Israeli government approves Gaza ceasefire and hostage release deal

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary
BBC World Service
Episode: Israeli Government Approves Gaza Ceasefire and Hostage Release Deal
Release Date: January 18, 2025

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1. Israeli Ceasefire and Hostage Release Deal

Overview:
In a significant development, the Israeli Cabinet approved a ceasefire and hostage release deal concerning the ongoing conflict in Gaza. This decision marks a pivotal moment in the Israeli-Palestinian tensions, aiming to de-escalate immediate hostilities and pave the way for a long-term resolution.

Key Points:

• Approval and Structure of the Deal:
  The Israeli Cabinet has endorsed a three-stage ceasefire agreement intended to secure the release of hostages and lay the groundwork for lasting peace in the region. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the first hostages would be released as early as Sunday, January 19th.

  "The first hostages will be released as early as Sunday." — Benjamin Netanyahu (04:17)

• Internal Cabinet Dynamics:
  The decision wasn't unanimous. Two ministers from far-right parties opposed the ceasefire, arguing it would reward Hamas. However, the broader Cabinet, including Culture Minister Mickey Zohar, prioritized the return of Israeli hostages over political disagreements.

  "Came here to vote forward to the deal to bring back our hostages. It's very hard decision..." — Mickey Zohar (03:06)

• Public and Family Reactions:
  The deal has evoked mixed emotions among hostage families. While some express hope for their relatives' return, others fear the uncertainty of subsequent phases of the deal.

  "A lot of stress, some anxiety when things are changing." — Hostage Relative (03:33)

• Continued Conflict in Gaza:
  Despite the ceasefire, fighting persists on the ground. Hamas reports over 100 Palestinian casualties due to Israeli strikes since the deal's announcement.

  "More than 100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes since the deal was first announced." — Hamas Official (04:42)

• Humanitarian Concerns:
  International pressure mounts for a substantial aid surge into Gaza post-ceasefire. With 90% of Gaza’s 2.1 million population displaced and nearly 2 million reliant on aid, securing safe passage for aid delivery remains crucial.

2. US TikTok Ban

Overview:
The U.S. Supreme Court upheld a law banning the Chinese-owned social media platform TikTok, effective from Sunday. This decision has sparked a broad reaction from influencers, businesses, and political entities, highlighting the platform's integral role in the digital economy.

Key Points:

• Supreme Court Ruling:
  The Court's decision enforces a bipartisan law requiring TikTok to either sell its U.S. operations to a domestic company or face a prohibition.

  "The Supreme Court has decided that it won't rescue TikTok, that it stands with this bipartisan law..." — Nomar Iqbal (07:30)

• Impact on Users and Businesses:
  The ban affects over 170 million U.S. users and disrupts the influencer economy, with both small businesses and major corporations relying heavily on TikTok for marketing and community engagement.

  "It's really bad for us. I know small businesses that they grew up thanks to TikTok." — Scott Campbell (07:00)

• Political Implications:
  The implementation of the ban coincides with Donald Trump's inauguration, raising questions about potential policy reversals or alternative solutions to keep TikTok accessible.

  "He has done a U-turn on TikTok because previously he was the one who got the ball rolling on the whole thing." — Valerie Sanderson (08:21)

• Alternative Platforms and Reactions:
  As TikTok faces prohibition, usage of alternative Chinese apps like RedNote is rising among American users. This shift may influence Sino-American relations and perceptions of digital sovereignty.

  "But then all the Americans, they go to another Chinese app. We have nothing like this in America." — Scott Campbell (10:39)

3. President Donald Trump's Inauguration

Overview:
Donald Trump's inauguration as President-elect is set to occur indoors due to extreme cold weather forecasts in Washington, D.C. This marks a departure from traditional outdoor ceremonies, reflecting the adaptability of political events amid environmental challenges.

Key Points:

• Indoor Ceremony Details:
  The inauguration will take place inside the Capitol Building, with the swearing-in oath and inaugural address held indoors to protect attendees from sub-zero temperatures.

