Russia and Ukraine hold brief talks despite heavy drone attacks

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary
Episode: Russia and Ukraine Hold Brief Talks Despite Heavy Drone Attacks
Release Date: June 2, 2025
Host: Oliver Conway, BBC World Service

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1. Russia-Ukraine Direct Talks Amidst Escalating Conflict

Despite recent escalations in the conflict, Russia and Ukraine convened for direct negotiations in Istanbul on June 2, 2025. This meeting marks their second set of talks within weeks, occurring just a day after Ukraine launched a significant strike on Russian airbases.

Ukrainian Military Operations: Ukraine's Operation Spider's Web has been highlighted as a meticulously planned campaign spanning over a year and a half. Utilizing hundreds of drones smuggled into Russia, Ukraine targeted strategic airbases across the country, some located up to 4,000 kilometers from the border. Ukrainian government adviser Yuri Sak described the operation as a demonstration of Ukraine's resilience and strength:

"Operation Spider's Web took more than a year and a half to plan... [It] was a show of strength for the world."
[02:11]

Diplomatic Insights: Diplomatic correspondent Albina Kovalyova provided a nuanced perspective on the Istanbul talks, expressing skepticism about their immediate effectiveness:

"I don't think expectations are terribly high... Russia's terms for a deal with Ukraine remain what, as they have always been, a kind of effective capitulation on the part of the government here."
[02:49]

She further analyzed the slow yet persistent Russian advances in northeastern and eastern Ukraine, suggesting that while Russia is making gradual progress, Ukraine remains capable of launching high-profile attacks that complicate the conflict dynamics.

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2. United Kingdom Enhances Defense Spending in Response to Russian Threats

In response to the ongoing conflict and perceived Russian aggression, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a significant increase in defense spending. The UK government plans to invest billions in nuclear weapons and procure up to 12 new submarines.

Details of the Defense Strategy: Political correspondent Rob Watson outlined both short-term and long-term strategies:

"In the short term, what it's doing is to try and increase pay and conditions for those serving in the British armed forces... In the longer term, it's things like building munitions factories, researching and developing Britain's domestic nuclear deterrent, having more submarines, having more frigates."
[06:20]

Economic and Political Constraints: However, Watson highlighted the challenges posed by the UK's stagnating economy and the complex preferences of voters who desire increased spending across multiple sectors, including education and welfare:

"The voters... would love more to be spent on defence, but they would also love more to be spent on schools, on education, on welfare for the elderly and the sick."
[07:53]

This balancing act reflects the broader economic limitations and contributes to the current government's unpopularity.

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3. Suppression of Dissent in Russia: The Anna Korobkova Case

In Russia, dissent against the war in Ukraine is met with severe repercussions. A notable case involves Anna Korobkova, a mysterious informer reputed for denouncing hundreds of individuals, leading to their dismissal, fines, or imprisonment.

Case Study - Alexandra Archhipova: Social anthropologist Alexandra Archhipova became a target after appearing on the independent Russian channel TV Rain. Faced with unfounded accusations, Archhipova embarked on an investigation to unmask Korobkova, revealing that the informer was actually Ivana Baturov, a history graduate utilizing artificial intelligence to fabricate denunciations.

"But Arhipova says his denial only added to the weight of evidence against him."
[11:30]

The exposure of Baturov underscores the pervasive climate of fear and the lengths to which the Russian state goes to suppress opposition.

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4. Poland's Presidential Election: A Shift Towards Nationalism

Poland experienced a significant political shift as nationalist historian Carol Nosky emerged victorious in the presidential election, challenging the pro-EU stance of the incumbent government. Supported by the Law and Justice Party and Donald Trump, Nosky's win represents a setback for Poland's integration with European institutions.

Implications for EU Relations: Correspondent Adam Easton discussed the repercussions of Nosky's victory:

"He is more skeptical about Ukraine's place in NATO and EU... he's against extending any sort of social welfare benefits and generous support for the million Ukrainian refugees."
[15:30]

Nosky's administration is expected to foster closer ties with Trump and adopt a more nationalist and conservative agenda, potentially straining Poland's relationships within the EU framework.

