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Global News Podcast
Former Prince Andrew arrested
00:31:48
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor is in custody over his links to the late Jeffrey Epstein
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You're listening to the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. Hello, I'm Oliver Conway. We're recording this just after 14 hours GMT on Thursday 19th February, the former prince Andrew Mountbatten Windsor has been arrested in Britain following allegations in the Epstein files. The king's brother is accused of misconduct in public office. He denies wrongdoing. We'll ask what happens next, assess the impact on the royal family and get reaction from the United States. Also in this podcast, the UN says atrocities in the Sudanese region of Darfur bear the hallmarks of genocide as a major summit opens in India. How to regulate artificial intelligence the future of AI cannot be decided by a handful of countries or left to the whims of a few billionaires. AI must belong to everyone, and sitting amongst the gorillas came out with a very profound statement. And in those few moments, David Attenborough changed the world's perception of gorillas. Celebrating the world's most famous living naturalist. It may have seemed unthinkable, but this morning Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, once second in line to the British throne, was arrested. The former Prince Andrew, brother to King Charles and the rumored favorite child of Queen Elizabeth ii, is now in police custody, accused of misconduct in public office. It is a stunning fall from grace for the former Duke of York, who was celebrating his 66th birthday today. He was visited by officers at his new home on the Royal Sandringham estate. He's faced numerous allegations over his links to Jeffrey Epstein, but denies any wrongdoing. I asked Our UK affairs correspondent, Rob Watson. What he made of it, a truly stunning development in the sense that nobody can remember, certainly in the last 30, 40, 50 years. Beyond that, anytime where a member of the Royal family, albeit a disgraced one, has been arrested. But to get to the details, early this morning, the police turned up at where Andrew is now living, which is on his brother's estate, the King's estate in Sandringham. That's in Norfolk, in the east of England. He was taken to a police station. We don't know where. But to talk you through what happens and what's involved in an arrest process in the uk, he would have been asked for his identity by a sergeant, a policeman standing there at the desk. He may well have been taken to a cell. For all of his details, a lawyer will no doubt have been called. And essentially what it means when you're arrested is that you will be questioned, you will be held in a police station. At that, you could either be released or you could be charged. I mean, it's possible that you could be released and charged at a later date, but a very serious development indeed. And an arrest is a surprise as well. The suspect won't know that the police arriving, but it also gives the police a right to search your property. So searches are going on at the Sandringham estate where Andrew lives and also where he formerly lived, in Windsor, just outside of London. Now, there are multiple allegations relating to Mr. Mountbatten and Windsor's relationship to Jeffrey Epstein. He denies wrongdoing, of course. What should we make of these suspicions of misconduct in public office that have been cited? Well, it's a tremendously serious charge, and the assumption is that it relates to his time as a UK trader envoy. That was between 2001 and 2011, where he was there essentially batting for the British government in promoting trade in several countries. And what we know from the. The release of the Epstein files fairly recently, Oliver, was that you see that he had sent reports from those trade missions to Jeffrey Epstein, the disgraced financier, which may, of course, have been some financial use, possibly. I mean, we understand that is what the police have been looking at. And they say, and I'm quoting here from the police statement, and it says that as part of a thorough assessment, we have now opened an investigation to this allegation of misconduct in public office. And I should say what's meant by misconduct in office, public office, put simply, Oliver, is that you're misusing the power that you have of being in a privileged place of influence and power now, the Deputy Prime Minister, David Lammy, says nobody in this country is above the law. But did you ever think you'd see a senior member of the Royal family arrested? That's an easy one to answer, and that is no. And it's worth pointing out to listeners, Oliver, the way the system works in this country, the criminal system is, is that all offenses are offenses against the Crown, right? I mean, if you or I get charged with something, we're charged with offenses against the Crown. So you would expect all members of the Royal family, my goodness, if nobody else, to make sure they're never charged with offenses of the Crown. So I don't think anybody could have imagined a senior member of the Royal family. I mean, Prince Andrew was former Prince Andrew was close in line to the throne. That you would see a member of the Royal Family