Tsunami warnings scaled back across northern Pacific

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary – July 30, 2025: Tsunami Warnings Scaled Back Across Northern Pacific

The BBC World Service's Global News Podcast, hosted by Jackie Leonard, delivered a comprehensive overview of significant global events on July 30, 2025. This episode delved into a range of topics, including natural disasters, humanitarian crises, political developments, environmental concerns, and cultural milestones. Below is a detailed summary capturing all key points, discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode.

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1. Massive Earthquake in Russia Triggers Pacific Tsunami Warnings

Overview: A devastating 8.8-magnitude earthquake struck Russia's Far Eastern coast, triggering tsunami warnings across the Pacific. This event is one of the most powerful earthquakes recorded in modern times, leading to widespread evacuations in multiple countries.

On-the-Ground Impact:

• Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula: The earthquake struck off the sparsely populated Kamchatka Peninsula around 11:25 AM local time. The port town of Sevo Kurilsk was heavily affected, with buildings submerged and boats pulled into the sea. Thankfully, residents had already been evacuated.

• Japan: Tsunami alerts were broadcasted via TV and public loudspeakers, including at a railway station. Two million people were urged to evacuate, resulting in the cancellation of thirty flights and rail services. Japan, accustomed to such natural disasters, activated its well-developed early warning system.

• Hawaii: Randall Collins, Hawaii's Emergency Management Director, emphasized the urgency of safety:

  "Our number one priority is life safety... Get away from the beaches, get inland and get upward."
  — Randall Collins [03:19]

Scientific Explanation: Geologist Matthew Capucci provided insights into the earthquake's causes:

"This is a thrust quake. One plate goes underneath the other and that causes sort of a displacement up and down of the seafloor... which in turn jiggles the water and causes a tsunami."
— Matthew Capucci [05:06]

He further explained the mechanics of tsunami formation and the dispersal of tsunami energy across the ocean.

Downgrading Tsunami Warnings: Several hours after the initial alerts, tsunami warnings were downgraded to advisories as data indicated a reduced threat. Stephen Logan, an emergency response official in Hawaii, confirmed the downgrade:

"The Tsunami Warning center has downgraded the forecast... those who have evacuated may safely return home."
— Stephen Logan [04:30]

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2. Worsening Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

Overview: Health officials in Gaza reported seven additional deaths due to malnutrition within the last 24 hours, bringing the total hunger-related fatalities since the start of the Gaza war to 151, with over half being children.

UN Concerns and Aid Challenges: Sophia Kultorp from UN Women in Geneva highlighted the dire situation:

"17,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are facing acute malnutrition... delivering their babies without water, without any medical support."
— Sophia Kultorp [07:18]

Aid Entry Complications: Amir Nader reported from Jerusalem on the challenges of delivering aid:

"Yesterday around 115 lorries of aid managed to get into the Gaza Strip... 105 lorries were almost instantly looted as soon as they crossed into Gaza."
— Amir Nader [08:01]

He emphasized the necessity of flooding Gaza with aid to prevent desperate measures by the population.

Escalating Violence in the West Bank: The podcast also addressed the rise in attacks on Palestinians by Jewish settlers in the occupied West Bank. The killing of Palestinian American Saifullah Musalat was a particularly tragic incident:

"He tried to run, but the settlers chased him with sticks and bars and they beat him to death."
— John Donnison [11:00]

Mourners in the West Bank expressed a strong desire for justice, highlighting the ongoing violence and lack of accountability.

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3. Greece Implements Strict Migrant Detention Policies

Overview: In response to a surge in migrant arrivals, Greece has detained all migrants arriving on small boats from North Africa and denied the right to apply for asylum for a period of three months.

Policy Justification: Immigration Minister Thanos Plevris defended the measures as necessary to manage the influx:

"We have said clearly that for the next three months, we will not accept asylum."
— Immigration Minister [01:19]

On-the-Ground Reporting: Sarah Rainsford reported from Crete, depicting harsh conditions in detention centers:

"There are no showers, just a few taps and... grubby blankets spread on the floor."
— Sarah Rainsford [15:02]

Migrant Experiences: Migrant Mustafa shared his fears of deportation:

"I was 20 years old and had fled the fighting in Sudan from Libya... scared I'll be sent back."
— Mustafa [16:46]

European Response: The European Commission is reportedly reviewing Greece's move, but Minister Plevris remains confident:

"Governments across Europe increasingly agree... it's time to get tough."
— Thanos Plevris [17:33]

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4. Brazil Faces Environmental Rollback Ahead of UN COP30 Summit

Overview: Concerns rise over Brazil's recent legislative changes that could undermine environmental protections, especially as the country prepares to host the UN COP30 climate summit.