  "It'll be inside the Capitol building where the swearing will take place." — Orla Guerin (13:16)

• Post-Inauguration Rally:
  Instead of gathering on the National Mall, Trump plans to host a rally at an indoor arena typically used for ice hockey, limiting attendance to around 20,000 people.

  "He's inviting them to an indoor arena... that will hold 20,000." — Orla Guerin (13:48)

• Guest Attendance:
  The event will feature prominent figures, including living former presidents like Barack Obama and Joe Biden, but excludes former First Lady Michelle Obama. Tech billionaires such as Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos are also expected to attend.

4. Ukraine Conflict Update

Overview:
The podcast delves into the ongoing war in Ukraine, highlighting the resilience of Ukrainian forces, the personal toll on soldiers and families, and the challenges faced on the front lines.

Key Points:

• War Duration and Territorial Control:
  Nearly three years into the full-scale invasion, Russia controls approximately a fifth of Ukraine’s landmass, with continuous territorial advancements.

  "Russia now controls nearly a fifth of Ukraine's landmass and is continuing to take more territory." — Lucy Williamson (15:07)

• Ukrainian Military Sentiments:
  Ukrainian soldiers express fatigue and uncertainty about the war's end, with some questioning the possibility of a swift resolution.

  "Honestly, no. I had hoped it would be over quickly." — Ukrainian Soldier (Scott Campbell) (15:43)

• Personal Stories from the Front:
  The narrative includes heartfelt accounts from families, such as a war widow grieving her lost husband while expecting her first child.

  "My daughter will never see her father, but she will know that he was a soldier..." — Anastasia Fedchenko (18:47)

• Potential for Peace Talks:
  Amidst speculation, Ukrainian officials, including President Zelensky, have hinted at possible concessions, such as temporarily ceding land, to achieve peace.

  "Warbudu Anastasia Fenko ending that report by Orla Guerin." — Lucy Williamson (19:12)

5. Bolivia's Former President Evo Morales Faces Arrest Warrant

Overview:
Evo Morales, Bolivia's former president, has an arrest warrant issued due to allegations of sexual abuse involving a teenage girl. This case has intensified political tensions within Bolivia, highlighting deep divisions and public outcry.

Key Points:

• Allegations and Legal Proceedings:
  Morales is accused of sexually abusing a teenage girl in 2016, an act constituting statutory rape under Bolivian law. Despite denying the allegations, his failure to appear in court prompted the issuance of an arrest warrant.

  "Evo Morales was supposed to show up for a hearing... but failed to do so." — Luciano Kesa (19:44)

• Public Protests and Political Rivalry:
  Morales' arrest has sparked protests, with demonstrators advocating for justice and denouncing gender-based violence. The situation exacerbates the rivalry between Morales and current President Luis Arci, who accuse each other of misconduct and political manipulation.

  "With banners demanding justice and saying Girls are not to be touched." — Valerie Sanderson (20:17)

6. Malaysia's Police Force BMI Regulation

Overview:
In an effort to combat rising obesity rates, Malaysia has implemented a new regulation mandating that police officers maintain a Body Mass Index (BMI) of 28 or lower to be eligible for promotions. This policy reflects broader public health initiatives within the country.

Key Points:

• Policy Details and Rationale:
  The Royal Malaysian Police have introduced a BMI requirement, stating that officers must achieve a BMI of 28 or below to be considered for career advancement. This move is part of a strategy to address Malaysia's significant obesity challenges.

  "Officers in the Royal Malaysian Police have to keep their BMI... at 28 or lower if they want to be up for promotions." — Fergal Keen (20:46)

• Criticism and Health Metrics Debate:
  Critics argue that a BMI of 28 still classifies individuals as overweight and contend that BMI is an imperfect measure, often criticized for not accounting for diverse body types and being biased towards certain demographics.

