transcript

Speaker 1:
[00:00] This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Alex Ritson, and in the early hours of Thursday 23rd April, these are our main stories. No deadline for an end to the ceasefire with Iran, according to the White House, but that's not persuaded Iran to end its threats over the Strait of Hormuz. One of the main backers of the Trump family's digital currency venture, World Liberty Financial, has sued the firm for alleged extortion. Also in this podcast.

Speaker 2:
[00:34] Rhetoric around AI become very tense. The existential threat that AI poses to the public, it's definitely causing alarm.

Speaker 1:
[00:43] Public fears about AI, which has been the cause of some violent incidents and attacks in the US. Both the United States and Iran are holding firm to their positions in what is now a standoff in the Strait of Hormuz, the world's busiest oil shipping channel. Iran's president, Massoud Peseshkian, says the US blockade of Iranian ports is a violation of the ceasefire between the two sides. And he's also accused the Trump administration of endless hypocritical rhetoric. In Washington, the White House press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, said the president was satisfied with the naval blockade.

Speaker 3:
[01:23] We are completely strangling their economy through this blockade. They're losing $500 million a day. The Karag Island is completely full. They can't move oil in and out. They can't even pay their own people as a result of this economic leverage that President Trump has inflicted over them.

Speaker 1:
[01:38] Meanwhile, a day after Mr Trump extended indefinitely the US-Iran ceasefire, Iran has again tightened its grip on shipping in the Strait, seizing two cargo ships and attacking a third one. Michelle V. Spockman is a senior maritime intelligence analyst at Windward Shipping. She told the BBC More about why, in particular, these three ships may have been targeted by the Iranians.

Speaker 4:
[02:04] The three vessels all had links to MSC, which is the world's largest container line. And I believe the reason they were seized, you know, the IRGC's modus operandi is to engage in tip-for-tap vessel seizures. And of course, we had the detention of the Iran-flagged container ship Tusca on April 19, and the boarding and detention of other Iran trading tankers in past days. And so we believe that they were targeted because of the perceived links of the owner, Gia Luigi Aponte's perceived links to Israel. So this very much fits in with the directive that they've given that no US or Israel-affiliated ships can go through the strait.

Speaker 1:
[02:45] As many as 2,000 ships are stuck in the Gulf, many of them oil tankers. One of them is captained by Raman Kapoor and his crew of 23.

Speaker 5:
[02:54] We are stuck here ever since the war started on 28 February. The main concern is a lack of clarity on how long we remain here. My message to the authorities would be as a ship captain, I urge to prioritise de-escalation. Let's keep the seas open for trade and humanity. We the seafarers keep the world connected. Please protect us.

Speaker 1:
[03:17] The stalemate has pushed up the price of oil and gas worldwide, but it has also worsened the economic situation inside Iran, which was already suffering from years of economic mismanagement and international sanctions. Our chief international correspondent, Lise Doucet, is in Tehran. She's reporting from Iran on condition that none of her material is used on the BBC's Persian service. Similar restrictions apply to all international media organisations operating there. She told me that Iran remains defiant despite the economic pain caused by the war.

Speaker 6:
[03:52] There is no doubt that Iran is suffering economically. We can see it, we can hear it here in Tehran. People tell us of the job losses, of the price rises. Economists are warning of... Even one economist said a staggering 72% inflation. But Iran's leaders will not capitulate. President Trump used to wonder why Iran hadn't surrendered when it was defeated militarily. Iran doesn't think it lost that war for all of the destruction to its military capabilities and it will not capitulate it because of the economic pain.

Speaker 1:
[04:30] Surely though, cutting off their main revenue source, the oil by shutting the Strait of Hormuz for the Americans, in the end, they're going to run out of money, aren't they?

Speaker 6:
[04:42] They seem to think that they can outlast the Americans on this one. And we do understand that behind the scenes, behind this escalating war of words, there are discussions to that effect. President Trump keeps saying that he's satisfied with the naval blockade, but Iran has shown time and again its ability to absorb pain, and it is not going to surrender on this one. President Trump talks of a fractured system in Iran, that they can't come to a unified position. Yes, we have seen some tactical differences emerging in some of the contradictory statements in media outlets here, including those linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, but from what we understand is that when it comes to big strategic issues, and the fate of that strait is one of them, there is a broad consensus. Iran is not going to give it up during these negotiations. It sees it as a key bargaining chip, one of its main levers, and this is something then we'll have to deal with later. It also doesn't want to give it up in the long term. So while it keeps saying we will completely open it once the US lifts its naval blockade, there's also caveats saying the routes will be coordinated and monitored by Iran. This is not, it is now a short term problem, but in the future it will be a long term problem too, that not just Iran and the United States, but the world will have to contend with.

