US ends its longest-ever government shutdown

0:00This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. If journalism is the first draft of history, what happens if that draft is flawed? In 1999, four Russian apartment buildings were bombed, hundreds killed. But even now, we still don't know for sure who did it. It's a mystery that sparked chilling theories. I'm Helena Merriman, and in a new BBC series, I'm talking to the reporters who first covered this story. What did they miss the first time? The History Bureau, Putin and the apartment bombs. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service.

0:46I'm Anka Desai and in the early hours of Thursday the 13th of November, these are our main stories. President Trump has signed a bill to end the 43-day shutdown of government after it was passed by the US House of Representatives. The White House says emails released from the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein were selectively leaked by Democrats to create a false narrative about President Trump. Also in this podcast, prosecutors in Milan investigate allegations that wealthy Italians took part in so-called sniper safaris during the Bosnian War of the 90s. And a mass ejection of energy and particles from the sun means a spectacular light show may be visible in many parts of the world.

1:30When it's particularly strong, it can travel even further away from the poles, can be easily visible to the naked eye, even if you're not necessarily at a dark site. And it's just gorgeous, like such a show. It's spectacular.

1:46We start in the United States, where after 43 days, the longest ever US government shutdown is coming to an end. The House was back in session on Wednesday for the first time in weeks, and it narrowly approved a Senate bill that will provide the necessary funding to reopen government. On this vote, the yeas are 222, the nays are 209. The bill is passed. The motion is adopted. Signing the bill into law, President Trump blamed the Democratic Party for what he called the madness of the past 43 days. I just want to tell you the country has never been in better shape. We went through this short-term disaster with the Democrats.

2:26because they thought it would be good politically. And it's an honor now to sign this incredible bill and get our country working again. Thank you very much. Democrats had been refusing to reopen government unless the president agreed to extend health insurance subsidies. But as with the Senate earlier this week, several Democrats broke ranks to help vote the bill through. When the gavel came down, Congress members could be seen hugging and shaking hands with many Republicans sporting big smiles. Our reporter Anna Feige walked alongside the politicians as they returned to their offices after the vote.

3:04I just walked through the tunnels of the Capitol and you could just see the relief on everybody's faces. It's been a long 43 days. A lot of Americans have felt a lot of pain from this shutdown. And we've seen both everyday Americans impacted, but also members of Congress here who are trying to battle internally on, you know, do we play the political card or do we play the people card? And so we saw those six Democrats, like you said, say we need to reopen the government. That's first and foremost our priority. We're going to go ahead and side with the Republicans this evening. And just explain what sort of an impact this has had on ordinary Americans after a record shutdown.

3:43Yeah, there's few parts of the American life that haven't been touched by the shutdown at this point. We have some 42 million Americans who are dependent on a food assistance program called SNAP who have gone without that funding since the end of October. It's caused record car lines at food banks across this country because people don't have a way to feed themselves without this funding. In addition, we're seeing fewer air traffic controllers show up for work at airports, which is hindering how quickly and efficiently flights can land and take off, which is causing massive airport delays for those who are traveling.

4:21On top of that, we have hundreds of thousands of federal workers who have gone without paychecks since the government shut down on October 1st, you know, who are just trying to pay their bills. And those are just a few of the ways. There's there's many, many more. So what happens next? Is it a return to normality for people or will this take some time because of some of the issues you just mentioned? Yeah, unfortunately, this is going to take a little bit of time. The longer the shutdown goes, the harder it is to kind of turn back some of these impacts. This is bureaucracy after all. So, you know, we do need to be a little bit patient here.

4:55The flights are one of those ones where we will have to wait a few days before we have a regular schedule at airports across the country. And just briefly before you go, where are American people on this? Are they looking towards the Democrats, Republicans in terms of the blame game? Really depends on the day or the hour of the day, even when you ask everyday Americans how they're feeling about this. I think since this weekend, when the eight Senate Democrats agreed to negotiate and agreed to try to find a way to reopen the government, we are seeing this labeled more clearly as a Democrat shutdown.

