Biden meets Xi Jinping as concerns over a US-China trade war grow

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary

Episode Title: Biden Meets Xi Jinping as Concerns Over a US-China Trade War Grow
Host: Janet Jaleel
Date: Sunday, 17th November

The latest episode of the BBC World Service’s Global News Podcast delivers comprehensive coverage of pressing international issues, ranging from high-stakes geopolitical meetings to severe humanitarian crises. This summary captures the key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode, enriched with notable quotes and timestamps for reference.

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1. U.S.-China Relations: Biden Meets Xi Jinping Amidst Trade War Concerns

Overview:
In what is likely President Joe Biden’s final bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, both leaders convened on the sidelines of a summit in Peru. This meeting comes at a tense time as fears of a looming US-China trade war escalate, particularly with the incoming administration of Donald Trump, who has previously threatened significant tariffs on Chinese imports.

Key Points:

• Meeting Significance:
  Janet Jaleel explains, “It's likely to be the last time that President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping meet in person before Donald Trump takes over from Mr. Biden” (01:28).

• Trade War Fears:
  According to Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at SOAS University, “nothing will change now. Until Mr. Trump takes over, China will not make any concessions to the Biden administration” (03:20). This suggests that any trade negotiations or concessions may be deferred until the next U.S. administration.

• Chinese Strategic Positioning:
  Rowan Bridge, a correspondent in Washington, indicates that China is already strategizing for the Trump administration. He notes, “the big fear for them is a trade war, given Mr. Trump's threats to impose hefty tariffs on China” (04:15).

• Economic Implications:
  Karsten Brzetski, Chief Eurozone Economist at ING Bank, discusses the broader economic impact: “The International Monetary Fund warns that a major trade war on that scale could affect the world economy by around 7%” (05:39).

Notable Quote:
“President Xi doesn't have to worry about things like term limits. He's very secure in his position.” – Rowan Bridge (03:44)

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2. Natural Disaster Response: Valencia's Floods and Political Fallout

Overview:
Valencia, a region in Spain, faced catastrophic floods last month, resulting in over 220 fatalities. The regional leader, Carlos Mathon, is under intense scrutiny for allegedly failing to heed warnings from the Spanish weather agency in time to prevent the tragedy.

Key Points:

• Flood Destruction:
  Venezuelan correspondent Guy Hedgeko reports the devastation, including personal accounts from survivors like Lourdes Gamero, who stated, “We've lost everything, everything, everything” (09:54).

• Political Accountability:
  Carlos Mathon has been accused of negligence, having spent a prolonged three-hour lunch on the day of the floods (12:09). This has led to public outrage and demands for his resignation.

• Meteorological Agency's Stance:
  The Spanish weather agency contends that they provided sufficient warnings, but the regional government failed to disseminate this information promptly (10:34).

Notable Quote:
“Today they open not only to reveal a secret garden, but also to bring hope for the future of Venice.” – Friar Alessandro Carollo (27:40)

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3. Humanitarian Crisis: The Escalating Rohingya Refugee Situation

Overview:
The Rohingya minority, fleeing ongoing violence in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, faces dire conditions both in overcrowded refugee camps in Bangladesh and amidst renewed clashes with the Burmese military and insurgent groups.

Key Points:

• Violence and Migration:
  Jonathan Head reports that “armed groups are forcibly recruiting young men to fight,” exacerbating the refugee crisis as more Rohingyas attempt dangerous journeys to Malaysia (13:58).

• International smuggling Routes:
  Renewed attempts to smuggle refugees through southern Thailand have led to arrests and tragic incidents, such as a boat carrying 200 people capsizing (15:09).

• UN Warnings:
  The United Nations has issued warnings about near-famine conditions in Rakhine and the refugee camps, stressing the severity of the ongoing conflict.

Notable Quote:
“There’s a wave of attacks that have gone on in this state.” – Will Ross (21:37)

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4. Scientific Breakthrough: Volcanism on the Far Side of the Moon

Overview:
A groundbreaking discovery reveals that volcanic activity occurred on the Moon’s far side as recently as 2.8 billion years ago. This revelation is based on new rock and dust samples collected by China’s Chang'e 6 spacecraft.

