One dead after attack on Brazil's Supreme Court

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary: One Dead After Attack on Brazil's Supreme Court

BBC World Service's Global News Podcast delivers a comprehensive overview of the day's top stories, encompassing significant global events from political turmoil in Brazil to public health challenges and beyond. This episode, aired on Friday, 15 November, delves into a range of pressing issues, each meticulously covered with expert insights and firsthand accounts.

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1. Bomb Attack on Brazil’s Supreme Court

Incident Overview

In a shocking escalation of political violence, a bomb attack targeted Brazil’s Supreme Court in Brasília, resulting in the death of 59-year-old Francisco Vandele Luis. This incident is intricately linked to the widespread riots that erupted following former President Jair Bolsonaro's defeat in the elections. The attack mirrors the January 8, 2023, storming of government buildings by Bolsonaro’s supporters, drawing parallels to the U.S. Capitol insurrection two years prior.

Details from BBC Brazil

Leandro Brazeres of BBC Brazil provided detailed insights into the attack, noting that Luis acted alone in his attempt to breach the Supreme Court. “Mr. Luis threw what appeared to be a firework towards the Supreme Court building before he lit an explosive device laid on the ground,” Brazeres explained (02:59). The motive behind Luis's actions appears rooted in deep-seated resentment against the judiciary, which he and his faction accuse of persecuting Bolsonaro and his allies.

Political and Security Implications

The attack raises significant concerns regarding the security measures in Brasília, especially with the upcoming G20 summit slated to take place in Rio de Janeiro next week and a scheduled visit by the Chinese president. Brazeres mentioned that diplomats believe existing security protocols, including the deployment of approximately 26,000 military personnel for the summit, are sufficient to mitigate further threats (05:11).

Government Response

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has yet to issue a public statement regarding the attack, contrasting with Bolsonaro's immediate reaction last year. Bolsonaro expressed regret over the incident, emphasizing the need for national cohesion (04:42).

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2. Rise in Global Measles Cases Due to Falling Vaccination Rates

WHO Report

The World Health Organization (WHO) has reported a concerning 20% increase in global measles cases over the past year. This surge correlates directly with a decline in vaccination coverage, where only 74% of children received the recommended two doses of the measles vaccine in 2023, falling short of the necessary 95% threshold to prevent outbreaks (06:09).

Impact on Public Health

Dominic Hughes, the BBC's health correspondent, highlighted that over 22 million children missed their first vaccination dose in 2023 alone. The resultant gaps in immunity have led to serious outbreaks in more than 50 countries, with over 107,000 deaths reported, predominantly among children under five years old. However, death rates have slightly decreased compared to the previous year, thanks to more developed health services in affected regions (06:53).

Expert Insights

Hughes emphasized the critical role of vaccines in saving lives, stating, “The measles vaccine is believed to have saved more lives than any other in the past 50 years,” underscoring the dire consequences of declining vaccination rates (06:09).

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3. Struggle for Survival Among Illegal Miners in South Africa

Underground Hardships

Nomsa Maseko, BBC's correspondent in Johannesburg, shed light on the perilous conditions faced by illegal miners, known locally as "zama zamas," who remain trapped in abandoned gold mines. These miners, often undocumented migrants or former mine workers, resort to extreme measures to survive, including consuming toothpaste mixed with vinegar due to scarce food and water supplies (07:20).

Living Conditions and Risks

Maseko described the underground environment as treacherous, with extreme heat and poor air quality exacerbating the miners' plight. "It's very hot and it is very difficult to breathe some of these times," she noted, drawing from her personal experiences during a previous investigation (09:27).

Government Crackdown

In response to the illegal mining activities, South African authorities have intensified operations to dismantle underground operations. This includes cutting off essential supplies to force miners to surface. Despite these efforts, over a thousand miners have voluntarily exited, but the situation remains dire with at least one miner deceased due to the harsh conditions (08:13).

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4. Identification of British Soldiers from the Korean War

Ceremonial Recognition

After six years of investigative efforts, the remains of four British soldiers who perished during the Korean War have been identified and given proper burial rites at the United Nations Cemetery in Busan, South Korea. This marks a poignant moment for the families, who have long awaited closure.