Legislative Changes: Lawmakers passed a bill aiming to streamline environmental licensing for large projects like dams, mines, and highways. However, this has raised alarms among UN experts.

Expert Insights: Ione Wells explained the impact:

"For some smaller projects, developers would be able to essentially self-declare the environmental impact... worry this could mean that there wouldn't be independent impact assessments."
— Ione Wells [19:22]

She added that the automatic renewal of licenses without significant changes could lead to increased deforestation, potentially diminishing Brazil's climate leadership:

"This could undermine Brazil's climate leadership if it is being seen to roll back environmental protections at this time."
— Ione Wells [19:22]

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5. South Africa's Power Crisis and Solar Solutions

Overview: South Africa continues to struggle with power cuts spanning over 15 years. While wealthier households have adopted private solar systems, recent innovations aim to make solar power accessible to less affluent communities.

Impact on Businesses and Individuals: Pumza Filani reported from Johannesburg on how power cuts have severely affected small businesses:

"The fridges need to run every day... you can't even sell the frozen."
— Julia Skewerbiteng [21:24]

Innovative Solutions: Local startups like Witility are introducing pay-as-you-go solar systems, making backup power affordable for lower-income households. Vincent Maphosa, a founder of Witility, emphasized the mission to expand access:

"We had to look at the market... create products that are fit for purpose and affordable."
— Vincent Maphosa [22:20]

Human Stories: Mark Moodley shared a personal story illustrating the importance of reliable power:

"We couldn't do anything else because it was going off for sometimes six hours... It's been a lifesaver."
— Mark Moodley [23:11]

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6. UK's First Female Astronomer Royal Appointed

Overview: In a historic moment, Professor Michelle Doherty has been appointed as the UK's first female Astronomer Royal, a position established in 1675.

Personal Journey: Professor Doherty recounted her early fascination with astronomy, inspired by her father's homemade telescope:

"My first view of Jupiter and its four large moons and Saturn and its rings was through my dad's telescope... that's when it burrowed itself into my head."
— Michelle Doherty [24:19]

Vision for the Role: She expressed her enthusiasm for public engagement and inspiring the next generation:

"I want to engage young children and let them know that they can do almost anything they want to do."
— Michelle Doherty [26:13]

Her role aims to promote astronomical education and foster innovation:

"Astronomy allows us to generate a whole lot of other things, like innovation... improving the amount of children that take up STEM subjects."
— Michelle Doherty [26:13]

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7. Tributes to Ozzy Osbourne in Birmingham

Overview: The episode concluded with heartfelt tributes to Ozzy Osbourne, the legendary British heavy metal star, in his hometown of Birmingham.

Fan Reactions: Music correspondent Mark Savage described the scenes:

"There are thousands of people here... blasting out Black Sabbath songs... holding bouquets of flowers."
— Mark Savage [27:37]

Fans gathered at the Black Sabbath bridge, a sea of flowers honoring Ozzy's legacy, reflecting on his profound impact on music and the community.

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Closing Remarks

Host Jackie Leonard wrapped up the episode by inviting listeners to engage via email and social media, ensuring continuous dialogue on global issues. The production team, including editors and producers, were acknowledged for their efforts in bringing the news to life.

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This summary encapsulates the diverse and impactful stories covered in the July 30, 2025, episode of the Global News Podcast. From natural disasters and humanitarian crises to groundbreaking appointments and cultural tributes, the podcast provided listeners with a thorough and insightful analysis of current global events.

Transcript

[Narrator]

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[Jackie Leonard]

This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Jackie Leonard and at 13 hours GMT on Wednesday 30th July, these are our main stories. Tsunami warnings have now been downgraded in Hawaii and Japan after a huge earthquake in eastern Russia triggered waves that crossed the Pacific Ocean, and health officials in Gaza say seven more people have starved to death in the last 24 hours. Also in this podcast, Greece seeks to justify its decision to detain all migrants arriving on small boats from North Africa.

