BBC investigates deadliest single Israeli attack in recent conflict with Hezbollah

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary BBC World Service | Release Date: January 24, 2025

The latest episode of the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service delivers a comprehensive overview of the day’s most pressing global issues. Covering a range of topics from the deadliest Israeli attack in recent conflicts to political upheavals in Belarus, animal rights enforcement in Pakistan, ongoing crises in the West Bank and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the enduring fallout from Rupert Murdoch’s newspaper scandals, this episode provides in-depth analysis and firsthand accounts. Below is a detailed summary of each key story discussed.

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1. Deadliest Israeli Attack in Recent Conflict with Hezbollah

Location: Ein el Dalb, Southern Lebanon
Date of Attack: September 29
Casualties: 73 people killed, predominantly Lebanese civilians

The episode opens with an investigation into the deadliest single Israeli attack in its recent conflict with Hezbollah. On September 29, an Israeli airstrike targeted an apartment block in the quiet village of Ein el Dalb, resulting in the tragic loss of 73 lives. While Israel asserted that the building housed a Hezbollah command center, the BBC’s Eye investigation revealed that the vast majority of victims were innocent civilians, including 23 children and 24 women.

Notable Quotes:

• Hugh Grant [01:52]: "That the police should launch a new criminal investigation into this."
• Nawal Al Magafi [03:20]: "Most of the people killed in that building were civilians."
• Ashraf [05:39]: "I woke up startled. And that's exactly what ended up playing out."

Key Points:

• The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) claimed the target was a senior Hezbollah leader’s command center but failed to provide substantial evidence.
• Personal stories of loss, such as Ashraf losing his mother and sister, highlight the civilian toll.
• The investigation underscores the complexity and tragedy of urban warfare where distinguishing between combatants and civilians becomes challenging.

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2. Escalating Tensions in the West Bank’s Jenin

Location: Jenin, Occupied West Bank
Situation: Israeli military operations leading to mass evacuations

Located approximately 300 kilometers south of Southern Lebanon, the West Bank city of Jenin is experiencing intense military activity. Hundreds of residents are fleeing the area amid ongoing Israeli army operations. The Israeli military has ordered the evacuation of the Jenin refugee camp, a claim disputed by Israeli authorities.

Notable Quotes:

• Nawal Al Magafi [06:17]: "People are angry, anxious, they're terrified."
• Hugh Grant [07:31]: "There's a lot of speculation about political motivations from the Israeli side behind this operation."

Key Points:

• The humanitarian crisis is exacerbated by infrastructure cut-offs, including water and electricity to the refugee camp and hospitals.
• Reports indicate possible forced evacuations, with evidence of detainees being led away in white jumpsuits.
• The situation threatens to destabilize the fragile ceasefire in Gaza, potentially undermining ongoing peace efforts.

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3. Belarusian Presidential Election Declared a Sham

Location: Belarus
Event: Presidential Election
Key Figure: Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, Exiled Opposition Leader

Belarus is set to hold its presidential election amidst widespread accusations of electoral fraud. Opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has condemned the election as a sham orchestrated by long-time leader Alexander Lukashenko to maintain his grip on power.

Notable Quotes:

• Svetlana Tikhanovskaya [02:58]: "We find here is worth the people we lost. The people who died are the most precious."
• Hugh Grant [10:45]: "Alexander Lukashenko has no intention of losing control or of allowing mass protests to erupt again."

Key Points:

• Lukashenko, backed by Vladimir Putin, is expected to secure another term despite international skepticism.
• The opposition faces severe repression, with key figures imprisoned or in exile, stifling genuine political competition.
• Tikhanovskaya calls for Western allies to reject the election results and intensify sanctions against Lukashenko’s regime, highlighting Belarus’s role in supporting Russia's actions in Ukraine.

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4. Pakistan's Social Media Influencer Penalized for Animal Rights Violations

Location: Lahore, Pakistan
Subject: Rajab Bhatt, Popular Social Media Personality

In a notable case, Pakistani court has mandated social media influencer Rajab Bhatt to publish monthly videos on animal rights as punishment for unlawfully keeping a pet lion cub. Despite his popularity, Bhatt faces legal repercussions for his actions.

Notable Quotes:

• Rajab Bhatt [12:01]: "I have nothing. The passport being taken, the being in a house and not feeling like they can leave."
• Svetlana Tikhanovskaya [12:01]: "Wildlife officials have warned that wild animals cannot be domesticated and they pose dangers to humans."

