President Trump lashes out at Iran and Israel after ceasefire violations

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary Episode: President Trump Lashes Out at Iran and Israel After Ceasefire Violations Release Date: June 24, 2025

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1. President Trump's Response to Ceasefire Violations

Overview: In this episode, BBC's Oliver Conway delves into President Donald Trump's strong reaction to recent ceasefire violations between Iran and Israel. The tensions escalated after both nations were accused of breaching the fragile truce, prompting Trump to publicly admonish both parties, with a particular focus on Israel.

Key Points:

• Trump's Accusations: President Trump openly criticized both Iran and Israel for violating the ceasefire, expressing heightened dissatisfaction with Israel's actions.

  Gary O'Donoghue (00:38): "We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what they're doing."

• Israeli Response: Despite Trump's plea, Israeli Defense Minister Benjamin Netanyahu authorized new strikes against Iran, citing Iranian missile launches as a breach of the truce.

  Mark Rutte (02:14): "It's not clear exactly why that attack happened... But it prompted the Defense Minister here in Israel to state that Iran had breached the terms of the ceasefire."

• Trump's Intervention: Trump communicated directly with Netanyahu, urging him to cease further attacks and emphasizing the importance of restoring peace.

  Stephen Wallace (05:16): "He was exceptionally direct and firm with Benjamin Netanyahu during that call."

• Potential Outcomes: The situation remains volatile, with uncertainty surrounding the sustainability of the ceasefire and Trump's influence over Israeli military decisions.

  Mark Rutte (03:35): "This is a huge test for Donald Trump's influence in this region."

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2. NATO Summit and Defense Spending

Overview: The podcast covers the ongoing NATO summit in the Netherlands, where member states are deliberating a significant increase in defense spending to 5% of GDP over the next decade. This move aligns with Trump's long-standing demands for greater financial contributions from allied nations.

Key Points:

• Public Support for Defense Spending: NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte highlights a shift in public opinion favoring increased defense budgets.

  Mark Rutte (12:31): "There is large scale support... a majority of population really supporting the extra money spent on defence."

• Agreement Details: The summit reached a preliminary agreement dividing military spending into a 3.5% core defense target and an additional 1.5% for defense-related expenditures, though some countries express reservations.

  Jonathan Beale (13:15): "So he's been around the European capitals... thinks he got an agreement by dividing what they spend on their military."

• Challenges Ahead: Countries like Spain, Belgium, and Slovakia have voiced concerns or opt-out clauses, potentially complicating the enforcement of the 5% target.

  Jonathan Beale (13:15): "Three countries that have already said we're not going to pay this essentially."

• US Commitment to NATO: Despite fears of potential withdrawal, US officials reaffirmed commitment to NATO, contingent upon allies' financial contributions.

  Jonathan Beale (14:44): "America's commitment to NATO is there, but it is dependent on what allies do."

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3. New York Mayoral Race: A Rising Star Emerges

Overview: The Democratic primary for New York City's mayoral race takes center stage with a spotlight on Zoran Mamdani, a 33-year-old Muslim Democratic socialist born in Uganda. Mamdani's candidacy presents a challenge to former Governor Andrew Cuomo, who seeks a political comeback post-resignation.

Key Points:

• Zoran Mamdani's Campaign: Mamdani focuses on pressing urban issues such as rent control, free public transportation, universal childcare, and affordable groceries, resonating with disillusioned voters.

  Gary O'Donoghue (21:56): "I think it's because I'm actually listening to New Yorkers... This is the most expensive city in the United States of America."

• Cuomo's Endorsements and Challenges: Despite past controversies, Cuomo garners support from powerful labor groups, though he faces skepticism regarding his past misconduct.

  Gary O'Donoghue (24:26): "Unfortunately, a backslide. Whatever happened, happened, but we forgave so."

• Voter Sentiment: The race exemplifies a shift in Democratic politics, with voters leaning towards candidates who address economic hardships and social injustices.

  Gary O'Donoghue (23:04): "The 33 year old Muslim, South Asian Democratic Socialist has catapulted himself out of relative obscurity into a serious contender."

