FBI says New Orleans attacker appeared to act alone

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary BBC World Service | Episode: "FBI says New Orleans attacker appeared to act alone" | Release Date: January 3, 2025

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Introduction

In the January 3, 2025, episode of the BBC World Service's Global News Podcast, host Janat Jalil covers a range of pressing international issues. The episode delves into the tragic car-ramming attack in New Orleans, the ongoing migrant caravan heading towards the United States, the political turmoil in Syria, advancements in agricultural sustainability in the UK, and additional significant events across the globe. This summary provides an in-depth overview of the key discussions, insights, and conclusions presented throughout the episode.

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1. New Orleans Car-Ramming Attack

Overview: On New Year's Day, a devastating car-ramming attack in New Orleans resulted in the deaths of 14 individuals. The FBI has concluded that the attacker acted alone, dispelling initial fears of accomplices.

Key Details:

• Attacker Profile: Shamsud Din Jabbar, 42, from Texas, with over a decade of service in the US Military, including a one-year deployment in Afghanistan. Recent reports suggest he converted to Islam. An ISIS flag was discovered in his vehicle.

• Attack Specifics: Jabbar used a white Ford pickup truck to ram into a crowd celebrating the New Year at the Superdome stadium before the Sugar Bowl football match. He reportedly planted two explosive devices in cooler boxes at the scene. The attack concluded with Jabbar's death following an exchange of gunfire with police.

Notable Statements:

• FBI Representative Christopher Reyer [03:12]:

  "This was an act of terrorism. It was premeditated and an evil act."

• University of Nebraska, Omaha's Seamus Hughes on Homegrown ISIS [05:49]:

  "The individual took inspiration from what they read online and the propaganda they looked at and then committed an attack without the direction of an ISIS leadership."

Victims: Among the victims were young individuals such as 25-year-old Matthew Tenadorio, aspiring nurse 18-year-old Nicaira Cheyenne Dudot, and former college football player Martin Tiger Beck.

Aftermath and Investigations:

• The FBI has shifted its focus to Jabbar acting alone after initially suspecting accomplices.
• Investigations are ongoing at Jabbar's residence in Pasadena, Texas, with a particular emphasis on his electronic devices.
• President-elect Donald Trump has attempted to politicize the incident, linking it to immigration and border control without concrete evidence.

Community Response: Despite the tragedy, New Orleans is moving forward with its New Year celebrations, including the Sugar Bowl game, underscoring the city’s resilience. Police Superintendent Ann Kirkpatrick emphasized the city’s capacity to recover from such attacks, drawing parallels to the recovery post-Hurricane Katrina.

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2. Migrant Caravan Heading to the US Border

Overview: A caravan of over 1,500 migrants has commenced their journey from southern Mexico towards the United States, aiming to reach the border before the inauguration of Donald Trump, who is expected to implement stricter border controls.

Key Details:

• Composition: Predominantly individuals from Honduras, carrying their national flags, and traveling with essentials like bags for their families.

• Organizers: Human rights activists and regional leaders coordinating the caravan to ensure safety against organized crime by traveling in large numbers.

Insights from Leonardo Rocha [11:07]: The caravans are a strategic response to previous vulnerabilities faced by migrants traveling in smaller, more exposed groups. The current caravan began in Chiapas, near the Guatemalan border, and is progressing northward with migrants utilizing trains and buses to expedite their arrival.

Political Dynamics:

• Mexico’s Role: Under the new left-wing President Claudia Schaufel, Mexico is under pressure from Donald Trump to halt mass migrations and curb the influx of fentanyl-laden drugs. Schaufel has pledged to prevent the caravans from reaching US borders, a commitment that will be tested as the caravan approaches U.S. territories.

• US Border Policies: The Trump administration is poised to enforce stricter immigration controls, potentially altering the caravan's trajectory and negotiating dynamics at the border.

Notable Statements:

• Migrant Jonathan Manuel [11:23]:

  "We just want the Mexican officials to support us and let us move on. We don't want to stay here. We want to reach a future, the American dream, where we are treated like people, where we can live and take care of our families, our children and the people we leave behind who are our family."

Future Implications: The outcome of this caravan will set a precedent for future migration flows and influence US-Mexico relations, especially concerning immigration policies under the Trump administration.

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3. Syria’s New Rulers Crackdown in Homs

Overview: Following the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime, Syria's new leadership has intensified operations in Homs, targeting individuals deemed pro-Assad war criminals. This crackdown raises concerns about potential abuses reminiscent of the previous regime.

Key Details:

• Targeted Groups: Militia members and former soldiers aligned with Assad are being subjected to raids and search operations.