Key Points:

• Bhatt, who amassed millions of followers through his lifestyle and travel videos, faced a raid for illegal possession of wildlife.
• Instead of imprisonment, the court imposed a year-long community service requiring him to create educational content on animal protection.
• The lion cub has been relocated to Lahore Safari Zoo, emphasizing the legal stance against wildlife domestication.

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5. Human Rights Violations and Police Abductions in Kenya

Location: Kenya
Issue: Forced Abductions of Government Critics

Kenya faces international scrutiny as reports emerge of the police chief failing to appear in court for hearings related to the abduction of dozens of government critics. These disappearances date back to anti-tax protests last year and echo past human rights abuses under authoritarian regimes.

Notable Quotes:

• Aslam [15:19]: "He'd been warned to stop. Both were pulled into a car outside their home, hooded and handcuffed."
• Richard Kagoi [16:35]: "That is a matter of investigation because that is his side of the story."

Key Points:

• Over 80 government critics remain unaccounted for, with about one-third still missing.
• The current administration faces backlash and demands accountability, with the police chief warned of imprisonment for non-compliance.
• Comparisons to the Moi era highlight persistent challenges in Kenya’s fight against state-sponsored abductions and human rights violations.

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6. Intensifying Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

Location: South Kivu Province, Eastern DRC
Conflict: Fighting between M23 Rebels and Congolese Government Forces

The DRC is engulfed in severe conflict as M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, advance toward the regional capital, Goma. The violence has resulted in over 200 deaths and has displaced thousands, overwhelming local hospitals and refugee facilities.

Notable Quotes:

• Emmanuel Lampert [19:17]: "We saw the necessity also to retrieve part of our medical colleagues present."
• Richard Kagoi [19:53]: "They have taken the town of Sake and ... encircled the entire town of Goma."

Key Points:

• The M23 rebels claim they are defending the Tutsi ethnic population against government persecution, citing broken peace agreements.
• The Congolese government classifies the rebels as a terrorist organization, rejecting negotiations and escalating military responses.
• The Red Cross reports overwhelming numbers of injured, and the conflict threatens to destabilize one of Africa’s most resource-rich regions.

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7. Ongoing Fallout from Rupert Murdoch’s Newspaper Hacking Scandal

Issue: Phone Hacking and Privacy Violations
Key Figures: Prince Harry, Hugh Grant, and victims including celebrities and politicians

The scandal involving Newsgroup Newspapers (NGN), owned by Rupert Murdoch, continues to reverberate as victims seek further accountability. To date, NGN has paid over $1.25 billion in damages to various individuals whose privacy was invaded through phone hacking.

Notable Quotes:

• Hugh Grant [22:40]: "That the police should launch a new criminal investigation into this."
• Stephanie Prentice [23:38]: "They can games the system."

Key Points:

• Prince Harry and Hugh Grant, among other high-profile figures, have publicly denounced the invasive practices of Murdoch’s tabloids.
• Despite settlements and apologies from NGN, activists like Grant argue that justice remains incomplete without new criminal investigations.
• The media landscape continues to grapple with issues of press regulation and accountability, with ongoing debates about the effectiveness of previous inquiries like the Leveson Inquiry.

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Conclusion

This episode of the Global News Podcast underscores the intricate and often tragic interplay of politics, conflict, and human rights across different regions. From the devastating impact of military actions in Lebanon and the West Bank to the suppression of democratic movements in Belarus, and from wildlife protection laws in Pakistan to the ongoing struggles in the DRC, the podcast provides a thorough examination of global issues. Additionally, the lingering effects of media scandals highlight the persistent challenges in ensuring ethical journalism and protecting individual privacy. Through detailed reporting and personal narratives, the podcast offers listeners a nuanced understanding of these complex situations.

Transcript

[Valerie Sanderson]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk. Discover how to lead a better life in our age of confusion. Enjoy this BBC audiobook collection written and presented by best selling author Oliver Berkman, containing four useful guides to tackling some central ills of busyness, anger, the insistence on positivity and the decline of nuance.

[Hugh Grant]

Our lives today can feel like miniature.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Versions of this relentless churn of activity. We find we're rushing around more crazily.

[Hugh Grant]

Than ever somewhere when we weren't looking, looking.

