BBC reveals rift at top of Taliban regime

Summary

Global News Podcast – Detailed Summary

Episode Title: BBC reveals rift at top of Taliban regime
Date: January 15, 2026
Host: Celia Hatton, BBC World Service

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on a landmark BBC investigation revealing serious internal divisions at the highest echelons of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. The episode presents in-depth analysis of the leaked evidence of rifts within the Taliban, the implications for Afghan governance, and reactions from within the group. Other major segments in the episode report on Iran's crackdown on protests, regulatory responses to X's AI chatbot Grok, Uganda's troubled elections, a fatal infrastructure accident in Thailand, a medical evacuation from the ISS, and Wikipedia's 25th anniversary.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Revealed Divisions at the Top of the Taliban Regime

• BBC Afghan Service Investigation:
  Zia Sharir (BBC Afghan Service) details a year-long probe into Taliban leadership, based on a leaked recording where the group's Supreme Leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, voices fears about internal fractures potentially toppling the government.
  • Secretive Leadership:
    “The Taliban are a very secretive government, one of the most secretive, with a leader who is not showing his face...” – Zia Sharir (02:53)
  • Nature of the Split:
    • Kandahar Group: Led by Akhundzada, radical and isolationist, focuses on strict sharia implementation, especially crackdowns on women's rights, and highly centralized power in Kandahar.
    • Kabul Group: Led by key ministers (notably Defence Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani), more moderate, supports re-engagement with the international community and increased rights for women, frustrated at power hoarding in Kandahar.
  • Potential Implications:
    “His concern talks about the differences inside the Taliban that could eventually topple down their government.” – Zia Sharir (03:18)
  • Quote from Leaked Audio (Voice of Jonathan Head, Translating Akhundzada):
    “They will set people against one another... so that the system becomes weak and divisions increase. As a result... the Emirate will be destroyed...” (03:42)
• Taliban Denial:
  • The official spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, acknowledged “differences of ideas” but rejected talk of a real division: “...just like, as he put it, members of family who have differences on different things. But he said no division.” – Zia Sharir (06:38)
• Impact on Afghans:
  • The uncertainty adds to the population’s sense of instability under Taliban rule, as few have glimpsed the leader and some even suspect he is a myth. “...through this piece... we first confirmed that he does exist.” – Zia Sharir (05:48)
• Timestamps:
  • Segment Start: 01:59
  • Analysis: 02:53–06:38

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2. Iran’s Crackdown on Protests: Insights from Digital Evidence

• State Violence Detailed:
  J.R. Gol (BBC Persian Service) shares harrowing details from citizen videos and messages out of Iran, painting a graphic picture of violence against civilians.
  • “[The Basij] alongside anti-riot police chasing young protesters through the streets. As they run, the security forces are firing their weapons.” – J.R. Gol (08:02)
  • “...images emerging from Iran are harrowing. One shows a woman in her late 40s, dressed in blood, standing in shock and grief among rows of body bags...” (08:30)
• Internet Blackout:
  Only those with access to Starlink satellites can get information out; most cities are silenced.
• Official Narrative vs. Reality:
  The Iranian government blames “terrorists” for protester deaths, vows no mercy for detainees, and denies true casualty figures.
  • “Every day, every hour, the number of dead continues to rise. We can say with confidence that thousands of young men and women have been killed in these recent protests.” – J.R. Gol (10:56)
• Timestamps:
  • Segment Start: 07:07
  • Main Reporting: 08:02–11:03

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3. Controversy over X’s (formerly Twitter) Grok AI Chatbot

• Emergence of ‘Deepfake’ Features:
  Grok allowed digital removal of clothing from real people’s photos, including children—prompting widespread outrage and bans.
  • “X has a zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, non consensual nudity and unwanted sexual content.” – Nick Marsh (11:47)
• Regulatory Action:
  • Malaysia and Indonesia ban Grok; authorities in the UK, France, India, and California launch investigations.
  • X’s response: Will restrict features where illegal but stops short of a global ban. “...this all applies with the caveat of whether these are deemed illegal in your jurisdiction.” – Nick Marsh (12:23)
• Elon Musk’s Stance:
  • Previously dismissed criticisms as “an excuse for censorship and limiting free speech.”
• Timestamps:
  • Segment Start: 11:03
  • Business/Regulatory Insight: 11:47–14:13

