel Crisis and Ukrainian Attacks

Impact of Supply Chain Disruptions

• Russian drivers face severe petrol shortages; queues stretch for kilometers; people wait overnight (09:14).
• Russia is producing lower-grade Euro 3 fuel—which can damage modern car engines—to compensate for refinery losses from Ukrainian drone attacks.

  “Three people I know have already had engine failures. Euro 3 is simply not the right fuel for modern cars.”
  — Anonymous Russian car industry worker (09:54)

Broader Consequences

• Ban on diesel exports signals economic setbacks and vulnerability in Russia’s energy sector.

  "It's a real sign of lack of resilience in Russia... a real victory for the Ukrainians."
  — Nick Butler, energy expert (10:49)

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4. Russia Exploiting Japanese Espionage Weaknesses

Intelligence Vulnerabilities

• The New York Times reports Russia is using weak espionage laws in Japan to acquire dual-use technology for weapons in Ukraine.

  “Japan has been known as a spy paradise for decades, ever since its intelligence capabilities were stripped back... after World War II.”
  — Jane Bradley, New York Times journalist (12:47)

Sanctions Evasion

• Components are routed via third countries like Vietnam—outside sanctions regimes—before reaching Russia.
• Japanese firms deny wrongdoing and highlight strict compliance, but 90% of Russian battlefield tech reportedly comes from Japanese components.

  “The companies all deny any wrongdoing and say they very strictly follow all Japan’s export rules and sanctions… But there are questions that remain.”
  — Jane Bradley (15:30)

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5. Spain’s Wildfire Crisis

Recovery and Ongoing Risks

• PM Pedro Sanchez visits Almeria after wildfires kill at least 13 and burn 70+ sq km. Hundreds of evacuees now returning home after fire is stabilized. (19:26–20:23)

  “This was the beginning of the end of what had been a terrifying fire.”
  — Juan Ma Moreno, Andalusia regional president (20:23)

Outlook for the Summer

• 2026 has already seen above-average wildfires; continued hot, dry weather may worsen risks.

  "There is concern that if it does turn out to be a very dry, hot summer, which it looks like being, then it’s going to be a very difficult summer in terms of wildfires here in Spain.”
  — Guy Hedgeco, Madrid correspondent (21:12)

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6. Typhoon Bavi Hits China

Scale of the Disaster

• Nearly 3 million evacuated, widespread flooding and destruction along China’s east coast. (21:39)
• Efficient emergency response credited with minimizing loss of life, but climate change is intensifying summer weather extremes.

  "Every summer now these serious dangerous weather situations in China are getting worse and worse. And scientists are blaming this on climate change."
  — Stephen McDonnell, Beijing (22:01)

Long-Term Challenges

• China is still expanding coal but also investing heavily in renewables to combat worsening climate impacts.

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7. Tribute: Sam Neill (1947–2026)

Remembering a Versatile Actor

• Sam Neill, star of "Jurassic Park," "The Piano," "Peaky Blinders," and many more, dies at 78. Known for his charm, warmth, and versatility.

  “I never imagined that I would find a career as an actor. I think I have been extremely blessed because it wasn’t something I sought. It just happened by degrees and surprise followed surprise.”
  — Sam Neill (24:32)

National and Industry Reactions

• Kate Roger, NZ film critic:

  "It's been like we've kind of lost a member of the family. He had that kind of feel about him... he is so accessible." (25:46)

• Colin Patterson details Neill’s range—from blockbusters to arthouse—and his recent health struggle (though he died cancer-free):

  "He had the charisma and charm and the versatility to do both blockbusters and arthouse films... quite an achievement to win the Palme d’Or and have the biggest hit in the world [in the same year]." (26:25)

• Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, calls him "dry, thoughtful and laconic... Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humor and conviction that he gave strength to his every performance." (27:58)

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• On vaccine speed:
  “We were able to respond really, really quickly.” — Alex Sampson (02:43)
• On Ebola vaccine process:
  “What used to take months and years...they all happen pretty much overlapped.” — Fergus Walsh (04:23)
• On Russia’s fuel crisis:
  “Euro 3 is simply not the right fuel for modern cars.” — Anonymous Russian car industry worker (09:54)
• On Japan's espionage challenge:
  “Japan has been known as a spy paradise for decades..." — Jane Bradley (12:47)
• On Sam Neill’s legacy:
  “I think I have been extremely blessed because it wasn’t something I sought.” — Sam Neill (24:32)

