US government shutdown begins

Summary

Global News Podcast — “US Government Shutdown Begins”

Host: BBC World Service
Date: October 1, 2025
Key Theme:
A significant partial shutdown of the US federal government has commenced amid a fierce political stalemate in Washington, impacting federal services and workers. The episode covers the repercussions of this event, key global developments—including a new international force for Haiti, Afghanistan’s telecom blackout, and notable advances in science and AI—offering listeners a broad yet detailed sweep of pivotal stories shaping the world.

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1. Main Theme Overview

The episode begins with urgent breaking news: a partial US government shutdown triggered by congressional deadlock over healthcare spending and the end of a short-term funding bill. The show places this story in context of wider international developments, including escalating instability in Haiti, Afghanistan’s communications blackout, European concerns over hybrid warfare, and breakthroughs in reproductive science and AI's impact on the entertainment industry.

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2. Key Discussion Points & Insights

A. US Government Shutdown

Timestamps: 02:02–06:11

• Background:

  • Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on a funding bill, resulting in a shutdown of some federal agencies and functions.
  • At issue: Democrats demand healthcare (Obamacare) extensions, while Republicans insist on a “clean” bill without extra provisions.

• Political Blame Game:

  • Senate Majority Leader John Thune (Republican, 02:37):
    “If the government shuts down, it is on the Senate Democrats.”
  • Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (Democrat, 03:00):
    Criticizes Republicans for prioritizing petty politics, referencing an “AI video the president put up... childish, petty. It’s something that a five year old would do, not a president of the United States.”
  • President Trump (03:37):
    Threatens “irreversible” actions during the shutdown harmful to programs favored by Democrats.

• Real-World Impact:

  • Federal workers facing furlough or having to work unpaid, affecting everyone from soldiers to air traffic controllers.
  • Service disruptions: National parks close, museums and courthouses may shutter, essential airport staff work without pay leading to delays and resignations.
  • Peter Bowes (North America Correspondent, 04:55):
    “Long queues at airports... Many became disillusioned, some suffered from stress and depression and left their jobs.”

• Public Sentiment:

  • Early polling suggests a majority blame Republicans, but significant blame is assigned to both parties (05:55).

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B. Afghanistan’s Internet Blackout

Timestamps: 06:11–09:46

• Event: The Taliban have banned internet access, severely disrupting banking, healthcare, and vital services.

• Impact on Citizens:

  • Fahima (Afghan student, voiced by Imogen Folkes, 07:03):
    “We dreamed of finishing our education and helping our father financially, but now we all sit at home doing nothing.”
  • Teachers and students reliant on online education (06:41).

• Analysis by Lyse Doucet (Chief International Correspondent, 07:26):

  • Describes widespread speculation—morality versus political control—as a motive for the blackout.
  • Quotes a Taliban founder, Mullah Zayef:
    “95% of Talibs did not agree with the harshest of edicts. They’re conservative but believe Islam gives women the right to be educated.”
  • Suggests the real motive may be to cement power and suppress internal dissent:
    “This is not just about morality. This is about control.”

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C. UN Response to Gang Violence in Haiti

Timestamps: 09:46–12:50

• Situation Overview:

  • Official security forces overwhelmed by gang violence, especially following gangs’ unification under "Barbecue" Cherizier in 2024.
  • Daily life marked by insecurity, scarcity of essentials, and surge in child soldier recruitment.

• UN Security Council Action:

  • New "Gang Suppression Force": 5,500 international troops, greater powers and operational independence from Haitian police.
  • US Ambassador Mike Waltz (12:03):
    “This resolution offers Haiti hope…as terrorist gangs expanded their territory, raped, pillaged, murdered and terrorized the Haitian population.”

• Skepticism Remains:

  • Significant logistical and security challenges persist; most of Port-au-Prince under gang control.

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D. European Security & Drone Threats

Timestamps: 12:50–14:09

• Context:
  • Recent drone incursions in Denmark spark EU-wide concerns over hybrid warfare and airspace security.
  • Summit leaders discuss sanctions on Russia, support for Ukraine, and the feasibility of a "drone wall."
  • Jessica Parker (Europe Correspondent, 13:12):
    “Crucial details on how such a thing [drone wall] could be built, financed or coordinated are far from being decided.”

