Marjorie Taylor Greene quits Congress after Trump feud

Summary

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Global News Podcast

Date: November 22, 2025
Episode Title: Marjorie Taylor Greene quits Congress after Trump feud
Host: BBC World Service (Keith Adams, Rachel Kite)

Overview

This episode delves into several of the day’s significant global headlines:

• The dramatic resignation of US Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene following a public feud with President Donald Trump, set against the backdrop of the Epstein files release.
• Major diplomatic tensions around a proposed US-led Ukraine-Russia peace plan.
• Stalled climate negotiations at COP30 in Brazil.
• A report on Greenlandic children separated from families in Denmark due to controversial parental testing.
• A record-breaking auction of a Superman comic.
• Eurovision’s voting controversy and coming reforms.
• The collector frenzy around Mexico’s axolotl 50-peso note.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Resignation After Trump Fallout

Main Story Timestamps: [01:06] – [05:27]

Background

• Marjorie Taylor Greene, once Donald Trump’s staunch ally and a prominent MAGA figure, publicly resigns from Congress.
• The rift intensified over Greene’s insistence that the government release the "Epstein files" (documents from the Justice Department relating to Jeffrey Epstein).
• Trump, initially resistant, eventually supported the release but turned on Greene, ridiculing her on social media, calling her “Marjorie Traitor,” “wacky,” and a “ranting lunatic.”

Greene’s Resignation Message

• Greene posted a video explaining her decision, emphasizing principle over party loyalty:

  • “Loyalty should be a two way street and we should be able to vote our conscience and represent our district's interests because our job title is literally Representative.” (Marjorie Taylor Greene, [03:02])

  • “Standing up for American women who were raped at 14 years old, trafficked and used by rich, powerful men should not result in me being called a traitor.” (Marjorie Taylor Greene, [03:14])

Analysis (Sean Dilley, North America Correspondent)

• Greene’s resignation seen as a seismic MAGA split; speculation if it foreshadows a new campaign or movement.

• She used the term “common Americans” five times, underlining a populist appeal.

• She referenced broader issues: foreign policy, cost of living, loyalty.

  • “It’s either the biggest swing by a scorned colleague upset by being branded ‘Marjorie Traitor’... or... is it the start of a campaign? And if it is, what is that campaign for?” (Sean Dilley, [03:46])

• Impact for Donald Trump:

  • Trump downplays the fallout; the relationship had been deteriorating for months as Greene increasingly criticized foreign policy and economic decisions.

  • “It’s difficult to overstate just how crazily significant this is, because they were the closest supporters. He was her most influential backer. She was his loudest advocate during very difficult times. To fall out so publicly, it’s surprising, but it’s not happened overnight.” (Sean Dilley, [04:51])

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2. Ukraine-Russia Peace Plan Pressures

Timestamps: [05:27] – [10:29]

Proposed Deal

• The US gives Ukraine until Thanksgiving to accept a 28-point peace plan, reportedly granting Russia many of its longstanding demands (Donbass territory, shrinking Ukraine's army, renouncing NATO membership).
• Ukrainian President Zelenskyy calls it a “very difficult choice” between “losing dignity or a key partner.”
• Trump signals US support will be in jeopardy if Ukraine refuses.

  • “He’ll have to like it. And if he doesn’t like it, then... they should just keep fighting.” (Donald Trump, paraphrased, [06:22]-[06:24])

Russian Perspective (Steve Rosenberg, Moscow)

• Putin confirms he’s seen the plan, calls it favorable for Russia but notes it hasn’t been formally discussed due to lack of Ukrainian approval.

  • “The deal is being characterized by many as one in which Russia gets much of what it wants.” (Narrator, [07:31])

• Rosenberg:
  • Russia sees many pluses in the plan and remains confident, both due to the peace proposal and battlefield advances.

  • “There are lots of pluses for Moscow... The other reason why President Putin is confident... is the situation on the battlefield, which he believes is going his way.” (Steve Rosenberg, [07:43])

Ordinary Russians’ Sentiment

• General war fatigue; most want conflict to end.