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5. Breakthrough in Medical Research: Exercise Enhances Colon Cancer Survival

A groundbreaking study led by Professor Vicki Cole from Queen's University Belfast has revealed that regular exercise can significantly improve survival rates for colon cancer patients. The research, encompassing nearly 900 participants across six countries, demonstrated that patients who engaged in purposeful physical activity post-surgery and chemotherapy saw a more than one-third increase in survival rates and reduced recurrence chances.

"It's about thinking as treatment as something you can do, not just something you take."
[16:12]

The study advocates for integrating exercise regimens into cancer treatment protocols, highlighting the physiological benefits such as reduced inflammation and enhanced immune response.

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6. Advancements in Astronomy: The Legacy Survey of Space and Time (LSST) Camera

The Vera C. Rubin Observatory in Chile has unveiled the largest digital camera ever constructed, the LSST camera. This state-of-the-art instrument is poised to revolutionize our understanding of the cosmos by mapping millions of asteroids and comets, vastly exceeding the discoveries of previous telescopes.

Scientific Prospects: Dr. Cyriel Opitom from the University of Edinburgh emphasized the camera's capabilities:

"Rubin is going to have unprecedented ability to tell us what goes bang in the night... discovering millions of asteroids and comets."
[27:32]

The LSST camera will enable continuous monitoring of the night sky, facilitating breakthroughs in the study of dark matter, dark energy, and other fundamental cosmic mysteries.

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7. Terrorist Attack in Colorado Targets Jewish Rally

A violent incident occurred in Boulder, Colorado, where members of a Jewish group rallying for Israeli hostages were attacked with homemade incendiary devices. Eight individuals were injured, with at least one critical case reported.

Incident Details: Witnesses described the chaos as an individual wielded makeshift flamethrowers and hurled incendiary devices into the crowd, shouting slogans like "Free Palestine."

"I saw people falling and screaming and crying and tripping... he had three Molokov cocktails."
[18:50] — Oliver Conway

Authorities have arrested Mohammed Salman, a 45-year-old man, and are investigating the motives behind the attack, labeling it as an act of terrorism.

"This is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism."
[18:58] — Albina Kovalyova

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8. Mpox Outbreak in Sierra Leone Demands International Attention

Sierra Leone is grappling with a severe outbreak of mpox, a viral disease related to smallpox, characterized by fever and skin lesions. With over 3,286 cases reported across Africa, 74% of which are in Sierra Leone, the situation is exacerbated by inadequate health infrastructure.

Challenges and Responses: Dr. Jean Casea from the Africa Center for Disease Control highlighted the key issues:

"Weakness of the health system... lack of vaccines, medicines, and diagnostics... health facilities overwhelmed."
[22:27]

The CDC is providing support by deploying epidemiologists, enhancing surveillance systems, and supplying vaccines, although additional resources are urgently needed to contain the outbreak.

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9. High-Profile Trial in Australia: The Mushroom Murder Case

In Australia, Erin Patterson faces trial for the alleged poisoning of three elderly relatives with lethal mushrooms during a family lunch. Patterson denies the charges, claiming the incident was a tragic accident.

Trial Developments: During her testimony, Patterson appeared composed, sharing personal details about her strained relationships and traumatic experiences:

"She appeared very confident. The only point that she got quite emotional was when she was recounting the birth of her first child."
[25:23] — Katie Watson

Her defense centers on the accidental nature of the poisonings, while the prosecution emphasizes the lack of motive as irrelevant to establishing guilt.

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Conclusion: This episode of the Global News Podcast delves into pivotal international developments, from the fraught Russia-Ukraine negotiations and shifts in global defense strategies to significant strides in medical research and astronomy. Additionally, it highlights concerning socio-political changes in Poland, the harsh realities of dissent in Russia, and urgent public health challenges in Sierra Leone. The podcast also covers a high-profile criminal trial in Australia and a recent act of terrorism in Colorado, reflecting the multifaceted nature of current global affairs.