  "For adults, a healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9." — Fergal Keen (21:45)

• Global Context:
  Malaysia is not alone in enforcing such measures. Other countries, including the Philippines and certain Indian states, have implemented similar fitness standards to ensure the physical readiness of their law enforcement personnel.

  "It's not the first country to do this to address weight like this." — Lucy Williamson (22:09)

7. Revival of Futurist Music at London's Wigmore Hall

Overview:
The Wigmore Hall in London hosted the Orchestra of Futurist Noise Intoners, a unique ensemble dedicated to reviving the avant-garde musical innovations of Italian futurist Luigi Russolo. This performance aims to reinterpret and modernize Russolo's revolutionary soundscapes.

Key Points:

• Historical Context and Modern Revival:
  Russolo's 111-year-old instruments, designed to mimic urban sounds like roars and howls, were reconstructed by contemporary musician Luciano Kesa. The Orchestra seeks to present these unconventional sounds in a modern concert setting.

  "When the first concert took place in Milan, that was certainly a riot." — Kerry Allen (23:35)

• Performance and Instrumentation:
  The ensemble showcased instruments such as the Romba Torre (Rumbler), Gogolia Torre (Gurgler), and Alla Latore (Howler), each designed to produce distinct, city-inspired noises. Performers demonstrated the dual-sound capabilities of Russolo's instruments through innovative techniques.

  "If you play it in two different ways, you get two different sounds." — Luciano Kesa (24:07)

• Artistic Philosophy and Reception:
  The performance challenges traditional musical norms by incorporating everyday sounds into orchestral music, reflecting Russolo's vision of breaking away from classical conventions to mirror the complexities of modern urban life.

  "The instruments were producing noises that they would have heard more in true life and not in a concert hall." — Kerry Allen (24:26)

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Production Credits:

• Mixed by: Nick Randell
• Produced by: Isabella Jewell
• Editor: Karen Martin

Contact and Feedback:
Listeners are encouraged to share their thoughts and comments via email at globalpodcastbc.co.uk or on X (formerly Twitter) at @globalnewspod.

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This episode of the Global News Podcast provided comprehensive coverage of pivotal international events, blending on-the-ground reporting with expert analysis to inform and engage its audience.

Transcript

[Valerie Sanderson]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

[Scott Campbell]

There's a divide in American politics between those who think democracy is in peril and those who think it's already been subverted, hollowed out from the inside. As President Trump returns to the White House, we go through the looking glass into a world where nothing is as it seems. The coming storm from BBC Radio 4. Listen wherever you get your BBC podcasts, this is Scott Campbell from the Stupid Things for Love podcast.

[Valerie Sanderson]

I have a 7 year old son.

[Scott Campbell]

And the biggest mountain I climb every day is trying to put shoes on this child. And I'm so grateful to Skechers for making the only shoes my son will willingly put on by their slip ons are amazing and he doesn't have to deal with laces. He doesn't have to deal with anything. They come in the perfect color blue. Thank you Skechers, the comfort technology company.

[Valerie Sanderson]

And you can find Skechers everywhere, Skechers.com, a Skechers store, or wherever stylish footwear is sold.

[Lucy Williamson]

This is the global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Valerie Sanderson and in the early hours of Saturday 18th January, these are our main stories. The Israeli Cabinet has voted to approve a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza. The Chinese social media platform TikTok is to be banned from Sunday. So watch the reaction from influencers and to the US Government.

[Fergal Keen]

I'm never forgiving you for this and I'm never going to trust you ever again because you just like that, took away millions of people's income and livelihood.

[Lucy Williamson]

President elect Donald Trump's inauguration is to be held indoors because of the cold. Also in this podcast, police officers in Malaysia are being told to slim down or not be promoted. And the Italian orchestra reviving unusual instruments from a century ago. The Israeli Cabinet has voted to approve a ceasefire and hostage release deal in Gaza. The Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu says the first hostages will be released as early as Sunday. The deal has three stages, with the latter phases aiding aiming to bring a permanent end to the conflict. Some Israeli ministers had threatened to quit if the ceasefire was approved, saying it rewarded Hamas. From Jerusalem, here's our Middle east correspondent, Lucy Williamson.

