First woman named as new Archbishop of Canterbury

Summary

Global News Podcast (BBC World Service)

Episode: First woman named as new Archbishop of Canterbury
Date: October 3, 2025
Host: Janet Jalil

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Episode Overview

This edition of the Global News Podcast covers several major current affairs stories with expert analysis and on-the-ground reporting. The main focus is on the historic appointment of the first female Archbishop of Canterbury, followed by updates on a deadly UK synagogue attack, drone disruptions in Europe, a revealing interview with Prince William, the state of Cuba’s tourism, a vaccine breakthrough for baby elephants, a major cyber attack on Japan’s Asahi beer, and the release of a new Taylor Swift album.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Historic Appointment: First Female Archbishop of Canterbury

• Sarah Mulally is named as the first woman to lead the Church of England, marking a historic shift.
  • The appointment follows the resignation of Justin Welby due to scandals involving failure to report child abuse (02:08).
  • Mulally, formerly Chief Nursing Officer and then Bishop of London, brings a background in tackling complex social issues, notably same-sex blessings within the church.
• Mulally’s speech at Canterbury Cathedral emphasized compassion and support for those suffering globally, specifically mentioning war zones and crisis regions (02:41).
• Expert insight: Correspondent Harry Farley underscores the epochal nature of this development, noting both its national and international significance for Anglicans and the broader role of the Archbishop in UK society (03:33).

Notable Quote:
"It's difficult to overstate just how historic it is... the first time in the Church of England's 500 year history, the first time in the 1500 years since the Archbishop of Canterbury position has been in existence that a woman will hold that."
—Harry Farley (03:33)

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2. UK Synagogue Attack & Community Tensions

• New details reveal one of the victims at a Manchester synagogue was killed by police gunfire during an urgent response (06:01).
• Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood publicly reassure Jewish communities and express disappointment at pro-Palestinian protests proceeding so soon after the attack.
• Tensions highlighted between the right to protest and public safety, with discussions on resource allocation for security (07:22, 08:35).
• Community leaders emphasize resilience and condemn rising anti-Semitism.

Notable Quote:
"Carrying on in this way does feel un-British. It feels wrong. And I would ask people who are thinking about going on protest...take a step back, imagine it was you, and give this community a chance to grieve."
—Shabana Mahmood, Home Secretary (06:49)

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3. European Drone Disruptions

• Munich Airport closed temporarily due to drone sightings, resulting in significant travel disruption (10:48).
• Part of a wider trend of drone-related threats and possible hybrid warfare attributed in discussion to Russia, with calls for increased resilience and counter-drone technologies (11:43).
• Additional drone incidents reported in Belgium near a military site.

Expert Insight:
"I would argue [this is] part of a larger kind of hybrid warfare that Russia is waging against Europe... But on the drones itself, honestly, counter drone measures are there and should be acquired."
—Ulrike Franke, European Council on Foreign Relations (11:43)

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4. TikTok Under Scrutiny for Children’s Content

• Report reveals TikTok algorithms suggested sexually explicit material to accounts created as 13-year-olds, despite safety settings (14:18).
• The platform responds by removing the flagged content and pledging algorithmic changes, as required under the UK’s new Online Safety Act.

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5. Prince William's Vision: Change for the Monarchy

• Prince William gives a candid interview with Eugene Levy, signaling openness to change and a personal, more relatable approach to monarchy (15:16).
• Talks openly about personal pressures, family stress, and hopes for a more modern era for his children (16:30, 17:18).

Notable Moments / Quotes:
"Change is on my agenda, change for good. Not overly radical change, but changes that I think need to happen."
—Prince William (15:49, 16:05)

"Stuff to do with family overwhelms me quite a bit...worry or stress around family."
—Prince William (16:30)

"I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do. I hope we don't go back to some of the practices in the past that Harry and I had to grow up in."
—Prince William (17:18)

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6. Cuba’s Failing Tourism Industry

• The Cuban economy is in crisis, despite expensive new hotels, as tightened US sanctions and the aftermath of the pandemic keep tourists away (19:28).
• Tourism Minister Garcia Granda blames US policies, while citizens express frustration over mismanagement and visible inequalities.

