Artemis II astronauts fly around the Moon

Summary

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Global News Podcast – April 7, 2026

Main Theme

In this episode, the BBC World Service’s Global News Podcast, hosted by Will Chalk, covers major global events:

• NASA's Artemis II astronauts fly around the Moon, setting a distance record and providing insights from the crew and experts.
• Escalating US-Iran tensions, with threats from President Trump and voices from both leadership and civilians in the region.
• Police brutality and landmark sentencing in India.
• Cambodia’s crackdown on scam compounds.
• Ivanka Trump’s controversial tourism project in Albania.
• Canada’s launch of the first professional curling league.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Artemis II Astronauts Orbit the Moon (01:16–08:11)

• Four astronauts aboard Artemis II loop around the Moon's far side, traveling 400,000 km from Earth—the farthest humans have ever been from Earth.
• Crew experienced a 45-minute comms blackout while behind the Moon.
• The mission is a precursor for a planned lunar landing by 2028.

Notable Quotes & Moments:

• (01:34) Reid Wiseman, mission commander:
  "We saw sights that no human has ever seen before, not even in Apollo. And that was amazing for us."
• (03:06) Wiseman on returning from the far side:
  “Seeing all the sights that we've seen from Earth for all of our lives, but we're seeing them from a different perspective… we could see the corona of the sun and then we could see the planet train line up… all of us commented how excited we are to watch this nation and this planet become a two-planet species.”
• (04:08) Jeremy Hansen, astronaut, breaking Apollo 13’s distance record:
  “As we surpass the furthest distance humans have ever traveled from planet Earth, we do so in honoring the extraordinary efforts and feats of our predecessors in human space exploration… we challenge this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long lived.”
• (04:46) Nicole Stott, retired NASA astronaut:
  "It's huge... a first step again towards bigger things… to establish a permanent presence there."
• (05:30) Stott, on the atmosphere in space:
  "Actually, it's pretty calm. You do a lot of training... if something goes wrong, you feel like you'll be able to deal with it..."
• (07:03) Chris Lintott, astrophysicist:
  "It's actually been the emotions and experience of the astronauts that have captivated people... what was described on the feed as ‘moon joy.’”

Expert Commentary:

• Chris Lintott draws parallels to a renewed moon race reminiscent of the 1960s, with global actors like China showing interest (07:58).

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2. US-Iran Crisis Intensifies (08:11–17:22)

• President Trump reiterates threats to bomb Iran’s civilian infrastructure if his demands over the Strait of Hormuz are not met, with an explicit deadline.
• Concerns over possible war crimes due to targeting civilian infrastructure; President Trump dismisses these concerns.
• Iran’s leadership rejects temporary ceasefires, calling US rhetoric "delusional" and "arrogant."
• Iranian civilians’ voices, expressing anxiety and practical fears (stockpiling essentials) as threats escalate.

Notable Quotes & Moments:

• (08:53) Hashiya Junaidi, quoting intercepted Iranian messages:
  "Please keep bombing... Do it. And when we leave, they're saying, please come back."
• (09:17) Trump’s representative (Hashiya Junaidi as quoting):
  "After that, they're going to have no bridges, they're going to have no power plants. Stone Ages."
• (09:45) Asked about concerns over war crimes:
  "No, I'm not… we're never going to let Iran have a nuclear weapon."
• (10:56) David Willis, North America Correspondent:
  “He’s even laid out this four-hour timeline… during which he says every bridge and every power plant in Iran would be attacked, decimated...”
• (11:56) Tehran’s army spokesperson:
  “The rude, arrogant rhetoric and baseless threats of the delusional US President have no effect on Iran’s operations…”
• (12:32) Voices from Iranian civilians:
  "It feels like we're sinking deeper and deeper into a swamp... We're stocking up on water and essentials... I don't see a bright future for Iranians..."
• (13:08) Hashiya Junaidi, BBC Persian:
  “As the war progresses, the number of people who were welcoming these attacks is decreasing... Many people have really voiced their concern that... if all power plants are going to be hit, how living in Iran will look like... What will happen after this?”

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3. Israeli Civilian Toll from Iranian Missiles (15:06–17:22)

• In Haifa, Israel, four civilians (including two in their 80s) are found dead after an Iranian missile strike.
• Local testimony highlights everyday fear—living in Israel is compared to “Russian roulette.”
• Israeli authorities stress their military's interception rate but acknowledge the psychological impact of even a single missile hitting a residential building.