[Valerie Sanderson]

The ceasefire deal has now passed the final hurdle in Israel's political process and.

[Nomar Iqbal]

Is set to begin on Sunday with the first in a series of prisoner exchanges. Two ministers from far right parties in the coalition voted against the deal, but the promise of bringing home 33 Israeli hostages won over many others in the Cabinet, like Culture Minister Mickey Zohar we.

[Scott Campbell]

Came here to vote forward to the deal to bring back our hostages. It's very hard decision, but we decided to support it because it's very important to us to see all of our children, men and women's, back home. We hope that in the future we will be able to finish the job in Gaza. This is something that we want to do, but now we want to bring our people back home.

[Nomar Iqbal]

While the three stage structure of this.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Deal has reassured some politicians, it has.

[Nomar Iqbal]

Caused division and anxiety amongst some of the hostage families. Some fearing that their relatives will be abandoned in Gaza after the first phase is done. Others beginning to imagine that their relatives might come home. Daniel Lifschitz's grandfather, Oded is one of those due to be released.

[Scott Campbell]

A lot of stress, some anxiety when things are changing.

[Kerry Allen]

It's hard, it's complicated. But I receive it with a bless.

[Scott Campbell]

And with love because that's the moment we've been waiting for and I really hope it's a start of new era for us.

[Nomar Iqbal]

Israel says three hostages are expected to be released on Sunday, the first day of the ceasefire, with more small groups freed at regular intervals over the next six weeks. It's also named the first group of Palestinians due to be freed from Israeli jails in return. The deal that hung for so long on politics and logistics now peopled with names and faces.

[Lucy Williamson]

Lucy Williamson. As the deal was discussed in Jerusalem, the fighting continued on the ground in Gaza. Hamas officials say more than 100 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli strikes since the deal was first announced on Wednesday. From Jerusalem, our correspondent Fergal Keen reports.

[Scott Campbell]

The people of Gaza know how suddenly the living can become the dead. It happens in the split second of a bomb blast, a bullet striking a vital organ, the collapse of a building on its inhabitants. This is what the experience of the last 15 months of war has taught them. So they are clear that in the hours and minutes that are left before the ceasefire, fear will accompany hope. Israeli attacks have killed dozens since the announcement of the peace deal on Wednesday. Civil defense teams have been busy digging the dead and wounded out of ruined buildings. Issa Hani Kizat is seven years old and was caught in an Israeli strike on a school where refugees were sheltering his father. Hani described the child's injuries.

[Orla Guerin]

I went running and found my son while I was holding him.

[Scott Campbell]

After the intensity of the blow, he.

[Orla Guerin]

Didn'T tell me anything and then he fainted. I carried him and found that he.

[Scott Campbell]

Was injured, as it has throughout the war. Israel says it's targeting Hamas and Not civilians. There is growing international pressure to mount a major aid surge into Gaza once the ceasefire takes effect. 90% of Gaza's 2.1 million people are displaced. Nearly 2 million now depend on aid. Criminal gangs hijack aid trucks. The local infrastructure has been shattered. For aid to arrive, Gaza must be opened up and made secure for those delivering the aid and those waiting for it.

[Lucy Williamson]

Fergal keen. More than 170 million TikTok users in the US look set to lose access to the social media platform, one of the most popular short form video apps in the world and a major part of the multi billion dollar influencer economy. It follows a decision by the U.S. supreme Court to uphold a law signed by President Biden banning the Chinese owned app over concerns about data collection. This was some of the reaction from users in New York.

[Valerie Sanderson]

A lot of small businesses such as.

[Scott Campbell]

Myself, I use it as like a marketing tool.

[Valerie Sanderson]

So when people are, I think, like, restricted to express or share whatever they.

[Scott Campbell]

Want, that's when people want to speak up against it. It's really bad for us. I know small businesses that they grew up thanks to TikTok.

