Sudan government demands international ceasefire guarantees

Summary

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Global News Podcast – November 7, 2025

Host: Ankar Desaian, BBC World Service
Main Theme: Key global developments, including Sudan’s government push for international ceasefire guarantees, regional instabilities, technological advances, and human-interest stories.

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Episode Overview

This episode centers on the escalating crisis in Sudan, where the government demands international guarantees to ensure that a ceasefire with the paramilitary RSF (Rapid Support Forces) will be honored. The podcast traverses other major stories: ongoing tensions in Ethiopia, a rare bombing at an Indonesian school mosque, the U.S. shutdown’s unusual side hustle, China’s rapid naval expansion, new EU visa rules for Russians, an iconic French glassmaker’s rescue, neonatal brain health innovation, and an ode to the Jodrell Bank Observatory’s cosmic legacy.

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Key Stories and Insights

1. Sudan’s Ceasefire Dilemma and International Skepticism

[00:38–05:44]

• Sudan’s Stance on Ceasefire

  • The Sudanese government insists on international guarantees before agreeing to a ceasefire proposal with the RSF.
  • Prior ceasefires have been repeatedly violated by the RSF, often used strategically to seize more territory and smuggle arms.

  “From our experience, we had many truces in the beginning of the war, but every time we met the ceasefire there was no respect for the ceasefire from the militia.”
  — Osman Abu Fatima Adam Mohammed, Sudan's ambassador to South Africa [02:07]

• Skepticism and Denial of Legitimacy

  • Maenie Jones, Africa correspondent, reports on high skepticism within Sudan’s government about the RSF’s intentions and international dealings.
  • The government does not recognize the RSF as a legitimate negotiating partner and urges that the international community refrain from recognizing any parallel RSF-led authority.

  “...The international community should not recognize any government that includes the RSF, any kind of parallel government.”
  — Maenie Jones [03:29]

• Impact of Recent Violence

  • Reports and images of a massacre in Al Fashir have further damaged the RSF’s image.
  • Gen. Hemetti claims accountability measures and investigations, but public testimonies suggest widespread atrocities.

  “The latest images of El Fashir have been incredibly damaging for RSF leadership... it’s becoming increasingly clear to the international community just how barbaric some of this violence has been.”
  — Maenie Jones [03:56]

• Foreign Influence: UAE’s Role

  • The RSF’s enhanced firepower is attributed to funding from the United Arab Emirates.
  • Many believe ending the conflict is impossible without external pressure on the UAE to halt support.

  “There’s a real feeling that without pressure on the UAE, there won’t be an end to this conflict.”
  — Maenie Jones [05:04]

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2. Tensions Resurface in Ethiopia

[05:44–07:52]

• Renewed Clashes

  • Reports of attacks in Afar have revived fears of reigniting the deadly Ethiopia-Tigray war (ended three years ago after claiming ~500,000 lives).
  • Both sides accuse each other of violating the peace accord, including allegations of cross-border attacks and drone strikes.

  “For the past few months there had been several warnings... that the war could flare up again... now these incidents... the fears are becoming ever more realistic.”
  — Kalkidan Yebel Tal, reporter based in Addis Ababa [07:13]

• Broader Regional Threats

  • There are concerns that renewed conflict could spill over and involve Eritrea, further destabilizing the Horn of Africa.

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3. Jakarta Mosque Explosion – Youth Radicalization?

[07:52–09:39]

• Incident Overview

  • Over 50 injured during Friday prayers in a high school mosque inside an Indonesian Navy housing complex.
  • The main suspect: a 17-year-old pupil, reportedly bullied and showing early signs of isolation.

• Contextual Significance

  • While Indonesia has faced terrorist attacks, a school student as the perpetrator is unprecedented.

  “A bomb explosion happened a few years ago and because of the terrorist attacks, but an alleged perpetrator, a student behind these explosions? No, we haven’t seen this yet.”
  — Jerome Virawan, BBC Jakarta [09:25]

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4. A Hot Dog Stand in the Shadow of the US Shutdown

[09:39–11:58]

• An Unexpected Furlough Project

  • Isaac Stein, a federal tax lawyer, makes the most of the ongoing shutdown by launching a hot dog stand in Washington, D.C., fulfilling a childhood ambition.