[Valerie Sanderson]

It's like busyness became a way of life. Start listening to Oliver Epidemics of Modern Life Available to purchase wherever you get your audiobooks.

[Nawal Al Magafi]

With Blue Cash preferred from American Express.

[Valerie Sanderson]

You can earn cash back on groceries, gas and streaming from the checkout counter to the pump and back home again for a night in. Get more out of everyday moments with Blue Cash preferred.

[Nawal Al Magafi]

Learn [e-mail] US Explore BCP terms apply.

[Valerie Sanderson]

This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Valerie Sanderson and at 14:00 GMT on Friday 24th January, these are our main stories. A BBC investigation into the deadliest single Israeli attack in its recent conflict with Hezbollah finds evidence that Almost all the 73 people killed were Lebanese civilians. The exiled Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya says the country's presidential election took this weekend is a sham. A court in Pakistan orders a popular social media personality to publish a video every month on animal rights. Also in this podcast, the actor Hugh Grant says settlements made to victims like Prince Harry in the phone hacking scandal involving Rupert Murdoch's newspapers don't end there. In light of these findings, we think.

[Hugh Grant]

That the police should launch a new.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Criminal investigation into this. The people who were giving the orders are still there and they're still effectively running this country. We start in Lebanon, where a ceasefire has been underway for two months after more than a year of fighting between Israel and the Iranian backed Hezbollah militia. In the weeks before the ceasefire, Israel had intensified its bombing campaign against Hezbollah targets. The single deadliest attack in nearly two decades on 29 September, when an Israeli airstrike destroyed an apartment block in the quiet village of Ein el Dalb, killing 73 people. Israel says the building was a terrorist command center and they were targeting a senior Hezbollah leader. But a BBC Eye investigation has found that most of the victims were in fact civilians, many of them children. Ashraf lost his mother and sister in the apartment block.

[Svetlana Tikhanovskaya]

For 20 years my dad has been.

[Hugh Grant]

Paying for this flood, now gone, nothing.

[Svetlana Tikhanovskaya]

We find here is worth the people we lost. The people who died are the most precious.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Our senior international investigations correspondent Nawal Al Magafi told me what they'd found out.

[Nawal Al Magafi]

We went to Ainadelb. It's in southern Lebanon. It's a mainly Christian village. And it's this six story building that was hit by multiple Israeli missiles. It killed 73 people. Most of the people killed in that building were civilians. Based on our investigation, the IDF say it was a Hezbollah command center that they were targeting the head of the Hezbollah said on compound. But they didn't provide us with any evidence. And our investigation showed that of those in the building were in fact civilians.

[Valerie Sanderson]

But the Israelis were insisting that the overwhelming majority of those killed were. They called them terror operatives, didn't they?

[Nawal Al Magafi]

There is no doubt that Hezbollah is a threat to Israel. It's launched thousands of rockets into Israeli territory. But in this particular incident, you know, we went through health records, we went through social media, we spoke to eyewitnesses and we were able to identify 68 of the people that were killed. 68 out of the 73. Now six of did have some links to Hezbollah, although we found no evidence that they were senior members or commanders. But the rest, you know, the 62 people were all innocent civilians, 24 of them women and 23 of them children.

[Valerie Sanderson]

So tell us about these people.

[Nawal Al Magafi]

So we, we met a couple of them. You know, one that really struck me was this woman called Betul. She lost her daughter and her husband in that attack. And I think what struck me about her was how stoic and resilient she was in this inter. Also met with a young man called Ashraf, who lost his sister Julia and his mother in the attack. And their story was quite striking because his sister Julia was in Beirut a few days before the attack and she'd moved home because she thought that this building was in an area that was a lot safer than the capital, Beirut. And just before she moved back, she sent her brother a voice note detailing this attack, this nightmare where her and her mother would be killed. Last night I dreamt our house was bombed multiple times.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Only mom and I were at home.

[Nawal Al Magafi]

I woke up startled. And that's exactly what ended up playing out. It's almost like she preempted it. I mean, we met multiple victims from this attack. And you know, it goes without saying, but the impact that something like this has on an entire community is quite. But like I said, you know, throughout our investigation we tried to figure out what was it that happened, if something had gone wrong. If there was in fact a commander in that building, and in this instance, in this building, we couldn't find any evidence to back that up.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Nawal Al Meanwhile, 300km to the south in the occupied west bank, hundreds of residents are fleeing the city of Jenin in the face of continuing Israeli army operations. Jenin's Palestinian governor says the Israeli military has ordered people to evacuate the refugee camp in Jenin, although Israel disputes this. Asil Badoun is the spokesperson for medical aid for Palestinians in the West Bank. We have mud obstacles around hospitals which.