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4. Uganda’s Election Marred by Delays and Suppression

• Technical Voting Problems:
  • Biometrics and equipment failures prevented polls from opening on time.
    • “Officials...told me they were failing or they couldn't configure the gadgets to connect the stations with the central system or the central portal.” – Samiya Wami (17:30)
• Atmosphere of Intimidation:
  • Heavy opposition repression; prominent activists jailed or “disappeared;” even the main rival wears body armor out of fear.
    • “...the main opposition party...have said over 700 of their supporters and senior leaders have been either arrested or disappeared.” – Samiya Wami (19:06)
• Doubts Over Fairness:
  • “If you ask the opposition activists they will cast doubt on whether the selection will be free and fair.” – Samiya Wami (19:06)
• Timestamps:
  • Segment Start: 16:12
  • On-the-Ground Observations: 17:30–20:18

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5. Deadly Infrastructure Failure in Thailand

• Fatal Crane Collapse:
  • A crane from a high-speed railway project crashed onto a train, killing at least 32.
  • “One of the carriages is completely cut in half and the massive steel girders that came down off this high speed railway line... down onto the passing train.” – Jonathan Head (21:06)
• Wider Safety Concerns:
  • Another crane accident occurred the following day, spotlighting Thailand’s problematic safety culture in public construction.
    • “...there are lingering problems with safety culture in this country that still need to be addressed.” – Jonathan Head (22:55)
• National and International Implications:
  • The rail line is a prestige project linking Bangkok to China—its reputation now damaged.
• Timestamps:
  • Segment Start: 20:18
  • Incident Report: 21:06–23:14

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6. Historic Medical Evacuation from the ISS

• First Medical Evacuation in 25 Years:
  • Four astronauts, including American, Japanese, and Russian crew, were evacuated from the ISS due to a medical issue (unspecified).
    • “This was the first medical evacuation that's ever been carried out since crews first started going to the station a quarter of a century ago.” – Celia Hatton (23:48)
  • “...as they were coming out of the capsule, they looked buoyant. They were pumping their fists, giving the thumbs up...” – Peter Goffin (25:32)
• Mission Impact:
  • Now only three remain on the station, doubling up on duties.
• Timestamps:
  • Segment Start: 23:14
  • Splashdown and Coverage: 23:30–26:18

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7. Wikipedia’s 25th Anniversary: Reflections & Stats

• Growth and Reach:
  • From a few hundred articles in 2001 to over 65 million; edited by nearly 250,000 each month; 350 edits a minute.
    • “Wikipedia is the only website in the top 10 most visited global sites run by a non profit.” – Zoe Kleinman (29:28)
• Vandalism and Accuracy Issues:
  • Cases like the “Jaredo Wens” hoax (a fictional god that lasted nearly a decade).
    • “Hoaxes, edit wars and debates over accuracy have all been part of its journey.” – Zoe Kleinman (27:39)
  • Most edited page: WWE personnel list.
• AI and Future Challenges:
  • Jimmy Wales, founder:
    • “I mean, I do worry a lot about the rise of censorship around the world... democratic governments, are starting to, I think, soften on their understanding of freedom of expression...” (29:01)
    • “It’s not good enough to write Wikipedia entries, but it is good enough to, say, spot a problem or to make a suggestion.” (28:52)
• Timestamps:
  • Segment Start: 26:18
  • Interviews and Reflection: 26:44–29:41

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Taliban Fractures:

  • “The differences inside the Taliban... could eventually topple down their government.” – Zia Sharir (03:19)
  • “Within the body of the government, they will set people against one another... as a result... the Emirate will be destroyed...” – Akhundzada, via Jonathan Head (03:42)

• On Iran's Violence:

  • “Thousands of young men and women have been killed in these recent protests. A level of violence against protesters that is unprecedented in modern Iran.” – J.R. Gol (10:56)

• On Regulatory Loopholes for AI:

  • “Presumably... if these things creating unwanted sexual content... are not illegal in your jurisdiction, the news is still free to do that using Grok.” – Nick Marsh (12:23)

