Trump warns 'clock is ticking' for Iran

Summary

Global News Podcast – Trump Warns ‘Clock is Ticking’ for Iran

Date: May 18, 2026
Host: Alex Ritson (BBC World Service)

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on escalating tensions between the US and Iran, following renewed threats from President Trump over stalled peace negotiations. Key issues include Trump’s latest warning, the political strategy behind his rhetoric, regional ripple effects, the sharp rise in executions in Iran, the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, anti-Christian attacks in Jerusalem, and debates about street preaching in the UK.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. US-Iran Tensions: Trump’s Warning (00:00–05:43)

• Main Story:
  President Trump issued a stark warning to Iran via Truth Social, stating:

  “For Iran, the clock is ticking and they better get moving fast or there won't be anything left of them… TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE.” (00:49)

• Political Context:
  • US patience is wearing thin over Iran’s reluctance to turn the current ceasefire into a full peace deal to end the war with the US and Israel.
  • Senator Lindsey Graham indicated potential further attacks, stating Iran’s energy infrastructure is a potential target:

    “What President Trump has done has been amazing militarily, but there's still more targets to be had… If you go back to the fight, I put energy on top of the list. Hurt them more, maybe they'll make a deal if you hurt them enough.” (01:37)

• Analysis from Washington – Joel Gunter:
  • Cautions against taking Trump’s escalation at face value, referencing past instances where Trump has threatened but then backed down.

    “...It echoes that terrible threat he made last month that he was going to wipe the entire Iranian civilization off the planet… That was a threat that he, of course, backed down from. He may do the same here.” (02:37)

  • Suggests threats are part of a “maximum pressure” campaign aimed as much at domestic US audiences as at Iran:

    “There is a feeling that perhaps he doesn't have much more left in negotiating terms, apart from these threats of military force… Most people are far more concerned about the sky-high prices at the gas pump, rising prices at grocery stores than they are about the future possibility of Iran developing a nuclear weapon.” (03:43–04:45)

• Diplomacy & China:
  • Some speculation Trump sought Chinese help to pressure Iran. Outcome: China noncommittal, “nothing you could really hang your hat on.” (04:51–05:43)

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2. Regional Security Escalation: Drone Strikes and Diplomacy (05:43–07:23)

• Iran’s Proxy Attacks:
  • Iran previously tried to involve Gulf neighbors via drone strikes.
  • Saudi Arabia intercepted drones from Iraqi airspace; UAE investigating a drone attack at a nuclear power plant.
• Nuclear Risk:
  • International Atomic Energy Agency condemns military action near nuclear sites.
• Khasra Naji (BBC Persian):
  • UAE-Iran relations described as “at rock bottom” after Iran launched over 3,000 missiles and drones at the UAE during the conflict.

    “This is the latest. I suppose this is a message from Iran, if Iran is behind it, that UAE should not get involved in this war any further.” (06:26)

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3. Human Rights Crisis: Surge in Executions in Iran (07:23–11:43)

• UN & Amnesty Reports:
  • 2025 saw the highest number of executions in four decades, with over 2,000 put to death in Iran—double the previous year. Many were political prisoners.
• Personal Testimonies:
  • Audio from Mehrab Abdul Azadeh from death row:

    “From the very first day of my arrest, they forced confessions out of me through torture and threats… God knows it that I am innocent.” (08:19) “A condemned person can only find a sliver of peace after 1am… sleep for two or three hours.” (08:38)

  • His mother pleads for his life before his execution is announced.
• Amnesty International’s Assessment (Naseem Papayani):

  “The authorities weaponize the death penalty as a tool of political repression to instill fear among the population and essentially crush and stifle any dissent…” (09:31)

• UN Warnings (Firmin Al Khaitan):

  “People are being charged on vague laws and texts and executed, often also in expedited processes. Many individuals, including children, are still at risk of execution.” (10:36)

• Another Case:
  • Irfan Shakuzadeh, 29, executed for “spying for the US and Israel,” confessed under torture after eight and a half months’ solitary confinement. Executed May 2026.
  • Iranian authorities give no comment to BBC on the executions or torture claims.

