Iran renews attacks on Gulf countries

Summary

Global News Podcast – Iran Renews Attacks on Gulf Countries

BBC World Service, March 20, 2026
Host: Janak Jalil

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the escalating conflict between Iran and several Gulf states as the US-Israel war with Iran enters its third week. It covers fresh Iranian missile and drone attacks on key economic targets across the Gulf, the economic fallout—especially in global energy markets—and the international diplomatic response. Key sections also include the humanitarian impact in Iran and Lebanon, the spread of weight loss drug generics as patents expire, an update on NASA’s upcoming moon mission, the aftermath of a severe cyclone in Australia, Cuba’s deepening energy crisis, and a tribute to the late Chuck Norris.

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Main Stories and Key Discussion Points

1. Escalation of Iran’s Attacks in the Gulf

(01:02 - 07:03)

• Iran launches new attacks: In retaliation for US and Israeli actions, Iran has fired missiles and drones at targets across Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Bahrain.

  • Refineries in Kuwait (Mina Abdullah and Mina Al Ahmadi), Saudi petrochemical industries, and Qatar’s Rusta Farm (the world's largest gas processing plant) were struck.

• Diplomatic Tension:

  • Gulf states are furious; Qatar lodged protests with the US.
  • Confusion over US-Israel communication, with Trump’s administration denying advance knowledge of Israeli attacks, while Israeli officials insist the US was fully informed.
    • Frank Gardner (BBC security correspondent):

      “Somebody isn’t being entirely truthful here.” (03:08)

• Saudi Arabia's Response:

  • Saudi FM states they reserve the right to take military action against Iran.
  • Risks for Saudis: angering their own population if seen siding with Israel, and fear of severe Iranian retaliation (as in 2019 drone attacks).
    • Frank Gardner:

      “The Saudis know they are vulnerable... the damage to their critical national infrastructure could be catastrophic.” (06:38)

2. Energy Market Shock & Global Impact

(07:03 - 09:22)

• Significant damage to Qatar’s LNG facilities:

  • Two processing 'trains' at Rusta Farm destroyed, reducing Qatar's output by 17% for 3-5 years.
    • Nick Marsh (business reporter):

      “This is a huge blow... for Qatar, its finances, and for all the countries that rely on its liquefied natural gas.” (07:44)

• Energy prices spike:

  • Brent crude reached $119/barrel; natural gas up 30%; prices stabilizing but remain high.
  • Triggered global warnings:
    • Fatih Birol (IEA chief, via Simon Atkinson):

      “Our world is facing the greatest global energy security challenge in the history. It is much bigger than what we had in the 1970s...” (09:48)

• IEA recommendations:

  • Reduce demand by working from home, driving slower, and flying less.

3. Humanitarian Toll in Iran and Lebanon during Nowruz

(10:09 - 14:38)

• Civilian casualties rising:

  • 3,000+ killed in Lebanon (by Israeli attacks in three weeks); >3,100 dead in Iran (per US-based human rights agency).

• Nowruz under war:

  • Displaced Iranians in Turkey mourn and commemorate the Persian New Year amid trauma and loss of contact with families.
    • Anita Mohammed Pana (displaced Iranian):

      “For days I had no news from anyone. My sister gave birth and we didn’t even get to talk.” (13:00)

• Voices from both sides:

  • Exiles express heartbreak and longing for freedom; regime supporters assert national pride.
    • Anonymous regime supporter:

      “America and Israel should keep their hands off Iran... Long live Iran forever.” (14:09)

  • Dan Johnson (BBC):

    “This celebration can be a time of renewal, but doing so with a thoughtful eye on our past.” (14:29)

4. Japan’s Delicate Diplomacy with the US

(14:49 - 16:43)

• PM Sanae Takaichi declines US military help:
  • Manages to avoid public disagreement with Trump, citing Japan’s pacifist constitution.
    • Jonathan Head (BBC):

      “She deployed a full arsenal of flattery and affection... calling [Trump] ‘my best buddy’...” (15:28)

  • Trump compares lack of warning to Pearl Harbor, referencing historical sensitivities.
  • Focus shifts to Japanese investment in the US.