[Narrator]

We have said clearly that for the next three months we will not accept asylum, so anyone who enters Greek territory knows that they are violating Greek law.

[Jackie Leonard]

The earthquake that struck off Russia's far eastern coast at about 11:25am local time on Wednesday was a massive 8.8 magnitude and is one of the most powerful recorded in modern times. It prompted tsunami warnings in countries across the Pacific and led to millions of evacuations. Our Asia Pacific editor, Mickey Bristow has compiled this report, which begins on the coast of Russia's Far East.

[Mickey Bristow]

The earthquake was one of the most powerful ever measured. It struck off the coast of the sparsely populated Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far east just before midday local time. It was terrifying for those who experienced it. It triggered tsunami warnings in countries right across the Pacific, in Japan, Indonesia and the United States, even as far away as Peru. The Russian port town of Sevo Kurilsk was quickly submerged in water, with boats moored in the harbour pulled out to sea. Buildings were inundated. Fortunately, residents had already been evacuated. In Japan, tsunami alerts were broadcast on TV and on loudspeakers in public spaces, including this one at a railway station. Two million people were told to evacuate. Thirty flights and rail services were cancelled. Japan regularly experiences earthquakes and tsunamis. The last big one was 14 years ago and has a well developed early warning system. People were told to evacuate elsewhere across the Pacific too. In Hawaii, Randall Collins, the island's emergency management Director advised people to get to safety.

[Narrator]

Our number one priority is life safety. And so right now it's an easy thing. Get away from the beaches, get inland and get upward. If you do live in an area that's within a tsunami area, first and foremost, go to a friend's house, go to a neighbor's house, go to your workplace, but go, go inward, inward and upward out of the tsunami area.

[Mickey Bristow]

Tourists across Hawaii quickly complied. One, a British holidaymaker on the Big island sought higher ground.

[Randall Collins]

We heard about 3 o' clock the earthquake had happened and we started to get alerts through to our phone and also there were sirens going off across the bay. We had alerts on our phone, then the emergency ones come through at 4 hours, 3 hours, 2 hours, 1 hour. We then decided that no, it was time for us to leave and then joined a queue of cars just trying to get to higher ground on the island.

[Mickey Bristow]

Higher waves were recorded in various places. They were more than 2 meters high in French Polynesia. But the worst fears don't seem to have been realized. Several hours after the alerts were issued, tsunami warnings were downgraded. This is Stephen Logan, an emergency response official in Hawaii.

[Narrator]

Tsunami Warning center has downgraded the forecast from a tsunami warning to a tsunami advisory. The PTWC continues to monitor for more data, to update, to update its forecast and for an all clear that they may issue later on. Those who have evacuated may safely return home based on county assessments and directives.

[Mickey Bristow]

The warnings were revised downwards In Japan too. People there are still being told to stay away from the sea.

[Jackie Leonard]

That was Mickey Bristow. So what causes earthquakes like the one that's triggered these tsunamis? We've been hearing from scientist Matthew Capucci.

[Matthew Capucci]

It's the sixth largest earthquake we have on record anywhere in the world. And really it released the equivalent energy of roughly 1 trillion kg of TNT. Now, the important thing to remember is this is along something called the Kuril Kamchatra Trench, which is a part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, where basically the dense Pacific plate, remember it's dense because it's being crushed by the ocean, is sliding underneath or subducting underneath the OT hot plate. So it's a boundary between two plates. The oceanic Pacific one slides underneath the other. And every year these two plates kind of crunch up against each other by about 3 inches or 77 millimeters, which doesn't sound like much, but imagine you're squeezing two continents together, you're adding an incredible amount of stress and that stress is released in these earthquakes. Now, there are different types of earthquakes. Some are side to side. We call those strike slip. Some are reverse faulting, normal faulting, whatever type. This one was a thrust quake. One plate goes underneath the other and that causes sort of a displacement up and down of the sea floor. And that movement to the sea floor in turn jiggles the water and causes a tsunami. Now the tsunami hasn't really manifested over much of the ocean because you're dispersing all that energy through the entire ocean column. The ocean's like 4 km deep on average. But once you start getting on the continental shelf and towards the beaches, the bathymetry or the shape of the seafloor gets shallower and shallower and shallower and you bottle up and squeeze all that energy into a much narrower column of water and bam, you push a wave ashore and you get that tsunami. It's also important to remember, tsunami waves can be something that come over hours and even longer than that. And so there might be a lengthy duration in between individual rises of water levels. So the first wave isn't always the biggest scientist.

