Israeli strike kills dozens sheltering in Gaza school

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary: "Israeli Strike Kills Dozens Sheltering in Gaza School"

Release Date: May 26, 2025

The BBC World Service’s Global News Podcast delivered a comprehensive and poignant episode addressing some of the most pressing international issues of the day. Hosted by Nick Miles, the episode delved into the devastating impact of Israeli airstrikes in Gaza, the escalating conflict in Ukraine, significant political developments in Canada, and cultural tributes, among other topics. Below is a detailed summary of the key discussions, insights, and conclusions covered in the episode.

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1. Devastating Airstrikes in Gaza and Humanitarian Crisis

Main Story:
The podcast opened with harrowing reports of Israeli airstrikes across Gaza resulting in dozens of deaths, including families sheltering in a school. The ongoing blockade, now lifted after 11 weeks, has not alleviated the severe shortages of food and medication, exacerbating the suffering of Gaza’s population, particularly children.

Personal Testimonies:
Special correspondent Fergal Keen provided a deeply moving account of the humanitarian crisis, highlighting the plight of Samahar Abu Jamia, whose young son fell ill due to hunger:

• Samahar Abu Jamia (02:59): “We sat in the street and my son got sick. I went to Al Nasr hospital to treat him because we had no food.”

Juliet Toomer, Director of Communications at the UN's Palestinian Relief Agency (UNRWA), emphasized the urgent need for substantial aid:

• Juliet Toomer (01:43): “There's a system in place that's managed through UNRWA. We cannot waste more time on debates and plans... kids are dying of starvation and so we need to get them what they need as soon as possible and in volume.”

Humanitarian Efforts and Criticisms:
Despite the creation of the Israeli and US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, significant skepticism remains regarding its adherence to humanitarian laws. The foundation's head resigned just before its operations commenced, citing similar concerns:

• Juliet Toomer (06:47): “The CEO, the former US Marine Jake Wood, has resigned. He said it's not possible to implement the plan while adhering to humanitarian principles.”

Impact on Children:
The episode poignantly portrayed the grim reality faced by Gaza’s children, with fields of malnourished youngsters and the psychological toll of relentless conflict:

• Donald Trump (02:24): “The war preys relentlessly on the children of Gaza... They can smell death...kids are dying of starvation.”

Medical professionals like Dr. Wasim Saeed discussed the compounded challenges of treating war injuries amidst severe malnutrition:

• Dr. Wasim Saeed (04:23): “The nutritional status of everybody was appalling. Wounds were not healing. None of this needed to happen.”

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2. Escalation in Ukraine and Donald Trump’s Reaction

Russian Drone Assaults:
Yolande Nel reported that Russia launched over 350 attack drones overnight in Ukraine, marking the heaviest aerial bombardment in three years of the conflict.

Trump’s Condemnation:
Former President Donald Trump sharply criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for the renewed aggression:

• Donald Trump (00:24 & 08:14): “I don't know what the hell happened to Putin... he's sending rockets into cities, killing people, and I don't like it at all.”

Kremlin’s Response:
BBC Monitoring's Vitaly Shevchenko noted the Kremlin’s unusually polite dismissal of Trump’s remarks, suggesting Moscow’s strategy to avoid antagonizing Trump, whose rhetoric has previously influenced their tactics:

• Vitaly Shevchenko (08:18): “It suggests a determination not to antagonize this president from whose rhetoric and actions Moscow has benefited.”

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3. King Charles’ Historic Visit to Canada

Diplomatic Undertones:
King Charles and Queen Camilla’s arrival in Ottawa marked the King’s first visit as Canada’s head of state. The visit aims to convey messages of support amidst political undertones, including references to U.S. President Trump’s provocative comments about Canada potentially becoming the "51st US state."

Strategic Messaging:
Lise Doucet, the international correspondent, highlighted Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney’s strategic use of the monarchy’s visit to reinforce national sovereignty and counteract U.S. influence:

• Corinna Roman, CBC (11:15): "The King of Canada... is someone whom Donald Trump considers admires."

