Prepare for a more intense El Niño, UN warns

Summary

Global News Podcast – "Prepare for a more intense El Niño, UN warns"

Date: June 2, 2026
Host: Alex Ritson, BBC World Service

---

Overview

This episode delivers a global roundup of urgent news, with its leading story on the United Nations’ warning about a potentially unprecedented “Super El Niño” weather phenomenon and its global risks. The show also covers ongoing conflict in the Middle East, deadly Russian strikes in Ukraine and the international response, a shadow fleet of decaying ships posing environmental risks on the world’s oceans, protests in Kenya over an Ebola quarantine center, updates on the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, and cultural coverage including an interview with the stars of Toy Story 5.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. UN Issues Warning Over Intensifying El Niño

[01:08–06:36]

• UN Secretary General António Guterres warns the upcoming “Super El Niño” will likely cause record-breaking global temperatures and extreme weather, compounding ongoing climate change.

  • Quote: “El Niño conditions will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world. Impacts will hit even harder, travel even further and cross borders with devastating speeds.” (Guterres, [02:57])

• Climate science explained:

  • Justin Rowlett (Climate Editor) describes the underlying oceanic and atmospheric processes: trade winds in the Pacific reverse or stop, causing heat to pool in eastern Pacific waters. When this hot water reaches the surface off South America, it can be up to 6°C above normal. This excess heat radiates into the atmosphere, disturbing global weather.
  • Expected effects:
    • Drought and wildfires in the Amazon, Australia, Southeast Asia, and India.
    • Disruption of the Indian monsoon, with severe consequences for agriculture, food prices, and global exports.
  • Quote: “That is a huge increase in temperature... that heat is radiated out into the atmosphere and that’s where you get the ripple of consequence on weather patterns around the world.” (Rowlett, [03:32])

• Impact on India and Southeast Asia:

  • Anbarasan Etirajan (Global Affairs): India may see its lowest monsoon rainfall in 11 years. Over half of Indian farmland relies solely on monsoon rain, risking reduced crop yields and food exports, and inflation. Previous El Niños have led India to halt grain exports, spiking global prices.
  • Extreme heat is taking a toll on laborers, with deaths from heatstroke common; rapid, intense rainfall leads to destructive floods, as seen in recent Sri Lankan events; wildfires are a major danger in Indonesia; Australia faces prolonged droughts.
  • Quote: “We usually see thousands of deaths because of the heatstroke and other things, but people are feeling the heat more.” (Etirajan, [06:36])

---

2. Middle East Tensions – Israel, Hezbollah, and Lebanon

[07:32–10:28]

• Despite a U.S.-brokered partial ceasefire, fighting persists in southern Lebanon; more than 20 people were killed in a recent attack, including at a hospital in Teir.
• Lina Sinjab (Beirut Correspondent): While U.S. diplomacy may have spared Beirut from further strikes, southern Lebanon continues to be bombarded, and many are displaced. The population fears further escalation and Gaza-style destruction in the south.
  • Quote: “The greater fear is that the south is now sacrificed, that the Israelis have boots on the ground… Israeli tactics in south Lebanon are similar to Gaza – destruction and occupation.” (Sinjab, [09:17])

---

3. Ukraine – After Deadly Russian Attacks

[10:28–14:42]

• Massive Russian strikes on Dnipro, Kharkiv, and Kyiv killed at least 21; Ukrainian MP Oleksi Goncharenko voices frustration at the West’s distracted focus on the Middle East, leaving Ukraine to face escalating violence alone.

  • Quote: “We feel abandoned. We will continue to fight for us. It's existential, but I think the world really should step in and stop this suffering.” (Goncharenko, [11:15])

• Paul Adams (Diplomatic Correspondent): Russian missile and drone attacks are likely retaliation for recent Ukrainian strikes; Russia is frustrated at a lack of progress and is leveraging air power, betting on Ukraine’s depleted air defenses. Western support is waning as resources are redirected to new conflicts.