  “I loved the idea of running a hot dog stand as a little boy... what changed for me was that I had the time to now do this full time.”
  — Isaac Stein [10:09]

  “Most of the intent is as an art project... a space where people can just hang out, chat, swap stories and just have fun.”
  — Isaac Stein [11:27]

• Community Role

  • Stein emphasizes community-building over profit, enjoying organic interactions among customers.

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5. China’s Naval Ambitions – The New Aircraft Carrier

[13:02–15:37]

• Technological Leap

  • China launches its first domestically-designed and built aircraft carrier, the ‘Fujian,’ featuring electromagnetic catapults—technology previously unique to the US Navy.

  “Tech allows planes to take off with heavier weapons and larger fuel loads, so that means they can strike enemy targets at far greater distances.”
  — Laura Bicker, BBC China Correspondent [13:22]

• Strategic Implications

  • China’s navy now boasts the highest number of warships globally; its rapid shipbuilding means quick fleet replacement in conflict.
  • Analysts assert China is closing the technology gap with the US, though America maintains supremacy in submarine and advanced capabilities.

  “Many experts believe that China is catching up, that the gap between the two superpowers is narrowing.”
  — Laura Bicker [14:48]

• Geopolitical Response

  • Debate over perceived threat: China insists on peaceful intent, while US strategists voice concerns and reevaluate alliances and deployments.

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6. EU Tightens Visa Rules for Russians Amid Security Fears

[16:14–17:09]

• Visa Restrictions Announced

  • Citing sabotage and drone incursions, the EU will now require Russian nationals to obtain new, single-entry visas for each visit.
  • Humanitarian exceptions apply for Russians abroad and certain professional groups.

  “Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine had created the most dangerous security environment in Europe for decades.”
  — EU’s foreign policy chief, Kaya Kallas [16:56]

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7. Duralex Glassware: An Iconic French Brand Revived

[17:09–18:55]

• Crowdfunded Rescue

  • The beloved maker of school canteen glasses, Duralex, is saved from bankruptcy by a public crowdfunding campaign—raising four times its goal.

  “The happy memory goes some way to explaining the attachment to the brand and the willingness of so many people now to save it.”
  — Hugh Schofield, BBC Paris [17:44]

• Cultural Nostalgia and Industrial Revival

  • Duralex glasses evoke nostalgia across generations in France and beyond, symbolizing resilience and communal memory.

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8. New Technology for Neonatal Brain Health

[18:55–21:15]

• Innovative Imaging

  • Cambridge researchers develop a cap combining light and ultra-fast ultrasound to monitor and assess brain function in newborns, particularly very premature and sick babies.

  “What this technology does is gives us a handle on how the brain is actually working and we think will give us a way of predicting earlier on which babies are going to run into trouble.”
  — Professor Toppan Austin, Consultant Neonatologist [19:54]

• Potential Impact

  • Early detection could enable timely interventions, greatly affecting long-term developmental outcomes.

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9. Jodrell Bank Observatory – Celebrating 80 Years of Cosmic Discovery

[21:15–24:57]

• Cultural and Scientific Tribute

  • The iconic British radio telescope’s 80th anniversary is celebrated with a musical composition inspired by the discoveries made at Jodrell Bank.
  • The observatory’s pioneering use of radio waves unlocked the secrets of pulsars, quasars, black holes, and cosmic background radiation.

  “We only knew about a tiny fraction of the universe that we can see with our eyes. So at Jodrell Bank, we began looking at the universe with radio eyes.”
  — Tim O'Brien, Director of Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement [22:27]

  “It’s so quiet, and it just makes you feel like I’m this big in the universe and then it just grows... and that you are literally listening to space.”
  — Rachel Jaynes, BBC Philharmonic [24:20]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Sudan’s Ceasefires:

  “Every time we met the ceasefire there was no respect... they're using these truces to position themselves in new areas.”
  – Osman Abu Fatima Adam Mohammed [02:07]

• On Foreign Influence:

  “Without pressure on the UAE, there won’t be an end to this conflict.”
  – Maenie Jones [05:04]

• On the Indonesian Mosque Attack:

