Donald Trump meets Syrian leader

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary
Episode: Donald Trump meets Syrian leader
Release Date: May 14, 2025
Host: Paul Moss, BBC World Service

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1. U.S.-Syria Diplomatic Breakthrough

Main Story:
In a significant shift in Middle Eastern geopolitics, former U.S. President Donald Trump met with Syrian leader Ahmed Al Shara. This unprecedented meeting marks the first encounter between an American leader and a Syrian counterpart in over 25 years. The primary agenda was Trump's surprise decision to lift U.S. sanctions on Syria, signaling the potential start of a new diplomatic era between the two nations.

Key Points:

• Meeting Significance: Although initially expected to be a brief hello during Trump's visit to Saudi Arabia, the meeting has broader implications for Syria's international relations.
• Syria's Leadership: Ahmed Al Shara heads a faction considered a terrorist organization by several countries, specifically an offshoot of Al Qaeda. Despite this, Trump's meeting aims to normalize relations and provide Syria a "fresh start."

Notable Quotes:

• Paul Moss [00:52]: "It wasn't expected to be a long meeting. Donald Trump had merely said he would say hello... But this was the first time in a quarter of a century that an American leader met their Syrian counterpart."
• President Donald Trump [03:24]: "We are currently exploring normalizing relations with Syria's new government... I am also ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria to give them a fresh start."
• Mouaz Mustafa [04:14]: "This is a big breakthrough... lifting the sanctions is going to enable him to get more credibility from his own people that he's able to help boost the economy."

Implications:

• Economic Relief: Lifting sanctions is expected to rejuvenate Syria's economy, allowing for reconstruction, return of refugees, and stabilization of prices.
• Political Landscape: Despite optimism, some analysts caution that Syria's journey toward democracy is nascent, with concerns over the government's structure and representation.

Public Reaction: Ordinary Syrians on the streets of Damascus expressed overwhelming joy and hope for a better future, anticipating economic recovery and the return of displaced individuals.

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2. Escalation in Gaza: Israeli Airstrikes and Humanitarian Impact

Main Story:
Israel intensified its airstrikes in Gaza, targeting areas such as the Jabalya refugee camp and a hospital in Khan Yunis. These strikes have resulted in significant civilian casualties, sparking international debate over Israel's military tactics and the urgent need for a ceasefire.

Key Points:

• Recent Attacks: Overnight strikes in Jabalya killed at least 70 Palestinians, while an attack on a hospital in Khan Yunis resulted in 28 deaths.
• Israeli Stance: The Israeli government maintains that these are legitimate military targets, with spokesperson David Mentzer dismissing international criticism.
• Asymmetric Warfare: Analyst Diane Mollen highlighted the complexities of asymmetric warfare, where Hamas uses human shields, complicating Israel's military responses.

Notable Quotes:

• Diane Mollen [08:28]: "We have an opportunity to strike every military target, but when we do, you get condemned..."
• Mouaz Mustafa [06:47]: "I think this is really a big, big statement to make... there is great hope inside Syria because there is wider freedom."

Humanitarian Impact:

• Casualties: The strikes have resulted in numerous civilian deaths, including children, raising ethical concerns.
• Aid Blockade: Efforts to negotiate a ceasefire and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza remain stalled, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

Personal Stories:

• Najwa's Appeal [09:20]: A mother of a five-month-old child, Sawara Shore, appealed for global assistance following the hospital attack.
• Asma and Abdelrahman's Story [10:19]: A family member recounts the trauma of losing a leg in an airstrike and the ongoing struggle to return safely to Gaza.

Analytical Insight:

• Jeremy Bowen [11:35]: Former BBC correspondent Jeremy Bowen assessed Hamas's current state, describing it as an insurgency rather than a coherent military organization, suggesting that the conflict may persist as long as resistance exists.

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3. Iran's Assassination Tactics: Linking with Criminal Gangs

Main Story:
A BBC investigation unveiled that Iran employs international criminal gangs, including drug dealers and the Hells Angels, to carry out assassinations of dissidents abroad. This strategy represents a shift from Iran's traditional use of ideological groups like Hezbollah.

Key Points:

• Operational Shift: Iranian intelligence services, particularly the Quds Force's Unit 840, now outsource political assassinations to non-political criminal organizations.
• Methodology: This approach helps Iran distance itself from direct responsibility, making attribution to the state more challenging.
• Global Reach: Attacks have been reported in Europe, the United Kingdom, and the United States, targeting journalists and Iranian dissidents.

