Charlotte Gallagher

Mutta offscreen, the success and fame that made Matthew Perry a star belied a long and painful struggle with addiction to drugs and alcohol.

The actor was found unresponsive in the hot tub at his home in Los Angeles in 2023. At the time it was widely thought that he was in recovery and no longer actively abusing alcohol or drugs. But the Los Angeles coroner listed the acute effects of ketamine as the primary cause of death along with other health issues.

A major criminal investigation identified a network of dealers, doctors and associates who helped supply Perry in the months leading up to his death with ketamine, a powerful drug typically used only in hospitals as an anesthetic. The desperation that led Perry to these individuals was not met with help, as it should have been from the doctors, but instead it was met with exploitation.

Five people were eventually charged, including Jasveen Sangha. She pled guilty to providing the vials of ketamine that led to Matthew Perry's death. After today's hearing, her lawyer said her sentence was too harsh. My first reaction is I'm bitterly disappointed. This tragic final chapter in the life of Matthew Perry has highlighted the growing problem of ketamine abuse, not just in Hollywood, but around the world.

Pendolino plusjuna kiihdytti asemalta. Hytissä Mikko hymyili uudelle kollegalleen. Ilmassa oli alkavan työystävyyden tuntua, jota varjosti vain kalvava epäilys. Oliko työkaverin nimi sittenkään se, millä Mikko oli häntä koko ajan kutsunut? Vai otakko maanrakoon? Vaihtaa junaa? Vai jopa työpaikkaa? Kaikkia ongelmia ei VRn yrityslippukaan ratkaise. Mutta se joustaa, jotta työmatkoilla olisi vähemmän muredittavaa. VR. Yhteisellä matkalla.

This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Charlotte Gallagher, and at 16 hours GMT on Tuesday, the 31st of March, these are our main stories. The US Defense Secretary has claimed that America is closer than ever to winning the war against Iran, and the Iranians would be wise to make a deal with President Trump.

We're in Lebanon at a displacement center for refugees as Israel says 600,000 people won't be able to return to their homes for the foreseeable future. And we look at the horrific toll of Sudan's civil war on women and girls. Also in this podcast. I hope people leave feeling empowered, excited and that their love for Barbie was reaffirmed.

The Barbie experience that definitely wasn't a dream house.

Iranin sääntö on jatkuvasti, ja presidentin Trumpin tarkoituksista liittyviä ja muuttuneita lainsäädäntöjä, joista moni on varma, mitä USA haluaa saavuttaa ja kun lainsäädäntö loppuu. Ensimmäisenä 12 päivänä Yhdysvaltain puheenjohtaja Pete Hegseth on antanut järjestelmää järjestelmään. Hän sanoi, että Iranin puhe on todella todellinen, aktiivinen ja saavutettava. Jos Iran on helppoa, hän kääntää ratkaisuja.

And just before the US Secretary of Defense spoke at the Pentagon, President Trump said Iran had essentially been decimated. Directing comments at his allies, he also said all of those countries that can't get jet fuel because of the Strait of Hormuz, like the United Kingdom, should get their own oil and start learning how to fight. So does this look like there could be an end to the war? Leila Nafu put that question to our international editor, Jeremy Bowen.

Jeremy Bowen. Israel has said it will destroy all homes in Lebanese villages along its border and keep control of a large swathe of southern Lebanon after the current conflict with Hezbollah ends. The defence minister Israel Katz said more than 600,000 people would be unable to return unless the safety of northern Israeli residents was guaranteed. He drew a parallel with previous Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip.

The authorities in Lebanon say more than a thousand people have been killed and hundreds of thousands displaced by the strikes. Many families not for the first time. Kareen Torby of BBC Arabic is in southern Lebanon in one of the biggest displacement centers.

You can hear more from Lebanon on our YouTube channel. Search for BBC News on YouTube and you'll find the Global News podcast in the podcast section. There's a news story available every weekday. Still to come in this podcast. I think it's going to be fun. I think it's going to be crazy. I think it's going to be unpredictable, but yeah, I think it should be pretty unmissable. The biggest party in European music, Eurovision, is heading to Asia.

The civil war in Sudan has left thousands of civilians dead and displaced millions. But another distressing element of the conflict has been widespread sexual violence against women and girls. Now a report by the medical charity MSF says abuse by armed men has become part of everyday life in the western Darfur region. Darfur is under the control of the paramilitary group, the Rapid Support Forces. Our Africa correspondent, Barbara Petusha,

What did the RSF say? Because I remember in the past, Barbara, you've reported on appalling stories of even tiny children being raped by their fighters.

But concerns about fraud, forged documentation and unethical practices in recent years caused several European states to halt inter-country adoption altogether, or significantly restrict it. Now a growing number of children removed from their countries of origin are returning as adults to uncover their roots. Stephanie is one of them, as she tells Tanja Datta.

Tania Datta, reporting. It was conceived 70 years ago as a way of bringing Europe together. It's got the music, the

Now Eurovision, the world's longest running international music competition, is heading to Asia. Broadcasters from 10 countries in the region have already confirmed they're taking part in the contest. They'll each hold national selections before the final in Bangkok in November. So why the expansion? Rob Lilley-Jones is the host of the EuroTrip podcast. He's been speaking to Leila Nafu.

Rob Lilly-Jones.

And that's all from us for now. If you want to get in touch, you can email us at globalpodcast at bbc.co.uk. You can also find us on X at BBC World Service. Use the hashtag Global News Pod. And don't forget our sister podcast, The Global Story. This edition of the Global News Podcast was mixed by Daniela Varela-Hanandez and the producer was Marion Strawn. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Charlotte Gallagher. Until next time, goodbye.