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4. Ebola Outbreak in Central Africa (11:43–16:34)

• Growing Crisis:
  • DRC Ebola outbreak: ~300 suspected cases, 80+ deaths; Rwanda tightens border. Spread to Uganda.
• Source of Outbreak:
  • DRC Health Minister (Samuel Roger Kamba): outbreak escalated after a body was repatriated to a mining town, accelerating transmission.
• Challenges (James Gallagher, BBC Health Correspondent):
  • Unusual Ebola species, hard to detect; slow diagnostic response.
  • Regional instability and border crossing complicate contact tracing.
  • No proven vaccines or treatments for this strain.
  • Ongoing cultural beliefs, including superstition and distrust of medical authorities, impede containment.

    “It took more sophisticated analysis… so that has slowed the response. …You're trying to overturn lots of deep seated beliefs and concerns and distrust in medical professionals.” (13:27–15:07)

• Global Risk:
  • WHO declared a public health emergency of international concern but not a global pandemic threat at this time.

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5. Anti-Christian Harassment in Jerusalem (16:47–21:35)

• Rising Attacks:
  • Recent violent attack on a French Catholic nun by an Israeli settler went viral.
  • Church leaders, clergy, and congregations warn such incidents are becoming daily occurrences.
• Father Olivier Poquillon:

  “Having one of us victim of that wasn't a surprise. ...But the level of violence was totally unexpected. ...She has to refrain from working in the Old City.” (18:02)

• Wider Pattern:
  • Attacks, insults, and vandalism against Christians in Jerusalem, West Bank, and southern Lebanon.
• Israeli Parliament Committee:
  • Knesset member Gilad Kariv:

    “Christian families are afraid to come to the Old City of Jerusalem. This is a situation we must not accept.” (19:08)

• Community Testimony (Jizka Hourani):

  “There are three roads to making this change. …If the police doesn't take it seriously, and it's not really the police, it's the government. ...And the third thing is the visibility of Christians in the public space.” (20:42)

• Judicial Response:
  • Colleagues of attacked nun concerned about the outcome of the suspected attacker’s trial.

    “The political climate is not helping since there may be a feeling of impunity from perpetrators of crimes.” (21:17)

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6. Ukraine War: Drone Attacks Escalate (21:35–23:49)

• Kremlin Response:
  • Large-scale Ukrainian drone attacks hit Moscow region, including residential buildings and oil facilities. Russian counter-attacks strike Odessa.
• Public Sentiment (Steve Rosenberg):
  • Russian civilians increasingly feel the war’s impact at home.

    “No one expects this to happen, he says. It's terrifying… For a long time, many Russians tried to put what was happening in Ukraine out of their minds… That’s becoming much harder to do.” (22:03)

  • Despite this, Kremlin shows no sign of reducing aggression toward Ukraine.

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7. Policing and Royal Security Incident in the UK (23:49–25:03)

• Windsor Castle Security Lapse:
  • Several police officers under investigation for allegedly leaving posts or sleeping on duty.
• Royal Response:
  • King Charles was informed; no public comment so far from Buckingham Palace.

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8. Debate: Street Preaching in the UK (25:03–29:16)

• Colchester Case:
  • Police called to stop evangelical church street preaching allegedly telling passersby they were “going to hell.” Church claims message is of love.
• Public Opinion (Vox pops):
  • Mixed, ranging from tolerance (“Let the people do what they want to do,” 26:10) to annoyance (“I don't think this is the place for it.” 26:25).
• Legal Context (Sam Webster, solicitor at Christian Institute):

  “We do have public order legislation …but at the end of the day, it is a defence if the street preacher can show that his conduct was reasonable in all the circumstances.” (26:43)

• Notable Cases:
  • Pastor Mick Fleming recounts police querying his van’s “God so loved the world” message and whether it could be seen as hate speech.

    “But it says loved. I said, so what can be so hateful about that?” (27:37)

  • Lancashire Police say there’s no record this would be treated as a hate crime.
• Practical Evangelism:
  • Ichthus movement and Fleming’s outreach: shift from preaching to practical support, especially amidst poverty and homelessness.