Notable Quotes & Moments:

• (15:32) Lucy Williamson, Haifa:
  “Living here felt like a daily gamble of Russian roulette, despite the efficiency of their defenses.”
• (16:03) Mo Barel, local resident:
  “I think we are strong, but we pray that it will be finished close. Of course we pray for it.”
• (16:44) Williamson:
  “Iran is still firing at Israel. Its target is Israel’s sense of security, and it only takes one missile on one building to hit that.”

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4. India: Landmark Police Brutality Sentences (20:47–22:20)

• Nine police officers in Tamil Nadu convicted and sentenced to death for fatal assault of a father and son detained for breaching COVID lockdown rules in 2020.
• The case sparked widespread protests; rights groups highlight systemic abuse and rare accountability.

Notable Insights:

• (21:14) Anbarasan Eti Rajan:
  “They were beaten and tortured... They both died two days later, triggering outrage and widespread protests… Rights groups say torture and abuse to extract confessions… have become very much part of policing in India.”

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5. Cambodia’s Crackdown on Scam Compounds (22:20–26:49)

• Cambodian government vows to eliminate scam syndicates by end of April under international pressure.
• Reporter Jonathan Head visits an abandoned scam compound, describing its scale and the international victims and workers involved.
• Experts remain skeptical about the government’s resolve, noting ties between scam businesses and political elites.

Notable Quotes & Moments:

• (23:40) Description of scam operations:
  “A room full of makeshift booths… targeting Brazilian victims.”
• (25:18) Wilson, ex-scam worker:
  “Failure to do so [get a victim to deposit $5,000], you are put into punishment… Some people are electrocuted.”
• (26:19) Jacob Sims, crime expert:
  “This is likely the largest industry in Cambodia’s history… the crackdowns are real, but they’re tending to target low level criminals… with no other industry offering such rich rewards, it will be hard for Cambodia’s elite to give it up.”

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6. Ivanka Trump’s Albanian Resort Project (26:49–30:55)

• Ivanka Trump plans a billion-dollar luxury resort on a former military base on Suzanne Island, Albania—a protected ecological site.
• Locals and environmentalists express concern over land rights, environment, and transparency.

Notable Quotes & Moments:

• (27:26) Emily Wither, BBC:
  “There are rolling fields of olive groves where blueprints show they want to build villas… the secluded Nata Lagoon… is a protected, idyllic ecological site.”
• (29:18) Vladimir Karai, journalist:
  “Property conflict is one of the biggest conflict in the country. More than 10 years ago, at least a third of the murders were related to property conflicts.”
• (30:16) Marina Sazow, biologist:
  “The Mediterranean monk seal is a highly important species… And I think people that are attracted to come here by car and to have luxury, they will miss everything because this will disappear.”

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7. Launch of Canada’s Professional Curling League (31:39–34:21)

• Toronto hosts the first ever pro curling league with new rules and fan engagement formats (e.g., DJ music, costumes).
• International rosters and a shorter, faster format aim to make curling more popular.

Notable Quotes & Moments:

• (31:39) Bruce Mowat, Team GB skip:
  “Seeing a professional league come about within my career span is quite exciting for me.”
• (33:09) Mowat on new format:
  “Similar to… cricket, they’ve tried to… shorten the game. So we’re now only playing seven ends... have to be quicker on our feet.”
• (33:44) Mowat on audience engagement:
  “Fans are having a good time… Some of them have dressed up in costumes similar to the darts… there’s bananas... crayons…”

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Memorable Quotes (with Timestamps)

• "We saw sights that no human has ever seen before, not even in Apollo. And that was amazing for us."
  – Reid Wiseman, Artemis II Commander (01:34)

• "We challenge this generation and the next to make sure this record is not long lived."
  – Jeremy Hansen, Artemis II Astronaut (04:08)

• "If communications are going to be cut off, if all power plants are going to be hit, how living in Iran will look like. There is a question mark."
  – Hashiya Junaidi, BBC Persian (13:08)

• "Living here felt like a daily gamble of Russian roulette, despite the efficiency of their defenses."
  – Lucy Williamson, Haifa, Israel (15:32)

• "Failure to do so, you are put into punishment. Some people are electrocuted."
  – Wilson, former scam worker (25:18)

• "Property conflict is one of the biggest conflict in the country. More than 10 years ago, at least a third of the murders were related to property conflicts."
  – Vladimir Karai, Albanian journalist (29:18)