Notable Quotes:

• Victoria Gill [18:37]: "There is coordination between Iranian government officials and criminal organizations..."
• Gia Gol [20:48]: "Iran doesn't want these assassinations to be linked back to Iran... They use criminal groups to obscure their involvement."

Implications:

• Increased Threats: This modus operandi heightens the danger to dissidents and complicates international efforts to curb state-sponsored killings.
• International Response: Authorities are grappling with how to address and prevent these covert operations, given their clandestine nature.

Expert Commentary:

• Victoria Taylor: From the U.S. State Department, affirmed Iran's use of such tactics, emphasizing the strategic advantage Iran seeks by employing criminal networks.

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4. The Menendez Brothers: Potential Release After Sentence Reduction

Main Story:
In a landmark development, the Menendez brothers, convicted of murdering their parents in 1989, have had their sentences reduced, making them eligible for parole after 50 years—a significant change from their original life imprisonment without parole.

Key Points:

• Case Overview: Lyle and Eric Menendez were convicted after alleging self-defense against years of abuse. Their case has long been debated and dramatized in media.
• Sentence Reduction: The court's decision opens the possibility for their eventual release, pending parole board approval and gubernatorial consent.
• Rehabilitation Claims: Their cousin, Diane Mollen, praised their transformation from despair to becoming "incredible human beings."

Notable Quotes:

• Diane Mollen [14:09]: "They have transformed themselves from the dark days... into incredible human beings."
• Peter Bowes [15:42]: "It's the first time really we've heard it phrased in this way. Lyle Menendez said that he and his brother took full responsibility for what they did."

Public Reaction:

• Divided Opinions: The reduction has reignited public debate, with supporters highlighting their rehabilitation and critics emphasizing the heinousness of their crime.
• Media Influence: Renewed interest due to recent documentaries and public testimonies has played a role in shifting public sentiment.

Future Steps:

• Parole Process: The brothers must now present their case to the California parole board, which will recommend to Governor Gavin Newsom, who holds the final authority on their release.

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5. Judicial Corruption in Wisconsin: Judge Hannah Dugan Faces Indictment

Main Story:
Judge Hannah Dugan in Wisconsin is under federal indictment for allegedly assisting a Mexican immigrant, Eduardo Flores Ruiz, in evading arrest and deportation by facilitating his exit through a backdoor of her courthouse.

Key Points:

• Allegations: Prosecutors claim that upon detecting ICE agents in her courtroom, Judge Dugan helped Flores Ruiz and his attorney escape, violating judicial protocols.
• Legal Consequences: If convicted, Judge Dugan faces up to six years in prison.
• Status Update: Dugan has been suspended from the bench pending further legal proceedings.

Notable Quotes:

• Diane Mollen [16:53]: "Prosecutors allege... that Hannah Dugan helped Eduardo Flores Ruiz and his lawyer slip out through the back of the building."

Implications:

• Judicial Integrity: The case raises serious concerns about corruption and the misuse of judicial authority.
• Immigration Enforcement: Highlights the tensions and challenges within the U.S. immigration system, particularly regarding judicial cooperation with enforcement agencies.

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6. South Korean Plane Crash: Families Accuse Authorities of Negligence

Main Story:
A South Korean aircraft crashed last December, killing 179 people and raising suspicions over its causes, including the presence of a concrete wall on the runway and faulty landing gear. Families of victims have filed criminal complaints against 15 individuals, including the Transport Minister, citing negligence.

Key Points:

• Crash Details: The plane skidded off the runway after landing gear failure, striking a concrete structure and catching fire.
• Ongoing Investigation: Despite months passing, the exact cause remains undetermined, fueling frustration among victim families.
• Criminal Complaints: 72 relatives have formally accused officials and the airline, urging expedited investigations and accountability.

Notable Quotes:

• Diane Mollen [22:00]: "We can't help feeling deep anger and despair over the fact there has been little progress."

Implications:

• Regulatory Scrutiny: Increased pressure on aviation authorities to enhance safety measures and transparency.
• Public Trust: Erosion of confidence in governmental institutions managing transportation safety.