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Segment Timestamps

• [01:46] Ebola vaccine/DRC outbreak
• [05:57] US-Iran: Strait of Hormuz
• [09:14] Russia’s petrol crisis
• [12:47] Japanese espionage vulnerabilities
• [19:26] Spain wildfires
• [21:39] Typhoon Bavi in China
• [24:11] Tribute to Sam Neill

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Episode Takeaways

• Global science collaboration continues to deliver rapid public health tools against emerging threats, but local context and trust are critical.
• Geopolitical tensions and energy vulnerabilities show how intertwined infrastructure, conflict, and sanctions are in today’s world.
• Environmental crises—fires in Spain and storms in China—underscore the growing impact of climate change.
• Cultural figures and loss: Sam Neill’s passing brings together audiences from several continents in shared remembrance.

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The episode provides a comprehensive snapshot of world events with clear, insightful analysis—recommended for listeners wanting a pulse on urgent global developments and wider context behind today's headlines.

Transcript

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[Oliver Conway]

This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. Hello, I'm Oliver Conway. We're recording this at 15 hours GMT on Monday 13th July. Britain approves trials for a new vaccine to tackle the worsening Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo. President Trump says the US will reinstate its naval blockade of Iran and Ukrainian attacks cause trouble for drivers in Russia. Also in this podcast you've got this

[Jane Bradley]

network of spies operating under Japan's nose and Japanese manufacturers parts repeatedly turning up on the battlefield in Ukraine.

[Oliver Conway]

The New York Times says Russia is taking advantage of weak espionage laws in Japan. In May, the World Health Organization declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo a public health emergency of international concern. Now the Congolese authorities say it has spread to two new provinces, but efforts are underway to fight back. Regulators in the UK have approved trials of a new vaccine that's been in development since that WHO declaration. It's one of four aimed at countering the Bundibugio species of the virus, but the first to enter human trials. Alex Sampson is one of the researchers at Oxford University.

[Guy Hedgeco]

The way we've been able to make this vaccine so quickly, there's a few reasons.

[Oliver Conway]

One of these is that we're using the same vaccine technology that was used

[Guy Hedgeco]

to make the Oxford AstraZeneca COVID vaccine. We've also got a lot of experience in the team, both using that platform and working on vaccines against different Ebola viruses.

[Oliver Conway]

And so because of that combined experience,

[Guy Hedgeco]

we were able to respond really, really quickly.

[Oliver Conway]

I got the details from our medical editor, Fergus Walsh.

[Fergus Walsh]

They're using the same vaccine technology that was used during COVID Hundreds of millions of people had the Oxford Astra AstraZeneca COVID vaccine. It starts with a disabled common cold virus into which you put a scrap of genetic material. In Covid, it was the Spike protein. And with this, it's a tiny, the only surface protein on the Bundibudio Ebola species of virus and goes into the body, inside this virus and is delivered to cells, prompts them to start making this scrap of genetic material that, that prompts an immune response to produce antibodies and T cells, so that hopefully, should the person then come into contact with Ebola at some time in the future, they'll be protected. Now, obviously, these volunteers won't be given Ebola, it won't be a challenge trial, but their safety and the immune response that is produced will be monitored to see what level of immune response it produces.

[Oliver Conway]

When will they know how effective it is and if it is effective? When could it be actually seen in use in places like Congo?

[Fergus Walsh]

Within a few months. I mean, this trial, they'll actually monitor them for a year. There'll be another small trial which will start in Africa probably a few weeks later, I think the first doses of this vaccine and they're looking for 50 healthy volunteers in Oxford, age 18 to 55. There'll be a similar small trial in Africa which will start a couple of weeks later. Then there'll have to be a larger trial in situ in Africa, which will be in the affected areas. But I think we're talking about in months. And already the Serum Institute in India, which worked with the Oxford team during COVID they have speculatively produced more than 600,000 doses of this prototype vaccine. They've got them stored, ready for potential use. So they've done everything consecutively here, so that what used to take months and years, the delays between one trial and another, they all happen pretty much overlapped so that they're ready to go. And obviously there's a massive need for this. Latest figures today, more than 700 deaths. This Bundibujo strain kills about one in three of those infected.

