Hezbollah rejects Lebanon's ceasefire with Israel

Summary

Global News Podcast (BBC World Service)

Episode: Hezbollah rejects Lebanon's ceasefire with Israel
Date: June 4, 2026
Host: Alex Ritson

---

Overview

In this episode, the Global News Podcast reports on Hezbollah’s outright rejection of a US-brokered ceasefire deal between Israel and Lebanon, examining the political and social dynamics behind the impasse. Other global headlines include a Ukrainian drone strike in Crimea, SpaceX’s historic IPO, the Tiananmen Square anniversary and Taiwan’s call for Chinese reckoning, Fiji’s rejection of foreign waste incineration, FIFA’s contentious water bottle ban, the unveiling of the Obama Presidential Center, and the passing of "Persepolis" author Marjane Satrapi.

---

Main Stories & Key Insights

1. Hezbollah Rejects Lebanon-Israel Ceasefire

• [01:08-05:51]

• Key Points:

  • Hezbollah, backed by Iran, firmly rejected a US-brokered ceasefire agreed between Israel and Lebanese officials.
  • Hezbollah’s chief, Naim Qasim, declared the deal as "surrender and defeat," maintaining their stance until Israeli attacks on Lebanese villages cease.

    "As long as Lebanese villages were being bombed and people were being killed, northern Israel would not be safe and the deal amounted to surrender and defeat." – [Alex Ritson, 02:17]

  • The Lebanese government supports a ceasefire but is seen as powerless without Hezbollah’s consent.
  • Government efforts to empower the Lebanese army in the south have been rebuffed by Hezbollah.
  • Despite ongoing government negotiations, military hostilities persist at a reduced scale.

    "The government is adamant in its position to find a solution, an end to the war, but they have no say on the ground... They are the ones on the ground dictating the situation." – [Leena Sinjab, 03:18]

  • The situation remains unstable, with no clear indication of when or if the ceasefire will take effect.

• Internal Divisions in Lebanon:

  • Growing pressure within Lebanon to end the conflict, especially among those suffering in the south.
  • Nevertheless, Hezbollah retains strong support in the Shia community, who see them as defenders against Israeli aggression.

    "But they feel that Hezbollah is the only one who is able to stand up and not the government." – [Leena Sinjab, 04:27]

  • The Lebanese president calls this a "last chance" for a sustainable solution.

2. Ukraine Strikes Crimea with Drones

• [05:51-08:46]

• Key Points:

  • Ukrainian drone attacks reportedly kill four in Russian-occupied Crimea.
  • Targets appear to include military facilities, although Russian authorities report civilian deaths.
  • This marks the first time local authorities in Simferopol, Crimea’s capital, have publicly acknowledged fatalities from such strikes.

    "What is unusual about this strike is that this is the first instance of the local Moscow-backed authorities publicly reporting fatalities from the region's capital." – [Vitaly Shevchenko, 06:14]

  • The campaign is impacting civilian life, with widespread fuel shortages being reported.

• Ukraine’s EU Accession Talks:

  • The EU initiates steps toward accession talks with Ukraine, a symbolic but mostly procedural milestone.

    "The symbolic or potential symbolic benefits outweigh practical benefits, hugely." – [Vitaly Shevchenko, 07:56]

3. SpaceX Files for Historic Stock Market Flotation

• [08:46-11:04]
• Key Points:
  • SpaceX seeks a $75 billion IPO, potentially setting a new global record.
  • Elon Musk could become the world’s first trillionaire as SpaceX integrates AI, space tech, and telecommunications.
  • The IPO is unique: 33% of shares are set aside for retail investors.
  • Musk’s interconnected companies build infrastructure for space, effectively funding Mars ambitions through today’s commercial tech needs.

    "What he's gotten everyone to do is to pay for the ability to get to Mars by providing all the things that people need today as a foundation for what's about to happen in the future." – [Ray Wang, 10:01]

  • Speculation continues about Musk potentially rolling other ventures (e.g., EchoStar) into SpaceX.

4. Tiananmen Square Anniversary: Taiwan Calls on China to Reckon with the Past

• [11:04-14:37]
• Key Points:
  • Taiwan’s President Lai King De urges China to recognize and reconcile with the events of the 1989 crackdown.