5:28So, you know, the Democrats are going to have to deal with that in the coming weeks and months, how they survive this politically. Anna Fagy reporting from Capitol Hill. The news that the government shutdown was due to end was overshadowed on Wednesday by the release of documents from the Epstein files. Donald Trump has been facing questions about his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. And as you may have heard on our previous podcast, Democrats on a congressional oversight committee released three emails written by Epstein which mention Mr Trump. Republicans on that same committee later released more than 20 ,000 pages of documents Robert Garcia is the group's top Democrat.

6:06Donald Trump is a president and he campaigned on releasing all the Epstein files. Obsessed about it. His vice president obsessed about it. And now the White House is involved in a massive cover-up and we want to know why won't they release the files. All of this can get solved right now if they release all the files. In the emails, Epstein writes that Mr. Trump, quote, knew about the girls and that he'd spent hours with one of Epstein's victims at Epstein's house. That victim was reportedly Virginia Dufresne, who died by taking her own life earlier this year. The White House Press Secretary Caroline Levitt said the email show President Trump did nothing wrong and that Ms Dufresne had maintained that she'd never seen Mr Trump do anything inappropriate.

6:48This is truly a manufactured hoax by the Democrat Party for now they're talking about it all of a sudden because President Trump is in the Oval Office. But when Joe Biden was sitting in there, the Democrats never brought this up. This wasn't an issue that they cared about because they actually don't care about the victims in these cases. They care about trying to score political points against President Trump. And it is not a coincidence that the Democrats leaked these emails to the fake news this morning ahead of Republicans reopening the government. Our chief North America correspondent Gary O'Donoghue reports.

7:21Donald Trump has never denied being an acquaintance of Jeffrey Epstein, but has always said he knew nothing about the trafficking and abuse of young women breaking off their relationship years ago. But in a fresh batch of around 20 ,000 documents that have now been released by a congressional committee, Epstein appears to suggest Donald Trump knew more than he's acknowledged. In an email exchange from April 2011, three years after Epstein had pled guilty to soliciting prostitution and been put on the Sex Offenders Register, Epstein wrote to his close friend Ghislaine Maxwell, I want you to realise that that dog that hasn't barked is Trump.

8:01Virginia spent hours at my house with him. He has never once been mentioned. The Virginia referred to is Virginia Dufresne, who took her own life earlier this year and who accused the now former prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, of having sex with her three times when she was as young as 17. Mr Mountbatten-Windsor has always denied those allegations. Maxwell, who is serving 20 years for trafficking women, replied to the email, I have been thinking about that. Maxwell, who has recently had her attempts to overturn her conviction rejected by the Supreme Court, is believed to have asked the President to commute her sentence.

8:42Democrats on the Congressional Committee looking into Epstein's crimes say they raise fresh questions about what Donald Trump knew and when he knew it. The new trove of emails also contains one exchange between Epstein and the author Michael Wolff from 2019, just six months before Epstein was arrested. In an apparent reference to Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago club in Florida, the email says, Trump said he asked me to resign, never remember, ever. Of course, he knew about the girls as he asked Ghislaine to stop. And in another exchange from 2015, again between Epstein and Wolff, as Donald Trump was about to take part in a debate during the Republican presidential primary, I hear CNN planning to ask Trump tonight about his relationship with you, either on air or in scrum afterwards.

9:33Epstein asked Wolff what he thinks Donald Trump should say if they could craft a response. If he says he hasn't been on the plane or to the House, then that gives you a valuable PR and political currency. CNN says, in fact, Donald Trump wasn't asked about Epstein on that occasion. Democrats, with the support of a handful of Republicans, have prepared legislation to force the Department of Justice to release all the Epstein files, something the administration has resisted. But with many of President Trump's supporters in the country furious at that decision, it's clear this issue isn't going away.

10:08Gary O'Donoghue in Washington. To discuss the significance of these new emails, James Coppnall spoke to the lawyer Gloria Allred, who represented 27 of Mr. Epstein's victims. It's a small clue as to what might be found in the Epstein files. All the polls in the United States show that the public, Republicans, Democrats, independents, would like to have transparency. So we'll find out what's in those files. It may just take longer than is absolutely necessary. And that's hard on victims. They know their own truth, but they'd like to know the entire truth. In terms of what was released, what did you learn?