Notable Quote:
"We face obstacles unlike any of our competitors...In Trump's first term, they took 263 measures against Cuba, the majority designed to destroy Cuban tourism."
—Juan Carlos Garcia Granda, Cuban Tourism Minister (20:19-20:51)

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7. Breakthrough: Vaccine for Baby Elephants

• Chester Zoo and UK scientists develop a vaccine against EEHV, a deadly virus for young Asian elephants. Trials in adults proved promising, and the goal is to expand to global conservation efforts for endangered wildlife (24:25).

Notable Quote:
"The vaccine was able to stimulate the so-called T cells that are very crucial to fighting viral infections. It also shows that you can design and apply vaccines to help endangered species."
—Prof. Falko Steinbach (25:21)

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8. Asahi Beer Cyber Attack

• A cyber attack paralyzes Japan’s leading brewer—Asahi—threatening shortages of its flagship products in Japan (26:29).
• Retailers issue warnings of limited supply, though customer data is reportedly unaffected.

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9. Taylor Swift’s New Album: A Shift in Tone

• Taylor Swift discusses her anticipated album "The Life of a Showgirl," revealing new themes centered on happiness and love (inspired by her relationship with Travis Kelce), recorded while on tour (27:17).
• Music correspondent Mark Savage notes the album’s more upbeat nature, its appeal to fans transitioning into new life stages, and Swift’s signature openness.

Notable Moment:
"I used to kind of have this dark fear that if I ever were truly happy...what happens if the writing just dries up? What if writing is directly tied to my torment and pain? And it turns out that's not the case at all..."
—Taylor Swift (28:11)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• Historic Archbishop Appointment: 02:08 – 06:01
• Manchester Synagogue Shooting & Protests: 06:01 – 10:48
• Munich Drone Airport Closure: 10:48 – 13:23
• TikTok and Child Safety: 14:18 – 15:16
• Prince William Interview: 15:16 – 17:38
• Cuba Tourism Crisis: 19:28 – 23:49
• Elephant Vaccine Breakthrough: 23:49 – 26:00
• Asahi Cyber Attack: 26:00 – 27:17
• Taylor Swift Album Release: 27:17 – 30:59

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Memorable Quotes

• Prince William (Future King):
  "Change is on my agenda, change for good. And I embrace that and I enjoy that change. I don't fear it." (15:49)

• Sarah Mulally (Archbishop):
  "Jesus Christ is the life changing hope that brings us together as church even in our own brokenness, messiness and sends us out into the world to witness to that love..." (02:41)

• Shabana Mahmood (Home Secretary):
  "Carrying on in this way does feel un-British. It feels wrong." (06:49)

• Cuban Tourism Minister:
  "We face obstacles unlike any of our competitors...In Trump's first term, they took 263 measures against Cuba, the majority designed to destroy Cuban tourism." (20:19-20:51)

• Taylor Swift:
  "I love being sickeningly in love. It's so nice." (28:10)

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Tone & Takeaways

The episode maintains the BBC’s hallmark of measured, authoritative reporting, with moments of warmth and insight, especially during the Prince William interview and Taylor Swift feature. Deep dives on major news stories are complemented by direct commentary from expert witnesses and those affected on the ground, making it both informative and accessible.

Recommended for listeners interested in:

• Major social milestones (Church of England, monarchy)
• World politics and security (UK, Europe, Latin America)
• Social media/tech issues
• Pop culture with a global impact

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For more content, visit BBC.com or follow the Global News Podcast for daily updates.

Transcript

[Prince William]

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[Asma Khalid]

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[Asma Khalid]

America is changing and so is the world.

[Janet Jalil]

But what's happening in America isn't just.

[Will Grant]

A cause of global upheaval.

[Janet Jalil]

It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere.

[Asma Khalid]

I'm Asma Khalid in Washington D.C. i'm.

[Janet Jalil]

Tristan Redman in London and this is the global story.

[Asma Khalid]

Every weekday we'll bring you a story from this intersection where the world and America meet.