  • Quote: “A lot of the hardware that Ukraine would want… to defend itself… has been sucked into the conflict in the Gulf.” (Adams, [13:42])

---

4. Environmental Risks – Abandoned “Shadow Fleet” Ships

[14:42–18:04]

• David Waddell (Business Reporter): Hundreds of aging, sanctioned vessels—the “shadow fleet”—cannot be decommissioned through legal means and are at high risk of causing environmental disasters if they fail at sea. Many operate far beyond their intended lifespan and go uninsured.
  • Gudrun Janssens (BIMCO): Sanctioned ships often end up abandoned or scrapped in unregulated, unsafe conditions, increasing environmental risks.
  • Quote: “More ships risk being abandoned or ending up in unsafe substandard ship recycling facilities.” (Janssens, [17:11])
• Analogy to Exxon Valdez: Should a supertanker in this fleet wreck, a major ecological catastrophe could occur.

---

5. Kenya Protests Over Ebola Center

[20:25–22:11]

• At least two killed in protests against a planned U.S.-backed Ebola quarantine facility in Nanyuki. Locals fear the risk of the virus spreading due to the center’s proximity to communities and schools.
  • Quote (Thomas Mukwana, Reporter): “They’re afraid that that could spread the virus here. The protest started in the morning and by around noon… it descended into violence.” ([20:55])

---

6. Ebola Outbreak – Democratic Republic of Congo

[22:11–25:12]

• Dr. Mohammad Yaqub Janabi (Africa Regional Director, WHO) describes the DRC Ebola situation: quick community engagement, rapid diagnostic response, and education are crucial. Deep skepticism persists; contact tracing remains below target standards.
  • Quote: “Ebola can be stopped, but only if we respond quickly, together and with trust because… contact tracing is still around 45%… for our WHO standards, at least 80%.” (Janabi, [22:25])
  • Borders closures are hindering containment; porous boundaries enable cross-border movement despite restrictions.

---

7. Science and Culture – Astronaut Aspirations & Toy Story 5

[25:12–31:18]

• John McFall: British Paralympic medalist and amputee surgeon may become the world’s first disabled professional astronaut, following a UK-U.S. agreement.

  • Quote: “We don’t know what it’s like for someone with a disability… like mine living and working in space… There’s an awful lot to learn.” (McFall, [25:44])
  • Medically cleared for spaceflight, McFall hopes his mission will open doors and scientific knowledge about microgravity’s effect on people with disabilities.

• Toy Story 5 – Behind the Scenes

  • Actors Tom Hanks and Tim Allen discuss the legacy, success, and quirky realities of performing their iconic roles separately.
  • Joan Cusack’s Jessie takes the lead in the new film, which explores themes of friendship and technology’s impact on kids.
  • Notable moment (Tim Allen): “Now that I know how [animation] done, I will never, ever do one of these again.” (Allen, 1995 interview replay, [31:06])

---

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• António Guterres [02:57]: “El Niño conditions will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world.”
• Justin Rowlett [03:32]: “…a wave of undersea heat developing and moving steadily across the ocean… up to 6 degrees Celsius higher than you'd expect at this time of year.”
• Anbarasan Etirajan [06:36]: “We usually see thousands of deaths because of the heatstroke and other things, but people are feeling the heat more.”
• Oleksi Goncharenko [11:15]: “We feel abandoned… the world really should step in and stop this suffering.”
• Tim Allen (on his first animation experience, replayed) [31:06]: “Now that I know how [animation] done, I will never, ever do one of these again.”

---

Segment Timestamps

• El Niño warning & climate science: [01:08–06:36]
• Middle East ceasefire & Lebanon: [07:32–10:28]
• Ukraine under attack & global response: [10:28–14:42]
• Environmental risk from shadow fleet: [14:42–18:04]
• Kenya Ebola center protests: [20:25–22:11]
• Ebola outbreak in DRC & containment: [22:11–25:12]
• Astronaut with disability (John McFall): [25:12–26:44]
• Toy Story 5 cast interview: [27:44–31:18]

---

Tone & Language

The episode retains the BBC’s hallmark of calm, incisive reporting with moments of personal testimony and expert commentary. Quotes reflect both formal statements and the emotions of those on the ground, from urgent warnings to humor and candor in the arts segment.

---

Summary

The episode is a fast-moving, globe-spanning news digest with extensive expert analysis and on-the-ground reporting. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of climate phenomena like El Niño with economic, environmental, and humanitarian issues, while also spotlighting how major international crises and pop culture landmarks play out around the world.