• On Wikipedia’s Mission:

  • “Wikipedia’s mission remains the same. Free knowledge for all.” – Zoe Kleinman (29:41)

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Timestamps for Main Segments

| Timing (MM:SS) | Segment Title/Topic | |--------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:08–06:38 | Taliban rift investigation; implications for Afghanistan | | 07:07–11:03 | Iran protests and crackdown | | 11:03–14:13 | X’s AI bot Grok controversy and regulation | | 16:12–20:18 | Uganda’s delayed elections and repression | | 20:18–23:14 | Thai infrastructure accident: crane collapse on train | | 23:14–26:18 | ISS medical evacuation: astronauts return | | 26:18–29:41 | Wikipedia’s 25th anniversary: founders, facts, and future |

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Episode Tone

Factual, serious, and analytical, with empathetic moments during human-centered reports (e.g., Iran protests, the ISS return). The reporting maintains the BBC’s signature clarity, formality, and careful attribution.

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Summary Conclusion

This episode of the Global News Podcast delivers comprehensive coverage of urgent international news, led by an exclusive investigation into a destabilizing rift in the Taliban regime—a revelation with profound consequences for Afghanistan’s people and international relations. It further contextualizes global political upheaval, technological controversies, public safety crises, and celebrates milestones in knowledge sharing, making it essential listening for those seeking to stay informed on world affairs.

Transcript

[Jonathan Head]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK.

[Celia Hatton]

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[Celia Hatton]

This is the global news podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Celia Hatton and at 16 hours GMT on Thursday 15th January, these are our main stories. An exclusive BBC investigation in Afghanistan reveals a split at the top of the ruling Taliban. Videos and voice messages from Iran show the extent of the government's crackdown on protesters. And the social media platform X announces new rules for its AI chatbot grok over the creation of sexualized images of real people. Also in this podcast, Uganda's general election faces widespread delays as President Museveni seeks a seventh term.

[Samiya Wami]

And Dragon SpaceX we see splashdown on behalf of SpaceX and NASA.

[Celia Hatton]

Welcome home crew 11. Four astronauts are back on Earth after the first ever medical evacuation of the International Space Station. In the last edition of this podcast, we brought you an exclusive BBC report on a split at the top of the Taliban in Afghanistan. In a leaked recording, the group's supreme leader, Haiba Tullah Akanza, warns that the divisions could bring down his government. The story is the result of a year long investigation by the BBC's Afghan service. And now we want to bring you more details from one of the journalists who worked on it, Zia Sharir. He told us that while the Taliban has denied the split, it could have huge ramifications for the 44 million people within Afghanistan and how they experience the Taliban's harsh rule.

[Zia Sharir]

The Taliban are a very secretive government, one of the most secretive, with a leader who is not showing his face and do not come out, pictures are not taken from him. So what we tried to do was to look into their daily operations and how they are governing Afghanistan. But also last year there was a leaked audio that we obtained in the BBC. And in that audio, the leader of the Taliban expresses concern, concern about internal division inside the Taliban. His concern talks about the differences inside the Taliban that could eventually topple down their government. Within the body of the government, they.

[Jonathan Head]

Will set people against one another. They will criticize each other so that the system becomes weak and divisions increase. As a result of these divisions, the Emirate will be destroyed and will simply.

[Celia Hatton]

Come to an end.

[Zia Sharir]

So our one year investigation was focused onto finding out what are these differences and who are opposing each other inside the Taliban government. And we found out that in fact, there are two groups. One is based in Kandahar, lit by Hibbatullah Khadzada himself. The Kandahar group is loyalists to the leader who are pushing and supporting the radical and extremist policies that hibbatullahhunzada is pushing across the country, particularly on women education and women's work. But also in relation to their relationship with the world. They are more into isolationist policies and also the strict implementation of the Sharia law or the morality law, which is a major source of difference between the two groups, and also the concentration of power. So they're concentrating a lot of power in Kandahar. The leader is in charge of pretty much everything in the government. But then we have the Kabul group, consisting of the Defense Minister, interior Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister. The most famous of them are Sarojeddin Haqqani, who was once the leader of the Haqqani network, a very feared militant group. But now he's sort of showing and also group around him show showing more interest into moderate policies, particularly again into female education. And also they are not happy about the concentration of power in Kandahar. They think that the ministers are being overlooked by the leader in Kandahar and they are also supporting active interaction with the international community.