10:54It's interesting because Ms. Maxwell, who was interviewed by the Deputy Attorney General, she said that she did not recall that Trump was ever at Epstein's house. But today we see an email from Jeffrey Epstein that suggests that Mr. Trump, then Mr. Trump, not President Trump, was at his house for hours, apparently, or according to the email, with Virginia Gouffre, whose name was provided by the White House, although the word victim was redacted in the original release. So some people say that's an inconsistency, but not really because she's saying Ms. Maxwell. She doesn't recall, which doesn't mean that Mr.

11:47Trump was there or wasn't there. Of course, she has her own motives. She would like to be pardoned by the president. And President Trump, of course, has always rejected any wrongdoing in this matter. What do you think we're likely to see next? Well, I think the likely next developments are there's going to be a vote. It's called a discharge petition in the House of Representatives to try to get a floor vote on release of the Epstein files. So it would be good for the public to see all of the emails and all of the files. And it shouldn't be for the White House or the Congress or anyone else to decide what's relevant or not.

12:27Gloria Allred. G7 foreign ministers have wrapped up a meeting in Canada where they discussed ways to increase pressure on Russia over the war in Ukraine. In a joint statement, the ministers called for an immediate ceasefire while voicing what they called unwavering support for Ukraine's territorial integrity. The group also condemned escalating violence in Sudan. Speaking to reporters after the meeting, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio called for international action to halt the flow of weapons to Sudan's paramilitary rapid support forces. He said humanitarian agencies hadn't received the number of refugees they were expecting because of the brutality of the RSF.

13:09They're committing acts of sexual violence and atrocities, just horrifying atrocities against women, children, innocent civilians, of the most horrific kind. The one thing that I think was most shocking to us is that they anticipated receiving thousands of refugees and they didn't. So obviously these aren't people that are happy living there after a year of siege against the city. There's a reason why they didn't come out. And we fear that the reason why they didn't come out is because they're dead or because they're so sick and so famished. Our U.S. State Department correspondent Tom Bateman traveled with Marco Rubio to the G7 meeting and told me more about those comments.

13:45In terms of Sudan, just to deal with that first, this was probably the most outspoken I've heard Marco Rubio when it comes to the actions of the RSF. And of course, this was directly related to what's happened in the city of El Fasha. He described these as atrocities. You know, I pushed him on the scale of it and you heard him talk about their fear that thousands of people could be either dead or too malnourished to move because of that. And he came close, really, to criticising the United Arab Emirates, although he didn't name them. But he talked about countries that were suspected of indirectly arming the RSF, something the United Arab Emirates has always denied.

14:24But he talked about the fact that through other African countries, there were weapons going to the RSF. And he, in no uncertain terms, said it had to stop. So I think you're seeing the Americans start to push a bit more on this. And just to deal with the issue of Ukraine that you mentioned, you know, I mean, he was very outspoken once again in terms of Russia's long range strikes into Ukraine and said that as far as he was concerned, it was clear Russia wasn't interested in peace. What was said about the other main global conflict in Gaza? yeah i mean i asked him about gaza because we're still at this position where the americans have been trying to circulate a resolution to try and get through the united nations security council to establish what president trump wants which is this so-called international stabilization force which would be a military force made up of probably forces from arab and muslim countries that would go in and effectively be a peacekeeper, but may have to deal with the issue of disarmament of Hamas.

15:26And we don't know these details, so I pushed him on that about what exactly would be the role of the International Stabilisation Force. If you really want to see a huge uptick, not just in humanitarian assistance, but redevelopment, you're going to need to have security. And that can't be Hamas. So there'll have to be a force that provides just basic everyday security. That's as much as anything else with the Stabilisation Force's role, is to stabilize. As far as demilitarization is concerned, that's a commitment Hamas made. That's a commitment all of our partners on this deal made. And we expect those countries, and they are, will at the appropriate time, including now, bring about pressure, you know, on Hamas to live up to that commitment.