in a police station, goodness knows for how long. Although I should quickly interject, Jacks, the maximum you can be held is 96 hours, four days. Rob Watson. The BBC understands that Buckingham palace and King Charles were not informed of the arrest in advance. The King has issued a statement saying he learned about the news with the deepest concern, adding that the law would now take its course and the Royal Family would give its full and wholehearted support and cooperation. I asked our Royal correspondent, Johnny diamond, just what this means for the Royal Family and King Charles himself. Look at the closing words of the statement of the King, and two of them are duty and service. And they are the foundation stones of the modern monarchy in Britain and frankly of the House of Windsor as well. The. The house that has held the Crown for the last hundred or so years in that name. Now, what is suggested by the arrest and the investigation, and it is important to remind everybody that former Prince Andrew strenuously denies any financial gain or any sexual impropriety. But what is suggested is that a very senior member of the Royal Family has done the opposite of duty and service and not someone who is caught drunk outside a nightclub throwing up, or someone who ends up sleeping with somebody else's wife. All of this, you know, goes down the decades for the Royal Family. And people understand they have teenage lives and they have difficult family lives like many do, but someone who has done something very, very different and running expressly against the grain of what the Royal Family is for. So I think that the challenge for the Royal Family is unlikely any that it has faced before, and we will wait and see over the next few weeks and months about how it rides the storm. Talking of the House of Windsor, it's hard to believe this would have happened in the time of Queen Elizabeth ii. Does this raise questions about how she dealt with the scandal? Look, I think there will be questions amongst historians and analysts and royal commentators about the strength of a mother's love for what was widely acknowledged to be a favorite son. And there will no doubt be questions about the sort of infrastructure of the relationship between Prince Andrew and the palace. And that is effectively facilitated by the royal family, which is personified by the monarch, which was the Queen. No doubt about it. I don't think there'll be that many people who will spend that much time squabbling over the legacy of the woman who spent six decades as Queen. But there will be questions over every aspect of the palace and the family's relationship with Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. And that is the challenge for the family and the crown. Now, we were trying to work out when was the last time that a senior royal was arrested. It seems to have been King Charles I during the English Civil War. War. What does this moment mean for the British public? I think it is a sort of where were you when? Moment. It's a sort of Kennedy getting assassinated or the space shuttle blowing up. It's really big moment. Let's not pretend that the whole of the British public are in thrall to the monarchy and are down on one knee or a shushing people as the Christmas message comes out. That's not the case, but it is a part of the national fabric and it is an elevated part. It is an almost an untouchable part and it has been touched. And that makes it different, very different. Our royal correspondent, Johnny diamond, one of the key figures in bringing the Epstein scandal to light was the US born Virginia Roberts Giuffre. She took her own life last year. But after the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor, her family issued a statement today. Our broken hearts have been lifted at the news that no one is above the law, not even royalty. We extend our gratitude to the UK's Thames Valley Police for their investigation and arrest of Andrew Mountbatten Windsor. I asked our correspondent in Washington, Bernd de Busman, how news of the arrest had gone down there so far. There's been very little reaction from public officials here, including from members of the Congressional committee that's been looking into the Epstein files in recent days. There's been a lot of back and forth about the way the files and the redactions were handled and we've seen prominent individuals stepping away from public life or resigning from their position as a result of those filesformer, Harvard President Larry Summers, for example, or Kathy Ruemler, the chief counsel of Goldman Sachs. But what we haven't seen is anyone be held legally accountable or prosecuted in any way as a result of their connection to Epstein. And I think what we'll see is that Andrew's arrest will really renew public calls for accountability, particularly given kind of the enormous public interest both in the Epstein case and in the Royal family. But might this change the way the American public see the British royal family? They always previously seem to quite like them. I think, in large part, Americans are still very enamored with the Royal family. And I think Andrew's reputation in the US has been tarnished for some time because of his connection with Epstein. I think it remains to be seen whether the recent allegations against the former Prince Andrew