60,000 migrants arrive in Spanish territory in 24 hours

Summary

Global News Podcast – July 31, 2026: Summary

Episode Overview

This episode of the Global News Podcast (BBC World Service, July 31, 2026), hosted by Valerie Sanderson, focuses on the unprecedented arrival of 60,000 migrants within 24 hours in the Spanish territory of Ceuta, the diplomatic crisis it has sparked between Spain and Morocco, and the resulting alarm across Europe. The episode also covers breaking developments in world football governance, a potential breakthrough in Gaza peace talks, a deadly mountaineering disaster in Pakistan, the ongoing civil war in Myanmar, and two unique features—a humpback whale birth caught on camera and the history and decline of kissing customs.

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1. Ceuta Migrant Crisis: 60,000 Cross from Morocco to Spain

Main Story (01:11–09:30)

Key Events

• Unprecedented Influx: Around 60,000 migrants have arrived in Ceuta, Spain's North African enclave, in just 24 hours from Morocco—a number nearly three-quarters the population of Ceuta.

• Spanish Response: Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez travelled to Ceuta and branded the mass movement “an attack on Spain,” blaming human traffickers and calling it a violation of territorial integrity.

  "The scenes we saw yesterday, I condemn in the most energetic way... They were a violation of the territorial integrity of a Spanish city."
  —Pedro Sánchez (02:39)

• Human Cost: At least 40 people died attempting the journey, mainly by drowning while trying to swim around border obstacles.

Migrants’ Testimonies

• Motivations and Dangers:
  • Migrants reported dire conditions at home and that rumors about an “open border” led to the rush.
  • One migrant recounted:

    "We walked 14 kilometers through the mountains... We were told to take the road to the sea. Then I found myself completely submerged in water. I was choking... I remembered I had two children and I couldn't risk my life." (03:32)

Expert Analysis

• Context and Scale: BBC Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford emphasized the exceptional volume, likening it only to a smaller surge in 2021, and highlighted the intense risks taken.
• Underlying Causes: Suggests both rumors and traffickers fueled the rush; also hints at political tension between Spain and Morocco involving the Western Sahara dispute (05:38).
• Moroccan Role: Unclear to what extent Moroccan authorities tried to prevent crossings.

European Reaction

• EU Alarm: Many EU leaders—especially Italy, Austria, and Finland—question Spain’s border control and their own open border policies.

• Policy Critiques: Some allege Spain’s “soft touch” on migration, but expert Gerald Knauss rejects this, citing lower overall arrival numbers for Spain compared to Italy and Greece and clarifying that Spain’s regularization policies chiefly apply to Latin American migrants, not new arrivals from Morocco (07:36).

  "The regularization of migrants concerns people who've been in Spain, 90% of whom are from Latin America... This is not an incentive for Moroccan, mainly young Moroccan men who cross to Spain."
  —Gerald Knauss (07:36)

• Political Fallout: Knauss notes that images of chaos have greater impact than statistics, fueling right-wing exploitation and centre-left nervousness.

  "The main experience of the last 10 years is images beat statistics. If we have images of loss of control... publics in all our democracies worry..."
  —Gerald Knauss (08:51)

• Solutions: Advocates stronger third-country agreements to deter irregular migration.

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2. FIFA Civil War: Private Investment Backlash

FIFA Uproar (09:30–13:42)

• The Controversy: FIFA’s proposal to sell private stakes in the World Cup faces near-universal opposition. Carlos Cordero, senior adviser to Gianni Infantino, resigns, denouncing the plan as a “bad deal for football.”

• European Boycott Threat: UEFA threatens to boycott FIFA competitions if the plan proceeds.

  "It was incumbent on us as probably the most powerful confederation in Europe to stand up and... come up with a threat, the boycott threat..."
  —Laura McAllister, UEFA VP (10:16)

• Political Fallout:

  • Adam Wilde, BBC sports reporter, likens events to a “civil war in global football,” recalling the failed European Super League.

  • With three confederations (UEFA, CONCACAF, Asian Football Confederation) in opposition, the prospect seems “dead in the water.”

    "By sheer weight of mass, it is difficult to see now how this does move forward."
    —Adam Wilde (10:51)

  • UK PM Andy Burnham: Calls Infantino "the wrong man to lead FIFA."

  • Infantino’s job now under extreme scrutiny, especially after controversies in the last World Cup and his dealings with Donald Trump.

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3. Gaza: Hope for Peace?

Ceasefire Developments (13:42–18:37)

• Hamas Announcements: Agrees to disarm if Israel fully withdraws from Gaza and ends all attacks. Over 2 million Palestinians live in dire conditions.

• Details of Plan: Hamas proposes an inventory of weapons, storage under a Palestinian Administrative Committee (not Israel), with sensitive issues around civil servants and policing remaining.

