Thailand and Cambodia agree ceasefire

Summary

Global News Podcast – Episode Summary

Episode Title: Thailand and Cambodia agree ceasefire
Host: Alex Ritson (BBC World Service)
Date: December 27, 2025

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Episode Overview

This edition of the Global News Podcast delivers a snapshot of critical international headlines with in-depth analysis, focusing on the newly agreed ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia after deadly border confrontations, U.S. military actions against IS in Nigeria, ongoing Russia-Ukraine peace efforts, the feminist movement in Iran, significant news from Myanmar and China, the persistence of gender stereotypes in advertising, Slovenia’s ski jumping hopes for the Winter Olympics, and the rediscovery of a rare wildcat in Thailand.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Thailand and Cambodia Broker Immediate Ceasefire

[02:00–04:59]

• Ceasefire Details:

  • After three weeks of border clashes resulting in over 40 deaths and a million displaced, both countries signed a joint statement for an immediate ceasefire.
  • Agreement includes a freeze on military movements, allowing civilians to return and promises the release of 18 Cambodian soldiers from Thai custody after three days of peace.

• Enmity & Social Impact:

  • Nationalist sentiment is running high, with online vitriol between communities, though historically the region saw cross-border harmony and family ties.
  • Previous ceasefires (including in July and the Kuala Lumpur joint declaration) broke down, raising skepticism about the current truce's durability.

• Quote:

  “There will be no moving forward, no reinforcement ... This will allow almost a million people from both sides ... to go back to their home.”
  — Panisa Imoka, BBC Thai Service ([02:47])

  “The dislike and nationalistic sentiment is still there, lingering…”
  — Panisa Imoka ([04:08])

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2. US Military Strikes on Islamic State in Nigeria

[05:41–09:56]

• Operation Summary:

  • President Trump claimed the U.S. decimated IS camps in northwest Nigeria, stating the Christmas Day timing was intentional “to give ... a Christmas present.”

• Local Reactions:

  • Some residents welcomed the attack, hoping for relief from years of militant violence.
  • Nigerian officials confirmed militants fled after the strikes; no civilian casualties reported.

• Insight & Analysis:

  • Barry Marston (BBC Monitoring) noted the main IS branch operates in northeast Nigeria (Borno); the targeted ‘Lakaroa group’ in Sokoto may not be officially linked to IS.
  • Ongoing U.S. aerial surveillance suggests further strikes are possible.

• Quotes:

  “Trump was serious with what he said … over there in the north, they are passing through a lot and lots of persecution.”
  — Rev. Father Paul Ebu Bedike ([07:46])

  “If the US was wanting to strike the Islamic State in Nigeria, it hit the wrong side..."
  — Barry Marston ([08:27])

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3. Russia-Ukraine Peace Negotiations Update

[09:56–11:33]

• Status of Talks:

  • President Zelensky believes a peace plan with Russia is “90% there,” with only tough issues like security guarantees and territorial concessions to resolve.
  • President Trump is more reserved, emphasizing that any deal depends on U.S. decisions; he expects to speak with Putin.

• Quote:

  “President Zelensky … believes that the peace plan is about 90% there, that only the thorniest issues remain.”
  — Samira Hussain, Kyiv correspondent ([10:29])

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4. Iran’s Feminist Movement—Actress Tarana Ali Dusti Speaks Out

[11:33–15:41]

• Background:

  • After Mahsa Amini’s death in custody sparked mass protests, celebrated actress Tarana Ali Dusti vows never to wear a hijab on screen again.

• Interview Excerpts:

  • She describes feeling compelled to act:

    “How could you remain silent after Mahsa Amini’s death, after witnessing women being beaten to death for taking off their scarves?”
    — Tarana Ali Dusti ([12:15])

  • She links these changes to a broader feminist awakening.

• Consequences:

  • Ali Dusti was jailed, banned from working, and likened to “a Meryl Streep in Iran” for her stature.
  • Reporter Farnaz Fassihi notes the stand comes at significant personal and professional cost and resonates with millions (27 million views online).

