Intelligence chief of Iranian Revolutionary Guard killed

Summary

Global News Podcast – April 6, 2026

Episode Theme:
A high-stakes episode focused on escalating conflict in the Middle East after the killing of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard intelligence chief, frontline reporting from Ukraine, unique soldier rehabilitation efforts via theater, global stories including NASA’s Artemis 2 moon mission, and new challenges on borders and climate/energy policy.

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Main Headlines & Introduction

Host: Ankar Desai
Timestamp: 01:02–01:50

• Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Intelligence Chief Killed: Iranian authorities confirm the death of Majid Khademi in a US-Israeli airstrike, with Israel claiming responsibility.
• Attack on Petrochemical Plant: Israel launches a strike on Iran's largest petrochemical plant in Islawiya.
• Russian Drone Strike in Ukraine: Three civilians killed in Odessa, including a mother and her child; other attacks trap miners.
• Other Stories: Injured Ukrainian soldiers heal through theater; India considers novel border security methods; NASA Artemis 2 lunar updates.

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Iran Crisis: Targeted Killings and Regional Tension

The Strike and Its Fallout

Timestamp: 01:50–06:38

• Key Facts:
  • Majid Khademi, head of Revolutionary Guard intelligence, killed by US-Israeli strike.
  • Israel’s Defense Minister: “One of the direct perpetrators of these war crimes and one of the top three officials... We will continue to hunt them one by one.” — Tyler Dunn quoting Defense Minister Israel Katz (02:45).
• Expert Analysis:
  • Jia Gaul (BBC Persian):
    • Khademi only took the post in June after his predecessor was killed.
    • His loss “definitely… a blow to the intelligence community inside Iranian regime,” but replacements are swift and often more hardline. (03:13–04:37)
    • Iran’s resolve to resist US/Trump pressure to open the Strait of Hormuz remains undented by Khademi's death.
    • Pakistan acts as a key intermediary; Egypt and Turkey also involved. “It seems to me the U.S. for the first time, President Trump trusting this Pakistani general, General Assam...” (05:45)
• Diplomatic Developments:
  • Iran preparing a diplomatic reply while publicly maintaining a hard line.
  • US and Israel demand opening of Hormuz under threat of targeted attacks; Iran threatens “devastating and widespread” retaliation if civilian targets are hit.

Voices from Iran

Timestamp: 06:49–07:22

• Civilians express fear and helplessness:
  • “It feels like we're sinking deeper and deeper into a swamp. What can we do as ordinary people?” (06:49)
  • “We're worried about Donald Trump's threat to unleash all hell...” (07:06)
  • “With all these attacks, Iran won't be a place we can live in anymore.” (07:18)

Diplomatic Hopes & Obstacles

Expert Insight: Greg Karlstrom, Middle East correspondent, The Economist
Timestamp: 07:37–08:52

• Peace Process Analysis:
  • Real negotiations lacking—diplomacy reduced to Pakistan relaying messages.
  • Iran unlikely to open the Strait of Hormuz for just a temporary truce; it seeks firm security guarantees and to monetize control over Hormuz.
  • “It's hard to see the Iranians agreeing to that.” — Greg Karlstrom (08:44)

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Ukraine: Civilian Toll Amid Ongoing War

Reporter: Paul Moss
Timestamp: 09:24–10:43

• Recent Attacks:
  • Russian drone strike destroys residential buildings in Odessa; three killed, including mother and child.
  • Russia targeting Odessa as a vital grain export hub.
  • Ukraine hits back at targets in Crimea and Donbass, trapping 41 miners underground but rescuers have made contact.