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4. Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

Overview: The episode highlights the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza amidst ongoing conflicts. The UN Human Rights Office has condemned Israel for weaponizing food deliveries, citing it as a war crime, while civilians continue to suffer amidst the violence.

Key Points:

• Impact on Civilians: The continuous bombings have resulted in significant casualties and infrastructural damage, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis.

  Behran Tajdin (19:32): "The life of any Gazan has changed forever... We feel totally forgotten and abandoned."

• Aid Distribution Controversies: Israel asserts that regulated aid distribution is necessary to prevent Hamas militants from diverting supplies, a claim met with skepticism by humanitarian groups.

  Ahmad Ashour (19:32): "I cannot afford my children a safe space to sleep... This meal contains only canned food."

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5. Developments in the Ukraine Conflict

Overview: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is actively seeking stronger international support amidst renewed Russian attacks targeting eastern cities, including Dnipro and Samar. These assaults have caused substantial casualties and infrastructure damage.

Key Points:

• Recent Attacks: The strikes have targeted civilian infrastructure such as schools, hospitals, and trains, leading to heightened tensions and calls for increased defensive measures.

  Mark Rutte (16:21): "Mayor called it one of the most audacious attacks of the war."

• Zelensky's Strategy: Drawing inspiration from Trump's "peace through force" policy, Zelensky emphasizes the need for robust defensive actions against Russia, though garnering limited success thus far.

  Mark Rutte (16:21): "Kyiv wants Washington to apply to Russia. So far, with little success."

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6. BBC Launches Polish Language News Service

Overview: In response to rising disinformation campaigns, the BBC has initiated a new Polish language news service aimed at providing accurate and impartial reporting to counteract fake news prevalence, particularly on platforms like Telegram.

Key Points:

• Combatting Fake News: The service focuses on debunking false narratives and introducing verified information to the Polish-speaking audience.

  Dan Johnson (17:33): "We've got to disinfect that and say this isn't true."

• Expanding Reach: Leveraging technology and AI, the BBC ensures rapid and accurate translation of content, maintaining editorial integrity through human oversight.

  Dan Johnson (17:33): "The promise to the audiences is it will always have been through the scrutiny of a BBC editor."

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7. Innovations in Renewable Energy and Waste Management

A. Rural Electrification in Uganda

Overview: Mandulis Energy is revolutionizing rural electrification in Uganda by utilizing agricultural waste to generate clean energy, transforming local communities and improving living standards.

Key Points:

• Energy Generation Process: The company converts farm waste like rice husks and maize cobs into hydrogen and methane, powering gas engines to produce electricity.

  Gary O'Donoghue (25:45): "They use farm waste to generate electricity... turns it into hydrogen and methane."

• Community Impact: The 50-kilowatt plant has provided over 100 residents with electricity, enabling economic activities and enhancing quality of life.

  Ahmad Ashour (26:48): "Right now I'm getting light my children now they read their book In Time."

B. Turning Plastic Waste into Paracetamol

Overview: A groundbreaking study from Edinburgh University, led by Professor Stephen Wallace, showcases the potential of using genetically engineered bacteria to convert plastic waste into paracetamol, offering a sustainable solution to pollution.

Key Points:

• Engineering Biology: The research involves reprogramming bacteria to metabolize plastic into useful compounds, diverging from traditional recycling methods.

  Behran Tajdin (27:49): "Our bacteria take plastic and turn them into painkillers."

• Environmental Benefits: This method not only addresses plastic pollution but also provides a renewable source for pharmaceutical production.

  Behran Tajdin (27:49): "This is the first example where someone’s taken a bacterium and used it to turn plastic waste into a potential source of human medicine."

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Conclusion

This episode of the Global News Podcast offers a comprehensive overview of pressing international issues, from geopolitical conflicts involving Iran, Israel, and Ukraine, to significant developments in defense policy, local politics, humanitarian crises, and innovative solutions in energy and environmental sustainability. Through expert analysis and firsthand accounts, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of the complexities shaping our world today.