Key Points:

• Research Insights:
  Professor James Head emphasizes, “These are fundamental findings, and there’ll be many more coming from the Chang'e 6 samples” (16:24).

• Volcanic Activity:
  The far side of the Moon was previously thought to have limited volcanic activity. The new samples indicate extensive lava flows, offering fresh insights into lunar geology (15:09).

• Comparative Analysis:
  The differences between the near side and far side of the Moon’s interior structure are now better understood, aiding scientists in piecing together the Moon’s evolutionary history (17:10).

Notable Quote:
“The goal of all planetary science is to really understand how did the Earth form and evolve.” – Professor James Head (15:38)

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5. Public Safety: Mass Stabbing at Chinese College Campus

Overview:
A tragic mass stabbing occurred at a technical college in eastern China, resulting in eight deaths and multiple injuries. The perpetrator, a 21-year-old former student, was arrested and confessed to the attack, citing grievances over diploma issuance and poor working conditions as motives.

Key Points:

• Incident Details:
  Grant Verrett reports, “Video from Wuxi shows bloodied bodies along a road at the local technical college” (23:56).

• Perpetrator’s Motivation:
  The attacker expressed anger over administrative refusals to issue his diploma and dissatisfaction with his internship conditions (24:07).

• Government Response:
  An online debate regarding the causes of the violence has been censored by authorities, reflecting the sensitive nature of such incidents in China (24:44).

Notable Quote:
“He was also said to be unhappy with poor pay and long hours as an intern.” – Grant Verrett (24:07)

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6. Geopolitical Intrigue: Elon Musk’s Alleged Meeting with Iran’s UN Envoy

Overview:
Contrary to reports from The New York Times, the Iranian Foreign Ministry denies that billionaire Elon Musk met with Iran’s UN envoy in New York. This alleged meeting has sparked controversy, especially given Musk’s advisory role to Donald Trump and the strained U.S.-Iran relations.

Key Points:

• Denials and Contradictions:
  Mike Thompson highlights, “There is doubt about this. But it does seem, given the growing tensions between the two countries, that this very likely did happen” (25:55).

• Elon Musk’s Role:
  Musk is perceived as a “very transactional figure” and his potential involvement in diplomatic negotiations is viewed as an unconventional move, possibly aimed at de-escalating tensions (27:11).

• Implications for U.S.-Iran Relations:
  The meeting, if true, could signify a behind-the-scenes effort to ease relations ahead of Trump’s presidency, amidst ongoing conflicts and proxy battles in the region (26:08).

Notable Quote:
“He's seen as a very transactional figure.” – Mike Thompson (27:11)

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7. Cultural Heritage: Venice’s Secret Garden Opens After 500 Years

Overview:
A long-hidden garden within the convent of the Church of Santissimo Redentore in Venice has been opened to the public for the first time in five centuries. This historic garden, facing restoration after severe flooding in 2019, is now accessible, offering a glimpse into the spiritual and daily lives of the Capuchin friars.

Key Points:

• Restoration Efforts:
  Beatriz Grizzardi recounts the extensive restoration focused on sustainability and resilience against climate change (27:40).

• Historical Significance:
  The garden, created in the late 16th century, served as a sanctuary for reflection and sustenance for the friars, now symbolizing hope for Venice’s future (28:26).

• Public Access and Preservation:
  Friar Alessandro Carollo states, “This project is not only to restore an environmental and artistic treasure, but we also wanted to create a place for people to connect” (28:34).

Notable Quote:
“These gates have been closed for hundreds of years. Today they open... to bring hope for the future of Venice.” – Friar Alessandro Carollo (28:34)

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8. Humanitarian Crisis: Civil War in Sudan and RSF Atrocities

Overview:
Sudan remains embroiled in civil conflict 19 months after the war’s onset, with the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) engaging in brutal campaigns against civilians. A rights group reports that over 1,500 civilians have been killed in one state within the last month alone.

Key Points:

• RSF Activities:
  Will Ross details, “the RSF deliberately targeted this particular village... civilians were killed” (21:37).

• International Involvement:
  Sudan’s Finance Minister appeals to the incoming Trump administration for increased pressure on external supporters of the RSF, notably the United Arab Emirates (23:03).

• Challenges in Ceasing Violence:
  Continued fighting between the RSF and the Sudanese army, compounded by external support to rival factions, hampers peace efforts (23:56).

