Epstein files: More than three million new pages released

Summary

Global News Podcast – "Epstein files: More than three million new pages released"

Host: Will Chalk, BBC World Service
Date: January 31, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode provides in-depth coverage of several breaking global stories, focusing on the massive new release of Jeffrey Epstein case files by the US Justice Department. Other major stories include US–Mexico tensions over Cuba, ongoing civil unrest and immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, a major court victory for a Saudi dissident targeted with spyware, and pop culture news.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Epstein Files: Major Document Release

Timestamps: 01:05–05:34

• US Justice Department released:

  • 3 million pages, 180,000 images, ~2,000 videos related to the Jeffrey Epstein case.
  • This document dump is said to be the final release.

• Notable figures mentioned:

  • Former President Donald Trump, Bill Gates, Prince Andrew (Andrew Mountbatten Windsor), among others.
  • Host clarification: “there’s no suggestion that appearing in the files implies any wrongdoing, and many people who have featured in previous releases have denied any illicit behavior.” (01:34, Will Chalk)

• Redaction & Transparency Concerns:

  • “In some cases entire pages [are] blacked out... makes it very difficult to verify any of the claims being made.” (03:23, Peter Bowes, North America correspondent)
  • Public skepticism remains high, especially among campaigners and survivors, due to incomplete and heavily redacted releases.
  • Epstein survivors group: “This is not over. We will not stop until the truth is fully revealed.” (04:58)
  • House Oversight Committee: “Outrageous ... that roughly only 50% of these files have been released.” (05:25)

• Justice Department’s Stance:

  • “If we learn about information and evidence that allows us to prosecute them, you better believe we will.” (02:56, Todd Blanche, US Deputy Attorney General)
  • No credible evidence found so far to prosecute further high-profile individuals.

• Bill Gates Allegations:

  • Dismissed as “absolutely absurd and completely false” by his spokesperson. (04:08)

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2. Mexico–US–Cuba Oil Tariffs & Humanitarian Crisis

Timestamps: 05:34–09:28

• Mexico’s Warning:

  • President Claudia Sheinbaum warns US tariffs on oil exports to Cuba could “trigger a humanitarian crisis.” (06:01)
  • She urges diplomatic solutions, emphasizing supporting the Cuban people.

• Trump Administration’s Actions:

  • New executive order threatens sanctions on countries supplying oil to Cuba, aiming to end the Cuban revolution’s regime.
  • Venezuela’s supply to Cuba has dropped from ~100,000 to zero barrels/day; Mexico now supplies the largest share (~25,000 barrels/day). (08:13, Will Grant, correspondent)

• Consequences in Cuba:

  • Situation described as “very, very bad,” potentially worse than the Cold War period.
  • Oil reserves could run out within two weeks.
  • Result: Rolling blackouts (12–15 hours), risk of hospitals, schools, businesses shutting down.

• Regional and Political Dynamics:

  • US exerting control over Venezuelan energy.
  • Mexico caught between supporting Cuba and facing US economic threats.

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3. Iran Nuclear Crisis and US Military Tension

Timestamps: 09:28–12:56

• Iran open to talks with US, but only on “equal footing,” not under military threat.
• Human Rights Crisis:
  • Internet shutdowns, mass casualties from government crackdowns: “tens of thousands of people have been killed and injured.” (10:35, Batman Kalbasi, BBC Persian)
  • Rising support among Iranians for outside intervention post-January events, as hope for internal reform dwindles.

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4. US Protest Unrest in Minneapolis: Immigration Crackdown

Timestamps: 16:10–24:05

• Minneapolis Protests:

  • Thousands demand ICE withdrawal after deaths of protesters Alex Pretty and Renee Good at the hands of immigration agents.
  • Authorities respond with tear gas, raising tensions.

