Erstellt am: 20. 10. 2014 - 13:58 Uhr

Kurdish weapons for Kobane

Reality Check: USA arms Kurds; Libya today; Ebola - immunity & vaccine; EU / UK; Russian Baltic Fleet

Kobane weapons drop

The USA now says it’s dropping weapons and other supplies to Kurdish fighters holding out against IS forces in the Syrian border town of Kobane. We try to find out how such an airdrop would work and the difficulties and dangers involved.

Libya: 3 years after Gadaffi

Today marks the 3rd anniversary of the death of Libyan leader, Muamar al-Gaddafi and the country is in a worse state than ever before with a multitude of factions competing for power.

EPA/CYNTHIA GOLDSMITH

An image of the Ebola virus, created by CDC microbiologist Cynthia Goldsmith and made available by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Ebola: Immunity & vaccine

While there is some good news to report on the Ebola front, for example Nigeria has now been declared Ebola-free, the threat posed by the disease continues. Efforts to create a vaccine within a few months are now under way.

EU / UK

Out-going EU Commission president Josè Manuel Barroso is in London today to deliver a major speech. His visit comes as Britain seems to be becoming increasingly isolated from the rest of the EU with British PM Cameron calling into question the free movement of workers within the bloc.

EPA/MARKO SAAVALA SWEDEN

Swedish minesweeper HMS Kullen (L) engaged in a military operation in the Stockholm Archipelago,

Rusian Baltic Fleet

Strange happenings in the fjords of Sweden: Swedish authorities claim to have intercepted a distress signal from a Russian submarine and have issued a very fuzzy picture of a semi-submerged object. While the fuzzy picture was rather reminiscent of sightings of the Loch Ness Monster, espionage in the far north of Europe is no laughing matter.

FM4 Reality Check

Monday to Friday from 12.00 to 14.00, and after the show via Podcast or fm4.orf.at/realitycheck.