Speaker 1:
[06:11] You're in Iran, you're speaking to real people. What are they making of this?

Speaker 6:
[06:15] We really get the feeling, talking to Iranians, they are living day by day. This young architect we spoke to called it the lipstick effect. You try to find nice things, if you can afford nice things, to try to get through the day. They're exhausted by years of failed nuclear talks, by those spiralling prices, by the international sanctions, by the tightening security and surveillance, by the restrictions on their lives. So they just get on with it until there is some resolution. And we're really struck that when we go around asking people about, are you hopeful the ceasefire will hold? People say to us, no, we want more war. Tonight we were at one of those nighttime gatherings where people come out into the main squares every night at the call of the government to show solidarity, to show defiance. And one man said, I want to continue to inflict more pain on Israel and the United States. And then earlier in the day at a cafe, a rather trendy cafe, one man said to us, I want more war because I want to bring down this government. So this there's a churn of emotions for Iranians, but it's absolutely clear they are suffering from this crisis. They want the sanctions to be lifted. They want to get on with their lives. Right now, they see no end to this crisis.

Speaker 1:
[07:43] Liz Doucette in Tehran. Despite reported violations, Lebanon and Israel are in talks to extend the 10-day ceasefire with a second round of negotiations between their ambassadors on Thursday in Washington. The ceasefire followed six weeks of devastating conflicts between Israel and the Iranian-backed armed group Hezbollah. The Lebanese health authorities say that more than 2,100 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes, and over a million, or roughly one in five, of the country's population have been displaced. Jon Donnison has more.

Speaker 7:
[08:19] So these preliminary talks, about talks, are due to get underway on Thursday in Washington, but I don't think there is really any great grounds for optimism at the moment. For starters, really, the fighting during this ceasefire has never really stopped entirely. Israel has continued to carry out strikes on Hezbollah targets, and to some extent, Hezbollah has been firing back, even if it is in a more reduced way than before the ceasefire. And secondly, the two sides seem to be really quite far apart. So we've heard today that the Lebanese president is demanding that once again, that Israel fully withdraws its forces. There are thousands of Israeli troops occupying southern Lebanon. He wants them to withdraw to the internationally recognized borders, in other words, back to Israel. And really, the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has given no indication that he is ready to do that. So the Lebanese president had also said that he might be looking for an extension to the ceasefire, which is due to expire on Sunday evening. And that really might be the best that we can get out of these talks, that the ceasefire continues at least in some fashion, even if it's not an incomplete ceasefire, it continues to buy more time for talking. I think there's no doubt that the Americans do want a deal between Israel and Lebanon. You have to remember, of course, that Hezbollah, Israel's enemy in this, they're not even involved in these talks. But the Americans do want to deal because getting a deal here in Lebanon is also part of getting a more long-term peace deal with Iran because the Iranians in those negotiations have been insisting that there has to be a complete ceasefire in Lebanon as well. So I guess it's positive that these talks are happening, but as I say, no great grounds for optimism.

Speaker 1:
[10:27] John Donnison in Jerusalem. President Trump has been a staunch supporter of cryptocurrencies. World Liberty Financial is the most prominent of several lucrative crypto businesses co-founded by the Trump family in recent years. But now one of World Liberty's billionaire backers, Justin Sun, is suing the company. World Liberty denies any wrongdoing. Our North America technology correspondent, Lily Jamali, is following the story.

Speaker 8:
[10:57] World Liberty Financial is a firm that was set up by the Trump family in 2024. Interesting timing because that was just a couple of weeks before the US presidential election. It was President Trump and his sons, plus the son of Steve Witkoff, who is now Trump's Middle East envoy. And World Liberty Financial is basically a cryptocurrency company, which is not something a lot of presidential candidates would set up, given that crypto is the threat to the dominance of the US dollar, but it can also be used, not always, but sometimes for shady things like drug trafficking and money laundering and the list goes on. This was the firm that went on to launch the Melania coin and the Trump coin, which members of our audience have probably heard about.

Speaker 1:
[11:40] So, what's the crux of the lawsuit and who has the upper hand?

Speaker 8:
[11:44] This lawsuit was filed right here in San Francisco in federal court, Justin Sun, the crypto billionaire. He's accusing World Liberty Financial of hatching a scheme to unlawfully seize tokens, crypto tokens, which he says he bought from the company for north of $40 million. He also alleges that the company froze all of his tokens, blocking him from selling them, basically locking him into this investment, which obviously helps boost the price of the coin. He is effectively claiming extortion, saying that they had this good relationship, things turned sour when he didn't want to invest in a different product, that they were selling and World Liberty Financial, as you say, denying wrongdoing. Who has the upper hand is a really good question. I mean, certainly, if he can prove these extortion claims, he has the upper hand, but at the same time, you have to think that the Trump family is going to really dig in its heels and fight this to the end.