• Local Political Leaders’ Response:

  • Richard Carbon (Chair, MN Democratic Farmer Labour Party):
    • “More than 3,000 ICE agents violating our constitutional rights, roughing up American citizens... throwing tear gas outside of a preschool.” (17:49)
    • Community organizing and training of 8,000 “constitutional observers” to document federal abuses and inform public opinion. (18:30)
    • “Public opinion … has shifted dramatically … because our observers are collecting that video evidence, producing it on the internet, and people around the world are watching.” (19:08)

• Native American Detentions:

  • Native Americans increasingly harassed and detained by ICE despite being US citizens.
  • “Tribal ID is a federally recognized form of identification… ICE has absolutely no business detaining and targeting Native Americans.” (21:45, Stephanie Prentice quoting Jacqueline De Leon)
  • ICE accused of racial profiling. Report includes first-hand accounts: “You don’t belong out here in society anyway.” (24:02)

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5. Saudi Dissident Awarded Damages for Spyware Attack

Timestamps: 24:05–28:02

• Ghanem Al Masarir, human rights YouTuber:
  • Targeted with Pegasus spyware and harassed in London at the Saudi government’s behest, proven in UK court.
  • Awarded about £3 million in damages.
  • “They can see your location, they can turn on the camera, they can turn on the microphone... you feel you’ve been violated. Basically, they have ruined my life.” (25:04, 25:47, Ghanem Al Masarir)
  • Reflections on Saudi Arabia’s “hypocrisy”—hosting major comedy festivals while persecuting comedians and dissidents abroad. (27:40)

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6. Pop Culture Tributes: Catherine O'Hara & Bridgerton

Timestamps: 12:56–14:08 (O’Hara); 28:07–31:51 (Bridgerton)

• Catherine O’Hara Dies at 71:

  • Tributes from Canada’s Prime Minister and colleagues.
  • “Catherine earned her place in the canon of Canadian comedy… the country had lost a legend.” (13:07, David Sillitoe)

• Bridgerton Season Four Release:

  • Show dominates Netflix’s charts; fans debate its toned-down adult content.
  • “When you have someone you really trust, the sex scenes... just feels like another scene.” (29:26)
  • Creator Julia Quinn:
    • “I’ve always tried to give these historical characters certain modern dreams and goals... in many ways, very similar to the ones that we have today, but they’re dressed up in this beautiful world.” (30:30, Julia Quinn)

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Notable Quotes

• Peter Bowes, on the level of redaction in Epstein files:

  “In some cases, entire pages [are] blacked out… makes it very difficult to verify any of the claims being made.” (03:23)

• Epstein Survivors Group Statement:

  “This is not over. We will not stop until the truth is fully revealed.” (04:58)

• Will Grant, on Cuba’s crisis:

  “Rolling blackouts… 12–15 hour stretches in parts of Havana. That’s the capital… and that’s going to be a struggle.” (08:13–08:33)

• Batman Kalbasi, on Iran’s regime crackdown:

  “We can confidently say tens of thousands of people have been killed and injured and thousands more are in detention centers under horrific conditions...” (10:35)

• Richard Carbon, on Minneapolis ICE operations:

  “More than 3,000 ICE agents violating our constitutional rights, roughing up American citizens... throwing tear gas outside of a preschool.” (17:49)
  “Public opinion … has shifted dramatically … because our observers are collecting that video evidence, producing it on the internet, and people around the world are watching.” (19:08)

• Ghanem Al Masarir, on the impact of state targeting:

  “They can see your location, they can turn on the camera… you feel you’ve been violated... they have ruined my life.” (25:04, 25:47)
  “They are inviting comedians to Saudi Arabia, a massive festival. At the same time, they are hacking a comedian and attacking them... That shows you how hypocrite the Saudi regime is.” (27:40)

• Julia Quinn, on Bridgerton’s appeal:

  “You have people with hopes and dreams that in many ways are very similar to the ones we have today. But they’re dressed up in this beautiful world.” (30:44)

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Important Timestamps Overview

• Epstein files coverage: 01:05–05:34
• Mexico–US–Cuba sanctions: 05:34–09:28
• Iran nuclear & crackdown: 09:28–12:56
• Catherine O’Hara’s death: 12:56–14:08
• Minneapolis protests & ICE: 16:10–24:05
• Native American ICE detentions: 21:15–24:05
• Saudi dissident spyware case: 24:05–28:02
• Bridgerton season four: 28:07–31:51

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Tone

The tone remains urgent, analytical, and empathetic, with sensitivity given to victims’ and communities’ voices and concerns throughout. Host Will Chalk and BBC correspondents provide measured reporting, careful to note context and potential for ongoing developments.