Emotional Testimonies

Gene MacKenzie, the BBC’s sole correspondent on this story, captured the profound emotions of the families during the identification ceremony. Michael Northey, whose father Sergeant Donald Northey was among the fallen, recounted the moment: “I just wailed like a Banshee for about 20 minutes. It sort of haunted me for 70 years” (11:05).

Forensic Breakthrough

Nicola Nash, a forensic expert, played a pivotal role in this identification process by utilizing DNA samples and cross-referencing them with historical records and eyewitness accounts. Her dedication has enabled families to finally have their loved ones properly honored (13:15).

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5. Infowars Acquisition by The Onion and Its Implications

Media Shake-Up

In a surprising development, the satirical news outlet The Onion has acquired Infowars, formerly run by far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. This move follows a legal battle where Alex Jones was ordered to pay nearly $1.5 billion for defaming the families of the Sandy Hook school shooting victims after he falsely claimed the tragedy was a hoax.

Personal Impact and Victory

Robbie Parker, whose six-year-old daughter Emily was among the Sandy Hook victims, shared his sentiments on the acquisition. “It totally feels like a win,” Parker stated, expressing relief and a sense of justice being served through the court’s decision to strip Jones of his platform (21:05). He further elaborated on the importance of adhering to truth over sensationalism, highlighting the healing process facilitated by the legal outcome (22:02).

Future Prospects

Parker is optimistic about The Onion’s stewardship of Infowars, anticipating a shift from conspiracy to satire, which he believes aligns better with factual integrity. “I'm curious to see what they do with it. They’re smart, witty people, and I can't wait to see what they do,” he remarked (23:17).

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6. Deaths of Red Pandas at Edinburgh Zoo Due to Fireworks

Animal Welfare Concerns

Red pandas at Edinburgh Zoo have tragically died due to stress-induced conditions exacerbated by fireworks on Bonfire Night, a traditional British celebration marked by loud explosions. The deaths of both a mature female red panda and her mother have spurred calls for stricter regulations on fireworks to protect vulnerable wildlife.

Zoo’s Response

Darren McGarry, head of animals at the zoo, explained that the noise from fireworks was unbearable for the red pandas, leading to pancreatitis and death. Efforts to mitigate stress, such as moving animals indoors and providing extra bedding, were insufficient during the intense festivities (24:26).

Advocacy for Change

In response to these incidents, the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland, alongside other animal welfare organizations, is advocating for stricter controls on fireworks usage. A petition garnering over a million signatures has been submitted to the government to enforce tighter restrictions to prevent future tragedies (24:26).

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7. Surge in Matcha Tea Popularity and Quality Concerns

Market Expansion

Matcha tea, a finely ground powder made from specially processed green tea leaves, has seen explosive growth in global markets, with projections indicating an increase from $2.3 billion this year to $2.89 billion by 2028. This surge is fueled by its incorporation into mainstream beverages and baked goods, propelling brands like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts to feature matcha prominently on their menus (25:41).

Quality vs. Quantity Debate

Despite its popularity, the matcha industry faces challenges related to quality control and sustainability. Megan Lawton of the BBC explored the burgeoning demand's impact on traditional production standards, noting a lack of regulation and industry standards for ceremonial-grade matcha—the highest quality used in Japanese tea ceremonies (25:41). Max Ando, co-founder of premium matcha brand Nekohama, emphasized the need for recognized standards to protect both farmers and consumers. “There's no governing body like there is in coffee. In Matcha, people are putting ceremonial grade Matcha on products that you can't consume without a lot of sugar,” Ando highlighted (27:12).

Sustainable Practices

Ando also pointed out the exploitation by Western companies seeking cheaper matcha by compromising quality, urging for sustainable and fair trade practices to ensure the industry's long-term viability (27:46).

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Conclusion

This episode of the Global News Podcast intricately weaves together narratives of political unrest, public health crises, human and animal survival, historical vindication, media accountability, and consumer culture. Each story underscores the multifaceted challenges facing societies worldwide, offering listeners a detailed and empathetic exploration of current events shaping our global landscape.