• Methodology: Authorities offer a reintegration path for those who surrender their weapons, suggesting a move towards peaceful integration into the new order. However, the focus remains on predominantly Alawite neighborhoods, raising sectarian tensions.

Educational Reforms and Backlash: The new administration has introduced changes to the school curriculum, eliminating topics like evolution and the Big Bang theory. This move has been criticized by civil society activists as a departure from promised inclusivity and a potential regression towards religious conservatism akin to the Taliban's policies in Afghanistan.

Notable Statements:

• Sebastian Usher on Judicial Concerns [16:35]:

  "The authorities, leadership in public have very much conveyed a message that there should be transparent justice, a proper process of justice, and that no one should take revenge into their own hands."

• Neuroscientist Kate Jeffrey on Cognitive Mapping [31:29]:

  "I do believe that people are more comfortable in an environment where they know where they are. They have a kind of a mental map, their surroundings, and they're not just following signs or arrows or, you know, lines painted on the floor or something."

Public Sentiment: While government officials assert that Syria is on a path to recovery and transparent justice, the populace remains wary of repeating the oppressive tactics historically associated with the Assad regime.

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4. Environmental Innovation: Methane-Reducing Cows in the UK

Overview: A breakthrough in agricultural sustainability has been achieved in the UK with the breeding of cows that produce significantly less methane, a potent greenhouse gas contributing to climate change.

Key Details:

• Project Leader: Professor Mike Coffey from Scotland’s rural college highlights the genetic advancements in livestock breeding.

• Cumulative Reduction: The first cow, named Hilda, is designed to emit 1% less methane. This trait is heritable, meaning her offspring will inherit the reduced methane production, potentially leading to a 30% decrease over two decades.

Notable Statements:

• Professor Mike Coffey [01:32]:

  "We do know that selection for production and health and welfare over the last 30 years or so has led to about a 1% reduction in methane just through cows lasting longer and being better at doing what they do, they do it more efficiently."

• Further Insights [27:39]:

  "Genetic improvement is permanent and cumulative. So Hilda will produce 1% less methane, her daughters will present 1% less of the 1%, and over 20 years it could well be 30% less methane."

Impact on Agriculture and Climate: This genetic advancement represents a significant step towards mitigating agriculture’s environmental footprint. The permanent and cumulative nature of genetic selection offers a sustainable pathway to reducing greenhouse gas emissions from livestock.

Challenges Ahead: The transition to methane-reducing herds mirrors the shift from petrol to electric vehicles, requiring substantial changes in farming practices and widespread adoption to realize the full environmental benefits.

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5. Additional International Stories

A. Zambia Police Officer Releases 13 Suspects

Overview: A Zambian police officer, Detective Inspector Titus Perry, was arrested after allegedly getting drunk and releasing 13 suspects from custody to attend New Year celebrations.

Details:

• Incident: Perry seized keys from a constable and unlocked both male and female cells, instructing inmates to leave.

• Consequences: Two suspects remained inside, while the remaining 13 absconded. Perry fled the scene but was quickly apprehended due to his intoxicated state.

Notable Statements:

• Police Spokesperson [21:12]:

  "He told the inmates they were free to leave."

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B. Montenegro Gunman Kills 12, PM Announces Gun Law Tightening

Overview: On New Year's Day, a gunman named Azzo Martinovic killed 12 people, including two children, in a series of shootings in Cetinje, Montenegro. In response, Prime Minister Milojko Spaec has pledged to tighten the country’s gun laws.

Key Details:

• Attack Sequence: The violence began at a bar and restaurant following an argument. Martinovic then targeted the bar owner's family and his own relatives across four locations before succumbing to a self-inflicted gunshot while being pursued by police.

• Government Response: An emergency session of the National Security Council has been convened, and new legislation on weapon control is being prioritized.

Notable Statements:

• Prime Minister Milojko Spaec [23:18]:

  "This is a city that knows pain, but this city also knows how to recover."

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C. Passing of Agnes Keleti, Hungary’s Oldest Olympic Champion

Overview: Agnes Keleti, the world’s oldest Olympic champion and a Holocaust survivor, passed away at the age of 103. Her remarkable life story includes evading deportation to Nazi concentration camps and achieving Olympic glory in her later years.

Key Details:

• Early Life: Keleti survived the Holocaust by assuming a false identity, which saved her from deportation to Auschwitz. Tragically, her father and other relatives perished in the concentration camps.