[Lucy Williamson]

And this ban is gonna affect not.

[Scott Campbell]

Only like small businesses, but big corporations as well, politicians as well, because TikTok is like a community, right? And this affects everybody.

[Lucy Williamson]

Our correspondent in Washington, Nomar Iqbal, told me more about the ruling and what it means.

[Valerie Sanderson]

It's not surprising. First of all, the Supreme Court has decided that it won't rescue TikTok, that it stands with this bipartisan law that was signed by President Biden last year, which said that TikTok has to either sell off to a US company or face being banned. And it's important to also note that it'll be Donald Trump's administration who implements this, because this will come into force on Sunday, a day before Donald Trump takes office. Now, he has done a u turn on TikTok because previously he was the one who got the ball rolling on the whole thing. He wanted it banned, but he realized how successful it was for him for the 2024 presidential campaign, and he's changed his mind. Now in terms of what he does to rescue it, we don't know yet. But he has said that he wants to find a way of making sure that TikTok can still be available for the millions of American users.

[Lucy Williamson]

Now, TikTok has already been banned in countries like India and banned on government devices in countries like Canada, France and indeed here in the uk. So why such concern over it?

[Valerie Sanderson]

Well, lawmakers say because China owns the algorithm, they can use it to spy on Americans. There isn't actually direct evidence of that. There is, however, evidence of the other concern, according to some academic studies, and that is TikTok is promoting Chinese government views. It's spreading propaganda and so they want to get rid of it in that respect or they want a US Company to own it. I mean, even earlier this week, Donald Trump's incoming Secretary of State Marco Rubio said that China is America's biggest threat. And remember, this law that was passed has overwhelming bipartisan support. It's as bipartisan as you can get in contemporary Washington. It's not going to be possible for Donald Trump to reverse that law. He may decide that we're not going to enforce the law. I don't know how that would work. Apple, Google, Oracle, all these platforms might not want to take the risk. I think the best bet will probably be to try, try and get a US Company to buy it. Now there are lots of US companies that want to buy it. Elon Musk, the owner of X and Donald Trump's right hand man, has expressed interest. But TikTok has said that it will not sell to a US company.

[Lucy Williamson]

Nomir Iqbal in Washington. Following today's ruling, questions are now being asked about what could possibly replace TikTok, especially in China where the platform was founded. With her assessment, here's our China media analyst, Kerry Allen.

[Luciano Kesa]

This is an online influencer called Tim Storm singing about a Chinese social media app. It's been given the unofficial name RedNote. It's been around since 2013 and has often been thought of as China's answer to Instagram. It's also moved to allowing users to post videos. Chinese state media have been talking about a trend of America based TikTok refugees moving over to RedNote in anticipation of a US government ban being imposed on TikTok this Sunday. Media say they hope incoming President Trump can save it and have suggested that he's become quite a fan of the platform himself. But Chinese media say that if the ban does go ahead, red Red Note may be the place to be.

[Nomar Iqbal]

The American government ban an app because.

[Lucy Williamson]

They think it's like Chinese and it's bad.

[Scott Campbell]

But then all the Americans, they go to another Chinese app. We have nothing like this in America. We are the third world country. The more I scroll on rednote, the more I truly believe we are so far behind.

[Luciano Kesa]

Newspapers have been reporting that Americans who've moved to RedNote have enjoyed learning basic Chinese and speaking to people in China. There have been some dramatic reports on Americans being moved to tears by the friendly Chinese people they have spoken to. Chinese audiences have also seen Americans talk about how a TikTok ban imposed by the US Government will be a clampdown on freedom of speech and would make the US as guilty of what it often accuses China of, censorship. And so a lot is hinging on whether the ban will go ahead in China's eyes. It could either signal a new era of China and the US Coming together or another four years of mutual distrust.

[Lucy Williamson]

Kerry Allen, coming up in the global news podcast, would you listen to an orchestra that sounds like.