    "He sincerely hoped that China could face up to the incident, acknowledge the truth, soothe the pain and open the door to reconciliation and dialogue." – [Kai Wright, 11:45]

  • US Secretary of State Marco Rubio weighs in: "Censorship cannot erase the past." [13:05]
  • Commemorations are now largely forbidden in China and Hong Kong; remembrance moves to global cities like Berlin, London, and New York.
  • Vigils in Hong Kong suppressed; performance artists met with immediate police intervention.

    "A healthy government and society, in his words, should not use violence, surveillance or other means to strangle the dreams and erase the opinions of a country's citizens." – [Kai Wright, 12:38]

5. Fiji Rejects Foreign Waste Incinerator Project

• [16:11-18:33]
• Key Points:
  • Fiji blocks an Australian proposal to ship and incinerate 900,000 tons of foreign waste annually.
  • The plan faced backlash over environmental, health, and reputational concerns ("waste colonialism").

    "People were worried about what's the impact of this, especially these projects that many people consider sort of like a bit of a colonial legacy." – [Phoebe Hopson, 17:17]

  • The incinerator would have increased Fiji's emissions by a quarter and threatened pristine tourist-driven areas.
  • Such export of waste to the Global South is widespread by richer countries, drawing international criticism.

6. FIFA Bans Fans’ Water Bottles at World Cup over ‘Safety’

• [18:33-21:21]
• Key Points:
  • Days before kickoff, FIFA bans fans from bringing reusable water bottles to stadiums.
  • The sudden reversal is justified as a safety measure against the throwing of bottles, but health experts warn of heat risks—stadiums are in high-temperature zones.

    "This U turn...will increase the risk of heat stress. One scientist described it to me as a reckless rejection of FIFA's duty of care." – [Katie Gornall, 19:15]

  • FIFA promises fair water prices and additional hydration facilities, but criticism continues amid higher overall event costs.

    "A lot of people will look at it and say this is probably price gouging." – [Alex Ritson, 20:17]

  • FIFA insists its priority is the safety of all stakeholders.

7. Obama Presidential Center Set to Open – But Draws Critique

• [21:21-25:12]
• Key Points:
  • The $850 million Obama Presidential Center in Chicago, set to open in two weeks, is unlike predecessors: more a community hub, not an official library.

    "We didn't build the Obama Presidential center to celebrate my ability to bring about change. We did it to unlock yours." – [Barack Obama (clip), 21:40]

  • The building’s aggressive, sculptural design—compared locally to a “Klingon Jail”—has proven divisive.

    "It's been compared to a World War II flak tower. It's a very aggressive, looming, mostly windowless object that now towers above what's a predominantly low income neighborhood." – [Oliver Wainwright, 22:20]

  • Not administered by the National Archives—most records will remain digital.
  • The project may set a precedent for more privately run, monumental presidential memorials (with Trump rumored to have even bigger plans).

8. Marjane Satrapi: Death of the "Persepolis" Author

• [25:12-28:59]
• Key Points:
  • Marjane Satrapi, Iranian-born author and animator, has died at 56.
  • "Persepolis" brought her global acclaim, reflecting the challenges of adolescence in post-revolution Iran.

    "What we wanted to say is, if these people scare you, look closer. They have parents, they have lovers, they have hope, they have stories." – [Satrapi, via Joanna Keane, 26:17]

  • Satrapi was outspoken on issues at home and abroad, declining the French Legion d’Honneur over France’s treatment of Iranian dissidents.
  • Her family attributed her passing to sadness following her husband’s death.
  • French President Macron lauded her as a "remarkable artist who transformed an Iranian childhood into a universal fable." – [Joanna Keane, 28:59]

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Hezbollah’s Power over Lebanese Policy:
  "The government...have no say on the ground...they are the ones on the ground dictating the situation."
  — Leena Sinjab (03:18)
• On Taiwan's Message to Beijing:
  "...acknowledge the truth, soothe the pain and open the door to reconciliation and dialogue."
  — President Lai King De of Taiwan (11:45)
• On SpaceX’s Business Model:
  "What he's gotten everyone to do is to pay for the ability to get to Mars by providing all the things that people need today as a foundation for what's about to happen in the future."
  — Ray Wang (10:01)
• Fiji’s Waste Colonialism Pushback:
  "This idea that you can send non recyclable waste and then burn it sometimes is seen as a bit of a green solution to this problem, but actually it can increase a country's emissions."
  — Phoebe Hopson (17:17)
• On "Persepolis":
  "If these people scare you, look closer. They have parents, they have lovers, they have hope, they have stories."
  — Marjane Satrapi (26:17)