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Notable Quotes:

• Gary O'Donoghue (00:38): "We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what they're doing."

• Mark Rutte (03:35): "This is a huge test for Donald Trump's influence in this region."

• Behran Tajdin (19:32): "The life of any Gazan has changed forever."

• Behran Tajdin (27:49): "Our bacteria take plastic and turn them into painkillers."

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For more updates and detailed analyses, subscribe to the Global News Podcast and stay informed on the most critical global stories as they unfold.

Transcript

[Mark Rutte]

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[Gary O'Donoghue]

Trip Planner by Expedia. You were made to have strong opinions about sand. We were made to help you and your friends find a place on the.

[Jonathan Beale]

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[Dan Johnson]

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[Gary O'Donoghue]

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[Oliver Conway]

You're listening to the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. Hello, I'm Oliver Conway. We're recording this at 13 hours GMT on Tuesday 24 June, President Trump lashes out at Iran and Israel, accusing them both of violating the ceasefire.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the they're doing.

[Oliver Conway]

But he says he's particularly unhappy with Israel and warns it not to carry out further attacks. We'll hear from Washington, Jerusalem and the BBC Persian Service. Also in this podcast.

[Mark Rutte]

We are not living in happy lands after the Berlin Wall came down. We are living in much more dangerous times.

[Oliver Conway]

NATO leaders meet in the Netherlands as they try to boost spending on defense. And could a 33 year old Muslim born in Uganda become the Democratic Party candidate for New York mayor? Israel, do not drop those bombs. If you do, it is a major violation. Bring your pilots home now. President Trump there with a tough message to ally Israel after it authorized new strikes against Iran. The Israeli Defense Minister ordered the attacks after accusing Iran of violating the ceasefire. President Trump said he was unhappy with both sides, but particularly Israel.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

I'm not happy with Israel, you know, when I say, okay, now you have 12 hours, you don't go out in the first hour, just drop everything you have on them. So I'm not happy with them. I'm not happy with Iran either. But I'm really unhappy if Israel is going out this morning because the one rocket that didn't land, that was shot, perhaps by mistake, that didn't land. I'm not happy about that. We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the they're doing.

[Oliver Conway]

The President said he'd spoken to the Israeli Prime Minister since then and the truce was back on. But explosions have been reported in Iran. I got an update from our correspondent in Jerusalem, Dan Johnson.

[Mark Rutte]

The fresh attacks that were launched against Tehran this morning came as a result of that single Iranian missile that was fired towards northern Israel after the ceasefire. It's not clear exactly why that attack happened. The Iranians denied that they had fired that missile and the suggestion was that perhaps this was a rogue unit of its military that had decided not to respect the terms of the ceasefire deal. That missile was safely intercepted. It didn't cause any damage. But it prompted the Defense Minister here in Israel to state that Iran had breached the terms of the cease fire and that the forceful response that he had earlier promised when the Israelis confirmed the deal would now be enacted. So he said he was sending the Israeli Air force to conduct further strikes across Iran. And we have had reports of further explosions. It's been difficult this morning to keep track of what is going on in this conflict, whether it's supposed to be escalating or de escalating. Clearly, the hope of Donald Trump overnight was that he had negotiated a cease fire deal. He was hoping to see that in place this morning, urging both sides to respect it. But at the moment, it's not clear whether it will hold or not.

[Oliver Conway]

Yeah, the reporting is that President Trump has called the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, asked him not to attack Iran. It appears the Israelis have. I mean, how do they, the Israelis feel getting that tongue lashing from President Trump?

[Mark Rutte]

I guess we'll see how they feel based on what their next moves are. This is a big test for Donald Trump, who inserted himself thoroughly in this conflict with those US Strikes over the weekend. It's his brand, his reputation that is now stamped on the peace deal, the negotiation, the ceasefire that he thought he had got agreed. Can he now control the Israeli response? Will Benjamin Netanyahu listen to what Donald Trump thinks should happen next? It seems like the Israelis took that single missile that was fired this morning, even though the Iranians denied it was a deliberate provocation as an excuse or a reason to resume their strikes. We believe that that has had some effect already in Iran. How much further is it going to go? Is there a hope of peace actually sustaining for the hours and days ahead? This is a huge test for Donald Trump's influence in this region. It's all down to the will of Benjamin Netanyahu and his military commanders about exactly happens next and whether that leaves any hope of this ceasefire leading to a longer lasting peace.