[Janet Jalil]

Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Janet Jalil and at 16 hours GMT on Thursday 3rd October, these are our main stories. For the first time ever, a woman has been chosen to lead the Church of England. British police say one of the two people killed during an attack on a synagogue in the UK was hit by police gunfire. Drones spotted over Germany's Munich airport force it to cancel flights in the latest such disruption to European aviation. Also in this podcast, the heir to the British throne, Prince William, gives a rare candid interview.

[Prince William]

I think it's safe to say that change is on my agenda. Change for good and I embrace that and I enjoy that change. I don't fear it. Not overly radical change, but changes that I think need to happen.

[Janet Jalil]

It's something that would have been inconceivable just a few decades ago. But now, for the first time ever, the Church of England has chosen a woman to lead it. Sarah Mulally has been named as annexed Archbishop of Canterbury nearly a year since her predecessor Justin Welby, in challenging circumstances was forced to resign over his failure to report a prolific child abuser associated with the Church. Speaking at Canterbury Cathedral, the new Archbishop said people suffering around the world were in her thoughts.

[Asma Khalid]

Jesus Christ is the life changing hope that brings us together as church even in our own brokenness, messiness and sends us out into the world to witness to that love. I long for that same hope for all those around the world caught up in war, for those living in extreme poverty for those on the front line of the ever worsening climate crisis, for our Palestinian Christian brothers and sisters, for all peoples of the Middle east, the people of Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, Myanmar and the drc.

[Janet Jalil]

Our correspondent in Canterbury, Harry Farley, told me more about why her appointment is such a big moment for the Church of England.

[Harry Farley]

It is historic. It's difficult to overstate just how historic it is. This was the first time that there was an opportunity, a possibility even, for a woman to be appointed Archbishop of Canterbury. Legislation allowing women to become bishops only passed in 2014 after Sarah Mulally's predecessor, Justin Welby, was appointed Archbishop of Canterbury. So this was the first time that it was even an option for a female Archbishop of Canterbury. And that has gone ahead. The first time in the church of England's 500 year history, the first time in the 1500 years since the Archbishop of Canterbury position has been in existence that a woman will hold that. And it is challenging time, as you mentioned, for the Church of England, but a challenging time also for the role of Archbishop. Because as Archbishop of Canterbury, this road is not just for the Church in England, not just for Anglicans in this country. But the Archbishop of Canterbury also has a symbolic role as the figurehead of that worldwide Anglican communion that represents 85 million or so Anglicans around the world. They also have a political role. They sit in the House of Lords, the upper chamber in the British Parliament, and they are expected to comment and contribute to public debate on all sorts of social issues. For example, there is assisted dying legislation, legislation to allow terminally ill adults to take their own life. Going through the Houses of Parliament at the moment, that will be something that Sarah Mulally will be expected to weigh in on, as well as social issues ranging from migration to education. So a complicated multidimensional role and a very, very significant day that for the first time in history, a woman will be the Archbishop of Canterbury.

[Janet Jalil]

And tell us more about her, because she has already been speaking today.

[Harry Farley]

She has. She has already been speaking, so she was actually a nurse for many decades. She then became Chief Nursing Officer in England before becoming a priest. She was made a Bishop of London in 2014. One of her roles has been to share a body that was trying to find a way forward for the Church of England as it tried to decide what to do around same sex relationships. And the Church of England, when it eventually decided in 2023 to allow priests to bless same sex couples, she called it a day of hope for the Church. So that will be something that I think will be a significant factor because there are many divisions that still exist on that subject and many others in the Church of England and across the.

[Janet Jalil]

Anglican comedian Harry Farley in Canterbury, a day after a deadly attack on a synagogue here in England, it's emerged that one of the two Jewish men killed was hit by police gunfire. Three other people remain in hospital with serious injuries. One of them also apparently hit by a police bullet. Police shot and killed the attacker within seven minutes of being alerted. The British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer and his wife visited the synagogue in the city of Manchester as part of the government's efforts to reassure Britain's Jewish communities that it's doing its best to protect them. The Interior Minister, Shabana Mahmood, told the BBC that she was dismayed that just hours after the attack, pro Palestinian protests still went ahead in London.