Transcript

[Alex Ritson]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway for you. Save days are here now through June 23rd. Find hot deals throughout the store and earn four times a point. Look for in store tags to earn on eligible items from Keebler, General Mills, Lactaid, Jack Links, Cheez it and Gatorade. Then clip the offer in the app for automatic event long savings. Stack up those rewards to save even more. Enjoy savings on top of savings when you shop in store or online for easy pickup or delivery, restrictions apply. See the website for full terms and conditions.

[Grainger Advertiser]

This is the story of the One As a maintenance engineer at a beverage manufacturing plant, he starts his day knowing every line is ready to run because Grainger delivers the industrial grade products he needs to keep mixers, conveyors and packaging equipment moving. With Grainger's vast selection of bearings, belts and motors, he keeps operations running smoothly so nothing grinds to a halt. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Alex Ritson]

This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Alex Ritson and at 16 hours GMT on Tuesday 2 June. These are our main stories. The UN Secretary General says the predicted Super El Nino weather system will pour fuel on a warming globe. Israeli strikes in the south of Lebanon have continued despite a U S brokered partial ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah. Two people have died in central Kenya during protests against plans to establish a U S backed Ebola isolation center. Also in this podcast, I would be frank with you.

[Oleksi Goncharenko]

We feel abandoned. We will continue to fight for us. It's existential, but I think the world really should step in and stop this suffering and stop these killings.

[Alex Ritson]

Ukraine remains defiant after one of the deadliest Russian attacks of recent months and our arts correspondent speaks to actors Tom Hanks and Tim Allen ahead of their fifth outing as Woody and Buzz. A new phase of the natural El Nino weather pattern could begin in the next few months, the UN has warned, boosting temperatures on the planet already under strain from climate change. The World Meteorological Organization says this El Nino is likely to strengthen over the rest of 2026, driving more extreme weather events around much of the globe. Several forecasts from national weather agencies suggest it could end up as one of the strongest ever recorded a population possible so called Super El Nino. Here's the Secretary General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres.

[David Sillitoe]

I thank the World Meteorological Organization for this vital new update. The science is clear. El Nino is arriving on our doorstep in the coming months with 90% certainty. The world must treat it as the urgent climate warning it is. El Nino conditions will pour fuel on the fire of a warming world. Impacts will hit even harder, travel even further and cross borders with devastating speeds.

[Alex Ritson]

I heard more about El Nino from our climate editor, Justin Rowlett.

[Justin Rowlett]

It's a change in the pattern of winds in the central, the tropical Pacific Ocean. So the trade winds that normally blow east to west either stop or reverse direction and that means that affects the currents of water under. So the ocean collects heat from the atmosphere and instead of that heat traveling towards the west, it begins to travel towards the east. And we've got a series of satellites, there are moored buoys, there are floating buoys in the Pacific that measure water temperatures. And scientists can see this, this kind of, you know, pulse, a kind of wave of undersea heat developing and moving steadily across the ocean towards the west coast of South America where it upwells raises surface temperatures. So the undersea, this water under the water is up to 6 degrees Celsius, higher than you'd expect at this time of year. That's a really significant increase in temperature when it gets to the surface off the coast of South America in the autumn, towards the winter, we're expecting surface temperatures to be 2 degrees Celsius or more than than you would normally expect them to be. That is a huge increase in temperature and that, that heat obviously is radiated out into the atmosphere and that's where you get the kind of ripple of conseque on weather patterns around the world. The weather is really all about the transfer of heat from the oceans into the atmosphere and then around the globe. And the more heat you have, it changes weather patterns. So for example, we can expect to see things like droughts and wildfires in places like the Amazon, Australia and then into Southeast Asia, even into India. So it can affect the Indian monsoon with huge consequences there and indeed around the world.

[Alex Ritson]

Justin Rowlett listening to that was our global affairs reporter Anbarasan Etirajan. So what, what impact could this have in South Asia and further afield?

[Anbarasan Etirajan]

As Justin was mentioning, the monsoon is going to have an impact because the Indian weather forecasters are saying India is likely to receive the lowest monsoon rainfall in 11 years. Now why this is important because nearly 70% of water resources in India, they get their water mainly from this monsoon rain. And given that more than 50% of India's farmlands don't have proper irrigation facility that depend on rainwater. So if there is any deficiency in rain that is going to have an impact on food production. In the previous years, for example, India, when they faced this El Nio condition, food production went down, the prices shot up. As a result, they stopped grain exports, for example, non basmati rice. So India is the largest exporter of rice in the world. So if India stops exporting, then the global prices go up. And also India is one of the biggest producers of sugar. So it can have an impact. But then again, it can also increase inflation within India as well.