Speaker 1:
[12:37] Yeah, the Trump family has reportedly made millions from World Liberty Financial, but Mr. Sun is not the only investor to lodge a complaint about the company.

Speaker 8:
[12:47] That's right. And this venture has really drawn controversy from not just some investors, but all kinds of critics who say that this is enabling President Trump to sell influence. You may remember last year, there was this crypto dinner that was hosted by the president at one of his personal properties, where for the first time, you could actually see who was invested in this thing because it was completely cloaked. We had no idea until you could see the people in the line. And it was around that time that Justin Sun made clear he was actually the biggest holder of the firm's so-called Trump coin. Interestingly, the top US securities regulator dropped an investigation into this very same person last year once President Trump took office. So in terms of leverage, like it or not, the Trump family, President Trump controls all of these government agencies, including the US. Securities and Exchange Commission. And so I think something to watch is, will he leverage that control to punish Mr. Sun as this lawsuit plays out?

Speaker 1:
[13:47] Briefly, any word from the Trumps?

Speaker 8:
[13:49] The Trump family calling this a baseless set of allegations, kind of resorting to some personal attacks against Mr. Sun, but effectively denying that there was any wrongdoing here.

Speaker 1:
[14:00] Lily Jamali in San Francisco. Artificial intelligence seems to be meeting some resistance in the US, at times even a violent one, a Molotov cocktail thrown at the home of the open AI boss Sam Altman, for example. Miranda Nazzaro is a tech reporter with the Hill website and has been writing about the incidents of pushback against AI. She told the BBC what people are worried about.

Speaker 2:
[14:28] Data centres is a large part of the pushback, so I would say it's definitely multiple factors. So when you talk about data centres, you're obviously talking a lot about the effects on the environment, as well as the effects on any one community that you are to put a data centre in. It obviously takes up a lot of physical room, but you're also looking at concerns around workforce, what AI will do to the economy, and overall just human intelligence or human capability. So data centres do tend to take a lot of the brunt simply because they're something I think that constituents right now, as well as state legislators and governors, feel as if they can control this because it's something in the immediate future, whereas concerns about workforce, economy, they're a little bit harder to actually wrap your head around and do something tangible about it right now. I think what people are concerned about is that this is just the beginning of what could be a trend. We've seen rhetoric around AI become very, very tense. People talking about the existential threat that AI poses to the public. And I think that rhetoric is getting into hands of people who want to take violent actions. I would say a lot of the advocacy against AI is nonviolent. Most of the biggest groups you see tell me that they're frustrated by the violence because they don't feel it represents the whole picture. But I think the incident sort of sparked a wake up call for a lot of people of, oh, wow, we've been talking a lot about these threats. We've been hearing industry pushback as well against regulations. They want to innovate and innovate. But it's clear these tensions are reaching new highs. So even though we're not seeing this as a major wide trend of violence, I think it's definitely causing alarm and also starting the blame game as to who is responsible for these tensions right now.

Speaker 1:
[16:24] Miranda Nazzaro at The Hill. Scientists say that the hay fever season is lasting even longer than the spring and summer months, up to two weeks longer than 30 years ago because of climate change. The research published in the Lancet Public Health Journal also found that rising temperatures have caused a higher risk of heat-related deaths, food insecurity and drought in parts of Europe. Here's our health correspondent Dominic Hughes.

Speaker 9:
[16:53] Around one in five people will be familiar with the itchy eyes, sneezing, runny nose and headache associated with a pollen allergy, known more commonly as hay fever. On warm, dry, windy days, pollen, mostly from grass and trees, is spread through the air. In Europe this is usually between late March and September. But now scientists say that climate change is shifting the flowering season of plants that release allergenic pollen. When researchers looked at the timing and intensity of the birch, alder and olive tree pollen season, they found it was starting one to two weeks earlier than previous studies in the 1990s. And it's not just hay fever. The report focuses on the broader impact of climate change on health in Europe. And according to Professor Joachim Rockloff from the University of Heidelberg, there are clear signs that a warming climate presents real dangers.

Speaker 10:
[17:45] What we see in the report is that we have about a doubling of deaths from heat. And we have 300% increase in the days when extreme heat levels, heat populations and deaths go up. So we see very strong patterns in this report.