• "Fans are having a good time… Some of them have dressed up in costumes similar to the darts… there’s bananas... crayons…"
  – Bruce Mowat, Team GB Curler (33:44)

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Timestamps for Major Segments

• Artemis II Moon Mission – 01:16–08:11
• US-Iran Tensions & Voices – 08:11–17:22
• Israel: Haifa Missile Aftermath – 15:06–17:22
• India Police Brutality Verdict – 20:47–22:20
• Cambodian Scam Compounds – 22:20–26:49
• Ivanka Trump's Albanian Resort – 26:49–30:55
• Canada’s Pro Curling League – 31:39–34:21

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Analysis & Tone

The episode deftly blends hard news—geopolitical crises, space exploration—with lighter but still globally relevant stories such as sports innovation and luxury real estate embroiling environmental concerns. The tone is factual, urgent where the news dictates (Iran, Israel), reflective and excited during space coverage, and balanced with direct voices from those affected. Interviewees and field reports lend authenticity and immediacy, while BBC’s host and correspondents maintain clarity and context throughout.

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Transcript

[Will Chalk]

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[Lucy Williamson]

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[Will Chalk]

This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Will Chalk and in the early hours of Tuesday the 7th I of April, these are our main stories. The crew of Artemis 2 are on their way home and have been talking about their mission to the far side

[Reid Wiseman]

of the moon and we saw sights that no human has ever seen before, not even in Apollo. And that was amazing for us.

[Will Chalk]

President Trump claims Iranians want the US to bomb their country and has repeated his threat to destroy civilian infrastructure. We'll hear how Iranians are preparing for the possibility of that happening. Also in this podcast, nine police officers in India are sentenced to death for fatally assaulting a father and son in

[Bruce Mowat]

custody and this is very exciting for us. We've done a lot in the sport, but seeing a professional league come about within my career span is quite exciting for me. I think.

[Will Chalk]

The first ever professional curling league gets underway in Canada. It's been a big few hours for NASA with a first for humanity as four astronauts on board Artemis 2 looped around the far side of the moon and in the process traveled more than 400,000 kilometers from Earth. The crew were out of touch with NASA headquarters for nearly 45 minutes as they went behind the moon. This is the first trip there in more than 50 years and it's in preparation for a potential lunar landing by 2028. The crew have been taking pictures and record boardings during their seven hour flyby and they are now on their way home. President Trump congratulated the four astronauts and asked what the most memorable part of their trip had been. Reid Wiseman is the commander of the mission.

[Reid Wiseman]

I have to tell you, as we came around the near side of the moon, seeing all the sights that we've seen from Earth for all of our lives, but we're seeing them from a different perspective. And we saw sites, oriental, sites that no human has ever seen before, not even in Apollo. And that was amazing for us. And then the surprise of the day, we just came out of an eclipse where the sun, moon and the entire dark moon about that big right out the window that we were watching, we could see the corona of the sun and then we could see the planet train line up. And we at Mars and all of us commented how excited we are to watch this nation and this planet become a two planet species.

[Will Chalk]

So that's Reid Wiseman speaking after the crew had looped around the moon. But I'll play something from a little earlier as well. This is what crew member Jeremy Hansen had to say when they broke that record of 248,655 miles from Earth that was set by Apollo 13 in 1970 to travel the furthest distance ever, as

[Reid Wiseman]

we surpass the furthest distance humans have ever traveled from planet Earth, we do so in honoring the extraordinary efforts and feats of our predecessors in human space exploration. We will continue our journey even further into space before Mother Earth succeeds in pulling us back to everything that we hold dear. But we most importantly choose this moment to challenge this generation and the next. To make sure this record is not

[Will Chalk]

long lived, I spoke to Nicole Stott, a retired NASA astronaut in Florida.

[Nicole Stott]

It is a pretty amazing day and I'm so happy that you guys have been following along all day long with me.

[Will Chalk]

We'll put this in context then. How momentous is this mission?

[Nicole Stott]

Well, I think it's huge. And to me it's impressive to think about how it's really a first step again towards bigger things too, towards even more important things as we proceed from this mission to go back to the moon and establish a permanent presence there.

[Will Chalk]

And you could give us some pretty amazing perspective here because we watch the feeds of the people up in the spacecraft. You know, they all look calm, tinkering away or whatever they're doing. The people in mission control, they look calm. Is it when you're up in space, is it as Calm as all that or is it quite scary sometimes?