• Juliet Toomer (10:35): “This is an instance of soft power and I think the King and Queen will use it to harden this soft power as much as possible.”

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4. Tribute to Marcel Aufouls and his Documentary Legacy

Legacy of "The Sorrow and the Pity":
The podcast paid homage to Marcel Aufouls, the acclaimed French documentary filmmaker behind "The Sorrow and the Pity," which scrutinized French collaboration with Nazi forces during WWII. The documentary, banned for over a decade on French television, is celebrated as one of the greatest documentaries ever made.

Insights from Biographer:
French film historian Vincent Lovie and Samahar Abu Jamia discussed the film’s impact in unraveling long-held myths about widespread French resistance:

• Samahar Abu Jamia (12:36): “It was a film about a city, Clermont-Ferrand... it ruined a couple of well-established myths.”

• Vincent Lovie (14:02): “The biggest challenges... are mostly to do with the gas emissions.”

Marcel Aufouls’ dedication to truthful storytelling was highlighted, emphasizing his humane approach despite the controversial subjects he tackled:

• Samahar Abu Jamia (14:47): “Marcelo Fulfo was a very difficult filmmaker, troubled, wayward, very exacting guy. But as a friend... he was lovable and adorable.”

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5. Venezuela's Contested Elections and Political Repression

Election Results:
Venezuela’s ruling party claimed a sweeping victory in the national assembly elections, securing over 86% of the votes. However, the legitimacy of these results is heavily disputed due to the Electoral Council’s close ties with President Nicolas Maduro and previous allegations of electoral malpractices.

Critical Analysis:
Vanessa Bushluchta, the Latin America and Caribbean editor, examined the dubious nature of the Electoral Council’s credibility and the broader implications for Venezuelan democracy:

• Vanessa Bushluchta (16:06): “The Electoral Council is a very disputed body... Anything that this body says is very much questioned.”

Human Rights Concerns:
Bushluchta also shed light on the harsh realities faced by Venezuelans, including widespread arrests of political activists and a pervasive climate of fear discouraging opposition:

• Vanessa Bushluchta (17:22): “People are afraid to express their opinions on social media... fear in people.”

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6. France’s High-Profile Trial of Joel Lesquarnec

Sexual Assault Case:
The episode covered the final phase of the trial against Joel Lesquarnec, a former surgeon accused of sexually assaulting nearly 300 patients, predominantly children. Defense lawyers aimed to express remorse, while victims presented harrowing testimonies.

Victims' Plight:
Juliet Toomer detailed the victims' frustrations over the delayed justice and the lack of prior attention to their suffering:

• Juliet Toomer (18:39): “Victims... have given horrific testimonies... frustrated with the failure of the medical and judicial authorities to act sooner.”

Expected Verdict:
With Lesquarnec already serving time for previous convictions, a verdict on the expanded charges was anticipated, underscoring the severity of his crimes.

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7. Texas’ Controversial Move to Display the Ten Commandments in Schools

Legislative Push:
An attempt in Texas to mandate the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms ignited debates over the separation of church and state as stipulated by the First Amendment.

Opposition Voices:
State Senator Molly Cook vehemently opposed the legislation, arguing that it infringes upon constitutional principles and imposes specific religious beliefs on students:

• Molly Cook (19:42): “Religious instruction is not the state's job... putting religious texts inside classrooms is a shift and an overreach.”

She further criticized the legislative attempts to prevent judicial review of such bills, highlighting threats to the system of checks and balances:

• Molly Cook (19:42): “Writing that the judiciary may not review this clause is a slap in the face for our entire system.”

Cultural Implications:
Nick Miles countered by noting the deep-rooted presence of Christianity in American political culture, questioning whether this move crosses a critical threshold:

• Nick Miles (21:11): “Christianity is so embedded in political culture in the United States. So is this really crossing some kind of important Rubicon?”