• Social Change:

  • Reports and on-the-ground evidence show increasing Iranian female defiance of the hijab, with authorities uncertain how to respond.

• Quotes:

  "Her interview was extremely courageous … it’s a very heavy personal cost ..."
  — Farnaz Fassihi ([13:33])

  “The Mahsa Amini protests really changed Iran.”
  — Farnaz Fassihi ([15:09])

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5. Myanmar’s Yangon Lifts Curfew Before Elections

[15:41–17:07]

• Situation:

  • Yangon ends its nighttime curfew for the first time since the 2021 coup, ahead of controversial junta-led elections.
  • Most residents remain cautious, with continued security concerns and major displacement due to civil war.

• Quote:

  “Most people didn’t go outside late at night due to heightened security concerns, and this looks unlikely to change.”
  — Anna Aslam ([16:05])

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6. China’s High-Speed Rail Milestone

[20:07–23:19]

• Facts:

  • China’s high-speed rail network surpasses 50,000 km—more than the rest of the world combined, built in under 20 years.
  • Achievements praised for economic vision and efficiency, but concerns raised about forced relocations due to one-party rule.

• Quote:

  “…Really showcases the best of Chinese engineering and economic development.”
  — Mickey Bristow ([21:55])

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7. Gender Stereotypes in Global Advertising

[23:19–25:39]

• Research Findings:

  • Proportion of adverts featuring women in non-traditional roles dropped from 8% (2024) to 4% (2025).
  • Some positive outliers, e.g., India’s Ariel campaign promoting shared domestic load; Amazon ad showing older women in active roles.

• Quote:

  “When you show stereotypes, they do alienate audiences and they reduce relatability …”
  — Lynne Deason, Cantor ([23:54])

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8. Slovenia’s World-Class Ski Jumping and Olympic Ambitions

[25:39–29:35]

• National Passion:

  • Ski jumping is Slovenia’s “number one sport”—nation holds men and women’s world records and aims for Olympic gold.
  • Features from athletes and coaches echo the culture of perseverance and resilience.

• Quotes:

  "You have to have also mental training and you have to have that something extra, but nobody else can provide."
  — Robert Hargota, head coach ([27:09])

  “It’s like number one sport. I have this fire in me … because I know there is lots and lots of people that are cheering for me.”
  — Slovenian ski jumper ([28:56])

  “Actually, because you have to fall sometimes to get back up.”
  — Andraž Lanišek ([29:29])

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9. Rediscovery of Thailand’s Flat-Headed Wildcat

[29:49–32:34]

• Event:

  • A wildcat previously thought extinct in Thailand for nearly 30 years is spotted again via camera traps, including with kittens—a sign the species persists.

• Conservation Concerns:

  • Researchers hope the news spurs habitat protection, citing ongoing risks from habitat loss due to development and agriculture.

• Fun Fact:

  • Unique for a cat, it is adept at swimming and hunts for fish.

• Quote:

  “It looks like a domestic cat, but smaller… has got a very round, protruding eyes … called flat-headed cat.”
  — Anbarasan Ettarajan ([30:08])

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Thai-Cambodian border truce:

  “We can't tell that for certain ... the ceasefire in July was broken.”
  — Panisa Imoka ([03:29])

• On Iran’s feminist icon:

  “Tarana is the equivalent of a Meryl Streep in Iran ... incredibly courageous.”
  — Farnaz Farsihi ([14:14])

• On resilience in ski jumping:

  "Actually, because you have to fall sometimes to get back up."
  — Andraž Lanišek ([29:29])

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Timestamps of Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|------------| | Ceasefire between Thailand & Cambodia | 02:00–04:59| | U.S. strikes on Islamic State in Nigeria | 05:41–09:56| | Russia-Ukraine peace negotiations | 09:56–11:33| | Iran: Tarana Ali Dusti on hijab protests | 11:33–15:41| | Myanmar's Yangon lifts curfew | 15:41–17:07| | China’s high-speed rail milestone | 20:07–23:19| | Gender stereotypes in global advertising | 23:19–25:39| | Slovenia’s ski jumping and Olympics | 25:39–29:35| | Rare wildcat rediscovered in Thailand | 29:49–32:34|

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This summary provides a comprehensive yet concise capture of the episode, retaining the global, factual, and human focus at the heart of the Global News Podcast.