• Olympic Achievements: Debuting at age 31, Keleti won four medals in the 1952 Helsinki Olympics and dominated the 1956 Melbourne Games with four golds and two silvers, making her the most successful athlete of those Games.

• Legacy: Beyond her athletic prowess, Keleti was renowned for her resilience and spirit, inspiring countless individuals with her story of survival and triumph.

Notable Statements:

• Agnes Keleti [25:18]:

  "I was competing not because I liked it, but I did it because I wanted to see the world."

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D. The Decline of Paper Maps in the Digital Age

Overview: The reliance on digital navigation tools like Google Maps has led to a decline in traditional map-reading skills. British Orienteering highlights the cognitive and emotional disconnect caused by excessive dependence on smartphones for navigation.

Key Details:

• Reporter's Experience: Participating in a map-reading class in Reading, the host learns traditional navigation skills, emphasizing a deeper connection with the environment.

• Expert Insights: Neuroscientist Kate Jeffrey explains the importance of cognitive mapping for a sense of belonging and emotional well-being.

Notable Statements:

• Neuroscientist Kate Jeffrey [31:29]:

  "I do believe that people are more comfortable in an environment where they know where they are. They have a kind of a mental map, their surroundings, and they're not just following signs or arrows or, you know, lines painted on the floor or something."

Implications for Society: The erosion of traditional navigation skills may affect individuals’ ability to engage with their surroundings meaningfully, potentially impacting mental health and community cohesion.

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6. Closing Remarks

The episode concludes with acknowledgments to the production team and an invitation for listeners to engage with the podcast. The host, Janat Jalil, emphasizes the podcast's commitment to delivering comprehensive global news and insights, setting the stage for future episodes.

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Conclusion

The January 3, 2025, episode of the Global News Podcast offers a multifaceted exploration of significant global events, from acts of terrorism and migration crises to political upheavals and environmental innovations. Through expert interviews and on-the-ground reporting, the podcast provides listeners with nuanced perspectives and in-depth analyses, fostering a deeper understanding of the complex dynamics shaping our world today.

Transcript

[Host]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads.

[Reporter]

Outside the uk World of Secrets is where untold stories are exposed. And in this new series we investigate the dark side of the wellness industry, following the story of a woman who joined a yoga school only to uncover a world she never expected. I feel that I have no other choice. The only thing I can do is to speak about this where the hope of spiritual breakthroughs leaves people vulnerable to exploitation. You just get sucked in so gradually and it's done so skillfully that you don't realize. World of Secrets the Bad Guru Listen wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.

[Janat Jalil]

This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Janat Jalil and in the early hours of Friday 3rd January, these are our main stories. The FBI says it now believes the man who killed 14 people in a car ramming attack in the US city of New Orleans on New Year's day acted alone. 1500 migrants have set off with the United States from southern Mexico, hoping to get there before Donald Trump becomes president and tightens border controls. Syria's new rulers carry out a crackdown in the city of Homs targeting what they say are pro Assad war criminals. Also in this podcast, the cow that's been bred to produce less of the greenhouse gas methane.

[Mike Coffey]

So Hilda will produce 1% less methane, her daughters will present 1% less of the 1%, and so on and so on and so on. And over 20 years it could well be 30% less methane.

[Janat Jalil]

We begin in New Orleans, where a minute's silence was held at the Superdome stadium on Thursday before the Sugar bowl football match to remember the 14 people who died after a man drove a truck into a CR in the city. The FBI has now said it's confident that the suspect, Shamsud Din Jabbar, was acting alone. He died in exchange of gunfire with the police initially in the hours after the attack on crowds celebrating the New Year. Investigators said they feared he'd had accomplices. The 42 year old from Texas is believed to have converted to Islam. An Islamic State or ISIS flag was found in his vehicle from New Orleans. Tom Bateman sent this report.

[Host]

Footage has emerged from the moment of the attack showing the white Ford pickup truck careering down Bourbon Street. People scramble out of its path, some only just escaping with their lives. The FBI probe is now focusing on Shamsuddin Jabbar, an American born in Texas who spent more than a decade in the US Military, including a year long deployment in Afghanistan. Police say he planted two explosive devices in cooler boxes at the scene before the attack. But they have changed one of their assessments now, saying they do not believe he had accomplices. Christopher Reyer from the FBI gave the latest update.

[Reporter]

Let me be very clear about this point.

[Host]

This was an act of terrorism. It was premeditated and an evil act.

[Reporter]

We do not assess at this point.

[Host]

That anyone else is involved in this attack except for Shamsa Din Jabbar. He also said that Jabbar posted videos to Facebook before the attack. In the first video, Jabbar explains he originally planned to harm his family and.