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8. Sudan’s Civil War and the Role of Creatives in Storytelling

Cultural Resilience:
Amidst Sudan’s ongoing civil war, creatives like Timaya Mohammed Ahmed are using film to narrate and preserve the human stories of conflict and resilience. His film "Khartoum" showcases the lives of five residents fleeing the chaos, blending poetic metaphors with stark realities.

Filmmaker’s Vision:
Ahmed articulated his intent to depict Sudan’s spirit and the cyclical nature of its political turmoil through symbolic elements in his film:

• Timaya Mohammed Ahmed (22:52): “Khartoum is an experiment of telling the story... to show the real spirit of this city.”

He emphasized the importance of sustainable peace and historical analysis to prevent future conflicts:

• Timaya Mohammed Ahmed (24:43): “I hope for peace, but I hope that it becomes a more sustainable peace that leads to coexistence long term.”

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9. Kilauea Volcano’s Eruption in Hawaii

Natural Phenomenon:
Concluding the episode, geologist Mike Burton provided insights into the ongoing eruption of Kilauea volcano in Hawaii, which features spectacular lava fountains reaching 300 meters high.

Hazards and Monitoring:
Burton explained the primary dangers posed by such eruptions, including toxic gas emissions and ash, and the challenges in forecasting eruption durations and magnitudes:

• Mike Burton (25:33): “The biggest challenges... are mostly to do with the gas emissions and some of the fine ash that's produced.”

He also reflected on the unpredictable nature of volcanic activity and the advancements in tracking and forecasting eruptions:

• Mike Burton: “We often know that something's about to happen, but the exact magnitude... is difficult to see until it begins.”

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Conclusion

The Global News Podcast episode effectively navigated through a spectrum of complex global issues, providing listeners with in-depth analysis, personal stories, and expert insights. From the tragic humanitarian situation in Gaza and the intensifying conflict in Ukraine to significant political maneuvers in Canada and Venezuela, the podcast offered a nuanced portrayal of current events. Additionally, cultural reflections through Marcel Aufouls’ legacy and Sudanese cinematic endeavors, alongside pressing societal debates in Texas and natural phenomena in Hawaii, underscored the podcast’s commitment to comprehensive and engaging journalism.

For further commentary or to share thoughts on this episode, listeners are encouraged to contact the podcast team at [e-mail] or engage via their social media platforms using the hashtag #globalnewspod.

Transcript

[Nick Miles]

Hi, this is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Nick miles and at 14 hours GMT on Monday 26th May, these are our main stories. With dozens more deaths reported after Israeli airstrikes across Gaza, we hear about the ongoing food crisis there and how it's harming the youngest. After a weekend of Russian strikes on Ukraine, Donald Trump responds.

[Donald Trump]

I don't know what the hell happened to Putin.

[Nick Miles]

I've known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he's sending rockets into cities, killing people, and I don't like it at all. And as King Charles heads to Canada, we look at the message of support he's taken with him. Also in this podcast, how the war in Sudan is fueling creatives to share their country's story. Ant tributes paid to the Frenchman who made what many see as the best documentary of all time. Despite the end of the full Israeli blockade of Gaza, which lasted 11 weeks, Gaza still faced catastrophic shortages of food and medication. There are regular reports of severely malnourished children. The Israeli and US backed Gaza Humanitarian foundation is now operational but has faced significant criticism. It's currently under a Swiss investigation into whether it complies with humanitarian laws, and its head resigned on Sunday, a day before the group began operations, citing similar concerns. Juliet Toomer is director of communications at the UN's Palestinian Relief Agency, UNRWA.

[Juliet Toomer]

What's going into Gaza is a needle in a haystack. There needs to be much more. There's a system in place that's managed through unrwa. Use that system because we cannot waste more time on debates and plans and what if, and maybe kids are dying in Gaza, kids are dying of starvation and so we need to get them what they need as soon as possible and at volume.

[Nick Miles]

Our special correspondent Fergal Keen reports now on the situation facing the youngest members of Gaza's population.