  • “Most people we speak to tell us they want the war to be over.” (Steve Rosenberg, [09:50])

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3. COP30 Climate Summit Deadlock

Timestamps: [10:29] – [12:41]

Stalled Negotiations

• The final day in Belem, Brazil sees talks drag over fossil fuel commitments as oil-producing nations block strong wording.
• Rachel Kite (UK Climate Envoy):

  • “You've got 194 countries... trying to protect our forests... transition away from fossil fuels... provide for people... and make that a process which is just and equitable. It's hard and it's consensus.” ([11:39])

Absence of US and Global Multilateralism in Crisis

• UN Chief Antonio Guterres issues a pointed message to President Trump:

  • “We are waiting for you.” (Antonio Guterres, [12:23])

  • “Hope is the last thing that dies.” ([12:25])

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4. Denmark-Greenland Child Separation Scandal

Timestamps: [18:57] – [23:11]

The Issue

• Hundreds of Greenlandic Inuit families living in Denmark have had children removed using controversial “parenting competency tests,” including culturally-insensitive psychological evaluations (e.g., Rorschach).
• Families allege systemic discrimination; only 10 cases reviewed since the testing was banned.

  • “I asked a psychologist, why do I have to take a test? She answered me, to see if I am civilized enough. The way these tests are used is a scandal. It's dehumanizing.” (Interviewee, [19:34])

  • “I never get to see his first steps, first word, his first school day.” (Johannes, [21:41])

Government Response

• Denmark’s Social Minister Sophie Anderson:

  • “I'm not satisfied that we have only reviewed 10 cases at the moment. We want to make sure that we look into every placement where this test was used... It is a work in progress.” ([22:03])

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5. Other Notable Global Stories

A. $9 Million Superman Comic Sale

Timestamps: [13:20] – [16:21]

• Three brothers in California discover a pristine first edition "Superman #1" comic (1939), which sells for $9.1 million at auction.

• “So it's Superman number one. And superman really is the first superhero. That's why we call superheroes superheroes. It did not exist, the invention of superman.” (Lon Allen, [15:19])

B. Eurovision Voting Reform After Israel Vote Controversy

Timestamps: [24:23] – [27:51]

• In 2025, Israel’s entry surges to near victory after orchestrated social media campaigns; public votes diverged dramatically from jury votes, sparking outrage and calls for reform.
• Rule changes for 2026:
  • Ban on government-backed vote campaigns.
  • Reduction in the number of votes per person.
  • Jury system restored in semi-finals.
• Potential boycotts from Ireland, Spain, Netherlands, and Slovenia over Israel’s participation due to Gaza war.

  • “They have made it illegal for participating acts to take part in third party campaigns, especially if those belong to national governments.” (Colin Patterson, [25:20])

C. Mexican Axolotl Banknote Hoarding

Timestamps: [28:01] – [30:51]

• Mexico’s purple 50-peso note, featuring the axolotl salamander, becomes a collector’s item, with nearly 13 million bills being hoarded.

• “People are keeping it, so it could become a problem because it should be used as money, not as a treasure, you know.” (Valeria Moy, [30:47])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “Loyalty should be a two way street and we should be able to vote our conscience and represent our district's interests because our job title is literally Representative.”
  — Marjorie Taylor Greene, [03:02]

• “He was her most influential backer. She was his loudest advocate during very difficult times. To fall out so publicly, it’s surprising, but it’s not happened overnight.”
  — Sean Dilley, [04:51]

• “He’ll have to like it. And if he doesn’t like it... they should just keep fighting.”
  — Donald Trump (in press response), paraphrased [06:24]

• “You've got 194 countries all trying to... make that a process which is just and equitable. It's hard and it's consensus.”
  — Rachel Kite, [11:39]

• “We are waiting for you.”
  — Antonio Guterres (to Trump on COP30), [12:23]

• “The Danish authorities think that Greenlandic people are uncivilized. They are just less privileged.”
  — Tina, Sila360 NGO co-founder, [19:34]

• “It really is important because... superman really is the first superhero... And this is the finest known one.”
  — Lon Allen, auctioneer, [15:19]

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Important Segment Timestamps

• Marjorie Taylor Greene Resignation — [01:06] to [05:27]
• Ukraine-Russia Peace Plan & Reactions — [05:27] to [10:29]
• COP30 Brazil Climate Talks — [10:29] to [12:41]
• Greenlandic Families’ Child Separation — [18:57] to [23:11]
• Superman #1 Comic Auction — [13:20] to [16:21]
• Eurovision Reform/Controversy — [24:23] to [27:51]
• Mexican Axolotl Banknote — [28:01] to [30:51]

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Conclusion

This episode offered a brisk yet deep dive into both headline-shaking political drama and fascinating global oddities. The resignation of Marjorie Taylor Greene after her split with Trump signals turbulence for the MAGA movement, while the Ukraine peace plan underscores ongoing international tension and pressure. COP30 struggles to realize climate ambitions amid global divisions, while Denmark faces scrutiny over treatment of Greenlandic families. Alongside the serious, listeners also heard stories of unlikely fortunes (Superman comic), cultural flashpoints (Eurovision), and currency quirks (axolotl note)—delivered in the BBC’s signature factual, brisk, and worldly tone.