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E. Gaza War – Testimony from a Medical Worker

Timestamps: 14:25–19:23

• Personal Account:

  • Dr. Mohammad Abu Muhaysib (MSF doctor, recently evacuated from Gaza) details humanitarian catastrophe:
    • Collapse of Gaza’s health system.
    • The impossible choices for doctors amid child casualties and lack of supplies.
    • Quote (16:38):
      “Every hour, hard decision... It’s mostly children, which one to admit, which one we prefer to take care of… There is no space to refer.”
    • Personal suffering: starvation, fear for own life, family separation.
    • On retaliation and October 7:
      “To attack civilians, to kidnap civilians… it is not acceptable at all.” (17:50)

• Reflection on Displacement:

  • “To go back for what? I mean, they destroyed everything… The sand you are not allowed to take.” (19:07)

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F. Scientific Breakthrough: Human Embryos from Skin Cells

Timestamps: 19:23–21:41

• Key Insight:

  • US scientists create early-stage embryos from skin cells and sperm, raising hopes for infertility treatments and potential for same-sex couples.
  • Prof. Richard Anderson (19:49):
    “Making eggs or sperm from cells that aren’t naturally born to become those cells has been a holy grail in medicine for a long time.”
  • Fergus Walsh (Medical Correspondent, 20:12):
    “This is astonishing science, which rewrites the rules of fertility... The consequences… are profound.”

• Note: Unsafe for clinical use now; ethical debates anticipated.

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G. Switzerland’s Melting Glaciers

Timestamps: 21:41–22:45

• Report:
  • Swiss glaciers lost a quarter of their mass since 2015, accelerating risks of landslides and water shortages.
  • Imogen Folkes (21:58):
    “Losing the glaciers brings big risks, from a loss of fresh water to the growing instability of the mountains themselves.”

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H. AI Enters the Acting World

Timestamps: 22:45–26:00

• Context:
  • Debut of Tilly Norwood, the world’s first AI-generated actress, at Zurich Film Festival.
  • Marketing as the next Scarlett Johansson; possesses significant social media following.
  • Ira Khan (23:33):
    “She’s essentially a bunch of code…wavy brunette hair, perfectly proportioned face… Her creator is marketing her as the next Scarlett Johansson.”
  • Real actors deeply concerned about job loss and use of women’s likenesses.
  • AI’s inroads into the creative industry:
    • “AI cannot replace these creative fields that require a human element, a human touch, to bring a movie or a show or bring certain emotions to life. But ultimately, it’s the audience who decides.” (Ira Khan, 25:18)

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3. Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker/Subject | Quote | |-----------|-------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:37 | John Thune (Republican) | “If the government shuts down, it is on the Senate Democrats.” | | 03:05 | Chuck Schumer (Democrat) | “His video was dumb. It was childish, it was petty. It’s something a five year old would do.” | | 04:55 | Peter Bowes (BBC) | “Many became disillusioned, some suffered from stress and depression and left their jobs.” | | 07:03 | Fahima (Afghan student) | “We dreamed of finishing our education and helping our father financially, but now we all sit at home.” | | 07:26 | Lyse Doucet (BBC) | “This is not just about morality. This is about control.” | | 12:03 | Mike Waltz (US Ambassador) | “This resolution offers Haiti hope… terrorized the Haitian population.” | | 16:38 | Dr. Mohammad Abu Muhaysib | “Every hour, hard decision… It’s mostly children, which one to admit…” | | 19:49 | Prof. Richard Anderson | “Making eggs or sperm from cells that aren’t naturally born to become those cells has been a holy grail.” | | 21:58 | Imogen Folkes (BBC) | “Losing the glaciers brings big risks, from a loss of fresh water to the growing instability…” | | 23:33 | Ira Khan (BBC) | “Tilly Norwood is the world’s first AI actor... Her creator is marketing her as the next Scarlett Johansson.” |

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4. Important Segments & Timestamps

• [02:02] – US Government Shutdown explained, political context, and implications
• [06:11] – Afghanistan’s internet blackout
• [09:46] – UN moves to suppress Haiti’s gang violence
• [12:50] – European leaders confront drone threats
• [14:25] – Gaza: Life, survival, and loss under siege
• [19:23] – Science: Human embryos from skin cells
• [21:41] – Swiss glaciers, climate change impacts
• [22:45] – The rise of the AI-generated actress and industry reaction

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5. Tone and Style

The reporting is urgent, clear, and analytical, often highlighting first-hand experience and expert assessment. The episode balances factual reporting on urgent developments with human voices and expert commentary, typical of the BBC’s straightforward and sober style.