[Oliver Conway]

Dan Johnson in Jerusalem. Well, President Trump spoke to reporters just before leaving for the NATO summit in the Netherlands. And during his journey, he posted that he had spoken to the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and told him to abort the attack on Iran and turn the planes around, even as the new explosions were reported in Iran. For more on that, I spoke to Gary o' Donoghue in Washington.

[Stephen Wallace]

The White House has just given us a little bit of extra description of that phone call. They say he was exceptionally direct and firm with Benjamin Netanyahu during that call. And I think that's why they think, they think at least, or he thinks at least, they've got some sort of assurance that the planes are turning around and doing what he calls a friendly plane wave as they leave Iran or whatever that might be. The one thing I would, as a general point I'd make here is that, I mean, you and I both know that ceasefires and their starts can be quite messy sometimes. There can be, you know, bits and pieces happening operationally around the edges, timings can slip, timings can be confused, etc. I'm putting a gloss on it that I'm sure that the White House will want to put on it as well, because they certainly have so much invested in this that they can't afford this great sort of, you know, triumphalist. You know, we've solved the war for it all to fall apart in less than a day. So they'll be monitoring very, very closely and no doubt, as we've seen, applying some enormous pressure at least to Israel and Iran through their various channels that they have with Tehran.

[Oliver Conway]

Yeah. If these do prove to be isolated incidents and the ceasefire generally holds, what happens next?

[Stephen Wallace]

Well, that's a good question. I mean, the obvious thing that happens next is there has to be a negotiation, there has to be a negotiated peace. A cease fire is not a peace, is it? So they'll have to, you know, try and convene some kind of forum. That's certainly what they will be pushing for here. The nature of that, what the agenda for that is, what the aims of that is, that are all going to be contentious, aren't they? And of course you've got these, you know, these outstanding issues that they will no doubt be pressed upon, the Iranians in particular, about where is, you know, this 400 kilograms supposedly, of uranium, enriched in uranium, where is it? And they will want, I'm sure Americans and the Israelis will want inspectors into the sites to actually see sea. How, you know, how many years they've put back the machinery by all these things. Absolutely fraught with complication and opportunities for the whole thing to break down again. I'm sorry to be so pessimistic, but it is the Middle east, you know, I mean, as I said before, hopes have lived and died there many times.

[Oliver Conway]

Yeah. President Trump says Iran's nuclear capabilities have gone, they'll never be able to rebuild. And yet the Iranian ambassador at the UN in Geneva saying they won't give up their right to a Peaceful nuclear energy program. So plenty of confusion there. Possible.

[Stephen Wallace]

Absolutely. And one of the ideas you remember the Americans have floated is this sort of zero enrichment. In other words, they're sort of getting their materials from outside of the country through trusted third party brokers in the Arab world, etc. Etc. Which the Iranians have already rejected. But of course, you know, under the nuclear npt, which Iran has signed, you're allowed to have nuclear power, you're allowed to have civil nuclear power. And that's been their argument all along, that they need it for their civil purposes. Keep the lights on in the country. And it's going to be very difficult, I think, to find a sort of a thing that's going to, if you like, allow Iran to maintain its pride and its sovereignty, while at the same time reassuring Israel and the Americans that they're not going to go down the route of trying to produce a weapon again.

[Oliver Conway]

Gary o' Donoghue in Washington. Before the apparent ceasefire violations, the Iranian authorities had declared victory, saying they had forced Israel to accept defeat and stop its aggression. But these people in the Iranian capital, Tehran, were skeptical.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

This ceasefire will not be lasting because.

[Oliver Conway]

They have, in a way, been forced into it.