Notable Quote:
“Both sides are determined to fight on and try and control the whole country.” – Will Ross (23:56)

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Conclusion:
This episode of the Global News Podcast encapsulates pivotal global events, highlighting the intricate interplay of politics, natural disasters, humanitarian crises, and scientific advancements. From the high-stakes discussions between world leaders to the profound human stories arising from conflict zones, the podcast provides listeners with a nuanced understanding of the current international landscape.

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Notable Timestamps:

1. 01:28 – Introduction to main stories.
2. 03:20 – Steve Tsang on US-China trade relations.
3. 04:15 – Rowan Bridge on China’s strategic concerns.
4. 05:39 – Economic implications of a trade war.
5. 03:44 – Rowan Bridge on President Xi’s position.
6. 09:54 – Survivor account from Valencia floods.
7. 12:09 – Accusations against Carlos Mathon.
8. 10:34 – Spanish weather agency's response.
9. 27:40 – Friar Alessandro on Venice’s garden.
10. 13:58 – Rohingya refugee situation overview.
11. 15:09 – Smuggling routes and refugee boats.
12. 21:37 – Will Ross on RSF attacks in Sudan.
13. 16:24 – Professor James Head on Moon volcanism.
14. 15:09 – Details on far side Moon’s volcanic activity.
15. 17:10 – Comparative lunar geology insights.
16. 15:38 – Motivation behind lunar studies.
17. 23:56 – Details of the mass stabbing in China.
18. 24:07 – Perpetrator’s motivations.
19. 24:44 – Censorship of online debates in China.
20. 24:07 – Grievances cited by the attacker.
21. 25:55 – Denials of Musk’s meeting with Iran.
22. 27:11 – Elon Musk’s role in diplomatic talks.
23. 26:08 – Implications for U.S.-Iran relations.
24. 27:11 – Mike Thompson on Musk’s transactional nature.
25. 27:40 – Restoration of Venice’s secret garden.
26. 28:26 – Historical significance of the garden.
27. 28:34 – Preservation and public access.
28. 28:34 – Friar’s hopes for Venice’s future.
29. 21:37 – RSF’s targeting of civilians in Sudan.
30. 23:03 – Appeal to the Trump administration.
31. 23:56 – Challenges in Sudan’s peace efforts.
32. 23:56 – Determination of conflicting Sudanese factions.

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For more detailed discussions and updates, listeners are encouraged to tune into the full episode of the Global News Podcast available through BBC's platforms.

Transcript

[Host]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

[Narrator]

A search for the truth behind an international drug smuggling plot.

[Janet Jaleel]

How are we going to unravel this.

[Narrator]

All from the BBC World Service. This is World of Secrets season five finding Mr. Fox search for World of Secrets. Wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

[Advertiser]

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[Janet Jaleel]

This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Janet Jaleel and in the early hours of Sunday 17th November, these are our main stories. Joe Biden has held what's likely to be his last meeting as US President with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, as concerns grow about a possible US China trade war. The Spanish weather agency has contradicted Valencia's regional leader, saying it had warned him about floods last month that claimed more than 200 lives. Eight people have been killed in a mass stabbing at a college campus in eastern China.

[Professor James Head]

Also in this podcast, the near side and the far side of the moon are very different, and this is the first samples from the far side, and they reveal that volcanism occurred as recently as 2.8 billion years ago on the.

[Janet Jaleel]

Far side the discovery of ancient volcanoes on our moon. The leaders of the world's two biggest economies, the US And China, have met on the sidelines of a summit in Peru, a day after both leaders warned of turbulent times ahead. It's likely to be the last time that President Joe Biden and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping meet in person before Donald Trump takes over from Mr. Biden. In January, Mr. Xi told Mr. Biden that China would strive for a smooth transition in relations with the US Mr. Trump has threatened to impose tariffs of up to 60% on Chinese imports at a time when China's economy is already struggling. Steve Tsang, the director of the China Institute at SOAS University here in London, says nothing will change now. Until Mr. Trump takes over, China will.

[Narrator]

Not make any concessions to the Biden administration. Now, if Xi Jinping is planning to make any concessions to the United States, he will offer them to Donald Trump after Donald Trump became president, and not to the outgoing President Biden.