result in kind of a broadcast shift in public opinion against the Royal Family at large. But I think it's fair to say that Americans, whether they like it or don't like it, are really fascinated by the institution of the Royal family, particularly given that it's something so different from the system we have here. It's a fascination in both a good and a bad way, I think. You mentioned Congress, but will ordinary Americans draw comparisons between how the Epstein affair has been treated in the US and elsewhere? Well, I've already seen quite a lot of public reaction noting that in the UK there's been investigations and suggestions of possible prosecutions, most recently, of course, with the former Prince Andrew. We've also seen comparisons being made to the case of Peter Mandelson. And really, here in the US we actually haven't seen any movement in terms of legal accountability for anyone really mentioned in the files. Even if there's been, you know, people resigning, there's been no suggestion that there'll be any further arrest as a result of these files. I think it's also worth mentioning that House Democrats here have requested an interview with Andrew, citing a 2011 email exchange and accusations made by survivors, as well as some recent photographs that came out in the files. But they have no power to compel him to come. And Republicans that control the committee haven't signaled a willingness to do so. So I think there'll be renewed calls from those Democrats and from the U.S. public that Andrew also come to the U.S. to answer questions from lawmakers here. Bernd Boozman Jr. In Washington. And we have more on the arrest of the former Prince Andrew on our YouTube channel. Search for BBC News on YouTube and look for global news in the podcast section hosted by India. It's billed as the first AI Summit of the Global South. Addressing the gathering, the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said all of humanity should be allowed to enjoy the benefits of artificial intelligence. The future of AI cannot be decided by a handful of countries or left to the whims of a few billionaires. AI must belong to everyone. We must replace hype and fear with shared evidence and close knowledge gaps. But the official opening of the summit has been overshadowed by the withdrawal of Microsoft founder Bill Gates. He cancelled his keynote address after growing scrutiny over his ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. I heard more about his absence from our technology editor, Zoe Kleinman, who's at the summit in Delhi. It's been a big surprise because there were rumors that he was going to pull out, which were then denied. And I know he's here in India, he's in the country and he's been visiting tech hubs this week. So for it to be announced by the Gates foundation, really, with a couple of hours noticed, is quite extraordinary. Now, they haven't said that it has anything to do with his association with Jeffrey Epstein, but reading between the lines and standing here in a massive press room with the assorted media, it's quite clear that that's what everybody really wants to talk to him about. And the reason that was actually given was that he didn't want to distract from the summit. And I think quite possibly it would have been a distraction. But pulling out has also caused a big distraction. And what does this mean for the summit as a whole? Because it's already been criticized over how it's been managed. And there was another cancellation from the boss of Nvidia. Yes, that's right. Jensen Huang is another high profile, no show. He was supposed to be here and hasn't arrived. I mean, look, it is an absolutely enormous gathering of not only representatives from lots of countries, but also the world's biggest tech firms. There are said to be 50,000 people here and there's huge exhibition halls where everybody's showing off their tech and trying to promote their country as being the place to come for the AI revolution. They're looking for investment, aren't they? But I think it's fair to say that the government probably isn't enjoying so much some of the headlines that are coming out of Delhi this week. You know, there was a bit of embarrassment yesterday when an Indian university was ordered to pack up and leave the exhibition after showing off a robot dog that it said it had developed and it later turned out had been made in China. So I think there's certainly a lot of drama going on here, but I'm not sure that it's quite the drama that the Indian government had in mind. Meanwhile, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has addressed the summit alongside the French president and a couple of tech bosses, and he called for children's safety on AI platforms. Are the people gathered there going to come up with any kind of regulation over AI? You know, I've been covering this story now for so many years, and I've heard over and over again various declarations and pledges and commitments and concerns about the safety of this technology and the way in which it could be either misused deliberately or accidentally to cause harm to people. And what I have not yet to see is anyone actually putting the brakes on with this tech that is developing so fast. I think there is a lot of regulation around in the world. There's no sort of sense of global governance. India is very