[Alex Ritson]

And this has real consequences for real people, including a lot of very poor people.

[Anbarasan Etirajan]

First of all, the heat itself is causing a lot of damage. What we have seen is 45, 46, even up to 47 degrees. A lot of farm laborers and day to day workers, migrant workers working in the heat. You know, you, we usually see thousands of deaths because of the heat stroke and other things, but people are feeling the heat more. But I also have to mention about this, you know, heavy rains, month long rain coming in within three days. For example, what we saw in Sri Lanka last year, that was attributed to the changing weather pattern. And in countries like in Indonesia, wildfires, that is the main concern because the last time in 2023, in the Elinu effect, they had 1.16 million hectares of forest cover. It was burned down of wildfires. That is a big concern for Indonesia and also in Australia. So the drought, the extended, the prolonged drought can cause a huge impact on the environment in Southeast Asia as well.

[Alex Ritson]

Anbarasan ETI Rajan Despite Israel and Hezbollah accepting a US plan to implement a partial ceasefire, fighting continued in southern Lebanon. But there have been no fresh Israeli attacks on the capital, Beirut. President Trump said he'd spoken to both sides and they had agreed that all shooting will stop. His wor after Iran warned Israeli military actions in Lebanon were a threat to the current U S Iran ceasefire. Lina Sinjab is in Beirut.

[Lina Sinjab]

These talks really saved Beirut. An attack saved Dahi. An attack which is the southern part of Beirut, southern suburb. A Hezbollah stronghold that has been targeted in 2024 and continue to be targeted. It's been really a very tense day yesterday with thousands of people fleeing for their safety from Dahir neighborhood who are still stranded. The morning started with an imminent strike expected on Dahi, but it didn't happen. And that's because of these kind of round of talks that mainly the US President done after Iranian pressure to include Lebanon in a ceasefire deal. This is the first time that the US President talks even indirectly to Hezbollah, which is an organization designated as A terror one, but that spared Beirut a strike. Hezbollah agreed not to target northern Israel and Israel agreed not to target Beirut. But in between these two, the south is out of the equation, where bombardment and airstrikes continued yesterday with more than 20 people killed, including an attack on a hospital in the city of Teir.

[Alex Ritson]

What to Lebanese people think about these promises from the White House and Israel?

[Lina Sinjab]

I think people are really holding hopes to anything that could stop the violence in Lebanon, even though Beirut is spared this attack. But many parts of Dahi are destroyed. They've been destroyed since 2024. War and now more destruction. Displaced people are scattered in the country, in Beirut, in the north, in the mountains, in shelters, in schools, but even in tents. They're still staying in tents. The greater fear is that the south is now sacrificed, that the Israelis have boots on the ground. They occupied big swathes of land, including a strategic castle, the Beaufort Castle, that dates back to 900 years old. And they feel that this is the Israeli tactics in south Lebanon are similar to Gaza destruction and occupation.

[Alex Ritson]

Briefly, is there a way forward diplomatic pressure?

[Lina Sinjab]

But we've seen what the diplomatic pressure done to Gaza. There are still attacks in Gaza. There are still daily killing in Gaza, big swathe destroyed and the Israelis want to expand more. And the fear is that south of Lebanon is going to be the same.

[Alex Ritson]

Lina Sinjab in Beirut. In many parts of Ukraine, a huge cleanup is underway after what was one of the deadliest Russian attacks in recent months. The eastern cities of Dnipro and Kharkiv were targeted by hundreds of drones and ballistic missiles, as was the capital in emergency crews have been out in almost all districts of Kyiv with teams searching for people feared trapped beneath rubble. As we record this podcast, at least 21 are known to have died, including two children. Dozens were injured. Russia said the strikes had been a response to previous Ukrainian attacks and all their objectives had been achieved. The Ukrainian MP Alexi Goncharenko said the world is distracted by other conflicts and his country was suffering as a result.

[Oleksi Goncharenko]

United States now definitely completely absorbed by what's going on in the Middle East. And in reality, the negotiations which were started by President Trump last year, they have no result for the moment, I would be frank with you. We feel abandoned. We still, we will continue to fight for us. It's existential, but I think the world really should step in and stop this suffering and stop these killings and stop this next escalation which is happening right now. The world has means to do this, but unfortunately it looks like it doesn't. Have the will to do this, at least for the moment.