[Asma Khalid]

I was very disappointed that those protests went ahead. Last night. 40 arrests were made, including for assaulted, assaulting police officers. We will not tolerate that behavior. Those individuals will face the full force of the law. And I do think that carrying on in this way does feel un British. It feels wrong. And I would ask people who are thinking about going on protest this week, this weekend, take a step back, imagine it was you, and then just give this community a chance to grieve and to process what has happened.

[Janet Jalil]

Our correspondent in Manchester, Danny Savage, told me more about the revelation that one of the victims had apparently been hit by police gunfire.

[Will Grant]

The Chief Constable's statement today says the Home Office pathologist has advised that he has provisionally determined that one of the deceased victims would appear to have suffered a wound consistent with a gunshot injury. It's currently believed that the suspect was not in possession of a firearm. It follows, therefore, that subject to further forensic examination, this injury may sadly have been sustained as a tragic and unforeseen consequence of the urgently required action taken by my officers. And it's believed that both victims were close together behind the synagogue door as worshippers acted bravely to prevent the attacker from gaining entry, the statement says. So the picture that you can build up from that is that as the attack unfolds outside the synagogue, they quickly locked up the building, and that included some people behind the synagogue door. Now, a few moments later, on the other side of that door outside the building, the police were on scene firing at the assailants. They fired initially at the man, put him on the ground, and then he tried to get up again, and there were more shots fired. And it appears somehow some bullets either ricocheted or somehow went through the synagogue door, hitting two people, the other side killing one and injuring another.

[Janet Jalil]

And at the same time, the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, has been visiting the scene of the attack as the government tries to reassure Britain's Jews that it is taking the threat against them seriously.

[Will Grant]

We've had comments from the UK's Chief Rabbi this morning saying the attack at the synagogue is the tragic result of an unrelating wave of Jew hatred, as he described it. The Prime Minister said yesterday he wants to wrap his arms around the Jew community and promised that the country and the security services here and the police will protect them. He came here with his wife this morning to see the scene for himself. He met with some of the emergency service personnel involved. It's a message of reassurance, if you like, from the Prime Minister that he's taking the situation very seriously. We already know security has been stepped up at Jewish establishments, schools and synagogues across the country as a result of yesterday, and that will probably have to be kept going for a little while yet until police are confident that there is no further threat.

[Janet Jalil]

But there is some concern that pro Palestinian protests in the UK went ahead despite calls for them to be called off. And we've had the Interior Minister, the Home Secretary, Shabana Mahmood, talking about her disappointment that they went ahead.

[Will Grant]

Protests were planned for last night and went ahead anyway. And there's been some reports in the papers about anti Semitic comments made by some people at those protests. What the government is saying is that they know that there are more pro Palestine protests planned for this weekend, I think, in London especially. And they are calling for those protests to be called off, to be postponed at the very least, because the security services and police needed to actually look after those protests are actually needed elsewhere at the moment, say the government and the police and the Metropolitan Police in London, saying that they need to be elsewhere, actually guarding and keeping an eye on Jewish sites. So that's the message they're trying to get across. But at least one group involved in the protest tomorrow who said, look, it's our right to protest as things stand at the moment, we're going to carry on and go ahead and do it. So there is a bit of a standoff, if you like, at the moment, between people saying they're exercising their democratic right to protest and the police saying, look, we actually need our resources somewhere more useful than policing a protest. Please don't do this. And it'll be interesting to see what shakes out over the next 24 hours.

[Janet Jalil]

Danny Savage in Manchester. It's Been a tense few weeks for European air travel. Last month, the airports of Copenhagen and Oslo were forced to close temporarily after multiple drones were spotted flying overhead. All while Poland, Estonia and Romania reported deliberate airspace violations by Russia, accusations the Kremlin denies. Now Germany has become the latest European country to shut down air travel after drone sightings. Munich Airport was temporarily closed late on Thursday and 17 flights cancelled, with nearly 3,000 passengers affected. A search to identify the origin of the drones has been launched, but the question remains, what should Europe do to prevent future drone incursions? Ulrike Franke is a senior Policy Fellow at the European Council of Foreign affairs, specializing in German and European security and defence.