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Therapy Through Theater: Ukrainian Soldier Rehabilitation

Reporter: Paul Adams
Timestamp: 11:25–15:04

• The Theater of Veterans:
  • Injured soldiers—many with amputations or severe burns—performing a Ukrainian adaptation of Virgil’s Aeneid.
  • Offers therapeutic healing: “First of all is for rehabilitation, for mind, for soul, for body.” — Veteran Actor (12:30)
  • Performance allows soldiers to demonstrate resilience: “They know after they are injured, it's not the end. Life keeps going and they all can do whatever they want.” — Veteran Actor (12:55)
  • Cast and director Olha Semioshkina describe the challenge of overcoming trauma and the transformative process of theater.
  • “We joke a lot. We crack some of the darkest jokes in rehearsals.” — Theatre Veteran (14:11)

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Space Update: Artemis 2 Reaches the Moon’s Gravitational Sphere

Timestamp: 15:14, 22:45–25:43

• NASA Artemis 2 Mission:
  • Orion spacecraft enters lunar sphere of influence—Moon’s gravity now dominant.
  • “The Orion spacecraft and its crew have officially entered the lunar sphere of influence...” — Narration (15:14; 22:45)
  • Astronauts will briefly lose contact with Earth, experiencing profound isolation.
  • “It's a unique experience... a moment of complete loneliness.” — Science correspondent Georgina Renard (24:20)
  • Purpose: to explore the Moon’s far side—potential future base site and important for international competition.
  • “The far side is a much more mysterious region… it has a thicker crust and many more craters.” — Theatre Veteran / Georgina Renard (24:36–25:43)

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North/South Korea: Tensions Flare Over Drone Incident

Reporter: Jake Kwon (Seoul)
Timestamp: 19:46–22:38

• Incident:
  • South Korean civilian sent drones over border, North Korea accuses Seoul of provocation.
  • President Lee Jae Myung expresses rare regret to Pyongyang, which is “highly unusual… almost never done.” — Jake Kwon (22:09)
  • North Korea responds with softened tone but warns of retaliation for repeat incidents.
  • Civilian’s motives linked to activism; limited unofficial military involvement.

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Unorthodox Border Security: India-Bangladesh Reptile Plan

Timestamp: 25:43–28:18

• Indian Border Security Force:
  • Considers releasing crocodiles and snakes in unfenced rivers and marshes to deter smugglers and illegal migration.
  • “Now the Indian border force seem to be going back to one of the oldest techniques...” — Ambarasan Ethirajan (26:12)
  • Human rights issues: thousands of deaths over a decade on a “bloodiest border.”
  • Practical and ethical/economic challenges identified.

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Small Islands & Offshore Wind: Climate and Economic Challenges

Reporter: Tyler Dunn (Channel Islands/Jersey)
Timestamp: 28:53–32:22

• Jersey’s Offshore Wind Plans:
  • Proposed farm could yield a 4:1 return over several decades (29:43).
  • Local resistance: fishermen feel excluded for “big business.”
  • Global context: Mauritius and other islands also pursuing wind for energy independence.
  • Challenges: higher logistical transport/training costs for small islands, explained by Professor Khalil Allahi.
  • “Islands have been buffeted by the will of larger nations… whether they can harness the wind depends on political will and global industry.” — Tyler Dunn (31:59–32:22)

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Notable Quotes

• Israel’s Defense Minister on Khademi’s Death:
  “We eliminate the head of terrorists. Iranian leaders live on a sense of persecution. We will continue to hunt them one by one.” — Israel Katz (as quoted by Tyler Dunn), 02:45

• Civilians in Iran on Crisis:

  • “It feels like we’re sinking deeper and deeper into a swamp…” — Iranian civilian, 06:49
  • “With all these attacks, Iran won’t be a place we can live in anymore.” — Iranian civilian, 07:18

• Ukrainian Veteran on Theater Therapy:

  • “When we show this show— a lot of guys who in war right now, they know after they are injured, it’s not the end.” — Veteran Actor, 12:55

• On Artemis 2’s Historic Milestone:

  • “The Orion spacecraft and its crew have officially entered the lunar sphere of influence…” — Mission Update, 15:14

• On Border Security:

  • “Given an appropriate bribe, the borders are always open.” — Local near India-Bangladesh border, 28:05