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7. Rising Kidnapping Attempts in the Cryptocurrency Sector

Main Story:
Paris has witnessed a series of audacious kidnapping attempts targeting individuals linked to the cryptocurrency industry. Recent incidents include the attempted abduction of the daughter and grandson of a cryptocurrency executive, as well as previous assaults involving ransom demands and mutilations.

Key Points:

• Recent Incidents: On Tuesday, a gang attempted to kidnap a pregnant woman and her grandson, prompting immediate intervention from bystanders and law enforcement.
• Pattern Recognition: This marks the third such incident within a few months, suggesting a coordinated threat against the crypto sector.
• Victim Impact: Victims have suffered physical injuries and psychological trauma, raising concerns about the security of high-profile individuals in the industry.

Notable Quotes:

• Diane Mollen [23:39]: "Chimps here and we know a lot about them, but learning from the wild is stuff that we'd never even thought they could do."

Implications:

• Industry Vulnerability: Highlights the need for enhanced security measures for individuals in high-risk industries.
• Law Enforcement Response: Authorities are under pressure to identify perpetrators and prevent future attacks amidst growing public fear.

Detailed Account: Hugh Schofield detailed the incident where passersby intervened using a fire extinguisher to thwart the kidnappers, indicating community resilience and the importance of public vigilance in such emergencies.

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8. Chimpanzees in Uganda Use Medicinal Plants for Healing

Main Story:
A groundbreaking study revealed that chimpanzees in Uganda's Badongo Forest employ medicinal plants to treat their wounds, showcasing behaviors akin to first aid and hinting at primitive medical knowledge among primates.

Key Points:

• Research Findings: Scientists from the University of Oxford documented chimpanzees using specific plants known for their healing properties, applying them to their own injuries and those of others.
• Empathy and Social Care: Observations included a young female chimpanzee treating her injured mother, suggesting empathetic behaviors.
• Potential for Human Medicine: Some of the plants used have recognized benefits in human medicine, opening avenues for new pharmaceutical discoveries.

Notable Quotes:

• Victoria Gill [26:33]: "Chimpanzees thrive here because they know how to access the secrets of this place and how to find all they need to survive from their surroundings."
• Diane Mollen [28:26]: "Chimps are fascinating. They're so clever that we know about them, but learning from the wild is stuff that we'd never even thought they could do."

Implications:

• Scientific Insight: Enhances understanding of primate behavior and the evolutionary roots of medical practices.
• Conservation Efforts: Emphasizes the importance of preserving natural habitats to continue such valuable research.
• Medical Applications: Potential to inspire new treatments based on primate-nature interactions.

Expert Commentary:

• Dr. Elodie Freeman: Highlighted the correlation between chimpanzee behaviors and human social and medical practices, advocating for further research into natural medicine sources.

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Conclusion

This episode of the Global News Podcast delved into a wide array of pressing global issues, from significant diplomatic developments and ongoing conflicts to investigative reports on state-sponsored assassinations and scientific discoveries in primatology. Each segment provided in-depth analysis and firsthand accounts, offering listeners a comprehensive understanding of the complex world events shaping our present and future.

For more detailed discussions and future updates, subscribe to the Global News Podcast and stay informed with the BBC World Service.

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Produced by Rebecca Wood and Muzaffar Shakir, mixed by Kai Perry, and edited by Karen Martin.

Transcript

[Paul Moss]

This is the global news podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Paul Moss and at 13 hours GMT on Wednesday 14th May, these are our main stories. Donald Trump has met the Syrian leader Ahmed Al Shara after his surprise decision to lift US sanctions on Syria. Israel has launched more fatal airstrikes in Gaza and a BBC investigation has found that Iran is using foreign criminal gangs like drug dealers and even Hell's Angels to carry out assassinations. We hear why also in this podcast.

[Diane Mollen]

They have transformed themselves from the dark days when they were first sentenced to prison, and from that they have blossomed into incredible human beings.

[Paul Moss]

35 years after murdering their parents, the Menendez brothers have their sentences cut and could go free. It wasn't expected to be a long meeting. Donald Trump had merely said he would say hello to the Syrian president Ahmed Al Shara during his visit to Saudi Arabia. But this was the first time in a quarter of a century that an American leader met their Syrian counterpart. And More than that, Mr. Al Shara leads a group still listed as a terrorist organization by many countries. The an offshoot of Al Qaeda. But speaking afterwards, President Trump made clear that brief hello is intended to be just the start of a new diplomatic era between the two countries.