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For more detailed coverage and updates, subscribe to the Global News Podcast by BBC World Service.

Transcript

[Oliver Conway]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads.

[Paul Adams]

Outside the uk, packages by Expedia.

[Vicki Cole]

You were made to be rechargeable.

[Paul Adams]

We were made to package flights, hotels.

[Oliver Conway]

And hammocks for less.

[Paul Adams]

Expedia. Made to travel. You're listening to the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. Hello, I'm Oliver Conway. We're recording this at 13 hours GMT. On Monday, 2 June, Russia and Ukraine hold direct talks in Istanbul, a day after an audacious Ukrainian attack on Russian air bases, more money for nuclear weapons and submarines, why Britain is moving to war readiness, and how exercise can boost survival rates for people with colon cancer. Also in the podcast, she had also.

[Katie Watson]

Left hospital despite concerns from medical staff about remaining in hospital because of the four guests at her lunch who had fallen ill very quickly because of what we now know are toxic mushrooms.

[Paul Adams]

The defendant in the mushroom murder trial takes the stand. Officials from Russia and Ukraine have held talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul, their second set of direct negotiations in a matter of weeks. The meeting went ahead despite Russia's biggest drone attack of the war two nights ago and Ukraine's audacious strike on Russian air bases on Sunday. Ukraine says Operation Spider's Web took more than a year and a half to plan. Hundreds of drones were smuggled into Russia and launched remotely from inside the roofs of wooden sheds, carried by lorries, and they targeted air bases across Russia, some as much as 4,000 kilometers from the border. Ukraine says it hit 41 planes, but it's not known how many were destroyed. Ukrainian government adviser Yuri Sak said it was a show of strength for the world.

[Rob Watson]

We're hearing, even sometimes from our partners, their doubts. You know, they say we don't have any cars, so we have just shown that we do have cards. And we've always knew that, you know, this is a battle of David against Goliath, this war. Right. Ukraine is much smaller. We have fewer resources, we have fewer power. But at the same time, we always think about this war in terms of this having to be a smart war. So we are showing how our ingenuity can result in balancing out this disproportion that we have in terms of our size and resources.

[Paul Adams]

But can the talks in Turkey make any progress? I asked our diplomatic correspondent Paul Adams in Kyiv.

[Albina Kovalyova]

I don't think expectations are terribly high. Listeners may recall that the two sides met in Istanbul fairly recently, and all. All they were able to agree was a very substantial prisoner exchange and an agreement to hold further talks. The Ukrainians have been waiting rather impatiently for the Russians to submit a memorandum outlining their conditions for these talks. That has not appeared, certainly not in public anyway. And so it's not quite clear what exactly the Russians are coming to Istanbul to discuss, as far as we can make out, Russia's terms for a deal with Ukraine remain what, as they have always been, a kind of effective capitulation on the part of the government here. So expectations are low. But of course, the atmosphere is rather different in the wake, not so much of Russian attacks, which have continued pretty much as they have been for months now, albeit at a heightened level recently. But the Ukrainian attack inside, deep inside Russia has definitely altered the mood. Essentially what Ukraine has done is to say not just to the Russians, but also perhaps crucially to Donald Trump, that if you think Ukraine is somehow losing the war, then here is evidence that Ukraine is still able to deliver astonishingly ambitious military operations deep inside Russia.

[Paul Adams]

Yeah, I mean, it appears to have been very successful for the Ukrainians, but at the same time, Russia continues to advance little bit by bit in the northeast and the east of Ukraine.