5. NASA’s Upcoming Crewed Moon Mission

(16:43 - 19:25)

• Rocket prepared for launch after technical delays:
  • Rocket is 100 meters tall, 2,500 tons, set for early April launch.
    • Rebecca Morell (Science editor):

      “This is the first time any humans have been to the moon in more than 50 years.” (19:01)

  • Mission aims to pave way for a future lunar base; US-China competition is heating up.

6. Cyclone Hits Australia’s Northeast

(25:11 - 28:19)

• Cyclone travels across Queensland:
  • 220 km/h winds, significant property damage but no casualties reported.
    • Simon Atkinson (correspondent):

      “Certainly it seems the areas... seem to have had a lucky escape.” (26:00)

• Ongoing flood risk, adequate responses from authorities, indigenous communities particularly affected.

7. Cuba’s Deepening Energy Crisis

(28:19 - 32:42)

• Effects of US embargo and aid efforts:
  • Medicine and energy shortages worsen, impacting hospitals and daily life.
    • Ilaria Salis (Italian MEP):

      “It's totally against human rights to put this kind of embargo that looks like a collective punishment for the whole people.” (31:17)

  • Aid convoys deliver essential supplies; uncertainty remains over continuous aid flow.

8. Explosion of Generic Weight Loss Drugs

(21:57 - 25:11)

• Patent expiries in India and elsewhere:
  • Generics for semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) to enter market, prices to fall dramatically.
    • Achana Shukla (reporter):

      “Prices are expected to crash by nearly half. And over the next few months, it could come down much more than that.” (24:06)

• Risks: Fear of misuse for rapid cosmetic weight loss rather than medical need, as access widens.

9. Remembering Chuck Norris

(32:42 - 35:38)

• Chuck Norris dies at 86:
  • Celebrated action star, pop culture icon, and the subject of “Chuck Norris facts.”
    • Peter Goffin (BBC):

      “Norris fame peaked with the television program Walker Texas Ranger... But some five years later, he enjoyed a career resurgence thanks to the Internet phenomenon of Chuck Norris facts.” (34:53)

  • Memorable “facts” recited by presenters:
    • Janak Jalil: “‘Chuck Norris doesn’t read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.’” (35:01)
    • Jonathan Head: “‘There is no chin behind Chuck Norris’s beard. There is only another fist.’” (35:11)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Gulf escalation
  – Frank Gardner:

  “They are getting hit almost daily by Iranian ballistic missiles... the damage to their critical national infrastructure could be catastrophic.” (06:38)

• On energy crisis
  – Fatih Birol:

  “Our world is facing the greatest global energy security challenge in the history.” (09:48)

• On Nowruz without peace
  – Displaced Iranian:

  “We can't celebrate Nowruz this year unless we are sure of the fall of the regime and that the families of the fallen can celebrate with us.” (13:52)

• On patent expiry impact in India
  – Achana Shukla:

  “These drugs have been available for over a year, but just a small section of the population could afford... now, prices are expected to crash...” (24:06)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:02 – Main headlines and introduction
• 03:21 – Frank Gardner on Iranian attacks in the Gulf
• 07:30 – Nick Marsh on Qatar LNG facility damage
• 09:48 – IEA’s global warning (Fatih Birol)
• 11:15 – Dan Johnson with Iranian refugees in Turkey
• 14:49 – Jonathan Head on Japan-US meeting
• 16:43 – NASA moon mission update (Rebecca Morell)
• 21:57 – Achana Shukla on weight loss drug generics
• 25:11 – Cyclone hits Australia (Simon Atkinson)
• 28:19 – Ilaria Salis on Cuba’s crisis and aid convoy
• 32:42 – Tribute to Chuck Norris

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Thematic Takeaways

• Middle East tensions are destabilizing global energy security and risk wider involvement of regional powers.
• Human cost of war is deep and enduring, stripping away the possibility of traditional communal celebrations.
• Economic shocks from war and climate disasters compound global uncertainty.
• Shifts in healthcare access, via patent expiries, bring both opportunities and dangers.
• Enduring heroes, like Chuck Norris, are remembered not just for real achievements but for their place in pop culture.

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This summary offers a clear, timestamped guide to the episode, emphasizing the continued volatility in the Middle East and its ripple effects worldwide—from energy markets to individual lives—and rounding off with broader stories of scientific ambition, climate crisis, pharmaceutical change, and a cultural farewell.