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Summary prepared for listeners seeking a comprehensive yet concise account of current global events and their relevance, with direct quotations and essential context.

Transcript

[Peter Bowes]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

[Stephanie Prentice]

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[Dr. Mohammad Abu Muhaysib]

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[Lyse Doucet]

As head of maintenance at a concert.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

Hall, he knows the show must always go on.

[Lyse Doucet]

That's why he works behind the scenes.

[Ira Khan]

Ensuring every light is working, the H.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

Vac is humming, and his facility shines.

[Lyse Doucet]

With Grainger's supplies and solutions for every challenge he faces.

[Dr. Mohammad Abu Muhaysib]

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[Main BBC News Presenter]

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[Lyse Doucet]

For the ones who get it done.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

This is the global News podcast from the BBC World Service a monk. It is signed at 05:00 GMT on Wednesday 1st October. These are our main stories. In the US a partial government shutdown comes into effect. The UN Security Council approves a much larger international security force to to combat Haiti's crippling gang violence, and leaders of the European Union will discuss how to protect their countries from drone attacks during meetings in Denmark. Also in this podcast, the UN appeals to the Afghan Taliban to immediately restore telecommunications across the country, leaving people helpless.

[Imogen Folkes]

We used to stay updated on news and technology through the Internet. We dreamed of finishing our education and helping our father financially. But now we all sit at home doing nothing foreign.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

We start in the US where a partial government shutdown has just come into effect after Republicans and Democrats failed to agree a spending bill because of disagreements about cuts to health care. In practice, this could mean everything from museums to courthouses closing and millions of federal workers, from soldiers to air traffic controllers, either going on furlough or or working without pay. The arguments leading up to this moment have been fierce, with both sides vehemently blaming each other for the stalemate. First, speaking for the Republicans, Senate Majority Leader John Thune I'm hoping there are.

[Fergus Walsh]

Democrats out there who are reasonable and understand what's at stake here. And as they have articulated many times in the past, the costs associated with the American people with the government shutdown. This is totally avoidable. It is a decision they're going to have to make. And if the government shuts down. It is on the Senate Democrats.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

For the Democrats, here's Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

[Fergus Walsh]

If you want another indication of how serious Republicans are about funding the government.

[Dr. Mohammad Abu Muhaysib]

Look no further than the deep fake.

[Fergus Walsh]

AI video the president tried to put up last night after our meeting when we were actually trying to fund the government. His video was dumb. It was childish, it was petty. It's something that a five year old would do, not a president of the United States. But it shows how unserious they are.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

As you can hear, it got heated and President Trump even went as far as to threaten the Democrats with consequences if they didn't find a solution.

[Fergus Walsh]

We can do things during the shutdown that are irreversible, that are bad for.

[Dr. Mohammad Abu Muhaysib]

Them and irreversible by them, like cutting vast numbers of people out, cutting things that they like, cutting programs that they like.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

So how did this deadlock come about? Our North America correspondent is Peter Bowes.

[Peter Bowes]

Well, this is a long running dispute between the Republicans and Democrats. And at the heart of this is a disagreement about cuts to health care with the Republicans wanting this what it is now, a short term spending bill bill agreed as they describe it as a clean bill without any additional issues like healthcare added. But the Democrats are insisting that healthcare benefits that are part of Obamacare that are due to expire at the end of the year should be extended as part of any deal. So there's a philosophical, there's a political disagreement here over spending that goes to the root of really why this is dragging on so long. But there will be some categories of workers who will be us to go to work. I'm thinking of security staff at airports go to work but not be paid during the shutdown.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

Could you dive a bit deep into the practical implications, how this could affect everyday citizens?

[Peter Bowes]

Well, let's take the airport example. If you're flying, and we know from the example of the shutdown about six years ago, a similar situation. And airport workers are the security workers. These are the screening workers that everyone has to confront as they pass through security at an airport. They are government workers. They are essential workers. And what happened last time was as the shutdown continued day after day, week after week, many became disillusioned. Some suffered difficulties in terms of their own finances. Some suffered from stress and depression and left their jobs, which meant that there was a shortage of workers which resulted in long queues at airports. So that's just one example. There are various other aspects of government services, like the federal parks, for example, not essential services. And they would close immediately and just.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

Briefly, before you go politically, I guess this will depend on who voters blame.