[Reporter]

Friends, but was concerned the news headlines.

[Host]

Would not focus on the, quote, war.

[Reporter]

Between the believers and the disbelievers, end quote.

[Host]

Additionally, he stated he had joined ISIS before this summer. Investigators have been scouring an Airbnb in New Orleans where they say a fire broke out before the attack. They believe it may have been used to make explosives. They are also searching Jabbar's home in Pasadena, Texas, focusing on his electronic devices. While President elect Donald Trump has tried to link the incident without evidence to immigration and open borders. Footage that's emerged of Jabbar himself makes his background clear. In 2020, he posted a YouTube video pitching his services as an estate agent.

[Reporter]

I just want to say hello and let you know a little bit about me.

[Mike Coffey]

So I'm born and raised in Beaumont, Texas and now live in Houston and.

[Janat Jalil]

I've been here all my life with.

[Reporter]

The exception of traveling.

[Host]

More details have been emerging about the victims. Most of those names so far were in their 20s or late teens. Among the dead were Matthew Tenadorio, a 25 year old audio visual technician, aspiring nurse Nicaira Cheyenne Dudot, who was 18 and out with her cousin who ran out of the truck's path. Also named is Martin Tiger Beck, who was a former American college football player. Meanwhile, in Las Vegas, police have been investigating after a man blew himself up in a Tesla cybertruck outside the Trump International Hotel. It fueled speculation of a connection with the New Orleans attack, but police say there is no definitive link. The city of New Orleans says it is moving ahead with its new year plans, including a major college football game. It does so on edge and still searching for answers.

[Janat Jalil]

Tom Bateman well, President Joe Biden has said the attack was likely inspired by the Islamic State group. James Menendez spoke to Seamus Hughes from the University of Nebraska, Omaha and author of Homegrown ISIS in America. So what are his thoughts on Shamsuddin Jabbar, the suspect in the New Orleans attack?

[Mike Coffey]

The individual took inspiration from what they read online and the propaganda they looked at and then committed an attack without the direction of an ISIS leadership.

[Reporter]

Is the group currently active in the.

[Mike Coffey]

US Though it's been interesting the last few years, it's been generally a steady state. The FBI director has talked about a thousand active investigations in all 50 states. So clearly in 2016, when ISIS held territory the size of the UK, the, that was a banner year for Americans that tried to join that group, but consistently it stayed there. Meaning that we have about a dozen to two dozen arrests, federal arrests every year of individuals who are interested in attacks. And that includes two individuals in Oklahoma who are arrested for an election day plot, an individual who came to New York with a plan to attack Jewish Americans, a Maryland man who tried to travel to Somalia to join ISIS just last month. So it's kind of always been there in the background noise of the threat pitcher.

[Reporter]

But is it fair to say that perhaps in the past few years, intelligence agencies have taken their eye off the ball when it comes to is or at least they've had to devote resources to other things?

[Mike Coffey]

That's exactly right. So if you look at how policymakers and law enforcement have looked at the threat in the US They've clearly moved around priorities. You've seen domestic terrorism, so white supremacy, neo Nazism, that be a focus, large focus for the Biden administration. I've been working on these type of things for the last two decades, and a lot of the FBI agents that I knew five years ago working on ISIS were now working supremacist cases. And some of that is a reflection of the threat. So you still have thousands of investigations for domestic terrorism and thousands of investigations for isis. And you've got to rack and stack how you prioritize things.

[Reporter]

Yes. I mean, not just of course, because of what's happened in New Orleans, but presumably there are fears about a resurgence given the turmoil in Syria and the wider Middle East.

[Mike Coffey]

That's exactly right. You know, what happens overseas usually affects the US Jihadism scene. So we may see, and we have seen an uptick of Americans trying to travel to join groups like isis, particularly in Africa. You know, if you have kind of unrest or uncertainty overseas and the ability to reconstitute, you're going to see a resurgence in the U.S. now, in context, you know, you're talking about 250 arrests in the last 10 years for ISIS related activities here. And so it's a relatively small number from a population size of 330 million. But it has an outsized effect on public perception and government policy.

[Janat Jalil]

Seamus Hughes, In New Orleans, Police Superintendent Ann Kirkpatrick said the city will recover from this attack.

[Reporter]

This city is amazing. This city is known for its resiliency. This is a city that is still impacted from 20 years ago with Hurricane Katrina. This city knows pain, but this city also knows how to recover. And they were waiting for recovery. And you can recover and not ever forget those scars of pain.