  "Hamas is saying that it's ready to create an inventory of its weapons... small arms through to heavy ones... storage under the Palestinian Administrative Committee..."
  —Yolande Nel (14:38)

• International Reaction: President Trump calls it “a monumental step towards lasting peace and security.”

  • Skepticism Remains:

    "The temptation because it's President Trump is to be especially skeptical... but there is more to it than that... This is a phased way of doing this. What that needs, though, is trust on both sides, and that remains in incredibly short supply."
    —Sebastian Usher (15:54)

• Motives for Hamas: Analyst Sebastian Usher cites internal pressure in Gaza, economic hardship, and pressure from Turkey and Qatar. (17:01)

• No Israeli Response Yet: With ongoing Israeli elections, Netanyahu is under both domestic and international pressure.

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4. Death on Broad Peak: Mountaineering Tragedy in Pakistan

Rescue and Repercussions (20:14–24:08)

• The Incident: An avalanche on Broad Peak, world’s 12th highest summit, leads to at least four confirmed dead, with six still missing after climbers from multiple countries swept down slopes up to 1,500 feet.

  "Some of the climbers have been thrown 500ft, some 1000ft, some 1500ft down."
  —Ayaz Ahmed Shigari, Alpine Club Pakistan (20:47)

• Unprecedented Disaster: Broad Peak had never experienced an avalanche of this scale.

• Heroic Achievements: Among those missing, Nimal Purja, famed for summiting all 14 of the world’s highest peaks without oxygen in 2019.

  "I gave up my job in United Kingdom Special Forces... had to sell my house. This was the project where nobody believed that this could be done."
  —Nimal Purja (21:17)

• Tracking and Recovery: Search efforts depend on GPS trackers; ambiguity remains over signs of life versus movement of bodies; challenging comms due to harsh conditions.

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5. Myanmar’s Civil War and Refugee Stories

Lives Upended (24:08–28:45)

• Leader’s International Push: Myanmar’s military leader Min Aung Hlaing to visit Thailand, seeking legitimacy after a widely discredited election.

• Displacement and Resistance: Tens of thousands have fled to Thai border towns like Mae Sot.

• Refugee Experiences:

  • Interviews with ex-child soldiers, young men who lost faith in armed struggle after witnessing immense suffering.

  • Some take up new kinds of resistance, others still fight:

    "We are not born to be a soldier... I understood my muscle is not in my arms, it's in my brain... Revolution is not the short term."
    —Refugee (25:45)

    "I only came here for my family. I haven't stopped. I'm sure our revolution will succeed one day..."
    —Young fighter (28:12)

• Prevailing Despair: Despite hope, exhaustion runs deep after years of war; most refugees are too tired to continue fighting.

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6. Nature, Science & Society Features

Humpback Whale Birth: Once-in-a-Lifetime Footage (28:45–31:48)

• Photographer’s Account: Alexander Forrest, 20, from Australia, captures an extremely rare scene—drone footage of a humpback whale giving birth.

  "I realized this is something unforgettable and rare... To catch those first seconds on camera is just an experience I'll hold with me forever."
  —Alexander Forrest (30:38, 31:48)

Kissing: Customs in Decline? (31:48–35:25)

• Cultural History: Professor Katy Barclay discusses decline in public and romantic kissing, linking it to issues of consent, the MeToo movement, and the COVID pandemic.

  "Romantic kisses... are not universal... only 46% of cultures do romantic kissing."
  —Prof. Katy Barclay (32:38)

• Historical Shifts:

  • Kissing once a common public, political, and contractual act, now mostly confined to private settings.

  "We kiss fewer people less often than we once did and certainly pucker up a lot less than our more... amorous ancestors."
  —Valerie Sanderson (32:12)

  • By the 20th century, mouth-to-mouth kisses had largely disappeared from public and political rituals.

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Notable Quotes & Moments

• "Images beat statistics. If we have images of loss of control like now, publics in all of our democracies worry..."
  —Gerald Knauss (08:51)
• "This was the project where nobody believed that this could be done."
  —Nimal Purja (21:30)
• "I understood my muscle is not in my arms, it's in my brain... revolution is not the short term."
  —Refugee from Myanmar (25:45)
• "To catch those first seconds on camera is just an experience I'll hold with me forever."
  —Alexander Forrest (31:48)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Ceuta migrant crisis: 01:11–09:30
• FIFA investment backlash: 09:30–13:42
• Hamas-Israel peace deal: 13:42–18:37
• Broad Peak avalanche: 20:14–24:08
• Myanmar civil war & refugees: 24:08–28:45
• Whale birth footage: 28:45–31:48
• History of kissing: 31:48–35:25

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Final Thoughts

This episode delivers urgent updates on migration, geopolitics, and humanitarian crises, balanced with deeper dives into personal stories and cultural phenomena. The reporting is marked by empathetic interviews, clear-eyed expert commentary, and memorable human moments, reflecting the BBC's hallmark of global perspective and measured tone.