16:05U.S. Secretary of State Mark Arabia, and I was speaking there to Tom Bateman. Still to come on this episode, drones, a key weapon on the battlefield, how making and thwarting them has become big business. I just wanted to help my country, help military. I helped them with different stuff. At that moment, I realized all the requests were for drones.

16:37If journalism is the first draft of history, what happens if that draft is flawed? In 1999, four Russian apartment buildings were bombed, hundreds killed. But even now, we still don't know for sure who did it. It's a mystery that sparked chilling theories. I'm Helena Merriman, and in a new BBC series, I'm talking to the reporters who first covered this story. What did they miss the first time? The History Bureau, Putin and the apartment bombs. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

17:15The 1990 civil war in Bosnia following the breakup of Yugoslavia was notorious for its extreme violence. One of the most enduring images was the siege of Sarajevo, where civilians braved Serbian sniper fire coming from the hills around the Bosnian capital. For years, claims have also persisted that organized tours of Italian tourists joined those Serbian snipers in the killing of innocent civilians. But evidence has been elusive. Now the public prosecutor office in Milan has opened an investigation. Ezio Gavitseni is a journalist and novelist and filed a complaint describing very wealthy people with a passion for weapons who paid to be able to kill defenceless civilians.

17:58Our correspondent in southern Europe, Sarah Rainsford, spoke to the BBC's Sean Lay about the allegations. This is a story, if you like. Some people call it an urban myth. But the journalist who has been investigating it here in Italy believes he has evidence to substantiate what is a tale, essentially a shocking tale, about civilians, citizens of Italy and other countries travelling to the hillside around Sarajevo in the early 1990s during the Bosnian War and paying to kill civilians inside Sarajevo. Sarajevo. Now, the claims have been made before in a film in particular, there was a documentary film two or three years ago that came out, but they had also been reported back in the 1990s by an Italian newspaper.

18:44And the journalist who has now submitted this official complaint and essentially initiated the legal process, he read those reports back then, he then saw the documentary, and then he began digging for himself. And he says what he's now done is to submit a kind of dossier of what he says is evidence that does stand up the claims that these weekend safaris, these sniper safaris as they've become known, actually did take place. A part of this appears to be based on testimony from a Bosnian military intelligence officer. Do we know more about what that person has alleged? The intelligence officer, former intelligence officer, is claiming that groups of people were being smuggled into the hillside around Sarajevo, that they were using minivans, they were masquerading as people on humanitarian missions.

19:39But in actual fact, they were bribing their way through checkpoints. It was all highly organised, he alleges, and they were making their way then to the hillside where Serbian militia were based, and that they were paying what is claimed to have been huge amounts of money to kill Bosnian civilians in Sarajevo down below. These are shocking allegations and the sources are difficult really to verify. But certainly the important point, I suppose, about all of this is that Italian prosecutors are now trying to do exactly that. The legal complaint has been submitted to the public prosecutor's office in Milan.

20:14They're now looking to see whether there are any suspects that they can identify and then potentially question and pursue legal charges. Sarah Rainsford. Drones have become a key weapon on the battlefield, especially in the war between Russia and Ukraine. And making the aircrafts and the technology to thwart them has become a lucrative business, as our reporter Gideon Long has been finding out. In a clearing in a forest in Ukraine, a soldier sends a drone high into the air. It's a small device, maybe 30 centimetres across, with rotor blades on each corner. a standard commercial drone, the kind of thing you might use to take aerial footage at your wedding or birthday party.

20:56But strap a bomb to it and it becomes a deadly weapon. The Russians and Ukrainians have used them to devastating effect. Before Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022, there were just a handful of companies in Ukraine making drones. Now there are hundreds. Stacey Petijon is director of the Defence Programme at the Centre for a New American Security in Washington, and the author of several reports on drone warfare. This has been the first full-blown drone war. In Ukraine, you found that there are a million small startups. There are a ton of mom-and-pop shops where people are making drones and assembling them in their apartments, in their garages, and donating them to the forces, in addition to established industries.