much hoping that it's going to have impact here. But whether we will see anything more than yet another declaration remains to be seen. If there is one, and there usually is, it should arrive on Friday. Our technology editor, Zoe Kleinman. Still to come in the podcast in the past we used sheepskin and fur to make trousers and hats so we can support the snowfall. Used to be so heavy that we couldn't even open our door. How climate change is creating clean energy opportunities in China. When you're a pro, you got to do a little bit of everything. A little, a little, and even a little. And it helps to have something that works as hard as you do. That's why Valspar has durable, high coverage paint for every job. Every time made. For more Valspar pros, head to Lowe's today and talk to a pro rep about saving time and money on your next job with Valspar. Signature paint exclusions apply. See valsparpro.com for details. Reggie, I just sold my car online. Let's go, Grandpa. Wait, you did? Yep, on Carvana. Just put in the license plate, answered a few questions, got an offer in minutes. Easier than setting up that new digital picture frame. You don't say. Yeah, they're even picking it up tomorrow. Talk about fast. Wow. Way to go. So about that picture frame. Ah, forget about it. Until Carvana makes one, I'm not interested. Car selling made easy on Carvana. Pick up fees may apply. This is the story of the one as the purchasing manager at a manufacturing plant, she knows the the only thing more important than having the right safety gear is having it there. When you need it. That's why she partners with Grainger for auto reordering, so her team members can count on her to have cut resistant gloves on hand and each shift can run safely and efficiently. Call 1-800-GRAINGER clickgrainger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done. If there was a big red button that would just demolish the Internet, I would smash that button with my forehead. From the BBC, this is the Interface, the show that explores how tech is rewiring your week and your world. This isn't about quarterly earnings or about tech reviews. It's about what technology is actually doing to your work, your politics, your everyday life and all the bizarre ways people are using the Internet. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcast. You're listening to the Global News podcast. More than 100,000 people have been killed in Sudan since the civil war began nearly three years ago. But the UN says atrocities committed by one side, the paramilitary Rapid Support forces, bear the hallmarks of genocide. A fact finding mission says the RSF went on a three day killing spree in the western region of Darfur after capturing the city of Al Fasha following a brutal 18 month siege. The UN report says civilians from non Arab groups were killed, abused and raped by the largely Arab rsf. Mona Rish Mawi is one of the UN investigators. We are talking about mass killings. We are talking about rampant sexual violence of incredible cruelty targeting two specific ethnic groups, particularly the Zagawas and the four. So when we looked at the evidence altogether, the only conclusion that we could reach is that it meant genocide. The RSF has always denied allegations of genocide. I heard more about the UN findings from our Africa correspondent, Barbara Platasher. Well, the essence of it as you were hearing, is that these atrocities are not random excesses of war. They're widespread, they're systematic. There's a pattern there that's being pursued according to a plan or policy with knowledge and intent. And they say that there are several hallmarks of genocide which essentially amount to deliberate efforts to physically destroy the targeted population and ethnic group through sexual violence, mass killings, starvation and destruction. And they reference the long siege of the city as well as part of that. They say that intent is very important and the only reasonable inference is here is that the intent was genocide and that the target was the Zagawa and Fur tribes. Primarily these are indigenous African tribes in Darfur that populate Al Fashr and that's where the armed resistance to the RSF onslaught on the city came from. But The RSF fighters did not make a distinction between the civilians and the fighters. And this has echoes of the genocide in Darfur two decades ago. And of course the RSF grew out of the Janjaweed militia who were involved back then. Yes, absolutely. Two decades ago it was the US that determined genocide. The UN actually never formally did in that case. So this is the first time it's come this close, I think. But yes, those Arab militias that form the backbone of the RSF have been targeting non Arabs they see as enemies in this war. But also 20 years ago at that time, they massacred hundreds of thousands of Darfuris from, from these tribes. They were employed by the military dictator Omar Al Bashir to put down local rebellions. And their tactics, the investigators say, are quite similar, which has to do with looting, mass killings, burning villages, essentially trying to push these particular populations out of the area. And is it likely that members of the RSF will ever be brought to justice? Well, I mean, possibly there is an existing International Criminal Court mandate for Darfur which harkens back to that conf 