Transcript

[Alex Ritson]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

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[Alex Ritson]

This is the global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Alex Ritson and in the early hours of Saturday 27th December, these are our main stories. Thailand and Cambodia agree to an immediate ceasefire in their deadly border dispute. President Trump has claimed that the Christmas Day strikes he ordered on Islamic State militants in northwest Nigeria decimated their camps. Meanwhile, the US leader also says he believes his upcoming meeting with Ukraine's President Zelensky could be productive, but warned that Kyiv would get nothing until he approved it. Also in this podcast I'm against hijab.

[Panisa Imoka]

Have always been especially compulsory hijab, but I never saw myself as an activist. How could you remain silent after Mahsa Amini's death?

[Alex Ritson]

Top Iranian actress Tarana Ali Dustri tells the BBC she won't wear a hijab on screen ever again. Thailand and Cambodia have agreed to an immediate ceasefire three weeks after their long running cross border dispute flared up again. More than 40 people have died and around a million civilians have been displaced. The fatalities on the Thai side were mainly soldiers, while in Cambodia they were mostly civilians. Phnom Penh hasn't officially said that any of its soldiers were killed. A joint statement has been signed by the country's defence ministers. The ceasefire is meant to have taken effect around now. Shortly before we recorded this podcast I spoke to the BBC Thai service's Panisa Imoka in Bangkok.

[Panisa Imoka]

So at the moment, after 20 days of the news rounds of confrontation between Thailand and Cambodia, both sides agree to stay exactly where they are. There will be no moving forward, no reinforcement and no new patrols toward each other's line. And also this will allow almost a million people from both sides of the border area to go back to their home. It is important to note that both of the country also agreed that after three days of the peace, the 18 Cambodian soldiers who are currently held in custody in Thailand will be sent home.

[Alex Ritson]

We've kind of been here before though, haven't we? There were clashes earlier this year and there was a first ceasefire. Can this one actually hold?

[Panisa Imoka]

We can't tell that for certain. We have since, as we already mentioned, that the ceasefire in July was broken. And also with the Kuala Lumpur Joy decorations where the US President Donald Trump was there along with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim were also there and it was also broken as well. But what we see is the Thai side this time they're very assertive and it seems that at the moment they can agree. And we also have the conditions of the 18th Cambodian soldiers to be returned. So at the moment it is promising with the term and the condition.

[Alex Ritson]

Penisa, how deep is the enmity between Thailand and Cambodia now with this new round of disputes?

[Panisa Imoka]

It actually affect a lot of people in the border. We have actually interviewed a lot of people in the borders and we have to understand that this borders area in the past, before the dispute or even back in 10 years ago when there were disputes as well, people were still living together as villagers. Some of them are families, their family, but they have to be separated at the moment. In the past, they don't really have hatred toward each other that severely compared to presents where you can see that the sentiment, the nationalistic sentiment has spilled over not only in the border area and we're talking about nationwide as well. If you go online, we can see comments that crashing at each, attacking each other. So we can still see that even though we have the ceasefire at the moment and we already have ceasefire before, but the dislike and the nationalistic sentiment is still there, lingering toward each other.

[Alex Ritson]

Penisa imocha of the BBC's Thai service in Bangkok. President Trump has been making some bold claims following the Christmas Day strikes he ordered against the Islamic State group in northwest Nigeria. Like the attacks on Iran's nuclear sites earlier this year. Mr. Trump has declared that the US military has decimated its targets. In this case is camps. It's not yet clear how many people were killed, but U.S. and Nigerian officials said that fighters were among the dead. The Nigerians said that there were no civilian casualties. The BBC's Makochi Okafo has reached the town of Sokoto close to the strikes and has spoken to locals.