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Episode Structure Overview with Key Timings

| Segment | Timestamps | |-------------------------------------------|---------------| | Iran: Killing & Analysis | 01:02–08:52 | | Ukraine: Drone Attack & Mining Disaster | 09:24–10:43 | | Ukrainian War Veterans on Stage | 11:25–15:04 | | Artemis 2 Enters Lunar Sphere | 15:14, 22:45–25:43 | | Korea: Drone Incursion & Diplomacy | 19:46–22:38 | | India-Bangladesh: Crocodiles Plan | 25:43–28:18 | | Winds of Change: Island Offshore Wind | 28:53–32:22 |

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Tone & Style

• Language: Factual, urgent, and empathetic; balanced investigative reporting and human focus.
• Pacing: Tight, with clear transitions between global hotspots and thematic depth.
• Quotes: Emphasize authentic voices from the frontlines and everyday people.

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This episode offers a comprehensive, up-to-the-moment global overview, deep dives into Middle East escalation, the lived experience of war, novel problem-solving approaches, and ongoing struggles—human, political, and planetary.

Transcript

[Narrator/Reporter]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

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[Ankar Desai]

Help is always ready before, during and after your stay.

[Jia Gaul]

We've planned for the plot twists so

[Ankar Desai]

support is always available because a great

[Theatre Veteran]

trip starts Starts with Peace of mind

[Ankar Desai]

this is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. Hello, I'm Ankar Desai and at 15 hours GMT on Monday 6th April, these are our main stories. The Iranian authorities say the intelligence chief of the powerful Revolutionary Guards has been killed in a US Israeli airstrike. Israel meanwhile, says it's launched an attack on Iran's largest petrochemical plant. Three people have been killed by a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Odessa, including a mother and her two year old child. Also in this podcast, when we show

[Veteran Actor]

this show a lot of guys who in war right now they know after they injured and they all can do whatever they want.

[Ankar Desai]

The injured Ukrainian soldiers who overcome the horrors of war on a theater stage and India's border security force is considering an unusual method to combat illegal migration and smuggling. But first, the clock is ticking and the threats are ramping up between Donald Trump and Iran, with the US President's deadline to open the Strait of Hormuz a matter of hours away. More on that in just a moment. First, news that the intelligence chief of Iran's Revolutionary Guards Corps has been killed in a U S Israeli airstrike. According to Iranian state media, the organization said General Magid Khadi was martyred at dawn. Israel has claimed responsibility and Defense Minister Israel Katz says he was a key target.

[Tyler Dunn]

I was informed by the chief of staff that last night in Tehran the IDF army eliminated Majid Khademi, head of the Revolutionary Guards Intelligence, one of the direct perpetrators of these war crimes and one of the top three officials in the organization. The revolution regards fire at civilians and we eliminate the head of terrorists. Iranian leaders live on a sense of persecution. We will continue to hunt them one by one.

[Ankar Desai]

I got some analysis from Jia Gaul of the BBC Persian Service.

[Jia Gaul]

He was appointed to this post as a head of IRGC intelligence organization in June last year after his predecessor was killed in another strike By Israel during 12 days war in June. And before that he was the head of counter intelligence in Revolutionary Guards. And I think he was close to Iran former supreme leader who was killed also on 28th of February this year. He has been appointed since then and it seems on Monday at dawn he has been targeted. An Iranian farce news agency which is the mouthpiece of Iranian Revolutionary Guard has confirmed he has been killed.

[Ankar Desai]

How much of a blow is this then for the Iranian regime? Another senior figure and a growing list of leading regime figures targeted and killed by the US And Israel.

[Jia Gaul]

Obviously his organization was in charge of countering espionage and spy agents around the country. I think he himself being killed, definitely that's a blow to the intelligence community inside Iranian regime. But having said that, we know in the past also whenever a commander of Revolutionary Guards are being killed immediately in a short period of time, he has been replaced by another person. And in the past few weeks, it seems to me the more hard line commanders are taking position after those commanders

[Ankar Desai]

are being killed when one is replaced.