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Timestamps:

• Attack on Brazil’s Supreme Court:

  • Start of discussion: 02:59
  • Security implications: 05:11
  • President's response: 04:42

• Global Measles Cases:

  • Health report details: 06:09
  • Impact analysis: 06:53

• Illegal Miners in South Africa:

  • Underground conditions: 07:20
  • Government actions: 08:13

• British Soldiers Identification:

  • Emotional testimonies: 11:05
  • Forensic details: 13:15

• Infowars Acquisition:

  • Personal impact: 21:05
  • Future prospects: 23:17

• Red Panda Deaths:

  • Zoo’s response: 24:26

• Matcha Tea Industry:

  • Market insights: 25:41
  • Quality concerns: 27:12
  • Sustainable practices: 27:46

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For the latest updates and in-depth analysis of global events, tune into the BBC World Service’s Global News Podcast, delivered twice daily on weekdays and daily over weekends.

Transcript

[Narrator]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

A search for the truth behind an international drug smuggling plot.

How are we going to unravel this?

All from the BBC World Service. This is World of Secrets season five, Finding Mr. Fox. Search for World of Secrets. Wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

[Oliver Conway]

You'Re listening to the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. Hello, I'm Oliver Conway. This edition is published in the early hours of Friday 15 November. Police in Brazil say a foiled bomb attack on the Supreme Court was linked to riots that followed President Bolsonaro's election defeat. A community leader in South Africa says miners trapped underground are eating toothpaste mixed with vinegar to survive. And President Trump has nominated the notorious anti vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. As his health secretary. On the same day, a study revealed that falling vaccination rates have contributed to a 20% rise in measles cases around the world.

[Narrator]

Also in the podcast, the emotional release was just. Well, I can't describe it. I just wailed like a Banshee for about 20 minutes. It sort of haunted me for 70 years.

[Oliver Conway]

The bodies of four British soldiers killed in the Korean War are finally identified. In January 2023, supporters of the defeated Brazilian President Jaya Bolsonaro went on the rampage in the capital Brasilia. In an echo of the storming of the US capital two years earlier. They targeted Brazil's Supreme Court, Congress and the Presidential Palace. On Wednesday night, the same area was hit by a bomb attack apparently carried out by a member of Mr. Bolsonaro's far right Liberal Party. Police say 59 year old Francisco Vandele Luis died after setting off a bomb outside the Supreme Court. The minister of the Supreme Federal Court, Alexandre Moraes, explained what happened.

[Narrator]

Apart from the January 8 storming of government buildings by followers of Jaya Bolsonaro, this is perhaps the worst attack on the Supreme Court. A person tried to enter the court when he was stopped by security who realized he had artifacts strapped to him and then he went to the Statue of Justice and blew himself up. His plan was to try to blow himself up inside the Supreme Court.

[Oliver Conway]

No one else was hurt in the two explosions, but the attack raises questions about security ahead of a meeting of global leaders from the G20 industrialized nations in Rio de Janeiro next week and a visit to Brasilia by the Chinese president. For more details about the attack, I spoke to Leandro Brazeres of BBC Brazil.

[Leandro Brazeres]

What we know so far is that two explosions were heard on Wednesday night near the Praza dos Tres Poderes where Brazil's Supreme Court and the Congress Building are located. Footage from cameras show Mr. Luis throwing what appeared to be a firework towards the Supreme Court building before he lit an explosive device laid on the ground until the device exploded which killed him. After that, investigators went to a house he had rented three months ago in the suburbs of Brasilia and found out that he had set bomb traps in the place that had been detonated by robots. And right now, the police investigating if he was operating alone or if he had the help of other people.

[Oliver Conway]

Yeah, they say they think there are links to what happened in January last year. Tell us about his relationship with the ex President Jaya Bolsonaro.

[Leandro Brazeres]

Everything indicates that Mr. Luiz was a right wing militant. He actually said he ran for office in a municipality in Southern Brazil in 2020. He didn't get enough votes. He ran for the same political party as former President J. Bolsonaro, the leading political figure on the Brazilian right at the moment. On social media, he posted several messages with political content criticizing left wing politicians and also at Brazil Supreme Court. It's not a total surprise that Brazil Supreme Court is a target of right wing militants. We have to Remember that on 8 January 2023, the Supreme Court was one of the buildings stormed by thousands of people in a coup attempt. The Supreme Court remains heavily under the attack of right wing figures here in Brazil who accuse it of persecuting militants and politicians such as Jair Bolsonaro.