[Celia Hatton]

Okay, so now that we're aware of this apparent division within the Taliban, this lack of unity, of what difference could this make for people living in Afghanistan?

[Zia Sharir]

It's a very important question, I think, and what we've tried through this investigation to first of all, take the people and the people of Afghanistan into who are ruling them, because There is a lot of, should I say secretive or there are secrets, ambiguity, and they're not very sure who are ruling them because they cannot see the leader. Because we have audiences, we have people who say that hebbatullahuzada doesn't exist at all because he doesn't show himself in it. So through this piece, we still, we first confirmed that he does exist. But we also go into, through eyewitnesses, through our sources, into his meetings, into his daily operation in Kandahar. How does he talk to people? Where does he go?

[Celia Hatton]

What's been the Taliban's response to your reporting?

[Zia Sharir]

So the Taliban main spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, responded to our questions and he denied flatly that there is any internal division among the Taliban. He said, we are aware of what division would do to the Taliban or to any group or to any government. But he did say that there are differences of ideas inside the government and just like, as he put it, members of family who have differences on different things. But he said no division.

[Celia Hatton]

Zia Sharir on to Iran now. The state now claims there is calm on the streets after weeks of angry protests. Though human rights groups say thousands of people were killed. To bring the demonstrations to a halt, Donald Trump's threat to take action and even use lethal force in support of protesters still looms over Tehran. Iran closed its airspace for five hours overnight and its foreign minister has urged the US President to choose diplomacy, not war. Where does that leave the protesters? Iran has not allowed foreign journalists into the country and a communications blackout has made it difficult to speak to people there. But J.R. gol of BBC's Persian Service has been piecing together videos and messages from protesters to gain a fuller picture of the violence they've faced.

[J.R. Gol]

In. A video recently emerged from Tehran shows paramilitary loyal to the supreme leader, the Basij, alongside anti riot police chasing young protesters through the streets. As they run, the security forces are firing their weapons. This explains why so many young men and women have been shot from behind, often at close range. With a total Internet shut down across Iran, communicating with the outside world has become extremely difficult. Only a small number of people using Starlink satellite connections have been able to reach us. Images emerging from Iran are harrowing. One shows a woman in her late 40s, dressed in blood, standing in shock and grief among rows of body bags, searching for her loved one. We have received many messages describing what is happening in different cities. To protect their identities, we have broadcast these voices anonymously on BBC Persian. One young men contacted us from a small town in Gilan in northern Iran, a place where people usually turn off their lights early in the evening. He said there were protests with fear and hope. We were all together. Then suddenly it escalated. Another woman from the same town told us that around 2am that day they heard gunshots. At first there were two casualties, but by 4am the number of victims had risen. Images we have seen from open air morgues show families lining up desperately searching for loved ones. Meanwhile, security forces and Revolutionary Guards Intelligence Unit have been arresting people across the country. The Islamic Republic has released images of death protesters, but claims they were killed by terrorists. On state television, security and judicial officials appear one after another, warning that they will show no mercy to anyone accused of rioting or damaging government or private property. Every day, every hour, the number of dead continues to rise. We can say with confidence that thousands of young men and women have been killed in these recent protests. A level of violence against protesters that is unprecedented in modern Iran.

[Celia Hatton]

Elon Musk's AI bot Grok has angered a lot of people over the last few weeks. The strong reaction came after Grok began allowing users to digitally alter people's photos to reduce or remove their clothing. The feature was even being used on images of children and that sparked outrage and legal scrutiny in many countries. At first, X, the platform that features Grok, responded by saying that paid subscribers would still be allowed to access the feature. But now X says that kind of digital editing will no longer be available in parts of the world where it's illegal. Our Asia business correspondent, Nick Marsh spoke to Sally Bundok.