[Jia Gaul]

Yeah, exactly.

[Ankar Desai]

That's interesting. Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson we're seeing reports coming through that Tehran are formulating some sort of a diplomatic response to the US which they say they will announce in due time. That's something we're just seeing reported at the moment. But in terms of Iran standing firm despite pressure from the US And Donald Trump to open the Strait of Hormuz, how much will this impact and weaken its resolve?

[Jia Gaul]

I don't think the death of General Khadimi has any impact on the negotiation or a peace plan. We know there is a pressure from United States and also mediated by Pakistanis. They are hoping to persuade Iranian to agree to a peace plan, possibly open the Strait of Hormuz and in 15 to 20 days be able to talk to Iran reached an agreement with the United States on nuclear program in the same time to lift some sanctions against Iranian. But I think right now Revolutionary Guards commander are in charge and I think they called the shot in the country. So far at least we know the Iranian trying to depict this image that they are not in a hurry to agree to any peace deal.

[Ankar Desai]

Just very briefly before you go, how crucial is it the role of Pakistan or Any other intermediaries in trying to help resolve this conflict.

[Jia Gaul]

Obviously, Pakistan is important. It's trusted by both sides. It seems to me the US for the first time, President Trump trusting this Pakistani general, General Assam, and it seems also Egypt and Turkey are backing this peace process or peace plan.

[Ankar Desai]

BBC Persian's Jar Gore. Well, the Israeli defense minister also says they're continuing to strike Iranian infrastructure with full force, hitting the largest petrochemical facility in the country, located in Islawiya, worth tens of billions of dollars to Tehran. It comes as Donald Trump is issuing threats of his own, saying the U.S. will target civilian infrastructure and will unleash hell if Iran doesn't open the Strait of Hormuz. Iran's deputy foreign minister says President Trump's threats constitute war crimes, says its retaliation will be devastating and widespread if the US And Israel were to strike civilian targets, according to state media. Well, over the last 24 hours, we've received messages from members of the public inside Iran for their security. Their words have been voiced up by our colleagues at BBC Persian.

[Veteran Actor]

It feels like we're sinking deeper and deeper into a swamp. What can we do as ordinary people? We can't stop him. I keep thinking about a situation where in a month, I'm sitting with my family with no water, no electricity, nothing, and someone blows out the candle and we go to sleep.

[Theatre Veteran]

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

[Jia Gaul]

I don't see a bright future for

[Ankar Desai]

Iranians at the end of this.

[Veteran Actor]

With all these attacks, Iran won't be a place we can live in anymore.

[Ankar Desai]

So many small businesses have already disappeared, and the others will fade away, too. So what hopes are there of a diplomatic solution to halt the escalation? Greg Karlstrom is the Middle east correspondent for the news magazine the Economist, and he's in Doha.

[Greg Karlstrom]

There is not much optimism, which has been the case with every announcement of diplomacy between America and Iran over the past few weeks. As you say, the idea is to start with an initial truce of a few weeks and buy some time for negotiations about a permanent ceasefire. This has been brought about by Pakistan essentially passing messages between the two sides. There aren't even proper talks going on between the US and Iran. There's Pakistan playing a game of telephone here, but on the substance of it, the idea that Iran would reopen the straits in exchange for only a temporary truce, it's hard to see them doing that. The Iranians want to not only end this war, but secure some kind of guarantee that they won't be attacked again, either by America or by Israel. They view their control of Hormuz as essential to that. They're also hoping to monetize their control of Hormuz and turn that into a revenue stream by charging tolls on ships that use the waterway. And so to relinquish that control, to give up that very valuable card in exchange for only ending the war for a few weeks and a promise of negotiations that may not go anywhere for a permanent ceasefire. It's hard to see the Iranians agreeing to that.