[Asma Khalid]

This is part, I would argue, of a larger kind of hybrid warfare that Russia is waging against Europe. And here, you know, the answer is kind of bigger about resilience, about sanctioning Russia, things like that. But on the drones itself, honestly, counter drone measures are there and should be acquired.

[Janet Jalil]

Our correspondent Bethany Bell told us more about the disruption at Munich.

[Asma Khalid]

Flights have resumed this morning at Munich Airport. The closure was temporarily there overnight, as you said. 17 flights unable to take off. 15 other flights were diverted to other places, including Vienna, Stuttgart, Nuremberg and Frankfurt. And all of this coming ahead of a public holiday in Germany. The authorities have not said who they believe are behind these drone sightings, but in a statement, the airport said that the safety of passengers was paramount and that was why the decision had been taken to close the airport overnight.

[Janet Jalil]

And do the German authorities have a lead on their investigation into the origin of these drones?

[Asma Khalid]

The German authorities have said nothing about who they believe were behind who these drones. The investigation is continuing at the moment, but it's clearly a time when there have been a number of unexplained drone incidents across Europe. So, of course, this is being treated with great care at the moment.

[Janet Jalil]

Yes, because there have been a series of incidents as I was outlining many people pointing the finger at Russia. But there's already a sort of state of heightened security in Munich, if you like, because of a. A recent bomb scare related to Oktoberfest, the beer festival.

[Asma Khalid]

That bomb threat didn't materialize. There was an incident in Munich with a family dispute. A letter was found suggesting what they called the authorities called an unspecified bomb threat against Oktoberfest. Oktoberfest was closed temporarily for much of one day, but then police said that they hadn't been able to confirm any link and they had found nothing at the Oktoberfest site. And that is there again. But, yes, as you say, A sense of tension in Munich. Meanwhile, in terms of drones, again, we've also just getting in media reports from Belgium saying that 15 drones were spotted near a military site of Elsenborn, which is an army training camp near the German border. Now those media reports say the authorities are investigating that incident. The drones are believed to have flown over the Belgian military site and then gone back into Germany.

[Janet Jalil]

Bethany Bell A new report says the algorithms of the social media platform TikTok recommend pornography and highly sexualized content to children's accounts. More details from Angus Crawford.

[Harry Farley]

Researchers from the campaign group Global Witness were able to set up four children's accounts on TikTok using false dates of birth. Pretending to be 13 years old. They activated the app's safety settings but were immediately recommended sexually suggestive search terms, which led to explicit posts including pornographic videos. TikTok says it investigated the claims, removed the content and made improvements to the search function. In July this year, the Online Safety Act's children's codes came into force. Platforms are required to have robust age verification to prevent children seeing pornography and must alter their algorithms to protect them from other harmful material.

[Janet Jalil]

Angus Crawford the heir to the British throne Prince William has said he intends to bring change to the monarchy when he becomes king. In what palace sources describe as his most open interview to date, the Prince of Wales was speaking to the Canadian actor Eugene Levy at Windsor Castle. Here's our senior royal correspondent, Daniela Ralph.

[Asma Khalid]

Forget state Bentleys and horse drawn carriages. For this future king, it is the electric scooter that is the preferred mode of transport around the castle.

[Prince William]

Eugene Good morning, your royal highness.

[Asma Khalid]

The Prince of Wales was a Eugene Levy fan in the American pie films. And in a Windsor pub it was pints all round as the prince and the actor discussed his future role as king.

[Prince William]

I think it's safe to say that change is on my agenda, change for good. And I embrace that and I enjoy that change. I don't fear it.

[Will Grant]

That's the bit that excites me is.

[Prince William]

The idea of being able to bring some change. Not overly radical change, but changes that I think need to happen.

[Asma Khalid]

There was a bespoke castle tour for the Canadian actor and an insight into the pressure Prince William sometimes feels.

[Prince William]

Stuff to do with family overwhelms me quite a bit. You know, worry or stress around family.

[Will Grant]

Side of things, that does overwhelm me quite a bit.