Transcript

[Janak Jalil]

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[Janak Jalil]

Has the news been getting you down? I'm Megan McCardell and I'm here to help. I'm the host of a new show from Washington Post Opinion called Reasonably Optimistic, and it's an antidote to the pessimism that's riddling America right now. Every Wednesday I'm going to talk to people who see a path forward. It does seem to me that there is some awakening of a desire to act together to solve problems where they are.

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[Janak Jalil]

Join me Wednesdays on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Janak Jalil and at 16 hours GMT on Friday 20th March, these are our main headlines. Gulf countries come under renewed attacks from Iran as Israel continues to bomb Tehran but pledges not to attack any more Iranian energy sites. But with oil and gas prices still high, the International Energy Agency calls for people to work from home more, drive slower and fly less to reduce demand for fuel. Also in this podcast, with the patent about to expire in some countries on weight loss drugs like Ozempic and WeGovy, could cheaper generic products transform the battle against the bulge and mission to the moon?

[Astronaut/Crew Member]

We will have the earth out the window as a single ball, something none of us have seen.

[Janak Jalil]

And then we're going to travel a quarter of a million miles away. NASA's huge rocket, now repaired, heads back to the launch pad at Cape Canaveral in Florida in preparation for the first crude flight in more than than half a century. But first nearly three weeks since the US And Israel began their war with Iran, it is continuing to fire missiles and drones at its Gulf neighbors, causing fires at a major refinery in Kuwait and a warehouse in Bahrain. Blasts were also heard in Jerusalem. At the same time, Israel has again struck targets in Iran, but after a rare rebuke from President Trump, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged not to hit Iranian energy sites again. The Gulf states have been stunned and angered by the scale of Iran's response. Not just hitting US Bases on their soil, as expected, but also energy infrastructure, airports and even hotels. The Saudi Foreign Minister said his country reserved the right to take military action against Iran. I got more on that with our security correspondent in Doha, Frank Gardner. But first, he told me more about the latest Iranian attacks.

[Frank Gardner]

Overnight and over the last 24 hours, there have been a series of Iranian missile attacks on what could only be described as economic targets up and down the Gulf. Kuwait, for example, the Mina Abdullah and Mina Al Ahmadi refineries have been hit. Saudi Arabia's petrochemical industries have been hit. In Qatar, where I'm speaking to you from, they are still reeling from yesterday morning's an overnight attacks on Rusta Farm, which is the world's largest gas processing plant. The Qataris are furious. The knock on effect of this in diplomatic terms is that the Qataris have complained to the United States. Donald Trump has said we knew nothing about this. The Israelis say, yes, they did. We told them they knew everything about it. We're doing everything in concert with the Americans. So somebody isn't being entirely truthful here. And for the time being, the Americans have told Israel not to do any more, hit any more economic targets. So let's see if that sticks.

[Janak Jalil]

Yes, because the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu came out yesterday to say that President Trump didn't know about this Israeli attack on the Iranian gas field that sparked this latest escalation, in fact contradicting his own officials.

[Frank Gardner]

It does sound like it, doesn't it? I mean, I took a call specifically yesterday from an Israeli official to tell me they did know, they did tell them. So the longer term picture here is, are they both on the same page as to when this war is going to end? And I think that Israel has a desire to keep working its way down through a target list in Iran of missile sites and IRGC Revolutionary Guards commanders that it wants to eliminate. Whereas for the US time is running out. You know, every day that this goes on, it's going to become less and less popular with Donald Trump's maga, his Make America Great Again base, which didn't vote him into office to get involved in a, in another Middle Eastern war and certainly not to drive up petrol prices, gas prices at the pump.

[Janak Jalil]

We've heard from the Saudi Foreign Minister that his country is reserving the right to take military action against Iran. How likely is that? Do you think, Frank?