[Jackie Leonard]

Matthew Capuchi, Gaza's Hamas run health ministry says seven more people have died of conditions linked to malnutrition over the last 24 hours. The announcement brings the reported number of hunger related deaths since the start of the Gaza war to 151. More than half were children. Sophia Kultorp is from UN Women in Geneva.

[Randall Collins]

17,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are facing acute malnutrition and of course services have collapsed. Those women and children are faced with absolutely nothing. They are delivering their babies without water, without any medical support.

[Jackie Leonard]

There's been global reaction to new warnings from UN backed experts that the worst case scenario of famine is now playing out in most of the Gaza Strip. The report by the ipc which which is a global hunger monitoring system, revealed that children are dying from hunger and disease. As Israel continues to restrict aid entering the territory. Our correspondent Amir Nader is in Jerusalem.

[Narrator]

We've heard from our sources in Gaza that yesterday around 115 lorries of aid managed to get into the Gaza Strip. Around 109 of those lorries were carrying aid. The other six were for private enterprises, businesses in Gaza. Those six lorries were sort of guarded by gunmen. The other 105 lorries were almost instantly looted as soon as they crossed into Gaza. And that's actually a scenario we're seeing played out almost daily where when trucks are crossing into the Gaza Strip, the sort of desperate crowds of people are jumping onto them, taking that dangerous risk to try and just secure a bag of flour for themselves or for their families. And there are also groups who are more organized who are taking the aid and reselling it on to try and make a profit. So that's the situation in terms of the aid getting in. The humanitarian organizations are saying the only way to avert this situation is to really flood Gaza with aid. So people aren't taking these dangerous risks. The UN's humanitarian agency called OCHA has said that they're noticing there is an easing of the amount of restrictions that Israel is placing on aid getting in. They are getting more approvals to get aid delivered in, but they are also saying that they're still facing impediments and the kind of 100 lorries a day that is getting in should really be up to around 500 if we want to try and reverse this hunger crisis that Gaza is facing.

[Jackie Leonard]

Amir Nada well, while Gaza has usually been the focus of attention, there has also been an increase in attacks on Palestinians in the occupied west bank by Jewish settlers. On Monday night, a Palestinian activist, Ouda Hathelin, who helped make the Oscar winning documentary no Other Land, was killed during an attack by settlers. Jewish settlements are illegal under international law, although Israel disputes this and are built on land which Palestinians want for a future state. Earlier this month, two men were killed near the town of Sinjil. One of them was a Palestinian American, Saifullah Musalat. John Donnison reports from there.

[John Donnison]

In the dead of night, there's panic as flames engulf the Palestinian village of Burq. Caught on cctv, you can see masked Jewish settlers igniting the fires.

[Narrator]

It's getting worse. Yes, absolutely it's getting worse.

[John Donnison]

Say Al Kannan is the mayor of Burqa.

[Narrator]

People are in their home, sitting in their houses. Why you attack them? Cars sitting in the street, why you burn it, why you come and do all this nonsense? Is this is what you try to prove? This is not going to bring peace for you.

[John Donnison]

Here in the Palestinian village of Burqa, you can see that around 40 cars have been completely burnt out. These attacks are happening now really on a daily basis. Property cars being destroyed, olive groves set on fire, livestock poisoned, shootings and Palestinians even being beaten to death. The funeral earlier this month for Saif Allah Musalat, among the latest to be killed. The 20 year old Palestinian American who ran an ice cream shop in Florida had been visiting his family home in Sinjal when he was set upon by Israeli settlers. Well, we've come to the fields now just outside Sinjal. The olive groves in front of me on the hillside. And it's here where Saif Allah Musala was killed. He tried to run, but the settlers chased him with sticks and bars and they beat him to death. Dr. Muertaz Tawafsha discovered the body. He tells me the young man had been beaten to death with sticks and clubs and that he was shocked to see the bruises. At Saif's old school in the west bank, mourners gathered to pay their respects. Afterwards, the young man's father, Kamal, told me he wants answers.

[Narrator]

We're in, you know, we're in pain, we're in grief and we want justice, you know, we hope that maybe his sacrifice, you know, will not go in vain, you know, something will change now, you know, and that's what I'm hoping. I'm hoping now something will change. Something will trigger a change.