[Albina Kovalyova]

It does, though, you know, if you look at the, the kind of pace of Russian advances, it is in one sense inexorable, but in another sense it is glacial. You know, at this rate, it would take Russia a very long time, I mean, many, many, many years to conquer Ukraine or even, frankly, to exert Russian control over the four areas of Ukraine that it is already claimed to have annexed. So it has been a very much a kind of one way process of gradual Russian advances. But it is so slow that I think Ukraine still feels that it can absorb this while concentrating on these very high profile, extremely damaging attacks.

[Paul Adams]

Paul Adams in Kyiv. Well, in the past few minutes, the Interfax news agency has reported that the talks have finished and lasted about an hour. A statement from Ukrainian officials said they had put forward three points. One, a full and comprehensive ceasefire lasting 30 days or more, two, humanitarian issues, the return of prisoners of war and deported children, and three, a meeting between the two leaders.

[Rob Watson]

One.

[Paul Adams]

Well, regardless of the outcome of that meeting in Istanbul, the threat of Russia cannot be ignored. So says the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer. The UK Government is today announcing plans to spend billions on nuclear weapons and up to 12 new submarines.

[Albina Kovalyova]

We need to prepare. We've seen what's happened in Ukraine, something I think all of us thought we wouldn't really see in our lifetimes, the invasion of a European country. Russia has shown in recent weeks that it's not serious about peace and we have to be ready.

[Paul Adams]

Well, I asked Our political correspondent, Rob Watson, exactly how Britain planned to be ready.

[Rob Watson]

So in the short term, what it's doing is to try and increase pay and conditions for those serving in the British armed forces because they're at a historic low. It's something like 70,000, 72,000 people, never been that low. And more people are leaving the army than joining. So that's the short term. In the longer term, it's things like building munitions factories, researching and developing Britain's domestic domestic nuclear deterrent, having more submarines, having more frigates. But all of that, of course, in the medium to longer term.

[Paul Adams]

Yeah. I'm not sure Vladimir Putin will be quaking in his boots at the thoughts that British soldiers could get better pay and conditions. Will this send a message to Moscow, as the UK government has said?

[Rob Watson]

It's a very good question. I mean, I suppose, yes, in the sense that what this defense review does is quite clearly identify Russia as the predominant concern of Britain and along with that, of course, other European countries. So to that extent, they're sending out a clear message. I mean, of course, what the, what the Russians would say is, look, you've treated us as an enemy these last 10, 20, 30 years anyway, and may sort of shrug in that sense as to what Britain's partners will think. Well, of course, the United States would want the UK to spend more. It's not committing to spending the three and a half percent that NATO is aiming for and that the US would want. And similarly, NATO allies will think, yeah, Britain could be spending more, although they themselves have these constraints. So they will be understanding and no doubt diplomatic in what they say. Oliver.

[Paul Adams]

Yeah, let's look at those constraints. Can the UK afford this? And do voters want money spent on defence?

[Rob Watson]

It's a cracking question. I mean, of course, the voters. The polling suggests, Oliver, that they want everything, right? That's what the voters are like. They would love more to be spent on defence, but they would also love more to be spent on schools, on education, on welfare for the elderly and the sick. And in many ways, what's happened today with this rather modest increase in defence spending and a sort of evolution, rather than a revolution in Britain's defence posture, it really tells you something about the constraints that having a stagnant, stagnating economy, which Britain has had really since 2008, put on both your ability as a country to make foreign and defence policy, but also your ability to make domestic policy. And that, of course, is one of the reasons why this government is unpopular, just like the one before it was unpopular. And the one before that, Oliver Rob Watson.

[Paul Adams]

In Russia, speaking out against the war in Ukraine can have serious consequences. People who are reported to the authorities face being sacked, fined or even jailed. A mysterious informer known as Anna Korobkova gained notoriety for denouncing hundreds of people. But then one of her victims began an investigation to expose her real identity. Albina Kovalyova from BBCI Investigations has the details.

[Alexandra Archhipova]

In the autumn of 2022, Alexandra Archhipova discovered that somebody had written to her university in Moscow to demand she be fired.