[Alex Ritson]

The Kremlin says the war in Ukraine has entered a different paradigm because of what it called inhumane acts of terror carried out by Ukraine. I got this assessment from our diplomatic correspondent, Paul Adams.

[Paul Adams]

I mean, there seems to be a reference to the Ukrainian attack on eastern Ukraine. On a Russian facility in Starobilsk, back towards the end of May, the Russians said that 21 students were killed in a dormitory. The Ukrainians said it was being used as a headquarters for a drone unit. There's no independent verification either way, but it does seem to have triggered a very strong Russian response. I think the background to this is increasing Russian frustration at the glacial pace of the war and the Kremlin's inability to make significant gains in recent months. And more and more commentators are talking in terms of the war taking a turn now in Ukraine's favor. They see Russia's combat performance waning, Ukraine managing its manpower issues more effectively, a favorable casualty rate favorable to Ukraine, that is better tactics being deployed by the Ukrainians. Obviously, Russia still has an overwhelming advantage in manpower and has shown itself able to adapt. So I don't think anyone's predicting the immediate end of the war, but I think the massive use of drone and missile strikes show that that tactic really is proof that Moscow still believes that it can break Ukraine's will through the use of air power at a time when Ukraine's air defences are severely depleted.

[Alex Ritson]

Yeah, but for all of that, we heard from the Ukrainian mp, Oleksi Goncharenko, saying the country feels abandoned. Is that true? What's the west doing to help?

[Paul Adams]

Well. Well, you know, before the war with Iran, there were active negotiations going on to try and get a ceasefire in Ukraine. Those negotiations came to an abrupt end. Donald Trump is clearly distracted. Europe talks up its role as a supporter of Ukraine, but it doesn't represent a viable alternative as an interlocutor with Russia to try and get a ceasefire. And the Russians are certainly absolutely not interested in Europe performing that role. Europe can certainly support Ukraine. You know, it's passed an enormous 90 billion euros loan to Ukraine, but it's no substitute in terms of brokering a ceasefire. Plus, of course, we have a lack of hardware. A lot of the hardware that Ukraine would want to use to defend itself against aerial attacks has been sucked into the conflict in the Gulf. You know, it's very, very good at shooting down drones, but when it comes to ballistic missiles, you need Patriot missiles, and only the Americans can supply those.

[Alex Ritson]

Paul Adams the world's largest trader in ships for recycling has told the BBC that hundreds of shadow fleet vessels are operating on the high seas beyond their design life. With no legal route to be decommissioned, industry figures warn this could lead to an environmental disaster. The US Sanctions watchdog has now approved a special license allowing four sanctioned ships to be sold for scrap. Here's our business reporter, David Waddell.

[David Waddell]

There could be 700 ships operating beyond their design life, according to GMS, which specializes in getting old ships off the sea. This license covers four ships, so it's a drop in the ocean if you like, but it's the first license of its kind issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control. That's an arm of the US Treasury. These are container ships going by the names of Ranton, Plan, Bigley, Timon and Yogi, all about 20 years old. That's not too old. And all sanctioned for trading in Iranian goods. I spoke to Dr. Anil Sharma. He's the founder of GMS. He's been working for seven months to secure these licenses. So he's celebrating. But his firm's big focus is tankers.

[Alex Ritson]

When you remove a tanker from the trade, what are you doing? You're reducing that ship's ability to carry

[David Sillitoe]

2 million barrels of oil per trip.

[Alex Ritson]

And so you're also limiting the ability

[David Sillitoe]

for the sanctioned oil to move in a cost effective manner.

[Alex Ritson]

With oil ships can really undercut the market.

[David Sillitoe]

Safe ships would ask for a higher price, higher freight.

[David Waddell]

The sanctions are designed to sting anyone who deals with them. So many ports won't accept them. Insurance is hard to come by. GMS can't buy them and mainstream recycling facilities can't receive them. I've been told by the International Shipping association, bimco that in fact some are being recycled. But it's very much under the radar and in breach of the Hong Kong International Convention for the Safe and Environmentally Sound Recycling of Ships, which is a fairly recent convention. Here's Gudrun Janssens, the ship recycling lead for bimco.