[Donald Trump]

The war preys relentlessly on the children of Gaza. Their exhausted bodies tussle for a food ration or drift listlessly through pulverized streets. The dust of bombed out buildings coats their skin. They can smell death, the corpses of yesterday's bombing or of last week's decaying under the rubble. In Nasser Hospital, Samahar Abu Jamia sits by the bed of her young son. He's a victim of sickness caused, his mother says, by hunger.

[Samahar Abu Jamia]

We sat in the street and my son got sick. I went to Al Nasr hospital to treat him because we had no food.

[Juliet Toomer]

And nothing to drink.

[Samahar Abu Jamia]

He got sick and dizzy. I have no idea what to do then?

[Nick Miles]

My other children are in the street.

[Samahar Abu Jamia]

And are also sick and I can't do anything. I can't do this anymore.

[Nick Miles]

I can't even process this.

[Samahar Abu Jamia]

I want to scream right in the.

[Nick Miles]

Middle of the street seeking help so.

[Samahar Abu Jamia]

Someone can help us and provide us with some food.

[Donald Trump]

The Israeli government body responsible for aid says there is no food shortage in Gaza. Aid is now being allowed into the enclave in small quantities, what the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says is just a teaspoonful set against the needs of 2.1 million people. Inducing despair is a declared war aim for some in Israel's government. They will be totally despairing, understanding that there is no hope and nothing to look for in Gaza, and will be looking for relocation to begin a new life in other places. That's not the voice of a fringe figure, but the finance Minister of the State of Israel, far right politician Bezalel Smotrich, outlining his his hopes for the people of Gaza.

[Nick Miles]

Here we are removing the shroud.

[Samahar Abu Jamia]

It's a never ending job.

[Donald Trump]

There are still teams of foreign doctors working alongside Palestinian colleagues in Gaza, despite the dangers. Dr. Wasim Saeed is a British plastic surgeon who's just returned here. He's extracting pieces of metal from the face of six year old Noor, who suffered severe blast and burn injuries in an Israeli airstrike. Lack of nutrition is making it much harder for wounds to heal, he says.

[Samahar Abu Jamia]

You could see people losing hope, you.

[Nick Miles]

Could see how depressed they were.

[Samahar Abu Jamia]

The nutritional status of everybody was appalling.

[Nick Miles]

So grafts were not taking wounds were not healing. None of this needed to happen.

[Samahar Abu Jamia]

Every time you see a child, you.

[Nick Miles]

Think of your own children.

[Donald Trump]

There is always the story of somebody's child killed, traumatized, starving. Nearly a month ago, a colleague in Gaza told me about 5 month old Siwar Ashur, who cannot absorb regular milk formula because of a severe allergic reaction. Under the conditions of war and Israeli blockade, there is a severe shortage of the formula she needs.

[Nick Miles]

Fergal Keen. The Israeli military has just issued a new evacuation order for the city of Khan Younis in southern Gaza, ordering Palestinians to leave immediately. Meanwhile, more than 50 people have been killed in an Israeli attack on a school sheltering families in the center of the territory. Images on social media appear to show a building on fire and the burned bodies of children. Israel has said it was targeting terrorists. Yolande Nel is our Middle east correspondent.

[Juliet Toomer]

The Israeli military is saying that it hit 200 targets in the past 48 hours. The chief of Staff has said that Hamas is under immense pressure. And Israeli journalists have been reporting that the plan of the Israeli military over the next two months is to take control of 75% of the Gaza Strip and to force the 2 million population into three small zones. We've also had, I should say, three rockets fired from Gaza this morning. Two fell in open areas, one was intercepted.

[Nick Miles]

We heard from Gaza about the impact of the lack of food, particularly on children. We're hearing now that the head of the new Israeli and US Backed aid organization for Gaza has resigned. Tell us why and what we know about that.