[Nicole Stott]

Actually, it's pretty calm. You know, we do a lot of training with consideration for all the things that we either think or know could go wrong. And so I think when you're actually in space, when you're experiencing it, if something goes wrong, you feel like you'll be able to deal with it if that's humanly possible. And so you just focus on the mission and really the joy of the place where you are at the time

[Will Chalk]

and how does it feel? You build up to these missions in many ways. You have so many eyes on you and you train for your whole life for it. What's it like kind of heading back down towards Earth and decompressing and everything after everything's over?

[Nicole Stott]

I mean, I could only speak to my experience coming back from the two space station missions. And I think you're really anxious to share it in so many different ways, whether it's through pictures and imagery or talks or exchanges like this that allow you to get to a broader audience. And I think ultimately you're really. It is a decompression a little bit. There was this huge buildup to it, but there's so much, I think that comes from the experience that can be brought back to Earth in a, you know, a powerful and hopefully meaningful way that you're, you're anxious to do that as well.

[Will Chalk]

Retired NASA astronaut Nicole Stott speaking to me from Florida. And they also spoke to Chris Lintott, a British astrophysicist from Oxford University who has also been following the mission.

[Chris Lintott]

I think the thing that we'll remember from this evening is sort of what it means to put people into these situations. Really. This is a mission about technology. It's about testing this, this rocket and the Orion capsule. But it's actually been the emotions and the experience of the astronauts that have captivated people. We've been listening in this evening as they've expressed surprise and excitement and what was described on the feed as moon joy from getting a close up look that no one's ever had before. They're seeing things that no one's ever seen before. And throughout all of that, they were clicking away, taking pictures with cameras that they've got on board. And once we get those back, I think I'm really excited to see what they made of it, really to see the best set of holiday snaps we'll see in a long while.

[Will Chalk]

Yeah. And so much of the talk about what this might lead to. Why do you think we're in this era now of renewed interest in the moon after so many years kind of away from it.

[Chris Lintott]

Well, I think we're mostly back into a race. So with China having plans to get back to the moon, lots of other countries showing interest. We are back in the conditions we had in the 60s of a race to the moon. And we'll see what happens in the next few years.

[Will Chalk]

Professor Chris Limtot. Now, hours after Iran rejected a temporary ceasefire with the US because it said it wanted a lasting deal, Donald Trump has issued yet another warning to the Islamic Republic. The entire country can be taken out in one night. And that night might be Tuesday night as this deadline for the regime to make a deal or open the Strait of Hormuz inches closer. President Trump doubling down on threats to take Iran back to the Stone Age if his demands aren't met. He also dismissed concerns that targeting civilian infrastructure may amount to war crimes. And he claimed Iranians want the US to continue attacking their country.

[Hashiya Junaidi]

They would be willing to suffer that in order to have freedom. We've had numerous intercepts. Please keep bombing. Bombs that are dropping near their homes. Please keep bombing. Do it. And when we leave, they're saying, please

[Reid Wiseman]

come back, come back, come back.

[Nicole Stott]

Your messaging on the war has moved

[Iranian Citizen / Interviewee]

from the war is coming to an end to war going to be bombing Iran to the Stone Ages. So which is it?

[Hashiya Junaidi]

I don't know. I can't tell. It depends what they do. This is a critical period. I can tell you they're negotiating, we think in good faith. We're giving them till tomorrow, 8 o' clock Eastern Time. And after that, they're going to have no bridges, they're going to have no power plants. Stone Ages.

[Reid Wiseman]

Yeah.

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Deliberate attacks on civilian infrastructure violate the Geneva Conventions and international law.

[Will Chalk]

Are you concerned that your threat to

[Ad Voice / Commercial Announcer]

bomb power plants and bridges amount.

[Hashiya Junaidi]

No, not at all.

[Lucy Williamson]

No.

[Hashiya Junaidi]

No, I'm not. I hope I don't have to do it. But we're never going to let Iran have a nuclear weapon.

[Will Chalk]

Our North America correspondent, David Willis gave me this assessment.

[David Willis]

We've heard President Trump make threats of this kind before, haven't we? But this time he seems more determined. Follow through. He's even laid out this four hour timeline starting from a deadline of 8 o' clock in the evening, Eastern standard time on Tuesday, which is midnight gmt, during which he says every bridge and every power plant in Iran would be attacked, decimated, to use the President's favorite word, returning that country to the Stone Age, unless that vital shipping lane, the Strait of Hormuz, is reopened. And President Trump has said the entire country could be taken out in one night. Well, of course, attacks on civilian infrastructure are banned under the Geneva Convention. They constitute a violation of international law. And as we heard just now, the president was asked about this at the news conference today and he said he was not worried, adding that it would be a war crime, in his view, to allow a country with what he called a demented leadership to acquire a nuclear weapon.