---

TIMESTAMPS: Important Segments

• Hezbollah & Lebanon Ceasefire: 01:08–05:51
• Crimea Drone Strikes & Ukraine/EU: 05:51–08:46
• SpaceX IPO: 08:46–11:04
• Tiananmen Square Anniversary: 11:04–14:37
• Fiji’s Waste Controversy: 16:11–18:33
• FIFA Water Bottle Ban: 18:33–21:21
• Obama Presidential Center: 21:21–25:12
• Marjane Satrapi’s Death: 25:12–28:59

---

This summary captures the central themes, key discussions, and the most memorable moments, providing a rich and engaging overview for those who missed the episode.

Transcript

[Alex Ritson]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

[Carter Sherman]

This is the story of the one, the one who keeps multiple buildings running smoothly day after day. Plumbing that flows, H Vac that hums. Cleaning supplies that keep surfaces sparkling. That's why she counts on Grainger. With easy reordering online and 24. 7 support, Grainger helps her keep the products she needs on hand so shelves stay stocked and buildings stay ready. Call 1-800-GRAINGER Click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done. Grainger knows when you're a procurement manager for an office park, you're not managing one building, you're managing all of them. And to stay ahead, you need to see through walls and around corners. Lights about to fail, Filters ready to clog. H Vac on its last leg. If you wait until something breaks, you're already behind. Count on Grainger for quality products, easy reordering and 24. 7 support. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com or just stop by Grainger for the ones who get it done.

[Alex Ritson]

This is the global news podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Alex Ritson and at 15 hours GMT on Thursday the 4th of June. These are our main stories. The Iran backed militant group Hezbollah flatly rejects a US brokered cease fire deal between Israel and Lebanon. Ukraine is accused of killing four people in Russian occupied Crimea with a drone attack. SpaceX reveals the price for what's likely to be the biggest stock market flotation in history which could make Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire. Also in this podcast, the government of Fiji says no to an Australian company's plan to sen rubbish to the Pacific nation.

[Phoebe Hopson]

These projects many people consider sort of like a bit of a colonial legacy of much wealthier nations sending what they over consume to places that don't actually produce that much waste by environmental activists. It's called waste colonialism and FIFA bans

[Alex Ritson]

football fans taking water bottles into World cup stadiums in a U turn which has alarmed health campaign, Hezbollah has flatly rejected a U S brokered ceasefire deal that Israel and Lebanon agreed in Washington on Wednesday. If it's to have any chance of success, the Iranian backed group must stop attacking Israel and withdraw from southern Lebanon. Hezbollah's chief Naim Qasim said that as long as Lebanese villages were being bombed and people were being killed, northern Israel would not be safe and the deal amounted to surrender and and defeat. A truce was already meant to have been in place since mid April, but more than 600 people have been killed in Lebanon since then, according to the World Health Organization. And on Thursday morning, Israel's Defense Minister, Israel Katz, said that under the terms of the latest ceasefire agreement, fighting against Hezbollah could continue in southern Lebanon. James Menendez got this update from Leena Sinjab in Beirut. She explained that Lebanese government officials wanted a ceasefire but could do little without Hezbollah's support.

[Leena Sinjab]

The government is adamant in its position to find a solution, an end to the war, but they have no say on the ground. We've heard from the leader of Hezbollah, Naim Qasim, basically calling these kind of talks are shameless and humiliating for the nation and rejecting the terms of this ceasefire. And, and in fact, before his statement came out, we've already heard reports of a Hezbollah attack on Israeli forces inside Lebanon. So, you know, they are the ones on the ground dictating the situation. Despite government efforts to find a solution. The terms of having the Lebanese army to be in control of the south were already discussed in 2024, but never implemented. And even with this new detailed agreement of creating some sort of zones to have the Lebanese army in control and make sure that there is no presence of Hezbollah, Hezbollah is rejecting them. So unless they agree to this, it's hard for the government to proceed with this kind of agreement sponsored by the Americans.