[Frank Gardner]

Well, the Saudis have got a powerful air force and of course they've got a huge ally in the United States. They are getting hit almost daily by Iranian ballistic missiles aimed at Prince Sultan Air Base south of Riyadh at a place called Al Kharaj. And they're getting fed up with this and not being able to retaliate. But they also know that if they were to join in this war effectively on the side of Israel, that brings two risks. One, one, their own population are not going to be happy at them appearing to side with Israel, a country that has been embroiled in the Gaza war since 2023. And secondly, there is the risk of massive Iranian retaliation. And the Saudis had a bit of a wake up call in September 2019 when having joined in the Yemen war to try and beat the Houthis, they then got hit by a flurry of drones launched from Iraq by Iranian backed proxies. Iran always denied it, but I think everybody assumes it was Iranian backed proxies that launched these drones at Saudi Arabia's petrochemical facilities. And that knocked out half of Saudis export capacity for several days. Now that was just a taste of what could possibly come. So the Saudis know that they are vulnerable. They've got good air defenses. They were able to shoot down the eight ballistic missiles that Iran fired at Riyadh a couple of days ago. But not everything is able to be shot down. Some things get through and the damage to their critical national infrastructure could be catastrophic.

[Janak Jalil]

Frank Gardner in Doha. Well, we've already seen how damaging attacks on energy infrastructure can be with this week's soaring gas and oil prices and stock market falls after that Iranian attack on Qatar's main site for producing liquefied natural gas. Our business reporter Nick Marsh told me more about the extent of the damage at this highly important gas facility and the impact it's likely to have on our energy bills.

[Nick Marsh]

Qatar's energy minister said that it would take between three and five years to totally repair the damage sustained in those Iranian attacks on Wednesday night and the early hours of Thursday morning. There are 4, 14, what's known as trains. So basically these huge processing units in which natural gas is cooled to a very, very low temperature and it's turned into liquefied natural gas. And that's the stuff that gets exported all around the world. Two of those 14 trains have been really, really severely damaged to the point where you need to rebuild the whole thing and that takes a very, very long time indeed. That means that according to his calculations, Qatar's LNG output is going to drop by 17%, so nearly a fifth over the course of the next three to five years. Now that's obviously a huge blow to Qatar and its finances and its economy, but also to all of the countries that rely on its liquefied natural gas. Lots of countries out here in Asia, you know, China, India as well, big customer, Japan, South Korea, but also increasingly Europe, given that Europe's trying to buy less Russian natural gas after the invasion of Ukraine. So, yes, some pretty significant damage we're talking about.

[Janak Jalil]

And briefly, we saw energy prices spike yesterday. What's it like today?

[Nick Marsh]

It has stabilized in relative terms, especially compared to yesterday where things really, really shot up. I mean, natural gas going up by about 30%. Brent crude, you know, the benchmark for oil, a barrel of that hitting around $119, which is very high indeed. They've gone down a little bit, but still really, really high. You could argue that they went down because Benjamin Netanyahu and Donald Trump were talking about no further attacks. But the facts on the ground mean that production is severely compromised.

[Janak Jalil]

Nick Marsh and there's been a warning that the world faces its greatest ever energy threat from the Iran war. The International Energy Agency says the disruption to supplies is the largest in oil market history. And it's urged governments to look at ways of reducing demand, such as cut speed limits and encouraging people to work from home more and to fly less. Here's the head of the iea, Fatih Birol.

[Simon Atkinson]

Our world is facing the greatest global energy security challenge in the history. It is much bigger than what we had in the 1970s, the oil price shocks. It is also bigger than the natural

[Janak Jalil]

gas price shock we have experienced after

[Simon Atkinson]

Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

[Janak Jalil]

And it is not only oil and gas. Fertilizers, petrochemicals, these are all facing major problems. The head of the iea, Fatih Birol as well as the growing economic cost, there's also been a heavy personal cost for millions of people forced to flee their homes in Iran and in Lebanon. The Lebanese authorities say more than a third thousand people have been killed there by Israeli attacks in the past three weeks. There are no official figures for Iran, but the U. S Based human rights activist news agency says more than 3,100 people have been killed in Iran since the start of the U. S Israeli war. This comes as Iranians are marking the Persian New Year Nowruz even as they mourn those they've lost in the Iranian regime's brutal crackdown on protesters In January and the ongoing war, Dan Johnson has been speaking to some Iranians who've recently crossed into Turkey.

[Dan Johnson]

A centuries old celebration. This year has a very different soundtrack. In the corner of a restaurant in Van, the closest city to the border, Alireza, Molly Hosseini plays the Daf, a traditional Persian drum. So many lives have been upended. But after crossing to Turkey, Alireza is reproducing the familiar sounds of harm.