[Will Chalk]

But as we heard just there, and indeed, as you reference, you know, facing quite extreme questions on this Donald Trump, beyond the kind of the usual level of questioning he gets.

[David Willis]

That's right. And he has said that he believes that so called reasonable leaders in Iran are negotiating with his administration at the moment in good faith. But he said that the outcome of those talks is remaining uncertain. And of course, Iran has rejected proposals for a ceasefire. It's calling for a permanent end to hostilities, together with the lifting of U.S. sanctions. But it's thought that any meaningful progress really, in negotiations is going to come down to an agreement on a ceasefire. And that is something that is going to be very difficult, I think, to achieve in the current climate.

[Will Chalk]

David Willis. Well, if Donald Trump's language is increasing in intensity, so is Iran's. A spokesman for Tehran's army said the rude, arrogant rhetoric and baseless threats of the delusional US President have no effect on Iran's operations against American and Zionist enemies. Fresh aerial strikes were reported across the region on Monday. Despite what President Trump has said, voice notes sent to the BBC from Iran show people there do want the war to end. Their messages have been voiced up by our producers for safety reasons.

[Iranian Citizen / Interviewee]

It feels like we're sinking deeper and

[Hashiya Junaidi]

deeper into a swamp.

[Ad Voice / Commercial Announcer]

What can we do as ordinary people? We can't stop him.

[Iranian Citizen / Interviewee]

We're worried about Donald Trump's threat to unleash all hell on Iran if Iran does not make a deal. We're stocking up on water and essentials.

[Bruce Mowat]

I don't see a bright future for Iranians at the end of this.

[Will Chalk]

With all these attacks, Iran won't be

[Bruce Mowat]

a place we can live in anymore.

[Will Chalk]

BBC Persian's Hashiya Junaidi is monitoring developments inside Iran from Washington, D.C. and told me what the situation was like as Donald Trump's ultimatum inches closer.

[Hashiya Junaidi (continued)]

When this war started because of the bloody crackdown on the protests in Iran in January, many people who opposed the regime were welcoming such an action because they believed that this war will target the regime leaders, the commanders and so on. So at the beginning, when the leader was killed, when some Certain high level generals of the IRGC were targeted. You would see that people are rejoicing and people are happy. But 36, 37 days have passed from the war and now not only the IRGC, but also economic infrastructure are being attacked both by the US And Israel. Petrochemical complexes, steel plants, universities. And with such attacks, the number of people who are now more opposed to the war has been rising. So as President Trump said, yes, of course there is part of the Iranian society which has welcomed the war and are happy with the bombings. But as the war progresses, the number of the people who were welcoming these attacks is decreasing. And people are very much concerned about the future of Iran without these infrastructure. And now with this certain threat, the deadline which is Tuesday, 8pm Eastern time, U.S. many people have really voiced their concern that if communications are going to be cut off, if all power plants are going to be hit, how living in Iran will look like. There is a question mark. What will happen after this? And let's not forget, those who oppose the regime welcome the war because they believe the war will remove the current government. Now many people are expressing anxiety that what if this war destroys everything and we are going to remain under this same regime? Witness further dictatorship and their suppression.

[Will Chalk]

Hashiya Jonadi from BBC Persian on the situation inside Iran. Well, meanwhile in Israel, authorities have confirmed the bodies of four missing people have been found in the wreckage of a residential building in Haifa which was targeted by an Iranian missile on Sunday. The victims include a man and a woman in their 80s. Our Middle east correspondent Lucy Williamson filed this report from Haifa.

[Lucy Williamson]

We've just seen rescue teams bring out four body bags from the rubble. Behind me. One of the residents here who was watching with us said living here felt like a daily gamble of Russian roulette, despite the efficiency of their defenses.

[Iranian Citizen / Interviewee]

And we opened the balcony and we see all the smoke outside and we hear scream of people like, help us. Something like that.

[Lucy Williamson]

Mo Barel lives in the building opposite the block. Hit yesterday with her husband and three children. How long can Israel live like this?

[Will Chalk]

I don't know.

[Iranian Citizen / Interviewee]

I think we are strong, but we pray that it will be finished close. Of course we pray for it.