[Alex Ritson]

Yeah. Lina, is there pressure on the group from within Lebanon to stop what they're doing?

[Leena Sinjab]

There is certainly mounting pressure from many people, but there is at the same time support among the Lebanese Shia community of the south because they also see that this severe aggression conducted by Israel on their lands, the occupation of their land, the destruction of the infrastructure of the houses, basically they feel that Hezbollah is the only one who is able to stand up and not the government. But the reality is, you know, the more Hezbollah attacks and, you know, fights back the Israelis, the more the Israelis are attacking and destroying. And as the Lebanese president today said that probably this is the best option for Lebanon to find a way for gradual lasting solution for the south.

[Alex Ritson]

Yes, I think he called it a last chance, didn't he? Is the fighting still going on today?

[Leena Sinjab]

It's still going on, but definitely not with the same scale that in the past few days. Mind you, the deal announced, it did not specify exactly when it's going to take effect, if it is, you know, starting today or tomorrow. Also, we heard earlier from the President Joseph, on saying we're waiting for answers from, you know, the parties involved, and the answer came from Naem Qassem in the afternoon, rejecting the terms of this ceasefire. So we'll have to wait and see if there's any other development or if this is going to be cancelled at all.

[Alex Ritson]

Lina Sinjab the authorities in the Russian occupied region of Crimea say at least four people have been killed in the latest wave of Ukrainian strikes. In recent days, local residents have been reporting increasingly loud explosions. I heard more from our chief analyst at BBC Monitoring, Vitaly Shevchenko, who's in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

[Vitaly Shevchenko]

One Ukrainian strike appears to have targeted facilities in Simtropol, which is the administrative capital of the occupied region of Crimea. The local Moscow installed authorities are saying that the attack targeted non residential facilities. One representative of Crimean Tatas, which is the indigenous population living there, who is now in exile, he says that it was Russian military bases that were attacked. Now that claim is unconfirmed. But what is unusual about this strike? That this is the first instance of the local mosque backed authorities publicly reporting fatalities from the region's capital. Elsewhere, they're saying a commuter train traveling to the city of Kerch, which is in the east of Crimea, it was hit by a Ukrainian drone, allegedly killing one person.

[Alex Ritson]

We've been speaking over the last few days about Ukraine taking the initiative in terms of drone strikes in Russia. They're having quite an effect, aren't they?

[Vitaly Shevchenko]

They are. And local residents have been reporting increasingly lo explosions at night. And this campaign has had an impact on what residents of Crimea can buy. There's been a widespread shortage of fuel, for example.

[Alex Ritson]

Vitaly, while we've got you, I'd really appreciate your thoughts on this news that the European Union has begun preparations for talks on the accession of Ukraine to the bloc.

[Vitaly Shevchenko]

That's hugely symbolic for Ukraine because this is something that Ukraine has been trying to achieve for, well, more than a decade. You remember the first so called revolution, the Orange Revolution in Ukraine. It was called Euromaidan because this is how Ukrainians try to make progress towards joining the eu. And now they are one step closer. But before this happens, all sorts of steps will need to be taken, such as Ukraine asking various laws to comply with EU legislation. So at the moment I would say, Alex, that the symbolic or potential symbolic benefits outweigh practical benefits, hugely.

[Alex Ritson]

Vitaly Shevchenko it's been in the pipeline for some time, but the US company SpaceX has now officially filed for what's expected to be the largest stock market flotation ever. It's seeking to raise about $75 billion if the flotation expected to take place next week, goes to plan. The firm's founder, Elon Musk, already the world's richest man could make history by becoming the first ever trillionaire. R Ray Wang is the chief analyst at Constellation Research, a Silicon Valley firm that studies technology trends. He told us more about the ipo.

[Oliver Wainwright]

To infinity and beyond.