[Janak Jalil]

In Iranian culture, sadness and happiness often go hand in hand. Iranians haven't been able to speak out or protest freely, and that's what led us here. War is never a good thing. Not for Iran, not for any nation. Children are waking up to the sound of missiles filled with fear. Families are leaving their homes just to survive. I am absolutely heartbroken by what is happening in Iran.

[Dan Johnson]

The New Year's welcomed with hope of fresh beginnings. In the lobby of one of the hotels sheltering displaced Iranians, Anita Mohammed Pana approaches the table laid with candles and the haft sin display seven items symbolizing health and renewal.

[Janak Jalil]

Neroz is not being celebrated by anyone, but we hold on to the hope of freedom.

[Dan Johnson]

Anita, 24 years old, left Iran last summer. But now, when families are supposed to be coming together, just keeping in contact is difficult.

[Janak Jalil]

For days I had no news from anyone. My sister gave birth and we didn't even get to talk. For those of us who left the country, our only comfort was being able to speak to our families over the Internet.

[Dan Johnson]

Every day more people take to the road and leave Iran. But at the border crossing, high in the snowy mountains, many still speak quietly for fear of reprisals.

[Janak Jalil]

There is no norus this year. Many people are mourning because two months before the killing of people.

[Dan Johnson]

Will you celebrate at all?

[Janak Jalil]

No, we want people of the world understand my country

[Bleacher Report Announcer]

very hard.

[Astronaut/Crew Member]

We can't celebrate Nowruz this year unless

[Janak Jalil]

we are sure of the fall of

[Astronaut/Crew Member]

the regime and that the families of the fallen can celebrate with us.

[Dan Johnson]

But there are people heading the other way, carrying opposing views. Listen to this man we met who supports the regime.

[Jonathan Head]

America and Israel should keep their hands off Iran.

[Janak Jalil]

We just came to Turkey for three days now we have nares. So we came to buy things and we are going back. Long live Iran forever.

[Dan Johnson]

Back in the city, Alireza has a message of healing and optimism.

[Janak Jalil]

This celebration can be a time of renewal, but doing so with a thoughtful eye on our past.

[Dan Johnson]

But that history makes new beginnings difficult and lasting peace even harder.

[Janak Jalil]

That report by Dan Johnson. The Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has ended what she's described as a very difficult official visit to the US after deflecting President Trump's request for Japanese military assistance in his war against Iran. Ms. Takaichi, who's established a warm rapport with Mr. Trump during their first meeting in Japan last October, lavished praise on the US president but insisted that Japan's post war pacifist constitution limited its ability to deploy its armed forces. Jonathan Head reports.

[Jonathan Head]

Sanae Takaichi had one job on this visit to avoid a public row with President Trump, and in that she succeeded. She deployed a full arsenal of flattery and affection on Mr. Trump, calling him my best buddy to deflect his calls for Japanese military help in the Gulf. It worked. The US president said he still expected Japan to step up, but pointing out its heavy dependence on oil from the Gulf, but did not subject her to the scorn he's poured on NATO allies for their refusal to deploy forces in support of his war against Iran. There was one awkward moment when Mr. Trump, responding to a question over why the US failed to warn its allies about the Iran plans, compared it to Japan's surprise attack on Pearl harbor in 1941. The two leaders did, however, agree on pushing forward with Japan's promise made last year to invest $550 billion in the US in return for lighter tariffs. The Japanese prime minister's visit to Washington had originally been timed to precede Mr. Trump's planned summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping to get across Japan's concerns over China's increasing belligerence in East Asia. The Iran conflict has now forced the US to postpone that meeting.

[Janak Jalil]

Jonathan Head NASA is rolling out its giant moon rocket to the launch pad for a second time, ahead of a mission to send astronauts around the moon, something not attempt in more than 50 years. The move to the Kennedy Space center in Florida comes after a problem with the rocket's helium system forced NASA to abandon a launch attempt earlier this month. The hope is the rocket will launch in early April, so it's time, tentatively perhaps, to get excited again. And here's a reminder of the extraordinary nature of this mission from one of the crew.