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• President Trump’s warning:

  “For Iran, the clock is ticking and they better get moving fast or there won't be anything left of them… TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE.” (00:49)

• Senator Lindsey Graham on Iran:

  “I put energy [attacks] on top of the list. Hurt them more, maybe they'll make a deal if you hurt them enough.” (01:37)

• Mehrab Abdul Azadeh from death row:

  “From the very first day of my arrest, they forced confessions out of me through torture and threats. They know it and God knows it that I am innocent.” (08:19)

• Naseem Papayani (Amnesty):

  “The authorities weaponize the death penalty as a tool of political repression to instill fear among the population...” (09:31)

• Father Olivier after a nun’s assault in Jerusalem:

  “The level of violence was totally unexpected. …now she has to refrain from working in the Old City.” (18:02)

• Steve Rosenberg, Moscow:

  “For a long time, many Russians tried to put what was happening in Ukraine out of their minds… That’s becoming much harder to do.” (22:03)

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Segment Timestamps

• US-Iran tensions & Trump’s warning: 00:00–05:43
• Drone strikes & regional implications: 05:43–07:23
• Iran executions and Amnesty report: 07:23–11:43
• DRC Ebola outbreak: 11:43–16:34
• Anti-Christian attacks in Jerusalem: 16:47–21:35
• Ukraine-Russia drone escalation: 21:35–23:49
• Windsor Castle police inquiry: 23:49–25:03
• Street preaching in the UK: 25:03–29:16

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Conclusion

This episode provides a comprehensive snapshot of pressing global issues: rising risk of military escalation between Iran and the US, a dire human rights and executions situation in Iran, regional security after drone attacks, the unfolding Ebola crisis in Central Africa, rising religious intolerance in Jerusalem, and debates about civil liberties in the UK. The reporting is nuanced, blending frontline testimony, expert analysis, and voices from affected communities.

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For further details or to contact the BBC World Service, email [e-mail] or use #globalnewspod on X (formerly Twitter).

Transcript

[Alex Ritson]

This is the global news podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Alex Ritson, and in the early hours of Monday, the 18th of May, these are our main stories. President Trump has again issued a warning to Iran amid stalled peace negotiations, saying unless they move fast, there won't be anything left of them. Rwanda is tightening security on its border with the Democratic Republic of Congo amid fears over the potential spread of an Ebola outbreak. The Kremlin responds to Ukraine, Ukraine's biggest drone attack yet on Russia. Also in this podcast, the authorities weaponized

[Naseem Papayani]

the death penalty as a tool of political repression to instill fear among the population and essentially crush and stifle any dissent that there might be.

[Alex Ritson]

Amnesty International says Iran is carrying out more executions than at any time since the 1980s. It's not the first time he's used such words. But if President Trump is to be believed, his patience is running out with Iran to agree to turn the ceasefire into a peace deal and end the war with the United States and Israel. On Sunday, he wrote on his Truth social website, for Iran, the clock is ticking and they better get moving fast or there won't be anything left of them. Then in capital letters, time is of the essence. Mr. Trump's close ally in Congress, the Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, told NBC television's Meet the Press, that Tehran was was testing Washington's patience.

[Firmin Al Khaitan]

President Trump's very frustrated. So what to do next? I think you weaken them further. What President Trump has done has been amazing militarily, but there's still more targets to be had and there's things we can do to hurt their. The energy infrastructure is their soft underbelly. If you go back to the fight, I put energy on top of the list. Hurt them more, maybe they'll make a deal if you hurt them enough. But right now, I think they're trying to wait us out. I think they're playing games, and in the words of the president, I think they're crazy. I think he's right.

[Alex Ritson]

But Mr. Trump's repeated threats to resume attacking Iran appear to have had little impact on the Islamic Republic. It wants a permanent durable ceasefire in Lebanon between its proxy there, Hezbollah and Israel before reaching a deal with the US According to media in Israel, the Prime Minister there, Benjamin Netanyahu, spoke to Mr. Trump on Sunday about the possibility of bombing Iran again. For more on the president's latest warning, I spoke to our correspondent in Washington, Joel Gunter.

[Joel Gunter]

I think it would probably be quite foolish to try and make a prediction either way. Obviously, we've seen him make very similar threats before, only to then back down from them. In fact, the language of this threat is sort of similar. It echoes that terrible threat he made last month that he was going to wipe the entire Iranian civilization off the planet if his demands were not met. That was a threat that he, of course, backed down from. He may do the same here. There is a sense that this is all part of a sort of coordinated maximum pressure campaign to try and bring the Iranians to the table, to try and force them to make concessions, to give President Trump something he can sell as a win in America, where the war is deeply unpopular, becoming more unpopular by the day, and many ordinary Americans are suffering real economic hardship.