[Mohammed Salman]

It was a letter addressed to the rector of where I worked. The letter was very long. This is to inform you of an immoral act by your employee, Alexander Arkhipova. Your employee broke the law by discrediting the Russian army.

[Alexandra Archhipova]

The accusation stemmed from an appearance the social anthropologist had made on TV Rain, an independent Russian channel which broadcasts from the Netherlands and which is regarded as a foreign agent by the Kremlin. The letter came from a serial informer called Anna Koropkova. Nobody had met Korabkova or knew what she looked like. But in emails to the BBC, Koropkova claimed to have reported hundreds of her fellow Russians. I keep a list of the results of my denunciations. How many people are fired and how many are fined.

[Paul Adams]

I do not feel any pangs of.

[Mohammed Salman]

Conscience because a person is fined, fined or otherwise punished.

[Alexandra Archhipova]

On the contrary, I feel joy. Arhipova had gone into exile in France. From there, she set about trying to discover her accuser's real identity. Over two years, she collected 74 denouncements and threats written by Korabkova. And with the help of a linguistic expert, she identified patterns in the wordings. Korabkova's Wikipedia page also provided vital clues. It contained photographs of replies the security services had sent to her denunciations. Metadata attached to the pictures showed they were taken with a rare model of Panasonic camera. Further analysis revealed only one person in Russia had uploaded pictures taken with this model of camera to Wikipedia. A history graduate called Ivana Baturov. Koropkova was actually a man. After Arkhipova exposed his identity online, Abature posted a denial on social media.

[Paul Adams]

I didn't write these reports. Artificial intelligence can easily imitate anyone. That anthropologist is using this story about me to secure funding.

[Alexandra Archhipova]

But Arhipova says his denial only added to the weight of evidence against him.

[Mohammed Salman]

It is all written in the same formulas over the same linguistic mistakes. The more Obaturov wrote, the more like Karabkova he became.

[Alexandra Archhipova]

While Arkhipova is certain she's unmasked her accuser. She believes it's not safe for her and others like her and to return to Russia.

[Paul Adams]

Albina Kovalyova of BBCI Investigations. After initially trailing in the exit poll, nationalist historian Carol Nosky has won the presidential election in Poland. When the official results came in, the amateur boxer had beaten the pro EU candidate by a margin of more than one and a half percent. It is a major setback for the polish government's pro EU agenda. Mr. Nocki was supported by Poland's right wing Law and Justice Party as well as Donald Trump. Krzysztof Izdebski is from the Polish pro democracy group the Battery Foundation.

[Rob Watson]

Definitely Trump will have more to say in the Polish politics, the Law and Justice. The political camp of Karl Noki will be also cooperating much more with Trump, so saying that in two years they will take over the power. So I think it's, it's a good empowering of the whole Maga project in the Central and Eastern Europe as well.

[Paul Adams]

Mr. Nodsky is still expected to support Ukraine in its fight against Russia, but he's previously said that benefits for Ukrainian refugees in Poland should be cut. Our Warsaw correspondent Adam Easton told me more about reaction in Poland.

[Oliver Conway]

Mr. Nocky's supporters, the conservative opposition Law and Justice Party, are gloating, especially because Mr. Chaskowski, Warsaw's liberal mayor, claimed victory when that first exit poll was published immediately upon the end of voting on Sunday evening. So he's got egg on his face and they are rubbing his nose, to mix my metaphors, in the dirt with that victory exclamation. So there is bewilderment, surprise and unease on the side of the coalition government, which is led by the former head of the European Council, Donald Tusk. They thought that their man, deputy leader of their party, the mayor, was going to win and cement Poland's place in the European mainstream, specifically strong relations with Germany and France. But now we've got continued conflict between the government and the President because Mr. Novodsky is a nationalist conservative. He's probably more nationalist than the incumbent conservative, Andrzej Dura. And he will undoubtedly use the important power that he has because it's a largely ceremonial role, the presidency in Poland, but he has an important power to veto planned legislation, bills put forward by the government. And during the last 18 months, Poland, Donald Tusk's popularity has faded somewhat because he's had a president who's blocked his agenda and he's not been able to actually introduce or deliver on many of his key campaign promises from 18 months ago, and that will continue. Polls have decided they want to check on Donald Tusk's government and they've elected Carol Norotsky, who, as I say, will be more of a tough opponent probably than even Mr. Duda was to Donald Tusk. And that will certainly impact his chances when parliamentary elections are due in two years. But they may even come sooner if Mr. Tusk decides that he cannot govern effectively with a president who would potentially block all of his initiatives.