20 years ago. So it is now actively investigating again these atrocities. But bringing perpetrators to accountability from that first Darfur war took decades. I think it's only in the last six months there was the first conviction. So if it does happen, it is not likely to be a speedy process. Barbara Plett Asher, our Africa correspondent. In the past year, China has installed more solar and wind power than the rest of the world put together. The communist nation is still the world's biggest polluter. But for the first time, President Xi Jinping has pledged to reduce reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Analysts say they are already beginning to flatline. Our China correspondent, Laura Bicker has this report. China has created a desert that no longer just reflects the sun, it captures it. As we travel through Inner Mongolia, miles of solar panels stretch in front of us. On the Ordo Plateau, 58 year old Xin Gueryi is feeding his small flock of sheep. His friend Fan Yong laughs at our idea of what is cold. In the past we used sheepskin and fur to make trousers and hats so we can survive in winter. The snowfall used to be so heavy that we couldn't even open our door. Farmers here believe in climate change. They see winters becoming warmer and wetter. And Mr. Xin and others welcome China's push to become a renewable superpower. Wind and solar energy are a natural resource abundant in Inner Mongolia. We can contribute to our country, but it's not welcomed by all. We're on a single track road, twisting through the hills of southern Yunnan, heading to a tea farm where a farmer has told us that he's being ordered to replace his crop with solar panels. We have arrived and we can see the installation of the solar panels ahead. Actually, they're using drones to take materials up onto the hill. My heart aches. Look at this land. It was a great green tea farm and now it's like this. I don't understand why my local government wants to introduce this farm. At one, a contract which he'd refused to sign. It says the tea company has rented out the land for another use. The BBC's questions to the company went unanswered. Local governments are eager to show they're doing what they can to fulfil Beijing's renewables push. China is in a hurry. The country's factories built more solar panels in the first half of last year than the rest of the world combined. Some analysts believe China is so far ahead in renewable technology that it could take other countries decades to catch up. In other words, China's not just powering its own future, it has the potential to power all our futures. Li Shou is from the Asia Society's climate hub. It's a resounding victory of China. Their lead is so significant and so systematic, so that it is irreversible at this point in time. But there is evidence that some of China's own people are being left behind. In the central province of Anhui, Mr. And Mrs. Guo, both in their 70s, are chopping wood to keep warm. A low, thick smog forms around them from the nearby tall smoke towers of a large coal plant. They point me towards their home. It's submerged in water. It's all gone. I didn't manage to save anything. China's insatiable need for energy has been a source of irreversible harm here. In 2007, a coal company built one of Asia's largest underground mines. The land gave way, subsided. Tens of thousands of people had to be relocated. Some refused, including Mr. And Mrs. Goh, who now live in a makeshift home. No one will employ us if we stay. At least we can grow crops. The local government has turned this environmental crisis into an opportunity. It built one of the world's largest floating solar installations on the lake, which it says generates enough power for 21,000 homes. And yet, more than half of China's energy needs still come from coal. This country is running two races at once. It's trying to keep the lights on and its factories working alongside its shift towards renewables, how it manages this race in the next decade has the potential to affect us all. Laura Becker reporting from Mongolia. Just over a year ago, British couple Craig and Lindsay Forman were driving through Iran on an around the world motorbike trip trip when they were arrested. They were held separately in the notorious Evin jail and later charged with spying, which they deny. Now they've been sentenced to 10 years in prison. The British government says it's totally unjustifiable. Ahead of the sentencing, the BBC's Anna Foster managed to speak to Lindsey Foreman by phone from inside the jail. The couple had just sent a letter to the Iranian authorities complaining about their treatment. It's a roller coaster. There's a pre mermaid this situation. I'd be sort of trying to work out what I feel. The shock is what I would have felt. But now I'm not shocked by anything that happens here. This physical reaction was like I said what I would be used to is, you know, the pit of my stomach and my mouth went dry and just disbelief really. But then I'm surrounded by people who are in worse situations, who've had to live this their entire life. So in some way I feel lucky that a I've had the life I've had up until this point and hopefully one day for me will end and I will come out of this situation a wiser person. What effect is this having, Lindsay, on your physical health and on your mental