[Makochi Okafo / Reverend Father Paul Ebu Bedike / Barry Marston]

Authorities in Tangassa local government area confirmed to me that strikes were carried out, and it did impact on Lakaroa militant camps. Now, Lakoroa is a growing Islamist militant group that has been seen to carry out attacks in parts of Sokoto, Kebi and even Niger. Now, Sokoto, which is where I am at the moment, shares borders with Niger, and this is in the northwest part of Nigeria. Now, the local community, which is the chairman of the local government, did tell me that the strikes did impact on these fighters. He also confirmed that police and military at the time couldn't access the area because after the huge blast, they were raging fire that followed the strike. And he did say that even the border patrol police in the Niger side confirmed that they saw some Laka Roa fighters running off and trying to escape the scene that followed this blast. A couple of people said they feel like they welcomed this because this part of the country, which is the northern part of the country, even the northwest, and even the northeast, which is a little bit further away from here, for many years have seen different armed groups and jihadist groups terrorizing communities. So especially people in Tangasa, while they were shocked by this, some of them said they feel a bit relieved that perhaps this could bring some calm to the attacks that they face here.

[Alex Ritson]

Mr. Trump told the Politico news website that the operation, which was agreed with the Nigerian military, was planned for Wednesday, but he chose to delay by a day so he could give the IS fighters a Christmas present, as he put it. The US President had previously warned that he was ready to attack Islamists in Nigeria, accusing them of persecuting Christians. Though the government in Abuja insists that innocent Muslims are also victims of is. Reverend Father Paul Ebu Bedike is from the Catholic diocese of Niue in southeastern Nigeria. He said that US Intervention was long overdue.

[Makochi Okafo / Reverend Father Paul Ebu Bedike / Barry Marston]

It was welcomed by Christians with open arms. This will send a very straight message to the terrorists that Trump was serious with what he said, because over there in the north, they are passing through a lot and lots of persecution. Because I grew up in the north. That was where I was born and raised. So I saw it firsthand. Every riot that happens there, you see burning of churches. Even if it's tribal riots, they target churches. So the reaction goes this way. The Easterners are reacting and say, yeah, Trump, you can come, please.

[Alex Ritson]

So what more do we know about the Islamic State fighters who are targeted? Barry Marston is BBC Monitoring's Jihadism analyst.

[Makochi Okafo / Reverend Father Paul Ebu Bedike / Barry Marston]

The Nigeria branch of the Islamic State is actually probably the most active of any of its worldwide branches. It's been stepping up attacks over the last year. It's claimed well over 300 attacks, including some very ambitious assaults on military bases across, across parts of the country. But you could make the case that if the US Was wanting to strike the Islamic State in Nigeria, it hit the wrong side of the country because all of that activity has been right up in the north eastern corner. The latest attacks were right on the other side of the country, about a thousand kilometers away in Sokoto State. Now, the target seems to have been what is known as Lakara Group, which there have been unconfirmed reports that it may have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. But there really is nothing sort of out there in the public domain confirming that allegiance or connections between the two entities. So we have been monitoring Islamic State affiliated channels that have actually been monitoring US Military flights over the country over the past month. And we'd noticed the prevalence of flights over the Sokoto region as well as Borno areas where Islamic State has very well known camps. So it's entirely possible that the US could be planning to follow up with attacks on these better established, better known Islamic State centers across Borno State, sort of based on this reconnaissance and movement of US Planes.

[Alex Ritson]

Barry Marston from BBC Monitoring. In an interview with US Media, President Trump appeared lukewarm compared to the Ukrainian president's optimistic appraisal of peace efforts to end the war with Russia. Mr. Zelensky said the peace agreement being brokered by President Trump was 90% ready. The Ukrainian president is expected to hold talks with Donald Trump. Trump in Florida on Sunday in the latest push to secure a deal before the new year. Our correspondent Samira Hussain sent this report from Kyiv.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

In speaking with US Media, President Trump is certainly striking a different tone to that of President Zelensky. We've heard from President Zelensky that in fact he believes that the peace plan is about 90% there, that only the thorniest issues remain. He said that he will be speaking with President Trump on Sunday in Florida and the issues that are left to discuss are issues with regard to security guarantees and of course, territorial concessions. Now, even though President Zelensky appeared quite upbeat, Mr. Trump was making it very clear that any kind of peace deal between Russia and Ukraine would depend on the United States. And of course, the question is what Does Russia say about all of this? Now we know that Russia has been speaking with their American counterparts and President Trump in that same interview said that he expects to be speaking with President Putin sometime soon.