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This summary captures the breadth and depth of a news-packed episode, giving listeners a comprehensive understanding of each major segment and the current stories shaping global headlines.

Transcript

[Will Chalk]

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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 31 January, these are our main stories. The US Justice Department releases over 3 million more documents related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Mexico's President Claudia Schoenbaum warns that U.S. tariffs on countries helping Cuba could trigger a humanitarian crisis. Thousands of protesters have again gathered in the city of Minneapolis in the United States to demand the withdrawal of federal immigration agents. Also in this podcast, being watched and.

[Ghanem Al Masarir]

Being followed by the same faces I see in different places. It was something that I couldn't comprehend.

[Will Chalk]

We'll hear from a human rights YouTuber who's won a court case after his phone was infected with spyware. So 3 million pages, 180,000 images and 2,000 videos. In other words, it's going to be a busy few weeks for lawyers, journalists and than anyone else. Just curious to sift through the latest and we're told, last dump of files relating to the case of the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. We're told there are references to public figures who've previously been associated with Epstein, including the former Microsoft boss Bill Gates, President Donald Trump and Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. But there's no suggestion that appearing in the files implies any wrongdoing, and many people who have featured in previous releases have denied any illicit behavior in relation to the late sex offender. Women who were abused by Epstein want criminal charges brought against some of his associates. Todd Blanche is U.S. deputy Attorney General.

[Richard Carbon]

There's this built in assumption that somehow there's this hidden tranche of information of men that we know about that we're covering up or that we're not, we're choosing not to prosecute. That is not the case. I don't know whether there are men out there that abuse these women. If we learn about information and evidence that that allows us to prosecute them, you better believe we will.

[Will Chalk]

Our North America correspondent Peter Bowes told me more.

It is, as you imply, a vast collection of documents, images, videos, many with redactions. And that's what's making it so difficult. In some cases entire pages blacked out. And that fact in itself has caught the eye of many since. It makes it very difficult to verify any of the claims being made. But we know that there are several high profile figures who are mentioned, including Donald Trump with hundreds of references in one document. There are a number of allegations about the president that come from an FBI tip line which investigators at the time deemed not to be credible. Many of these appear to be based on unverified tips received by the agency and were made without any supporting evidence. And Donald Trump has consistently denied any wrongdoing in relation to Jeffrey Epstein and has not been accused of any crimes. Bill Gates, another high profile figure, has dismissed claims that he caught a sexually transmitted disease, claims made in email sent from Epstein's email account. A spokesman for Mr. Gates told the BBC that these allegations were absolutely absurd and completely false.

Obviously there's the redactions, but there are also documents that still haven't been released. Is this doing anything to satisfy those people who are convinced that there is a cover up still?

No, far from it. In fact, there's probably more suspicion now than before this latest release of documents, which as you say, would appear to be the final one. The campaigners still say that they haven't been given full transparency. The Epstein survivors group of women issued a joint statement saying this is not over. We will not stop until the truth is fully revealed. Adding that the the Justice Department can't claim it is finished releasing files until every legally required document is released. And a similar theme from the top Democrat on the House Oversight Committee which is investigating this as well, saying that it is outrageous and incredibly concerning that roughly only 50% of these files have been released.

That was Peter Bowes. I A warning next from the President of Mexico about Cuba. Claudia Sheinbaum says Donald Trump's threat of new tariffs on countries exporting oil to Havana could completely cripple the island. She's determined to find, she says, a diplomatic solution. It's very important that there is no.