[Nawal Al Magafi]

Making it really hard for ambulances to go into hospitals.

[Valerie Sanderson]

And we don't know exactly the number of people injured. We're talking about not hundreds, thousands of people forcibly leaving Jenin and the city as well.

[Nawal Al Magafi]

So the situation is really dim.

[Valerie Sanderson]

People are angry, anxious, they're terrified.

[Nawal Al Magafi]

Also, the Israeli army have cut off water, electricity on the refugee camp and on the hospital.

[Valerie Sanderson]

So this morning I was also talking.

[Nawal Al Magafi]

To a doctor saying that they're running only on fuel generator.

[Valerie Sanderson]

They don't know how long it will last. The tension in Jenin comes against the backdrop of a fragile ceasefire in Gaza, with Hamas expected to provide the names of four more hostages to be released tomorrow as part of the agreement that halted the violence there. Our correspondent in Jerusalem, Yoran Nel, told me more about the situation in Jenin.

[Hugh Grant]

BBC colleagues in Jenin have been describing how thousands of people have been fleeing from the camp, in particular with Israeli forces inspecting those leaving through approved exit points. Many people have been seen arrested. There's video clips being shared of them being led away in white jumpsuits. People have also shared recordings with us, played out, they say, from Israeli drones telling them to leave the refugee camp. And the Israeli military at the same time has been denying that there are forced evacuations of civilians. And if you listen to both Palestinian and Israeli media, there's a lot of speculation about political motivations from the Israeli side behind this operation, with questions being asked about whether this could be an attempt to derail the Gaza ceasefire deal. Hamas and Islamic Jihad are both very active in Jenin's refugee camp, and they've been calling for more attacks on Israeli forces in the west bank in response to the raid. And of course, we know historically that when you have unrest, when you have trouble, trouble in one Palestinian area, that often spills over into another.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Well, we are just a week into that ceasefire that you've been talking about, and we understand hostage names, four more are set to be announced by Hamas. What do we know about that?

[Hugh Grant]

Yes, this is all part of the hostage deal. We're going to have one of the regional mediators, Qatar. It's supposed to relay to Israel the names of the four female hostages who are scheduled to be released on Saturday. It's expected to be one of the remaining women, civilians and some Israeli surveillance soldiers as well, with about 180 Palestinian prisoners being released from jail in exchange, including this time more convicted of serious offenses against Israelis. And Israel is also due to receive a list of all the living hostages who will be freed as part of this initial six week stage of the ceasefire. There are 30 left due to be released and lots of details are still unclear about exactly the mechanism. But it's supposed to lead to a further Israeli military withdrawal from Gaza so that the hundreds of thousands displaced to the south there can start returning to the north. So expect in the coming days some very dramatic scenes.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Yolande Nel in Jerusalem this weekend, Belarus goes to the polls. Five names will feature on the ballot, but it's widely expected that Alexander Lukashenko, who's ruled the country for three decades and is firmly backed by Vladimir Putin, will be re elected. The exiled opposition leader, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya is calling the election a scam that's been carefully orchestrated by the government to hold on to power. Our Eastern Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford reports.

[Hugh Grant]

When Byelorussians go to vote on Sunday, Alexander Lukashenko has no intention of losing control or of allowing mass protests to erupt again like in 2020. All the key opposition figures from those days are now either in prison or or enforced exile. And those opposition supporters still in Belarus have been scared into silence. That's why their leader in exile, Svetlana Tsikhanovskaya, has told the BBC she's not calling on people in the country to protest, but she does want Western allies to reject the results of Sunday's vote and to step up the sanctions and the pressure on Lukashenko.

[Valerie Sanderson]

It's sham, but not elections. Lukashenko is not holding elections. He's organizing military style operation to legitimize his illegal rule.

[Hugh Grant]

Svetlana Tikhanovskaya argues that supporting the Belarusian opposition is about more than defending democracy because Alexander Lukashenko is a key ally of Vladimir Putin, helping him fight his war on Ukraine.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Lukashenko allows Putin to deploy nuclear weapon, to deploy his army through his policy, pro Russian policy. You know, he's becoming threat to the West.