Transcript

[Adam Wilde]

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[Greg Jenner]

Hello, Greg Jenner here. I'm the host of youf're Dead To Me, the BBC comedy show that takes history seriously. Every episode, I pair up a top historian with a fantastic comedian and we have a lovely, funny, fascinating chat about a different subject from world history. And in this new series, we're beginning with an epic voyage through the story of Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey. And that's with Kael Smith Byno joining us. And then we'll be learning about Francis Galton and the racist, discredited pseudoscience of eugenics with Desiree Burch. We'll meet many medieval saints in their bone boxes with Rachel Parrott. So if that sounds like your sort of thing, listen to your dead to me wherever you get your podcasts, thank you.

[Adam Wilde]

Bye.

[Valerie Sanderson]

This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Valerie Sanderson and at 15 hours GMT on Friday 31st July, these are our main stories. Spain's Prime Minister and the European Commission have condemned the influx of tens of thousands of migrants from Morocco into the Spanish territory of Ceuta. A senior adviser to FIFA's boss quits over plans to sell private stakes in the World cup amid widespread condemnation of the proposal. Hamas says it's accepted a peace deal for Gaza, which would see it lay down its arms on condition Israel withdraws from the territory. Also in this podcast,

[Ayaz Ahmed Shigari]

we had an unfortunate incident at Broad Peak. Some of the climbers have been thrown 500ft, some 1000ft, some 1500ft down.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Rescuers have recovered bodies near the site of an avalanche on the world's 12th highest summit. We begin in the Spanish territory of Ceuta at the northern tip of Africa, which has been overwhelmed by an influx of around 60,000 migrants entering from Morocco. The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, who's travelled there, described the arrival of so many people as an attack on Spain and blamed human traffickers.

[Matias]

Ceuta, Matias.

[Pedro Sanchez]

Ceuta is a Spanish city and the scenes we saw yesterday, I condemn in the most energetic way. I reject them, I condemn them, I condemn them as deplorable. They were a violation of the territorial integrity of a Spanish city. The Spanish city of Ceuta

[Valerie Sanderson]

Officials say at least 40 people died trying to swim around the border. Those attempting the journey said they felt they had little to lose.

[Migrant from Tangier]

I was in Tangier, where I was working. I woke up that morning and heard several young people, boys and girls, saying that SUTA had opened at 10pm So I told the people who were with me that we should go to find work. We're already working here under terrible conditions and our rights are not being respected.

[Migrant]

This morning I heard the news and I came here, but I saw hell. We walked 14 kilometers through the mountains, but we told ourselves it didn't matter as long as the border was open. Once we got here, we were told to take the road to the sea. Then I found myself completely submerged in water. I was choking. That's when I backed away. I remember that I had two children and I couldn't risk my life.

[Valerie Sanderson]

I got more on the situation from our Europe correspondent, Sarah Rainsford.

[Sarah Rainsford]

It is quite a significant moment, let's say, in terms of migration policy and migration activity around that border. It is a route that migrants have used previously quite a lot, but the numbers have been always much, much lower, apart from in 2021, when there was a similar situation, but numbers again then, much lower. So this does look extraordinarily high. And it seems to be a large number of mainly young men, many of them Moroccan, who have taken this chance to try to cross into EU territory. They've taken quite some risk. I mean, some people are managing to walk around the border fence, but many people are having to swim the distance, and in some cases, quite a long distance. And as you mentioned, several people drown trying to make that crossing from Morocco to Ceuta. So extraordinary scenes. And the beach there on the Spanish exclave, covered in inflatables, rubber rings, floats, flippers, the things that people have used to try to make that crossing as safely as they possibly can. But it does seem to have been a rush to the border like no one has ever seen before. And there are big questions about what exactly prompted it, and also, I think, serious questions about how the Moroccan authorities have been acting and responding in this situation, how active they were in trying to prevent people making the crossing. But certainly there appears to be still large numbers of people arriving on the Moroccan coast, hearing that the border is open, which it isn't, of course, but hearing that it is possible, possible to get across and attempting to do that.

[Valerie Sanderson]

And, I mean, what are the views about what's. What's prompted? It was just like a rush, people thinking it's open. So I'm going to try now.