[Janet Jaleel]

Now, a correspondent in Washington, Rowan Bridge, told us more about the meeting.

[Rowan Bridge]

The United States have been briefing that they're going to use the occasion to challenge China on issues where they have concerns, things like hacking, human rights violations, threats against Taiwan. But as you say, this is really part of the Biden swan song. And, you know, President Xi doesn't have to worry about things like term limits. He's very secure in his position. And you can sort of feel the Chinese sort of metaphorically already looking over Joe Biden's shoulder at the incoming Trump administration and what that might mean for them.

[Janet Jaleel]

Exactly. Because the big fear for them is a trade war, given Mr. Trump's threats to impose hefty tariffs on China.

[Rowan Bridge]

Donald Trump made big play of this during his election campaign. I watched a number of his rallies, and you would hear him speak repeatedly about this idea of imposing tariffs on Chinese goods as a way of defending US Manufacturing and jobs. The idea being that you make Chinese goods more expensive. That makes it more attractive to buy domestic product and boost the US Economy. The flip side of that, the argument against that is you end up with a tit for tat situation effectively, where both sides start to impose tariffs on each other, international trade slows down. And also, you know, if there is no domestic production, if you are relying on China for your goods, that makes them more expensive for US Customers. I think the issue is how significant an impact will tariffs have, and that will come down to how widespread they are and how far afield they go. So, you know, are they not just on China, but are they on the eu, for example, or UK There is a warning from the International Monetary Fund, which is an agency of the UN that that a major trade war on that scale could affect the world economy by around 7%. And to give you an idea of scale, that's the size of the French and the German economies combined. So I think it really depends on how all this stuff plays out over the coming months.

[Janet Jaleel]

And the fact that they're meeting in South America, where China has expanded its influence in recent years, is significant, too, for the Trump administration because this is a region that the US has long regarded as its backyard.

[Rowan Bridge]

Yeah, I mean, President Xi inaugurated this deep sea port about 40 miles north of Peru before the meeting today. And that I think was really sort of symbolic of the way the Chinese have spread their economic influence into what is almost sort of the United States backyard and a real sign of their growing influence in the region and something that clearly the United States is going to be very much aware of.

[Janet Jaleel]

Well, as Rowan was saying there, the Trump administration's economic policies will also very likely affect Europe. With the eurozone economy set to fall further behind the U.S. the European Commission has downgraded its 2025 growth forecast from 1.4 to 1.3%. And that's before the economic policies of the new U.S. administration have been fully priced in. Andrew Peach spoke to Karsten Brzetski, chief Eurozone econom at ING Bank.

[Karsten Brzetski]

Well, I think the European Commission just showed that we will see even lower growth in the Eurozone, while on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, we'll see the American economy that will probably benefit from lower taxes and deregulation. So the gap between the US and the eurozone will widen in 2025.

[Host]

How much has that picture changed since the US election?

[Karsten Brzetski]

Yeah, it has become worse from a European perspective, something that the European Commission was not able to into its own forecast because they have the so called cutoff date. But with the Trump administration, I think Europe has to be prepared for trade, war, deregulation, tax cuts in the, in the US Already, lower energy prices and the deregulation and the tax cuts will mean that the US Will become even more attractive for investors. And I think we will see European companies considering at least to go to the US or at least to increase their exposure and their activities in the US which then would come at the cost of European growth.

[Host]

What do European governments need to do with the growth forecast now at 1.3% and possibly that being optimistic?

[Karsten Brzetski]

One thing regarding this forecast by the European Commission, it still is not fully taking into account the structural weakness of the European economy. So this is still a very optimistic forecast. It doesn't take Donald Trump into account and it doesn't take the structural weakness into account. So what European governments should do now is clearly not just wait for the next US Administration to start and just to react to anything coming out of Washington, D.C. but rather to strengthen the domestic economy.

[Host]

Okay. And it could be that other economies are far more affected by what happens in the US Than the US Economy because it's so secure because I think.

[Karsten Brzetski]

The rest of the world will be hit in a negative way by the US economic policies. The trade tensions will hit the other economies. The deregulation and making the US economy more attractive vis a vis the rest of the world will clearly also hit the rest of the world. So what this means is what the economic policies by the Trump administration could mean, is that we will see even more divergence in the global economy with, on the one hand, the US economy and on the other hand, the rest.