[Ankar Desai]

Greg Karlstrom of the Economist. And we have more on the main stories on our YouTube channel. Just search for BBC News on YouTube and you'll find Global News Podcast in the podcast section next. Three people have been killed by a Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Odessa, including a mother and her two year old child. That's according to the Ukrainian military. Meanwhile, more than 40 miners in occupied Ukraine have been trapped underground after their mine was hit. Here's our global affairs reporter, Paul Moss.

[Paul Moss]

The scenes from Odessa are horribly familiar. An apartment block in a residential area with part of its side completely destroyed. The remains of a family home left dangling as firefighters anxiously search through the debris. Russia has recently stepped up its strikes on this key port, apparently trying to stop its continued use as an import export hub, from which Ukraine still manages to export its grain. But it's civilians who are bearing the brunt of these attacks. Three died in Odessa at the early hours of Monday morning. Speaking outside the destroyed building, the Orthodox church, Archdeacon Andril Palchuk described what happened as simply evil on the eve of a great holiday such as Easter, he said they continue to commit these acts and can't get enough of human blood. Ukraine has been striking back at Russia. The country's military said they'd hit a Russian warship in occupied Crimea, as well as a drilling rig. They also hit a coal mine in the Russian occupied region, the Donbass. According to local Russian installed officials. The Latest reports say 41 miners have been trapped underground, but that rescuers have managed to make contact with them and supplied them with drinking water.

[Ankar Desai]

Paul Moss reporting. While the casualties mount on both sides, Ukrainian theatre audiences are being treated to a unique experience, watching wounded army veterans who have never acted before performing a Ukrainian adaptation of Virgil's Na. The production offers injured soldiers, some with amputations and severe burns, an opportunity to bond, communicate and discover hidden talents after the horrors of war. Our correspondent Paul Adams has been to watch Members of the Theater of Veterans rehearsing for their next performance.

[Narrator/Reporter]

On a Kyiv stage, figures emerge out of a smoky haze. Soldiers moving slowly, bowed down, burdened, thirsty, exhausted, fleeing war, searching for a place of safety. Their injuries aren't immediately obvious, but soon you see them. The prosthetics, the burned faces, the stumps where hands should be. The story is ancient. Virgil's wandering Aeneas reimagined as a Cossack warrior by the Ukrainian poet Ivan Kotlyarevsky at the end of the 18th century. But in this production, there's never any doubt about where we are. This is here, this is now. We join the cast for a midweek rehearsal. Theatre of Veterans is a remarkable organization, giving soldiers who have experienced extreme physical and mental trauma a taste of life on the stage as an aid to recovery, acting as therapy for each member of the cast. It's intensely personal.

[Veteran Actor]

First of all is for rehabilitation, for mind, for soul, for body.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Ivan Voynov was hit by a glide bomb in May 2024 near the city of Vovchansk, close to the Russian border. The explosion killed and wounded several of his colleagues. Ivan lost his left leg below the knee. He has two metal plates in his skull and a keen desire to see beyond his wounds.

[Veteran Actor]

When we show this show a lot of guys who in war right now, they know after they in Jarat, it's not the end. Life keeps going and they all can do whatever they want.

[Theatre Veteran]

I think that I'm changing myself because all of us changing because of something.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Ina Korolenko's wounds are less visible. Months of ferrying dead and wounded soldiers from the front line and an explosion in her vehicle which sent her to hospital for two months, left her traumatized and alone.

[Theatre Veteran]

This project was a very big chance for us to return to our life. Not too scared to say something to people about myself.

[Narrator/Reporter]

Putting this inexperienced but enthusiastic cast through its paces is theatre director Olha Semioshkina. She says it took time to coax the veterans out of themselves.

[Theatre Veteran]

The guys and girls came to us very withdrawn. We couldn't touch them.

[Bethenny Frankel]

It was too much for them to handle.

[Theatre Veteran]

The first thing we did was establish contact. Then we started to trust each other and open up. We joke a lot. We crack some of the darkest jokes in rehearsals.