[Lucy Williamson]

Down at the bomb site, search teams with the mechanical digger were still combing through the rubble almost 24 hours after the strike. Colonel Weissto versus is a spokesman for the local emergency services.

[Hashiya Junaidi]

The missile did not explode.

[Hashiya Junaidi (continued)]

We tried to intercept it.

[Will Chalk]

There were issues with that.

[Hashiya Junaidi]

We are still investigating it, but the missile landed. It's a very heavy kinetic force and you can see the destruction.

[Hashiya Junaidi (continued)]

It's destroyed almost 50% of the house behind us.

[Lucy Williamson]

Overwhelming support for this war among Jewish Israelis has started to weaken over more than five weeks of fighting. With Israel's schools still shuttered and its residents woken most nights by missile alarms, Israel's leaders have been talking up their military success, claiming to have taken out the vast majority of Iran's ballistic missile launchers and intercepting more than 90% of Iranian attacks. But Iran is still firing at Israel. Its target is Israel's sense of security, and it only takes one missile on one building to hit that.

[Will Chalk]

Lucy Williamson in Haifa. Still to come in this podcast,

[Iranian Citizen / Interviewee]

he says that she will get all that part over there from Suzanne Island. She will take away the whole village.

[Will Chalk]

We hear about Ivanka Trump's plans to turn a former military base in Albania into a luxury holiday destination market.

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[Nicole Stott]

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[Bruce Mowat]

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[Will Chalk]

This is the Global News Podcast A story from India Next that has put police brutality back into the limelight there. Nine police officers have been sentenced to death for fatally assaulting a father and son while they were in custody. The judge in Tamil Nadu state said the two men were stripped and ruthlessly assaulted in 2020. Our global affairs correspondent Anbarasan Eti Rajan has more details.

[Anbarasan Eti Rajan]

P Jayaraj and his son Jay Benniks were picked up by police for allegedly keeping their mobile phone shop open in breach of COVID lockdown rules. They were kept in a police station overnight in Tamil Nadu and they were beaten and tortured by the officers. They both died two days later, triggering outrage and widespread protests against police brutality. The officers can appeal against their sentences. Rights groups say hundreds of people die while in custody in India every year. They point out that torture and abuse to extract confessions from suspects have become very much part of policing in India. Experts say there have been persistent reports of beatings, electric shocks, sexual violence and denial of medical care, often in both official and unofficial places of detention. Police who engage in them are rarely punished. Earlier this year, several UN experts called on India to undertake major reforms to modernize policing in line with international human rights standards.

[Will Chalk]

Ambarasan Etiharad the Cambodian government has said it will eliminate the international scam businesses within its borders by the end of April, after pressure from countries like China and the U.S. these scam compounds, which are built by powerful local business leaders but run by Chinese crime syndicates, have proliferated in Southeast Asia and they're used to defraud people all over the world of Billions of dollars. Our correspondent Jonathan Head was given a rare glimpse of this lucrative and abusive business during a visit to a scam compound that was captured during Thailand's border war with Cambodia last year. We are standing at the entrance to

[Hashiya Junaidi]

the casino complex at a now deserted crossing between Thailand and Cambodia. Rear Admiral Surasank Kongsuri describes what he's about to show us. On the other side of the border gate, both sides of the casino complex has scam centers. The Thai military captured two casino complexes there from Cambodia last December. Watched they found was a warren of buildings where workers brought from all over the world had been running online fraud schemes.

[Will Chalk]

We really didn't anticipate that we would find such a large scale scam center operating out of this facility.

[Hashiya Junaidi]

So we're walking up inside. These are really big buildings, several stories high, mess and rubbish everywhere. And there would have been, judging by the size of it, thousands of people working here. Every room has got its own reconstructed scenario to persuade victims to part with their savings. In this one there are two very convincing looking Vietnamese police hats. You can see piles and piles of documents with lists of hundreds of phone numbers on them. These are all Vietnamese phone numbers and there are so many of them. So this is a room full of makeshift booths with soundproof foam. There are perhaps eight chairs to a row that just a few months ago were packed with human beings. And there's a quite convincing backdrop from the Brazilian Federal Police. And judging by the Portuguese language here, this room was targeting Brazilian victims.

[Bruce Mowat]

Every time we would hear a bomb,

[Will Chalk]

even the building sometimes would shake, would vibrate.