[Juliet Toomer]

So we're waiting to see what happens, really. Because this newly created Gaza Humanitarian foundation, as it's called, it's at the centre of a highly controversial Israeli plan to take over aid distribution in Gaza with backing from the U.S. well, it said our trucks are loaded and ready to go and it's planning this week to reach a million Palestinians. But a big blow to the start of that rollout is that the CEO, the former US Marine Jake Wood, has resigned. He said it's not possible to implement the plan while adhering to humanitarian principles. That follows some in depth US reports over the weekend about the Israeli origins of this plan. The UN had already dismissed it as being unethical and unworkable. And this follows the UN being allowed to take some aid into Gaza in the past week. But of course, it's still not enough. We're still having these warnings of mass starvation in Gaza and a rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation.

[Nick Miles]

That was Yolande Nel to Ukraine now, where officials say Russia sent in more than 350 attack drones overnight on Sunday. That's the highest number since it launched its invasion three years ago. The weekend saw the heaviest aerial bombardment of the war so far. Writing on his Truth Social platform, President Trump criticized Vladimir Putin, saying something has happened to him, he's gone absolutely crazy. He then said the same to reporters in New Jersey. Yeah, I'll give you an update. I'm not happy with what Putin's doing.

[Donald Trump]

He's killing a lot of people and I don't know what the hell happened to Putin.

[Nick Miles]

I've known him a long time, always gotten along with him, but he's sending rockets into cities and killing people and I don't like it at all. Okay, we're in the middle of talking. And he's shooting rockets into Kiev and other cities. The Kremlin has since generally brushed aside Mr. Trump's criticism, suggesting the US president may have been suffering from emotional overload because of all his peace process efforts. The Russia editor of BBC Monitoring Vitaly Shevchenko, told me more about this perhaps surprisingly subdued response. Well, it's interesting that the Kremlin's response has been pointedly polite, especially by Russia's standards. And I think it suggests a determination not to antagonize this president from whose rhetoric and actions Moscow has benefited. And there are several reasons I can think of for trying to keep Donald Trump interested in listening to Vladimir Putin. And they may include dragging out the peace talks while attacking Ukraine, as well as a fear that Donald Trump may finally make good on his threats to impose new sanctions. I mean, a personal slight on Mr. Putin, calling him absolutely crazy. One imagines that's not going to go down well with him personally. But certainly on the surface, they're not displaying any degree of anger about that. Well, it keeps happening whenever Donald Trump comes very close to being willing and able to impose sanctions on Russia. He also criticizes the Ukrainian president. So he may sound annoyed, he may sound angry, but the key question now is, what is he going to do about it? That was Vitaly Shevchenko. As we record this podcast, King Charles and Queen Camilla are arriving in Ottawa, part of a two day trip to Canada in which the King is expected to read a speech from Throne which affirms Canada's sovereignty. It's his first visit to the country as its head of state and follows repeated suggestions from President Trump that Canada could become a 51st US state. Our international correspondent Lise Doucet says the visit is a clever move by Canada's new Prime Minister, Mark Carney.

[Juliet Toomer]

This is an instance of soft power and I think the King and queen will use will harden this soft power as much as possible. It was very striking that when prime minister, when Mark Carney gave his first press conference after his historic win in the Canadian elections in April, the first announcement he made was that the king and queen would be coming to visit. And he used this form of words. He said, this is a historic honour that matches the weight of our times.

[Nick Miles]

Corinna Roman is a senior reporter for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. She suggested the White House would be listening to what the king had to say.

[Juliet Toomer]

The King of Canada, who is also the King of England, is someone who Donald Trump considers admires. And so it's a big deal because the Americans will be watching. And it's, I guess, sort of the most polite way that our Prime Minister could come up with to really kind of push back on that whole 51st state narrative that has been coming from the White House.

[Nick Miles]

The CBC's Karina Roman the Oscar winning French documentary maker Marcel Aufouls has died at the age of 97. He was best known for the Sorrow and the Pity, a documentary about French collaboration with the Nazis during the Second World War. The landmark film was banned on TV in France for more than a decade and is regarded as one of the greatest documentaries of all time. Marcel Ofouls was making a documentary about Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories at the time of his death. James Menendez spoke to Marcel Ofuls biographer, the French film historian Vincent Lovie, and started with asking about the Sorrow and the Pity.