[Stephanie Prentice]

Humanitarian crisis on the island. So I instructed the Secretary of Foreign.

[Will Chalk]

Affairs to discuss this with the US.

[Stephanie Prentice]

Government or have then the US Send the oil.

[Will Chalk]

This is a matter of supporting the Cuban people.

Our correspondent Will Grant in Mexico City told me more about that executive order which was signed by Donald Trump on Thursday.

[Will Grant]

In essence, part of the aim of Donald Trump's executive order is to issue a warning, I think, to Mexico and any other prospective energy partners to Cuba to basically say to them, look, do not step up and try to replace Venezuelan crude oil supplies to Cuba. The aim is, it appears to all intents and purposes, is to see the end of the Cuban revolution in power in Havana. So I think what we're seeing on the Mexican side is that message being delivered to the presidency of Claudia Sheinbaum. And her reaction has been in her morning press briefing that the Trump step could essentially lead to what she called a widespread humanitarian crisis on the island involving hospitals, the provision of basic food and other services.

[Will Chalk]

And you were the Cuba correspondent. How bad are things on the island right now?

[Will Grant]

Well, I was there just two weeks ago, and the short answer is very, very bad. As bad as it has been at any time since the height of the Cold War, people, by and large who lived through that experience say the current situation is significantly worse. You've got the potential complete loss of Venezuelan oil now, and it does look like the Trump administration has been successful in its aim to cut out Venezuela from propping up the Cuban revolution any longer. So although we're getting noises in diplomatic notes from Caracas about how it is inhumane and unjust and incorrect to sort of isolate Cuba in this way, the truth of the matter is that Washington is increasingly controlling the energy sector in, in Venezuela. And as part of that strategy, it will be cutting off the supply to the communist run island of Cuba.

[Will Chalk]

You talk about Mexico filling that Venezuelan void, if you like. In terms of oil shipments, how important are the shipments that Mexico's supplying?

[Will Grant]

They're vital. I mean, the height of the relationship between Venezuela and Cuba, the supplies knocked on the door of 100,000 barrels of oil a day. In recent years, they've dwindled to more like 35,000 barrels of oil a day. But that is also completely vanished now from Venezuela. That makes Mexico the biggest supplier in the maybe 25,000 barrels a day. So to take that out, those rolling blackouts that I've mentioned will just get worse and worse. I was seeing them at sort of 1215 hour stretches in parts of Havana. That's the capital. That's the bit that they're suggesting always they try to keep online as much as possible. That's going to be a struggle. It also means food rotting in fridges. It means difficulties, as Claudia Schoenbaum says, for hospitals, schools being shuttered and closed, businesses being closed. And obviously people very, very worried about what comes next. And when we add to the fact that there is this threat of tariffs to all future and possible energy partners to Cuba, then it's worth remembering that there are estimates that suggest in terms of the oil supplies that Cuba has in reserve, those could dwindle within as little as two weeks.

[Will Chalk]

Will Grant there, speaking to me from Mexico City now, Iran's foreign minister Abbas Arakchee insists his country is ready to discuss its nuclear program with the United States. But he pointed out that any talks must be on an equal footing and not dictated by the threat of military action. US Warships have been deployed to the region as part of what President Donald Trump has described as a massive armada. Mr. Trump also says he wants Iran to stop killing anti government protesters and end its nuclear ambitions. Batman Kalbassi from BBC Persian told me more.

[Batman Kalbasi]

The Internet shutdown obviously made it a lot harder to get information from every corner of the country to realize the depth of the crisis that this mass crackdown has caused. But still, there is a very small connectivity, level of connectivity that goes on sometimes spikes. And in those periods we get a clear idea of this catastrophe. We see the numbers of different human rights organizations, but even though none is exact, we can confidently say tens of thousands of people have been killed and injured and thousands more are in detention centers under horrific conditions. Torture, the possibility of executions, just a wide array of methods that the government is using to shut down dissent. Next to images of mothers and fathers burying their 20 year olds all across the country. Still, we had just one case of a 19 year old whose family thought he was somewhere in a detention center since January 8th and 9th because they basically lost touch with him and only to find his body in a makeshift morgue. It just gives you the mass scale of the killing by the government. The images we're getting show how they opened fire on unarmed protesters everywhere, women, children, just sprayed them down and killed as many as possible, clearly with an intention that to create such level of horror and terror that people would go home and not come out protesting again.