[Behran Tajdin]

At this point, if they had the capacity to continue, without a doubt, this.

[Oliver Conway]

Wouldn'T have happened anytime soon.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

I believe that if the conditions in the region allow, they will once again resort to aggression.

[Ahmad Ashour]

Let me tell you this.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

It only brought destruction. Like all wars, it brought damage. Innocent people on both sides lost their lives. In my opinion, nothing will change in the world. The only ones who suffered were the people. Iran will not change, nor will its policies. And the same goes for Israel.

[Oliver Conway]

So what more do we know about Tuesday's explosions heard in Iran? The BBC is not allowed to report from inside the country, but I spoke to Behran Tajdin from the BBC Persian Service.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

One of the spokespeople for Iranian armed forces says between 4am local time and 9am Three places were targeted by Israel. But unfortunately we don't have any further confirmation. It seems not to be in major cities. That's the claim made by the Iranian side.

[Oliver Conway]

And what about these latest reports in the past few minutes of new explosions? Presumably the Israeli response to that alleged Iranian violation.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

Yes, and the point is whether Iran decides to use that as an excuse to target Israel again or not. It seems like what happened earlier today in terms of at least one missile being sent from Iran towards Israel, that wasn't a deliberate act because you heard the armed forces denying the reports. So it could have been a rogue unit. As Dan said earlier, it could have also been some confusion about the timing of the ceasefire because some thought that the 4am mentioned by the foreign minister is London time or New York time or others. So there could be some confusion, but it could also be a deliberate act.

[Oliver Conway]

And of course, Iran has been heavily hit for the past 12 days. Command and control could be sketchy there. I mean, overnight President Trump accused Israel of basically unloading, launching one of the heaviest attacks on Iran. How badly was it hit?

[Gary O'Donoghue]

Well, people in Tehran and a few other places are telling us in BBC Persian that it was the heaviest night of attacks that they had seen. The Ministry of Health said over the past 24 hours over 100 people have been killed in the attacks and puts the death toll for the whole of the 12 days of war to over 600, a third of whom are said to be women and children. So it seems like there are so many civilian casualties of the attacks, but we don't know the exact figures.

[Oliver Conway]

Behrang Tajdin of the BBC Persian Service. And a reminder that we need your help with a special episode of the global news podcast all about the Iran crisis. We'll be putting your questions to a range of BBC correspondence. They can be as simple or, or as complex as you like. Please send us an email or Voice note to globalpodcastbc.co.uk globalpodcastbc.co.uk. some other news now. And as we were hearing, the US President is heading to Europe to join a NATO summit which began this morning. Member states are expected to agree a big increase in defense spending to 5% of GDP in the next 10 years. The NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte says public opinion has shifted in favor of more funding.

[Mark Rutte]

When you look at the latest opinion polling done in NATO, you see that many, many people and it is getting to really high numbers are supporting the fact that, yes, there is a direct threat from Russia that, yes, if we do not invest now, we are really at risk that the Russians might try something against NATO territory in three, five or seven years and therefore there is large scale support. I see it in my own country. I've seen the polling data this morning in and I say newspaper paper in this country saying that there is now a majority of population really supporting the extra money spent on defence.

[Oliver Conway]

President Trump, of course, has long demanded that NATO nations increase their contributions. But how easy will it be to boost spending? Our defence correspondent Jonathan Beale is at the summit.

[Jonathan Beale]

Most of the detail and there isn't much detail to this summit. It's One of the shortest, if not the shortest in NATO's history is agreed before the actual summit takes place. So he's been around the European capitals, he's talked to Donald Trump, the man who's demanding that European countries spend more on defense, that they shouldn't rely on the US for their own security. And he has got this, he thinks an agreement and he's made it more palatable by dividing what they spend on their military. So core defenses spending, that's 3.5% target. And then there's this 1.5% on defence related expenditure which is so vague that undoubtedly it will lead to lead to some creative accounting. So I think you will get agreement. That said, there are three countries that have already said we're not going to pay this essentially. But we've heard from, from Spain, its Prime minister has called the 5% goal unreasonable, counterproductive. He thinks he's got an opt out. Marketer is not so sure about that. We've heard also from Brussels saying they want maximum flexibility for the Belgian government. And then also Slovakia too has concerns about this, not least because it's got a closer relationship with Russia.