[Svetlana Tikhanovskaya]

He's part of this dictator's chain.

[Hugh Grant]

In 2020, all of a sudden, huge crowds of Belarusians believe they could change their country. Their desire has gone nowhere but inside Belarus Instead of hope, activists now talk of their fear and their depression.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Sarah Rainsford A court in Pakistan has ordered a popular social media personality to publish a video every month on animal rights as a punishment for unlawfully keeping a pet lion cub. Rajab Bhatt is one of the most followed social media influencers in the country. Our South Asia Regional Editor Anbarasan Etharajan.

[Svetlana Tikhanovskaya]

Has more Wedding Gift to Rajab Bhatt Surrounded by guests, Rajab Bhatt looks happy in this video for his wedding gift last month a cute looking lion cub. Soon however, the happy moment ended in trouble and landed him behind bars. He was arrested in Lahore after a raid conducted jointly by the Punjab Wildlife Department and Police on charges of illegal possession of wildlife. Mr. Bhatt is a famous social media influencer in Pakistan with millions of followers on TikTok and YouTube and other platforms for his videos on lifestyle travels and family adventures. He accepted his mistake in the court. Instead of a stiffer punishment, the judge ordered Mr. Bhatt to perform a year long community service by uploading the 5 minute videos on animal protection and animal rights to educate people. The court has also ordered the wildlife department to provide him with enough material to create his content. The lion cub has now been moved to Lahore Safari Zoo and has been named Bhatti. Wildlife officials have warned that wild animals cannot be domesticated and they pose dangers to humans and keeping them also constitutes.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Cruelty to animals and Barason Etherachen A reminder. If there's anything you'd like to know about Donald Trump's first week in power, now is your chance. We're planning to do a special question and answers edition of the podcast and we need your help. Please send in your questions to globalpodcastbc.co.uk even better if you can record it as a voice note. Discover how to lead a better life in our age of confusion. Enjoy this BBC audiobook collection written and presented by best selling author Oliver Berkman. Containing four useful guides to tackling some central ills of busyness, anger, the insistence on positivity and the decline of nuance.

[Hugh Grant]

Our lives today can feel like miniature.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Versions of this relentless churn of activity. We find we're rushing around more crazily than ever.

[Hugh Grant]

Somewhere when we weren't looking.

[Valerie Sanderson]

It's like busyness became a way of life. Start listening to Oliver Epidemics of Modern Life Available to purchase wherever you get your audiobooks. A judge in Kenya has warned he'll imprison the country's police chief for contempt of court On Monday if the officer fails for a third time to show up and account for a recent string of alleged abductions. The disappearance of dozens of young government critics since anti tax protests last year has provoked a public backlash. Although the police have denied any involvement. Our Afgha correspondent Barbara Platasha reports.

[Barbara Platasha]

At the height of Kenya's Gen Z protests, police struck hard at demonstrators angered by tax hikes and corruption. Dozens were arrested but many disappeared.

[Svetlana Tikhanovskaya]

This is the place where the abduction happened.

[Barbara Platasha]

We are standing at the end of the alleyway down which your house is located. Right where the road. Where it joins the road, yes, yes.

[Svetlana Tikhanovskaya]

This is the exact point where we abducted. They were surveilling our mobile phones. They were tracking us down. But our house is just.

[Barbara Platasha]

Jamil Longton's brother Aslam was one of the protest organizers. He'd been warned to stop. Both were pulled into a car outside their home, hooded and handcuffed. After that there was no sign of them for 32 days. Aslam tells me he was regularly beaten, his tormentor demanding to know who was funding the protests. They were held in small dark cells, they said, in an unknown location. Who abducted you? Do you know who abducted you?

[Svetlana Tikhanovskaya]

They were heavily armed. They did the abduction in plain daylight. So you see the security agents knew what was going on. They had the tracking devices that could track down our mobile phones. I don't know if anybody is capable of doing that in this country. Apart from the security agencies.

[Barbara Platasha]

Others like them were captured on camera. This is a victim filmed with a phone screaming as as he tries to fight off abductors. More than 80 government critics have been reported missing so far. About a third still unaccounted for.

[Hugh Grant]

I have personal servants as my son was abducted and disappeared and I was.

[Richard Kagoi]

Not sure whether he was alive or dead.

[Barbara Platasha]

A damning indictment from this government Minister Justin Muturi. He says his son was picked up by the National Intelligence Service and only released after Mr. Muthuri made a direct appeal to the President William Ruto.