[Prince William]

But in terms of, you know, doing the job and things like that, I don't feel too overwhelmed by that.

[Asma Khalid]

For Eugene Levy, there was surprise at how candid the prince had been to.

[Will Grant]

Me, it was more a conversation, you know, I wasn't thinking of it in my own mind as, you know, any kind of, you know, scoop.

[Janet Jalil]

We were able to have a little.

[Will Grant]

You know, back and forth. I, you know, it was totally a surreal day for me.

[Asma Khalid]

There were no direct questions about Prince Harry, but there was a reference to him and the intense media scrutiny of their childhood.

[Prince William]

I want to create a world in which my son is proud of what we do. I hope we don't go back to some of the practices in the past that Harry and I had to grow up in.

[Asma Khalid]

This was a relaxed and open Prince William, a future king, laying out his vision of modern monarchy.

[Janet Jalil]

Daniela Ralph still to come on the global news podcast, a vaccine breakthrough that will help to protect young elephants from a deadly disease.

[Asma Khalid]

We've actually lost seven calves over the last kind of 15 years or so. So it's something that has affected us quite strongly and that really kind of gave us the motivation to make sure we were doing as much work to tackle it and to research as much as we could about the virus. America is changing and so is the world.

[Janet Jalil]

But what's happening in America isn't just.

[Will Grant]

The cause of global upheaval.

[Janet Jalil]

It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere.

[Asma Khalid]

I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, D.C. i'm.

[Janet Jalil]

Tristan Redman in London, and this is the Global story.

[Asma Khalid]

Every weekday, we'll bring you a story from this intersection where the world and America meet.

[Janet Jalil]

Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. Cuba has long been reliant on its tourism industry to generate much needed foreign currency reserves. But despite an ambitious hotel building plan, tourism on the communist run island has dwindled in recent years under pressure from Washington and the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic. Today, Cuba finds itself in the grip of its worst economic crisis since the Cold War. Amid rolling blackouts and severe food shortages. The government estimates that the US embargo has caused $170 billion worth of damage to the economy. But many also blame mismanagement. Will Grant reports from Havana history in the making.

[Asma Khalid]

President Obama is about to land in Cuba.

[Prince William]

When President Obama stepped off Air Force One onto Cuban soil in 2016 in a historic trip, he was also just one of around 4,4 million visitors to the island that year. For the next two years, Cuban visitor numbers continue to grow to a high of almost 5 million people a year. Since then, however, the collapse in Cuban tourism has been precipitous. Battered by twin issues of the coronavirus and harsher travel restrictions imposed by the Trump administration. The tourism industry on the island has struggled to get back to pre pandemic conditions. The BBC had the rare opportunity to discuss the health of the industry with the island's Tourism minister, Juan Carlos Garcia Granda.

[Will Grant]

I'm not a doctor, but what I can say is tourism in Cuba is alive and kicking from the intensity and the pressure of an economic war launched by the main source of tourists in the world, the United States. We face obstacles unlike any of our competitors. We will enforce the ban on tourism.

[Prince William]

We will enforce the embargo. Broadly, he's referring to the decades long US economic embargo on Cuba. But specifically he means a range of newer sanctions under the Trump administration.

[Will Grant]

In Trump's first term, they took 263 measures against Cuba, the majority designed to destroy Cuban tourism.

[Harry Farley]

Take for example, the ban on cruise ships.

[Asma Khalid]

What would Cuban tourism look like if.

[Harry Farley]

We could still count on the cruise ships?

[Will Grant]

We'd perhaps have a million more visitors a year.