[James Kumarasamy]

Here's where we go. This is the first of three Giga IPOs. And what's going on here is basically a huge market demand for AI, space defense, and of course the future of space tech going out to the frontiers. And I think this is what's happening here. I would say that the IPO at this moment has been checked through Wall Street. There's an interesting factor in this IPO. Unlike other IPOs, 33% is being left for retail investors. One might argue that the retail investors are the only ones left to participate in the deal. But it's a $1.77 trillion valuation at $135 per share. And I think there's a lot going on here, just space, telecommunications and AI all coming together and converging. A lot of Elon's companies are very collaborative in a sense because there's a lot of opportunities for coexistence. What they're doing, each of these companies is you think about all the things that you need to do to get to space and all the things you need to do to get to Mars. You've got to have power, you've got to have automated manufacturing, you've got to have AI, you're going to have space telecommunications. They are building the infrastructure piece by piece. And that's the brilliance of Elon's strategy because what he's gotten everyone to do is to pay for the ability to get to Mars by providing all the things that people need today as a foundation for what's about to happen in the future. And so there is a lot of talk about potentially Elon buying Tesla after they go public and rolling those operations into Space X. Or it could be more valuable keeping all these different companies public and creating new companies and continually raise money by going to the markets in an ipo. So we're going to see what happens in the strategy. But the plan is for him to roll up EchoStar, which is this telecommunications satellite giant. And of course with cursor, after the

[Alex Ritson]

acquisition Ah Ray Wang from Constellation Research On June 4, 1989, the Chinese military was sent to Tiananmen Square to end weeks of student led protests. Soldiers opened fire on the protesters, killing hundreds, possibly thousands of people. The Chinese government doesn't let anyone inside the country commemorate the anniversary. Hong Kong used to hold annual vigils but those two have now been banned. But in Taiwan, the anniversary of the massacre is remembered. The island's president, Lai King De has now pressed Beijing to recognize the deadly crackdown. Pete Ross told me more about what he said.

[Kai Wright]

Taiwan's president said earlier in a Facebook post that China should acknowledge the truth about the events that happened 37 years ago. He said that that he sincerely hoped that China could face up to the incident, acknowledge the truth, soothe the pain and open the door to reconciliation and dialogue. Now, as you've mentioned, Alex, the events on and around the central Beijing Square on June 4, 1989, are not publicly discussed in China. The anniversary is not officially marked. And at the time, China blamed the unrest on counter revolutionaries seeking to overthrow the Communist Party. It's never provided a full death toll, however, human rights groups would suggest hundreds if not thousands of people died that night. Lai went on to warn against what he described as blindly believing in militarism. And in comments perhaps aimed at Beijing, he went on to say, a healthy government and society, in his words, should not use violence, surveillance or other means to strangle the dreams and erase the opinions of a country's citizens. China, of course, considers Taiwan part of its territory. It's not responded directly to these comments by the Taiwanese president, but Beijing has in the past branded him as a separatist and has rebuffed several attempts, attempts and offers for talks.

[Alex Ritson]

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has weighed in. Is that a surprise?

[Kai Wright]

Well, he's made very similar comments in the past. This time he said, censorship cannot erase the past. That's likely to be reassuring to Chinese dissidents and pro democracy supporters at a time when President Trump has repeatedly touted his good relationship with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. He was in Beijing, of course, last month to meet with him. The US Secretary of state's comments are perhaps not intended entirely unexpected, given what he said before, but they do come at a delicate time for US China relations. They've entered a bit of a standoff following that meeting in Beijing where he and President Xi Donald Trump maintained a fragile trade truce.

[Alex Ritson]

Where is the anniversary being marked?

[Kai Wright]

Well, again, as you mentioned, they used to have widespread commemorations in Hong Kong. They've been widely snuffed out, the largest vigils there now taking place elsewhere. However, yesterday in Hong Kong, a performance, performance artist tried to honor the victims but was quickly stopped by police. In a video widely circulating online, Sam Nu Chen tried to tie a symbolic red thread which was 6.4 meters long, a reference to the date June 4th to a signpost in Causeway Bay, which is a very busy area of Hong Kong. Nearby, the squares where the vigils used to be held. As I said, they used to hold widespread commemorations there until they were banned in 2020. Now other major cities around the world hold commemorations. Places like Berlin, London, New York. Those kind of places.

[Alex Ritson]

The BBC's Pete Ross still to come in this podcast, the new Chicago landmark, built to house records of Barack Obama's presidency, doesn't seem to be loved by everyone.

[Oliver Wainwright]

It's been locally nicknamed the Klingon Jail. It's been compared to a World War II flak tower. It's a very aggressive, looming, mostly windowless object.