[Alex Ritson]

Yeah. And actually that leads to some people suggesting that there are two audiences for this. Yeah, maybe Tehran, but also the audience at home.

[Joel Gunter]

Yeah, absolutely. I mean, on the Tehran side, it's perhaps a little bit more straightforward. He's once again saying that if you don't do what I want, we are going to bomb you to smithereens. It is out of the playbook. There is a feeling that perhaps he doesn't have much more left in negotiating terms, apart from these threats of military force back home in the US A little bit more of a complicated picture because there is certainly a very big constituency that will hear him saying, we're going back to war and be exhausted by that prospect. I don't think people really believe at this point that this military excursion or skirmish or whichever one of the various things Trump has called it over time is bringing something to Americans. I think by and large, the stories you see here is that most people are far more concerned about the sky, high prices at the gas pump, rising prices at grocery stores than they are about the future possibility of Iran developing a nuclear weapon.

[Alex Ritson]

It had looked as though diplomacy was his preferred option, but particularly with the recent visit to China.

[Joel Gunter]

Yeah, that's right. I mean, maybe there was a sense that diplomacy was now the only option. Iran had, apparently, to the surprise of the Trump administration, withstood that joint American Israeli attack, the sort of overthrow of the regime that they thought might happen, that the people might bring about after the initial strikes clearly did not happen and Iran proved itself capable of withstanding the force and also turning to the Strait of Hormuz as a huge leveraging technique. So diplomacy was perhaps the only option. There was some speculation before the trip to China that the Trump administration might try to press China to give them some support to lean on China's long standing ally, Iran. But coming out of that China summit, nothing you could really hang your hat on that. Suggests suggested that China was keen to get involved.

[Alex Ritson]

Joel Gunter in Washington. Before the ceasefire, Iran tried to draw its Gulf neighbors into the war by attacking them with drones. On Sunday, the Defense Ministry in Saudi Arabia said that it had intercepted and destroyed three drones coming from Iraqi airspace, while the United Arab Emirates is investigating the source of a drone strike at a nuclear power plant near Abu Dhabi. Authorities said an electrical generator in the compound was hit, but that no one was hurt and that radiation levels remained normal. The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency said any military activity that threatened nuclear safety was unacceptable. With more, here's BBC Pershing special correspondent Khasra Naji.

[Khasra Naji]

The UAE has just issued a statement saying that three drones were fired towards the nuclear power plant. Two of them were shot down and the third hit the ground within the compound. They're saying that they came from the west of the country. That could be either from Iran or from the Houthis, but obviously the main suspect is Iran and the relations between Iran and the UAE is at rock bottom after the war. And Iran fired about 3,000, according to the UAE, 3,000 missiles and drones at UAE during that time. So things are not going very well with these two countries. And this is the latest. I suppose this is a message from Iran, if Iran is behind it, that UAE should not get involved in this war any further.

[Alex Ritson]

Khasra Najee Amnesty International says the number of executions that took place around the world in 2025 was the highest in more than four decades. The human Rights Campaign group said the rise been driven largely by Iran where more than 2,000 people were put to death, double the number of the previous year. Most were for drug and murder offenses. But Amnesty said there had also been a rise in executions of political prisoners. Caroline Hawley has compiled this report.

[Mehrab Abdul Azadeh]

Hello people of Iran, you are hearing my voice from Urumiyya Central Prison and this may be the last time you hear it.

[Caroline Hawley]

29 year old Mehrab Abdul Azadeh was arrested in 2022 during anti government protests that followed the death of a young woman in police custody. He was accused of being involved in the killing of a member of the security forces.

[Mehrab Abdul Azadeh]

From the very first day of my arrest, they forced confessions out of me through torture and threats. They know it and God knows it that I am innocent.

[Caroline Hawley]

In this recording obtained by the Kurdistan Human Rights Network, he describes the torment of being on death row.

[Mehrab Abdul Azadeh]

A condemned person can only find a sliver of peace after 1am Perhaps letting go of their racing thoughts to sleep for two or three hours.