[Janet Jaleel]

Economist Carsten Brzezewski Pressure is growing on the head of the Valencia region in Spain about the failure to warn people in time about last month's devastating floods that claimed more than 220 lives. Carlos Mathon has refused to resign despite revelations that on the day a year's worth of rain fell in some places he was having a three hour lunch. Lourdes Gamero, who buried her mother on Saturday, recalled the events of October 29th last month.

[Narrator]

@ first they told us it wouldn't be too bad because they didn't think it would reach the level that it did. But the water started rising. It kept rising and rising. My sister called 112 and they told us, you need to get to higher ground, no one can come to help. You need to go up. And I started shouting to the neighbours to help us.

[Janet Jaleel]

We've lost everything, everything, everything. Meanwhile, Spanish weather officials have hit back at Mr. Mathon after he blamed them. They say they did alert his regional government in good time, but the warning was not passed on to the public until it was too late. Our Madrid correspondent Guy Hedgeko told us more.

[Host]

This has turned into something of a bitter wrangle between the regional government of Valencia, the conservative government and national agencies like the weather agency. What the meteorological agency has said in its latest comments is that it provided enough information on the day of October 29 for the local government to act. And according to protocol, it's the local government, the regional government, which must use that information to take any action. Now, the weather agency issued a red alert early in the morning of October 29, saying that this weather front with extreme weather was on the way. And it took around 12 hours for the regional government of Carlos Mazon to actually issue its own alert via a message to the phones of people in Valencia, warning them, for example, to stay off roads and to stay inside where necessary. So that the weather agency has simply been underlining that fact and saying that all the evidence was there. And it's been trying to counter these accusations made by Mr. Mathon that he was not given enough information on the day and that therefore he wasn't able to act as promptly as he might have wanted to.

[Janet Jaleel]

There have been concerns expressed about what he was doing on the day, whether he was in fact focused on dealing with this very important task of trying to make sure people were as prepared as possible for these floods.

[Host]

Well, that's right. He and his team were very coy in the days after the flood struck about what exactly he'd been doing that day and why he had not, for example, attended a crisis meeting in the afternoon when the floods were already causing enormous damage. Eventually it emerged that he had been having a three and a half hour lunch with a local journalist in a restaurant in central Valencia, and he finished that lunch at around 6 o'clock in the evening. He missed the crisis meeting and then went back to his office and started following events more closely. But the fact that he was in that lunch so long, many people feel that that made it impossible for him to be on top the situation, what was a huge tragedy for Valencia. And people feel that that hole in his diary when he appeared to go missing is something he should answer for. And that's been one of the big accusations levelled at him.

[Janet Jaleel]

Guy Hedgeko in Spain. Seven years after the Myanmar military carried out a sweeping campaign of massacres, rape and arson that led to hundreds of thousands of people from the long persecuted Rohingya minority fleeing to Bangladesh. Human rights groups say large numbers of the refugees appear to be leaving the overcrowded camps in Bangladesh because of violence there by armed groups. Rights groups say the Rohingyas still in Myanmar in Rakhine State, are also fleeing as fighting continues between the Burmese military and insurgent groups. Police in Thailand say they've arrested dozens of Rohingyas in the past week who they believe are trying to get to Malaysia. Jonathan Head reports.

[Host]

It's nearly 10 years since the Thai government shut down people smuggling routes through Thailand after the discovery of hidden jungle camps where thousands of mainly Rohingya migrants were held in appalling conditions. Now those routes appear to have opened again. Two groups of migrants, almost certainly Rohingyas, have been arrested in the past week. Hundreds more are believed to be on board boats heading south along the Myanmar coast. At least one boat with 200 people on board is reported to have capsized. Many Rohingya civilians have been caught in the fierce battles for control of Rakhine State between the Myanmar military, an insurgent group called the Arakan army, and Rohingya militants. The United nations has warned that the fighting is Creating near famine conditions in Rakhine and in the overcrowded refugee camps in neighbouring Bangladesh. Armed groups are also forcibly recruiting young men to fight. All this is driving growing numbers of Rohingyas to flee in rickety fishing boats run by smugglers. Indonesia is no longer as hospitable as it was. So now the smugglers are trying to get the migrants to Malaysia by going overland again across southern Thailand.