[Alex Ritson]

Samira Hussein, you may remember the protests which erupted in Iran after the death in custody of Mahsa Amini three years ago. A young Iranian woman arrested by the morality police for not wearing her hijab properly. Among those who posted in support of the Women Life Freedom movement against women's oppression was Tarana Ali Dusti. She's one of Iran's best known actresses. Now, in an exclusive interview with BBC Persian TV for a documentary, she says she will not take any role where she's required to wear the hijab. Here's the translation of part of the interview.

[Panisa Imoka]

I'm against hijab, have always been especially compulsory hijab. But I never saw myself as an activist. I'm an actress and I thought cinema was my destiny. But Iran has changed a lot in recent years, as if there has been this explosion at national level. And all the changes that you see right now are changes that all my life I wish for them to happen. And I know that you can't change Iran with couple of social media posts. And as an Iranian woman, I feel that burden of responsibility on my shoulders. How could you remain silent after Mahsa Amini's death, after witnessing women being beaten to death for taking off their scarves? There have been many big moments in my life, in my professional life, but nothing compares to this moment. Look at what I'm wearing right now sitting in front of you, my hair not covered. And this is how I went out last night. This is how now I go out every day. Some have argued that the movement in Iran after Mahsa Amini's death has been the first feminist revolution in the world.

[Alex Ritson]

Actress Tarana Ali Doosti Farnaz Farsihi is a correspondent for the New York Times. She's reported on Iran inside and outside the country for 30 years. What did she make of the interview?

[Farnaz Farsihi]

Her interview was extremely courageous. She was very articulate and came across as someone who's willing to stand up for the principles that she believes in and stand on the side of the people against rules that a lot of women have risen up against and are defying every day. And as we see from the way that this interview has broken records, I think last I checked, it's been seen 27 million times on BBC. So it's resonated very widely and very deeply with Iranians inside the country and outside.

[Alex Ritson]

What professional cost has Tarana paid for her stand?

[Farnaz Farsihi]

She was arrested and jailed after posting her photo during the protest without her job. And then she was sick for a long time and sort of we hadn't seen her publicly and the government had announced that she's banned from working. Tarana is the equivalent of a Meryl Streep in Iran. She's Iran's most acclaimed actress with leading roles in all the major movies that have come out of Iran over the past 20 years. Again, it's incredibly courageous and it's a very heavy personal cost that she has sort of announced that she's going to take the stand at the cost of her career.

[Alex Ritson]

Anecdotally, I've been told that the number of women not wearing the hijab, not wearing traditional dress in Iran is growing.

[Mickey Bristow]

And that there seems to be even.

[Alex Ritson]

In a city like Tehran, less intervention by the morality police against women for doing that. Is that correct? Is that your understanding? That's correct.

[Farnaz Farsihi]

That's what our reporting and the interviews that I do and all the videos and imagery that's coming out of Iran on social media and everywhere shows and also the government's own sort of dilemma where they say publicly that we don't know what to do about the growing trend of women not observing the hijab. You know, the Massa Amini protests really changed Iran. And I think Tyrone is a symbol of that, of that sort of civil disobedience and the discourse that we see, the defiance we see deal by women and young people in Iran.

[Alex Ritson]

Barnaz Fasihi from the New York Times speaking to Sean Lay. People in Myanmar's largest city, Yangon, have spent their first night without a curfew in nearly five years. The military government has hailed what it claims is the city's return to normality. The lifting of the curfew comes just a day ahead of elections. Anna Aslam reports.