[Caroline Hawley]

This is his mother wearing a navy headscarf, sitting on a grey sofa, holding in her hand a framed black and white picture of him. She begs for help to save him, saying, he's young, he's innocent, he has dreams ahead of him. But in the early hours of May 3, state media announced his execution. He's one of dozens of political prisoners who've been put to death since the US and Israeli war on Iran began. At least 14 of them were only arrested in January during a nationwide uprising that was crushed with lethal force. Naseem Papayani from Amnesty International says executions are carried out by hanging at dawn.

[Naseem Papayani]

Effectively, people in Iran have been waking up daily. Near daily announcements of executions being carried out. The authorities weaponize the death penalty as a tool of political repression to instill fear among the population and essentially crush and stifle any dissent that there might be.

[Caroline Hawley]

At the end of last month, state run TV ran a report on Sasan Azadvah, a 21 year old karate champion convicted of effective collaboration with the enemy during January's protests. He's seen in the report in handcuffs, apparently confessing to breaking the window of a police car with a stick and asking for petrol to set it on fire. Less than four months after his arrest, he was executed, even though he wasn't officially accused of a lethal crime, which is the threshold for using the death penalty under international law. Firmin Al Khaitan, spokesperson for the UN Human Rights Office, says Iran's increased use of the death penalty to silence political dissent is frightening.

[Firmin Al Khaitan]

We are seeing people who are being charged on vague laws and texts and executed, often also in expedited processes. And many individuals, including children, are still at risk of execution.

[Caroline Hawley]

This is the voice of Irfan Shakuzadeh. He's wearing blue prison uniform and appears in the circumstances, unbelievably calm. He was arrested last year while studying for a master's in satellite technology and accused of spying for the US and Israel. Again, his confession was televised. Erfan Shakhozadeh was 29 when he was executed last Monday. In a letter he wrote from prison obtained by Iranian human rights groups, he says he was subjected to eight and a half months of torture and solitary confinement, and the confession he made was under duress. Iran executed more people in 2025 than at any time since the 1980s, according to the UN, and it fears that the number this year will be even higher.

[Alex Ritson]

Caroline Hawley and the BBC has asked the Iranian authorities to comment on their increased use of the death penalty, including against Sassan Azadvar. And on claims of torture. But it has not received a response. Countries neighbouring the Democratic Republic of Congo, the DRC are watching warily as the authorities in Kinshasa struggle to contain a deadly outbreak of Ebola. There have been about 300 suspected cases and more than 80 deaths so far. The virus has also been recorded in Uganda. And Rwanda has tightened its border security. Residents near the eastern DRC border city of Goma are reportedly not being allowed to cross into Rwanda. Rafael Casali, who lives in Goma, said that he was scared. I'm afraid like any human being, because we have children at school and they

[James Gallagher]

still come into contact with a lot of people.

[Alex Ritson]

We don't really know who they might be around or play with. Once they come home, they can infect the whole family. In his latest address, the DRC's health minister, Samuel Roger Kamba, gave an update on how the outbreak seems to have begun.

[James Gallagher]

People in the community said it was witchcraft. Now we realize that the first person fell ill in late April and died. The body was repatriated to a nearby town. It was the return of this body to a mining area with a large population that caused the Ebola outbreak to escalate.

[Alex Ritson]

I asked our health correspondent James Gallagher how worrying the situation is.

[James Gallagher]

There's a lot going on here that makes it a more difficult and challenging outbreak than many others. One of them is that is a different species of Ebola to the ones that we're normally used to dealing with.

[Pastor Mick Fleming]

This.

[James Gallagher]

This one has only cropped up in two outbreaks before, hasn't been seen for more than a decade. So when doctors were doing blood tests on patients, they're using the latest technology that looks for the most common forms of Ebola. And so patients were coming back negative despite the fact they had it. It took more sophisticated analysis. So that has slowed the response. It's also taking place in a part of the world where there's a lot of people moving across border complicates things like contact tracing. You need to know who every patient that has had Ebola, who they may have passed it on to. And as soon as you introduce multiple countries and a large proportion of the population that don't live in their own homes, they've displaced by conflict in the region. That makes it all incredibly hard. And we're also in the territory of not having a proven effective vaccine or drug treatment for this particular form of eberto 2 lots of it is challenging.