[Peter Bowes]

Yes. And it's interesting, looking at some of the surveys of public opinion that most seem to say that they will blame the Republicans for this, although it isn't. There isn't a huge distinction between Republicans and Democrats, and a lot of people say they blame both parties.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

Our North America correspondent, Peter Bowes reporting. A ban on Internet services in Afghanistan has led to huge disruption, encompassing banking, health and emergency services. The UN is now appealing to the ruling Taliban to restore nationwide communications. The BBC has spoken to some people about the impact of Internet shutdowns on them. We voiced up what they had to say. Zabi is an English teacher who set up an education center which had to go online when the Taliban authorities imposed their restrictions.

[Peter Bowes]

I had men and women in my classes, up to 70 or 80 students at a time. My students were happy and our lessons went smoothly. They were all preparing for the ielts, that's a standardized English test.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

And all their learning depended on the.

[Peter Bowes]

Internet, the research, the practice tests, the official exams, everything.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

This young woman, Fahima, also said that she felt helpless.

[Imogen Folkes]

My two sisters and I were studying online. We used to stay updated on news and technology through the Internet, but now we cannot keep up or learn new skills. We dreamed of finishing our education and helping our father financially, but now we all sit at home doing nothing.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

Our chief international correspondent, Lyse Doucet, has covered Afghanistan extensively.

[Lyse Doucet]

People are trying to make sense of what seems to everyone, including the majority of Afghans, an inexplicable decision. How would authorities anywhere in the world cut their whole country off? And so, of course, the rumors are swirling. What is this really about? When the reports first emerged not long ago that they were cutting off the fiber optic, the speedier Internet connections in the provinces because of morality, because the accusation was that Afghans are accessing pornography. Many said, oh, but they wouldn't do that in Kabul because that would be against their interests, because they wouldn't be able to function as a leadership. And now that it has come to Kabul, there's a lot of discussion going on. None of it has been confirmed. We don't know to be true, but what do we know to be true is that there are reports of growing tension among Taliban leaders. More than two years ago, when I was last in Kabul, one of the founding members of the Taliban, Mullah Zayef, said to me on the record that 95% of Talibs did not agree with the harshest of edicts. They're conservative but they believe that Islam gives women the right to be educated and to pursue opportunities, to pursue their. To develop their pot. Fast forward to now. Afghans in desperation are saying, what is it going to take to be able to bring Afghanistan into the modern world, to allow girls to be educated, to develop the economy, to allow more engagement with the international community, to remove the sanctions. Afghans know that, you know, this turbulent history of a Soviet intervention for 10 years which didn't work. U. S led international intervention which didn't work. It has to come from within Afghanistan.

[Imogen Folkes]

It has to.

[Lyse Doucet]

The rumor, the speculation is that this is not just about morality. This is about control. To be able to stop any kind of communication among Taliban leaders, to stop any possible communication between Taliban leaders and the outside world, to maintain control for the clerics of Kandahar. But I think even with this interruption in communications, I think we will start finding out more. If this was a power play, whether this is a move to consolidate control, to stop any threats to their power, or whether indeed this is something that about just simply purifying the society of any immorality, it's hard to believe it's just the latter.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

Our chief international correspondent Lee Stucet. Official military forces have been fighting a losing battle against gangs in Haiti for four years, during which time parts of the country have descended into lawlessness, and life there has become characterized by daily violence and death with no solution in sight. The UN Security council has pledged a new security force, much larger than previous missions and with greater powers. Stephanie Prentice told me more.

[Stephanie Prentice]

For some time, it has been too dangerous to enter Haiti. So it is hard, as you said, to know exactly what's happening on the ground. But everything we do know is bad. So when we get reports from witnesses, their stories are of gruesome, barbaric acts. In the capital, Port au Prince, in particular, gangs control the streets. Violence is rife, Sexual violence is rife, kidnappings common, and basic amenities like electricity, clean drinking water are scarce. So the violence there has escalated significantly since number of the gangs joined forces in early 2024 under gang leader Jimmy Barbecue Cherizier. Since then, accounts of extreme brutality against women, children, even babies have increased. Daily life for many is living in poverty. And that's actually something a UN report in 2024 said was a catalyst for these gangs recruiting child soldiers. And they estimated that children joining gangs was up 70%.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

So fast forwarding to now then, what are the UN proposing?