[Grainger Advertiser]

For sanctioned ships, the problem is that

[Lina Sinjab]

no one can really touch them. So the moment a recycler enters into

[Grainger Advertiser]

a deal that involves a sanctioned ship or a sanctioned company, there is a real risk for the recycler itself of being caught by the sanction regime as well.

[Lina Sinjab]

So what that means in practice is

[Grainger Advertiser]

that more ships risk being abandoned or ending up in unsafe substandard ship recycling facilities.

[David Waddell]

She told me it's up from 85 in 2020 to over 400 abandoned vessels last year. And yet there are many hundreds of such ships still at sea. Let's look back to the Exxon Valdez disaster. In 1989, she ran aground on a reef off the coast of Alaska and spilled 37,000 tons of oil. It killed hundreds of thousands of seabirds and thousands of other sea creatures. Exxon Valdez was quite young and went on to operate until 2012. But some of these ships are well beyond their design life. Their hulls are fragile and as a direct result of sanctions, their engines are often poorly maintained. Should one of these run aground, particularly very large crude carrier or supertanker, we could be looking at an environmental catastrophe.

[Alex Ritson]

Our business reporter David Waddell. Still to come in this podcast, first a Paralympic medal for sprinting. Now preparations for Blast Off.

[John McFall]

The reality is we don't know what it is like for someone with a disability. I'm a lower limb amputee. What it's going to be like for someone with a disability like mine. Living and working in space.

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway for you. Save days are here now through June 23rd. Find hot deals throughout the store and earn four times a point. Look for in Store tags to earn on eligible items from Keebler, General Mills, Lactaid, Jack Links, Cheez it, and Gatorade. Then clip the offer in the app for automatic event long savings. Stack up those rewards to save even more. Enjoy savings on top of savings. When you shop in store or online for easy pickup or delivery, restrictions apply. See the website for full terms and conditions.

[Alex Ritson]

If you're into tech, you'll love this.

[Ryan Seacrest]

TikTok is a live lab where users

[David Sillitoe]

post instant reviews of the latest trends. Download TikTok and check it out.

[Grainger Advertiser]

Grainger knows when you're a procurement manager for an office park, you're not managing one building, you're managing all of them. And to stay ahead, you need to see through walls and around corners. Lights about to fail, Filters ready to clog H Vac on its last leg. If you wait until something breaks, you're already behind. Count on Grainger for quality products, easy reordering and 24. 7 support. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. When you're a maintenance engineer in a beverage manufacturing plant, you keep production lines moving and quality on track because there is no room for slowdowns. With Grainger's vast selection of high quality motors, sensors, belts and hard to find parts, you can get what you need fast and all in one place. So nothing gets in the way of getting the job done. Call 1-800-granger. Click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Alex Ritson]

This is the Global News podcast. At least two people have been killed in Kenya amid protests against a new US Backed Ebola quarantine center near the town of Nanyuki. Hundreds of demonstrators marched through the streets on Monday, blocking roads and burning tires. Police fired tear gas to disperse them. The Kenyan government has defended the construction of the center by citing a health treaty with the US the BBC's Thomas Mukwana sent this report from the scene.

[Thomas Mukwana]

The community here says that they showed up on the streets yesterday peacefully to protest against the facility because there are schools, there are children, there are people who work in the facility that go back into these communities and they're afraid that that could spread the virus here. The protest started in the morning and by around noon, one o' clock in the afternoon, it descended into violence. And there's talk of riots that descended on the town of Nanyuki on that other side and the vandalism of a law court and also a few shocks. But police, we've seen a few police vehicles full of anti riot police officers and also backup from the base to try and stop this protest from happening today. But people still say that they will show up to voice their discontent in what's happening. But there's reports of aircrafts showing up in the facility, aircrafts flying in, big aircrafts that are supposed to construct this facility that is now barred by the courts. It's still ongoing. And the president and the Ministry of Health looks firmly in control of what's happening. And they say that they're going to keep this up because it's good for the Kenyan public. But the people will show up again and everything is safe today. But they are saying that they will show our protesters from more places outside Nanuki will come here to try and bolster the protests that will hopefully not sound violent, but they may occur today. And we'll keep briefing you on what happens here.