[Samahar Abu Jamia]

It was a film about a city, Clermont Ferrand. They went to the city and interviewed a lot of people and it unfolded all what had happened there and actually it ruined a couple of well established myths.

[Nick Miles]

So the myth was that what, you know, a majority of French people had resisted the occupation.

[Samahar Abu Jamia]

Yeah, resisted. And the film then brought up all the complexity of these times.

[Nick Miles]

And what was the reaction to the.

[Vincent Lauri]

Film when it came out and laid bare how much people had cooperated with.

[Nick Miles]

The Nazis, particularly with deportation of Jews?

[Samahar Abu Jamia]

It was a hit at the box office for a documentary film. Four hours and half documentary, never happened before, stayed on screen 20 weeks. But the film has been rejected from movie theaters by French public tv. And then, you know, the reaction were pretty difficult. The huge shift was about the Jewish deportation and the involvement of the French authorities on that and the way they especially deported all the Jewish children. Thousands and thousands of children have been deported. And the German, they never wanted them. So the film really unfolded a very harsh and bleak and grim reality of the German occupation times.

[Nick Miles]

Some people criticized Marcel for passing moral judgment on the French.

[Juliet Toomer]

What was his response to that?

[Samahar Abu Jamia]

Well, he was very democratic film director. He used to interview people and let them speak. He never actually focused on the collaboration side. He focused on everybody.

[Nick Miles]

But he wasn't trying to say that.

[Vincent Lauri]

There was anything particularly bad about the French, that actually that any other country might have behaved the same way.

[Nick Miles]

Was that it?

[Samahar Abu Jamia]

Yeah, actually the very negative comments are totally unfair because there's a couple of very, very, very good people from the French Resistance. In the Sorrow and the Pity, when.

[Vincent Lauri]

You knew him, what was he like as a man?

[Samahar Abu Jamia]

He was a very sweet man. He was lovable. He was difficult as a co worker probably. Marcelo Fuls himself was a very difficult filmmaker, troubled, wayward, very exacting guy. But as a friend and this biographer, we had a pretty good connection for the last 25 years. And he was lovable and adorable.

[Nick Miles]

That was the French film historian Vincent Lauri speaking to James Menendez. Still to come in this podcast.

[Vincent Lauri]

Well, you wouldn't want to be stood next to it when that's going on, that's for sure. But the biggest challenges associated with this type of activity are mostly to do with the gas emissions.

[Nick Miles]

So how much do we really need to worry about volcanoes? Venezuela's ruling party seems to have strengthened its strong majority in the national assembly in elections that were boycotted by some groups opposed to President Nicolas Maduro. Opposition leaders called on voters to stay away from the polls in protest at last year's presidential election, where President Maduro's victory was heavily disputed by his opponents. I asked our Latin America and Caribbean editor, Vanessa Bushluchta, how serious, obviously, these voting numbers should be taken.

[Vanessa Bushluchta]

The National Electoral Council, which is the official body that releases the results, says that more than 86% of votes for the parliamentary candidates went to the governing coalition of President Maduro. So that's a landslide. But, of course, this electoral council is a very disputed body. First of all, it is led by a man, Elvis Amoroso, who used to be the legal counsel of Mr. Maduro before he became head of this electoral council. And the whole body is closely aligned with the government. And it came under severe criticism last year when it declared Mr. Maduro the winner of the presidential election and never provided the detailed voting tallies, which is what everybody, all the international observers clamored for. They said, show us evidence that Mr. Maduro won by releasing the detailed tallies. And that never happened. And this is why anything that this body, this electoral council says is very much questioned, both by the opposition and by international observers.

[Nick Miles]

I mean, the Venezuelan government will say this is a glowing endorsement for the government and also the leadership of President Maduro. What is life like for most Venezuelans now?