[Janat Jalil]

Well, in the shadow of that truck attack, and just before the city was getting ready to host the Sugar bowl football game, I spoke to our reporter Anna Adams there.

[Reporter]

So I'm right in the heart of the French Quarter, just walking now on Bourbon street as local politicians and law enforcement have pulled back the barriers. Pedestrians are certainly swarming now into the symbolic heart really of of New Orleans. Bands have set up and the tourists are heading to the bars.

[Janat Jalil]

Yes, it's a difficult time for people there. How are they feeling given that they now have these official assurances that the attacker acted alone?

[Reporter]

Well, that came as some surprise because we were initially led to believe that there were up to three accomplices which had people slightly on edge. And I do now think that this now acting as a so called lone wolf has made people feel a lot safer. But the atmosphere here, certainly in the French Quarter, which is the historic centre of town, it's beloved by tourists and locals alike, there is a sense here, and it is slightly jarring given what's just happened. Meters from where I'm standing, is the sort of show must go on. I'm surrounded by tourists in college football shirts who are now making their way to the bars and restaurants. And even as early as 9:00 this morning, the restaurants here were full of people having brunch and cocktails. This sort of sense that, you know, we'll just get on with it, has come. There's sort of very much a sense that's come from on high from the Governor, Jeff Landry and the police, that this is safe. People should start coming back to the French Quarter, should basically, to be honest, start spending more money and get the city back on its feet. It's a city that's beset by lots of economic problems.

[Janat Jalil]

Are the security bollards back in operation?

[Reporter]

The original security bollards that would have stopped this happening would have certainly made it more difficult. Are not back up. They have put some new ones down the side streets, different side streets leading up to Bourbon street, but they're not up. As it speaks, there are police cars blocking the entrances instead.

[Janat Jalil]

Anna Adams. In New Orleans, a procession of more than 1500 migrants is walking towards the United States border, having left southern Mexico. It's what's known as a migrants caravan, and it's the first of this year. Organizers say they're hoping to reach the U.S. border before the inauguration of Donald Trump later this month. Jonathan Manuel is from Venezuela and is one of those making the journey.

[Reporter]

We just want the Mexican officials to support us and let us move on. We don't want to stay here. We want to reach a future, the American dream, where we are treated like people, where we can live and take care of our families, our children and the people we leave behind who are our family.

[Janat Jalil]

Our America's regional editor is Leonardo Rocha.

[Leonardo Rocha]

Those caravans are organized by people sometimes in the United States and in Mexico and in Central America, human rights activists and people who basically told migrants to travel together because they used to go in small groups that were very vulnerable to attacks from organized crime and from other people. So they said, look, let's make a big caravan of people. We all travel together. It's easier. And that's the idea. A few years ago, we heard a lot more about them because they were getting huge numbers and they've been reduced a bit because of pressure from the United States. In the Biden administration, they say you have to stop that. So initially they beefed up the security on the border between Guatemala, which is the last country before Mexico and Mexico. But this caravan started in southern Mexico, in Chiapas, very near the Guatemalan border, and people are moving north. Most of those are people from Honduras. I saw the picture. Some of them were carrying flags of Honduras. Lots of people, children, young people carrying bags. They're not going to walk all the way up to the border. They are going to walk some of the parts. There's a big train and also goes on buses. So that's the idea that they'll get there. And they're trying to go there to get there as fast as possible before.

[Janat Jalil]

Donald Trump comes in. Will they be able to, do you think?

[Leonardo Rocha]

Well, in theory, yes. These caravans they take are about 10 days a week, 10 days. They stop, they sleep in some places, they're already prepared for them. Donald Trump is taking office on the 20th of January. So in theory, yes. But what we have to look here is at Mexico. The president of Mexico, new president, left wing President Claudia Schengbaugh, she's under pressure from the United States and from Donald Trump to stop mass migration and basically to stop those caravans before they reach the US Border, before they go to Texas and the border with Texas, the border with California. So she promised Donald Trump that the caravans are not moving forward. Don't worry about that. So that's a test of what she's going to do. Her relations with Donald Trump are not good. They haven't visited each other as yet. And what Donald Trump has said is if Mexico doesn't stop mass migration, ends the influx of fentany of drugs, he will impose 25% tariffs on Mexican products. So we have to see what will happen. But whatever, even if those people reach the border, once they get there, they are processed or they are blocked, this is just the last caravan before Trump comes in. And I think things will be very different after that.