[Stephanie Prentice]

Well, Haiti still has a skeleton government, a sort of transitional council which is internationally recognized and it's been begging foreign governments for help. An early emission of 2,500 international troops actually ended up being around 600 Kenyan soldiers going in earlier this year as a sort of support force with a relatively small operational budget. And it just struggled to establish a strong presence. So now the UN has approved this bigger force. It's 5,500 troops with a more direct objective. It's called the Gang Suppression Force. And it will have new powers like the right to operate independently from Haitian police and to use more force on the ground. Now this plan is US Backed. And speaking at the United nations, the US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, said he was confident the adoption of.

[Fergus Walsh]

This resolution offers Haiti hope. It is a hope that has been rapidly slipping away as terror terrorist gangs expanded their territory, raped, pillaged, murdered and terrorized the Haitian population.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

And briefly, would it work?

[Stephanie Prentice]

Well, if we look at the success of that last mission, the challenges those Kenyan forces face, like getting equipment in mobilizing effectively in a volatile region, they still remain and the capital is estimated to be around 90% gang controlled by. But the new mission does reflect a greater focus on Haiti by the international community, a recognition of just how out of control that situation has become and a greater sense of urgency in resolving it.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

Stephanie Prentice reporting. Next, security is tight ahead of a meeting of European leaders later in Denmark. Several countries have sent support to counter drones disrupting the summit in Copenhagen. Several recent airspace breaches have sparked warnings that Europe must do more to defend itself against hybrid attacks. From Copenhagen, here's our Europe correspondent, Jessica Parker.

[Fergus Walsh]

Europe has been left rattled by a series of drone incursions in Denmark last week. Unexplained sightings led to the temporary closure of airports, including at Copenhagen. Suspicion has fallen on the Kremlin, something the Russian embassy here described as absurd speculation. Danish ministers have spoken of hybrid attacks being part of a new reality. Now leaders from across Europe are due to descend on the capital for two summits over days. So security has been stepped up. All civilian drone flights have been banned for the week. Additionally, surveillance and anti drone technology has been sent from countries including France, Germany and Sweden. Today, EU leaders will discuss support for Ukraine sanctions on Russia and European defence. While there is much talk of a so called drone wall, crucial details on how such a thing could be built, financed or coordinated are far from being decided.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

Jessica Parker reporting. Still to come on this podcast, making.

[Fergus Walsh]

Eggs or sperm from cells that aren't naturally born to become those cells has been a holy grail in medicine for a long time. And actually this is a significant step.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

Towards doing that, scientists make early stage human embryos by manipulating DNA taken from human skin cells and fertilizing it with sperm to help people reproduce. A negotiation team from Hamas are in Doha discussing the peace deal put forward by the US and Israel alongside officials from Egypt, Turkey and Qatar who are trying to persuade the group to accept the plan. Gaza, though, continues to be bombarded with Israel's offensive aimed at the total destruction of Hamas. And conditions there have been described by the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and as a living hell. Dr. Mohammad Abu Muhaysib is a senior figure with the medical charity msf. After working in Gaza for two years, he took a rare chance to be evacuated. Caroline Hawley met up with him in Dublin, where now safe and fed, he was able to reflect on his time working in increasingly dire conditions, on the dilemmas he faced and why he eventually left.

[Dr. Mohammad Abu Muhaysib]

I don't still believe that I am here. It's very strange that there is people living normal life. There is life and I'm not used to life and it will take time to get used that there is life still. It's the civilians, the population, me, my friends, my colleagues, my neighbors. They are not Hamas and we are the one who were killed and injured and running from one place to another and starving.

[Imogen Folkes]

It's hard to imagine a bigger contrast between where Dr. Mohammed has come from and the peace, the birdsong, the beauty of this park in central Dublin where we're talking just a few days after Dr. Mohammed arrived here in Ireland.