[Leena Sinjab]

We are currently exploring normalizing relations with Syria's new government. As you know, beginning with my meeting with President Ahmed Al Shara and Secretary Rubio's meeting with the Syrian foreign minister in Turkey, I am also ordering the cessation of sanctions against Syria to give them a fresh start.

[Paul Moss]

And that, of course, represents a major concrete development in the new U. S. Syria diplomacy, a concrete step which is not merely of interest to business people and economists. Just listen to these ordinary Syrians welcoming the news on the streets of the capital, Damascus.

[Peter Bowes]

The feeling is indescribable, unbelievable happiness.

[Paul Moss]

Hopefully God helps this country and it will be better for everyone. Congratulations to everyone.

[Victoria Gill]

There is incredible happiness for all Syrians. It will be great for our country. Construction will return, the refugees will return, everyone will return. The prices will drop. There is good to come, God willing. It just needs a bit of patience. But good things are coming our way.

[Paul Moss]

There's been fierce international debate about when and whether to lift sanctions on Syria. On. On the one hand, President Al Shara leads a government dominated only by Sunni Muslims and with just one woman represented in the cabinet. And the Syrian armed forces he now controls have been accused of committing atrocities against civilians who come from the minority Alawite community. But this is still a very new Syria. According to Mouaz Mustafa Executive director of the Syria Emergency Task Force. One with, he says, a bright political and economic future.

[Diane Mollen]

Syria has natural resources, including oil and gas. Syria has an incredible labor force that's probably the cheapest, if not one of the cheapest in the world. Syria is very important geopolitically and in terms of both trade routes and others. Syria is now a country that is pursuing its path towards democracy. And it is a country that sees itself and its values and its interests more aligned with democracies than the authoritarian regimes that supported the Assad regime and committed horrible massacres.

[Paul Moss]

So was it the promise of democracy in a country known only for its vicious dictatorships which appealed to Donald Trump, or was it all those natural resources on offer? Our correspondent in Damascus, Leena Sinjab, emphasized to me that the most important thing was simply that they met at all.

[Mouaz Mustafa]

This is a big breakthrough, you know, and a big turnaround because, you know, Ahmed Al Shara was wanted by the United States state. He's on the terror list. There was a bounty of 10 million for arresting him that was lifted shortly after the fall of Assad, led by Al Shara and his group. So for him to sit down in a meeting, in closed meeting with President Trump is a big breakthrough, especially after months of culminating regional and some international diplomatic success, especially after meeting the French President, Emmanuel Macron last week. So this is really important for the legacy of President Al Shara, giving him more legitimacy to rule Syria, engaging on a regional and international level. But lifting the sanctions is going to enable him to get more credibility from his own people that he's able to help boost the economy.

[Paul Moss]

And we heard there those voices on the streets of Damascus, very optimistic. I mean, why is it going to make such a difference for US Sanctions to be lifted on Syria? I mean, are the two countries about to engage in major international trade?

[Mouaz Mustafa]

The issue is that this is a country that has been crippled by deteriorating economy and the sanctions only made it worse for Syrians. And at the end of the day, although the sanctions were designed to Assad regime because of war crimes he conducted against his own people, but the ordinaries are the ones who are paying the price. Assad regime was corrupt. They've managed to make all possible benefits for their own pockets and for their own life, while 90% of the population is left to live under the poverty line. If you are in Damascus or in Syria, you can see the effects of it. Some medicines are not imported. You know, the country is cut off of world communication, even for education, for students who wanted to have access to online websites. They were all blocks because they are in Syria. Banking is not possible to operate, whether international or or receiving money into Syria. So even donor countries or even international businesses who want to operate inside Syria and help rebuild the country were not able to do so because of the sanctions on the banking system. And now the hope is that all is this is going to allow the flow of money, will allow millions of refugees and internally displaced who've lost their homes because of Assad's bombardment. Now there is hope that money will come to rebuild their homes.

[Paul Moss]

We also heard that very positive description of Syria being very democratic, now heading to be a fully fledged democracy. Does it feel like a thriving democracy?