[Paul Adams]

Mr. Noradsky does support helping Ukraine, but not necessarily Ukrainians in Poland.

[Oliver Conway]

Well, yeah, there's a couple of nuances here. He is more skeptical about Ukraine's place in NATO and EU. He said he doesn't support it, unlike Mr. Tusk, because with the ongoing war in aggression, Russian aggression in Ukraine is too dangerous for Poland, he believes. And as you mentioned, he's against extending any sort of social welfare benefits and generous support for the million Ukrainian refugees and another additional million Ukrainians who live in Poland now.

[Paul Adams]

Adam Easton in Warsaw. A new trial has found that exercise can boost the survival rates of people with colon cancer by more than a third and cut the chances of it coming back. The research, led by teams in Northern Ireland and Canada, involved almost 900 people from six countries. All the colon cancer patients had had surgery and chemotherapy and were deemed well enough to exercise, but were not doing the recommended amount of physical activity. Professor Vicki Cole from Queen's University Belfast was the UK lead researcher.

[Cyriel Opitom]

The good news is it's not a large amount of exercise. We were aiming to get patients who, patients who hadn't necessarily exercised before to at least twice the Department of Health recommendations for all of us. So for general health recommendations, and that works out at around 45 to 60 minutes of brisk walking three or four times a week, or 25 to 30 minutes of jogging. So that's the kind of exercise levels that would get you there. But any exercise counted, so any purposeful exercise done in bouts of at least 10 minutes at a stretch counted. So we have patients doing things like walking, cycling, swimming, salsa classes. So it was really what suited the patient, what worked for them and what ensured they hit their exercise goals for each phase of the program. And I suppose a bit of a mind shift, isn't it? It's about thinking as treatment as something you can do, not just something you take. So there are plausible biological reasons why exercise might have a beneficial effect, effects on inflammation, on the immune system, on hormones and chemicals that are released by the gut. We are going to investigate that further within this research. So there's serial blood samples have been taken by patients who took part in the trial and we will analyze those to try and understand better the reason why we saw this effect.

[Paul Adams]

Professor VICKI Cole and still to come on the Global News Podcast.

[Laura Goodwin]

So Rubin is going to discover millions of asteroids and comets. So four times more than what we know that has been discovered by previous telescopes up to now.

[Paul Adams]

How the largest digital camera ever built will help scientists map the cosmos. Police in the U.S. state of Colorado are questioning a man after members of a Jewish group were attacked with homemade incendiary devices in the city of Boulder. The campaigners had been on their weekly rally for Israeli hostages in Gaza. Eight people were injured, at least one critically. Alex Asante saw what happened.

[Oliver Conway]

It was very strange to just hear a crash on the ground of a bottle breaking and then sounded like a boom. And then people started yelling and screaming.

[Paul Adams]

But I saw fire.

[Oliver Conway]

I saw people falling and screaming and crying and tripping. And I saw the attacker, he had three Molokov cocktails. One of them he threw inside of a group at the group.

[Paul Adams]

And one lady lit on fire from head to toe. Mark Michelek from the FBI said the authorities were in no doubt about the nature of the attack.

[Albina Kovalyova]

This attack happened at a regularly scheduled weekly peaceful event. Witnesses are reporting that the subject used a makeshift flamethrower and threw an incendiary device into the crowd. The suspect was heard to yell free Palestine during the attack. As a result of these preliminary facts, it is clear that this is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism.