[Dr. Mohammad Abu Muhaysib]

There is no more health system. There is no more health system in Gaza. The hospitals, you enter, you smell the blood, you know, it's not any more. Hospitals, you know, hospitals are it's holy place. I mean, it's very sterile place. And I hope that one day, I mean you can have an access to enter during the war to see what's going on in these hospitals in Gaza.

[Imogen Folkes]

What was the hardest decision you had to take as a doctor?

[Dr. Mohammad Abu Muhaysib]

Every hour hard decision, you know, it's which patient to admit, not to admit. And you tell me, okay, let's admit children, but it's mostly children, which one to admit, which one we prefer to take care of and the other one to find a way to refer him with. There is no space to refer. I never imagined that I will starve. I had the money, but I was not able to buy nothing in the market. And I starved. Literally, I starved. And my head, abdominal pain and stomach ache because I was starving and I couldn't find food to buy. That's When I said, that's enough.

[Imogen Folkes]

Dr. Muhammad said he was also frightened. Every single day, this was gunfire close to the MSF office. But the biggest fear was being caught in an airstrike.

[Dr. Mohammad Abu Muhaysib]

In Gaza. You don't feel safe. Every time I was going out in the street, I was very terrified. I was looking beside me, okay, this guy, maybe he's wanted. Maybe they will target him, they will kill everyone around him.

[Imogen Folkes]

What went through your mind when you realized what Hamas had done on October 7?

[Dr. Mohammad Abu Muhaysib]

In any world war, to attack civilians, to kidnap civilians, whatever, but it is not acceptable at all. I thought that there will be a huge retaliation. It will take few months, two to three months, and then things will end. But it didn't end, and this was beyond what I expected. We didn't expect that we will leave our homes.

[Imogen Folkes]

Dr. Mohammed showed me a video taken by a friend as drones hovered overhead of his home in Gaza City.

[Dr. Mohammad Abu Muhaysib]

So this is the tanks. Well, the tanks, you know, you can see the tank prints going. And they parked here because they destroyed the fence from the other side.

[Imogen Folkes]

He says the Israeli army took it over as a military base and it was then looted by local people.

[Dr. Mohammad Abu Muhaysib]

I lived in different places. I lived in a tent, I lived in the hospital, I lived in MSF office I lived in. There was a restaurant. I was living in this old electricity room. So I put my mattress in there.

[Imogen Folkes]

Luckily, he'd managed to get his family out of Gaza, but a year and a half without seeing them was torture. Do you feel you'll return? You'll be able to go back?

[Dr. Mohammad Abu Muhaysib]

That's a very difficult question to answer. To go back for what? I mean, they destroyed everything.

[Imogen Folkes]

What's the hardest part about leaving?

[Dr. Mohammad Abu Muhaysib]

To leave leaving or your memories? Because we were not allowed to take nothing with us. This is the condition of the evacuation and the order from the Israeli side to the people who want to evacuate to not to take any. The sand you are not allowed to take.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

Next. Scientists in the US are developing a technique that could someday use almost any cell in the body as the starting point of life. They've made early stage human embryos by manipulating DNA taken from skin cells and fertilizing them with sperm. In the future, it could help people overcome infertility and allow same sex couples to have a genetically related child. Professor Richard Anderson is from the University of Edinburgh.

[Fergus Walsh]

Making eggs or sperm from cells that aren't naturally born to become those cells has been a holy grail in medicine for a long time. And actually this is a significant step towards doing that which would allow people who don't have eggs of their own perhaps to be able to make them and use them for treatments and have children of their own. So, yes, it's an impressive step forward.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

Fergus Walsh has the details.

[Fergus Walsh]

This is astonishing. Science, which rewrites the rules of fertility. It's still very early stage, but could have huge implications in years to come. In the laboratory, the nucleus from a human skin cell was placed inside a donor egg that had its genetic information removed. So far, this is the same technique that was used to create Dolly the sheep, the first cloned mammal. But now for the innovation. The team at Oregon Health and Science University manipulated the nucleus to discard half of the 23 pairs of chromosomes. They've called this technique mitomyosis. 82 of these eggs were created. Then sperm was used to fertilize the eggs so that half the chromosomes and half the DNA would come from each parent. As in natural conception, 9% of the eggs became embryos after fertilization. There were lots of errors and abnormalities in the process. So it's unsafe to be used in the clinic. But scientists say it is impressive. The consequences of this research are profound. If perfected in a decade or more, it could allow same sex couples to have a child genetically related to both partners. It could help those made infertile by cancer or old age. But it will raise ethical concerns about how far science should stretch the boundaries of human reproduction.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

Fergus Walsh with that report. Official figures show Switzerland's glaciers have lost a quarter of their total volume over the past decade. There are warnings the rapid melting will lead to more rock falls and landslides across the Alps. Imogen, folks, reports from the Swiss city of Berne.