[Oliver Conway]

And will all this be enough to keep the US in NATO? Because there have been fears that President Trump on his return to the White House might pull out.

[Jonathan Beale]

Yeah, I think that was a fear. But there have been commitments given by both Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, but also Pete Hegseth, the Defense Minister who made that initial trip to Brussels for a native defence minister meeting, where they recommitted to Article 5, which is, if you like, the foundation of the alliance, that if there's an attack on one ally, that's an attack on all and they will respond accordingly. So they believe, and Mark Russia believes, that America's commitment to NATO is there, but it is dependent on what allies do. And there is the potential still for President Trump to have a row with some of those countries that are not clearly committing to that 5% goal.

[Oliver Conway]

Our defence correspondent, Jonathan Beale. And still to come on the global.

[Behran Tajdin]

News podcast, the process is really similar actually to the way that you brew beer at home. But instead of taking sugar and making alcohol, our bacteria take plastic and turn it into painkillers.

[Oliver Conway]

An environmental success story. But how do they turn it into medicine? The Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky is in the Netherlands to meet allies on the sidelines of the NATO summit. But as he arrived, his country was hit by another devastating Russian attack. There were large numbers of casualties in the eastern city of Dnipro and the nearby town of Samar. The region's leader said nine people had been killed and about 150 injured, including 18 children. Here's our Europe regional editor Danny Dnipro's.

[Mark Rutte]

Mayor called it one of the most audacious attacks of the war. Officials spoke of damage to civilian infrastructure, including schools, a hospital, a dormitory, an administrative building and a passenger train. One high rise building had its windows blown out. So did the train after a strike, apparently on a nearby factory. Video online shows shocked passengers near the tracks. They were taken to air raid shelters before being allowed to continue their journey on a replacement train. Ukraine is pushing for stronger action against Russia. President Zelenskyy's chief of staff has drawn parallels with Donald Trump's approach to Iran. In discussions with the American secretary of state, he praised that policy of peace through force. It's precisely what Kyiv wants Washington to apply to Russia. So far, with little success.

[Oliver Conway]

Danny Eberhardt the BBC has today launched a new Polish language news service to counter a storm of disinformation. BBC News Polska will provide text and video on social media channels. Jonathan Munro, global director of BBC News, is in Warsaw for the launch. So just how real is the threat of disinformation from countries like Russia?

[Dan Johnson]

It's real and it's happening now. One of the stories will run today on BBC Polska on the launch day is an investigation into some fake news, for example, that's surfacing on an app called Telegram, which is very widely spread amongst younger people, particularly here in Poland and around the world, to be fair. And that's an expose on some journalism that looks on the surface to be factual is actually completely fake. So we've got two jobs here. We've got to disinfect that and say this isn't true. And we've also got to add more truthful stories into the debate. For example, NATO summits. Poland is a key player in NATO for all the reasons you've been describing. We're there, we've got lots of journalists there who are used to analyzing that sort of event, and we'll bring a truthful, impartial analysis of that. So there'll be Facebook and Instagram and the BBC News website. And in time, we will probably expand that into further platforms. And a lot of the journalism that audiences will see on those platforms is translated from original work, often in English. But we operate in 42 languages around the world, so there's a huge amount of content down the road. For example, colleagues in BBC Ukrainian reporting on what's happening in Kyiv and elsewhere around the country. All of that material can be translated accurately and quickly now because of the advance of technology, artificial intelligence in particular. But the promise to the audiences is it will always have been through the scrutiny of a BBC editor, a human being, before they can read that content.