21:42Ksenia Kalmas is one of those mom-and-pop drone producers. Before the war, she was a floral artist with a flower shop in Kyiv. But after 2022, she set up a company called Clin Drones. It was just an obvious decision for me. I just wanted to help my country, help my people and military. I helped them with different stuff. And at that moment, I realised that all the requests were for drones. And where do you get the parts for the drones from? Do you have to buy them in, the frames? or are you producing them yourselves using 3D printers? Where do you get the parts? Some of the parts, like cameras, unfortunately we have to buy from China, but most of them are bought in Ukraine and produced in Ukraine.

22:29Gesenia's company relies on donations, but elsewhere in the world defence companies are making big money from drone production. Companies like AeroVironment in the US, which is listed on the NASDAQ. Its share price has soared over 500 % since the invasion of Ukraine. In Europe, Portugal's Tekova became what's known as a unicorn company this year, valued at over a billion dollars. And Germany's Stark is also expanding its operations. The growth in drone technology has also spawned its antithesis, a counter-drone industry. Because for every drone launched in anger on the battlefield, there's usually someone trying to jam its radio signal or shoot it down.

23:09DroneShield is an Australian company that specialises in anti-drone technology. Since Russia's invasion, its share price has soared 2 ,600%. So what are the likely next developments in drone warfare? At the moment, many drones have to be guided to their targets by an operator, an actual human being with a remote control panel standing within range of the drone and therefore often in danger. But Stacey Pettyjohn at the Centre for a New American Security says that will evolve. I do think there are going to be further changes in the future as autonomy advances. That's going to be the next real shift.

23:45In the meantime, back in Kyiv, former floral artist Ksenia Kalmus says she will continue to assemble small, cheap drones for use on the front line.

23:56Gideon Long in Ukraine. The northern and southern lights, also known as Aurora Borealis and Aurora Australis, are among the world's most breathtaking natural sights. Normally, to catch a glimpse of these colourful swirls in the night sky, you have to get close to the North or South Pole. But right now, thanks to a mass ejection of energy and particles from the sun, the auroras can be seen far beyond their usual range. Brooke Simmons, a professor of astrophysics at Lancaster University, told my colleague, Sean Lay, what's been going on. The sun is a kind of active environment, and particularly on the surface and just below the surface, there's a process that's known as convection, which is the exact same process that happens in your pasta pot when you're boiling water and the hot water moves upward.

24:43But of course, in the sun, it's these charged particles because it's so hot, it's a plasma, and that creates this magnetic field that's very complex, very large scale. And every so often, it kind of burps material out into its environment. And some of those are energetic enough and big enough that they can travel through the solar system and reach the Earth. Our magnetic field actually absorbs and deflects most of it, but some of it gets funneled to the poles, both the North and the South Pole. And then we see the interactions of those very energetic charged particles with the atmosphere, and that's what causes all of the colors that we see.

25:20And when it's particularly strong, it can travel even further away from the poles, and that's when it really makes the news, because it can be easily visible to the naked eye, even if you're not necessarily at a dark site. And it's just gorgeous, like such a show. It's spectacular. So we call that phenomenon, don't we, in this part of the globe. In Europe, we talk about the northern lights. Is it something that will be experienced globally? So we'll see it somewhere around the poles. And it's certainly, there's the southern lights as well, the aurora australis, and that's also predicted to happen.

25:50Where you tend to see the aurora is kind of a ring. It's like a donut shape around the pole. And how big that ring is depends on how big the storm has been. And this one's pretty big. So the ring will be pretty far south compared to where it usually is. It looks like it might get up to Australia, like Sydney and Perth, for example, might get some. New Zealand then is probably going to get some. And I was looking at what happened last night, and it looked like maybe you'd be able to see it from South Africa if you look toward the south. And maybe from the very southern tip of South America. In the Northern Hemisphere, I certainly would expect Canada, Alaska, the northern parts of the US, very northern parts and parts of Russia, I would expect in Scandinavia, of course.