[Alex Ritson]

Why does Ebola seem to be focused on this part of the world so often? This is the 17th outbreak in the DRC?

[James Gallagher]

Yeah. It's all going to come down to where the virus is living in animals. Because this isn't a virus that is principally affecting people. It's an animal infection. It's what's known as an animal reservoir. Principally that's going to be fruit bats, but it can also. Then you can also get into other animal species. And the reason why DRC is involved in so many of these outbreaks is because that's where people come into contact with the infected animals. As simple as that.

[Alex Ritson]

So many people, to the frustration of the authorities, are going to priests and churches instead of to medical centers. Why is it, after all this time, why is the message still struggling to get through?

[James Gallagher]

I think you have to remember that when it comes to Ebola, there's been years of prejudice and superstition and discussions around things like witchcraft involved in it. You know, you're trying to overturn lots of deep seated beliefs and concerns and distrust in medical professionals. And that is a lot to overcome. And in some cases you also have lots of cultural things that it goes against as well, such as like burial processes, all these little things that are additional challenges in terms of trying to contain Ebola in something like this. I do think it's worth mentioning though, that even if you were to look back to the 2014-2016 outbreak of Ebola, this time in West Africa that affected nearly 30,000 people and was a huge issue for the countries and areas that evolved, I do think it's worth just being reassuring though, that despite the fact the World Health Organization has declared this a public health emergency of international concern, that doesn't mean we're in the early stages of a Covid style pandemic. It means that the scale of the problem needs a international response to it. But that doesn't mean the whole world is under threat. If we were to go cast our minds back to 2014, there were only a handful of cases that appeared in other parts of the world, and they were mostly in volunteer health workers who had traveled to the region to help out.

[Alex Ritson]

James Gallagher. Still to come in this podcast.

[Naomi Wellings]

Good afternoon, people of Oxford Street. People may cry out to God and saying, why is there so much suffering in this world? Why is there so much pain?

[Alex Ritson]

When does street preaching become a nuisance worthy of police attention? This is the global news podcast. Last Wednesday, a committee in the Israeli parliament met to discuss rising attacks and harassment of Christians in Jerusalem. This followed a violent attack on a Catholic nun by an Israeli settler a few weeks ago. Insults, vandalism of churches and being spat on have become daily occurrences for Christians in Jerusalem. And members of the clergy and congregations warn it is getting worse. Ione Wells reports from Jerusalem.

[Ione Wells]

The Christian community here in Jerusalem was shocked recently when a video went viral of a man pushing a French Catholic nun to the ground and kicking her in the Old City. It took place on Mount Zion near a site Jews believe is King David's tomb and Christians believe is the site of the Last Supper. The Suspect is a 36 year old Israeli settler called Yona Simcha Schreiber. The nun was a researcher here at the French School of Biblical and Archaeological Research in Jerusalem. Its director, Father Olivier Poquillon, says the attack was a shock but not a surprise.

[Father Olivier Poquillon]

Having one of us victim of that wasn't a surprise. It arriving unfortunately on a daily basis. But the level of violence was totally unexpected. And this is showing. This is a new step in what we are facing. Physically speaking, she was very lucky. But psychologically speaking, she's still under shock and now she has to refrain from working in the Old City.

[Ione Wells]

Over the past month, anti Christian incidents have also occurred in the west bank and southern Lebanon, where an Israeli soldier was photographed smashing up a crucifix and another holding a cigarette to a statue of the Virgin Mary. The soldiers involved in these incidents were given military detention. This week, Jerusalem church leaders urged Israel to address rising hate crimes against Christians. At a committee in Israel's parliament, the Knesset, Gilad Kariv, chair of the Israeli Immigration, Absorption and Diaspora Committee, called the attack on the nun terrorism.

[James Gallagher]

There are about 200,000 Christian citizens in the State of Israel. Christian families are afraid to come to the Old City of Jerusalem. This is a situation we must not accept.