[Nick Marsh]

This is probably the strongest and most detailed response that we've had from X on this issue so far. I think it's fair to say that until now its actions, its responses have been fairly piecemeal. But now it says yes, it will block users from digitally undressing women, you know, real life women in photos, creating sexualized material of minors and that sort of thing. In its statement, it says that X has a zero tolerance for any forms of child sexual exploitation, non consensual nudity and unwanted sexual content. Interestingly though, this all applies with the caveats of whether these are deemed illegal in your jurisdiction. Presumably, if these things creating unwanted sexual content, that is, are not illegal in your jurisdiction, the news is still free to do that using Grok. And the same goes for creating sexual content with Grok of imaginary humans. That is still very much allowed. But this is definitely the strongest and the most detailed response we've had so far.

[Celia Hatton]

And here in the UK we've seen a lot of reaction to this from the government, from the watchdog as well. What about where you are in Malaysia, Indonesia? They've actually just banned it, have they?

[Nick Marsh]

Yeah, they banned GROK over the weekend. They were the first countries in the world to do so. And obviously, as you say in the uk there's an investigation there with the regulatory authorities. We've seen the same in France, in India as well. And then most recently, California's attorney general said that he'd be investigating grok. And actually it was very shortly after this announcement in California that GROK came out with this statement saying that they would be taking much stronger action against this kind of content. This has been a controversy that's been bubbling up. It sort of bled into the political sphere a little bit as well. We know that Elon Musk has had his differences with Keir Starmer, the British Prime Minister, and interestingly until now, and we haven't had any direct comments on these new actions taken by X from Elon Musk. But it was only a few days ago that Elon Musk was calling any criticisms of GROK or any concerns an excuse for censorship and limiting free speech. So we'll see how these new restrictions are implemented and how thoroughly they're rolled out across the world.

[Celia Hatton]

Nick Marsh in Singapore, speaking to Sally Bundok. Still to come in this podcast, the hottest topics on Wikipedia, Britney Spears, Donald.

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[Zia Sharir]

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[Samiya Wami]

The technical issues have delayed voting from starting. The polls were supposed to open or at least the voting should have started at 7am but until 10, when we left several polling stations that were visited, voting had not started yet. Officials at the centers what was the problem? And they told me they were failing or they couldn't configure the gadgets to connect the stations with the central system or the central portal.

[Celia Hatton]

Were we expecting a big turnout to the election before we knew of these technical problems?

[Samiya Wami]

We've seen a lot of political party supporters in big rallies, like massive rallies, hundreds of people have been attending. But there has always been a question about whether These attendance in campaign rallies would translate into actually people going to vote there. People that I've spoken to here and then asked them whether they were planning to vote. Quite a few of them expressed disinterest, really not going to vote. And they said the winner of the election, especially the presidential candidate is almost known already. So they felt like there was no point for them to go out to vote. But this morning when I visited these polling stations, some of them had long queued maybe over 100 people. But the first one, especially the polling station where the opposition politician, the opposition presidential candidate, the main opposition present candidate was going to vote, there were less than 100 people and it's quite a big district. You'd expect there would be many, many people there. But it was different.

[Celia Hatton]

Sammy, how free and fair is this election likely to be given that there are major restrictions on President Musevane's opponents?

[Samiya Wami]

Well, that question really depends on who you ask, right? If you ask the electoral commission, they've been assuring voters that they would manage these elections with utmost professionalism. They would abide with the law and making sure that whoever wins will be announced. But again when you ask their opposition and activists, they'll tell you otherwise. And they said, you know, they point out to some of the experiences especially the opposition have had in the last few weeks, few months. The opposition, the main opposition party, the National Unit Party have said over 700 of their supporters and senior leaders have been either arrested or disappeared. There's one of the leading activists is in jail right now. The former strongest opponent for President Museven Kizabesiye is also in prison facing treason charges. Even the main opponent of President Museven in this election wears bulletproof and helmet for protection because they said security has not been good in the country. So if you ask the opposition activists they will cast doubt on whether the selection will be free and fair of the electoral commission has assured voters that they will conduct this with with highest professionalism and abiding, you know, by the law.