[John Donnison]

No one has been charged with either of the killings. Palestinians say the settlers are allowed to act with impunity, protected by the army and by far right ministers within the Israeli government.

[Narrator]

A long life belt. A long life.

[John Donnison]

And as the grieving for Saif Ala Musalat continues, the settler violence documented by the United nations has not stopped. It includes attacks on trucks carrying humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza.

[Jackie Leonard]

That report by John Donison, still to come.

[Michelle Doherty]

I see astronomy as a way of exploring and being able to do that allows us to generate a whole lot of other things, like innovation.

[Jackie Leonard]

The UK's first female Astronomer Royal after 350 years, Greece has taken the controversial step of detaining all migrants who arrive on small boats from North Africa and denying everyone the right to apply for asylum. The new migrate, the Immigration Minister has told the BBC it's an emergency measure for three months, initially, after a sudden increase in landings on the Greek island of Crete at the height of tourist season. The European Commission says it's looking into the Greek move. Our correspondent Sarah Rainsford reports from Crete.

[Randall Collins]

That giant fan you can hear turning is pointing out towards a group of guards. Guards not in. To a sweltering hot hall where 200 or so migrants and asylum seekers are being detained. It's an old exhibition centre in Crete with adverts still propped against the wall from a tourism fair. Now, this is where everyone who arrives on the island on small boats from Libya is being brought. There are no showers, just a few taps and I see some grubby blankets spread on the floor. Most of them are from Sudan.

[Narrator]

Right. These three are Sudan.

[Randall Collins]

It's really difficult not being able to speak to any of these boys or the men. We've been told that we can't interview anyone. So I don't know their stories. I have no idea really why they're here. All I know is that they're being held here because Greece has changed the rules and these people no longer have any right to apply for asylum. The new Minister for migration in Greece is Thanos Plevris, a man who describes himself as a hardliner. He told me that locking up all migrants who come from North Africa to Crete is a just response to a recent surge in landings on small boats. Earlier this month, almost 900 people landed in just two days. Without tough measures, the minister says, the situation would have been unmanageable.

[Narrator]

It is clear that the country cannot accept such pressure from migration and not react.

[Randall Collins]

But just outside Athens, in a parched clearing in the woods, there is a camp where all the arrivals to Crete were eventually brought, both economic migrants and people from places at war like Sudan. We've seen very high metal fences, lots of barbed wire. There are security cameras at the top, and behind them, rows of grey prefabricated huts, some clothes hanging on the railing. Anyone who is brought here is essentially waiting to be deported.

[Narrator]

We are living with a prisoner. We couldn't go outside.

[Randall Collins]

Somewhere behind the barbed wire is Mustafa, who I managed to contact by phone. In a series of voice and text messages, he told me he was 20 years old and had fled the fighting in Sudan from Libya. He then spent two days at sea, crammed onto a small boat.

[Narrator]

We were 38 people on the boat.

[Randall Collins]

Like others from his country, Mustafa is now scared he'll be sent back.

[Narrator]

I don't have anybody and I don't know anybody because I leave my country because of the war.

[Randall Collins]

So my question was for the migration Minister. You now have people from countries that Greece doesn't consider safe, including Sudan, who are locked up, who have no right to ask for asylum. How can that be justified?

[Narrator]

I want to be completely honest. We try to have a balance of respect, respect for their rights, but also respect for the rights of the Greek people. We have said clearly that for the next three months, we will not accept asylum. So anyone who enters Greek territory knows that they are violating Greek law.

[Randall Collins]

The European Commission told me it is looking into the move by Greece. But the migration minister in Athens really isn't worried. He thinks it's time to get tough and that governments across Europe increasingly agree. So each night, as the sun over Crete turns the sky burnt orange, another group of migrants is loaded onto a passenger ferry heading from the island for a deportation camp. Greece insists that this is A temporary move, a sign of its resolve as traffickers try to a new route. But there is concern about just how easily Europe can discard a basic right. And for migrants like Mustafa, big questions about their future now.

[Jackie Leonard]

Sarah Rainsford reporting. There are concerns about the rowing back of environmental protections in Brazil, home to much of the Amazon rainforest, as the country prepares to host the UN COP30 climate summit this year. A UN special rapporteur has told the BBC that a law recently passed by the predominantly conservative Congress will pave the way for more deforestation. Supporters say it's necessary to speed up infrastructure development. Opponents are calling on President Lula, who came to office vowing to restore Brazil's environmental credibility, to veto the bill. Here's our South America correspondent.