[Oliver Conway]

Jonathan Munro, Global Director of BBC News the UN Human Rights office says Israel has weaponized food for civilians in Gaza, calling it a war crime. It says more than 410 people have been killed trying to reach aid points run by the US and Israel backed GHF organization. The Hamas run Civil Defense Agency says that 46 people died in two incidents today. For an idea of what life is like in Gaza at the moment we heard from President Ahmad Ashur. He works for the Taima Institute for Community Education which promotes reading among children and young people in the Palestinian territories.

[Ahmad Ashour]

The life of any Gazan has changed forever. The way we see the world, the way we see the humanity, the way we understand it is a changed forever. We feel totally forgotten and abandoned. Me as a father, while I cannot afford my children a safe space to sleep, while I stay the whole night looking into the ceiling praying for whoever the God to not let the ceilings fall over the head of my children. Imagine like a baby who lost his life, his last breath under the walls and under the ceilings of his home which supposed to be the safest place on earth. Me as a cousin and as a father while I cannot afford my six month baby a milk to drink while I cannot afford to his older brothers and sisters any kind of food. When I see my children and myself and everyone experienced living in one meal every day. This meal contains only canned food without any dignified food and dignified items without any protein for example for months and months. And when I see my children lost the weight and I see like everyone, his face has changed and it changed Khalas forever.

[Oliver Conway]

And that was Ahmad ashore. And just a comment from Israel on aid distribution. It says the way it does it is needed to prevent Hamas militants it's fighting from diverting aid deliveries. Since Donald Trump returned to the White House, the Democrats have struggled to gain attention. But could the race for New York mayor change that? Democratic voters are today choosing their candidate for the election in November. The frontrunner is the disgraced former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. But he could yet be beaten by a 33 year old Muslim Democratic socialist born in Uganda, as Neda Taufique reports.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

Have you voted for Democrats in the past?

[Stephen Wallace]

I have.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

And what would it take for you to vote for a Democrat in the Future.

[Neda Taufique]

After the 2024 presidential election, when Donald Trump made inroads in reliably blue New York, a junior state assembly member asked voters why they went for Trump or sat out the election. It was the first in what has become a series of viral videos from Zoran Mamdani.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

And I'm running for mayor to freeze the rent for every rent stabilized tenant.

[Behran Tajdin]

Wait, you're gonna freeze my rent?

[Gary O'Donoghue]

Yes.

[Neda Taufique]

The 33 year old Muslim, South Asian Democratic Socialist has catapulted himself out of relative obscurity into a serious contender to be the next mayor.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

I think it's because I'm actually listening to New Yorkers and when you ask them what is the issue you're facing, you hear affordability. This is the most expensive city in the United States of America. This is a city where one in four of its people are living in poverty. A City where 500,000 kids go to sleep hungry every night. And ultimately, it's a city that is in danger of losing that which makes it so special.

[Neda Taufique]

Assemblyman Mamdani, who moved here when he was 7 years old from Uganda, has leaned into his own immigrant roots and big promises to build a large coalition.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

Rent free, free buses, universal childcare or Susti groceries.

[Neda Taufique]

Once 40 points behind his main challenger, the former governor Andrew Cuomo, he's now neck and neck. He's done it by exciting those disillusioned with politics.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

Unfortunately, there's nobody who represents the totality of the issues that I truly care about that's running for mayor currently other than Zuran. I'm gonna go to the ballot box. I'm not gonna hold my nose for the first time in a long time that I can remember to vote for a candidate. He understands us. He understands our problem, our suffering. Like this city is very, very, very expensive. I do two jobs to survive.

[Neda Taufique]

But will it be enough to beat Andrew Cuomo? The well known veteran political powerhouse is hoping to make his political comeback after resigning four years ago in an explosive sexual harassment scandal. I'm here at a union hall in midtown Manhattan where Andrew Cuomo was having a campaign rally. He has gotten the endorsement of powerful organized labor groups, including the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, which called on him to resign four years ago after calling the allegations against him disturbing. But it seems that's water under the bridge now. Your union called on him to resign as governor.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

Well, no comment on that, but we support Cuomo. He's done good for us before, you know what I mean? Unfortunately, a backslide. Whatever happened, happened, but we forgiven so.