[Will Chalk]

So clearly a lot of grieving going on. But do we know how people are reacting to this news of the American armada approaching.

[Batman Kalbasi]

That is a question that you will get mixed answers from depending on who you speak with. But what I can say is that having spoken to very much the same groups of people throughout the decades of this going on, I see an increased number of people who used to be against any foreign intervention to be now for the kind of intervention that wouldn't hurt the civilian population, wouldn't hurt the civilian infrastructure, but somehow bring the regime down. And now there can be a lot of debates if that's even possibility. But the feeling the mood has changed dramatically post January 8th and January 9th. There is no polling in Iran. Nobody can tell what the majority thinks, but one can feel the mood of people who were against it and now for it in result of this catastrophe.

[Will Chalk]

Batman Kalbasi from BBC Persian, the Emmy winning actress, comedian and screenwriter Catherine o'. Hara. You might know her from her roles in home alone, in Schitt's Creek, has died at the age of 71 after a brief illness. Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney's paid tribute saying over five decades of work, Catherine earned her place in the canon of Canadian comedy and added that the country had lost the legend. Our arts correspondent David Sillitoe looks back at her life.

[Stephanie Prentice]

I have a terrible feeling about what?

[Joe Tidy]

That we didn't do something.

[Will Chalk]

It was more than 30 years ago that Catherine O', Hara, playing Kate McAllister, the mother on the plane, realising she'd left something behind. KEVIN Home Alone was just one of a string of hit movies in the 80s, Beetlejuice, After Hours, heartburn for this Canadian actor who'd come up through the comedy circuit and then in her 60s, saw her career take off again with comedies such as Schitt's Creek and the studio. In a statement, it was said she died at home after a brief illness. Among those paying tribute, Kevin Macaulay Culkin, who wrote I thought we had time. We had so much more to say.

DAVID Sillitoe, Looking back on the life of Catherine o' Hara. Still to come on this podcast, we begin another season I should like great gossip the Social season. It's number one in more than 80 countries. On Netflix, we'll hear from the stars of period drama Bridgerton.

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[Will Chalk]

This is the Global News Podcast. Thousands of protesters have again gathered in Minneapolis in the United States to demand federal immigration agents leave the city. Police fired tear gas at crowds in Government Plaza and outside the building where immigrants have been detained. It's been around a week since the death of protester Alex Pretty at the hands of federal immigration officers. The death which followed the fatal shooting of Renee Good by an ICE officer, has ignited public outcry across the US At a news conference in Minneapolis on Thursday, White House Border Czar Tom Homan vowed to continue the immigration enforcement operation. In my meetings with folks so far, most importantly the governor and the ag, the mayor fry.

[Will Grant]

We didn't agree on everything. I didn't expect to agree on anything.

[Will Chalk]

I've heard many people want to know why we're talking to people who they.

[Will Grant]

Don'T consider friends in administration.

[Will Chalk]

Bottom line is you can't fix problems if you don't have discussions. I didn't come to Minnesota for photo ops or headlines. You haven't seen me. I came here to seek solutions and that's what we're going to do. And we've come a long way and we got some good wins for the people of Minnesota, I think, and for the administration and for the safety security of this city. Well, let's hear From Richard Carbon, who's the chairperson of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labour Party, which is affiliated with the National Democratic Party. He's been talking to my colleague Paul Henley.

[Richard Carbon]

What we see on the ground here is more than 3,000 ICE agents violating our constitutional rights, roughing up American citizens. The morning they asked us to ramp down the rhetoric, they were throwing tear gas outside of a preschool in a suburb.