Transcript

[Keith Adams]

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[Rachel Kite]

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[Narrator / Main Presenter]

This is the global news podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Keith Adams and at 03:30 GMT. These are our main stories. Following a public fallout with President Donald Trump, Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene has announced her resignation from office. The US President has suggested next Thursday as a deadline for Ukraine to accept an American plan for a peace deal with Russia, which appears to give Moscow much of what it wants. And bitter disagreements at COP30 climate summit in Brazil are continuing as the talks run over time. Also in this podcast, we'll hear a tragic story from Denmark.

[Rachel Kite]

I never get to see his first steps, first word, his first school day.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

Hundreds of children taken away from families because of a parenting test and. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? Is it a nine million dollar comic? Not long ago, Marjorie Taylor Greene was one of Donald Trump's closest allies in Congress, a standard bearer for his Make America Great Again movement. But a rift started showing earlier this year over President Trump's foreign policy and it's grown in the last few weeks over the Epstein files. Ms. Green has been demanding that the government release documents compiled by the Justice Department when investigating the late billionaire sex offender to Jeffrey Epstein. And Mr. Trump, who until recently said there was no reason to make them public, lambasted Ms. Green on social media. On Friday evening, she posted a video announcing her resignation from Congress.

[Rachel Kite]

Loyalty should be a two way street and we should be able to vote our conscience and represent our district's interests because our job title is literally Representative.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

Standing up for American women who were.

[Rachel Kite]

Raped at 14 years old, trafficked and used by rich, powerful men should not result in me being called a traitor.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

And threatened by the President of the.

[Rachel Kite]

United States, whom I fought for.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

President Trump has said Marjorie Taylor Greene's resignation is good news for the country. This all comes after Congress voted overwhelmingly to release the Epstein files and. And Mr. Trump approved it. So what's going on? I asked our North America correspondent, Sean Dilley.

[Keith Adams]

It's either the biggest swing by a scorned colleague upset by being branded Marjorie traitor by Donald Trump on his truth social platform. Also, by the way, we should say he branded her wacky and a ranting lunatic, or a cynic might say, well, is it the start of a campaign? And if it is, what is that campaign for? Obviously, it now seems that she's not running at next year's midterms in Georgia, but there were certainly some very, very direct messages that she had, not just to Donald Trump. She used an expression which is really interesting, common Americans. It's a term she used five times, despite sort of making an oblique reference to the Jeffrey Epstein issue. She didn't directly mention Jeffrey Epstein, but she was talking about the cost of living. She was talking about foreign policy, and she was talking about her loyalty to Donald Trump, which is obviously implying has not been returned.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

Yeah, I suppose her profile now has sort of shot through the roof because of the Epstein thing, and who knows where that will take her. But how bad is this for Trump himself? Is this the kind of Make America great again split that could alienate a lot of his supporters?

[Keith Adams]

He'll be sitting in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue at the White House, probably not really caring one way or another because he's already had the massive fracture last weekend with Marjorie Taylor Greene. It's difficult to overstate just how crazily significant this is, because they were the closest supporters. He was her most influential backer. She was his loudest advocate during very difficult times. To fall out so publicly, it's surprising, but it's not happened overnight. So for several weeks, actually back to August, really, Marjorie Taylor Greene had been criticizing foreign policy and the cost of living. So this potentially is just the natural and logical extension.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

Sean Dilley in Washington. Ukraine has just six days to accept the US Peace plan, or what? President Trump has given Kyiv until next Thursday, the American Thanksgiving holiday, to agree to the 28 points that he says could end the war. But President Zelenskyy isn't giving thanks yet. In an address to the nation on Friday, he warned that this was one of the most difficult moments in Ukraine's history and that the country might face what he called a very difficult choice, either losing its dignity or risk losing a key part partner, an apparent reference to the US later, at the White House, President Trump faced repeated questions on the topic of Ukraine.