[Alex Ritson]

Mohammad Yaqub Janabi is the Africa regional director for the World Health Organization. He's just come back from visiting Bunya, the epicenter of the Ebola outbreak in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

[Mohammad Yaqub Janabi]

So what I saw on the ground was humbling and inspiring. I met with health workers, communities and religious leaders, partners, organization, working day and night under very extreme, difficult conditions. My message to those affected communities was very clear and direct. Ebola can be stopped, but only if we respond quickly, together and with trust because I Saw the contact tracing is still around 45% and for our WHO standards, at least 80%. And to reach 95 people, they tell you they've got their beliefs. Some believe it's poison, some believe it's a curse and it's a mining area that maybe is a blessing when more people die. One of the efforts, Director General Ted Ross and myself were when we were on the ground was to engage the community. Because to me, any outbreak, including this one, there are three main things. One, to engage the community, two, to protect your frontline health workers. And three, is a very rapid diagnosis and you can't get the diagnosis without tracing the people. Communities need a very clear, very accurate information in the languages they use and from voices they trust. Local leaders, faith leaders, women's group, youth leaders. People must understand what is Ebola, how it is spread, the symptoms to look for and why early care dramatically improves survival. We have discharged six of our health workers who contracted in the early stages. The message should never be do as we say, but rather let us work together to protect your family and your community. It's starting to get through. Community engagement is not an add on. It's one of the most powerful tools we have to stop transmission. Especially when you are dealing with the bodhibuja, which you don't have any validated therapeutics or any vaccine. So it's very important to educate. I'll give you a very living example. When my photos went out there in the social media, a very close family member wrote me, why don't you wear a mask? You are there. This is not an airborne disease. This is a direct contact with a patient. Not direct contact people who are healthy. Direct contact with someone who is Ebola positive. Now what brings even more challenges now is when borders are closed. When you close the borders, which the borders themselves, they are porous. People will just use illegal entry routes which it will be very difficult to get the contact.

[Alex Ritson]

Mohammad Yaqub Janabi from the World Health Organization. A British man, John McFall, lost a leg at the age of 19. It has not held him back. He won a bronze in sprinting at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics. He's worked as an orthopaedic surgeon and he can fly a plane. Now an agreement has been signed by the UK government with the US commercial space industry known as vast, that could see him go to space. He told Justin Webb more about it.

[John McFall]

This particular agreement brings me one step closer to hopefully realizing a world first which is a professional astronaut in space who happens to have a physical Disability, living and working as a professional astronaut. The reality is we don't know what it is like for someone with a disability. I'm a lower limb amputee. What it's going to be like for someone with a disability like mine living and working in space. Is missing a lig leg going to be a hindrance? Is having wearing a prosthesis going to be of benefit? What happens to the physiology of someone with a limb missing in space? Because I have slightly less lower body volume to start with, I. E. Missing a leg, will there be less fluid shift up towards my trunk and my head? And we know that fluid shift in living and working in microgravity can cause problems with the eyes. So might I be less susceptible to those conditions? There is an awful lot to learn.

[David Sillitoe]

I mean, those are interesting questions, but the basic fact that you are medically fit to go has already been sorted out. You are, aren't you?

[Justin Rowlett]

Yeah.

[John McFall]

I have met all the medical requirements to fly to space and technically met the, the operational requirements. And it's just a question of now realizing that opportunity, getting an opportunity to fly in space and demonstrate actually that it is feasible and also learn an awful lot when doing it.

[Alex Ritson]

John McFall. And from a hopeful astronaut looking for his place in the history books to another who's already earned his place there. It's now more than 30 years since Buzz Lightyear appeared in the original Toy Story film, and he's about to make a return in instalment number five. The Animated series have become one of Hollywood's most successful franchises. Now Tom Hanks and Tim Allen are back as Woody and Buzz. But as our arts correspondent David Sillitoe has been finding out, when he spoke to the actors in London, it's a double act where they only actually meet on the interview circuit.

[David Sillitoe]

Lovely to meet you. I'm David.

[Tim Allen]

I just need help. Medical help after the dog. Wonder what just happened. Hey, hey, look, it's a human.

[David Sillitoe]

We're in Claridge's and you're listening to a very bewildered Tim Allen and Joan Cusack.

[Thomas Mukwana]

I walk in there, it's a dog

[David Sillitoe]

who've just been interviewed by a puppet.

[Tom Hanks]

Joni Joan Jones.

[David Sillitoe]

Slap me Blue Peter's hackerty dog.

[Tim Allen]

Have you talked to the dog yet?