[Carter Sherman]

When you're a maintenance engineer in a beverage manufacturing plant, you keep production lines moving and quality on track because there is no room for slowdowns. With Grainger's vast selection of high quality motors, sensors, belts and hard to find parts, you can get what you need fast and all in one place. So nothing gets in the way of getting the job done. Call 1-800-GRAINGER clickranger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.

[Alex Ritson]

I'm Kai Wright.

[Carter Sherman]

I'm Carter Sherman. Welcome to Stateside with Kai and Carter. We're a new show from the Guardian.

[Alex Ritson]

We're talking to big thinkers and the best journalists just trying to understand the

[Kai Wright]

world through smart conversation and honest reporting.

[Carter Sherman]

We don't have billionaires telling us what to say.

[Alex Ritson]

Stateside with Kyan Carter will come out

[Kai Wright]

three times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday starting May 13.

[Carter Sherman]

Subscribe on YouTube, YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Alex Ritson]

This is the global news podcast. Fiji has rejected a proposal by an Australian recycling company to ship thousands of tons of rubbish from all across the region to the Pacific nation to be burned for energy. It comes after a backlash from landowners and tourism operators. The plan to build an incinerator on the island are archipelago capable of consuming 900,000 tons of waste a year was blocked over environmental and public health concerns. Some called it waste colonialism. The BBC's Phoebe Hopson has been looking into the story.

[Phoebe Hopson]

This project was the brainchild of two men. Rob Crumb, who is the managing director of the fashion label Kakai, which is based in Paris and Ian Malouf, who is a man who has made his fortune from rubbish disposal in this kind of transaction that you know you send your rubbish elsewhere for cash. Their promise was that Fiji could receive 900,000 tons of waste and that would then help produce 40% of the country's electricity Weaning them off their reliance on diesel.

[Alex Ritson]

And as you say, people were against it. It was even labeled the Pacific Ashtray.

[Phoebe Hopson]

Yeah, very strong words. Lots of kickback on this. So this idea that you can send non recyclable waste and then burn it sometimes is seen as a bit of a green solution to this problem, but actually it can increase a country's emissions. There's health concerns. They were going to build a whole different port for this project. And so also Fiji is a small country, about a million people. They rely so heavily on tourism and the city where it was going to be built near Nadi, is the sort of entry point for the tourism where people go in and explore, you know, these stunning sort of beaches and amazing landscapes. And so an incinerator you can imagine would be a bit of an eyesore. But also people were worried about what's the impact of this, especially these projects that many people consider sort of like a bit of a colonial legacy of much wealthier nations sending what they over consume to places that don't actually produce that much waste.

[Alex Ritson]

Yeah, I'm told it would have pushed up emissions in Fiji by about a quarter. Not the only example of a rich country trying to do this sort of thing.

[Phoebe Hopson]

No, it's not. I think it's important to recognize this is non recyclables that would be burnt for energy. But in general, this idea of waste being sent elsewhere by environmental activists, it's called waste colonialism is so widespread, the United Kingdom does it, the US does it, Australia does it, and you send it to the global South. You have huge issues by this being slightly unregulated waste ending up in large dumps. Is it properly being managed? So, yeah, it's a very controversial issue.

[Alex Ritson]

Phoebe Hobson. With the football World cup just a week away, FIFA has announced it will ban fans from taking reusable water bottles into stadiums. In an apparent U turn on the issue, the sports governing body said the decision was due to safety concerns. It's worried that bottles could be used as missiles and thrown at players and officials. FIFA has assured fans that they'll be able to buy water in the stadium, promising not to charge above their usual venue prices. With games being held across the us, Canada and Mexico at the height of summer, health experts have criticised the late policy change. I spoke to our sports correspondent Katie Gornall.