[Imogen Folkes]

The United nations named 2025 the Year of the glacier, hoping to draw attention to their importance to our environment. But the latest figures reveal that Switzerland's glaciers lost 3% of their volume this year alone. A winter with little snow, followed by an exceptionally hot June meant the glaciers began to melt earlier than usual. A relatively cool and wet July saved the bigger glaciers. But a thousand smaller Swiss glaciers have already disappear. Scientists say the link between global warming and the thawing ice is clear. They warn that losing the glaciers brings big risks, from a loss of fresh water to the growing instability of the mountains themselves.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

Finally, the debut of an AI generated actress has drawn criticism across the entertainment industry after the British based studio Particle 6 played a parody video which featured her at the Zurich Summit, an industry strand of the Zurich Film Festival. The sketch is about a production team making an AI TV show who did.

[Fergus Walsh]

It cast Tilly Norwood 100% AI generated. She'll do anything I say. I'm already in love. Girl Next Door vibes like if a.

[Ira Khan]

Sunday roast went to drama school and got BAFTA optimized.

[Stephanie Prentice]

Three seasons and a podcast.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

That voice at the end is Tilly Norwood an actress who doesn't exist. So is she about to be the next big thing, or is this really all a big stunt? The newsroom's Ira Khan spoke to Rachel Wright.

[Ira Khan]

Tilly Norwood is the world's first AI actor. She's essentially a bunch of code that has this wavy brunette hair, perfectly proportioned face, and your average female height. Her creator is marketing her as the next Scarlett Johansson, but she's reminiscent as more of a girl next door. She has her own Instagram, TikTok and YouTube account. Her Instagram has over 36,000 followers.

[Stephanie Prentice]

So how would this AI generated actress.

[Fergus Walsh]

Tilly, get a job as an actress in films?

[Ira Khan]

Well, we don't really know, and that's sort of the point. Tilly was effectively born this weekend at the Zurich Film Festival. Her creator, who's an actor and technologist Elleen van der Waalt, created her using her own AI production company. We've never had an AI actor before, so it is unprecedented. But AI is not a new thing in Hollywood. It helped fine tune Adrien Brody's Hungarian accent in the Brutalist. It de aged actors like Harrison Ford in the Indiana Jones sequel. So for Tilly, after she was unveiled at the film festival, her creator says that many talent agents have been in contact with her and are interested in signing AI's first creation, Particle 6. The company where Tilly was made now has this offshoot called Shekoa, which is here to represent the next generation of AI talent. They're actually looking for 40 AI stars who they want to work across TV production and podcasts. So we have the actors, we have these agents who are interested. Tilly Norwood has already made some clips and skits, but how we manage to get this on actual television and cinema screens, that's still to be determined.

[Stephanie Prentice]

And surely this will put real actors out of work.

[Fergus Walsh]

So what are the real human actors.

[Stephanie Prentice]

Actors saying about it?

[Ira Khan]

Well, they're almost all unhappy. And the backlash is, of course, as you said, coming from actors whose jobs AI actors could replace. They raise a bunch of important issues. They talk about hundreds of women whose likeness are used to create actors like Tilly Norwood. Why would those people just not instead be hired themselves? And we have to also think about how this is coming off the back of two years ago when AI protections were a big part of the Hollywood labor strikes. Many are also saying that AI cannot replace these creative fields that require a human element, a human touch, to bring a movie or a show or bring certain emotions to life. But ultimately, it's the audience who decides.

[Main BBC News Presenter]

Ira Khan reporting. And that's all from us for now. But there will be a new edition of the Global News Podcast later. If you want to comment on this episode, all the topics covered and it's you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk and you can also find us on XBCWorldService. And you can use the hashtag globalnewspod. This edition was mixed by Caroline Driscoll, and the editor is Karen Martin. I'm Ankurta Saad. Until next time. Goodbye.