[Rachel Kite]

President Zelensky said today that his country would risk either giving up a partner or giving up its dignity. There's been criticism that this deal.

[Steve Rosenberg]

You mean he doesn't like it?

[Rachel Kite]

It's unclear. He was sort of.

[Steve Rosenberg]

He'll have to like it.

[Rachel Kite]

And if he doesn't like it, then.

[Steve Rosenberg]

You know, they should just keep fighting.

[Rachel Kite]

I guess, you know, he made, though, was that if he doesn't accept it, that the US Would pull back its support for Ukraine.

[Steve Rosenberg]

Well, at some point, he's going to.

[Rachel Kite]

Have to accept something, you know, he hasn't accepted.

[Steve Rosenberg]

You remember, right, in the Oval Office not so long ago, I said, you don't have the cards. And I thought he should have made a deal a year ago, two years ago.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

Well, rumors about the peace proposal started to surface on Tuesday, but it's taken Vladimir Putin three days to confirm that he'd seen the plan.

[Keith Adams]

We have this text of the proposed peace plan. We received it through existing channels of communication with the US Administration. I believe it can be used as the basis for a final peaceful settlement, but it has not been discussed with us in detail. And I can guess why. The reason is the same. The US Administration has so far failed to secure Ukraine's consent. Ukraine is against it.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

The deal is being characterized by many as one in which Russia gets much of what it wants. So what is the assessment of our Russia editor, Steve Rosenberg? He spoke to me from the streets of Moscow.

[Steve Rosenberg]

The peace plan contains lots of things that Russia has been demanding for a long time. For example, that Ukraine cede territory in the Donbass in eastern Ukraine, territory that it still controls, territory that in four years of war, Russia has been unable to seize, and that the Ukrainian army be reduced in size and Ukraine has to renounce its intention of joining NATO. These are all things that Russia has been demanding. Now, there are reports that the Russians are not happy about all the points in the 28 draft peace plan, but I think there are lots of pluses for Moscow. But the other reason why President Putin is confident, aside from the peace plan, is the situation on the battlefield, which he believes is going his way. And so the message coming out of the Kremlin and out of Moscow generally is, you know, we're more than happy to carry on fighting to Carry on the war because we think it's going Russia's way. We are open, though, to a peace deal, but a peace deal on Russia's terms.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

And in the deal I saw reference to that term root causes of the conflict. Again, could you just remind us what does that mean?

[Steve Rosenberg]

It means many things. Very often when Russian officials talk about the root causes of the Ukraine conflict, they mean NATO expansion in the 90s and in the 2000s, they mean Western efforts to turn Ukraine into an anti Russia, as they put it. There's a whole list of things that the Russians use when they talk about root causes. But Western officials, and certainly Ukraine would say this is simply an excuse. And that when Russia launched its full scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the objective was to force Ukraine back into Russia's sphere of influence, back into Russia's orbit. And the Russians thought they could do that in a matter of days or weeks with this special military operation, which went badly wrong. And four years later, this war is still going on.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

And four years of war for ordinary Russians. I mean, are they aware of this deal? What's the mood among them?

[Steve Rosenberg]

There is a general fatigue in Russia after four years of this conflict. Most people we speak to tell us they want the war to be over. You know, especially people who know other people who are fighting in Ukraine, people who have fathers or sons or brothers fighting there. And certainly back in August when we had the Alaska summit of Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump, there was a lot of hope and expectation here that that would lead to some kind of deal. When it didn't, there was disappointment. So any possibility, any prospect of a deal, a breakthrough, an end to this war? Yeah, Russians support that.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

Steve Rosenberg in Moscow. The final day of the COP30 climate summit has gone into extra time as officials try to hammer out a final agreement after two weeks of meetings. The United nations and hosts Brazil had hoped there'd be a commitment to cut the use of fossil fuels. But that's been blocked by some oil producing countries. Our climate editor Justin Rolatt is at the conference in Belem.

[Keith Adams]

The cop 30 hosts had laid on a welcoming committee for delegates as they arrive, but the atmosphere inside was more somber. I'm outside Committee Room 22 in one of the vast tents that house this huge makeshift conference center. The heads of the delegations of all 194 countries here are meeting to thrash out this agreement. Yes, the words fossil fuels and much else has been taken out of the document. But remember, this is a negotiation. The Brazilian hosts are lowballing, judging A compromise can be reached that brings a more ambitious agreement. Rachel kite is the UK's climate envoy.

