The BBC has faced widespread criticism on multiple fronts—most notably, its coverage of the Israel-Gaza conflict and the controversy surrounding football pundit Gary Lineker’s departure, who left the BBC earlier than planned following backlash over a pro-Palestine and alleged anti-semitic social media post. Against this backdrop of scrutiny, we sit down with Jonathan Munro, BBC News Global Director, to discuss how the BBC navigates coverage of major global conflicts, including the Israel-Gaza war, as well as broader concerns about the state of modern journalism.

Other stories we covered:

• Going green with more gas?: Malaysia has pledged to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, but a recent report by RimbaWatch and CREA suggests the country’s continued investment in oil and gas projects is undermining that goal. We speak to Adam Farhan, director of RimbaWatch, about what it would take to transition away from fossil fuels—and whether Malaysia is truly on the right path to a sustainable future.

• Homeless lives in the heat: Malaysia is experiencing a Level 1 heatwave, but experts warn that extreme humidity, known as wet-bulb temperature, poses an even deadlier risk by preventing the body from cooling itself. We speak to Dr Victor Hoe, public health specialist from University Malaya about the ways to stay safe. We also hear from Justin Cheah, marketing director of Kechara Soup Kitchen, on the ways this heatwave is affecting the homeless.

• Deadly bus crash claims 15 students: A crash between a bus and a multipurpose vehicle on the Gerik East-West Highway in Perak has claimed 15 lives, sparking renewed concerns over road safety. In response, the Ministry of Transport has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening enforcement on mandatory speed limits, particularly for heavy vehicles. We speak to transport consultant Wan Agyl Wan Hassan to find out if these initiatives are enough.

• Farewell to Sly and Mr Spy: Yesterday saw the deaths of both funk and soul musician Sly Stone and British thriller novelist Frederick Forsyth. The former was best known as the pioneer of 70s funk, mixing socially conscious songwriting with soul and psychedelic sounds while the latter helped define the writing style of thriller novels for generations to come. We discuss their distinct legacies.

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Produced by: Alia Zefri, Juliet Jacobs, Sudais Ferhard, Sneha Harikannan, Tee Shiao Eek

Presented by: Susan Tam, Sharaad Kuttan

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Categories:  controversies,  environment,  Law/Activism,  politics,  international,  culture,  music,  Cars/Motoring,  wellness

Tags:  Sly Stone,  Frederick Forsyth,  thriller novels,  Gerik-East West Highway,  bbc world service,  bbc,  journalism,  press freedom index,  journalist,  70s music,  net zero emissions,  carbon emissions,  heatwave,  homeless people,  humidity,  bus crash,