[Sarah Rainsford]

I think a rush, but also I think clearly traffickers using the opportunity as well. I mean, it isn't entirely clear what's happened. There is a diplomatic problem, let's say, between Morocco and Spain right now. Dispute over recognition of who controls the Western Sahara. So political dispute behind that. That was the reason for a previous migration Crisis back in 2021. So I think that's one to look at.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Sarah Rainsford the number of migrants who crossed into ceuta is almost 3/4 of the entire population of the territory. Spain says more than half have now voluntarily returned to Morocco. The EU has called the situation unacceptable and says returns must be swift. Many other European leaders have expressed alarm with Italy, Austria and Finland questioning their open borders with sp. Gerald Knauss is chairman of the European Stability Initiative, who negotiated the migrant agreement between Turkey and the EU in 2016. The BBC's Johnny diamond asked him what he made of the criticism.

[Gerald Knauss]

It is absolutely ridiculous and completely irrational. Spain has had less arrivals of irregular migrants in the last three years than Italy. Spain has been cooperating with other European countries, taking back people who arrived in Spain and then went on to Germany or France in significant numbers. And this crisis in theater is not due to Spanish policy, but to the failure of Morocco to control or take back people quickly.

[Matias]

There has been criticism of Spain from some political quarters about its policy of naturalizing undocumented migrants, those who've been there for five years, those who don't have a criminal record. Some clearly believe, rightly or wrongly, that Spain is a soft touch when it comes to migration.

[Gerald Knauss]

Yes, but the facts just show that this is not true. Spain has had less irregular arrivals. In the first six months of this year, 14,000 people arrived at all borders in Spain, irregularly. It's 16,000 from Italy, 18,000 in Greece. So no, there's no soft touch. And the regularization of migrants concerns people who've been in Spain, 90% of whom are from Latin America, who arrived legally visa free and then stayed on to work. So this is not an incentive for Moroccan, mainly young Moroccan men who cross to Spain who will not get asylum and who will not enjoy any regularization. So, no, there is no. That is not a credible argument.

[Matias]

You acknowledge the political side of this, though, presumably the fact that largely on the right in politics, parties have been able to exploit and highlight extreme concern amongst parts of European populations about recent migration and that the parties of the centre and the left feel very sensitive

[Gerald Knauss]

to that pressure, which is why the main experience of the last 10 years is images beat statistics. If we have images of loss of control like now, publics in all of our democracies worry, even if we show them that in absolute figures, the numbers of irregular migrants are small. So the response must be to do everything that we do not get situations like this. And the way to achieve this is through agreements with third countries that send a signal to irregular migrants, don't get into the boat, because when you arrive, you will be returned.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Gerald Knauss and we'll have more on this on our YouTube channel. Just search for BBC News on YouTube and you'll find Global News Podcast. In the podcast section, there's a news story available every weekday. FIFA is facing a growing backlash to a proposal to sell stakes in the World cup to private investors. After Asia's football confederation became the latest body to voice its condemnation, A top advisor to FIFA's boss, Gianni Infantino, has now quit. The official, Carlos Cordero, called the plans a bad deal for football. Europe's football governing body, UEFA, is already threatening to boycott FIFA competitions. The vice president of UEFA, Laura McAllister, says something major had to be done to stand up to FIFA.

[Laura McAllister]

I felt that this was a very clear line in the sand in terms of the politics and the organization of football, and it was incumbent on us as probably the most powerful confederation in Europe, to stand up and be counted and come up with a threat, the boycott threat that is commensurate with the damage that such a proposal would do to our game.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Britain's Prime Minister, Andy Burnham, says Gianni Infantino is the wrong man to lead FIFA. So an extraordinary moment for world football. Here's our sports reporter, Adam Wilde.

[Adam Wilde]

It really is, Val. I've heard it described by many in the Last sort of 24, 48 hours in as strong a terms as a civil war in global football. I think the obvious comparison, if there is one, and this is a really unique situation, is the proposals of a European super league. You remember that some years ago, which prompted furious protests from clubs and in particular, fans. Now, that plan went away relatively quickly, and I think with these latest developments you've just outlined there in the last few hours, that this proposal may also be in significant jeopardy. Now, we've seen UEFA, as you mentioned, and CONCACAF voice their opposition. In the last couple of hours, we've had the Asian Football Confederation object and the resignation significantly, very significantly, of someone called Carlos Cordero, who's a senior adviser to Gianni Infantino, he's a former president of U.S. soccer, citing his objection to the proposal. So I think Given that Infantino had originally said he needed a majority of the 211 members of FIFA to back the plan, then by sheer weight of mass, it is difficult to see now how this does move forward.

[Valerie Sanderson]

So is it dead in the water, do you think?

[Adam Wilde]

Well, I think just by those numbers, I mean, I think because he would need, what, 106 members to back the plan, and with CONCACAF, with UEFA and the Asian Football Confederation all objecting, take those numbers past that 106 mark. So I think on the surface of it, I think there is certainly more work, more planning to be done, because they don't seem to be able to get those numbers if all those member nations object.