[Ione Wells]

Ione Wells Essentially at the moment, any big new projects. So infrastructure, energy projects, dams, mines, new highways, need environmental licenses to show that they won't do significant damage to the environment. This new law that lawmakers in Brazil have passed essentially wants to streamline the process for this because at the moment it can sometimes take years for some of these big projects to be approved. Some in particular have raised concerns among some of the UN experts that I've been speaking to in particular about the idea that for some smaller projects, developers would be able to essentially self declare the environmental impact. They worry this could mean that there wouldn't be sort of independent impact assessments of some big projects. They are also worried about a new measure in this bill that would allow the automatic renewal of some licenses if there hadn't been significant changes. This warning comes just months before Brazil is set to host the UN COP30 climate summit. Certainly one of the concerns raised by this panel of UN experts is that this could undermine Brazil's climate leadership if it is being seen to roll back environmental protections at this time.

[Jackie Leonard]

That was Ione Wells. South Africa has struggled with power cuts for more than 15 years. Wealthier households have been going off grid for a long time, installing expensive solar systems and their own water supplies within their homes. Now companies are introducing pay as you go backup power systems which allow less affluent communities to do the the BBC's Pumza Filani visited a shopkeeper east of Johannesburg to hear his story.

[Pumza Filani]

We're in Krugerstorp, west of Johannesburg. Power cuts have badly affected small businesses. Many of the shops in this area have shut down. I counted three on the drive into this township. We're here to meet with Julia Skewerbiteng who runs a small grocery shop.

[Narrator]

It was affecting us directly. The fridges need to run every day if you don't have electricity, you can't even sell the frozen.

[Randall Collins]

With stage six load shedding announced, South.

[Pumza Filani]

Africa's power crisis grew so severe that in 2023, President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed the country's first electricity minister to try and end the blackouts. And while some progress has been made with poor communities, still face what Eskom now calls load reduction. It's essentially the same cuts with a different name. Julius Solar system is from Witility, a local startup offering pay as you go plans and solar systems built specifically for township businesses and also accessible to lower income households. Vincent Maphosa, a former energy analyst, is one of the founders of of this six year old business.

[Narrator]

We had to look at the market across the different segments and start to create products that are fit for purpose and are affordable for that part of the market. Because part of our mission is to make sure that as many homeowners and small businesses have access to power.

[Pumza Filani]

Back in Julius shop, the fridge hums steadily. Now customers drop by for sweets, cold drinks and even to charge their phones when the power is out. In another part of town, east of Johannesburg, we visit Benoni to meet Mark Moodley. He made the switch to solar not to save a business, but to save a life. His 81 year old mother, Sajarini, relies on an oxygen machine to breathe.

[Narrator]

What was happening is that we're having power cuts and my mom is on an oxygen concentrator and we couldn't do anything else because it was going off for sometimes six hours.

[Pumza Filani]

Last year, Sajarini spent three weeks in intensive care. Back then, doctors said she might not survive the year. But the steady power supply has given them more time together.

[Narrator]

It's been a lifesaver. Even now with the solar, it adds.

[Pumza Filani]

Its value as South Africa's energy crisis drags on. In a country drenched with sunshine, people like Julius and Mark and many others like them who were left out of the solar boom are finding the more afford. Pay as you go has been about taking back control of their daily lives and their future.

[Jackie Leonard]

That was Pumza Filani. Here in the uk, the post of Astronomer Royal was created by King Charles II in 1675. The honorary role involves a duty to inform the monarch of astronomical matters. Fast forward to 2025 and a different King Charles and a new Astronomer Royal has been appointed by the government and for the first time, it's a woman. She is Professor Michelle Doherty and she told us how she became interested in astronomy.

[Michelle Doherty]

I was about 10 years old and my dad was a civil engineer. Always had lots of different projects going on, and he built his own telescope. I remember he ground the mirror of the telescope and my sister and I helped mix the concrete for the base of the telescope, which, from our perspective, was the most important part of the telescope, of course. But my first view of Jupiter and its four large moons and Saturn and its rings was through my dad's telescope. Got really excited and then just got on with my childhood. And I look back on it now and I think that was probably when it burrowed itself into my head, that this was what I wanted to do.