[Ione Wells]

An Israeli police commander in the Old City said his force was doing everything possible to allow people of all faiths to go about their lives. The hearing happened the day before Jerusalem Day, when Israel celebrates its capture and annexation of east Jerusalem in 1967. Here, crowds of mostly religious nationalist youth waving Israeli flags parade through this predominantly Palestinian area and the Muslim quarter of the Old City. At times they sang insults to Arabs and attacked and vandalized shops. Most of the harassment was directed at Palestinians in the Muslim quarter, but the Christian areas were targeted too.

[Jizka Hourani]

Now there was this group here of Ethiopian Jewish girls who learned from us it was interesting because they were open curiously to what we had to say. They heard, they learned about the Armenians, about the Armenian genocide, and then the smaller girl said, are they Christians so they should die?

[Ione Wells]

The Religious Freedom Data center, who run a hotline for anti Christian harassment set up an educational stall in the Armenian Christian quarter of the Old City. Its founder, Jizka Hourani, said in 2025, their hotline received 181 reports of anti Christian harassment, but that this is likely an underestimate. Jizka says often some of the anti Christian attitudes among some extremist Jewish communities comes from the bloody history between Jews and Christians.

[Jizka Hourani]

There are three roads to making this change. You have to understand that history does not die out, but there's present. We live in the 21st century. Secondly, enforcement. If the police doesn't take it seriously, and it's not really the police, it's the government. And the third thing is the visibility of Christians in the public space.

[Ione Wells]

Back at the school of the nun who was attacked in Jerusalem, her colleagues are closely watching the outcome of the suspect's upcoming trial. Father Olivier hopes justice will be served to set an example.

[Father Olivier Poquillon]

The political climate is not helping since there may be a feeling of impunity from perpetrators of crimes. So we are really monitoring the enforcement of the laws and we will see the outcome of the judiciary process.

[Alex Ritson]

That report from Jerusalem was from Ione Wells. Russia has attacked Ukraine's southern Odessa region overnight, with local officials saying residential buildings and schools have been hit. It comes after Kyiv launched a major drone offensive that reached the Moscow region, prompting people in the capital to feel the threat Ukrainians have been living under for four years. Our Russia editor, Steve Rosenberg reports.

[Steve Rosenberg]

In the skies around Moscow, it's becoming a familiar sight. Ukrainian drones. But this was one of the largest drone attacks the Moscow region has come under. Residential blocks were hit. An oil facility too. What preceded this was one of the heaviest Russian drone and missile attacks on Kyiv, on the edge of Moscow. We saw for ourselves some of the drone damage. No one had been injured here, but at least three people were killed in the Moscow area. Some of these residents were shocked to find themselves on the front line. Yevgeny heard the drone hit the block of flats. No one expects this to happen, he says. It's terrifying. Lev blames Europe for supporting Ukraine. We should send a few drones in your direction, he tells me, so that you stop sending them against us. For a long time, many Russians tried to put what was happening in Ukraine out of their minds and pretend that the war there is happening so far away and doesn't affect them. That's becoming much harder to do. It's not just Moscow. Recently, Ukraine has been launching long range strikes on many parts of Russia and penetrating air defenses. It was fear of drone attacks that led to last weekend's Victory Day parade on Radio Red Square being scaled back with fewer soldiers and no military hardware. But after these strikes deep inside Russia, there is no sign from the Kremlin of any scaling back on its war on Ukraine.

[Alex Ritson]

Steve Rosenberg Here in the uk, a number of police officers who protect members of the Royal family at Windsor Castle are under investigation for allegedly leaving their posts unattended or being asleep while on duty. The residence of King Charles and Queen Camilla, which is just outside London, is an area of high security. On Sunday, Ellie Price sent this report from Windsor.

[Ellie Price]

In a statement, a police spokesperson said the alleged behaviour falls below the high standards expected of officers, particularly in the frontline protective roles. We also understand they're assessing whether any of those officers under investigation investigation should be placed on restricted duties. We understand that that decision will be taken by the end of the week. Windsor is, of course, one of the busiest of the Royal residences. It played a big part in the four state visits that happened last year, not least the one that President Trump came to town. And of course, the Prince and Princess of Wales live in the broader Windsor Great Park. So this whole area is an area of heightened security. Now, the Royal standard, the big flag that flies on top of the castle, is his flying today, suggesting that the King is here today at Windsor. We understand he was informed of the allegations and the investigation, but so far there's been no comment from Buckingham Palace.