  “But an alleged perpetrator, a student behind these explosions? No, we haven’t seen this yet.”
  – Jerome Virawan [09:25]

• On Dream Jobs:

  “I had way more interest in the concession stand and I got so much energy from connecting, hanging out, chatting...”
  – Isaac Stein [10:09]

• On China’s Naval Expansion:

  “China is building far more ships than any other country because it can do it faster than anyone else.”
  – Laura Bicker [14:30]

• On Duralex’s Place in French Culture:

  “Duralex doesn’t chip. That was the claim that for decades led to the iconic glasses being used in school canteens across Europe.”
  – Hugh Schofield [17:44]

• On Infant Brain Technology:

  “What this technology does is gives us a handle on how the brain is actually working...”
  – Professor Toppan Austin [19:54]

• On the Wonder of the Universe:

  “It just makes you feel like I’m this big in the universe and then it just grows... and that you are literally listening to space.”
  – Rachel Jaynes [24:20]

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Important Timestamps

• Sudan Ceasefire Analysis: [00:38–05:44]
• Ethiopia Conflict Flares: [05:44–07:52]
• Jakarta Mosque Bombing: [07:52–09:39]
• US Shutdown Hot Dog Stand: [09:39–11:58]
• China’s Aircraft Carrier: [13:02–15:37]
• EU Russian Visa Rules: [16:14–17:09]
• Duralex Glasses Rescue: [17:09–18:55]
• Neonatal Brain Health Innovation: [18:55–21:15]
• Jodrell Bank’s 80th Anniversary: [21:15–24:57]

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Tone & Style

The reporting throughout the episode is clear, factual, and insightful. There is an emphasis on analysis and explanation, complemented by on-the-ground voices and expert commentary. Human stories are told with empathy and occasional lightness (as in the hot dog stand segment), while global issues are handled with necessary gravity.

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This summary provides a comprehensive insight into today's world affairs—from war rooms and laboratories to street food carts and iconic telescopes—underscoring the complexities, tragedies, and triumphs shaping our planet right now.

Transcript

[BBC Announcer]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk. At the BBC we go further so you see clearer. Through frontline reporting, global stories and local insights, we bring you closer to the world's news as it happens. And it starts with a subscription to BBC.com giving you unlimited articles and videos. Ad free podcasts the BBC News Channel streaming live 24. 7/Hi hundreds of acclaimed documentaries. Subscribe to trusted independent journalism and storytelling from the BBC. Find out [e-mail] Join.

[Ankar Desaian]

This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Ankar Desaian at 16 hours GMT on Friday 7th November. These are our main stories. Sudan's government says it needs international guarantees before agreeing to a ceasefire proposal from the paramilitary rsf. Indonesian police say the main suspect behind an explosion at a school mosque which injured dozens of students is a fellow pupil and China launches its most advanced aircraft carrier with tech to rival the us. Also in this podcast it is a.

[Isaac Stein]

Functional hot dog stand and part of what I'm trying to do in a very small way is create a space where people can just hang out, chat, swap stories and just have fun.

[Ankar Desaian]

The tax lawyer who's making the most of the US government shut down by trying out his dream job we begin in Sudan where the government has called for guarantees from the international community that paramilitary rebels, the Rapid Support Forces, will stick to a ceasefire they signed up to on Thursday before the army does the same. Hopes of a pause in the fighting have been dented by reports of drone strikes near a military base and a power station in in the army controlled capital of Khartoum. The two sides have been coming under growing international pressure to agree a ceasefire, but Sudan's ambassador to South Africa, Osman Abu Fatima Adam Mohammed, said the RSF had broken previous truces and exploited them to gain more territory.

[Maenie Jones]

From our experience, we had many truces in the beginning of the war, but every time we met the ceasefire there was no respect for the ceasefire from the militia. Actually they are using these truces to position themselves in new areas and to make new tactics against the government.

[Ankar Desaian]

Our Africa correspondent Maenie Jones was at the ambassador's news conference in Pretoria and told me more about it.