[Rachel Kite]

You've got 194 countries all trying to protect our forests, protect waters and soils, transition away from fossil fuels, and provide for people in a world which is ravaged by climate change. 194 countries trying to deal with these critical issues at the heart of the global economy and global society and make that a process which is just and equitable. It's hard and it's consensus and it's consensus.

[Keith Adams]

What's more, it comes as the multilateral process. Countries coming together to solve collective problems is being challenged as never before. And the big shadow over these talks has been the absence of the us an issue I raised with UN Chief Antonio Guterres. Secretary General, what message do you want this conference to send to Donald Trump?

[Rachel Kite]

We are waiting for you.

[Keith Adams]

Hope is the last thing that dies. He and the rest of the UN team are hoping for an ambitious agreement that shows this huge, time consuming process can still deliver meaningful action on climate.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

Justin Roland now, you never know what treasures might be hidden in your attic. Some have been lucky enough to find a Van Gogh or a Rembrandt stored in some dusty, forgotten space. But when three brothers cleaned out their late mum's attic in California, they found a box of comics instead, including a rare first edition of Superman dated June 1939. And on Friday, Lon Allen from Heritage Auctions, who went to San Francisco to value the collection, sold that comic for a whopping $9.1 million. I asked him if he expected to reach such a high price.

[Lon Allen]

Not originally, and maybe not even leading right up to it. You know, it's hard to assess something through a picture. I could tell that the comic books were going to be nice, but you really never know until you get there in person.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

And a rating of nine out of 10, is that perfect? Practically. I mean, could you get 10 out of 10?

[Lon Allen]

There would never be a 10. They really don't even exist. I mean, even something that's just coming right off a printing press hardly ever gets a 10. We sort of consider 9.8 to be the very, very, very best. Near mint is considered 9.4. So this is almost near mint.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

And tell us about these brothers. I mean, they must have been thrilled.

[Lon Allen]

Oh, absolutely. So it's three brothers in their 50s and 60s, and their mother had said to them when they were kids that there were some old comic books kicking about somewhere and that they were valuable, but they never saw them. From what I understand, she passed away quite A while ago, and the time came to finally clean everything out. And it was actually a loft above the garage where they had to get a ladder out and climb up there. And they really just thought, well, we should just make sure there's nothing up there. Family heirloom, family photos. Just. Just before we sell the house, let's make sure there's nothing valuable up here.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

And there was something valuable up there. I mean, it could have been eaten by mice or something. It's extraordinary, isn't it? It survived.

[Lon Allen]

It really. It really is. Because if they were here in Dallas or any part of the. Like, the southern United States, hot, humid, it would have just been ruined. But it's very moderate. Never gets hot there. Cool, dry temperatures. Just preserved it perfectly.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

Now, who's the kind of person who buys this? I imagine that when you saw this comic, you thought, okay, someone's gonna just freak out when they see this comic. How important is this comic?

[Lon Allen]

It really is important because, you know, so it's Superman number one. And superman really is the first superhero. That's why we call superheroes superheroes. It did not exist, the invention of superman. And he was in a few comic books before this one, but this is the first comic book ever devoted to one character. And superman really is the gold standard. And this is the finest known one. So I knew there would be a lot of collectors, a lot of investors just scrambling, fighting, falling over themselves, trying to get this.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

And you said they're collectors and investors. I mean, do these people read the comics, or are they too valuable for that?

[Lon Allen]

Well, when you get to this point, they're too valuable for that. You can easily pick up a $5 reprint. And these are in plastic, and they're encapsulated. So nobody's gonna ever read this particular comic book again. But most of these people really are collectors and investors combined. But most of them are collectors first.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

That was the auctioneer, lon Allen.

[Valeria Moy]

Still to come, it's the second lowest denomination bill. So it was supposed to be very usable, but it hasn't been the case. People are keeping it, so it could become a problem because it should be used as money, not as a treasure.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

The Mexican banknote being hoarded by collectors.