[Alex Ritson]

Ellie Price, A blessing or a nuisance? Street preachers can be found in many parts of the world talking about their faith and hoping to convince others to believe. But in the English city of Colchester, the local council has called in the police to stop an evangelical church from preaching on the street. The Bread of Life Community Church allegedly told passersby they were going to hell, though the church maintains its preaching a message of God's love. So what do the British public think? The BBC's Naomi Wellings has been out in London to sample views and hear from street preachers themselves.

[Naomi Wellings]

Good afternoon, people of Oxford. Street people may cry out to God and saying, why is there so much suffering in this world? Why is there so much pain?

[Sam Webster]

Wainike and his team from Open Air Campaigners Ministries illustrate their messages on a board and, unlike some other speakers, don't use any amplification. Yet, as relatively low key as they are, there are mixed views on whether this kind of activity has a place in public.

[Alex Ritson]

I don't think it's appropriate.

[Naomi Wellings]

Let the people do what they want to do. Give them the freedom to choose.

[Alex Ritson]

You know, I don't really mind what people do on the street.

[Father Olivier Poquillon]

They can do what they want.

[James Gallagher]

I shook his hand and said, thank you very much for doing this, because

[Alex Ritson]

I'm pleased that he's doing it. As a Christian, I'm really happy for that.

[Pastor Mick Fleming]

I don't think this is the place

[Alex Ritson]

for it and it does annoy me sometimes that they do it.

[Sam Webster]

But how does the Lord judge what's inappropriate or offensive? Sam Webster, a solicitor based at the Christian Institute, has been advising street evangelists for more than two decades now.

[James Gallagher]

We do have public order legislation that addresses the question of threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour. But at the end of the day, it is a defence if the street preacher can show that his conduct was reasonable in all the circumstances.

[Sam Webster]

His organisation wrote a street preachers Charter last year to help guide preachers about both their rights and their responsibilities where cases have arisen.

[James Gallagher]

Well, firstly, with police forces, there can be a misconstruing of what public order legislation says. So the mere fact somebody has complained to the police and has said that they're offended by something that's been said, but invariably later it's found, you know, the street preacher has not broken the law.

[Pastor Mick Fleming]

A little, like, Facebook post about it, and I was so shocked, it went right around the world.

[Sam Webster]

Pastor Mick Fleming from Burnley, his ministry on the streets sees him drive around in a van which spells out his message.

[Pastor Mick Fleming]

So on the back of my van is John 3:16, which says, For God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son. Whoever believes in him will have eternal life. So it's like a gospel message. And I was stopped by a policeman and he sort of said to me, you know, if somebody complained about that, so in the wrong context, you know, that could be seen as hate speech. And I said, but it says loved. I said, so what can be so hateful about that? And he said, I'm just saying, if someone complained, we'd have to come and speak to you about it.

[Sam Webster]

Lancashire Police has no record of this and says it wouldn't view it as a hate crime.

[Naomi Wellings]

Three hot chocolates.

[Sam Webster]

Stephen McArdle and his team from the Ichthus movement are giving out hot drinks to students outside Greenwich University in southeast London. They rarely preach now, preferring the one to one approach.

[Naomi Wellings]

Well, Lord Jesus, thank you so much for these three guys, Lord.

[Joel Gunter]

Thank you that we bumped into them today.

[Alex Ritson]

And I just pray that they'll be

[Naomi Wellings]

so blessed today, Lord, that your love.

[Sam Webster]

The rain may be beating on the umbrellas, but there's a steady flow of people still stopping to chat and be prayed for.

[James Gallagher]

Some heartwarming that we get this kind

[Alex Ritson]

of like treat after putting the hard work into it.

[Sam Webster]

Pastor Mick Fleming, the street evangelist with the Bible text on his van, says like ics, he doesn't really preach on the streets anymore, working in an area where there's high levels of poverty, addiction and homelessness. The gospel he ministers on the streets is a practical one and he says it's helped many people come to faith.

[Alex Ritson]

Naomi Wellings and that's all from us for now. If you want to get in touch, you can email [e-mail]. you can also find us on X@BBC World Service. Use the hashtag globalnewspod. And don't forget our sibling 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 Muzaffa Shakir. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Alex Ritson. Until next time. Goodbye.