[Oliver Conway]

If it is rolled out, of course, it will be hard to get it to everyone because there is a lot of skepticism. And also the conditions are difficult in Congo.

[Fergus Walsh]

Yeah, it's a fragile area affected by war. They've got limited health care facilities, a lot of movement, displacement of populations and a lot of distrust of health care and officialdom. So it's going to be tricky. But government workers and agencies are doing their best there to try to ensure that they bring the local communities on board here because it's absolutely vital, because this is such a deadly virus.

[Oliver Conway]

Our medical editor, Fergus Walsh. Just before we began recording this podcast, President Trump announced that the US Was reinstating its naval blockade on Iran. The dispute over who controls the Strait of Hormuz has intensified with some of the heaviest exchanges of fire since Iran and the US Agreed an interim peace deal last month. In his social media post, President Trump declared the strait was open to other countries safeguards guarded by the US but there would be a charge of 20% on all cargo shipped effective immediately. Earlier, Iran carried out a barrage of attacks against US Military assets in the Middle east. After the Americans targeted Iran overnight. I got more details from our correspondent in Jerusalem, Barbara Platasher.

[Barbara Plett Usher]

As you mentioned, the Iranians have begun to retaliate for the US Strikes. They have targeted US Assets in Jordan and Kuwait. Both of those countries say they have been intercepting incoming fire. There's also been reports from Bahrain that air raid sirens have gone off there. So that seems to be what the Iranians are focusing on again, retaliating for the US Strikes overnight, which were, the Americans say, aimed at trying to degrade Iran's ability to attack international shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. All of this triggered from attacks on ships that began last week. And so this is now the fourth round of retaliatory strikes. The Iranians have not said very much about what was hit in the country. They said there were targets in the south and west. They did say one person was killed and four injured. The Americans have said they've been targeting things like radar stations and drone and missile sites and so on. But that has not so far prevented the Iranians from being able to, from time to time, fire at the ships in the Strait.

[Oliver Conway]

Now, the oil markets initially seem to shrug off the various cease fire violations from both Iran and the US but this is now starting to look a little more serious.

[Barbara Plett Usher]

It's beginning to look a little bit more permanent, if you can put it that way. Permanent is probably not the right word, but it does look as if it's something that is not going to go away because the interim deal between the US And Iran was supposed to open the Strait to international shipping. And then they were going to go on and talk about other issues that could end the war, sort of bring an end to the war permanently. But instead, the Strait of Hormuz has become this major sticking point and the dispute over it has basically stalled any progress on the deal. And it means that the ceasefire has been unraveling so it's not believed at this point yet anyway that either side wants to return to a full scale war. But this issue, this control of the strait, this freedom of shipping through it and so on, is just very crucial to both. So what we have now is continued escalation.

[Oliver Conway]

Barbara Plett Usher in Jerusalem. Meanwhile, Russia has extended emergency rules allowing it to sell lower quality petrol to try to tackle fuel shortages triggered by Ukrainian attacks on its oil infrastructure. The shortages are having a significant impact on daily life in Russia, with limits on how much motorists can buy. One person who works in the Russian car industry sent us this voice note on condition of anonymity. It's read by one of our producers.

[Anonymous Russian Car Industry Worker]

I've just driven past four stations and there wasn't any petrol at any of them. Where there is fuel available, there are queues stretching for kilometers. One person I know said he spent 10 hours waiting in line. Some people are going out at night just to get in the queue early. The government has now lowered the requirements for petrol production. They started producing Euro 3 fuel and it can contain 10 or even 15 times more sulphur than modern petrol. Older cars with older engines will probably cope with it, but newer cars are not designed for this kind of fuel. They can have problems and engine damage. Three people I know have already had engine failures. Euro 3 is simply not the right fuel for modern cars.

[Oliver Conway]

Nick Butler is a visiting professor at King's College London and a former BP executive. He told Anna Foster what all this means for Russia.

[Nick Butler]

I think what you're reporting is evidence of two things. First of all, the success of the Ukrainian drone attacks which have attacked the key refineries, including the Moscow refinery over the last few weeks. And the Russians clearly don't have alternative capacity to supply the proper grades of petrol that they need. And the second thing is the extent to which energy is now an energy supply is now a target within conflicts like this and would be a target in any future conflict.