[Scott Campbell]

There'S a divide in American politics between those who think democracy is in peril and those who think it's already been subverted, hollowed out from the inside. As President Trump returns to the White House, we go through the looking glass into a world where nothing is as it seems. The coming storm from BBC Radio 4. Listen wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

[Lucy Williamson]

President elect Donald Trump will take the oath of Office on Monday, January 20. But the second time round, his inauguration ceremony will be held indoors because of a forecast of record cold weather from Washington. Our senior North America correspondent Gary O'Donoghue told me more.

[Orla Guerin]

It's going to be very frigid on Monday. We're expecting temperatures of minus 6 Celsius and with the wind chill could be even minus 12 or beyond. So that is really very cold. And of course, these things go on for a long time. There's a lot of standing around, a lot of people standing around and there could be easily some sort of medical situation. So it's not the first time it's ever happened. It did happen back in 85 in for Ronald Reagan's second inaugural. So it does happen occasionally. And that's one of the facts of life of January in Washington.

[Lucy Williamson]

So what form will it take?

[Orla Guerin]

So it'll be inside the Capitol building where the swearing will take place. He'll also give his inaugural address at that point as well. But he is also having a sort of rally afterwards. Instead of having people on the National Mall, which would normally happen, he's going to he's invited them to an indoor arena where they normally play ice hockey in Chinatown in D.C. and that will hold 20,000. So it won't be the hundreds of thousands of people that Donald Trump told us would be showing up, but it will be something that he can go to afterwards when he's actually the president.

[Lucy Williamson]

And what about special guests? Because we understand, for example, that the former first lady Michelle Obama will not be there.

[Orla Guerin]

Yeah, that's right. And she wasn't there. Also at Jimmy Carter's funeral last week, where I was, Barack Obama will be there. The other two presidents who are living, including, well, the other three presidents who are living, including Joe Biden, will be, will be there as well. There will be some senior representation from the Chinese government and there'll also be a whole clutch of tech billionaires, the Zuckerbergs, the Elon Musk's, of course, of this world and Jeff Bezos. So there'll be a lot of well known faces there, just not Michelle Obama, Gary O'Donoghue.

[Lucy Williamson]

During his election campaign, Donald Trump claimed he could end the war in Ukraine in a single day. His envoy to Ukraine now says the war could be ended within 100 days of the President taking office. Almost three years after its full scale invasion, Russia now controls nearly a fifth of Ukraine's landmass and is continuing to take more territory. Ukraine's President Zelensky has indicated that land could be given up temporarily for the sake of peace. Amid growing speculation about possible peace talks, our senior international correspondent Olagarin reports on the mood in Ukraine.

[Nomar Iqbal]

We're making our way along a bumpy rural road heading for the front line in eastern Ukraine and it's pitch dark. We are within range here of Russian artillery and also Russian drones. We're on our way to meet troops from a Ukrainian drone unit. The Russians are still managing to advance. We're traveling with the commander. His name is Mykhailo. Did you think the war would last this long?

[Scott Campbell]

Honestly, no. I had hoped it would be over quickly. I volunteered and went to enlist in the first days of the war. I'm already tired. I've been away from my family for three years. The only thing that saves me is that I can video call them because I have an Internet connection.

[Nomar Iqbal]

We've come inside a disused building. We're completely in darkness apart from torchlight. And the drone is being assembled. The drone unit are working fast here. They've erected a huge antenna. It's taller than a two story building. And they're getting ready now to send up the drone. I can hear shelling in the distance. Do you think there's any way to do a deal with Putin?

[Scott Campbell]

Maybe, maybe not. But he seems like a completely unstable person and that's putting it very gently.

[Nomar Iqbal]

Commander Mahailo pilots the drone into the skies. It's fully armed with an anti tank tank mine. Minutes later he drops that. It lands just wide of an underground Russian position. I'm inside a small courtroom. There's a hearing about to get Underway. The defendant has just been brought in under guard. He's 24 years old and he's a deserter from the army. His name is Serhi Nezdelov. This is a real sign of the changing times in Ukraine. You don't see queues of young men lining the streets anymore to join up, but you do see young men in the dock accused of desertion. It's a huge problem for the Ukrainian military and for Ukraine's war effort. Sergey. We're from BBC News. My name is Orla. Could I ask you, why did you leave your army unit?