[Hashiya Junaidi]

Later we managed to contact Wilson, a young Ugandan man who was working in that scam compound when the fighting broke out. He's now in the Cambodian capital trying to get home. He described an unforgiving regime run by his Chinese bosses.

[Will Chalk]

You're supposed to get someone who deposits at least $5,000.

[Bruce Mowat]

Failure to do so, you are put into punishment.

[Will Chalk]

Some people are electrocuted.

[Hashiya Junaidi]

After years of denying the problem, the Cambodian government has this year been raiding dozens of scam compounds in response to rising international pressure. Prime Minister Hun Manet wants the world to believe he's sincere.

[Will Chalk]

The scam network, what we call the black economy, is destroying our honest economy.

[Hashiya Junaidi]

So this is the reason why we

[Will Chalk]

need to clean this out.

[Hashiya Junaidi]

But the complex we saw, like so many others in Cambodia, wasn't owned by a shadowy criminal network, but by a prominent business figure with close ties to the ruling family. Jacob Sims, a transnational crime expert, believes there are good reasons for skepticism over the government's claim to be shutting the scam business down. This is likely the largest industry in Cambodia's history. Structurally embedded at the highest levels of

[Bruce Mowat]

Cambodia's political economy, the crackdowns are real,

[Reid Wiseman]

but they're tending to target low level criminals.

[Hashiya Junaidi]

They are very unlikely to produce meaningful disruption. Already there are reports of scam workers from closed compounds being moved to lower profile locations in Cambodia to continue their fraud schemes. With no other industry offering such rich rewards, it will be hard for Cambodia's elite to give it up.

[Will Chalk]

Jonathan Head reporting from Cambodia. Now, why does Ivanka Trump, the daughter of the US President, want a beach in the Balkans, which is currently home to some precious sea life and the odd sheep? Well, earlier this year, she was spotted in Albania sizing up plans to invest more than a billion dollars to transform a former Soviet era military base into a luxury tourist resort. But as Emily Wither has been finding out, locals and environmentalists are fighting over the land on Suzanne island in the country's courts.

[Emily Wither]

We've just come to the top of the village. There are rolling fields of olive groves where blueprints show they want to build villas. Right now, there's barely anything on the land. We're overlooking the long, sandy beach where Ivanka Trump stood in January with reportedly 100 architects and surveyors. The secluded Nata Lagoon in Zwanets is a protected, idyllic ecological site. Villagers say her visit was shrouded in secrecy.

[Iranian Citizen / Interviewee]

He says that she will get all that part over there from Suzanne island, too. As long as I heard from the villagers, she will take away the whole village.

[Emily Wither]

Locals first learned of the development when plans were posted online by Jared Kushner's investment firm, Affinity Global. They were baffled. The land sloping to the sea is both protected and privately owned.

[Iranian Citizen / Interviewee]

He says that everything that you can see belongs to the village and every part of the land. It's bordered with other lands, which means that every land has an owner. And everyone knows that what land belongs

[Emily Wither]

to the country spent nearly half a century under communist rule, largely cut off from the world. Almost by accident, it has miles of unspoiled natural beauty. And that's why it's caught the eye of this American power couple.

[Ad Voice / Commercial Announcer]

We're really trying to design this to be a place that we would want to spend the summ. And as I tell different friends and I show them different renderings of what we're doing, they all say, oh, can we get a place there next to you? So I really think we'll build a tremendous community.

[Emily Wither]

But the land is subject to ongoing court cases with multiple claims of ownership. It's a nationwide issue that Vladimir Karai, a local journalist with the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, has been tracking for 20 years.

[Will Chalk]

Property conflict is one of the biggest conflict in the country. More than 10 years ago, at least. At least a third of the murders were related to property conflicts. And still there are cases at least

[Ad Voice / Commercial Announcer]

once or twice a year, cases of

[Will Chalk]

murder or heavy crime that happens because

[Hashiya Junaidi]

of the conflicts of properties.

[Emily Wither]

Land disputes are a legacy of Albania's past. Property was nationalized under communism, then shared out again after its collapse. When Prime Minister Edi Rama came to power 14 years ago, he promised to resolve the crisis and return stolen land, but has had little success. Marina Sazow is a biologist with Pepanya, Albania's first independent environmental group. They record the wildlife in the area.

[Iranian Citizen / Interviewee]

We walk every summer in these areas, across the side of the sand and the beach to monitor the sea gardens. Also, the Mediterranean monk seal is a highly important species.