[Oliver Conway]

Yeah, I mean, has Mr. Bolsonaro said anything about this? And indeed, have we heard from the current president?

[Leandro Brazeres]

So far, President Lula did not say anything about what happened yesterday, which is different from what happened last year when he was very vocal in relation to the invasion of buildings in Brazil. J. Bolsonaro issued a statement regretting what happened in Brasilia and saying that the country needs some sort of specification.

[Oliver Conway]

And of course, this all comes ahead of some very important meetings in Brazil. So is it likely that security will be tightened further?

[Leandro Brazeres]

Well, I've been speaking to diplomats from Brazil and from different delegations. They have told me that there is no indication that additional measures would be necessary. HIO Janeiro, which is going to host the G20 summit, is already under a heavy security scheme. The streets will be closed, an entire airport will be shut down for commercial flights only to receive the planes from foreign delegations. It's expected that at least 26,000 military personnel will work during the days of the summit. So no additional measures will be necessary because the current design of the security scheme is believed to be enough.

[Oliver Conway]

Leandro Brazeres of BBC Brazil. The World Health Organization says global measles cases rose by 20% last year. The disease can be prevented with two vaccine doses, but more than 22 million children missed their first injection in 2023. Our health correspondent Dominic Hughes has the details.

[Narrator]

The measles vaccine is believed to have saved more lives than any other in the past 50 years, and yet vaccination rates have fallen away from the 95% coverage that experts say is needed to prevent outbreaks. The World Health Organization estimates that just 74% of children received two full vaccine doses in 2023. That perhaps explains why global cases leapt by a fifth last year. Gaps in vaccination rates saw serious outbreaks in more than 50 countries and the deaths of more than 107,000 people, mostly children under the age of five, deaths in 2023 were actually slightly lower than the previous year, mainly because outbreaks occurred in countries with better developed health services.

[Oliver Conway]

Dominic hughes, they're known as zama zamas in Zulu. Illegal miners, many of them foreigners, who operate in abandoned mineshafts across South Africa. It's thought hundreds, maybe even thousands, are currently hiding in an old gold mine in Stilfontein, south of Johannesburg. They are reluctant to come out for fear of being arrested. The dead body of one miner was recovered on Thursday. I heard more from our correspondent Nomsa Maseko in Johannesburg.

[Nomsa Maseko]

Illegal miners, some of them undocumented migrants, others former mine workers who have been sacked because, you know, many of the mines have closed. They go underground in search of, you know, gold deposits in order to make ends meet. And what we know is that many of them are part of gangs who are heavily armed in most cases, and they operate underground because South Africa has a labyrinth of mine shafts that stretch for kilometres on end between the provinces. Mines having closed, many shafts have been left abandoned. And that is where people have been taking advantage of the situation by going underground, extracting the minerals and then selling them on the black market.

[Oliver Conway]

Sounds like a dangerous situation.

[Nomsa Maseko]

Absolutely. Very dangerous. The fact remains that there are illegal miners that are underground. Many of them have refused to resurface because they face arrest. They have been there since the 18th of October. And as part of an operation to stop illegal mining in the country, police and the army have been deployed to these areas. And what they have done is that they've cut off food and water supply in an effort to force the people, you know, who are beneath the surface to come out. So far, just over a thousand of them have voluntarily come out. And today we then have found that there was a decomposing body of one of them that was pulled out from underground. Community leaders have told us that they used ropes and seat belts to try and pull out this person. We don't know exactly how many people have died underground and what the cause of death is, but we do know that some are now frail because their supplies have been cut off to force them to come out.

[Oliver Conway]

And what are conditions like underground in these abandoned mines?