[Will Chalk]

But are you powerless to change what is happening, even though you have the political majority there?

[Richard Carbon]

We are not powerless. We can continue to do all the organizing we can, and we can continue to demand that our members of Congress, that federal elected officials stand up and stand with Minnesota, do not stand with Donald Trump.

[Will Chalk]

One of the things that you are doing, practically, is offering people training in peaceful protesting. Tell us about that and the demand for it at the moment. Yeah.

[Richard Carbon]

In the last three weeks, we've trained over 8,000 individuals to be constitutional observers. What this means is that people understand what their rights are in a moment when federal agents are acting lawlessness. And the result of this is people around the world are seeing video evidence of federal agents violating constitutional rights and breaking the law. So the constitutional observers are doing really important work on the front lines, revealing the lawlessness.

[Will Chalk]

How important is that video evidence, even when officials deny it? How crucial is the film that your trainees are taking?

[Richard Carbon]

Well, people can see with their own two eyes the truth. Public opinion, when it comes to ICE actions and federal agents actions in Minnesota and around the country has shifted dramatically over the last several weeks because our observers are collecting that video evidence, producing it on the Internet, and people around the world are watching Donald Trump's federal agents violating rights, and people are ready to hold them accountable.

[Will Chalk]

Has the situation been diffused now?

[Richard Carbon]

Well, what I would tell you is that because Tom Homan's in Minnesota, they want us to accept the same kind of actions we are under for the last several weeks, but only now the person doing it is smiling at us.

[Will Chalk]

Are protesters being scared off the streets? Some must be. I mean, there's an obvious risk in taking part in protest, even peaceful protest.

[Richard Carbon]

I am so proud of the Minnesotans who show up because it is a scary situation, but they continue to show up. What's really devastating to me is that there are American citizens, because they are black or brown, who are afraid to leave their house. I know people who are American citizens who literally, when they go get groceries, they carry their passport because they've been stopped. And that is really the devastating consequence.

[Will Chalk]

You are encouraging protest, which the government says is a provocation. How do you react when people say you are provoking trouble?

[Richard Carbon]

One week ago today, on Friday, we had thousands, tens of thousands of people peacefully protest in a march in downtown Minneapolis. And it was one of the most beautiful things. All of that was peaceful. The next morning at 9am, ICE agent agents executed Alex Preddy on the streets of Minneapolis in broad daylight. That is not peaceful.

[Will Chalk]

That was Richard Carbon, the chairperson of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labour Party. And that's just a flavour of some of the outrage that's been sparked by the Trump administration's operation amongst some in Minneapolis, the Department of Homeland Security claims its goal is to target and remove violent undocumented immigrants. But Native Americans say they're also being targeted by ICE agents. Anna Foege reports. We're citizens.

[Richard Carbon]

Okay, then show your id.

[Batman Kalbasi]

Get your id.

[Will Chalk]

We're Native.

[Batman Kalbasi]

What are you doing?

[Stephanie Prentice]

This is the moment a member of a Native American tribe in Minnesota gets dragged out of a car by federal immigration agents. It is part of a trend observed by Native Americans across the U.S. where federal immigration agents, or ICE, increasingly target, harass and detain members of the Native American community. Two people posing as volunteers come here.

[Will Chalk]

And over the weekend.

[Stephanie Prentice]

Ruth Buffalo is the president of the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center, a Native American community center, feeling the direct impact of the federal immigration operation. One man was parked at a stoplight and then harassed by ice, and he gave him his tribal id. ICE was very aggressive to him and threw his card back at him. So it really doesn't matter, really, if you have a tribal id. Tribal ID is a federally recognized form of identification. And Jacqueline De Leon, a lawyer, says ICE has absolutely no business of detaining and targeting Native Americans. A Native American is a United States citizen. We've seen that Native Americans have been unfairly racially profiled.