[Richard Kagoi]

That is a matter of investigation because that is his side of the story.

[Svetlana Tikhanovskaya]

Right.

[Richard Kagoi]

But what is the counter story of the National Intelligence Service?

[Barbara Platasha]

Kenya has a history of state sponsored abductions especially in the 1980s and 90s under the authoritarian leader Daniel Arap Moi.

[Richard Kagoi]

These kids being arrested and locked away is an exact replica of what Moi used to do.

[Barbara Platasha]

Gitobu Emenyara is a lawyer and democracy activist. He was arrested and beaten by Moi's regime. He has no doubt he's seeing the so called Moi playbook in action now. But he says times have changed.

[Richard Kagoi]

Internal pressure is so much now the government can no longer ignore the voices of its own citizens. And I think that that's the main, main difference between this period and that time when democratic institutions were non existent. The inspector general of police misses. On that third hearing date, I will cite convict and sentence on the spot.

[Barbara Platasha]

With respect, there is more accountability now. This judge has summoned the police chief to court three times, but he hasn't shown up yet. He's denied involvement, but no one else has been charged, let alone convicted. President Ruto has promised to stop the abductions. Forced to respond to public outrage and to concern from Western allies, he can rally a crowd of supporters. But many Kenyans are waiting to see whether the country has really moved on from its dark past.

[Valerie Sanderson]

That report from Barbara Pletocher in the Democratic Republic of Congo. There's been intense fighting in Recent months between M23 rebels backed by Rwanda and Congolese government forces. Reports say the rebels are nearing the regional capital of Goma in the east of the country. Officials say more than 200 people have been killed in South Kivu Province to the south of goma, after the M23 seized several mining towns. The Red Cross has described the numbers of injured as overwhelming. Emmanuel Lampert is from Medicines en Frontieres or Doctors Without Borders and is based in the capital, Kinshasa. Kalehi territory and Minova General Hospital were.

[Hugh Grant]

Taken by the rebel army last week. Through the chaotic retreat of the Republic army. Many of the patients fled the hospital. We saw the necessity also to retrieve part of our medical colleagues present.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Sake town, more than 20km of west.

[Hugh Grant]

Of Goma was set taken the whole day of yesterday.

[Valerie Sanderson]

The conflict has been closing in to Goma. Our Africa regional editor, Richard Kagoi told me how far the rebels had advanced.

[Richard Kagoi]

They have taken the town of Sake and as Emmanuel just pointed out, it's 27 kilometers to Goma. And what we're hearing is that the M23 rebels have encircled, you know, the entire town of Goma. So it's just quite unpredictable the moment to tell how events are panning out because even mobile Internet connectivity has been cut. We're waiting for a meeting that has been chaired by President Shisekedi in Kinshasa to discuss about the prevailing security situation, to get an update on what has happened. But then we're hearing from M23 claiming that they have managed to take control of the town. But the Congolese forces and allied supporters have been trying to push the advance.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Of the M23 and Goma it's already been a refuge for many people who've escaped from fighting elsewhere, isn't it?

[Richard Kagoi]

Absolutely. And lots of people, you know, thousands have been pouring into Goma because already it was hosting hundreds of internally displaced people. But with the recent offensive, we are seeing lots of people heading to Goma seeking refuge. In fact, from the latest update, I see that lots of people now are actually sleeping in the open because the facilities there are really overwhelmed and remind.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Us what this conflict is all about.

[Richard Kagoi]

The M23 rebels have been claiming that the government in Kinshasa has been persecuting and discriminating a particular ethnic population referred to as the Tutsis. And the Tutsis have been, you know, found across the border in Rwanda as well. And so what they've been saying is that they've been trying not to defend themselves and that they have been accusing the government or reneging on promises that they made slightly over a decade ago when they had a fragile peace agreement. And so they've been accusing Congolese forces of attacking their positions in the vaster eastern Congo and that they've been doing that specifically to defend themselves. But the Congolese government calls them a terrorist organization, so they can never negotiate with them.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Richard Kagoi Rupert Murdoch's media company ngn, or Newsgroup Newspapers, is now estimated to have spent upwards of $1.25 billion in damages to those who claim their phones were hacked and their privacy invaded by two of their tabloid the News of the World and the among those targeted actresses like Sienna Miller, singers like the Spice Girls, Mel B, Sportsmen and UK politicians. Another notable victim, of course, was Prince Harry, who was awarded substantial damages on Wednesday after NGN apologized for a serious intrusion and admitted incidents of unlawful activity. Now another victim, the actor Hugh Grant, is pushing for further accountability. Stephanie Prentice told me more.