[Katie Gornall]

We know that heat and humidity, as you say, Alex, is expected to be an issue at this World cup, particularly in places like Monterey, Miami, West Scotland, play Brazil and fans should be drinking multiple litres of water to avoid heat stress. So there are concerns that banning reusable bottles creates a barrier to staying hydrated. Now, I think it's intriguing that FIFA's position on this has changed multiple times. It was only a little over two weeks ago. I did a story on heat and received a statement from them saying that spectators will be allowed to bring a factory sealed water bottle into matches when forecasting indicated elevated temperatures. Now, the stadium of conduct, sorry, the stadium code of conduct makes no reference to that at all. So that's changed. There's been this U turn on reusable bottles, too, and it's a U turn with potentially significant consequences because people believe this will increase the risk of heat stress. And one scientist described it to me as a reckless rejection of FIFA's duty of care.

[Alex Ritson]

Yeah, FIFA says safety, but a lot of people will look at it and say this is probably price gouging. FIFA's, of course, suffered other accusations of that sort during this tournament.

[Katie Gornall]

You're right. FIFA has come under fire. There's been complaints that fans are being hit by ticket prices, inflated train fares, and as you say, this U turn, they say, comes down to safety. They're worried about water bottles being used as missiles by fans. So they say that people will be able to buy water in the stadium. They're not going to inflate the prices beyond what you would usually pay at those venues. And they say this move will lower the risk of inj caused by potentially fans throwing missiles. They said in a statement that they're committed to protecting the health and safety of all the players, referees, fans, volunteers and staff. And they added that they're working closely with the host cities, the local authorities, to put heat mitigations in place for fans traveling to the stadium. And that could include things like misting stations, hydration stations, cooling tents, and putting more of those hydration facilities around the stadium footprint.

[Alex Ritson]

Katie Gornall. After a US President leaves office, their papers are preserved in what is known as a presidential library. Barack Obama is now opening his, except it's a bit different from the other 16 currently administered by the National Archives.

[James Kumarasamy]

We didn't build the Obama Presidential center to celebrate my ability to bring about change. We did it to unlock yours.

[Alex Ritson]

As a young community organizer on the

[James Kumarasamy]

south side, I learned that all of us had the ability to make a difference. So we built an entire campus dedicated to supporting future change makers.

[Alex Ritson]

The $850 million building officially opens in Chicago in two weeks time. Even though it's more of a community hub, it follows in the grand tradition of previous presidential libraries. James Kumarasamy heard more about it from Oliver Wainwright, design and architecture journalist for the Guardian, who has visited the centre.

[Oliver Wainwright]

It's been nicknamed the Obama Lisk because it rises above the south side of Chicago like a chiseled granite obelisk that's been hewn and cleft from a mountainside. It's a very kind of intriguing sculptural presence. But it's been locally nicknamed the Klingon Jail. It's been compared to a World War II flak tower. It's a very aggressive, looming, mostly windowless object that now towers above what's a predominantly low income neighborhood. The symbolism is surprising because when Obama was in the White House, most people, he seemed relatively humble as US Presidents go. This is probably the biggest, most expensive, most audacious presidential library that's ever been conceived. It's also the first presidential library that's not actually a library. He bucked the tradition. It's run by his private foundation rather than by the National Archives, which is the usual system in the us so it doesn't actually contain the presidential records. The foundation argues that because about 19 of his archive was already what they call born digital, that is emails and digital documents, there was no point in printing everything out to have a physical archive.

[Alex Ritson]

So what of other presidential libraries? What can you tell us about them?

[Oliver Wainwright]

Well, it was begun back in 1940 by Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was a kind of obsessive collector and record keeper. And he actually visited the pyramids in Egypt and was amazed, but also approved at the kind of sheer monumentality and scale of them and wanted something similar. So he built his own presidential library in upstate New York, actually in a relatively kind of modest Dutch colonial style. That was what kicked off this trend. And every single president since him has built a kind of ever bigger, ever more elaborate complex which is also often their final resting place, which kind of adds to the slightly ghoulish quality of these places each time. The architecture tries to kind of embody the vision and the values of the President. So we have Lyndon B. Johnson commissioned this very aggressive brutalist building by Gordon Bunshaft in Texas. Reagan has a kind of sprawling California and hacienda built in the kind of Spanish style that has its own aircraft hangar to display Air Force One. Clinton built a much more modern and kind of sleek cantilevered bridge, like building. He was trying to build a bridge into the 21st century. So you get a lot of these kind of slightly hackneyed architectural cliches.

[Alex Ritson]

And of course, the incumbent, he's got buildings in his name all over the world, hasn't he? So do we have any idea what he might come up with?