[Paul Adams]

Olivier Prentzel, a reporter of the Colorado sun, has been following the story.

[Mohammed Salman]

We know that several members of a group gathering to raise awareness about people taken hostage during the Hamas. During Hamas's 2023 attack on Israel, they were set on fire after a man used a makeshift flamethrower to hurl incendiary device at demonstrators. Police did arrest the man. His name is Mohammed Salman, age 45. People at the scene, what they saw was this man who was standing at the courthouse as these demonstrators had as they arrived, and he was holding these bottles that were filled with clear liquid. The FBI and the police who have been giving us updates about the situation, they haven't identified exactly what that was. And I know that they are investigating and we'll see if more information is released. But from videos posted on social media looked like these spray bottles with. With just some liquid inside.

[Katie Watson]

And is it the assumption of the.

[Rob Watson]

Authorities that the individuals who were attacked were specifically targeted?

[Mohammed Salman]

The governor of Colorado, Jared Polis is calling this an act of terror. The Anti Defamation League has called this a targeted attack as well. This was a group of people with a group called Run for Their Lives. They have been walking every Sunday since the fall of 2023. They call it a peaceful walk and they are raising awareness about Israelis taken into hostage. And I believe that is why they are calling this a targeted attack.

[Rob Watson]

And what do we know of the suspect then of Mohamed Sabri Solomon, this 45 year old who's been arrested?

[Mohammed Salman]

There's very little information that we know at this moment about this man. He was in these videos. He was seen pacing back and forth behind many injured people in front of the courthouse. He was not wearing his shirt and he was yelling. I expect authorities to release more information in the coming days, but right now it's very limited.

[Paul Adams]

Olivier Prentzel talking to Rob Young. MPOX is a deadly viral disease related to smallpox and it appears in the form of fever and lesions on the skin. Sierra Leone has called for international help to curb its spread as cases there continue to rise. A week ago, just over 3,000 incidents of MPOX had been recorded. But at the weekend, more than 300 new cases were announced. Other African countries, including the Democratic Republic of Congo, have also seen outbreaks. Victoria Uan Kunda spoke to the head of the Africa center for Disease Control Prevention, Dr. Jean Casea.

[Vicki Cole]

Today. Sierra Leone is seriously affected by MPOX and last week we recorded in Africa more than 3,286 cases and 74% of cases came from Sierra Leone. We see in Sierra Leone this huge increase that is also affecting other countries like Togo and Ghana.

[Paul Adams]

So what's behind this increase, this rise in the numbers of cases?

[Vicki Cole]

First, we need to talk about the weakness of the health system. It means the surveillance system is not what we could expect to see in Africa today. Second, we need to talk about lack of commodities, vaccines, medicines and diagnostics because we were unable to contain this outbreak in Sierra Leone due to lack of vaccines. And we need also to talk about health facilities that are overwhelmed today because the bed occupancy is more than 200%. All of these factors are explaining why we have this huge outbreak in Sierra Leone.

[Paul Adams]

You talk of a weakness in health systems, you talk about lack of vaccines. So what kind of support is the CDC offering to these countries?

[Vicki Cole]

We are glad to say that we have dialogue with the high level political authorities in Sierra Leone and Africa. CDC already deployed a number of epidemiologists and people with some other skills like laboratory and to support the community health program. We also provide appropriate support for vaccines. We already sent some doses of vaccines in Sierra Leone, but it's not enough. We are looking for solutions to aid because we received a request, additional request from the Ministry of Health. We are supporting the surveillance system and we are also supporting the laboratory system. I think we are providing a comprehensive support to stop this outbreak in Sierra Leone.