[Astronaut/Crew Member]

We're going to be going into an orbit almost right away that is 40,000 miles, like a fertilizer fifth of the way to the moon. Just in and of itself, we will have the Earth out the window as a single ball, something none of us have seen, and then we're going to travel a quarter of a million miles

[Janak Jalil]

away, our science editor Rebecca Morell told us.

[Astronaut/Crew Member]

More this is the Second time the rockets been rolled out to the pad. The first was back in January and the rockets had a few technical problems. First of all, hydrogen leaks. Later it had helium leaks. And engineers are really confident that they have fixed this. So the rocket is rolling back out to the launch pad today. I mean, this thing is huge. It's nearly 100 meters tall. It weighs two and a half thousand tons. So it's being carried on top of a vehicle called a crawler transporter. It's being carried vertically so it can reach top speeds of about one mile an hour while it's being carried along much slower going uphill and round corners. So the whole four mile journey takes about 12 hours in total. But once it's there, engineers will complete the final sort of checks and tests. But they really want to get rocket launched at the start of April. And the earliest date for a launch window to open is actually the 1st of April. And the astronauts have entered into quarantine now. So to prepare for the mission. So, you know, limiting their exposure to bugs and viruses, so they're in peak health for their 10 day mission. I mean, remember, this is the first time any humans have been to the moon in more than 50 years. And these astronauts will be flying around the far side of the moon. So they're not going into orbit around it. They're going to go around the back of the moon and come back to Earth again. But this launch is actually, this mission is paving the way for a future lunar landing and then a future moon base. Because the difference between the Artemis missions and the Apollo missions, that NASA wants to sort of build a sustained presence on the moon to have astronauts living and working there. And they're not the only ones. China are wanting to do the same. I mean, China are aiming to get astronauts down to the lunar surface by 2030, and they're making very steady progress indeed. So the race is really on to get to the moon.

[Janak Jalil]

Rebecca Morrell, still to come in this podcast, we are going to experience loss of electricity and the damage is likely to be significant with a system of this size. A cyclone hits Australia's northeastern coast bringing fierce winds, heavy rain and flood.

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[Janak Jalil]

This is the global news podcast Weight loss drugs are set to become much cheaper as patents on drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy start to expire in India and a number of other countries, this means that millions of people who are overweight or have diabetes will now be able to afford them. Our reporter Achana Shukla spoke to me from a factory in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru, which has already begun manufacturing generic versions of the drugs.

[Achana Shukla]

The generic versions start coming into the market from tomorrow. So these factories over the last few months have actually put in a lot of capacity expansion, put in a lot of investment to ramp up capacity. And I could see packed boxes already ready to be shipped to the market. This particular factory is making these generic versions for almost a third of the 50 brands that will come into the Indian market. But the opportunity doesn't just rest in India. India is the pharmacy of the world. And these factories already have approvals and licenses in various other markets. Semaglutide, which is the molecule that powers Ozempic. And we go, we these are two blockbuster weight loss drugs that actually earned Novo Nordisk $26 billion in revenue just last year. Now the generic Semaglutide is going off patent, meaning the exclusivity is ending. That also means that multiple other companies can launch generic versions, cheaper alternatives of this drug. And the access to this drug to diabetic patients, to patients who are still struggling with weight management, especially for medical conditions that will become easier. So over the course of next few months, the patents would also expire in Canada, China and to all those patients around these countries, generic versions of these weight loss drugs at much more affordable prices will be available. So if I give you an example of India, these drugs have been available for over a year, but just a small section of the population could afford because it would cost about $120 $250 for a month's dose, which is a big amount for the socio economic conditions in India. But it is a market where diabetes and weight, you know, obesity is fast rising now with about 50 brands wanting to come into the market from tomorrow onwards, prices are expected to crash by nearly half. And over the next few months it could come down much more than that.

[Janak Jalil]

So it sounds like they could be huge, huge benefits. But there are also concerns about greater risks because these substances could be abused.

[Achana Shukla]

There are already cases and reports that these drugs are being misused. Suddenly these weight loss drugs became very popular and everybody realized that, you know, if you are on these drugs you could lose weight fast. So while this is supposed to be used under medical supervision and only for treating at managing diabetes and weight for certain patients, a large number of gym trainers, beauty clinics, etc have started dispensing these drugs for quick and fast cosmetic use. I've been speaking with doctors who say that a lot of people come to them saying that, you know, I'm going to get married in three months and I need to lose weight, can you prescribe me this drug? And that is something which is already a risk, which is happening, a misuse and doctors are sounding cautious.