[Barbara Plett Usher]

And in practical terms, this fuel is

[Jane Bradley]

not really designed for newer cars.

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Cars tend to be built around the

[Jane Bradley]

type of fuel that they use and this isn't really what we have now.

[Nick Butler]

That's right. I think what the Ukrainians have done is take out the capacity of the newer, the higher quality refineries in Russia and they're now having to rely on the older refineries which can only produce this old and dirty form of petrol. I'm not surprised at all that some of the cars are not working. It is a real sign of a lack of resilience in Russia. And I think it is going to be economically damaging because as well as what you've reported, the Russians have also banned exports of diesel, which is a significant economic loss for them. And they're having to import oil products now, according to these reports from India and other people. So I think this is a real setback and a real victory for the Ukrainians.

[Jane Bradley]

Is there much that Russia can do to help itself without some type of sanctions relief?

[Nick Butler]

It's hard to see. You can't build new refineries very quickly. The Moscow refinery, which was damaged, I think last week, is now said to be out of action for the rest of this year. They can only rely on these old refineries. They're probably having to reopen some of them. That's the first level of resilience. But it's not sufficient when the vehicles in Russia need something better to keep running properly.

[Oliver Conway]

Nick Butler Japan says it recognizes the need to improve counterintelligence operations. After the New York Times reported that Russia was taking advantage of its weak espionage laws, a Japanese government spokesman said greater rigor was needed to stop foreign intelligence activities on Japanese soil as well as information gathering. The paper says Japan is being exploited as a source of dual use components with 90% of Russian missiles and drones containing Japanese parts. Jane Bradley worked on the investigation. Sean Lay asked her why Japan had become so attractive to Russian spies.

[Jane Bradley]

There are two main reasons. One is a country's weak espionage laws and two is its booming high tech industry, which basically creates the technology, these dual use parts that Russia needs to keep its missiles, its drones flying, attacking Ukraine. Japan has been known as a spy paradise for decades, ever since its intelligence capabilities were stripped back by the war's victors after World War II. And, and since then, kind of Japanese officials have said it's the laws have kind of been frozen in time. So the current Prime Minister Takechi is currently trying to bolster Japan's intelligence capabilities. But at the same time where we have all this rhetoric about the importance of national security, about being a very vocal, very, very early supporter of Ukraine, you've got this network of spies and operating under Japan's nose. And Japanese manufacturers parts repeatedly turning up on the battlefield in Ukraine.

[Fergus Walsh]

Now you talk about this 20th directorate operating, you say, out of Aeroflot's office in, in Tokyo, in the heart of the city of Japan, not so very far away from police headquarters.

[Jane Bradley]

10 minute walk away. Yeah, it's literally I was surprised why I went to Tokyo in March to basically try and track down One of the 20th directorate's officers, a guy called Maxim Filchenkov, and he heads up The Russian the 20th operation in Japan. So we went to track down him and also the of middlemen businesses who, which intelligence officials suspect are helping him get this technology to Russia.

[Fergus Walsh]

Because this stuff isn't necessarily going direct to Russia from Japan because presumably Japan observes all the sanctions and so on that have been imposed, but it's going to other countries.

[Jane Bradley]

Yeah, that, that's the thinking. So Japan, very early on, I think the first day that Russia invaded, Ukraine actually announced sanctions against Russia. And it actually played a big role in developing this list of Julia technology which are under great export restrict. So it's completely illegal against export rules to directly export it from.

[Fergus Walsh]

So where does it go?

[Jane Bradley]

To a bunch of middlemen. And the biggest country which received Japan's export is Vietnam. Vietnam has no sanctions against Russia and it is also, as it happens, the biggest importer of technology to Russia. So the technology does not need to go, as you say, directly from Japan to Russia. It can go through these transit companies which in theory don't explicitly break laws, but these companies were shipping them from Japan, do have a responsibility to ensure the end user, the end country is not Russia.

[Fergus Walsh]

Just in the last few moments we have, I mean, some big names here, Nippon, Panasonic, Toshiba and others. What are the companies say?