[Rachel Kite]

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[Narrator / Main Presenter]

Greenland is a semi autonomous territory of Denmark, but the relationship between the two can be complicated. The vast majority of Greenland's population is made up of indigenous people, the Greenlandic Inuit, and thousands have moved to Denmark over the years seeking better opportunities. But many say they've been subjected to systemic discrimination. Now, Greenlandic parents across Denmark are fighting to be reunited with their children, who were taken into care after authorities used what they called parenting competency tests. Our global health reporter Sofia Batica reports.

[Rachel Kite]

A newborn baby taken from her mother just two hours after she gave birth in northern Denmark. For Kyra, this isn't the first time three of her children have been removed from her care. I felt like everything became black. Kira is from Greenland but lives in Denmark. Here, hundreds of Greenlandic families have faced similar heartbreak. In the capital Copenhagen, they have gathered outside parliament. They say their children were taken from them partly because of the Use of so called parenting competency tests. I asked a psychologist, why do I have to take a test? She answered me, to see if I am civilized enough. The way these tests are used is a scandal. It's dehumanizing. Tina Co founded Sila360, an NGO challenging the system. The Danish authorities think that Greenlandic people are uncivilized. They are just less privileged. We have another picture. When he was one day old, many families we spoke to were made to take the Rorschach test, which analyzes personality through abstract ink blots. Johannes faced it while eight months pregnant. I said I could see a Klennantic woman cutting a seal and removing the intestines. The psychologist gave me a look and said, are you serious? You are such a barbarian. The parenting assessment described her and her husband as narcissistic and lacking empathy. Their son was taken away 17 days after he was born. This is the last time we were together in one picture. I never get to see his first steps, first word, his first school day. The parenting tests that were part of those decisions have now been banned on Greenlandic people. And the Danish government launched a review promising to reassess hundreds of cases. But we found that six months on only 10 cases involving parenting tests have been examined.

[Valeria Moy]

Hello.

[Rachel Kite]

Hi, Minister. Nice to meet you. We put those findings to Denmark's Social Affairs Minister, Sophie Anderson. The government review has not led to a single Greenlandic child being returned to their family. Why is progress so slow? I can't recognize those numbers. I must say those numbers come from the unit that you've set up to review the cases. So they come from a government agency that you're in charge of. I'm not satisfied that we have only reviewed 10 cases at the moment. We want to make sure that we look into every placement where this test was used to place a child with Greenlandic background. It is a work in progress. Yes. For Kira and many other parents, that work in progress feels too little, too late. She's building a traditional Greenlandic sleigh to give to her daughter for her first birthday. She still hasn't been told if her daughter will be returned. I was never Danish enough. I was never good enough.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

That report by Sofia Battitta. Earlier this year, the Greek island of Santorini was rocked by tens of thousands of earthquakes. Thousands of local residents and tourists fled the island at the time. Now a scientific study has discovered what triggered the quakes. Our science correspondent Victoria Gill has been looking at the findings.

[Rachel Kite]

About 28,000 tremors shook the ground around Santorini locals feared that a nearby underwater volcano might be about to erupt or that this was a build up to a moon much bigger earthquake. These scientists used each quake as a virtual sensor to work out what was happening in the Earth's crust. With the help of artificial intelligence, they mapped the pattern of seismic activity and calculated that the swarm of tremors was driven by magma or molten rock moving through a channel 10 kilometers beneath the seafloor. The researchers estimated that the volume of magma that moved could have filled 200,000 Olympic sized swimming pools. For now, the unrest appears to be over, but they say that this type of analysis, using the data from every single quake around an active volcano, could be used in the future to forecast eruptions and help keep local communities informed and hopefully safe.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

Victoria Gill now to the Eurovision Song Contest and there's to be an overhaul of the voting system for next year's competition taking place in May in Austria. That's after this happened in 2025.

[Rachel Kite]

Now Israel, the audience have awarded you. 297 points. That means we have a new leader on the scoreboard.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

Israel was catapulted to the top after the public vote, coming second place overall. Some countries such as Belgium and Spain, couldn't quite believe the score and asked for an investigation. Their professional juries in the first round had given Israel zero points. Our entertainment correspondent Colin Patterson told Ankur Desai more about the reasons for the changes.