[Mouaz Mustafa]

I think this is really a big, big statement to made. We are still very much looking towards change in Syria. The announcement that Ahmed Al Shara made with a constitutional declaration, with appointing the government was all one sided. He decided everything. The constitutional declaration was for five years that many criticized. It lacks the foundation for a real democracy. Even the word democracy was never mentioned from this government and or from Ahmed Al Sharaz people. So but there is a great hope inside Syria because there is a wider freedom. People are speaking their minds, are lobbying, are working hard, are criticizing hard. So there is hope that they will not be able to accept any dictatorship in the making and will fight for their own freedoms.

[Paul Moss]

Lina Sinjab in Damascus. Some had hoped that President Trump's presence in the region might have served as a catalyst for Gaza peace talks, but so far his main focus seems firmly on economic talks. But the need for some sort of ceasefire has become even more pressing. Israeli forces have carried out intense attacks on the Jabalya refugee camp in northern Gaza overnight, with reports that at least 70 Palestinians were killed. And this follows another Israeli attack on Tuesday, this one hitting a hospital in the southern city of Khan Yunis. Rescuers at the scene said 28 people were killed. Israel insists these were legitimate targets. Government spokesman David Mentzer, dismissing the criticism it faces.

[Diane Mollen]

We have an opportunity to strike every military target, but when we do, we.

[Paul Moss]

Get condemned, you know, or we don't.

[Diane Mollen]

Strike them and we reward the use of human shields. Hamas are deliberately embedding its commanders underneath.

[Paul Moss]

Hospitals, knowing that any Israeli airstrike, however.

[Diane Mollen]

Legal and precise, will generate headlines which they can weaponize.

[Paul Moss]

It's a textbook case of asymmetric warfare. The IDF is punished for acting and.

[Diane Mollen]

Hamas is rewarding for hiding.

[Paul Moss]

One of the places which Israel claims to be a Hamas hiding place was that hospital in Khan Younis which was hit by an airstrike on Tuesday, the BBC and other journalists are not allowed into Gaza, but our special correspondent Fergal Keene has been compiling reports on what happened at the hospital from Amman in neighboring Jordan.

[Leena Sinjab]

The rockets landed in the car park where families were told to gather to prepare for the evacuation of their sick children from Gaza. The Israelis say they were targeting the head of Hamas, who they alleged was in a command center under the hospital. A BBC colleague was wounded, but not seriously. He's the cameraman who filmed the images of five month old Sawara Shore, emaciated, her eyes gazing out from a shrunken frame. Today, her mother, Najwa, sent us a message appealing for the world to help.

[Diane Mollen]

I wish she could receive the treatment she needs to recover fully. She's my first child and as her mother, I'm deeply heartbroken for her.

[Mouaz Mustafa]

I truly hope someone can help save my daughter.

[Leena Sinjab]

Some children have already been evacuated here to neighboring Jordan. In January, we recorded the arrival of Abdelrahman and his mum, Asma. He lost his leg in an Israeli airstrike. For four months they've lived in a place with food, a safe place. When we visited Asmaa today, she called her children and their grandmother back in Gaza. Here we encountered the agonizing differences in the life of one family.

[Paul Moss]

The rockets are everywhere, firing over our heads.

[Diane Mollen]

The food life is very bad. There is no flour. The prices are very high.

[Paul Moss]

I don't know what to say.

[Diane Mollen]

I'm very grateful for my mom, for all she's doing for me. I wish I could return back to find them safe and in good health.

[Leena Sinjab]

Outside the blockade, there are talks about a ceasefire, talks about allowing aid, but for now they are just talks.

[Paul Moss]

So with aid not getting through to Gaza and the Israeli onslaught continuing, where does that leave Hamas, the organization which these airstrikes are supposed to be targeting? Jeremy Bowen gave us his insight.

[Leena Sinjab]

Hamas, my assessment would be, was broken as a coherent military organization. The organization that was able to launch those devastating attacks on 7 October that killed 1200 people in Israel, mostly Israeli civilians, and took those 251 hostages. They are plainly not capable of doing that. What has happened now is that instead of that coherent military organization, there is an insurgency going on against the Israelis. And insurgencies, history shows very clearly, will go on as long as there are mostly young men who are prepared to take often light weapons and move against the people they see as their invaders, oppressors and occupiers. And you know, when I'm using words like that, that's simply the way that they look at this thing and these occup, these insurgencies can go on for years and years and years. And of course, Netanyahu's critics inside Israel say that that would quite suit him because he wants to prolong the war, not to make Israel safer, not to get the hostages back. In fact, hostage families are absolutely appalled that they, they're talking about a offensive there. But because when the war goes on, he keeps his hard ultranationalist right wing happy and therefore he stays in power. He puts off the, the day of reckoning about his part in security failures leading to 7th of October and also then the emphasis will go on back onto his corruption trial, which could end him, end up with him serving a jail sentence if he's found guilty.