[Grainger Advertiser]

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[Stephanie Prentice]

For regular process that would allow ICE to find out relatively quickly that Native Americans are, in fact, United States citizens. The BBC reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and asked for their motivation for detaining members of the Native American community. So far, we've had no reply. Around 35,000 Native Americans live in the Minneapolis area. At the local coffee shop, powwow grounds, a neighborhood aid hub has sprung up. Volunteers gather here, and to them it's clear that ICE is picking up people based on their skin color. Lincoln is a volunteer at the aid hub.

[Richard Carbon]

These are families, our friends, that are being taken and detained for however long.

[Batman Kalbasi]

Maybe we don't see them for weeks, maybe we don't see them ever again.

[Richard Carbon]

That worry, that fear, has brought a lot of people together.

[Stephanie Prentice]

While Donald Trump's administration has somewhat softened its tone about the operation on the ground in Minneapolis, the locals, including the Native American community, are still feeling its effects. For many, including Ryan, one big question remains unanswered. So what's the plan? Like, are they going to deport them?

[Will Chalk]

I even asked them that, where are.

[Batman Kalbasi]

You going to send me?

[Richard Carbon]

I'm Native American.

[Will Chalk]

Where are you going to send me? The answer that I got is back.

To your reservation and where you belong.

You don't belong out here in society anyway.

That report was by Anna Foege in Minneapolis. A Saudi human rights activist who accused Saudi Arabia of targeting him with spyware has been awarded almost $4 million in damages by a UK court. The High court effectively proved that the Saudi royal family ordered the hack with the infamous Pegasus spyware and also organized an assault on the British citizen. In central London, Joe Tidey has been speaking to once popular YouTuber who says the ordeal has ruined his life.

[Ghanem Al Masarir]

I never ever heard of Pegasus. I don't know what it is until I found out my phone was hacked.

[Joe Tidy]

London based Saudi dissident Ghanem Al Masarir was a popular YouTuber, but then he was hacked. In 2018. His iPhones were infected with the infamous Pegasus spyware. He started to notice strange things, being.

[Ghanem Al Masarir]

Watched and being followed by the same faces I see in different places. It was something that I couldn't comprehend. They can see your location, they can turn on the camera, they can turn on the microphone, listen to you. They got your data, all pictures, everything you feel you've been violated.

[Joe Tidy]

After years of legal fighting, a UK court has now found the Saudi government was responsible for the hack and ordered it to pay Mr. Al Masar £3 million in compensation, not just for hacking him, but also for arranging for him to be harassed and assaulted in the street.

[Ghanem Al Masarir]

Basically, they have ruined my life. I used to be a person who is happy and enjoying life and woken up early in the morning and going to day to day life and doing work. I can't do that anymore and that's because of what they have done to me.

[Joe Tidy]

His videos criticizing the Saudi royal family were funny and satirical, but also at times personal and offensive. They gathered more than 300 million views, allowing him to earn a living. But he hasn't posted in 3 years and is now shy about being in public. In a sense, then am I right in saying it's tragic here, but they've won, they've silenced you.

[Ghanem Al Masarir]

I think that's what they wanted and they have got it.

[Joe Tidy]

How do you feel about that?

[Ghanem Al Masarir]

I feel depressed that they can get away with something like that, especially in London, Great Britain.

[Joe Tidy]

The hack and assault happened in the same year that Saudi journalist and dissident Jamal Khashoggi was hacked and murdered in the Saudi consulate in Turkey. US Authorities assess that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the killing, something that the ruler denies. Saudi Arabia initially fought Al Nasir in court, arguing that it had immunity because it's a country, but it lost that immunity in 2022 and has not made any attempt to defend itself since. Which begs the do you think they'll ever actually pay?

[Ghanem Al Masarir]

If they don't pay, we will take enforcement measurement and they will be forced. We will take the money anyway.

[Joe Tidy]

Saudi Arabia has spent the last few years and lots of money on sporting and cultural events, including a large comedy festival in October. Big name Western performers including Jimmy Carr and Kevin Hart performed in spite of criticism from Human Rights Watch, something that angered Al Masarir.