[Narrator/Reporter]

The show has already played to enthusiastic audiences. Now they're taking it on the road around Ukraine. The veterans all play the same central character, a a broken man going through hell, looking for a place to settle. Somehow, through theatre, they found it.

[Theatre Veteran]

I still don't think that I'm actor. But step by step, we do something new in the theater life of Ukraine and to be a part of it, it's very cool.

[Ankar Desai]

Waladams reporting from Kyiv in Ukraine. Still to come in this podcast, NASA's Artemis 2 mission enters uncharted areas in space.

[Veteran Actor]

The Orion spacecraft and its crew have officially entered the lunar sphere of influence. The gravitational forces of the moon are now greater on the Orion spacecraft than that of Earth.

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[Narrator/Reporter]

Foreign

[Ankar Desai]

you're listening to the global News podcast To East Asia now, where tensions have been flaring between north and South Korea. In January, drones were launched from the southern side of the border into North Korea's airspace, with Pyongyang accusing Seoul of a serious provocation. South Korea's president, Lee Jae Myung has now expressed regret to Pyongyang about the incursions, saying his government did not approve them. Mr. Lee said the reckless behavior of individuals had caused unnecessary military tensions. I spoke to our correspondent in Seoul, Jake Kwon, about North Korea's reaction to the drones.

[Jake Kwon]

Pyongyang, I mean, they immediately condemned it. North Korea doesn't normally differentiate between action by the government and civilians, perhaps because there isn't much of a difference in North Korea, totalitarian society there. So when South Korea claimed that this was something that they didn't know about, this perhaps was by a civilian, North Korea didn't really believe it. Only when South Korea's ministry that deals with North Korea accepted responsibility and promised to never let it happen again, North Korea softened. And we heard from the North Korean leader's sister, Kim Yo Jong, who is really the de facto spokesperson, said she evaluates this message highly, but she also followed with the usual threat of retaliation in case of repeat offense.

[Ankar Desai]

The South Korean government say they did not approve the drones, so who in effect launched them.

[Jake Kwon]

So as far as we understand, there was a man in his 30s who is identified by his last name, oh. And I spoke to a few people who do humanitarian activism regarding North Korea here, and they told me that OH has been reaching out to them, has been hanging around the circle of North Korea analysts and NGOs. So he is someone who is very much interested in North Korea, whether that means trying to send leaflets over or simply learning about North Korea. And the investigation shows that oh has been sending these drones over the border. And these drones are some of those that are sold in commercial market. You can buy them online and they would be taking pictures of North Korea. And there had been a few military officers and spy agency employees who gave him some advice or asked to see the footage afterwards. But the government investigation concluded that these officers acted on their own and there was no government involvement on the organizational level.

[Ankar Desai]

What does the correspondence and also what's happened over the past few months say for the relationship between the two countries? Is it unusual for a South Korean president to directly express regret to Pyongyang like this?

[Jake Kwon]

It is highly unusual for a South Korean leader to apologize to Pyongyang. Well, expressing regret, which is the lightest form of apology, and in fact it's almost never done by either countries to express any regret. I think it appears weak to the voters or supporters at home. And when the leader's core duty as the leader of the country that is technically at war. But South Korea is right now trying to thaw the tension. And this message really shows significant commitment by Lee Ji Myung to really build a good and better relationship with Pyongyang.

[Ankar Desai]

Jae Kwon reporting from Seoul. Next we head to space to check in on the progress of NASA's Artemis 2 mission.

[Veteran Actor]

We recently received confirmation that the Orion spacecraft and its crew have officially entered the lunar sphere of influence. That milestone taking place at a mission elaborate time of 4 days, 6 hours, 2 minutes and 54 seconds into the Artemis 2 mission. By reaching this milestone, it means that the gravitational forces of the Moon are now greater on the Orion spacecraft than that of Earth.

[Ankar Desai]

As you heard there earlier on Monday, the crew entered what's known as the lunar sphere of influence, where the Moon's gravitational pull is stronger than Earth's. Now the four astronauts have been preparing to fly the spacecraft around the far side of the Moon, which will see them break the record for the furthest humans have ever traveled from Earth. Our science correspondent Georgina Renard told us more.