[Janet Jaleel]

Jonathan Head now to the far side of the Moon. An exciting discovery that volcanoes were erupting there nearly 3 billion years ago. Scientists have been examining fresh evidence from rock and dust samples collected by China's China Changi six spacecraft. James Head, a research professor of geological sciences at Brown University in the us, is one of the scientists who is reviewing the data from the samples. He told Celia Hatton what's been discovered.

[Professor James Head]

The goal of all planetary science is to really understand how did the Earth form and evolve. Unfortunately, the record on the Earth is largely gone due to erosion and plate tectonics. So it's like trying to read a history book of the earth that contains 10 chapters, but the first eight are missing. So we look to the Moon and the planets to fill in those ancient gaps. And so what we find here is that the near side and the far side of the Moon are very different. And this is the first samples from this far side. And they reveal that volcanism, volcanic activity, lava flow eruptions, occurred as recently as 2.8 billion years ago on the far side. And it fills in many missing chapters of the history of the Moon, which involves a lot of understanding of the Earth.

[Narrator]

Okay, so didn't we already know that there had been this kind of volcano on the near side of the Moon?

[Janet Jaleel]

If so, is it a surprise that.

[Narrator]

They were also on the far side?

[Professor James Head]

Indeed, we did know that, and unfortunately, we can't see the far side except from orbital observations. So they show that there's very few evidences of volcanic activity on the far side and also a lot of other difference between the near side to far side. And so this historic sample return by Chang'e6 gave us actual samples to measure, and that gives us the ability to date those. They are younger than most of the ones on the near side. And it also, it's like bringing up a sample of depth. It's like a drill hole. It tells us all about the interior of the far side as well. And it's very different apparently than the interior or the near side. So these are fundamental findings, and there'll be many more coming from the Chang'e 6 samples.

[Narrator]

Can you give us an idea of what these volcanoes might have been like?

[Professor James Head]

Sure. The ones that we see. In fact, if you think about the earth, everybody thinks about, oh, you know, Hawaii or things like that. But the situation on the moon is a little bit different. The volcanoes, really, their lava flows are huge. They come out from the interior of the moon and they cover large areas in single eruptions. So it would be like a tsunami, like a flood that in fact occurs on the earth of water. But instead, it's lava. It's pretty amazing.

[Janet Jaleel]

Professor James Head.

[Narrator]

Still to come, I am welcomed into the garden by a path lined with fragrant herbs and slim cypresses. Butterflies have just fluttered past me.

[Janet Jaleel]

The Secret garden in Venice now opened to the public for the first time in 500 years.

[Narrator]

When we left, there was this wonderful feeling, but it was only the beginning of a nightmare. This is a story that started with a job advert. A yacht owner looking for a crew to sell his recently renovated boat from Brazil to Europe. For me, it was going to be a great adventure and an opportunity to gain a lot of experience. But when police raided the vessel and discovered drugs, cocaine, hidden under one of the beds, it can't be. A key suspect was miles away.

[Advertiser]

Everything revolved around him.

[Narrator]

Who's the boss? A British guy. Fox. Fox. This is World of Secrets from the BBC World Service. Season five finding Mr. Fox. Search for World of Secrets wherever you get your BBC podcasts. Hey, it's Dougie here. And with the weather changing, November is your last chance to replace your old drafty windows before the winter cold weather arrives. If yours are cracked or leaking and won't open or even stay open, then it's time to call the pro pros at Window Nation. Right now, you can get 50% off all styles of windows. Double hungs, bays, sliders, it doesn't matter. Plus, you could save even more. With zero percent interest for 60 months. That's five full years. Window Nation's windows come with a lifetime warranty, and it can be installed in one day or less. With proven quality and service, it's no wonder thousands of homeowners have trusted Window Nation for their homes. And you can, too. So if your old finicky windows and high energy costs from this winter are cutting deep into your finances, I don't want you to miss out with the 50% off of all styles of Windows, plus 0% interest for 60 months. Call 86690 Nation or visit windonation.com to schedule your free in home estimate.