[Janak Jalil]

Chana Shukla in southern India a severe cyclone has hit Australia's northeast coast bringing fierce winds, heavy rain and flooding. Ahead of the cyclone Making land in a remote part of Queensland. The state's premier, David Krisafouli, gave this warning. Wind is intensifying. In many cases it'll be the strongest wind that people have experienced in this part of the state for a long, long time. But look, I don't want to sugarcoat this. We are going to experience loss of electricity and the damage is likely to be significant with a system of this size. As we record this podcast, there are no reports of casualties and the authorities have praised residents for following orders to shelter where they can. Our correspondent in Queensland, Simon Atkinson, told

[Simon Atkinson]

me more cyclone the rail which crossed the coast here about seven o' clock in the morning local time with gusts about 220 kilometres an hour. At one point, it seems it hasn't been as damaging and perhaps as bad as had been feared. Certainly there are no reports at this stage of any loss of life and nothing of severe infrastructure damage. I've seen pictures of roofs damage on houses, lots of trees down and that kind of thing. But certainly it seems the areas so far where the cyclone have passed over seem to have had a lucky escape. And it's worth saying that these are areas with pretty small populations, which certainly helped.

[Janak Jalil]

Yeah, there had been big fears that this could be the worst case cyclone Australia had ever experienced. It's all part of a pattern, isn't it, of more and more extreme weather events affecting Australians.

[Simon Atkinson]

That's right. I think around the world, don't we see more and more of these severe events and this is a warning for this particular part of Australia that it could be one of the worst that people had seen in living memory. We do get a lot of cyclones up here in North Queensland. It's the cyclone season. The big fear now I think is, is going to be the rainfall. There's certainly lots of rain in this whole tip of Cape York, the Cape York Peninsula to the north of Queensland. What we tend to get is, in the days after these cyclones is lots and lots of flooding. Rivers bursting their banks, creeks, roads, roads overflowing. And so actually a lot of the aftermath can be as troublesome as the, as the cyclone coming over itself.

[Janak Jalil]

But the authorities have praised residents for following orders to shelter in place. It sounds like the authorities are dealing with this as effectively as they can.

[Simon Atkinson]

Yeah, I think it's getting the message across. A lot of the communities in far north Queensland are indigenous communities. There's a lot of issues around language, for example, about getting the message to these groups to get communities which are perhaps quite isolated to stay indoors a Lot of these towns don't have proper kind of cyclone shelters. So there's been a lot of preparation for that. So certainly there's been some messaging over the last few days. This is what people need to do. The cyclone is about 20 km off the other tip of North Queensland. Now. It's then going to go across the Gulf of Carpentaria. The concern is as it passes over those warm waters, it's going to intensify again. It's dropped down to a level two cyclone. It started as a level four, but it's then going to go back over Australian landmass in Northern Territory into Saturday. So it isn't over by any means.

[Janak Jalil]

Simon Atkinson in Queensland in Australia. For years Cubans have lived a precarious existence, suffering food and medicine shortages and power cuts, partly because of the long running US economic embargo and partly because of the mismanagement of their communist rulers. But the plight of people living in Cuba further worsened after the US seized the Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in January. This meant Cuba lost its main oil supplier, with the island experiencing a total blackout at one point. Now an aid convoy called Nuestra America has arrived on the island, part of an international effort to deliver badly needed aid supplies and to protest at the American oil blockade. Ilaria Salis is an Italian member of the European Parliament and was on the convoy. She spoke to Krupa Padi from Havana.

[Ilaria Salis]

The situation, it's quite complicated. You know, life is going on quite slowly in the city. The impression is, I don't know, something like cities in Italy, for instance, during the pandemic visited on the first day also health centers and hospitals for children. And so I could see that there is problems in finding some kinds of medicines because of the embargo. Medicines that are produced in the US cannot be sold to Cuba. And for this reasons, the lives and health of many children in Cuba are under threat. And there is also of course a problem that regards energy. And so it's also a problem to make all the machineries from the hospital work properly and with the correct speed. So they managed to do it, but it's, it's quite a hard job and they also have to be very careful about how much energy that is left.