[Celia Hatton]

Sami Awami in Uganda in Thailand questions are being asked about the dangers posed by all large scale construction projects in public areas. That's after a crane fell onto a passenger train on Wednesday killing at least 32 people. The crane was part of a major rail project to link the Thai capital Bangkok with southern China. It was supposed to showcase the of the two countries engineering works. However, Thailand's Structural Engineers association is now calling for the suspension of major building projects in public areas. This comes as two people were killed on Thursday after a second crane collapsed onto a highway in central Thailand. Our correspondent Jonathan Head spoke to us from the scene of Wednesday's incident.

[Jonathan Head]

The day after the accident, there's been a lot of activity down here as they've tried to clear away the rubble, the destroyed carriages. One of the carriages is completely cut in half and the massive steel girders that came down off this high speed railway line that they're constructing here, down onto the passing train. There've been a lot of heavy cranes coming in here, lorries taking out the debris from the accident. At the same time, we've had visits from people inspecting, checking what might have gone wrong. And some of the relatives have also come down here, relatives of those who died on the train, just to see the site of where it all happened. There is an active investigation, apparently ongoing. The government ordered one immediately. The railway authority says they expect to complete their first inquiry within two weeks. But already people are raising serious questions about what was going on here. One engineer saying that the train should never have been passing on the old line underneath this high speed rail when they were carrying out the difficult manoeuvre of extending these gantries that help construct these elevated railway. People are asking for answers and there's a big question about how much it's going to delay this already much postponed project which is going to eventually link the Thai capital Bangkok with China. This is a prestige project. It's meant to be a showcase of Chinese and Thai engineering working together. Obviously with what's happened here. That's a huge setback to the reputation of the people building this and indeed to Thailand's plans to modernize its infrastructure. You can see these kinds of building sites and these kind of ambitious infrastructure infrastructure improvements going on all over the country. And we've heard that only today, this morning, the day after the accident, there's been another very similar accident on a major road improvement project south of Bangkok, which suggests that there are lingering problems with safety culture in this country that still need to be addressed.

[Celia Hatton]

Jonathan Head Four astronauts have arrived back on Earth after their mission at the International Space Station was cut short because of an unspecified medical issue. Their space capsules splashed down into the waters off the coast of California.

[Samiya Wami]

Dragon SpaceX, we see splashdown.

[Celia Hatton]

SpaceX, Dragon copy concurs. Splashdown and names are cut.

[Samiya Wami]

We are in 4.800 SpaceX copies and we see the same mains cut. On behalf of SpaceX and NASA, welcome home crew 11.

[Celia Hatton]

This was the first medical evacuation that's ever been carried out since crews first started going to the station. A Quarter of a century ago, the newsroom's Peter Goffin was watching the return.

[Peter Goffin]

It started with the SpaceX Dragon capsule, which looks, by the way, like a big metal cone hurtling back into the Earth's atmosphere at around 190 km per hour, deploying four parachutes and floating far more slowly down into the Pacific Ocean in total darkness. This was the middle of the night, local time. Now, the capsule was met within minutes by a recovery boat. It was hoisted on board and there was this great moment of suspense when the capsule door opened. Medical staff and a NASA photographer crawled in. And finally the first astronaut, Commander Mike Fink, emerged. And then Zena Cardman, then the Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Plutonov. Now, NASA has not said what the illness on board the space station was or which of the astronauts is affected. We do know that if one person has to come back from the space station, everyone who arrived with them on the capsule has to go, too. That's their ride home, essentially. But today, none of the astronauts were visibly unwell. Now, they don't come bounding triumphantly out of the capsule. Astronauts never do. They have to be helped onto a gurney and then wheeled away. But that's because spending months in low gravity takes a serious toll on the body. Astronauts need to regain their balance. They need to build back muscle mass. But otherwise there were no visible signs of anything wrong with these four.

[Celia Hatton]

Peter, I do agree with you. Watching the images of that capsule splashing down and then waiting for it to be reopened was pretty co. But it must have been a difficult moment for the astronauts who've had their mission cut short.

[Peter Goffin]

Yeah, bittersweet is the way that Commander Fink described it. And just imagine, you've trained for this mission for years and then you don't get to complete it. These four astronauts had been on the International Space Station since August. They had about a month left on their scheduled stay. But I must say, as they were coming out of the capsule, they looked buoyant. They were pumping their fists, giving the thumbs up, waving to people on the boat. There was this fantastic close up of Kimi A Yui beaming from ear to ear. We should note, though, there are three people who stayed behind on the space station as a sort of skeleton crew to keep things running until the next crew arrives in mid February. Their mission continues and it's just become a lot more challenging as these three people will have to do the work of seven astronauts.