[Vanessa Bushluchta]

That's right. Of course, the government has already come out and appraised its members for turning out to vote and praise them for winning more of the governor positions. So now the ruling coalition will have 23 governors out of the 24 across the country. So it has strengthened its power there. But, of course, the situation on the ground is a very difficult one. Just in the week leading up to the election, 770 people were arrested, political activists who are aligned with the opposition. There has been a campaign of inducing fear in people so that they don't speak out against the government. And people are afraid to express their opinions on social media. When they carry a phone in public, they will often delete all of their social media messages in order to hide the fact that they have been critical of the government.

[Nick Miles]

Vanessa Bushluchter. The trial of one of France's most prolific sex predators has entered its final phase with defence lawyers making their closing arguments. Leskouranec, who's a surgeon, has admitted to sexually assaulting or raping nearly 300 patients, nearly all of them children. Rachel Wright reports defence lawyers are expected.

[Juliet Toomer]

To tell the court that Joel Lesquarnec is sorry for what he's done and is respectful of justice. But victims of the surgeon, the vast majority of whom were under 15 at the time, have given horrific testimonies in.

[Nick Miles]

The past few months.

[Juliet Toomer]

They say they are frustrated with the failure of the medical and judicial authorities to act sooner and the lack of.

[Nick Miles]

Attention, attention this case has had in France.

[Juliet Toomer]

Le Square Nec is already in prison after being sentenced for raping and sexually assaulting four children, including two of his nieces. A verdict is expected on Wednesday.

[Nick Miles]

Rachel Wright the First Amendment of the U.S. constitution says church and state must be kept separate. And yet an attempt is underway in Texas to make public school classrooms display the Ten Commandments. It's part of a broader effort by conservative led states to integrate religion and into public education. The rule has passed the lower chamber of the Texan legislature, but some, like state Senator Molly Cook, would like to see it go no further. She spoke to Luke Jones.

[Molly Cook]

Religious instruction is not the state's job. And in the United States, in our Constitution, you know, we have the establishment clause and the First Amendment. It's pretty, pretty foundational stuff that says the church should not be involved in the government, the government should not be involved in the church. Those are two separate things. And that's been really important. And several Supreme Court decisions have upheld that over time. And what we're seeing is this is really one example of Texas whittling away at the Constitution through the legislature. I'll give you another example. In multiple bills this session, we've seen legislators actually write into the bill. The words say that the judiciary may not review this clause. This section is not up for review by the judiciary. I mean, that is the checks and balances of our three branches is one of the most foundational components of our government. And so to write that into a bill is just really a slap in the face for our entire system and how it's set up. In my opinion, putting religious texts inside of classrooms, which is going to isolate students who are not Christian, it's going to force Christianity onto students when they may not want that, they may not be ready for it, their parents may not agree with It. And so religious instruction is just not the state's job. And we have a lot more important things to be working on and a lot more important ways to address, you know, public health, ethics, all of that in our society.

[Nick Miles]

I take your point that there's a separation of church and state in the United States. But anyone who's ever watched a US President give a speech will know that actually Christianity is so embedded in political culture in the United States. So is this really crossing some kind of important Rubicon? Do you?

[Molly Cook]

I do think it is. And, you know, I think depending on who you talk to, some folks even have a problem with that. We begin the day in the Texas Senate with prayer every day, which can be a moment of meditation, if that's how you choose to take it. But it is normally a Christian pastor or Christian leader, sometimes a Jewish faith leader, but usually all the other kind of faith traditions and philosophies are not really represented in that. Some folks would have a problem with that, some might not. But ultimately mandating that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every single classroom is different. It's not part of the pageantry. It's not part of the, you know, the ceremony. This is daily instruction where students are required to be by state law. So I definitely see that as a shift and an overreach.