[Valerie Sanderson]

And, Adam, what about the fallout from this? What about the effect on the head of FIFA, Gianni Infantino? I mean, is his job on the line?

[Adam Wilde]

Well, I think undoubtedly you have to say it is. It was always going to be a huge risk. It was always going to be a controversial plan. And given the objection from many areas to certain things that went on in the recent Men's World cup, and specifically, I'm thinking of Infantino's relationship with Donald Trump, then. His position will be under great scrutiny now, and his role as the most powerful man in football, I think will undoubtedly be under considerable pressure.

[Valerie Sanderson]

And do you think all this is bad for the image of football across the globe?

[Adam Wilde]

Well, it's not great, is it? I mean, I think there is. The World cup came with so many controversies. I mentioned there, his relationship with Donald Trump, talking about ticket price and so on. I think it was fraught with difficulties. But look, there are many who will back this plan. I think given the money that is being made available from FIFA to back this plan. I think the original plan was for around $40 million to be made available to each member nation. So I think for small members, easy to see why that was attractive. But certainly this is very damaging for the global Games reputation. Yes.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Adam Wilde. In an earlier edition of this podcast, we brought you news of an agreement that could prove a possible turning point in Gaza overnight. Hamas said it had agreed to completely disarm if Israeli forces fully withdraw and end all their attacks. As we record this podcast, there'll still be no official Israeli response in Gaza. There are currently 2 million Palestinians living in tents without basic sanitation, and there's an acute shortage of medical supplies. More than a thousand Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the ceasefire began in October, including many women and children. If this agreement holds, it could mark the first credible step towards ending a war that's lasted for nearly three years and opening the way for a broader political process. So what are the details of the disarmament plan? Here's our Middle east correspondent in Jerusalem, Yolande Nel.

[Yolande Nel]

When you look at the points that have been sent, these revisions to the board of peace plan that was sent over to Washington, Hamas is saying that it's ready to create an inventory of its weapons, everything from small arms through to heavy ones, with also manufacturing sites and tunnels included here. But the storage of heavy weapons, that should be under the Palestinian Administrative Committee that is due to go into Gaza. There should be no handing over weapons to Israel or any other foreign power. And also, what has been really key for Hamas and what has also held up things is another point about what happens to Hamas civil servants in Gaza, those who've been working in health and education, but of course, also those who have been working in Hamas's security forces that have been much more problematic for Israel. But, you know, this could potentially clear the way, particularly with a lot of US Involvement in to that Palestinian technocratic committee finally going into Gaza and the international Stabilization Force, too.

[Valerie Sanderson]

President Trump has called it a monumental step towards lasting peace and security. So is he right? Here's our Middle east analyst, Sebastian Usher.

[Sebastian Usher]

I think the temptation because it's President Trump is to be especially skeptical because we've had so many announcements, not just on Gaza, but obviously on other key issues in the Mideast, which haven't really turned out to amount to that much. But I think there is more to it than that. I mean, there's been eight months or so of discussions that have been going on. It's important that there are mediators within this board of peace. Turkey and Qatar, which have very close links to Hamas, that was originally opposed by Israel, but I think that pressure will have told. So this isn't nothing. This isn't, you know, a new castle in the air, but it's more about coming up with a much more structured, substantial roadmap than what we had with the original peace plan. As President Trump, you know, said when he announced this, this is a phased way of doing this. What that needs, though, obviously, is trust on both sides, and that remains in incredibly short supply.

[Valerie Sanderson]

I mean, Sebastian, why do you think Hamas has decided to do this now?

[Sebastian Usher]

I think there is a lot of pressure on Hamas both inside Gaza, amongst Palestinians there, for an end to this, to move forward so that reconstruction can begin. I think there's economic pressure on Hamas. Its sources of funds have been very much curtailed. I think there's political pressure on Hamas from those countries, as I mentioned, Turkey, for example, Qatar, which have been close to Hamasputting that pressure. So I think it's in a weaker position. But you know, the real issue is still this is a who blinks first situation where Hamas says that it will do this as long as Israel fulfills its side of the bargain.

[Valerie Sanderson]

And still no official Israeli response. I mean, do you think Prime Minister Netanyahu will be coming under intense pressure from the Americans, especially, especially from Mr. Trump?

[Sebastian Usher]

You would think so. But strangely, I mean, the reporting of their latest meeting, Mr. Netanyahu went to White House, I think, for his eighth meeting with President Trump, was that Gaza hadn't been mentioned. So, you know, certainly from an Israeli perspective, they're trying to not make too much of this. I mean, elections are happening in Israel. It would be very difficult for Mr. Netanyahu to sell this to both his supporters and those of other parties. He's already being attacked for anything which looks like it hasn't completed what he promised, which was for complete dismantling politically and militarily of Hamas. And at the moment, that isn't necessarily what is being envisaged.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Middle east analyst Sebastian Ascher. Still to come in this podcast, we

[Professor Katy Barclay]

kiss on the cheek or two or three times when we're getting enthusiastic. But our ancestors had it a lot clearer. They were going for the mouth. They knew what they were doing. And we actually did that right up until the start of the 20th century.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Why kiss is still a kiss, but there are fewer of them going round.