[Paul Moss]

Jeremy Bowen it has become one of the most infamous American murder cases of modern times. The Menendez brothers, Lyle and Eric, were convicted of killing their parents back in 1989. But the boys insisted they were acting in self defense after years of physical and sexual abuse. The case prompted books, documentaries and dramas. And the brothers have won support from a variety of celebrities. And now it seems they may go free. A judge has cut their sentence to 50 years, making them eligible for parole. And it's too very different brothers who had emerged from prison. According to their cousin Diane Mollen, who spoke outside the Los Angeles courthouse, they.

[Diane Mollen]

Have transformed themselves from the dark days when they were early on, when they were first sentenced to prison, without hope, in despair. And from that they have blossomed into incredible human beings.

[Paul Moss]

It's not just their personalities that might have changed. The decision to cut the brother's sentence came after they offered what was effectively a new kind of testimony. According to our correspondent Peter Bose, who.

[Peter Bowes]

Was there when they spoke in court. And this is the first time really we've heard it phrased in this way. Lyle Menendez said that he and his brother took full responsibility for what they did, that point blank range killing of their parents that so really shocked this country. Divided opinion in this country for much of the, the past 30 years, and especially in the last few months, they've garnered new supporters and that public opinion has been really, I think, divided again because some people see them as the brutal murders that they were portrayed clearly in the drama that was shown on Netflix. But the documentary maybe told a little bit of a different story with the brothers speaking for themselves, telephone interviews from the courtroom, but it certainly brought the case back to public attention. And that's I think in large part why so many people have been watching what's been happening over the last day in this court when a judge has been considering the resentencing.

[Paul Moss]

Yeah. And tell us what that judge decided and what it means for their possible release.

[Peter Bowes]

Well, originally they were given life in prison without the possibility of parole, no possibility of freedom. The judge has considered the facts, considered the arguments on both sides. And the sentence now is 50 years to life, which opens the door to parole, the possibility of being set free. It isn't a done deal yet because it means that they now go before the California parole board, which again will consider arguments from all sides, people who believe that they should stay in prison, others who believe that they have served their time. The parole board will make a recommendation that will be sent to Gavin Newsom, who is the governor of California, and he makes the final decision.

[Paul Moss]

Peter Bowes, speaking to my colleague Oliver Conway, a Judge in the U.S. state of Wisconsin looks set to be placed in the dock herself. The accusation that she helped a Mexican immigrant avoid being arrested, potentially deported, by guiding him to leave her own courthouse through a back door. Our North America correspondent David Willis has that report.

[Diane Mollen]

Prosecutors allege that after learning of the presence in her courtroom of agents from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Department, Hannah Dugan helped Eduardo Flores Ruiz and his lawyer slip out through the back of the building. Mr. Flores Ruiz had re entered the United States after being deported in 2013 and on the 18th of April was face facing domestic abuse charges. Judge Dugan has been suspended from the bench and following her indictment by a federal grand jury, faces the possibility of up to six years in jail.

[Paul Moss]

David Willis, still to come on this.

[Victoria Gill]

Podcast, some of the plants that the chimpanzees are using for these wound care behaviors actually have known traditional uses in human medicine. Others have pharmacological properties that are actually known to have wound healing components.

[Paul Moss]

New evidence that chimpanzees use medicinal plants to treat injuries. For decades, we've been hearing about often fatal attacks being carried out on Iranian dissidents living abroad. Murky assassinations, unlikely abductions, terrifying threats. Now the investigative documentary series BBCI has found that many of the attacks are being carried out for the Iranian regime by criminal gangs around the globe. Proxies authorized by Tehran. It points to a chilling connection between Iranian security forces and international criminal networks. Victoria Taylor from the U.S. state Department says there's no question about Iran's tactics. We have seen evidence of this kind.

[Diane Mollen]

Of coordination between Iranian government officials and criminal organizations, whether it's drug traffickers, organizations.