[Nick Miles]

Molly Cook Sudan's civil war has left tens of thousands of people dead and millions displaced. But it's also inspired people to bring the story of the conflict to the wider world. World. One such person is Timaya Mohammed Ahmed, who's one of the voices behind the movie Khartoum, which tells the story of five residents of the city who have to flee. The movie has been praised for showing the human side of conflict and received many awards. It's been showing at the New York African Film Festival. Victoria Uankunder spoke to Tim Mea from Edmonton in Canada.

[Timaya Mohammed Ahmed]

Khartoum is an experiment of telling the story of the city, Khartoum itself, in the most poetic way, in differences that creates hate, the opposite of coexistence. So what we tried to achieve with this film, to show the real spirit of this city.

[Juliet Toomer]

Yeah. The film also talks about so many symbols. So we look, you know, there is a camel scene in pigeons. I wonder how significant it was for you filmmakers to look at what makes Sudan and the Sudanese people and think, these are the scenes, these are part of our identities. How significant was it to include those symbolic aspects in the film?

[Timaya Mohammed Ahmed]

Yeah, it was very critical for us to show the real life in Sudan and to show Some poetic metaphors. And for example, as you said, the camel scene, which is repeated in the beginning and in the middle and in the end of the film, some people will interpret that as. It's like the Sudanese people struggle since the independence. It's always a war, then there is a revolution, then there is like a coup. So the camel scene is like originally, like, it grinds this oil and like, makes it ready for people to take it and benefit from it. And the camel has no benefit in doing that infinite circle and that endless.

[Juliet Toomer]

Circle that you talk about in the coup and after couple. It is a country that has suffered over 20 coups since independence in 1956.

[Timaya Mohammed Ahmed]

Yeah, the largest in Africa.

[Juliet Toomer]

Yeah, yeah, I know. And sadly, it is a history that, you know, is part of the Sudanese history. Sudanese people, what is your hope for your country?

[Timaya Mohammed Ahmed]

My hope is simple. We analyze more about what happened and why that happened in history and how we can avoid this. So I hope for peace, but I hope that it becomes a more sustainable peace that leads to coexistence long term. In Sudan.

[Nick Miles]

That was Timea Mohammed Ahmed. Now to one of the most extraordinary sites in nature, a volcanic eruption where lava below the Earth's crust breaks through the surface. There is perhaps nowhere in the world right now where that site is more spectacular than Hawaii. That's where Kilauea volcano is erupting with fountains of lava 300 metres high. Mike Burton is professor of volcanology at the University of Manchester and told us how dangerous volcanoes can be.

[Vincent Lauri]

Well, you wouldn't want to be stood next to it when that's going on, that's for sure. But it's actually happening within the Halemaumau crater at the summit of Kilauea, where no one could really get to. The biggest challenges associated with this type of activity, mostly to do with the gas emissions and some of the fine ash that's produced, but it's mostly the gas. There's an awful lot of sulfur dioxide and hydrogen chloride and quite nasty gases coming out of the eruption. And if that fumigates a town, then that can be quite unpleasant. But fortunately, because it's the summit of a quite high volcano, this type of eruption at the summit is not normally too affecting the local populations. One thing that is usually a challenge, we saw this in Recent eruptions in 2021 in La Palma in the Canary is sciences, is that we often know that something's about to happen, but the exact magnitude and how big it's going to be, how long it's going to last, is difficult to see until it begins. And then once it begins, it gets much easier to track it. And one of the key things we're trying to do nowadays is get better at forecasting when eruptions are going to end. Now, in this case with Kilauea, these fountains are actually normally quite brief, usually a day or two, and then it pauses for a while and then resets. But eventually there is the possibility that a lava lake will build up within the crater. And for a long time between 2008 and 2018, there was a big lava lake in Halemauma, which is a spectacular site.

[Nick Miles]

Mike Burton, and that's all from us for now. But there will be a new edition of the Global News Podcast later. If you want a comment on this podcast or the topics covered in it, you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk. you can also find us on X@BBC World Service. Use the hashtag global newspod. This edition was mixed by Roseanne Wynn Durell. The producer was Stephanie Prentice. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Nick Miles. And until next time, good.