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[Valerie Sanderson]

This is the global news podcast. Teams searching for 10 missing mountaineers in Pakistan say bodies have been recovered but estimate that six people are still missing. The group led by the renowned mountaineer Nirmar Purja lost contact with their base camp during an avalanche on the world's 12th highest summit, broad Peak. Ayaz Ahmed Shigari, the General Secretary of the Alpine Club of Pakistan, which oversees mountaineering, described the scale of the rescue operation.

[Ayaz Ahmed Shigari]

We had an unfortunate incident at Broad Peak where our international climbers, Chinese, Omanis, American, Nepalese and Pakistani climbers were present. It's unfortunate. There's never been an avalanche like this before on Broad Peak. Some of the climbers have been thrown 500ft, some 1000ft, some 1500ft down.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Nimal Purja was the fastest person to summit all 14 of the world's peaks without supplementary oxygen when he took on the feat back in 2019.

[Nimal Purja]

For this project, I gave up my job in United Kingdom Special Forces. I gave up my pension, a lot of money. For this project, I had to sell my house. This was the project where nobody believed

[Sebastian Usher]

that this could be done.

[Valerie Sanderson]

His business manager has suggested that Nimar Purja's GPS tracker is still transmitting and has moved. Our correspondent Caroline Davis is following the story from Islamabad.

[Caroline Davis]

Research operations have obviously been really dependent on these trackers to try to help identify the location of all of these. But the thing that's really uncertain is whether or not the indication of movement of the tracker. What does that exactly mean? Does it mean that Nimsai is still alive? Does it mean that his body is being moved? It's really. That is still. That's unclear. And earlier on today we were told that the search and rescue had managed to find trackers for four of the clients, but that they didn't see any movement. We've obviously, since the course of the day, we've now been told that they have found four bodies, that four people have died. And we understand that those are the same four trackers that they earlier referenced. Now two of those have been identified, two have not. The two that have been identified are Nadira Ahmed Abdullah Alharti from Oman and Purbahagdor Gurung, known as Yukta from Nepal. Nadira is GPS as well. Just talking about the trackers, it was reported by an industry website that she dropped by over 1.5 thousand meters when the avalanche hit. So again, it's really obviously unclear about exactly what happened and how this avalanche happened, but the trackers are giving an indication of when that occurred and who was caught up where. So still a huge amount of information to be confirmed, but we are getting more coming back from the site. I would also say it's difficult to get this information to you because obviously the communication in the location is very limited. We've been told that a lot of time the communication is either through satellite phone or people who are physically moving in between there and other places where they get slightly better signal. And so we are getting bits and pieces of information the entire time about what is going on. One other crucial thing, though, to mention is we have now been told by the home Secretary for Gilgit Baltistan, the area where this mountain is, that the search and rescue has now been stopped for the course of today. He said that it will restart again tomorrow, and that is because of weather conditions, which again, just shows you how difficult it is to carry out these sorts of search and rescue operations.

[Valerie Sanderson]

So are they worried about more avalanches?

[Caroline Davis]

No one has suggested that, but as you heard when you were you were speaking to the Alpine Club earlier, I've heard it from a few people now saying how surprised they were to see an avalanche like this on Broad Peak. A lot of people have said that this is not normal, that they had not seen something like this happen. It happened. We understand that it happened when the group were making their way from Camp 2 up to Camp 3, and that's when it hit. And again, some of the people I've spoken to previously traversed it, were just so surprised that something like this could happen in that location.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Caroline Davis Next week, Myanmar's leader Min Aung Lang will receive a major boost to his plans to be seen as a legitimate leader on the international stage. And when he makes an official visit to neighboring Thailand. He seized power in a military coup in 2021, overthrowing the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The coup sparked a nationwide civil war between the military and a broad alliance of resistance groups. Earlier this year, Min Aung Lang declared himself president after holding an election that was widely condemned by critics as being neither free nor fair. Meanwhile, the military has been regaining some of the territory it had previously lost to resistance forces. Our Southeast Asia correspondent, Jonathan Head, traveled to the Thai border town of Mae Sot, where many people who fled the conflict have sought refuge.

[Jonathan Head]

In an old house down a side street in Mesat, a group of teenage boys cook their Evening meal together.

[Valerie Sanderson]

What are you cooking?

[Kine]

Fish eggs.

[Jonathan Head]

Some are as young as 13, yet not long ago, they were armed and fighting. So you're the chef?