[Oliver Conway]

We have to turn New York City.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

Around and we have to turn the.

[Neda Taufique]

Former governor does better with older and crucially black voters. He's attacked Zoran Mamdani as inexperienced.

[Jonathan Beale]

So experience competence, knowing how to do the job, knowing how to deal with.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

Trump, knowing how to deal with Washington, knowing how to deal with the state legislature. These are basics. More TV ads, more videos like this.

[Neda Taufique]

National Democrats will be eager to dissect the outcome of the race and what it says about the best way to take on President Donald Trump.

[Oliver Conway]

Neda Taufique reporting from New York. Uganda has one of the lowest electrification rates in Africa. According to a 2020 report, only 10% or so of rural Ugandans have access to electricity. But in Nuoya district in northern Uganda, the energy firm Mandulis is connecting many homes to electricity. For the first, the BBC's Enduroge Muy Gai has been to see how lives are being transformed.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

Catherine Lamuaka is one of the 112 residents whose lives have changed thanks to electricity generated by this plant.

[Ahmad Ashour]

I got my battery for electricity.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

Also I'm using for cooking. Mountulis operates in multiple hybrid renewables to deliver clean energy. That's Peter Nyeko, an aerospace engineer and co founder of Mandulis Energy. He explains how they use farm waste to generate electricity. We begin with rice husks, maize cobs, groundless shells and coffee husks because you have a lot of that in rural Uganda. And when we take that dry waste, we bake it at a high temperature and it breaks down into hydrogen and methane, which is rural. And in that process, those gases, when taken through a gas engine, generates electricity. What's left behind is a biochar, pure carbon. And that biochar is useful for making green concrete. It's also useful for making organic fertilizers into the ground. The 50 kilowatt hybrid power plant has transformed the local community. It has improved my life.

[Ahmad Ashour]

Right now I'm getting light my children now they read their book In Time.

[Gary O'Donoghue]

The electricity powers several economic activities in Gautungur, both on the grid and off grid using batteries. Mandalis Energy wants to replicate this model across Africa and empower more rural communities to take advantage of what they already have to better their living standards. The future is very, very, very bright. As long as we have rural areas where people are farming, as long as there's agricultural waste that is not being valued, there's an opportunity to connect these dots.

[Oliver Conway]

That report from Uganda by Njourige Muigai. Finally, scientists say they found a way to turn plastic waste into paracetamol using bacteria. Painkillers are often manufactured using derivatives of fossil fuels and this could provide a novel way of tackling pollution. The research was carried out by a team from Edinburgh University in SC led by Professor Stephen Wallace.

[Behran Tajdin]

This technology uses an emerging field of research that's called engineering biology, where we take genetic parts from throughout nature and we use them to reprogram bacteria to do things that they've never really had to do before. In this case, taking plastic waste and turning them into paracetamol. The process is really similar actually to the way that you brew beer at home. But instead of taking sugar and making alcohol, our bacteria take plastic and turn it into painkillers. So we basically rewired their metabolism a bit like a circuit board so that they no longer do what the bacteria would normally do. They do something completely different. Now, there's been a lot of really great technology over the past couple of years that's been focused on taking plastic waste and turning that into recycled plastic. And those technologies have been amazing. But that creates new second and third generation materials that inevitably still end up in landfill. And what our research has been showing over the last couple of of years is that we can take that plastic waste and instead of just turning it into more plastic, maybe we could turn it into something a bit more useful, like food flavoring materials, monomers to make sustainable clothing. And this is the first example where somebody's taken a bacterium and used it to turn plastic waste into a potential source of human medicine.

[Oliver Conway]

Professor Stephen Wallace. And that is all from us for now, but the Global News podcast will be back very soon. Remember, if you have a question about the Israel Iran conflict and the fragile ceasefire, email us on globalpodcastbc.co.uk or find us on XBCWorldService. Use the hashtag globalnewspod. This edition was mixed by Sarah Kimberly and produced by David Lewis. Our editor's Karen Martin. I'm Oliver Conway. Until next time. Goodbye.