[Paul Adams]

Dr. Jean Casea, the alleged mushroom murderer, has taken the stand for the first time in her trial in Australia, a trial that has attracted interest from around the world. Erin Patterson is accused of killing three of her estranged husband's elderly relatives by inviting them for lunch and giving them a beef Wellington laced with poisonous death cap mushrooms. She denies the charges. The prosecution rested its case today and Erin Patterson then began giving evidence in her defense. As I heard from our Australia correspondent.

[Katie Watson]

Katie Watson, she started off detailing her relationship with her estranged husband, Simon Patterson and her children. She talked about the fact that in 2023, in the months leading up to the lunch, there had been increasing distance between her and Don and Gail, who were her estranged in laws. And she got the feeling that Simon Patton didn't want her to be as an involved with his family. And she also talked about the fact that she described herself as a fundamentalist atheist when they met, that she had tried to convert him. But in the end she turned to religion. And that's something that we've seen throughout the trial, the importance of religion in the family's life. But she spoke for what, less than an hour? And she'll be back in on Tuesday.

[Paul Adams]

Yeah, very important moment for her in the trial. How did she appear?

[Katie Watson]

So she, she appeared very confident. The only point that she got quite emotional was when she was recounting the birth of her first child. And she was talking about the fact that it had been a very traumatic birth and it ended up in a caesarean section. And she also talked about the fact that her son, her son's condition had improved, that she had been told to stay in hospital because they didn't feel that she had healed sufficiently. But she had spoken to Simon Patterson, had been very concerned about being in hospital alone. She wanted to go home. So she did actually leave hospital against medical advice. And this is something that has come up in the trial previously questioning the fact that she, after the fateful lunch back in July 2023, she had had a dislike of hospitals. And she had also left hospital despite concerns from medical staff about remaining in hospital, of course, because of the four guests at her lunch who had fallen ill. Very quickly because of what we now know are toxic mushrooms.

[Paul Adams]

And do we have any idea of what strategy her defense will use?

[Katie Watson]

Her defense have said that it was a terrible accident. It was a tragedy. At the beginning and the opening of the trial, the prosecution first set out its case saying that there may not be a motive, but that is not necessary to convict anybody of murder. Heard of events has said that this was a terrible accident, this was a tragedy, that she loved her her in laws that they did admit though that she had lied on several occasions to police. So that was very much, you know, the line that her defense team was going down.

[Paul Adams]

Katie Watson in Australia. It is the largest digital camera ever built. Installed at the Vera C. Rubin Observatory high in the mountains in Chile. The Legacy Survey of Space and Time, or LSST camera is expected to transform our view of space. Scientists from around the world hope to use it to map the cosmos. The BBC's Laura Goodw went to meet one of those scientists, Dr. Cyriel Opitom from the University of Edinburgh.

[Laura Goodwin]

One of the very peculiarities of Rubin is that it's going to come back to the same patch of the sky every few days. And so what we can do is compare images taken that day to one taken a few days before and see if anything changes. And so Rubin is going to have unprecedented ability to tell us what goes bang in the night.

[Paul Adams]

So what are you most excited about.

[Katie Watson]

Getting from the Rubins Observatory?

[Laura Goodwin]

I'm excited about what it's going to tell us about our own solar system. So a little bit closer to home. So Rubin is going to discover millions of asteroids and comets, so four times more than what we know that has been discovered by previous telescopes up to now. It's going to be extremely interesting because it's also going to give us some information about their colors or they change over time and so going to really help us build our understanding of our.

[Paul Adams]

In a way, this will be the equivalent of a neighborhood watch, but on a gigantic universal scale. The data collected from the Rubin Observatory promises to change how we see the.

[Katie Watson]

Universe and hopes to uncover mysteries surrounding.

[Paul Adams]

Dark matter and dark energy. Secrets of our skies that will be eagerly anticipated back here on Earth. That report by Laura Goodwin and that is all from us for now, but the Global News podcast will be back very soon. This edition was mixed by Alana Bowles and produced by Richard Hamilton. Our editor's Karen Martin. I'm Oliver Conway. Until next time. Goodbye.