[Laura McAllister]

Yeah.

[Refugee/Interviewee]

It's a shelter for the children who are under 18 years old who involved in war or conflict.

[Jonathan Head]

Like the boys she cares for, Kine is a refugee from the civil war in Myanmar. It's not her real name. She still fears retribution on her family by the military regime against which she too once took up arms. But she's now decided she can do more good by helping the war's victims.

[Refugee/Interviewee]

We are not born to be a soldier. And after five years, for me, I learned a lot. I understood my muscle is not in my arms, it's in my brain. I can do the different way. For the long fight, revolution is not the short term.

[Kine]

I'm walking down a long corridor with lots of very small rooms on either side. There are families or individuals living in all of these. This is one of dozens of safe houses which have been established all over Meersot to help the tens of thousands who fled from Myanmar since the coup. They arrive here in Thailand with very little money, few possessions, and with no status. They're very vulnerable.

[Young man/former soldier]

I put a time bone near the police station and I try to assassinate the informer of military government.

[Jonathan Head]

This young man says he took up arms against the military regime at the age of 17 after watching it crush peaceful protests. He was caught, jailed, and dreadfully tortured. Now he says he's had a change of heart. So you lost faith in the armed struggle?

[Young man/former soldier]

Yeah, I saw many casualties, and it's really difficult to see like that you're

[Jonathan Head]

not involved in the struggle now.

[Young man/former soldier]

Yeah, I just choose another way.

[Nimal Purja]

A lot of us joined the revolution because we believed that it was our duty.

[Jonathan Head]

Lewis was a successful businessman in Yangon when the coup happened. He joined one of the volunteer People's Defense Forces fighting against the military. He, too, was captured.

[Nimal Purja]

At the beginning of this armed struggle, we would do whatever it takes. If we have to sacrifice ourselves and our lives, then we'll do it. But since it is dragging on for so long, a lot of people have their own responsibility that they cannot stop. Like me. My kids will keep growing up, and then there's a need to have a good education, better life and all this. A lot of people change under that pressure.

[Jonathan Head]

But we did find one young man who was determined to carry on. He described leaving his job as a bartender in Yangon to join ethnic Karen insurgents operating near the Thai border. He's come to Mesot with his wife for the birth of their first child. But he's itching to get back.

[Progressive Insurance Announcer]

No, I don't stop.

[Young man/former soldier]

I only came here for my family. I haven't stopped. I'm sure our revolution will succeed one day because they are fighting a war against the entire country, against the civilians they are supposed to protect. There is no way the military can win.

[Jonathan Head]

That confidence is less widely shared these days. Almost everyone we spoke to was still committed to the idea of a people's revolution in Myanmar. But after five years of grueling war and no end to military rule, inside, many are just too exhausted to fight any longer.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Jonathan Head, now, as with so much in life, the key to success in wildlife photography is patience, luck and timing. 20 year old Alexander Forrest, who lives and works in New South Wales in Australia, has displayed all three with his drone footage of a humpback whale giving birth. Every year, tens of thousands of whales pass the coast on their winter migration north. It's one of nature's great spectacles. But Alexander was about to become the witness to an even more extraordinary event. As he told James Menendez.

[Alexander Forrest]

So day to day, I'm actually an expedition filmmaker and photographer. When I'm not interstate or international, I am at home. I'm checking out what we call the humpback highway. That's where all our huge humpback whales, fifth largest whale, travel along the coast. We're so lucky to see them every year. And it's currently peak season. I was just going out for a routine flight, trying to make the most of this part of the season. And I could see from my aircraft and from the coast every humpback whale just going up and down the coast at extremely fast speeds, really, really migrating. But there was this one whale, solemn, right behind our beautiful crystal clear waters, right just there next to the surf break, going unusually slow. And this is a behavior I'd never seen in my thousands of hours filming whales. Thousands of whales seen, I've never seen this. I just knew I had to hit record. My first instinct was that perhaps this whale was sleeping. You see, sleeping behavior, but it's nothing like this. Very slow, consistent, labored behavior. And it was suddenly when she diverted her path and went 200 meters or so further out to sea. That was about 600 or 700 meters from the shoreline that I saw this incredible red plumage. And I realized this is something unforgettable and rare.

[Interviewer]

And did you know at that point that she'd just given birth? I mean, you see red in the water, you think blood, you think possibly an attack by a shark, maybe?

[Young man/former soldier]

Yeah.

[Alexander Forrest]

You see red in the water and perhaps you think the worst. I initially thought maybe an interaction with a predator, but it only took a second or two before that beautiful white oval shape shot up to the surface. And to my relief, it wasn't a calf. An incredible vision that I'll never forget.

[Interviewer]

I can imagine. And what does a baby humpback whale look like? Just describe it for us.