[Prince William]

A more draconian step came in January 2021, when the US put Cuba back on the list of state sponsors of terrorism. The classification had a knock on effect. UK tourists and some Europeans who visited Cuba after 12 January 2021 are no longer eligible for an EST visa. That's the electronic system for travel authorization to enter the us. Given the potential headaches for those travellers in trying to subsequently visit the us, many have been put off from traveling to Cuba altogether. The thousands of British tourists who come to Cuba must reach us via Spain, via France, and some even VI via Canada, yet not via Miami, says Mr. Garcia Granda. Explain to me why a Brit, completely free and independent, can't travel to Cuba via Miami. He adds rhetorically. But not all the decisions affecting the health of Cuban tourism have been taken in Washington. At the corner of 23 and L in Havana is a new landmark, the K Tower, the tallest building on the island. A 42 floor 5 star hotel meant to define the cutting edge of the tourism experience in Cuba. For many local residents, it's simply a gaudy and expensive symbol of the revolution's economic mismanagement. There are plenty of other hotels in Havana, and it does. It doesn't fit in with its surroundings, says student Dayanis. I'd have used the money for other ends, for things we really need, like new hospitals. I put to the Cuban tourism minister if he could appreciate that people are growing increasingly frustrated amid nationwide blackouts at seeing new 5 star hotels in Havana with their lights blazing.

[Will Grant]

There may be some indignation on the streets, but people are not frustrated. They're still fighting, they're still working. They're still trying to help. I have come here to bury the last remnant of the Cold War in the Americas.

[Prince William]

There remains a key question about Cuba's tourism strategy. Whether Cuba was misled by the Obama administration, in essence sold a vision, which never materialized, of a new era of warmer political ties in which the island could count on a steady flow of U.S. visitors for decades. Many ways, the United States and Cuba.

[Janet Jalil]

Will grant their reporting from Havana now to an exciting vaccine breakthrough. Not for you or me, but for baby elephants. It's hoped the vaccine will prevent a dangerous disease caused by a virus known as eehv, which is currently a leading cause of death in young Asian elephants. In trials involving adult elephants at a zoo in England, the vaccine was found to safely activate the part of their immune system that helps to fight viruses. Here's our science correspondent, Victoria Gill. Good steady.

[Asma Khalid]

At Chester Zoo, where this trial was carried out, the zookeepers already work regularly with the elephants. They train the animals to present themselves for veterinary checkups and medical care to reduce the stress of any procedures that are needed. And that meant that three healthy, calm and trained adult elephants were the ideal candidates to receive a new vaccine against a deadly disease. It's very, very rapid and very, very severe. That's Dr. Katie Edwards, lead conservation scientist at Chester Zoo. We've actually lost seven calves over the last 15 years or so. So it's something that has affected us quite strongly. And that really kind of gave us the motivation to make sure we were doing as much work to tackle it and to research as much as we could about the virus. One of the researchers who developed the vaccine is Professor Falko Steinbach from the UK's Animal and Plant Health Agency and the University of Surrey. He said that when he and the team analyzed blood samples from the zoo elephants that they inoculated, the results were even better than they had hoped for.

[Will Grant]

The vaccine was able to stimulate the so called T cells that are very crucial to fighting viral infections. It also shows that you can design and apply vaccines to help endangered species.

[Asma Khalid]

The next step is for scientists to test the vaccine in younger elephants, which are the animals most vulnerable to severe disease from eehv. Ultimately, scientists want to use this vaccine in all elephants that are at risk, including in the wild. And this, they say, is the first step towards using it to protect these endangered giants.

[Janet Jalil]

Victoria Gill Asahi is one of the world's largest brewers. Its products, including the flagship Super Dry beer originated in Japan and and are enjoyed all over the globe. But a major cyber attack first reported on Monday has severely disrupted the operations of most of its Japanese factories, prompting warnings that the Asahi Group could be just days away from running out of its most popular beer. Shaima Khalil reports from Tokyo.

[Asma Khalid]

Most of the Asahi Group's factories in Japan have been at a standstill since Monday after the attack hit its ordering and delivery system. Asahi, a household brand best known for its Super Dry beer, said earlier this week that the system failure is limited to its domestic operations. It also said there had been no confirmed leakage of personal information of customer data. Asahi is the biggest brewer in Japan. It also owns Fullers in the UK and global brands including Peroni and Pilsner. Orcwell Japan accounts for about half of its total sales. Major Japanese retailers, including Family Mart and Lawson have warned customers to expect shortages of Asahi goods. Family Mart said that Asahi has suspended orders and shipments of its products with no prospect of resumption. Lawson, another major Japanese convenience store, also said it expected some Asahi products to be in short supply.