[Scott Campbell]

I did it as a sign of protest. The authorities have for a very long time been promising to set time limits for military service, but they haven't done it.

[Kerry Allen]

We must continue to fight. We have no other choice.

[Scott Campbell]

But soldiers are not slaves. Everyone who has spent three years or.

[Kerry Allen]

More on the front line deserves the right to rest.

[Nomar Iqbal]

But for many who go to fight, this is the homecoming. In a Kyiv cathedral, a familiar agony is unfolding. A war widow, Anastasia Fedchenko, mourns her husband. She sits with her hands on her stomach. Anastasia is heavily pregnant with her first child. I am sorry.

[Valerie Sanderson]

My daughter will never see her father, but she will know that he was a soldier, an officer, and that her father did everything he could to save Ukraine for her.

[Nomar Iqbal]

As long as Russia exists, this war will exist.

[Valerie Sanderson]

I truly fear that our children will inherit this war from us.

[Lucy Williamson]

Warbudu Anastasia Fenko ending that report by Orla Guerin. In Ukraine, a Bolivian judge has issued an arrest warrant for the former president Evo Morales after he failed to appear in court over a case alleging he sexually abused a teenage girl. Morales, who's 65, is alleged to have had a child with the teenager in 2016, which would have constituted statutory rape under the country's law. Mr. Morales has always denied the allegations. With more, here's our South America correspondent, Ione Wells.

[Luciano Kesa]

Evan Morales was supposed to show up for a hearing on a possible retrial detention in this case, but failed to do so. That led to a judge issuing an arrest warrant. The case has fiercely divided Bolivia. Mr. Morales has claimed he is a victim of what he's characterized as legal.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Warfare by his former ally and now.

[Luciano Kesa]

Rival, the current president, Luis Arci. The two have been in a very public dispute over who should run the party. Last year, thousands of his supporters blocked roads leading to the Cocoa Growers Union headquarters where Mr. Morales is living to try block his potential arrest for statutory rape. Today, women also protested outside the courthouse.

[Valerie Sanderson]

With banners demanding justice and saying Girls are not to be touched.

[Lucy Williamson]

Ione wells. While many people start January with a healthy diet and fitness regime, or at least an attempt at one, one group of people in Malaysia are being given no choice. Police forces there have returned to work to the news that anyone wanting to advance in their career has to have a body mass index of 28 or lower. After concerns over weight gain of officers, Stephanie Prentiss explained what's going on.

[Fergal Keen]

This is being called the battle of the bulge by some domestic press. It's a new rule which says officers in the Royal Malaysian Police have to keep their bmi. So that's their body size and weight relative to their height. They've got to keep it at 28 or lower if they want to be up for promotions at work. So it seems this incentive is in response to a wider health crisis there. We know as a country, Malaysia has one of the biggest obesity problems in Southeast Asia and authorities have been trying to enforce fitness standards for police since back in 2016, seemingly with little success. Now, back then we had some data that said a substantial amount of officers were calling him sick, an average of 560 a day and 200 died due to heart attacks and diabetes related issues around that time. So it seem this problem hasn't been contained. They're still trying to stamp it out.

[Lucy Williamson]

But 28, a BMI of 20 is quite high, isn't it? I thought you should peak at about 25.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Yes.

[Fergal Keen]

For adults, a healthy BMI is between 18.5 and 24.9. So people are saying this new target of 28 still means the officers in question could be classed as overweight. As a side point, some experts also argue BMI is a health measure is flawed. Some say it's designed around white European men. So critics of this have said things like a standard fitness test is a better measure.

[Lucy Williamson]

And Malaysia is not the first country to do this, is it, to address weight like this?