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[Janet Jaleel]

You'Re listening to the global news podcast. The civil war that erupted in Sudan 19 months ago has had devastating consequences, creating one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. As a paramilitary group, the RSF battles the army for control of the country. Now a rights group says that in one state alone, Al Jazeera, more than 1500 civilians have been killed by the RSF over the last month. This comes after an RSF commander who's from the state defected to the army in October. I got more from our Africa regional editor Will Ross.

[Will Ross]

According to people fleeing the area, the RSF deliberately targeted this particular village and it's the second in two days and civilians were killed. There are all kinds of reports of people having their homes burnt to the ground and then those that could getting away. And it's really a wave of attacks that have gone on in this state. And in the last few hours we've heard sort of from activists as well who are there who are talking about extraordinary numbers of civilians being killed over the last month. There's this rights activist group called the Jazeera Congress and it's talking about more than 1,500 civilians being killed over the last month there. And they're saying this seems to be because a commander from the Rapid Support Force is defected to the army and he was from that area. So it seems the RSF are kind of deliberately carrying out attacks there.

[Janet Jaleel]

And as well as accusations that the world is not paying enough attention to this conflict in Sudan, there are also accusations there are outside powers that are supporting, supporting the rival sides. The Biden administration has been accused of not doing very much to try to end this war Sudan's finance minister says he hopes the incoming Trump administration can do more. Is that likely? What is he hoping for?

[Will Ross]

Yeah, we will have to wait and see if there's a different tactic. But certainly the hope from the Sudanese government is that the next administration in the United States puts more pressure, especially on the United Arab Emirates, which have denied the accusations. But there have been quite a lot of evidence that it has backed the rapid support forces for a long time throughout this war. And there's this feeling that if the UAE was kind of to stop helping the rsf, it would possibly weaken the RSF to such a level that talks might have a better chance of succeeding. But at the moment, it just seems that both sides are determined to fight on and try and control the whole country. And the fact that there is outside influence from external actors makes it even more difficult to stop the fighting.

[Janet Jaleel]

Will Ross A mass stabbing at a college campus in eastern China has left eight people dead and many others injured. Grant Verrett reports.

[Narrator]

Video from Wuxi shows bloodied bodies along a road at the local technical college. Police said they'd arrested a 21 year old man who'd studied there. They said he admitted carrying out the stabbings because the institute had refused to issue his diploma. He was also said to be unhappy with poor pay and long hours as an intern. On Monday night, 35 people were killed in southern China when a man drove into a crowd outside a sports stadium. It was the deadliest such attack in China in many years. An online debate about the possible cause of the violence has been censored, considered politically sensitive by the authorities.

[Janet Jaleel]

Grant Ferret, the Iranian Foreign Ministry has categorically denied US Reports that the billionaire Elon Musk, who is a key advisor to Donald Trump. Trump met Iran's UN Envoy in New York a few days ago. This contradicts a New York Times article quoting unnamed Iranian officials who said that Tehran had sought the meeting to ease tensions with the US before the president elect takes office in his first term. Mr. Trump withdrew the US from a major nuclear accord with Iran and ordered the assassination of a high level Iranian commander. So did this meeting happen or not? Our Middle east analyst is Mike Thompson.

[Mike Thompson]

It's all rather bizarre and of course it came out, as you said, of a report initially in the New York Times. It looked like a very well researched report and has since been picked up by media across the globe. Now, the US Were actually asked about this. Is it true? A spokesman there said, we do not comment on reports of private meetings that did or did not occur. There is doubt about this. But it does seem, given the growing tensions between the two countries, that this very likely did happen, despite this comment by Iran.

[Janet Jaleel]

Yes, because that's a bit of semantics there, isn't it? Because this meeting, if it happened, was just before Elon Musk joined the incoming Trump administration. Why would Iran be denying it if it had occurred?

[Mike Thompson]

Well, I think there's a lot of difficulty within Iran. There's different opinions about where to go next on this, strongly held opinions. You've got the very much more conservative hard line Revolutionary Guards people, and then you've got the country's recently elected president, who's more moderate, Ali Larijani, who's the senior adviser to the Supreme Leader. He's also comparatively moderate. But you've also got the fact that we've seen Hezbollah, which Iran backs, we've seen Hamas, which Iran backs. Now, they have been heavily battered by Israel in the fighting. So these are proxy armies that were used pretty much as a defence by Iran. They been diminished hugely. And of course, Donald Trump's a very unpredictable character. He'd been very hardline, as you mentioned earlier, and so there'll be concerns about what he might do. And I think there is a stronger feeling in Iran that perhaps they ought to look at ways of making sure they can avoid a war.