[Ghanem Al Masarir]

They are inviting comedians to attend to Saudi Arabia, a massive festival. At the same time they are hacking a comedian and attacking them and ruining their life in broad daylight in London. That shows you how hypocrite the Saudi regime is.

[Joe Tidy]

We asked the Saudi Embassy in London to respond to the court ruling, but received no response.

[Will Chalk]

That report by Joe Tidy now if you're a fan of Bridgerton, the period drama on Netflix that critics and reviews pretty much universally refer to as Steam me, you'll have spent the last few days pretty excited. Season four of the show is currently at number one on the streaming platform in more than 80 countries. Stephanie Prentice has been watching we begin another season.

[Jess Brownell]

This season, viewers journey once again inside the noble Bridgerton family in Regency era England. And this time it's another of the siblings turn to find someone to marry.

[Will Chalk]

The season's most notorious gentleman, Benedict Bridgeton.

[Jess Brownell]

He must bow to that most powerful of forces, mothers. One small problem I am charting a.

[Joe Tidy]

Lavender some course you're a rake.

[Jess Brownell]

A rake being old school English for someone not keen on commitment but probably promiscuous. And this time, series regular Luke Thompson and newcomer Yerin Ha had to spend the most time on set with the show's intimacy coordinator.

[Will Chalk]

They can eventually get fun. You know, there's fun and there's storytelling.

[Richard Carbon]

To be had in those moments.

[Grainger Advertiser]

It's an extension of expression and I think when you have someone you really trust, the sex scenes doesn't feel like a sex scene, it just feels like another scene.

[Jess Brownell]

Bridgerton is renowned for its adult scenes. And some fans have complained that season four is just too tame.

[Will Chalk]

You sound as if you have been made a new man.

[Jess Brownell]

The show's creative, Jess Brownell, says she focused on getting the right tone, and there's much more open discussion this season than usual.

[Will Chalk]

It felt like orgasm wasn't a word that was used in that time period. Our researcher looked into it and so we used a thesaurus.

[Stephanie Prentice]

What are different words that suggest a.

[Will Chalk]

Kind of climax or a peak? And it needed to be a word that sounded right. And pinnacle felt just obscure and silly and fun enough.

[Jess Brownell]

The show is based on eight best selling books. Their creator Julia Quinn told us why people find the story so charming.

[Stephanie Prentice]

I've always tried to give these historical characters certain modern dreams and goals. You know, say for a woman, I wish I could have more agency or I wish my family would see me.

[Grainger Advertiser]

Differently than the way they do.

[Stephanie Prentice]

And so what you have with Bridgerton.

[Grainger Advertiser]

Is you have people with hopes and dreams that in many ways are very.

[Stephanie Prentice]

Very similar to the ones that we have today. But they're dressed up in this beautiful world.

[Jess Brownell]

English period dramas and their beautiful worlds have long been a hit with world audiences. Arguably, Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and Vanity Fair walked so Bridgerton could run the man behind them. Andrew Davies says modern audiences love the past.

[Will Chalk]

Stories were in a way simpler than you could do the happy ever after stuff. And the plots tend to turn around. That's very appealing. That's some of the reasons.

[Jess Brownell]

Whatever the reasons, this this time Bridgerton fans get a classic Cinderella story inside the core text, complete with a midnight dash and an accessory left behind.

[Will Chalk]

We must find the owner of this glove.

[Jess Brownell]

But to see if the rags to riches romance pans out, fans will have to wait until the end of February for the final four episodes.

[Will Chalk]

Stephanie Prentiss reporting. 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 XBCWorldService. Use the hashtag globalnewspod. Don't forget our sister podcast, the Global Story, which goes in depth and beyond the headlines on one big story that is also available wherever you get your podcasts. This edition of the Global News podcast was mixed by Rezenwin Durrell and the producer was Wendy Urquhart. The editor is Karen Martin and I'm Will Chalk. Until next time. Goodbye.