[Alexander Forrest]

A baby humpback whale is beautiful, uncoordinated, playful. They're about 25% smaller than their mothers. They are pale gray. Their colors are still setting in. They have to earn their stripes. It was seriously incredible. And I was shaking. After I got the footage, just putting the pieces together, I had no idea what I had just filmed. Initially, I was crying on the inside, surprise on the outside. Absolutely adrenaline through the roof. To catch those first seconds on camera is just an experience I'll hold with me forever.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Australian whale lover and photographer Alexander Forrest in New South Wales. Now, when was the last time you gave someone a kiss? Because apparently people today are kissing less than in the past. Professor Katy Barclay, a historian of emotions based at Macquarie University in Sydney, has taken a deep dive into a thousand years worth of kisses for her new book, the A History of Passion and Power. In tracing the gesture back through religious texts, literature, fine art and popular culture, she observes that kissing, especially in public, is in decline. We now kiss fewer people less often than we once did and certainly pucker up a lot less than our more pious and more amorous ancestors. She spoke to Kylie Pentelow about why

[Professor Katy Barclay]

romantic kisses are the things that are not universal. In fact, far from being universal, a recent study suggests only 46% of cultures do romantic kissing. And given how normal it feels, as a European myself, it is kind of amazing to imagine there's parts of the world that don't bother. I think it's because in the Christian context, which Europeans have a Christian heritage of over a thousand years now, at the center of the church service was a holy kiss, where you kissed each other to show your union and the body of Christ. And so in the middle of the service, this would stop and you can say you'd kiss your neighbor. Today we shake our hands. If you're in the Catholic Church, you might shake hands or hug your neighbor, but they would kiss. And because it was so important to this kind of Christian construction of faith and identity and community, it kind of then exploded into every other sphere of life we've had.

[Kylie Pentelow]

A few comments on kisses, some really good ones. I just Want to read this one out, though, which is specifically referring to the fact that Europeans like to kiss. It says, I love kissing and I'm a huggy person. I particularly love the European way of two kisses, one on each cheek. And special friends get three kisses. What's not to like about this? They say. But there can be awkward moment, can't there, where you don't quite know.

[Pantene Advertiser]

I know.

[Professor Katy Barclay]

And I think historically it was a mouth kiss as well.

[Yolande Nel]

Right.

[Professor Katy Barclay]

So now we're much more prudish. Even just in the social kisses, we kiss on the cheek or two or three times when we're getting enthusiastic. But our ancestors had it a lot clearer. They were going for the mouth. They knew what they were doing. And we actually did that right up until the start of the 20th century, especially women.

[Kylie Pentelow]

Let's talk about the issue of consent. You say we kiss fewer people less often than we used to. And do you think that that is combined with the issues of consent, the MeToo movement, maybe the COVID pandemic, or a bit of everything, really?

[Professor Katy Barclay]

I think the reason, one of the reasons we kiss less is that historically people kissed for reasons that weren't just about romantic or family love or sociability. You had kisses of fealty. So if you are swearing an oath of allegiance to your lord, you kiss them on the mouth. If you're signing a really important contract, you kissed each other on the mouth. If you're two kings and you're doing a peace treaty, you kiss each other on the mouth. So there's all of these very public, visible kisses that are happening. And it's mostly men kissing each other on the mouth because they're the ones with the money and the power and they're the ones who need to sign contracts. And what kind of happened, really from about the 16th century is a lot of those very public facing kisses just kind of disappear. And they actually disappear quite quickly. And kissing kind of remains in the sociable domain. Men still kiss each other for friendship reasons and people still kiss their family members. But we're starting to see this general decline of these kind of public official kisses.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Professor Katy Barclay on kissing. And that's it from us for now. If you want to get in touch, you can email [e-mail]. you can also find us on X@BBC WorldService. Use the hashtag GlobalNewspod. And don't forget our sister podcast, the Global Story, which goes in depth and beyond the headlines on one big story. This edition of the Global news podcast was mixed by Joe McCartney and the producer was Charles Sanctuary. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Valerie Sanderson. Until next time.

[Refugee/Interviewee]

Bye bye. Hello.

[Greg Jenner]

Greg Jenner here. I'm the host of youf're Dead to Me, the BBC comedy show that takes history seriously. Every episode I pair up a top historian with a fantastic comedian and we have a lovely, funny, fascinating chat about a different subject from world history. And in this new series, we're beginning with an epic voyage through the story of Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey. And that's with Kael Smith Byno joining us. And then we'll be learning about Francis Galton and the racist discredited pseudoscience of eugenics with Desiree Burch. We'll meet many medieval saints in their bone box boxes with Rachel Parrott. So if that sounds like your sort of thing, listen to your dead to me wherever you get your podcasts. Thank you.

[Adam Wilde]

Bye.