[Fergal Keen]

It's not. Police in the Philippines have tried to do the same. They now use things like push ups, sit ups and running to test people's health. They tried the BMI scale there and it just didn't work. And some states in India, they've actually threatened officers with things like suspensions if they're not able to slim down, work out and hit fitness targets. And actually in Assam, they ask some of the officers there to retire a bit early.

[Lucy Williamson]

Stephanie Prentice. A famous concert venue in London, the Wigmore hall, has just hosted an unusual musical ensemble. They're called the Orchestra of Futurist Noise Intoners. A group reviving the revolutionary style of the Italian futurist Luigi Rossolo. 111 years ago, he turned the world of music upside down with a concert in London of newly created instruments which replicate the sound of the city. The Romba Torre, also known as the Rumbler. The Gogolia Torre, known as the Gurgler, and perhaps the most memorable of all. Wait for it. The Alla Latore, or the howler, looked as weird as they sounded. Well, Luciano Kesa is performing at the Wigmore tonight and is a devotee of Russello. He spent years reconstructing not just the sound of the Maestro, but his long forgotten instruments. He told Anita Anand about the first time they were heard more than 100 years ago.

[Kerry Allen]

Marinetti, the founder of futurism, had invited journalists from different part of Europe and wined and dined them and subject them to a performance of this instrument. But when the first concert took place in Milan, that was certainly a riot.

[Valerie Sanderson]

We need to hear the instruments. So let me just describe what I can see. So this is one of your fabulous creations. It's. It looks like, Luciano, a box upon a box. It looks like an old speaker that may have been built in sort of the 1900s, early 1900s. You showed me.

[Luciano Kesa]

If you play it in two different.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Ways, you get two different sounds.

[Luciano Kesa]

So let's start with the slow crank.

[Valerie Sanderson]

And getting faster.

[Kerry Allen]

The instruments were producing noises that they would have heard more in true life and not in a concert hall. Going through life, you would hear car passing by, on an airplane flying, or a baby crying. I think the shock had to do with the fact that they were finding noises that they would have considered trivial, but framed as serious music in a concert hall. This was really the shock.

[Lucy Williamson]

Do you know, it did get me.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Thinking, though, the design of instruments that will still perform even today, violins, basses, brass. It hasn't really changed for hundreds of years. Why do you think that is? Do you think that those designs were.

[Luciano Kesa]

Perfect or that people just don't want.

[Valerie Sanderson]

To mess with what is traditional?

[Kerry Allen]

That's a very, very interesting question, I think goes to the core of this project. I think the reason why the instrument didn't change is because there is a driving repertoire that people want to hear. If you want to listen Vivaldi's first season, you wouldn't be playing this instrument. So in a way became the default. The futures were going from the discomfort for sure, and they wanted to have a break with the past. And so Rousseau thought, if we want to have music that is really a break with the past, is impossible to produce it in his mind using the instruments inherited from the tradition. But in the 20th century, when you can go to a shipyard, a construction site, where you can go to experience an airplane taking off or a train at full speed or a car and so on, all of the sounds are much bigger. And it thinks that the amount of volume that people hear every day in their life at change. And so if you want to create surprising effect, you have to measure that against what is available.

[Valerie Sanderson]

You have to go big or go home, in other words.

[Luciano Kesa]

Okay, Lee, could you just play us.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Out with one of those fast turns on your wonderful Ulla La to.

[Lucy Williamson]

Luciano Kessa and some extraordinary instruments. And that's it from us for now. But there'll be a new edition of the Global News Podcast later. If you want to comment on this podcast or the topics covered in it, send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk. you can also find us on X at globalnewspod. This edition was mixed by Nick Randell. The producer was Isabella Jewell. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Valerie Sanderson. Until next time. Bye bye.

[Scott Campbell]

There's a divide in American politics between those who think democracy is in peril and those who think think it's already been subverted, hollowed out from the inside. As President Trump returns to the White House, we go through the looking glass into a world where nothing is as it seems. The coming storm from BBC Radio 4. Listen, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.