Speaker 9:
[18:07] The report's authors warn that climate change, from warmer temperatures to more mosquito-borne diseases and worse air pollution, is placing the health of millions of people at risk, not in a distant future, but today.

Speaker 1:
[18:19] Dominic Hughes. Still to come in this podcast.

Speaker 11:
[18:25] The ingestion of the soil may bring some microorganisms, such as fungi or bacteria, that could rebalance the microbiome that can be disrupted by junk food.

Speaker 1:
[18:36] The monkeys of the Rock of Gibraltar eating soil to counteract the ill effects of snacks left over from tourists. This is the Global News Podcast. China's immense oil reserves have put it in an enviable position during the fuel crisis caused by the war in Iran. But the ripple effect of a global economic slowdown is now causing pain on the factory floors of the world's biggest exporter. Our China correspondent, Laura Bicker, reports from the world's biggest trade fair in Guangzhou.

Speaker 12:
[19:21] In the back streets of China's manufacturing heartland, it is clear why Beijing is pushing so hard for a cease-fire in Iran. We've come to an area that is the world's largest textile supplier. There are rolls of fabric being transported all around me, onto the backs of carts, onto motorbikes, onto lorries, all to be shipped around the world. But there's a problem. The price of this fabric has gone up, in some cases by 20 per cent. Why? Because it needs oil to make these fabrics in the form of petrochemicals. Just off the street, in an office filled with cigarette smoke, four local suppliers pour tea into small porcelain cups. They fear they'll have to absorb the extra costs, as clients won't pay higher prices.

Speaker 13:
[20:16] Overall, the number of orders will likely decrease, as the higher the price, the fewer the orders.

Speaker 12:
[20:27] On the other side of town, in the cavernous exhibition halls of the Canton Fair, this city is welcoming buyers from all over the world. Chinese traders show off new gadgets from vacuum cleaners to shiny new espresso machines. This event has long been a barometer for global trade, and this year it's reflecting a world shaped by conflict. Under bright spotlights and an advertisement written in both English and Arabic is one of China's biggest exports, electric vehicles.

Speaker 14:
[21:08] How are you?

Speaker 12:
[21:08] I'm fine, how are you?

Speaker 14:
[21:09] Good, good.

Speaker 12:
[21:10] Why are you here at the Canton Fair?

Speaker 14:
[21:12] We are delegation from Oman Chamber to visit the Canton Fair to find and cooperate with the Chinese company.

Speaker 12:
[21:19] How does the war in the Middle East complicate things for you?

Speaker 14:
[21:22] It's hard, but inshallah, I hope that this is finished, the business is going well, I think so.

Speaker 15:
[21:29] We have factories.

Speaker 16:
[21:31] Yeah, so later...

Speaker 12:
[21:35] Zaheer Al-Khabi spends around 30 minutes negotiating the best price with Alyssa Yan Shan. Are your shipments able to get through right now?

Speaker 16:
[21:43] That's a big challenge for me. Everyone now is waiting to hope the war will finish soon.

Speaker 12:
[21:51] Trader Vera Chen is looking for opportunity amidst all the uncertainty.

Speaker 17:
[21:56] We're still having so many customers from every single other country that are looking for electric cars and very hope we can just sell them as soon as possible. And the demand of electric cars is raising up.

Speaker 12:
[22:12] It's hard to comprehend the scale of this Canton Fair. There's a whole floor full of robots, robots dancing, robots waving. This is a China trying to welcome the world and look to the future. But traders here in Guangzhou and right across the country will be concerned about the fallout from this war and whether it will cause a global recession and affect their ability to sell goods abroad. But within this crisis, some may see an opportunity for President Xi Jinping.

Speaker 18:
[22:45] But he's a very tough negotiator. That's not good. President Xi is a great leader of a great country and I think we're going to have a fantastic relationship for a long period of time.

Speaker 12:
[22:56] Donald Trump will try to negotiate a new trade deal with Mr. Xi when he visits Beijing next month. China has been cautious in its criticisms of US actions in the Middle East. Online, however, China has not been so diplomatic. This AI cartoon, which depicts a warmongering eagle fighting a Persian cat, has been circulating Chinese social media, and not so subtle dig at the Trump administration. This is an outlet of frustration at a distant conflict that's reshaping trade in this nation, which is both at the centre of the global economy, and increasingly at the centre of global power.

Speaker 1:
[23:45] Laura Bicker reporting from Guangzhou in China. The Pentagon says the US Navy's top civilian official, John Phelan, has left the job. No explanation has been given for the sudden departure. Mr Phelan had never served in the military before President Trump nominated him as Secretary of the Navy. He was a major donor to the President's election campaign. His deputy, Hung Cao, who spent decades in the Navy, will take over as Acting Secretary. Several high-ranking military leaders have left the Trump administration in recent months. Our correspondent in Washington, Bernd de Boesman, has more.