[Randall Collins]

For you and this role. Then I don't know when you first became aware of the Astronomer Royal as a role. There'll be a lot of our listeners who have heard of it, but some who haven't. But what do you think of it as allowing you to do in this particular era?

[Jackie Leonard]

We're in.

[Narrator]

In.

[Michelle Doherty]

So it allows me to engage in a more concrete way with the general public about how exciting astronomy and spaces. I've always liked to engage with people and tell them what I do because I'm really excited about what I do. And so being able to do that as part of my job is really rather important to me. I also want to engage young children and let them know that they can do almost anything they want to do. As a young child in South Africa, I never thought I'd end up doing what I do. But, you know, you say yes to things that might be a bit scary, but you can learn to do them as you take them on. And I think taking chances sometimes pays off. But I want to share my excitement with what astronomers do.

[Randall Collins]

And I suppose also it's just interesting to hear. How is your life on Earth affected by your knowledge of astronomy? Do you think it's different having that vantage point and then trying to share that. That with others as you have through your educational work? But now in this role, I think.

[Michelle Doherty]

It makes you realize that we're rather small compared to the size of the universe. It always makes me think quite carefully about the kind of lives that we lead and the impact that we have on other people. I see astronomy as a way of exploring. So we're exploring what else is beyond our solar system and in our solar system as well. And being able to do that allows us to generate a whole lot of other things, like innovation. Some of the instruments that we build are then used to innovate in other areas of research. And so the UK economy can gain from that. Improving the amount of children that take up stem subject is something I'm really passionate about as well. And so those are the kind of ideas I have in my mind about what I want to do. I don't have exact clarity yet, but I really want to share my enthusiasm and excitement for what I do.

[Jackie Leonard]

Professor Michelle Doherty speaking to Emma Barnett. Black Sabbath fans have been paying their respects to the British heavy metal star Ozzy Osbourne in his home city of Birmingham in the English Midlands. As we record this podcast, the singer's coffin is being driven through the city centre, pausing at the Black Sabbath bridge, which has become a sea of flowers since Ozzy died earlier this month. Among the crowds, our music correspondent Mark Savage.

[Mark Savage]

There are thousands of people here. They are blasting out Black Sabbath songs and have been since 8 o' clock this morning. People of all walks of life, all ages, they're covered in Black Sabbath tattoos. They've got tributes to Ozzy, they're holding bouquets of flowers the they want to go and place on this Black Sabbath bench that's just behind me once the cortege passes through.

[Randall Collins]

Rest in peace, Aussie, you absolute legend. The Prince of Darkness. Thank you for everything. Thank you for sharing your talent, your kindness, your incredible sense of humor. Fly high, Aussie. It's almost like part.

[Pumza Filani]

Part of the family.

[Jackie Leonard]

King of hell, Prince.

[Randall Collins]

The world feels very strange.

[Pumza Filani]

Like Birmingham on the map.

[Randall Collins]

Birmingham on the map. Straight up. Straight up.

[Mark Savage]

I think that Ozzy Osbourne really means a lot to music fans on one hand, but also to the people of Birmingham. You know, there is no such thing as metal music until they released their debut album in 1970. Songs like Paranoid Iron man, they set the tone, they set the lyrical agenda for a whole genre of music. And we saw that just over three weeks ago when Ozzy played what turned out to be his final ever gig just two and a half miles from here.

[Jackie Leonard]

That was Mark Savage in Birmingham. And that's it from us for now. But there will be a new edition of the Global news podcast later. If you would like to comment on this edition or the topics covered in it, you can send us an email. The address is [e-mail] you can also find us on X@BBC World Service, just use the hashtag globalnewspod. This edition was mixed by Alison Purcell Davis and the producer was Ed Horton. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Jackie Leonard. And until next time, goodbye.

[Narrator]

3, 2, 1. And a dream to revolutionize space fl.

[Matthew Capucci]

Launch like a rocket and land like an airplane.

[Narrator]

It was the first time anybody had ever seen any of that told by the men and women who made it happen. Countless hours developing the procedures we had.

[Jackie Leonard]

Trained together for so long.

[Narrator]

From the BBC World Service, 13 Minutes presents the Space Shuttle. It was like something being born. This vehicle was saying, I'm alive. Let me go search. For 13 minutes presents the Space Shuttle. Wherever you get your BBC podcasts.