[Oliver Wainwright]

Yeah, well, he's determined to trump Obama and build something even bigger and more expensive. His current plan? There's a skyscraper in New York that's going to have a gilded statue of Trump in the lobby. That's the downside, I would say, of the Obama Presidential center is that it has set a precedent for these things to be privately run and privately managed. And so Trump is going to take that model and put it on steroids.

[Alex Ritson]

Oliver Wainwright the graphic memoir Persepolis tells the story of restrictions imposed on a young girl in Iran after the 1979 revolution. It was later made into a highly successful movie, which won a prize at the Cannes film festival in 2007 and was then nominated for an Oscar. Now, the author of the comic book and the director of the film Film Marjane Satrapi has died. She was only 56. I heard more about her and the film from our global affairs reporter, Joanna Keane.

[Joanna Keane]

Well, this film's an animation. It was actually released over 20 years ago. Now, in 2008, that Oscar nomination that you mentioned there, Marjane Satrapi became the first woman to be nominated in the best animation feature category. And when it won the prize in Cannes in 2007, she said, even if this is a Universal film, I want to dedicate this prize to all Iranians. Now, it follows a character called Margie. As you mentioned, growing up in Iran, she's battling with these restrictions. For example, we see her buying Western clothes and music on the black market. She's outspoken, as Marjan was in real life. At one point, she's expelled from school for questioning the teacher's account of the government. Majan Satrapi said of the film, it was a reminder that Iranians are just like everyone else. She said, what we wanted to say is, if these people scare you, look closer. They have parents, they have lovers, they have hope, they have stories.

[Alex Ritson]

Yeah, it was an extraordinary film. Tell us about Marjane Satrapi herself.

[Joanna Keane]

Well, like her character, she grew up in Iran. She was sent to Austria by her parents to finish her studies in the 1980s. She returned to Iran, and then in her 20s, she went to live in France, where she became a voice for Iranian women. Now, after the death of an Iranian Kurdish woman in protests in Iran in 2022, she said, it's very important that this regime disappears. She said it wouldn't happen overnight. But she said, I think it's important to remain hopeful. And here she is talking to the BBC in 2022.

[Katie Gornall]

Well, I know what is the role of the diaspora is. I mean, if we think that after all these years that we have not been in Iran, we go and we decide for them what they have to do because we know better, then we are very, extremely arrogant and stupid people. This is not the way it goes. The best that we can do is that we can be the loudspeaker of our people also to give them courage.

[Alex Ritson]

And joann, she was also a French citizen, but quite critical of the government there.

[Joanna Keane]

That's right. Well, only last year she turned down the Legion d'. Honneur. Now, she made it clear that she meant no disrespect to the reward itself, but she said the French government had a hypocritical attitude towards Iran with its visa policies. In a letter, she said, can't continue seeing the children of Iranian oligarchs come to spend their holidays in France, even become naturalized, while at the same time young dissidents have difficulty in obtaining a tourist visa to come to see what the country of the enlightenment and human rights looks like.

[Alex Ritson]

Joanna do we know how she died?

[Joanna Keane]

Well, her family have released a very short statement. They said actually that she died of sadness a little over a year after the death of her husband. He was a Swedish producer and a collaborator on many of her projects. And in a series of recent social media posts, she talked about losing the love of her life. Now, the French president, Emmanuel Macron is among those to have paid tribute. He called her a remarkable artist who transformed an Iranian childhood into a universal fable.

[Alex Ritson]

Joanna Keen on Marjane's Satrapi, who's died at the age of 56. 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@bbcworldservice. 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 Holly Smith and the producer was Mickey Bristow. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Alex Ritson. Until next time. Goodbye.

[Kai Wright]

I'm Kai Wright.

[Carter Sherman]

I'm Carter Sherman. Welcome to Stateside with Kai and Carter. We're a new show from the Guardian.

[Kai Wright]

We're talking to big thinkers and the

[Alex Ritson]

best journalists just trying to understand the

[Kai Wright]

world through smart conversation and honest reporting.

[Carter Sherman]

We don't have billionaires telling us what to say.

[Alex Ritson]

Stateside with Kyan Carter will come out

[Kai Wright]

three times a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, starting May 13.

[Carter Sherman]

Subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.