[Celia Hatton]

Peter Goffin, it's 25 years today since the launch of Wikipedia the online encyclopedia is funded by donations and run by volunteers, meaning it's made a huge amount of knowledge available for free. But it's also open to abuse and misinformation. Our technology editor, Zoe Kleinman has been looking back at how one of the Internet's most popular sites came to be.

[Zoe Kleinman]

Since its launch in 2001, Wikipedia has grown from a few hundred articles to more than 65 million across 300 languages. It's become the go to resource for curious minds worldwide, and hundreds of thousands of volunteers work tirelessly to keep it up to date. People rush to Wikipedia when someone famous dies. Its service almost collapsed following Michael Jackson's death in 2009, and its page about the US conservative activist Charlie Kirk was visited 170 times per second in the hours after he was assassinated. It's also gone from digital to analogue. The Magna Carta page was turned into a giant embroidery. Back to basics. Founder Jimmy Wales told me why it's called Wikipedia.

[Zia Sharir]

Well, the software is called wiki, and a wiki is just a website anybody can edit. It comes from a Hawaiian word, wiki, wiki, which means quick. So the idea is quick collaboration.

[Zoe Kleinman]

It hasn't been without controversy. Hoaxes, edit wars and debates over accuracy have all been part of its journey. A page dedicated to a completely made up God called Jaredo Wens stayed online for nearly 10 years before being caught. Britney Spears, Donald Trump and Jesus are among the most edited individuals, racking up tens of thousands of amendments over the years. Stricter sourcing rules and a global community of volunteer editors try and keep misinformation in check. Those volunteers are key.

[Zia Sharir]

Oh yeah. I mean, the volunteer community is absolutely everything. They write all the content, they make all the editorial decisions they do the community management and things like that.

[Zoe Kleinman]

Let's crunch some numbers. Wikipedia is edited by nearly 250,000 volunteers every month.

[Jonathan Head]

Month.

[Zoe Kleinman]

With edits made 350 times every minute. The most edited page is a list of WWE personnel. Yes, the wrestling brand. With more than 59,000 changes so far, at 25, it faces new challenges. Disinformation, deepfakes and artificial intelligence.

[Zia Sharir]

You know, we think there's some interesting opportunities for our community to use AI to help us with the work.

[Jonathan Head]

Work.

[Zia Sharir]

It's not good enough to write Wikipedia entries, but it is good enough to say, spot a problem or to make a suggestion.

[Zoe Kleinman]

What does the next 25 years hold?

[Zia Sharir]

I mean, I do worry a lot about the rise of censorship around the world and the various ways that governments, both totalitarian governments, but also even democratic governments, are starting to, I think, soften on their understanding of freedom of expression and so forth. So I worry a fair amount about that sort of thing. I always am thinking about the community and thinking how do we stay healthy? How do we stay strong?

[Zoe Kleinman]

Wikipedia is the only website in the top 10 most visited global sites run by a non profit. And yes, people do use that familiar pop up banner to make donations. Wikipedia's mission remains the same. Free knowledge for all.

[Celia Hatton]

Zoe Kleiman, who's been speaking to the founder of Wikipedia, Jimmy Wales. And that's all from us for now. But there will be a new edition of the Global News Podcast later. If you want to comment on this podcast or the topics covered in it, you can send us an email. The address is global podcastbc.co.uk you can also find us on X@BBC World Service. Use the hashtag Global Newspod. This edition was produced by Peter Goffin. It was mixed by Nick Randall. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Celia Hatton. Until next time. Goodbye. If journalism is the first draft of history, what happens if that draft is flawed? In 1999, four Russian apartment buildings were bombed, hundreds killed. But even now, we still don't know for sure who did it. It's a mystery that sparked chilling theories. I'm Helena Merriman, and in a new BBC series, I'm talking to the reporters who first covered this story. What did they miss the first time? The History Bureau, Putin and the apartment bombs. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.