[Janat Jalil]

Leonardo Rosha since seizing power last month, Syria's new leaders have repeatedly tried to reassure minorities that they will not be harmed as they seek to integrate members of the army that backed the toppled President Bashar al Assad. But the former Islamist rebels are now reported to be carrying out raids in the city of Homs targeting former soldiers and pro Assad militias. At the same time, Syria's new rulers have faced a backlash over planned changes to the school curriculum. Sebastian Usher in the Syrian capital Damascus, told us more.

[Reporter]

What we're hearing is that the armed forces belonging to the new authorities here are mounting a big operation. They're searching for what they call war criminals and also people who haven't handed in their weapons. I mean, what the authorities have offered is militias and members of the former regime's army. If they hand in their weapons, they can be given a civilian pass essentially instead of a military one, and they can be reintegrated into what might transpire with the new system that's being set up. Two neighborhoods, majority Alawite, which is the community to which the Assads belonged, seem to be where the main focus of these raids are happening. And there are concerns that the sort of tactics that are being used are not that dissimilar from what was seen under the former regime and concern that that kind of violence might be starting again under a different name. There have been some very disturbing videos that have appeared now. The authorities, leadership in public have very much conveyed a message that there should be transparent justice, a proper process of justice, and that no one should take revenge into their own hands.

[Janat Jalil]

And there have also been concerns voiced since HTS took power in Syria about what direction they would take when it comes to education, particularly with girls, because their takeover was welcomed by the Taliban in Afghanistan. And that there has been a bit of a backlash, hasn't there, to the new school curriculum that HTS has announced in Syria.

[Reporter]

Yes, I mean, civil society activists, I mean, many of whom have kind of flocked back here in the past weeks since the Assad regime was toppled, are very much seeing this as the kind of first stand that they need to make. You know, Syrians here have been combing through it and seeing changes such as in science, the teaching of evolution, the teaching, the big bang theory. That's gone. I mean, nothing absolutely earth shattering as yet, but indications that belie some of the promises of inclusivity that the new authorities have made.

[Janat Jalil]

Sebastian Asher in Damascus. Well, with war still raging in Gaza, turmoil in Lebanon, and then the collapse of the Assad regime in Syria, the Middle east last year was racked by devastating conflict and massive geopolitical change. Our international editor Jeremy Bowen looks at what could lie ahead this year for this turbulent part of the world and what it means for the rest of us.

[Jeremy Bowen]

The Middle east yet again is going to be a big global preoccupation in the next 12 months, not just for Donald Trump when he re enters the White House, but for all of us. History shows that trouble in the Middle east gets exported. It is a fair bet that Iran will be in the headlines on many mornings in 2025. One theory is that Donald Trump, master of the unpredictable, will make a deal with the Islamic regime in Tehran. He might want one, but I suspect the deal he'd like might seem more like a surrender to the clerics in Tehran. So the other poll of the argument is the possibility that U.S. troops might attack Iran in 2025. That might be the preferred option for Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu. He sees Iran as his country's most dangerous enemy. Under his leadership, the war in Gaza has expanded from a response to the hamas attacks of 7 October 2023 into a project to change the balance of power in the Middle east in Israel's favor. Gaza is mostly in ruins. The Lebanese militia Hezbollah has suffered a serious defeat and Israel has already destroyed Iran's air defenses. Netanyahu has said that Israel is going to do some serious damage to the Houthis in Yemen, who continue to fire missiles at Israel. Some in Israel, though, argue that now is actually the moment to attack Iran's nuclear facilities. As for the Iranians, they've seen their network of allies, proxies and clients, known as the axis of resistance, collapse under joint Israeli and American pressure. Now that might lead to concessions and a deal. But there's also an open debate in Tehran about whether the time has come to build a nuclear weapon as the ultimate deterrent against their enemies. One veteran leader of their nuclear program was quoted saying that building a bomb would be like a car for which Iran possesses all the necessary parts. The Iranians also know that proof they'd taken that step would lead to an attack by Israel and most likely the United States. What about Gaza? I thought the war would have ended by now. Talk of a new year ceasefire has faded away. Something approaching 2.5 million Palestinians in Gaza are living in abject misery and danger. Israel is systematically forcing the remaining civilians out of northern Gaza and destroying the few buildings still standing. It is a dreadful equation. Out of the long, unresolved and bloody Palestinian Israeli conflict came the 7 October attacks on Israel. Out of those attacks came suffering and death in Gaza, which Israel will not let foreign journalists witness and report firsthand. Out of the war came accusations of war crimes against both sides and of genocide against Israel. And over the next 12 months we'll still be watching the terrible consequences unfold.

[Janat Jalil]

The thoughts there of our international editor, Jeremy Byrne A police officer in Zambia has been arrested after being accused of getting drunk and then freeing 13 suspects from custody so that they could celebrate the New Year. Our Africa regional editor Will Ross reports.