[Janet Jaleel]

And another intriguing aspect of this, a lot of people are asking, why would Elon Musk be involved in such sensitive negotiations?

[Mike Thompson]

Well, he's seen as a very transactional figure. That's what people say Donald Trump is. He's close to Trump, so it looks like he would well be trusted to try and wheel any deal or certainly pave the way for such a thing. And also, of course, as you mentioned earlier, he was at the time of that alleged meeting, a private individual. Therefore, he was not restrained from meeting with other government representatives from other countries. So it was quite permissible to meet. So in that way, it's not really all that surprising.

[Janet Jaleel]

Mike Thompson A hidden garden in Venice has opened to the public for the first time in 500 years. The Garden is part of of the convent of the Church of Santissimo Redentore, created in the late 16th century. Since then it's remained a private sanctuary for the Capuchin friars, with access limited to only a few until now. The garden's survival was threatened by a huge flood in 2019, which prompted a careful restoration. The project focused on sustainability and self sufficiency, bringing the garden back to its former beauty while safeguarding it for the future and against the Threat of climate change. Beatriz Grizzardi is a BBC journalist and Venetian resident. She was there for its first opening to the public.

[Narrator]

I'm in Venice. I've just taken off with my boat, the best way to travel around the city's canals. Today, I'm sailing to the island of Giudecca, where, for the first time since its foundation 500 years ago, the secret convent garden of the church of Santissimo Redentore will be open to the public. This peaceful garden, created in the late 1500s after Venice suffered a terrible plague, was a quiet place for the Capuchin friars to reflect and live their daily lives. For centuries, it has been hidden away from the world. And here we are. I am welcomed into the garden by a path line with fragrant herbs and slim cypresses. Butterflies have just fluttered past me. There are vegetable plots on my right. But it hasn't always looked like this. Venice submerged by its highest tide in over 50 years. The old city on the lagoon is now mostly submerged in water. The gardens were badly affected by the extraordinary tide that flooded Venice in 2019, or acqua grand, as it is called here. Adele Rerebaudengo is the president of Venice Gardens Foundation. She tells me how the Acqua Granda drove the efforts to restore the gardens. Right after the Acqua Granda, I went to the Capuchin friars to ask them about their garden. Water rose above 1.87 meters. Indeed, both the buildings and the garden were in serious difficulty, and we worked hard to care for its trees. The restoration of this garden is part of a bigger effort to protect Venice's heritage as climate change threatens the city's foundations. As you walk through the garden, you can breathe in its history. The meditation chapel, the orchards, and the herb gardens, which were once used by the friar as a valuable source of food and medicinal herbs and were of vital importance to community life. This secret place gives us a glimpse into the spiritual and everyday lives of the people who lived here long ago. Friar Alessandro Carollo is the head of the Capuchin friars in the Trivenito area. In reality, this story starts well before the acqua Granda in 2019, which partially ruined our gardens. Our project is not only to restore an environmental and artistic treasure, but we also wanted to create a place for people to connect. These gates have been closed for hundreds of years. Today they open not only to reveal a secret garden, but also to bring hope for the future of Venice.

[Janet Jaleel]

That report by A. Beatrice and that's all from us for now. But there will be a new edition of the Global News Podcast. Later, if you want to comment on this podcast or the topics covered, you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk this edition was mixed by Chris Lovelock. The producer was Alison Davis. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Janat Jaleel. Until next time. Goodbye.

[Narrator]

When we left, there was this wonderful feeling, but it was only the beginning of a nightmare. This is a story that started with a job advert. A yacht owner looking for a crew to sell his recently renovated boat from Brazil to Europe. For me, it was going to be a great adventure and an opportunity to gain a lot of experience. But when police raided the vessel and discovered drugs, cocaine hidden under one of the beds, it can't be. A key suspect was miles away.

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Everything revolved around him.

[Narrator]

Who's the boss? A British guy. Fox.

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Fox.

[Narrator]

This is World of secrets from the BBC World Service. Season five finding Mr. Fox. Search for World of Secrets. Wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

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