[Nomsa Maseko]

I've been underground, you know, with illegal miners when I did an investigation a few years ago. It is very hot and it is very difficult to breathe some of these times. But there's also an interesting element to this because there's a whole economy that is actually being run from underground. There are shops, you know, there'll be women that are selling food and cigarettes and drinks to people that are staying underground. Many of them stay underground for months. And the prices of the food that they sell are exorbitant because if you don't buy from them, then you risk going out, buying food and then missing out on making money by stealing all the loot from underground.

[Oliver Conway]

Nomsa Maseko in Johannesburg. Buried for decades in unmarked graves, the bodies of four British soldiers killed in the Korean War have finally been identified after a six year investigation. Some of their children, now in their 70s, attended a ceremony in Busan. Our sole correspondent, Gene MacKenzie sent this report.

[Gene MacKenzie]

This is a very special ceremony taking place at the United Nations Cemetery. Thousands of soldiers are buried here from countries all around the world who came to defend South Korea from the north during the Korean War.

[Narrator]

We will remember them.

[Gene MacKenzie]

Nearly 900 British soldiers were buried here, 76 of them in unknown graves. But not any more. There are now four new headstones for four men whose remains have been identified after more than 70 years.

[Narrator]

Major Patrick Angier, Sergeant Donald Northey, Corporal William Adair, and Rifleman Mark Foster.

[Gene MacKenzie]

Something that makes today's ceremony so special is that some of the men's children are here after being told that their father's bodies would never be found. Each of the families have now been taken to the graves. Michael, you were just one years old when your father, Sergeant Donald Northey, went off to fight.

[Narrator]

Yes, I mean, this is the closest I've been to him in 70 years.

[Gene MacKenzie]

What was it like to receive the emotional release?

[Narrator]

Well, I can't describe it. I just wailed like a Banshee for about 20 minutes. It sort of haunted me for 70 years. And I did a lot of research, but I'd reached the point where I turned off, done. I thought, well, I'm going to pass away soon.

[Oliver Conway]

I read the paper. You touch my cheek.

[Gene MacKenzie]

This is Tabby reading a poem about her father, Major Patrick Angier, who went off to fight when she was three and never came home.

[Oliver Conway]

The rough kiss of my hand.

[Gene MacKenzie]

She's visited this cemetery twice before, trying to get as close to him as she could. She had no idea he was here all along.

[Oliver Conway]

I think it'll take time to really sink in.

[Gene MacKenzie]

Do you have any memories of him?

[Narrator]

I can see somebody standing in the room. I can just see a figure, and I can remember lots of canvas bags piling up, which must have been his equipment to go to Korea. In the 50s, people didn't talk about.

[Oliver Conway]

Anything to do with wars. I knew he'd gone, but people in.

[Narrator]

The village used to say, oh, those.

[Oliver Conway]

Poor children, they've lost their father. So I used to think, if he's lost, they're going to find him.

[Gene MacKenzie]

Both Tabby and Michael's fathers were in the Gloucester Regiment. They fought in the famous Battle of imjin river in 1951, holding back the Chinese army for just long enough so the Allied troops could regroup and defend Seoul.

[Narrator]

Thank you on behalf of His Majesty.

[Leandro Brazeres]

The King, for Donald's sacrifice.

[Narrator]

Unfortunately, the enemy had scattered all of their dog tags, so when they were actually trying to identify the men, they just couldn't.

[Gene MacKenzie]

Nicola Nash is the forensic expert who's spent the past six years trying to identify these men, piecing together the puzzles using burial reports, letters and eyewitness accounts.

[Narrator]

It's very emotional. I mean, the children have spent their whole lives not knowing what happened to their fathers. And for me to be able to, you know, do this work and then bring them here to Korea, to actually come to the grave and say their goodbyes and have that closure, it means everything.

[Gene MacKenzie]

Nicola is now gathering DNA samples from the relatives of the other missing soldiers in the hope she can give more families this special moment.

[Oliver Conway]

A report from Korea by Gene MacKenzie. Still to come on the Global News podcast Infowars is bought by the Onion.

[Robbie Parker]

I mean, the irony of the fact that you have Alex Jones dealing in conspiracies that have nothing to do with the actual truth, to be taken over by a satire group on the other spectrum is amazing, and I can't wait to see what they do.