[Stephanie Prentice]

The actor Hugh Grant, who our listeners probably know from classics like love, actually, Four Weddings in a Funeral or even Paddington 2. He claimed that news group journalists had used private investigators to tap his phone to get stories about him that they'd deleted evidence as part of a cover up and even at one point that they burgled his house. And Prince Harry made similar claims of extensive intrusion in that case we saw play out this week. So like Prince Harry, Hugh Grant did settle his case, taking what he actually called an enorm sum of money last April. And he's been very clear that he settled purely due to a technicality that meant he could have had to pay $12 million of legal fees even if he won. Now he continues to campaign as a board member of a group called Hacked off that wants a free and accountable press and was actually formed as a response to those phone hacking scandals in the UK.

[Valerie Sanderson]

So is this an end to it?

[Stephanie Prentice]

Well, in 2012 there was an inquiry, the Leveson Inquiry, which looked at ethics and conduct in the British press. In short, it primarily ended up essentially pushing for self regulation of the print press. At the time, victims said that wasn't enough. And we actually spoke to Hugh Grant earlier, he said the bosses of giant media companies are able to, in his words, game the system.

[Valerie Sanderson]

In light of these findings, we think.

[Hugh Grant]

That the police should, should launch a.

[Valerie Sanderson]

New criminal investigation into this. And that was, as I say, the aim of Prince Harry's case, as I understand it, and certainly was.

[Hugh Grant]

That was my original aim.

[Valerie Sanderson]

The people who were giving the orders are still there and they're still effectively running this country.

[Stephanie Prentice]

So strong words from him there. He is pushing for a new criminal investigation. It is important to note there have been multiple criminal investigations and trials and settlements. That idea of a Levison two of sorts in terms of inquiries, it has already been shot down by Lisa Nandi, she's the Culture Secretary here, who said it wouldn't be fit for purpose. And that's because a lot of people now consume their news online. That original Levison inquiry was back in 2012. But what Hugh Grant and those campaigning alongside him, and that includes a UK MP who was targeted, are doing is they're sending what they describe as a dossier and that will go to the police heads in the uk and that will essentially demand more action. It'll be full of more detail of what they say happened. So as we heard there, Hugh Grant making it very, very clear, even though he settled, he will not be silenced.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Stephanie Prentice. And that's it from us for now. But there'll be a new edition of the Global News podcast later. If you want to comment on this podcast or the topics covered in it, send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk you can also find us on X@globalnewspod. This edition was mixed by Joe McCartney. The producer was Terry Egan. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Valerie Sanderson. Until next time.

[Hugh Grant]

Time.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Bye bye.

[Hugh Grant]

Yoga is more than just exercise. It's the spiritual practice that millions swear by. And in 2017, Miranda, a university tutor from London, joins a yoga school that promises profound transformation. It felt a really safe and welcoming space after yoga classes. I felt amazing. But soon that calm, welcoming atmosphere leads to something far darker. A journey that leads to allegations of grooming, trafficking and exploitation across international borders. I don't have my passport. I don't have my phone. I don't have my bank cards. I have nothing. The passport being taken, the being in a house and not feeling like they can leave. World of Secrets is where untold stories are unveiled and hidden realities are exposed. In this new series, we're confronting the dark side of the wellness industry, where the hope of a spiritual breakthrough gives way to disturbing accusations. You just get sucked in so gradually.

[Valerie Sanderson]

And it's done so skillfully that you don't realize.

[Hugh Grant]

And it's like this, the secret that's there. I wanted to believe that, you know, that whatever they were doing, even if it seemed gross to me, was for some spiritual reason that I couldn't yet understand. Revealing the hidden secrets of a global yoga network. I feel that I have no other choice. The only thing I can do is to speak about this and to put my reputation and everything else on the line. I want truth and justice and for other people to not be hurt, for things to be different in the future.

[Valerie Sanderson]

To bring it into the light and almost alchemize some of that evil stuff.

[Hugh Grant]

That went on and take back the power. World of secrets. Season 6 the Bad Guru Listen, wherever you get your podcasts.