[Jane Bradley]

Yeah, so the companies all deny any wrongdoing and say they very strictly follow all Japan's export rules and sanctions. Nippon itself said that the technology is old and it has not been made by the company for years. But there are questions that remain because 90% of components Ukraine says it's finding in the battlefield are made made by Japanese manufacturers.

[Oliver Conway]

Jane Bradley of the New York Times. Still to come on the podcast, I

[Sam Neill]

never imagined that I would find a career as an actor. I think I have been extremely blessed because it wasn't something I sought. It just happened by degrees and surprise followed surprise.

[Oliver Conway]

Tributes are coming in to the Jurassic park star Sam Neill, who's died at the age of 78.

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The United States is about to mark its 250th anniversary.

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[Guy Hedgeco]

We have this ability to export our story and a lot of people have bought it.

[Oliver Conway]

I feel like the American dream is alive, but not well from the BBC,

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[Oliver Conway]

This is the global news podcast. The Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez is visiting a wildfire hit region in the southern province of almeria. At least 13 people have died and an area of around 7,000 hectares, 70 square kilometers, has been burnt. Mr. Sanchez has been speaking to the media. We're very saddened about all these neighbors that have died. And I want to say that with been offered the solidarity of many European governments who also are suffering the consequences

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of climate change in the form of wildfires or other events.

[Oliver Conway]

And I think that the cooperation with

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Europe is also going to be needed

[Oliver Conway]

in the next few months. Officials say the blaze has now been stabilized, allowing hundreds of evacuees to return home. I got an update from our Madrid correspondent, Guy Hedgco.

[Guy Hedgeco]

The improvement has continued. The conditions are still relatively good in terms of the temperature being lower than it had been in the previous days. There's more humidity, less wind. That means the local government has been able to say that the fire has been stabilized. The regional president of the Andalusia region, where Almeria is, Juan Ma Moreno, said that this was the beginning of the end of what had been a terrifying fire, as he put it. So there does seem to be optimism there. 1,400 people who had been evacuated from their homes are slowly being able to return back to their homes. But of course, we do have that death toll of 13 people now. The hope is that the number of dead will not increase any further.

[Oliver Conway]

How are things looking for the rest of the summer in terms of more fires?

[Guy Hedgeco]

Already, it's been a bad summer in terms of fires. In terms of the amount of land that has been burned, it's been well above average. There've been a number of fires burning up in the northeast, in Catalonia, some other areas as well, even before this latest fire. So there is concern that if it does turn out to be a very dry, hot summer, which it looks like being, then it's going to be a very difficult summer in terms of wildfires here in Spain.

[Oliver Conway]

Guy Hedgeko in Madrid. Nearly 3 million people in China have had to be evacuated from their homes as a result of Typhoon Bavi, the most powerful storm to hit mainland China this year. It brought heavy rain and violent winds to the east coast as it made landfall on Sunday. Hundreds of flights and train services were cancelled. Stephen McDonnell in Beijing has the details.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

The impacts of this typhoon are still being felt right along the length of China, especially on the east coast. And there's footage coming through showing heavy driving rain, very strong winds and naturally also flooding. Emergency teams have been reaching various cut off towns to rescue people. And then as the flood waters have receded, the big job of clearing roads, using chainsaws and heavy digging equipment to try and clear a path, certainly for people to be able to get on with their normal lives, but also to allow the emergency teams to reach other cut off parts of the country. Hundreds of flights and train services have been canceled and so quite a significant disruption to the economy here. But that said, the Chinese government is pretty good at handling these typhoon, these summer typhoon situations and we've not seen, for example, a huge loss of life. However, over the coming days, the sort of fallout from this typhoon has been that this weather system remains and there could still be heavy rain over the coming days. Now of course, the longer term scenario is that every summer now these serious dangerous weather situations in China are getting worse and worse. And scientists are blaming this on climate change. And it's one of the reasons why it's really focused the attention of the Chinese government to try to do something about it. You know, this is a country of course, which still building coal fired power stations, but also throwing a lot of effort into renewable energy to try and fix this problem in the long run. Because this is becoming a serious thing every summer here that the authorities have to deal with these heavy, serious weather emergencies.