[Maenie Jones]

It tells us that there's a lot of skepticism within the Sudanese government as to whether the RSF will stick to the terms of the ceasefire. As the Ambassad said in the clip in your introduction, there have been ceasefire proposals before that both sides have said that they would adhere to, but he claims that every single time the RSF would seize the truces as opportunities to gain more territory or to smuggle in more weapons or to find a way to have an advantage over the government forces. So I think what these comments express is this level of skepticism. I think it also emphasizes how unwilling the government, the Sudanese government is to deal with the rsf. They don't see them as equals. They say that they are a terrible group and have forcefully taken Sudanese territory and are trying to create a parallel government. One of the things that the ambassador emphasized today is that the international community should not recognize any government that includes the rsf, any kind of parallel government. And I think ultimately what it shows us is that it's going to be very difficult to get both sides of this conflict to come together and bring about some sort of agreements that would make the life of civilians on the ground a lot easier.

[Ankar Desaian]

And then how much more has this been damaged by those reports of massacres and other human rights abuses in the capture of Al Fasha? If people are to take the ceasefire offer from the RSF more seriously, more.

[Maenie Jones]

Genuinely, I think the latest images of El FAQ have been incredibly damaging for RSF leadership. And I think that's demonstrated in the fact that the head of the rsf, General Hemetti, has tried to placate the international community by claiming that some of the perpetrators had been detained, that an investigation would be carried out. I think this seems to suggest that he. Understanding how damaging these images have been and trying to create a little bit of pr, a little bit of diplomacy to try and iron out this reputation. But the reality is, as more and more testimonies are coming out of civilians who managed to escape El Fashion to the neighboring town of Terwilo, I think it's becoming increasingly clear to the international community to just how barbaric some of this violence has been. And I think trying to change the image of the RSF and get people to believe them when they say something is going to become increasingly difficult.

[Ankar Desaian]

An international pressure for a ceasefire has been mounting. How much is that likely to end? The sides in the civil war, but also as well, the UAE and their role with the RSF militia as well. How does that play into this?

[Maenie Jones]

I think that the influence of external players like the United Arab Emirates can be underestimated. And for many Sudanese commentators and people who've been following the war since the beginning, they've often emphasized that the difference between this wave of violence in Darfur and The last wave 20 years ago is just how much more sophisticated the weaponry is, that the RSF have access to and many analysts have argued that this is because they're partly funded by the United Arab Emirates. So there's a real feeling that without pressure on the UAE, there won't be an end to this conflict, that unless the UAE can be convinced to reduce its funding to the RSF or to put pressure on the RSF leadership to limit their attacks, that bringing an end to this conflict is going to be very challenging.

[Ankar Desaian]

Miami Jones reporting. Well, from Sudan, we turn to neighboring Ethiopia, another country recently torn by civil war. The conflict which ended three years ago, pitted government forces and their allies against rebels from the northern Tigray region. It's estimated to have claimed half a million lives. Now there are fears of a return to war after both sides accused the other of launching attacks. A correspondent, Kalkidan Yebel Tal, who's based in Addis Ababa, told me more yesterday.

[Kalkidan Yebel Tal]

In a region called Afar in northern Ethiopia, which neighbors Tigray, the authorities there accused the Tigrayan forces of essentially crossing into their borders, firing shells, killing civilians and controlling at least six villages. Now, the Tigran forces, they denied these accusations, but they came up with their own accusations today. They said that overnight there had been drone strikes by the federal government in support of that region and now the peace deal that they signed 3 ago ending 1 of the deadliest conflicts in Africa might be in danger. The federal government has not said anything regarding these allegations of drone strikes, but this is the first time that there had been these sorts of skirmishes or military engagement between the two parties after that war ended.

[Ankar Desaian]

Is this being seen now then as a serious threat to the peace accord which ended that conflict in Tigray? Could we start seeing the fighting flare up again?

[Kalkidan Yebel Tal]

Yes, that's the fear because for the past few months there had been several warnings from political actors in Ethiopia as well as from, you know, the international communities who saw signs that the war could flare up again and even it could expand to other horn of African countries. There have been accusations that neighboring Eritrea might be involved and there could be another war between Ethiopia and Eritrea and also involving the Tigrayan forces as well. So there had been these fears for the past few months to begin with, and now these incidents had happened or had been reported that the fears are becoming ever more realistic and ever more present.