[Theatre Veteran]

I think this is the most exciting day of the 10 day mission, apart from the launch and the return. They'll get there closest to the Moon. During this Flyby they'll be 250,000 miles from our planet. And at the closest to the Moon, they'll be about 4,000 miles from the lunar surface. But for about 50 minutes they'll lose contact with Earth because the radio and laser signals that usually allow back and forth communication between the spacecraft and Earth will actually be blocked by the Moon itself. So during those minutes, the astronauts will only have each other's company. It's been described by other astronauts who've lost contact with Earth as a moment of complete loneliness. They're at this such distance from Earth, they can perhaps see it really, really far away, but also sometimes respite from the constant radio contact they have with mission Control.

[Ankar Desai]

Normally, yeah, in a strange way, complete loneliness, but not entirely alone either as well. It's a unique experience, no doubt, and just remind us of the purpose as well of flying all the way around the Moon, especially on the far side, which we don't know a great deal about.

[Theatre Veteran]

So yeah, the far side is much more mysterious region. We never see it from Earth. It has a thicker crust than other parts of the Moon and many more craters than the ones we're used to seeing, you know, when we look up at the Moon in the night sky. So the crew will spend time taking photographs of the surface, looking for unusual features, making a note of anything they didn't expect to see. It's not unexplored though. NASA is making a big deal of the astronauts seeing this area with human eyes. They'll be the first humans to see some firsthand. It's actually quite well mapped by robotic explorers, including one sent by India and China, who've even taken samples of that region. So not a new place to humans, but still somewhere a place to discover new things. But it's also a place that countries might want to build a lunar base in the future. Or use some resources there like water to sustain a human presence. So strategically it's very important for the US to understand more about it because of course, this Artemis mission is part of the global space race to reach the moon. And these countries want to reach Mars in the future after we get to the moon.

[Ankar Desai]

Georgina Renard India's border security force is considering an unusual method to combat illegal migration and smuggling. The government authority has asked local teams to look at the feasibility of deploying crocodiles and snakes along the India Bangladesh border. Officials say criminals and smugglers are exploiting unfenced sections of the boundary. I spoke to our global affairs reporter Ambarasan Ethirajan about this. To use reptiles for border security.

[Veteran Actor]

Usually when you talk about border security you talk about, you know, cameras, infrared or high tech gadgets. But now the Indian border force seem to be going back to one of the oldest techniques when people used to have crocs around the moat or the castles in the, in the olden days. This border is about 4,000 km. Two thirds of it have been already fenced. The reason why it is triggering tensions between the two countries is because of what India says, human trafficking, smuggling of weapons as well as drugs across the border. But some areas have not been fenced. They are unfenced because of the geography, rivers and marshy regions and swamps. So they want to release crocodiles and snakes in these areas. This plan has not been implemented. But one of the officers was saying there are many issues here. First of all, where can you obtain them, where can you buy them? And second, what impact this will have on the ecology as well as for the local people.

[Ankar Desai]

Okay, it's a story you've covered before. How big an issue is this cross border crime between the two countries?

[Veteran Actor]

This has been a very violent area for many decades. And I was there about 15 years ago reporting on the increasing number of border killings. Just listen to what I was saying in 2011. I'm right now on one of the most bloodiest borders in the world. Dozens of people, mainly Bangladeshi civilians are killed along these border areas every year. And human rights groups in Bangladesh say about a thousand people have been killed in the last 10 years. This issue has got very little attention on the international media, I should say because this issue has also triggered political tensions between the two countries about this what India calls infiltration. Whereas Bangladeshi human rights group say many civilians are getting killed. And there have been number of proposals how to reduce this illegal immigration between the two countries. And also it becomes an election issue. But many people would say even if you release crocodiles or even snakes along the border to deter these cattle smugglers and others. When one person whom I met in the border, he would always say, well, with given an appropriate bribe, the borders are always open.