[Narrator]

When we left, there was this wonderful feeling, but it was only the beginning of a nightmare.

This is a story that started with a job advert, a yacht owner looking for a crew to sell his recently renovated boat from Brazil. To Europe.

[Oliver Conway]

For me, it was going to be.

[Leandro Brazeres]

A great adventure and an opportunity to gain a lot of experience.

[Narrator]

But when police raided the vessel and discovered drugs, cocaine, hidden under one of.

The beds, it can't be.

A key suspect was miles away.

Everything revolved around him. Who's the boss? A British guy. Fox.

Fox. This is World of secrets from the BBC World Service Season 5 finding Mr. Fox. Search for World of Secrets wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

[Oliver Conway]

According to the Health Ministry in the Hamas run Gaza strip, more than 43,000 people have now been killed in the war with Israel. For those who are abroad but still have family there, it's hard to hear about the rising number of dead. Ahmed Najar lives in London, but his family are in Gaza. Although most of his relatives have moved south to escape the fighting in the north, his elderly father has remained in Jabalia and his sister is also in the north. In Beijing, Ahmed spoke to us after asking his father if he was planning to head south.

[Ahmed Najar]

He was saying, you know, it's going to be a long way to walk and my dad is nearly 8 years old and I think I'll be all right here. But we know he's not going to be all right. Yesterday the next door neighbor's house was bombed. All the windows and the doors were shattered in my family's house and he was panicking and not knowing what to do because of diabetes and if he cuts himself then alone. So now ye know is the worry that whether he will have enough water, enough food. The neighbors were looking after him. We now don't know whether the neighbors have decided to flee. If they've done that, that means he's left there alone. But the problem is that there's nowhere in Gaza is safe really for them to go to. So to them it just feels like you're risking your life to go somewhere else. That is just as risky. I try to give them hope and try to tell them that the world doesn't see it the way that Israel sees it. The world is with you, but I know the world is not with them. Every time I speak to them, I feel it might be the last time. The number of families that I hear they've been wiped out is really scary. If you are going through a genocide and the world is further dehumanizing you for nothing, that you have done nothing wrong to deserve all of this misery. Why the world doesn't come up and say that you really actually as a start blaming yourself as a victim, you, you start thinking maybe something wrong with me. Maybe we are the wrong people, maybe we are the bad ones. Maybe we deserve to be genocided and killed. Maybe we are the bad ones. And then you start even hating yourself. You just wonder can these all these people be wrong and we are the right? I mean but then you come back to the idea of like people like my family, they never heard of lies, they just trying to get on with their life and that's all what they want. I just say look after yourself just to stay alive. What matter now is you to stay alive.

[Oliver Conway]

Ahmed Najar and the Israeli Defense Forces sent us the following statement. The IDF is committed to mitigating civilian harm during operational activity. It makes great efforts to estimate and consider potential civilian collateral damage in its strikes. The IDF is fully committed to respecting all applicable international legal obligations, including the law of armed conflict. The US President elect Donald Trump has made another controversial choice for his administration. The prominent anti vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Has been nominated as his Secretary of Health. Mr. Trump said RFK Jr. Would defend Americans from the industrial food complex and from drug companies who were engaged, as he put it, in deception and misinformation. Jessica Parker reports from Mar A Lago in Florida.

[Narrator]

Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Is a member of the famous political dynasty and nephew of the former president John F. Kennedy. He had run his own independent presidential campaign but withdrew his candidacy in August and got behind Donald Trump. The fact he's been given a role is no surprise. Expectations had been building, but this will nevertheless be another another contentious pick by Donald Trump. The President elect is putting one of the nation's most prominent vaccine skeptics in charge of America's healthcare agencies. RFK Jr. Has a history of amplifying debunked conspiracy theories.

[Oliver Conway]

Jessica Parker at Mar A Lago in Florida. The American satirical website the Onion has bought infowars, which was run by far right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. He was found to have defamed the families of the Sandy Hook school shooting in which 26 people, mainly very young children, were killed. He falsely claimed the shooting was a hoax and was ordered to pay the families of the victims nearly $1.5 billion. In September, a judge ordered that Infowars be auctioned off. In a rambling video message, Jones called the takeover a total attack on free speech. The Onions bid was backed by the families of eight Sandy Hook victims, including Robbie Parker. His six year old daughter Emily was one of those killed. He has just published a book about his legal fight against Alex Jones. He spoke to Paul Henley.