[Panisa Imoka]

When the Burmese army staged a Coup Back in 2021, there were massive pro democracy protests across the country. As security forces clamped down on the protesters, the junta enforced a strict nighttime curfew in Yangon, home to about 7 million people. The lockdown was from dusk to dawn, but in the years since, it's gradually shrunk to between 1 and 3am now with elections scheduled to begin in phases on Sunday, the junta has lifted the curfew completely. A spokesman said it showed regional stability in Yangon is impro. But even when there was only a two hour curfew, most people didn't go outside late at night due to heightened security concerns, and this looks unlikely to change. Many people left Yangon and other cities after the coup to take up arms in rebel groups fighting against the army. According to the un, the civil war has killed thousands, displaced millions and left half the nation in poverty. The junta has promised the upcoming elections will return democracy, but watchdogs have labeled it an exercise to rebrand military rules.

[Alex Ritson]

Anna Aslan still to come in this podcast, it's like number one sports. I have this fire in me that brings out the best of me. We meet the world champion ski jumpers of Slovenia heading to the upcoming Winter Olympics.

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[Panisa Imoka]

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[Alex Ritson]

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[Panisa Imoka]

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[Alex Ritson]

China's high speed rail system has just passed a major landmark. It now has a network spanning more than 50,000 kilometers. It actually claims to have more high speed track than every other country put together. The milestone was reached with a new line between Xi', an, home to the Terracotta warriors and Yan' an where Chairman Mao had his revolutionary base. Our reporter Mickey Bristow told me the country's entire high speed rail track has been laid in less than 20 years.

[Mickey Bristow]

I think it was 2008 when the first high speed railway between Beijing and Tianjin opened up. So 50,000 kilometers of track in that short span of time is amazing and to a certain extent it symbolizes China's economic and development over the last three decades. Really it showcases the best of what they have to offer technology. A lot of the trains are developed in China engineering China is a really mountainous place, many places and so you get some tracks which are all tunnels and bridges. I think one stretch between Wuhan, the city of Wuhan and Guangzhou in the south thirds of it is either tunnel or bridges. So I can remember when I was reported in China I would go to places all over the country. Everywhere you went you would see a bridge being built, track laid or a new terminal or station being open. So really is phenomenal and great vision on the part of the Chinese government as well because the political leaders decided that they had to have better transport system to kind of drive the economy going forward and so they decided to build it. If you compare it to our own country here in Britain, we've trying to build a high speed rail between London and the north of England that's been.

[Alex Ritson]

It'S taken 20 years to build.

[Mickey Bristow]

Nothing has delayed, cancelled, it still hasn't been built. So they could claim that some of the best of Chinese leadership there has a bad point as well though. A lot of people in China because it's a one party state, they can do what they like. So to build these tracks they've cleared away villages, towns and people haven't had much of a say in whether or not they're going to get out of, you know, whether they wanted to stay or whether they go. So that's, that's a bad aspect of it, but really showcases the best of Chinese engineering and economic development.

[Alex Ritson]

Yeah, you say the best you've traveled on some of these trains. Just tell us what it's like.

[Mickey Bristow]

Yeah, I mean, amazing. I mean, you go through these kind of massive halls, very, all modern, very efficient. You get on trains which are clean, modern, punctual. They travel at around 350km an hour. This new one that's opened between Xi' an and Yenan, it's cut the traveling time from two hours to one hour. Really amazing. I mean, some people who are nostalgic about wheel travel would like to go back to the old time. When train travel in China, you take maybe many days. You travel overnight in little compartments. These are new. Trains are kind of airline style, where everybody's sitting in the same direction, three or four abreast, something like that. But certainly if you want to travel anywhere in China now, you can do it quickly, efficiently and relatively cheap. Cheaply.

[Alex Ritson]

Mickey Bristow. You may think that TV adverts putting women in the kitchen are a thing of the past, but new industry research suggests stereotypes in marketing are remarkably resilient. The British agency Cantor examined the top 1400 global ads in 2025 and found they're increasingly portraying women in regressive roles. Although there are some adverts that show people in more progressive situations, including one in India about a washing powder. Here's Lynne Deason from Cantor.