[Paul Moss]

Such as the Hells Angels. Tehran has always denied carrying out any assassinations of its enemies overseas. But the BBC journalist who carried out the investigation, Gia Gol, told me how these attacks have continued, albeit with new.

[Gia Gol]

Methods in the past Iranian regime. If they wanted to assassinate dissidents, they were using groups who ideologically close to them like Lebanese Hezbollah or Islamic Jihad. But they have changed tactics in the past few years. What we have found out is the Iranian intelligence service and also Iranian Revolutionary Guards elite Quds force, particularly unit 840. They go, they hire criminal, international criminal groups and pay them. They do the intelligence gathering. They, they find every pattern of the target and then they hire the criminal groups to carry out the assassination or kidnapping in Europe, in United Kingdom and in United States of America.

[Paul Moss]

Do we know how Iran has managed to build links with these ordinary non political criminal organizations around the world?

[Gia Gol]

Well, what we know the Iranian intelligence service has been using mafia groups. I know in the case of for example, the assassination is in Amsterdam. They were, I was told by Dutch Foreign Ministry. They said they believe Lebanese Hezbollah is linking them with some of the international criminal groups. But also there is a mafiabus. There is a criminal drug dealer in Iran. His name is Naji Sharif e Zindashti, which we pretty much follow his footstep many different places. He is the one, he's doing international drug dealing and also he knows many criminal groups including Hells Angels in Canada and also Eastern European criminal groups like Thieves in Law.

[Paul Moss]

So why, why would Iran use ordinary criminal gangs for these very political assassinations and kidnappings?

[Gia Gol]

I think Iran doesn't want to these assassination, when they carry out the assassination, be linked back to Iran and say, well, it's a criminal group in one hand, not only they assassinate the victims physically, also when you assassinate someone or kidnap someone by criminal groups, you is an attempt to assassinate their characters as well. Because if someone is being killed by criminal groups, the first question is what kind of relationship that person had with criminal groups or mafia.

[Paul Moss]

I guess some people will see this as a sign of Iranian desperation that you know, they have been hammered, their allies attacked around in various other countries. So they're now using criminals.

[Gia Gol]

Absolutely. I think obviously Iranian regime has been denying all the accusations against them. They say we don't send people to kill others. But what we are seeing is whenever the Islamic Republic of Iran feels the system is in danger, like three years ago when there was a mass protest in Iran, we saw the rise of the assassination and kidnapping plots in Europe and US against journalists and also dissidents, Iranian dissidents abroad.

[Paul Moss]

When a South Korean aircraft crashed last December, it killed 179 people, but also prompted many questions. Why did the plane lose control in the first place? And why was there a concrete wall at the end of the Runway which the aircraft hit? Now some family members of the victims have fired a criminal complaint accusing 15 people of negligence. The list goes right up to the country's Transport Minister. Our correspondent Jean Mackenzie is in Seoul. The plane skidded off the Runway after its landing gear failed. It then slammed into a concrete structure and burst into flames. The police and government are investigating the crash, but four months on, the cause hasn't been established and no one's been charged. Now 72 of the bereaved relatives have submitted a criminal complaint accusing the airline, the transport minister and airport officials of negligence. This is an attempt to put pressure on the authorities to speed up their investigations. One relative who lost her father in the crash said in a statement. We can't help feeling deep anger and despair over the fact there has been little progress. Gene McKenzie it was captured on camera, an attempted crime right in the center of Paris. This was the moment on Tuesday when a gang tried to kidnap the daughter and grandson of a cryptocurrency executive. Help. She's pregnant. Her husband shouts. As the couple struggled to hold the gang off. The perpetrators eventually escaped in a van empty handed. As Hugh Scofield in Paris told James Kumarasami.

[Diane Mollen]

What we know is very visible on this extraordinary video which somebody took from a neighboring building. And you're looking down on this street who pash in the 11th there on Decimore, and you see a fraca and there are two people, it seems, lying on the ground and three other people masked who are trying to get them and drag them into a van, a kind of white post office van which is parked beside them. And we now know what was happening was that a woman and her partner and a child had come out of a building in this street. This gang was waiting for them and they tried to get them into the van, the back of the van, but the two resisted. They lay down on the ground and it was proving problematic. They started shouting and screaming. Passersby were beginning to notice and someone joined in, picked up a fire extinguisher and started sort of threatening the gang. The gang at this point gave up and jumped into the van themselves and it drove off. So it was a close run thing for this group of people who we now know were the daughter and the grandchild and the daughter's partner of a leading figure in the world of cryptocurrency. A platform called Paymium, the father of this woman worked for. And of course, this has triggered all sorts of alarm bells because it is the third such incident in the last couple of months.