[Robbie Parker]

His campaign of disinformation Specifically about Sandy Hook started within hours after the shooting, my wife and I were sitting down the street from the school, waiting to find out if Emily was okay or if Emily was a victim. And at the same time, Alex Jones was in his studio sowing seeds of doubt that this, this was a false flag event, that it was fake and staged, and that the government was behind it. And so dealing with grief and battling conspiracy theorists happened for me at the exact same time.

[Narrator]

And a lot of people believed Jones, his followers threatened and harassed you and other Sandy Hook parents, didn't they?

[Robbie Parker]

No, that's correct. Emily was killed on a Friday morning. And by Sunday morning, I was already receiving threats and harassment online. And within that week, people mailing letters to my home. Before we even got to bury Emily, I was worried about my own life and the life of Emily's younger sisters and my wife.

[Narrator]

You've been fighting to hold Alex Jones accountable. Does this auction outcome and the Onion buying infowars feel like a win?

[Robbie Parker]

It totally feels like a win. Because Alex Jones, throughout this whole process before we filed the lawsuit, never, never, never took any accountability or backed down on his claims. When we filed the lawsuit, he did everything he could to protect himself and his brand, the things that are most important to him. And so at the end of this big, long fight, 12 years for me personally, in six years in court, to be able to say that the brand that he built for 30 years has now been taken away from him because of his own actions and what we did to hold them accountable, that is a huge win.

[Narrator]

Do you have wider feelings and judgment on the media seen in the US More generally nowadays, and its adherence, or lack of adherence to the truth? Was this the start of something bigger, do you think?

[Robbie Parker]

Yeah, that's a. That's a very good question. I'm going to think just for a second on it, because I haven't been asked that before. It's true, though. We, at least here we have these polarizing sides, and people are more focused on getting their. Their opinion out than they are in seeking out the truth. And that's exactly why my book is about reclaiming the truth about Sandy Hook. In order for my family to heal, in order for me to reclaim Emily's memory that Alex Jones defiled, I had to combat that with the truth. And that's why in a court of law, we got to just state facts. And because of that, we were awarded a. An amazing verdict and are holding him accountable because we stuck to the truth. And so that's, that's the biggest Thing that I can say is, is sticking to what matters most brings healing and hope. And when we sit and just insulate ourselves with, with opinions that, that are just confirmed, our own biases, we don't grow and we don't heal.

[Narrator]

The healing process must have speeded up a lot since the, the result of that court process. How does it feel now that the Onion takes control and this could become an online comedy site? I mean, some people might even wince at the mention of that, but it feels good. Does it?

[Robbie Parker]

It does. I mean, and just, I mean, the irony of the fact that you have Alex Jones dealing in conspiracies that have nothing to do with the actual truth to be taken over by a satire group on the other spectrum of not being truthful is, is amazing. I'm a big fan of the Onion and I wasn't aware until recently that they had even been part of any of the bidders. It was all kept secret from us. And so I'm curious to see what they do with it. I'm, they're, they're smart, witty people and I'm sure they have a lot in, in the bag ready to go and I can't wait to see what they do.

[Oliver Conway]

Robbie Parker talking to Paul Henley. Vets in Scotland have said that a baby red panda at Edinburgh Zoo has died from stress caused by fireworks on November 5th. That's the date when people in Britain celebrate Bonfire Night with bonfires and often very loud fireworks. The red panda's mother also died unexpectedly. The deaths have prompted the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland to join forces with other animal welfare charities to push for tighter restrictions on who can buy fireworks and when. Our Scotland correspondent Lorna Gordon reports.