Speaker 19:
[24:25] There was no official reason given by the Pentagon's statement earlier, but US media has reported that Secretary Phelan had had kind of a very tense relationship with the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, over many months now, both over personnel issues in the Navy and the Marine Corps, which he also oversaw. But also in terms of where he was going with the Navy, he was a big proponent of what Trump has called his golden fleet, which is essentially a fleet of large battleships, Trump-class battleships, he's called them, and other large vessels. Whereas the Pentagon, in another respect, has kind of aimed to develop more its unmanned capabilities, its submarine fleet. So there was kind of a divergence of opinion there. At the same time, this is very much a surprise, the timing here in Washington. John Phelan was someone who was conceding is very close to President Trump personally. He was a very significant donor during Trump's presidential campaign. And as recently as December, he was with Trump in Mar-a-Lago when he unveiled the Trump-class battleships. But the timing also does raise some questions here in Washington, even though it's an administrative role rather than an operational role, for the secretary of the Navy to be dismissed with no reason given at a time when the Navy and the Marine Corps are so committed to the conflict with Iran. In addition to the conflict against drug trafficking vessels in this hemisphere, it's certainly raising some questions. And there's already been quite a lot of criticism from Democratic lawmakers.

Speaker 1:
[25:54] Burnt to Boosman. A court in Moldova has sentenced an oligarch and former senior politician to 19 years in prison. Vladimir Plahotnuk was found guilty of involvement in the theft of hundreds of millions of dollars from three Moldovan banks, which led to a financial crisis. It prompted a government bailout and street protests. Danny Eberhardt reports.

Speaker 20:
[26:18] It's become known in Moldova as the theft of the century, the spiriting abroad of a billion dollars from banks between 2014 and 15. In one of Europe's poorest nations, that was equivalent to an eighth of the country's entire GDP. Vladimir Plachotnouk, once Moldova's richest man and a key power broker, was said to have made tens of millions himself. He's now been found guilty of fraud, money laundering and leading a criminal organization. The court ordered the seizure of 60 million dollars of his assets. Plachotnouk had fled Moldova seven years ago when the party he led and which ran the country lost power. He was extradited from Greece last year. The tycoon called the trial political retaliation. He plans to appeal. Plachotnouk has been sanctioned by the United States, the European Union and Britain.

Speaker 1:
[27:10] Danny Aberhart. Researchers believe monkeys in Gibraltar have found a cure for the upset stomachs they suffer after eating sweet and salty snacks they've been given by, or steal from, tourists. It's soil, according to a team from Cambridge University. Wendy Urquhart reports.

Speaker 15:
[27:32] There are more than 200 macaque monkeys in Gibraltar and legend has it that British rule will end if they ever leave. Over the years, tourists have been feeding them all sorts of rubbish so the macaques have actually become addicted and they're anything but shy. If you happen to be walking past them eating ice cream or chocolate, you better look out because they'll dive on you to get their hands on human food. The problem is their digestion can't handle junk food which can cause stomach ache, nausea and diarrhea. Unlike us, they turned to instinct rather than the local chemist to treat their symptoms and started eating the red soil that the territory has in abundance. Dr Sylvian Lemoine, one of the researchers from Cambridge University who's looking into why the macaques eat dirt, says it actually makes a lot of sense.

Speaker 11:
[28:22] The main soil which has been observed to be consumed by the macaques is this red clay called terra rossa containing high levels of iron and probably kaolin as well, which are known to absorb toxins and tannins in other spaces. The ingestion of the soil may bring some microorganisms such as fungi or bacteria that could rebalance the microbiome that can be disrupted by junk food.

Speaker 15:
[28:48] The macaques are not the only primates to eat soil. Some birds have also been seen chewing on it. But what's fascinating is that the macaques were able to identify what would make them feel better purely by instinct. And if they're staying healthy, it's unlikely they'll be leaving Gibraltar any time soon.

Speaker 1:
[29:08] Wendy Urquhart reporting. And that's all from us for now. If you want to get in touch, you can email us at globalpodcast.bbc.co.uk. You can also find us on X at BBC World Service. Use the hashtag globalnewspod. And don't forget our sister podcast, The Global Story, which goes in depth and beyond the headlines on One Big Story. This edition of the Global News Podcast was mixed by Sid Dundon and the producer was Muzaffar Shaqir. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Alex Ritson. Until next time, goodbye.