[Colin Patterson]

This is all because of what happened this year. It was reported the Israeli government used cross platform advertising and state social media accounts to encourage people right across Europe to vote for their song. And when you look at the results, Israel won the public vote by a long way. But when you actually dig down and look at the countries where Israel won the public vote, if you look at the most played songs on Spotify that were in the Eurovision Song Contest, doesn't make the top 15 in most of them. There was a lot of people around the Eurovision world saying something was not right and now Eurovision have acted what they have done. They have made it illegal for participating acts to take part in third party campaigns, especially if those belong to national governments. The number of times someone can vote has been reduced from 20 to 10 for each method. Now different countries have different numbers of methods you can vote on. In the UK we can only vote through the app. In some countries they can vote through the app through text or phone votes. So if it's 10 maximum each, that still means you could vote 30 times and on a slightly different track. What they've also done juries are returning to the semi finals for the first time since 2022. The reason for that? Well, I think Eurovision's actually trying to eliminate the novelty songs that they think besmirch the contest, but which most of us on TV absolutely love. You want your men sitting in your saunas, you want your Polish milkmaids?

[Keith Adams]

Absolutely.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

That's what we want.

[Keith Adams]

The color and the hysteria of Eurovision. I guess a big question will be, though, will these changes be a positive change? Will they be foolproof as well?

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

Because there'll be criticism coming in from all quarters.

[Colin Patterson]

Well, what this is about is about a general assembly that is taking place on the 4th and 5th of December, and the EBU are worried that countries are not going to participate if Israel are participating and they're hoping that they made enough changes that the members will be happy and will agree to Israel taking part without a vote. But. And it's a huge but. Four countries have already said they are going to boycott next year's contest if Israel take part. That's Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands and Slovenia. And their complaints around what's happened in Gaza, not because of phone votes.

[Keith Adams]

And Colin. And it's also big year next year.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

For Eurovision, its 70th birthday.

[Colin Patterson]

Absolutely. And it's being held in Austria, the home of the Sound of Music. If they don't go for it. Where the hills are alive, something is sadly wrong.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

Colin Patterson finally, it's become the must have collectible in Mexico. Nearly 13 million citizens are holding on to the country's 50 peso note, a bill that's become far more than everyday currency. The stylish purple note features Gorda, the axolotl, that's a type of salamander. It won Banknote of the year in 2021 and four years on the bank of Mexico says people are now hoarding the notes. Economist Valeria Moy told Andrew Peach why it's become such a collector's item.

[Valeria Moy]

It's a purple pink note. It has a little circle that is transparent, that has a security brand that's important. And then you have this Xochimilco lake that maybe you have heard of it, but it's a very important part of Mexico City where you have water and agriculture and it's a very traditional part of the country. And then you have a very small design of an axolotl. And the axolotl is a very cute and very rare and very traditional animal in Mexico. And it's actually originally from Xochimilco. So you have the axolotl there in Xochimilco swimming. That's the image that you can have. And on the other side of the note, you have the traditional Mexican eagle. So it's a very nice note. And since it's a very recent bill, you can have them very new, very new bills. And that's something that's very likable for people. And suddenly in Mexico, for the past, I don't know, maybe 10 years, the axolotl has become a trad. It wasn't before. Let me tell you, when I was a kid, nobody talked about the axolotl. We knew it existed, but of course it wasn't an issue. And now you can find the axolotl printing T shirts and in bags in supermarkets and small plush toys. So the axolotl has become a very iconic figure.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

It sounds like a very well designed banknote, but in order for it to be collectible, for people to want to.

[Rachel Kite]

Keep them, surely there has to be.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

Some kind of shortage.

[Valeria Moy]

From the monetary policy perspective, when you design a bill or a coin, its intrinsic value shouldn't be more than the value of the things that you can purchase with it. So when people hoard these bills, they are not being used as money. And of course, when Banco de Mexico or the bank of Mexico put out these bills, it wasn't its intention. I mean, its intention was just to put a nice bill that, you know, circulated in the economy. And it's the second lowest denomination bill. So it was supposed to be very usable. But it hasn't been the case. People are keeping it. So it could become a problem because it should be used as money, not as a treasure, you know.

[Narrator / Main Presenter]

Valeria Moy, an axolotl news that we've got in the pod today, isn't it? And that's all from us for now. But there will be a new edition of the Global News podcast later. If you want to comment on this podcast or the topics covered in it, you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk. this edition was mixed by Abby Wiltshire and the producers were Nicky Verico and Peter Goffin. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Keith Adams. Until next time. Goodbye.

[Rachel Kite]

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