[Achana Shukla]

Let's just expand for a moment on that energy collapse. You've mentioned the situation at the hospitals. We're really talking about the most vulnerable there. But on a day basis people are battling with these daily blackouts. What do you understand the impact that has been on daily life?

[Ilaria Salis]

So how people are resisting and they are trying to make everything work. It's quite difficult. The impact on the day by day life, it's quite complicated. And of course it's more complicated for families who have children or for ill people or for old people. Very difficult to live day by day life in this situation. There are not so many people around in the street, there are just a few cars going around. Just before our arrival there was a 30 hours long blackout in the whole island and it was the first time this happened. It's totally against human rights to put this kind of embargo that looks like a collective punishment for the whole people. It's actually against international right and against human rights.

[Achana Shukla]

When you assess the situation on the whole, you've got the lack of food, lack of access to so many goods, and as you say, the embargo has simply made things worse. What do you think the people of Cuba need the most?

[Ilaria Salis]

Well, the first thing is to stop immediately this embargo. In this moment they need electricity because electricity and oil is fundamental for day by day life. The machinery in the hospitals and the school and all the other needs cannot be provided without energy.

[Achana Shukla]

You are part of this flotilla that has arrived. What did you bring?

[Ilaria Salis]

I came here with a convoy from Europe and we are expecting also some boats to arrive in the next days. But we have to see when and if the boats will actually arrive or if the boats will be blocked on their way. And on the boats there is more humanitarian aid, more medicines and other goods.

[Janak Jalil]

That was Hilaria Salis, an Italian MEP. And we have more on this on our YouTube channel. Search for BBC News on YouTube and you'll find Global news podcast in the the podcast section. There's a new story available every weekday. Chuck Norris, the Hollywood actor and martial artist who starred in action films including the Way of the Dragon with Bruce Lee and the series Walker, Texas Ranger, has died. He was 86. A symbol of rugged masculinity to his fans. He also in later years became the subject of a string of Internet memes, including Chuck Norris, facts which jokingly exaggerated his strength and toughness. Peter Coffin looks back at his life.

[Bleacher Report Announcer]

America had no more heroes until now.

[Commercial Voice]

Chuck Norris, karate master turned action star turned Internet meme. Chuck Norris remained a hero of B list pop culture for more than five decades. He gained entry to Hollywood as a martial arts teacher to the stars, including Steve McQueen, who recommended Norris try acting himself. Norris landed his first substantial role in 1972 in the cult classic Kung fu film Way of the Dragon, squaring off against Bruce Lee in an epic eight minute fight scene. But it was the explosion of low budget action films in the 1980s that turned Norris into a star, using roundhouse kicks and usually a machine gun to fight injustice. Films like Delta Force and Missing in Action were generally panned by the critics, but loved by fans of cheesy action movies. Time magazine once called Norris the most successful, really terrible actor of his generation. Norris fame peaked with the television program Walker Texas Ranger, which ran for eight series ending in 2001. But some five years later, he enjoyed a career resurgence thanks to the Internet phenomenon of Chuck Norris. Facts Tongue in cheek claims about Norris prowess as an all American tough guy

[Janak Jalil]

Chuck Norris doesn't read books.

[Jonathan Head]

He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.

[Janak Jalil]

Chuck Norris does not own a microwave because revenge is a dish best served cold. There is no chin behind Chuck Norris's beard. There is only another fist.

[Commercial Voice]

Norris parlayed the online jokes into a lucrative business that included TV appearances, a book, even a computer game. However outlandish, the facts only slightly exaggerated the character Norris had always played that of a hard punching but unshakably moral man standing up for good in the face of evil.

[Janak Jalil]

Peter Goffin with that look back on the life of the American actor Chuck Norris, who has died at the age of 86. And that's all from us for now. If you want to get in touch, you can email [e-mail] and don't forget our sister podcast, the Global Story, which goes in depth and beyond the headlines on one big story. This edition of the Global News Podcast was mixed by Chris Lovelock. The producers were Ariane Kochi and Oliver Burlau. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Janat Jalil. Until next time. Goodbye.

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