[Janet Jalil]

Shaima Khalil in Tokyo now here on the Global News podcast, We don't normally cover the release of an artist's new album partly because of rights issues. But then, Taylor Swift is not just an artist, she's a global phenomenon. Her previous albums have appealed to her legions of mostly younger fans with their songs about heartbreak and messy breakups. So now that she's happy and in love with the American footballer Travis Kelce, will the highly anticipated the Life of a Showgirl live up to the hype? In an interview with the BBC's Greg James, the singer said she had had concerns that this more upbeat album wouldn't be so appealing to her fans. It's a full picture of like the full life experience, which for me is like there's always some element of drama that someone is forcing into my consciousness, which is fun to write about too. But by the way, I love being sickeningly in love. It's so nice.

[Asma Khalid]

It's wonderful.

[Janet Jalil]

It's wonderful. I used to kind of have this dark fear that if I ever were truly happy and free being myself and nurtured by a relationship, like, what happens if the writing just dries up? What if writing is directly tied to my torment and pain? And it turns out that's not the case at all and we just were catching lightning in a bottle with record. Our music correspondent Mark Savage told me more about the new album.

[Mark Savage]

Taylor Swift actually recorded this album on her days off from the Record Breaking Eras tour. Last year when she was in Europe, she would play three shows, three and a half hours every night over the course of a weekend. And then on her days off on Monday and Tuesday, she'd fly to Sweden and work with Max Martin, who is the biggest hit songwriter in US chart history. After the Beatles, he's had more number ones than anyone else except the Beatles. And they crafted this suite of songs. It's 12 songs, very short, about the excitement and the exuberance of that tour, but also capturing the early days of her romance with Travis Kelce. And there are a lot of love songs in this album, which is a big change for Taylor Swift.

[Janet Jalil]

It is because albums have capitalized on songs about heartbreak and loss and being miserable while you're in love. But this is very different, isn't it?

[Prince William]

It is.

[Mark Savage]

And it's actually quite nice. As a listener and a fan of Taylor Swift, having sat with her through all of that heartbreak and the betrayals and the public castigation she had during that big feud with Kanye west, to hear her happy. There's something quite moving about it. And that's not the only theme on the album. You know, there is still some score settling because Taylor Swift is Taylor Swift. And there's a song about an old school friend who passed away in 2023 and she flies home from the tour to attend their funeral. And that's. It's an incredibly heart wrenching song. So she's not just talking about Travis Kelce. And there is a song, a bedroom song, let's put it that way. It's probably the most explicit Taylor Swift has ever been. But there's a lot of breadth to the record.

[Janet Jalil]

I mean, her songs are very catchy, she writes great lyrics, she's a very appealing personality. But what is it about her in particular that inspires such devotion more than pop stars normally get from their fans?

[Mark Savage]

I think it's that openness, the way that she writes, which is very poetic. She's very good at drawing allusions and imagery and metaphors in her lyrics. And they speak directly to people and young women in particular, who are going through the same things that she has gone through. Those men that don't turn up on your 21st birthday when you're expecting them to the betrayals of old school friends and the backbiting between the girl gangs. The audience has grown up with her. So a lot of them will be entering that phase of thinking about settling down, talking about having kids. And this album will relate to them. In exactly the same way that the previous ones have done. And I think that's why she sells.

[Janet Jalil]

So much Mark Savage. 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, you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk. this edition was mixed by Abby Wiltshire. The producers were Ariane Kochi and Oliver Berlau. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Janet Jalil. Until next time. Goodbye.

[Asma Khalid]

America is changing and so is the world.

[Janet Jalil]

But what's happening in America isn't just.

[Will Grant]

The cause of global upheaval.

[Janet Jalil]

It's also a symptom of disruption that's happening everywhere.

[Asma Khalid]

I'm Asma Khalid in Washington, dc.

[Janet Jalil]

I'm Tristan Redman in London. And this is the Global Story.

[Asma Khalid]

Every weekday, we'll bring you a story from this intersection where the world and America meet.

[Janet Jalil]

Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.