health as well? Well, physically I've been doing yoga since solitary confinement, so it has been my absolute savior. Probably physically and mentally. I was running around in circles trying to do 5K, you know, passionate about park run, love doing 5K runs and was attempting to maintain that, but it's incredibly difficult in a very small yard, I think. And I've resigned myself to the fact that my physical health might not be what it was before I came in, but that I can regain it when I leave and mentally is like an endurance test for the mind. It is incredibly hard to remain positive. But thankfully I have a lot of tools at my disposal which I use every day, One day at a time situation. While you were talking there, Lindsay, we heard a recorded message in Persian that played over part of what you were saying. Tell me, Lindsay, about the letter that you are writing to the Iranian authorities. It is a desperate attempt to try and bring justice into this situation. We have done what we can to be respectful of their system, to be patient with the legal process, believing that our innocence will prevail, but it doesn't seem to be the case. We wanted to respect Their very strong belief that they don't want foreign interference and not refer to international law or human rights law. I've read their constitution, so I have referred only to their own internal is I make republic constitutional law in an attempt to say even in your own judicial system you're in violation of the laws to try and do anything to help us get out of this situation. Lindsay Foreman talking to the BBC from inside Evin prison. The celebrated broadcaster and conservationist Sir David Attenborough turns 100 later this year and to celebrate, the BBC is showcasing his extraordinary seven decade career. The new programs include footage from his Life on Earth series and possibly the most memorable clip, his encounter with mountain gorillas in Rwanda. The year was 1978 and David Attenborough had been taken to the remote location by Diane Fossey, who had been researching the apes for more than a decade. The extraordinary interaction that followed was captured on film. There's more meaning and mutual understanding in exchanging a glance with a gorilla than any other animal I know well. Diane Fossey's research assistant at the time, Ian Redmond, told my colleague Justin Webb more about it. It just unfolded as it happened. I don't know how much preparation as to what he was going to say David had made. But without a script and with a. A small film crew sitting amongst the gorillas came out with a very profound statement about human guerrilla perceptions and relations which had always been mutual animosity and fear, mainly because gorillas saw humans as a deadly threat and most humans who approached gorillas were trying to kill them. So how did you organize this rapprochement, as it were? We had the benefit of Dian Fossey. Diane had been studying those gorillas since 1967 and I'd been her assistant for a little over a year at that point. So the gorillas knew me. And it's to some people, extraordinary guerrillas understand the concept of a friend of a friend. So if they trust you and you're with a bunch of strangers, they'll look at you and they'll look at them and think, okay, they're together, that's fine. And that's why at that point, that was the biggest group of strangers we brought into the study groups because there was no guerrilla tourism in those days. And in those few moments, David Attenborough changed the world's perception of gorillas. Well, that's the point, isn't it? And with what longer term impact? I think the impact was twofold. The public suddenly saw gorillas that they'd only seen in the kind of King Kong context, as raging monsters, as friendly family animals who would even be friendly to a visitor. And that changed public perception. But behind the scenes, this filming took place literally 10 days after 1 of our study group, a young silverback called Digitized by Google Digit, had been killed by poachers. So the BBC crew arrived in a very dramatic time when there was poaching, there was grief. And then they made this lovely short sequence. And behind the scenes, David had promised Diane that when he got back to London, he would try and rally support for her fight against the poachers. And out of that, the mountain gorilla project, the Mountain gorilla tourism, better protection. So that today, every year, there are slightly more mountain gorillas than there were the year before. Ian Redmond and that is all from us for now. If you want to get in touch, email us@globalpodcastbc.co.uk and don't forget our sister podcast, the Global Story, which looks in depth at one big story. This edition of the Global News Podcast was mixed by Rosenwin Dorrell and produced by Adrienne White and Nikki for Rico. Our editors, Karen Martin. I'm Oliver Conway. Until next time. Goodbye. This is the story of the 1. As the purchasing manager at a manufacturing plant, she knows the only thing more important than having the right safety gear is having it there when you need it. That's why she partners with Grainger for auto reordering, so her team members can count on her to have cut resistant gloves and on hand and each shift can run safely and efficiently. Call 1-800-GRAINGER click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.