[Jeremy Bowen]

According to Zambia's police spokesperson, Detective Inspector Titus Perry seized the keys from a constable and then unlocked both the male and female cells at the police station in Lusaka.

[Host]

He told the inmates they were free to leave.

[Jeremy Bowen]

Two of them stayed put and a manhunt has been launched for the 13 who left. They were accused of crimes such as assault, robbery and burglary. Mr. Perry also fled the scene, but perhaps because of the alcohol, it didn't take long for him to be arrested.

[Janat Jalil]

Will Ross there still to come Too.

[Host]

Many of us rely on apps like Google Maps to get around and that as a result, many people don't really know their way around their local area.

[Janat Jalil]

We look at why using a traditional map printed on paper might be better than using an app.

[Reporter]

World of secrets is where untold stories are exposed, and in this new series we investigate the dark side of the wellness industry, following the story of a woman who joined a yoga school only to uncover a world she never expected. I feel that I have no other choice. The only thing I can do is to speak about this where the hope of spiritual breakthroughs leaves people vulnerable to exploitation. You just get sucked in so gradually and it's done so skillfully that you don't realize. World of Secrets the Bad Guru Listen, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

[Janat Jalil]

You'Re listening to the global news podcast. The Prime Minister of Montenegro has said he will tighten the country's gun laws after 12 people, including two children, were killed in a series of shootings. A gunman shot dead four people at a restaurant in the town of Cetinje before then carrying out other attacks, including on members of his own family. Here's our Balkans correspondent, Guy Delaunay.

[Reporter]

The violence started on New Year's Day with an argument at a bar and restaurant. A 45 year old customer called Azzo Martinovic initially left, but then returned with a gun and started shooting. Martinovic moved on to four other locations, targeting the bar owner's family as well as some of his own relatives. In all, he killed 12 people, including two children. When police eventually tracked him down, Martynovic shot himself and died on the way to hospital. The Prime Minister, Milojko Spaec, will chair an emergency session of the National Security Council. A new weapons law is on the agenda. Votive candles are being lit in Cetinia's main square. This is the second mass shooting in the small town in just over two years. Music and sports events across Montenegro have been cancelled. Instead of continuing with its New Year celebrations, the country has begun three days of national mourning.

[Janat Jalil]

Kai Delawney the world's oldest Olympic champion, Agnes Keleti, has died at the age of 103. The Hungarian gymnast escaped being deported to Nazi concentration camps during the Second World War. Our sports news correspondent Laura Scott looks back at her life.

[Reporter]

Age was never a barrier for Agnes Colletti. Five years ago, as she approached her 100th birthday, she was still able to do the splits. She hadn't made her Olympic debut until the age of 31, winning four medals in Helsinki in 1952. Four years later, she dominated the 1956 Olympics in Melbourne, winning four golds and two silvers, the most successful athlete of the entire Games. But her resilience was tested more than most during her long Coletti's fledgling gymnastics career was stalled when a rival competitor had her banned for being Jewish and the Second World War prompted a desperate fight for survival. Her father and other relatives were killed at Auschwitz, but she survived by assuming a false identity. I was Agnes Klein, Peroshka Juhas was a maid and I swapped my clothes and papers. Of course, she didn't need papers, they.

[Host]

Just had to look at her to.

[Reporter]

Know she was a good little Christian girl. Her haul of 10 Olympic medals would surely have been even greater had she not missed three Olympics. The 1940 and 1944 Games were cancelled because of the war, and she missed the 1948 edition with an ankle injury. But she more than made up for lost time, becoming one of the most successful Jewish athletes of all time and a national treasure in Hungary. She said, however, that her motivation to do sports was not to chase glory. I was competing not because I liked it, but I did it because I wanted to see the world. Asked by the International Olympic Committee a few years ago for her secret, she replied, you've got to love life and always look at the good side.

[Janat Jalil]

Laura Scott Looking back on the life of Olympic gymnast and Holocaust survivor Agnes Colletti. Dairy cows have long been bred to improve their milk yield and their health. But here in the uk, a cow called Hilda is the first of a new generation that has been specifically bred through IVF to fight climate change by producing less methane. Cows typically produce a lot of methane from burping and passing wind. As a greenhouse gas, it's many times more potent than carbon dioxide. Sarah Montague heard more from Mike Coffey, a professor of livestock informatics at Scotland's rural college, who was involved in the project.