[Narrator]

Red pandas are an endangered species with only around 4,000 left in the wild. Edinburgh Zoo has a successful breeding program, but two weeks ago a mature female red panda died from pancreatitis caused vets suspect by stress brought on by loud fireworks. The head of animals at the zoo, Darren McGarry, said the animal's four month old kit that survived her had been doing well until the noise and stress of Bonfire Night itself proved too much for her as well. So Roxy was always in a difficult situation because her mother had died and we had observed her on the camera feeding normally. But on Bonfire Night she was actually not in the house and in the morning we found her on the ground, which would be unusual for a tree dwelling animal to be on the ground. On that particular night. The noise was horrendous and it's our opinion that it contributed to that the zoo said many of its animals were susceptible to noise. Keepers try to mitigate their stress, moving them inside, providing extra bedding. It's not alone in calling for more limits on the use of fireworks. Animal welfare charities want them banned and a petition signed by more than a million people has been delivered to government.

[Oliver Conway]

Lorna Gordon now, do you like matcha tea? Or perhaps like me, you're not quite sure exactly what it is? Well, apparently it's made with the finely ground powder of specially grown and processed green tea leaves which originated China but became popular in Japan. Matcha has now taken over the menus of coffee shops and bakeries around the world with large corporations like Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts getting involved. But with the surge in demand, is quantity being put ahead of quality? Megan Lawton reports on the battle to get this burgeoning industry regulated starting at the Neo Coffee bar in Toronto.

[Robbie Parker]

So today I got an iced matcha latte with oat milk and an extra shot of vanilla.

[I]

Inside I meet customer Anna Forrest who explained to me why matcha is their drink of choice.

[Robbie Parker]

There is still caffeine in it, so it is definitely a good substitute for coffee.

[I]

Matcha sales are booming, so much so the value of the global market is predicted to jump from $2.3 billion this year to 2.89 billion in 2028. On TikTok alone there have been over 42 million posts for Match arrested recipes. The tea has been used in Japanese ceremonies since the 12th century.

[Leandro Brazeres]

It was actually brought over by monks from China. From what I've understood, matcha was first brought to the southern island of Kyushu, then brought up to Uji and it was started off as something that monks would use to heighten their focus during meditation.

[I]

Max Ando is the co founder of premium matcha brand Nekohama based in la. They grow their tea on the volcanic island of Kyushu in Japan and sell it to customers around the world as well as supplying high end restaurants at $60 a bag when we were looking.

[Leandro Brazeres]

For the best tasting non bitter matcha.

[I]

As it stands, there's currently no regulation of matcha and there's no industry standard for ceremonial grade. That's the highest quality of powdered green tea used mainly in traditional Japanese tea ceremonies. It's something Max would like to change. He says it could help protect farmers.

[Leandro Brazeres]

In Japan and especially the smaller ones. There's issues because of the fact that every year Americans and Western companies will go to Japan and we'll speak to the farmers and ask for a cheaper product to get better margins. The only way for the product to get cheaper is to reduce the quality.

[I]

Of the product as well as making Matcha growing more sustainable. Max says a recognized body overseeing the industry would be better for consumers, too.

[Leandro Brazeres]

There is no governing body like there is in coffee. In Matcha, people are putting ceremonial grade Matcha on products that you can't consume without a lot of sugar. There's a lot of things that are being done right now by wholesalers that we think could be done better.

[I]

One thing that is clear, Match's future is bright and green.

[Oliver Conway]

That report by Megan Lawton. And that is all from us for now. But the global news podcast will be back very soon. This edition was mixed by Derek Clark and produced by Alison Davis. Our editor's Karen Martin. I'm Oliver Conway. Until next time. Goodbye.

[Narrator]

When we left, there was this wonderful feeling, but it was only the beginning of a nightmare.

This is a story that started with a job advert. A yacht owner looking for a crew to sell his recently renovated boat from Brazil to Europe.

[Oliver Conway]

For me, it was going to be a great adventure and an opportunity to.

[Leandro Brazeres]

Gain a lot of experience.

[Narrator]

But when police raided the vessel and discovered drugs, cocaine, hidden under one of the beds.

It can't be.

A key suspect was miles away.

Everything revolved around him. Who's the boss? A British guy. Fox.

Fox. This is World of Secrets from the BBC World Service. Season five finding Mr. Fox. Search for World of Secrets wherever you get your BBC podcasts.