[Ankar Desai]

Ambarasan Ethirajan Highly exposed to volatile fossil fuel prices and intensifying climate change, island nations around the world are starting to ask, could they make a fortune from the gusty seas that surround them? Advances in offshore wind technology are prompting communities from the Channel Islands to Mauritius to consider whether they can become energy independent or even electricity exporters. But not everyone's convinced. Tyler Dunn reports from the Channel island of Jersey, just off the northwest coast of France.

[Tyler Dunn]

Type Jersey into a search engine and there's a good chance you'll see an image of what I'm walking around at the moment. Corbier Lighthouse. It's a striking white lighthouse perched on jagged rocks at one end of a sweeping eight kilometre long bay. But this view could one day look quite different because early proposals for an offshore wind farm would see dozens of turbines, each reaching a maximum height similar to the Eiffel Tower, clustered in the sea about 15 kilometres southwest of it. Away from the coastline in the island's capital, Saint Helier, the logos of some of the world's biggest finance firms adorn the office buildings. I'm on my way to the quainter surroundings of the Royal Square, the location of Jersey's Parliament, where I meet the island's Environment Minister, Steve Luce.

[Narrator/Reporter]

We think that we could return somewhere in the region of four times every pound we spend over the course of the wind farm, which is a considerable length of time, so we're looking 30, 40 years ahead.

[Tyler Dunn]

Not everyone is blown away by the potential of making more than half a billion dollars. Down the road, in Saint Helier's harbor, local fisherman Stephen Viney invites me onto his boat.

[Ankar Desai]

There's a lot going on with environmental impacts of fishing in areas that we're being displaced from. It's a very worrying time because it seems that fishermen are being pushed to the side for big business.

[Tyler Dunn]

I've been in the offshore wind industry for about 18 years and I've been working across the world in offshore wind. This is Mark Leybourne. His company, Dyna Energy, is based in Jersey and wants to develop the island's offshore wind farm. There's a big long list of islands that are looking at this different levels of maturity. So we've got the Channel Islands very much moving ahead with offshore wind. Bermuda, Malta, also Mauritius, Sri Lanka as well. As we've seen in Recent years, with the macroeconomic shocks, we've seen islands that are really struggling to pay for their energy consumption because they're having to import it. We're seeing volatile prices and they need security not only from their actual supply of energy, but the cost of that energy as well. Mauritius is in the early planning stage of developing offshore wind. Professor Khalil Allahi from the University of Mauritius is the chairman of the country's Renewable Energy Agency. He says a wind farm could help cut the island's reliance on imported fossil fuels.

[Greg Karlstrom]

We always have to add probably 10, 30, even say 40% extra, because if you do the project, for instance, a particularly large scale project in China, or probably if you want to get more realistic hosting in Europe or elsewhere, it's going to be less. But when you do try to do the same thing in Africa or in the context of small island state, you do have additional costs to take care. I think that we have challenges in terms of logistics, we have challenges in terms of transport, we have challenges in terms of capacity building and people who have to be training in this area.

[Tyler Dunn]

Back here in Jersey, it occurs to me that islands have been buffeted by the will of larger nations almost as long as they've been buffeted by the wind. Whether they can harness the latter to become more independent and grow their economies, cut their emissions, would depend in part on them having the political will to take a risk and on a global industry outside their control.

[Ankar Desai]

Tyler Dunn reporting. And that's all from us for now. If you want to get in touch, you can email us at globalpodcastbc.co.uk. you can also find us on XBCWorldService. Use the hashtag globalnewspod. And don't forget our sister podcast called the Global Story, which goes in depth and beyond the headlines on one big story. This edition of the Global News Podcast was mixed by Charlotte Hadroj Tojimska and the producers were Stephanie Tillotson and Oliver Berlau. The editor is Karen Martin and I'm Ankar Desai. Until next time. Goodbye. If you work in university maintenance, Grainger

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