[Lynne Deason]

We're seeing a drop in the proportion of adverts that feature women in non traditional roles this year versus last year. So it was 8% in 2024 and that's now halved down to 4% of ads this year. You know, to an extent, culture does vary a lot across the globe and there are specific places where you have to make sure you're getting that right. But I think progressive marketing, when you portray people positively, works everywhere in the world. When you show stereotypes, they do alienate audiences and they reduce relatability and that meaningful connection. Seeing yourself or people like you or people who you'd aspire to be like in advertising is really key from an effectiveness point of view. What you're doing is you're positively shaping what people think about your brand and predisposing them to choose you. I think people might be surprised to hear that in India, there's a campaign that's really shifted things from the brand. Ariel. This campaign started a few years back. It showed a dad and his daughter who's grown up now and he hadn't realised the load that she was bearing. She had an amending job, but she was also trying to look after the family and the home and it was a wake up call for him. So he realized that actually he needed to start sharing the load and so did the rest of the family. And it shouldn't all be on her. Ads like that, that more directly challenged stereotypes can really good. The other ad that I think is really positive is Amazon's what we call joyride ads. Three older ladies watching young children sledging down the slope. They're reflecting back on their own childhood and one of the friends buys the insert from Amazon, so they can enjoy doing that. And we don't often see older generations portrayed in advertising, but that resonates with everybody.

[Alex Ritson]

Lynn Decent, One of Europe's smallest countries is hoping to fly higher than the rest at the upcoming Winter Olympics. Ski jumping is Slovenia's national sport and they go into next year's Games at Cortina in Italy, holding both the men's and women's world records. They won the women's individual gold at the last Olympics and they're hoping this will be the year they can finally claim an individual men's gold medal. Our Balkans correspondent, Guy Delaunay, went to meet the athletes.

[Guy Delaunay]

If you want to know how much ski jumping means to Slovenians, you have to come to Planica. Ski jumping is awesome enough as it is, with competitors hurtling into thin air at more than 100 kilometers an hour. But back in the 1930s, Slovenia decided to ramp up the drama even further by creating the giant hill at Planitsa. The result was an even more extreme version of the sport, which they christened ski flying. And tens of thousands of people make the pilgrimage to Planica every year to watch the climactic event of the season.

[Alex Ritson]

The first jumps over 100 meters and 200 meters were in Planitsa. And I think that this tradition continues, continued, and people got in love with ski jumping.

[Guy Delaunay]

Robert Hargota is the head coach for the Slovenian men's elite ski jumping squad.

[Alex Ritson]

To be an elite, elite level takes more than just training. It takes more than just physical training. You have to have also mental training and you have to have that something extra, but nobody else can provide.

[Guy Delaunay]

So which parts of the body are you using most?

[Alex Ritson]

I would say the head.

[Guy Delaunay]

That was the sound of one of the world's best ski jumpers taking off at more than 87 km an hour on a practice jump at this ski jumping centre in Kran.

[Panisa Imoka]

I have eight years old. When I start and you go step by step, you just use this feeling that you're not scared.

[Guy Delaunay]

Nika Vordan was the overall Women's World cup champion in 2021.

[Panisa Imoka]

It's really special feeling in the air because you feel this feeling of flying a little bit, especially on the big hills. And also, of course, you need to be prepared. Physical and mental is more important than your mental prepared.

[Guy Delaunay]

There's even more of a buzz about Slovenian ski jumping this year because of the Winter Olympics. Slovenia boasts both the men's and women's world record holders. Even more remarkably, their brother and sister. Nika Praetz is only just out of her teens, but she's already won the overall World cup title for the past two seasons. And big brother Domen won two gold medals at the most recent World Championships.

[Alex Ritson]

That's actually the first year for me to do the Olympics, but I have the focus to manage a gold medal there.

[Guy Delaunay]

It's clearly a huge thing for Slovenia, isn't it, the ski jumping?

[Alex Ritson]

Actually, it's like number one sport. I have this fire in me that brings out the best of me because I know there is lots and lots of people that are cheering for me to do my best.

[Guy Delaunay]

Andrzej Laniszek has won team golds in the last two World Championship, and he's aiming for an Olympic title. He says knowing how to crash is just as important as knowing how to fly.

[Panisa Imoka]

I have crashed so many times, so.

[Alex Ritson]

I was really glad that I did.