[Mike Coffey]

We do know that selection for production and health and welfare over the last 30 years or so has led to about a 1% reduction in methane just through cows lasting longer and being better at doing what they do, they do it more efficiently. And farmers have been doing this for a long, long time. And what Hilda is is the result of adding direct selection for methane emissions into that overall index. Genetic improvement is permanent and cumulative. So Hilda will produce 1% less methane, her daughters will present 1% less of the 1%, and over 20 years it could well be 30% less methane.

[Reporter]

Is there any reason to worry about a car that perhaps doesn't belch as much as others? I mean, there's no side effect?

[Mike Coffey]

No, that's a good question. A lot of people are doing research into the potential side effects, but in this particular case, because we're doing selection at the whole animal level, all of the elements that keep the cow healthy and fertile and in good welfare are selected for. At the same time, we're just selecting cows that coincidentally produce less methane.

[Reporter]

If you think, well, this is obviously presumably the way forward, we're satisfied this is going to work. How quickly could Hilda become a whole herd?

[Mike Coffey]

Well, that's a really good question. An analogy is how quickly can we move from petrol cars to electric cars? There's a sort of a long lag. There's lots of existing cars that have got to be got rid of. There's lots of people who would otherwise buy a petrol car have got to be convinced to buy an electric car. And it's the same with cows. Farmers have ways of doing things. They have practices and habits. And now we've established the principle that we can do it. The question is now how do we roll that out to get as many farmers selecting for improved methane as practically possible? It is very important and it's part of the contribution that agriculture is making to the reduction in methane emissions to the whole of the uk.

[Janat Jalil]

Professor Mike Coffey when was the last time you used a map to get around? The use of traditional maps printed on paper has been in decline for years as many of us turn to apps like Google Maps to find our way around towns or cities. But the group British Orienteering is warning that this heavy reliance on our smartphones means we're losing touch with our surroundings. Luke Mintz went to a town in southern England to learn how things used to be done.

[Host]

I'm in reading and my task is to find my way around without the help of a smartphone. I'm taking part in a map reading class with British Orienteering. They warn that too many of us rely on apps like Google Maps to get around and that as a result, many people don't really know their way around their local area. I'm off to meet my guide for the day. Hello, Howard, nice to see you.

[Reporter]

Yeah, yeah. My name is Howard Blackman. I work for British Orienteering and I'm the club's support manager.

[Host]

So Howard, I'll be honest, I've already slightly cheated because I was in a rush on the way here and so I used Google Maps to get from the train station. But from now on, you're going to teach me the joys of reading an old fashioned paper map.

[Reporter]

Absolutely. And in orienteering we like to call.

[Host]

It traditional map reading. It allows you to really connect with.

[Reporter]

The environment in a far greater way than a digital map would do.

[Host]

Okay, great. So there's a tall brown building right in front of us. How could I find that on the map?

[Reporter]

So we're going to move the map around and what I can see is.

[Host]

That'S outline there in front of us.

[Reporter]

We can see some steps and on the map I can see the steps there.

[Host]

It's quite hard to see because it's quite detailed. I can't actually see that.

[Reporter]

If I was using a Google Map on my smartphone I wouldn't be looking.

[Host]

Up as I am right now.

[Reporter]

This beautiful building with these really ornate.

[Host]

Roofs and the brickwork is absolutely stunning. So we've really connected with our environment.

[Reporter]

And we're actually feeling quite enthralled by this. It just makes me feel good, makes me feel happy.

[Host]

The orienteers I speak to make that point again and again. They say the more we rely on smartphone navigation, the less connection we feel with our surroundings. And that is something that may have implications for our emotional well being. Kate Jeffrey is a leading neuroscientist at the University of Glasgow. She's spent years studying the brain's cognitive map, commonly known as our sense of direction. She thinks it's possible that in order to feel at home somewhere, we need to know our way around it.

[Janat Jalil]

I do believe that people are more.

[Reporter]

Comfortable in an environment where they know where they are. They have a kind of a mental map, their surroundings, and they're not just following signs or arrows or, you know, lines painted on the floor or something.

[Host]

Back in Reading, I'm just about managing to get around without a smartphone, but it's clearly a concept that is alien to some of the young people I speak to. Excuse me, could I just ask, when was the last time you looked at a paper map?

[Reporter]

Probably when I was a kid.

[Host]

So it's mostly a case of using your phone?

[Reporter]

Yeah, always.

[Janat Jalil]

Yeah. Luke Mintz with that report. 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 Jack Wilfen. The producer was Liam McSheffrey. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Jeanette Julio. Until next time. Goodbye.

[Reporter]

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[Host]

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[Reporter]

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[Host]

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[Reporter]

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