[Emily Wither]

Edirama wants to take tap luxury tourism, changing the law to allow development in protected areas. And a new airport is being built nearby. Marina's group is fighting it in court.

[Iranian Citizen / Interviewee]

Everyone that wants to come here wants to come for this. They miss this in their country. And I think people that are attracted to come here by car and to have luxury, they will miss everything because this will disappear.

[Emily Wither]

Albania wants what its neighbours Italy and Greece have, tourism revenue. And standing here on this untouched coast, you can see what that vision could bring, but also what it would take away.

[Will Chalk]

Emily Wither reporting. Unless you're really into curling, you probably only pay attention to the sport when the Winter Olympics come around. But there are attempts to change that. The first ever professional curling league is underway in Toronto, Canada, and the organizers are hoping it will become as popular as darts, with fans dressing up and treating it as a night out. Bruce Mowat won a silver medal in the men's team event for Great Britain at the recent Winter Olympic Games in Italy, and he's the captain or skip of one of the six franchises taking part in the competition. He told James Kumarasami how Rock League works and why this is a big moment for curling.

[Bruce Mowat]

This is very exciting for us. We've done a lot in the sport, but seeing a professional league come about within my career span is quite exciting for me. I think we've had a lot of good moments in the career and this is another one to add to that growing list which is exciting for all of us.

[Will Chalk]

So what should people watching expect?

[Bruce Mowat]

Well, I'm now getting to compete against my teammates. So it's going to be pretty fierce competition. We're going to be pretty competitive against each other. We know all the athletes that are here. Like, there's 60 incredible athletes participating and every single one of them is as competitive as the next. So it's going to be a very fierce competition and exciting to see all the different mashups and communication styles between different languages.

[Will Chalk]

Yes. I mean, it's interesting. You've got different people from different countries playing for not sort of the normal continent that they are from.

[Bruce Mowat]

Yeah, yeah. We've got, like, imports as well. Like, my team is the only team that's actually got 100% from their continent. So, like, I'm a European franchise. I've got nine other teammates are all from Europe. But some of the other franchises have imports. So, like Grant Hardy, who I normally play with, he is playing for the American franchise and Bobby Lammy is playing for the Asian franchise. So they're imported into that franchise, which

[Will Chalk]

already tells us this is going to be different. It's not a normal event, is it? I mean, what. And also, what. Slightly different times and slightly different. Not rules, but it's truncated, isn't it?

[Bruce Mowat]

Yeah. So similar to, like the hundred in cricket or a couple other sports disciplines, they've tried to, like, shorten the game. So we're now only playing seven ends. At the Olympics, we played 10. They also have reduced the amount of time that we're able to play in. So we have to be quicker on our feet. We have to think really quickly to hopefully not only make lots of shots, but to not run out of time and lose the game.

[Will Chalk]

And what about the audience?

[Hashiya Junaidi]

Because I read that they are going

[Will Chalk]

to be encouraged to get a bit more darts, like, in their approach to it. Is that right?

[Bruce Mowat]

The owners, they enjoy the idea of fan and engagement in the sport and creating a good atmosphere for them, quite a lively atmosphere. They're playing music, like, the first draw is going on just behind me and they're playing live music. Well, maybe not live, but a DJ is playing with music and, you know, fans are having a good time. Some of them have dressed up in costumes similar to the darts. So, yeah, it looks like a good atmosphere in there. So there's bananas. There's some people that have dressed as, like, crayons because of the draw that we play. So, yeah, those are the two creative ones I've seen so far. But I'm excited to see what else

[Will Chalk]

people come with dressing up like a crayon and going to the curling you can't beat it, can you? Bruce Mount a Team GB curler, speaking to James Kumarasami. 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@BBC World Service. Use the hashtag globalnewspod. We've got a 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 Sid Dundon. The editor is Karen Martin and I am Will Chalk. Until next time, goodbye.

[Hashiya Junaidi]

It's 2009 and we're in the German mountains. A man straps himself into a car on the world's most dangerous racetrack. He whispers to himself, it's time to

[Anbarasan Eti Rajan]

put my balls on the dashboard as

[Hashiya Junaidi]

he starts the engine.

[Will Chalk]

In 15 minutes, he's in an ambulance, unconscious. In 15 years, he's a billionaire.

[Hashiya Junaidi]

This is total wolf, formula one's most powerful team boss and the breakout star of Drive To Survive.

[Will Chalk]

This week on Good Bad Billionaire, How Toto Wolff made his billions. Listen wherever you get your BBC podcasts.