BBC goes inside Myanmar with rebel fighters

In a harrowing report from Myanmar, BBC journalist Quentin Somerville embeds with rebel fighters in Karen State, revealing how the military junta has regained momentum through forced conscription and drone warfare—despite five years of civil war and nearly 100,000 deaths. At a hidden field hospital, surgeons operate under solar power on fighters maimed by landmines and kamikaze drones, while commanders admit the resistance is on the back foot. One rebel, Jazu, says the cost of fighting is too high—yet he vows to keep fighting for his children’s future. The report underscores a grim truth: the revolution’s dream of democracy remains distant, even as the junta’s brutal tactics evolve. Meanwhile, the podcast shifts to escalating tensions between the US and Iran, with both sides launching strikes after a US helicopter was downed by an Iranian drone. Former Pentagon official Darren Selnick warns President Trump may soon authorize a major military escalation, while Iran insists it’s defending itself. In Afghanistan, Pakistan accuses the Taliban of harboring militants, sparking deadly cross-border airstrikes that killed 13 civilians—adding to a cycle of violence that continues to devastate border communities. The episode also covers a high-profile lawsuit against Kanye West, who is accused of non-consensual physical contact during a music video shoot in 2010, and a mass shooting in Johannesburg linked to illegal mining and organized crime.