[Makochi Okafo / Reverend Father Paul Ebu Bedike / Barry Marston]

It when I was young kid.

[Panisa Imoka]

This is the part of every sport.

[Makochi Okafo / Reverend Father Paul Ebu Bedike / Barry Marston]

Of everything, in what happens in life.

[Panisa Imoka]

Actually, because you have to fall sometimes.

[Makochi Okafo / Reverend Father Paul Ebu Bedike / Barry Marston]

To get back up.

[Guy Delaunay]

It's a philosophy which has served slavery Slovenian ski jumpers extremely well over decades of competition. Don't be surprised if you hear their national anthem multiple times at the Winter Olympics.

[Alex Ritson]

Our Balkans correspondent, Guy Delaunay. And we finish in Thailand, where an elusive wildcat, long feared extinct, has been rediscovered three decades after the last recorded survival. Exciting. Ankur Desai was joined in the studio by Anbarasan Ettarajan.

[Ankur Desai / Anbarasan Ettarajan]

It looks like a domestic cat, but smaller than a domestic one. But it has got a very round, protruding eyes. And then the skull is like flat. So that is why it is called flat headed cat. And it lives mostly on peaty swamps and in mangrove forests in Southeast Asia. Now, the researchers in Thailand have been monitoring monitoring for the past two years by using camera traps, basically placing digital cameras in key locations that can be triggered. Take a photograph as and when an animal crosses the path or any movement. In front of it. So now they have recorded at least 29 of the sightings. And what is exciting was one of them was even having a baby. A kitten was there. So that shows that it was the results of the thriving. They last a saw this particular cat in the mid-90s.

[Alex Ritson]

A long time ago then.

[Ankur Desai / Anbarasan Ettarajan]

A long time ago.

[Alex Ritson]

Why was it thought to have disappeared then?

[Ankur Desai / Anbarasan Ettarajan]

It's basically habitat loss. The Thailand, like many other countries, expanding, and these are very ecologically sensitive areas where these cats live. So plantations and agricultural lands coming up. So their habitat loss was forcing them to disappear, but it is still there in Indonesia and also in Malaysia, in some parts of Malaysia. So they are very excited and they're very happy to have this finding.

[Alex Ritson]

And do we know whether they can be safe from extinction now?

[Ankur Desai / Anbarasan Ettarajan]

Well, they're very happy about they've rediscovered this in Thailand, but they're also worried about because of the pace of development in different places. And that's why they said we need to protect this habitat. And what is interesting is, you know, cats do not normally normally like water, but this one, it lives very close to water and then it kind of catches. I was watching some of the videos and how it was hunting fish and, you know, going into the water without fear. And it is just like the Labradors. Like, you know, you have a kind of web on the feet, so it can. So that it can negotiate water. Okay, so it is one of those few cats which can negotiate water. It's smaller, it looks like a cat, but then it's nocturnal and also very elegant, elusive. That's why it is very special.

[Alex Ritson]

Before you go, tell us how special it is by describing what it sounds like. Do you know what sort of a noise it makes or can you demonstrate that?

[Ankur Desai / Anbarasan Ettarajan]

Well, I would assume that it will make the usual meow sound, but then we don't know. Wildcat. How the. What kind of sound it makes.

[Alex Ritson]

Yeah, good guess. Anbarasan Ettirajan speaking to Ankurdesai. And that's all from us for now, but there'll be a new edition of the Global News podcast later. If you want to comment on this podcast or the topics covered in it, you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk. you can also find us on X@BBC World Service. Use the hashtag globalnewspod. This edition was mixed by Holly Smith. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Alex Ritson. Until next time.

[Mickey Bristow]

Time.

[Alex Ritson]

Goodbye. At the BBC we go further so you see clearer through Frontline reporting. Global stories and local insights. We bring you closer to the world's news as it happens. And it starts with a subscription to BBC.com, giving you unlimited articles and videos ad free podcasts, the BBC News channel streaming live 24. 7 plus hundreds of acclaimed documentaries. Subscribe to trusted independent journalism and storytelling from the BBC. Find out [e-mail] join.