[Paul Moss]

Yeah. And those other two incidents, some fairly gruesome details in those.

[Diane Mollen]

Yeah, indeed. The first one was in January, where a man called David Ballon, who ran a company called Ledger, which makes little pocket wallets, electronic wallets, for people who are dealing with cryptocurrencies, he was kidnapped down in the share department in central France with his partner. There was a ransom demand. They cut off part of his finger, but the police then intervened and freed them without any ransom being paid. And then, more recently, only a kind of couple of weeks ago, a man, the father of an entrepreneur in the world of cryptocurrency, was kidnapped briefly from the streets of Paris in broad daylight, bundled into a van in very similar circumstances, taken off again, his finger was cut off by the kidnappers as a sign of, we've got this guy. Give us some money. But again, the police intervened. He was found at a place called Palaisau outside Paris and freed before any ransom could be paid. So there's quite clearly a pattern here and everyone is trying to figure out what on earth is going on.

[Paul Moss]

Hugh Schofield Chimpanzees in Uganda have been observed using medicinal plants to treat their wounds, appearing to carry out first aid on themselves and occasionally on each other. Scientists from the University of Oxford followed two groups of chimps in the Budongo Forest, cataloguing what they describe as forest first aid. Researchers say it's just one way in which primates, including chimps, orangutans and gorillas, use natural medicines. Victoria Gill reports.

[Victoria Gill]

Welcome to the Badongo Forest in Uganda, where chimpanzees have been observed using plants for first aid to treat open wounds. I'm Victoria Gill, a science correspondent for BBC News. Let me tell you about what scientists have been finding out about our primate cousins. Multiple groups of researchers have spent years watching these chimps as they go about their daily lives. And a team led by the University of Oxford has just discovered and published a whole repertoire of chimpanzee first aid. Some of that involves the apes using forest plants that are known to have healing properties. In some of the footage, researchers have captured an adult male dabs a wound with a leaf from a plant that's also gathered by local people for medicinal use. Another rather shaky but extraordinary video shows a young female dabbing chewed up plant material onto an injury on her mother's body. This is rare evidence of wild Chimps using plants and to tend to each other's injuries. Dr. Elodie Freeman is lead researcher on the study, just published in the journal Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. She says her team has also found evidence of chimpanzees tending to the wounds of animals that they're not related to. And this, she says, is particularly exciting because it adds to the evidence that wild chimpanzees have the capacity for empathy. Some of the plants that the chimpanzees are using for these wound care behaviors actually have known traditional uses in human medicine. And others have pharmacological properties that are actually known to have wound healing components that help either prevent against infection or also reduce inflammation in captivity. Life for a chimpanzee is, of course, very different, but there are some strikingly similar behaviours that have been seen in the chimps that live at the UK's Chester Zoo. Siobhan Ward is a senior keeper there and a primate expert.

[Diane Mollen]

If they've got minor injuries like a little cut here and there, some of the more dominant chimps might even come up to the Kirins and almost show it to them, really. Chimps are fascinating. They're so clever that we know our.

[Paul Moss]

Chimps here and we know a lot.

[Diane Mollen]

About them, but learning from the wild is stuff that we'd never even thought they could do. And so if they're using first aid, different plants in the wild, we could even plant some of those plants here and see if they do the same reaction.

[Victoria Gill]

These animals are some of our closest living relatives. Studying them in the wild gives scientists insight into the origins of our own social behavior, our communication, and now how we care for one another. Here's Dr. Elodie Freeman again. Chimpanzees thrive here because they know how to access the secrets of this place and how to find all they need to survive from their surrounding. Scientists also hope that studying this wild ape behaviour, protecting the natural habitat that these animals live in, and understanding more about the plants that chimps use when they're sick or injured could help in the search for new medicines for us too.

[Paul Moss]

Victoria Gill reporting. And that's all 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, you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk. you can also find us on XBCWorldService. Use the hashtag globalnewspod. This edition was mixed by Kai Perry and the producers were Rebecca Wood and Muzaffar Shakir. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Paul Moss. Until next time. Goodbye.