[Alex Ritson]

Huh? The dog?

[Tom Hanks]

What about the dog?

[Tim Allen]

Have you talked to the dog yet?

[David Sillitoe]

Welcome to the bizarre world of conveyor bell journalism. The junket interview. This one promoting Toy Story 5.

[Tim Allen]

It's good to be back.

[David Sillitoe]

Starring as always, Tom Hanks as Woody the cowboy and Tim Allen the space Ranger. Buzz Lightyear.

[Tim Allen]

It's been too long, Woody.

[David Sillitoe]

But taking the lead in this story about female friendship is Joan Cusack as Jesse.

[Grainger Advertiser]

Bonnie still needs us.

[David Sillitoe]

Our time ain't over yet. I'm kind of wondering what these two guys are doing, because this is your film, isn't it, Joan?

[Tim Allen]

Oh, yeah, it is.

[Lina Sinjab]

So you want to see Jesse's story for the girls?

[Tim Allen]

I think Tom and I should take off. This is good.

[Alex Ritson]

It's literally.

[Tim Allen]

We just back her up.

[Grainger Advertiser]

Hi there.

[Alex Ritson]

I'm Lily Pad.

[Grainger Advertiser]

Let's play.

[David Sillitoe]

And the villain, it's technology and how it's affecting both toys and day to day human interaction.

[Tim Allen]

Bonnie, screen time's over now. Okay.

[Tom Hanks]

That disinterest of somebody looking down and they're what?

[Tim Allen]

My youngest. We've had this conversation. I had a little arguments. We do dad daughter movie things. And she's in a movie theater. In the movie theater, and I just caught her.

[Tom Hanks]

I go, by the way, that's a thing.

[Tim Allen]

I know. Yeah, I put the. Put the phone down there. So used to 7 second movies on Instagram that she. She actually looked at a motion picture. And she goes, I get it. He's gonna be the villain and they're gonna do this. And I said, from now on, if we go to movie theaters, we watch the movie, and then you can biatch about it afterwards.

[Tom Hanks]

Hello.

[David Sillitoe]

And for Tom and Tim, it's a reprise of one of the movie world's most successful double acts.

[Tim Allen]

My ship has crash landed here by mistake.

[Tom Hanks]

Yes, it is a mistake. Because you see, the bed here is

[David Sillitoe]

my spot and ours alone doing the voiceovers.

[Tom Hanks]

We don't record together. We have never recorded together.

[David Sillitoe]

You have never been in the same recording.

[Tom Hanks]

Here's the thing that is that we are at the cutting edge of all technology as far as movie making. And they still have not figured out a way in order for us to be in the studio at the same time, feeding off each other's Energy.

[David Sillitoe]

Toy Story 1 has a very rare 100% rating on the Rotten Tomatoes review aggregator. So too does Toy Story 2. Even Toy Story 4 is at a remarkable 97%. And these days, that success means when Toy Story calls, Tom says yes.

[Tom Hanks]

I haven't really read the full through script after Toy Story 2.

[Tim Allen]

Right.

[Tom Hanks]

Because I just said I trust you guys implicitly. You're not. What am I gonna do? Give notes on what I think? It's not gonna happen.

[David Sillitoe]

Can I play you something? This is from 1995.

[Tom Hanks]

Oh, dear.

[David Sillitoe]

All of which, on this fifth outing led me to think I want to remind Tim Allen of something you once said, and this is from the junket interview from 1995.

[Tom Hanks]

Okay.

[Tim Allen]

I've always loved animated films and I've always wondered how the voices get done. And now that I know how they're done, I will never, ever do one of these again.

[Alex Ritson]

Tom Hanks and Tim Allen talking to David Sillitoe. And that's all from us for now. If you want to get in touch, you can email [e-mail]. you can also find us on X, the BBC World Service. Use the hashtag globalnewspod. 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 Rosenwin Durell and the producers were Richard Hamilton and Tam Patochako. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Alex Ritson. Until next time. Goodbye.

[Grainger Advertiser]

When you're a maintenance engineer in a beverage manufacturing plant, you keep production lines moving and quality on track because there is no room for slowdowns. With Grainger's vast selection of high quality motors, sensors, belts and hard to find parts, you can get what you need fast and all in one place. So nothing gets in the way of getting the job done. Call 1-800-GRAINGER clickranger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.