[Oliver Conway]

Stephen McDonnell, finally, the actor Sam Neill has died at the age of 78. He starred in a huge range of Hollywood films including the Piano and the Hunt for Red October. But he's probably best known for his role in Jurassic Park. Here he is as Dr. Alan Grant, describing the deadly velociraptor.

[Sam Neill]

You stare at him and he just stares right back. And that's when the attack comes, not

[Oliver Conway]

from the front, but from the side,

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from the other two raptors you didn't

[Oliver Conway]

even know were there. Sam Neill spoke to the BBC a few years ago following the release of his autobiography. Did I ever tell you this?

[Sam Neill]

You know how they tell children you should always follow your dreams? I came from a small town in, well, I was born in Northern Ireland initially, and then, and then a small town in New Zealand. Well, I didn't have dreams particularly. I never imagined that I would find a career as an actor, let alone an actor on screen. So once I started getting work, it was a great surprise to me. And I continued to be surprised to this day when some, when my agent calls up and says something, someone Wants you to do a series. Yeah, I think I have been extremely blessed because it wasn't something I sought. It just sort of happened by degrees and surprise followed surprise. I feel really at home on sets. It doesn't matter where in the world you are. And I really like being in the company of other actors. I think actors are the best company in the world. So I couldn't think of a better job, really.

[Oliver Conway]

Sam Neill himself, well away from the big screen. He also developed an interest in making wine at his vineyard on New Zealand's South Island. Film critic Kate Roger said many Kiwis had embraced the late actor as one of their own and his death had hit the nation hard.

[Kate Roger]

Honestly, it's been shock. It's been like we've kind of lost a member of the family. He had that kind of feel about him all across TV and movies, obviously, but his interviews and also his phenomenal presence on Instagram. When he's going live from his farm with his pig named after Helena Bonham Carter, he is so accessible. He has such an irrepressible joy and innate Kiwi bloke kindness to him that even if people didn't know him or Kiwis, he'd never met him. They've been saying, you know, they feel like they've lost someone that they've, they've known their whole lives.

[Oliver Conway]

We heard more about Sam Neill's death from our entertainment correspondent, Colin Patterson.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

Really sad story, this one. It was only a few months ago that his family announced he was cancer free. And in fact, it was three years ago that he revealed in a very public way that he'd been diagnosed with angio immunoblastic T cell lymphoma. But this family have been keen to stress this morning that he died cancer free. So we don't know what he died off. But it wasn't the canc that had made such headlines three years ago. But I'd like to focus on the acting and in particular, one year in his career, which basically sums up the way that he had the charisma and the charm and the versatility to do both blockbusters and arthouse films. 1993, he was in the film that was the biggest box office hit in the world, Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park. He played the paleontologist Dr. Alan Grant. Yes, it was a technological marvel, but he provided real heart at the center of it. So the biggest film in the world. And also he was in the piano, Jane Campion's Palme d' or winner. It couldn't have been a more different film. In it, he played a frontiersman. Well, it was a period piece and he was married to a mute woman played by Holly Hunter, who played the piano when she had an affair on him. He got so angry he chopped off one of her fingers. So we have Blockbuster, we have Art House in the same year, which really is quite an achievement to win the Palme d' or and have the biggest hit in the world.

[Oliver Conway]

Yeah, the biggest hit. But he also appeared on the small screen, starring in series, but also popping up here and there in other programs.

[McDonald's Advertiser]

Yeah, in particular the one a lot of listeners will have seen him in in the last decade, Peaky Blinders. He was in the first two series of that, playing a corrupt police officer from Northern Ireland. And interestingly, he was born in Northern Ireland because although his father was a New Zealander, he was there on army duty and it was only eight years old when he moved to New Zealand, although it was Australia which really became his home and where he started his professional career. And it's a sign of just how revered he is that the Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, has paid tribute to him today, saying, Sam Neill starred in so many beloved Australian stories and he earned a special place in Australian hearts. Ryan. Dry, thoughtful and laconic, Sam fought illness with the same dignity, humor and conviction that he gave strength to his every performance.

[Oliver Conway]

Colin Patterson on Sam Neill, who's died at the age of 78. And that is all from us for now, but the Global News podcast will be back very soon. This edition was mixed by Nicola Bruff and produced by Adrian White. Our editor is Karen Martin. I'm Oliver Conway. Until next time. Goodbye.

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