[Ankar Desaian]

Kalkilan Yebeltel reporting. The authorities in the Indonesian capital Jakarta say more than 50 people have been injured in two explosions at a mosque on a school campus. A 17 year old student at the school is the main suspect and is currently receiving medical care. The BBC's Jerome Virawan is in Jakarta and gave me more details.

[Jerome Virawan]

Dozens of people have been injured in an explosion during Friday prayers at a mosque inside a high school complex. This is quite unique because the school located inside the housing complex of the Navy, Indonesian Navy. So it's caused panic and outrageous.

[Ankar Desaian]

What do we know so far about a suspect? The authorities have identified someone.

[Jerome Virawan]

Yeah. The Indonesian deputy House speaker said the Suspect is a 17 year old and currently in surgery. Indonesian media have quoted some students in that high school saying that the alleged perpetrator is a pupil at the school and he made a homemade bomb and he also often been bullied by other students. Indonesian news outlet quoting a student saying that the suspect was a loner who often made drawings depicting violence and had been found lying on the ground following the explosion. But we cannot independently verify this statement. And the police trying to update and keep up with the investigation.

[Ankar Desaian]

Has this sort of thing happened before in Jakarta or across Indonesia?

[Jerome Virawan]

A bomb explosion happened a few years ago and because of the terrorist attacks, but an alleged perpetrator, a student behind these explosions? No, we haven't seen this yet.

[Ankar Desaian]

Jerome Viran in Jakarta. Now as I record this, it's 38 days into the US government shutdown and federal workers are still waiting to get back to their jobs with no real idea when that may be. But one government tax lawyer in Washington D.C. is staying busy by living out a childhood dream. He's using his time on furlough to run a hot dog stand. And get this, he's still wearing his office suit. Isaac Stein spoke to my colleague Liana Byrne about his new life for now.

[Isaac Stein]

I loved the idea of running a hot dog stand as a little boy when I was six or seven. Then when I was in grade school there was an event where at the elementary school gym. And so at that event they had a concession stand. I think the intent was that each boy on the team would spend a half hour manning the concession stand. But I had way more interest in the concession stand and I got so much energy from connecting, hanging out, chatting, just making small talk and learning about people's day to day. I knew that I wanted to do this later in life. So in June I made the decision, I'm just going to go for this and actually set up the hot dog cart business. And I was fully permitted by 23rd September and I started selling that week. And then I was doing my full time office job and then also selling on Fridays and weekends. And then on October 8th when the shutdown happened. What changed for me was that I had the time to now do this full time. My plan is to go back to the office job as soon as possible and then continue to operate the hot dog stand in the way that I intended it to operate, which was as a side project.

[Laura Bicker]

I'm sure you come across a lot of people even just talking to you at the hot dog stand and you're swapping stories.

[Isaac Stein]

Oh, absolutely. It is a functional hot dog stand, but most of the intent is as an art project. And part of what I'm trying to do in a very small way is create a space where people can just hang out, chat, swap stories and just have fun. I've been really overjoyed seeing people have organic conversations and just talk to each other in the line because unfortunately I can only steam six buns at a time. So there's been a bit of a.

[Ankar Desaian]

Line that is a unique side hustle. Isaac Stein speaking to Liana Byrne. Still to come in this podcast, a special celebration for 80th anniversary of a radio telescope that changed the world.

[Isaac Stein]

At Total Bank Cheshire, the greatest radio.

[Hugh Schofield]

Telescope in the world is nearing completion.

[Ankar Desaian]

It's driven with such precision that it can pinpoint galaxies so remote in time and space.

[BBC Announcer]

At the BBC we go further so you see clearer. Through frontline reporting, global stories and local insights, we bring you closer to the world's news as it happens. And it starts with a subscription to BBC.com giving you unlimited articles and videos ad free podcasts, the BBC News channel streaming live 24. 7 plus hundreds of acclaimed documentaries. Subscribe to trusted independent journalism and storytelling from the BBC. Find out [e-mail] Join.

[Ankar Desaian]

Next Can China hope to equal the naval might of the United States? Well, that moment could be getting closer with the launch of its latest aircraft carrier. It's the first that China has both designed and built by itself, and it's part of a massive overhaul and expansion of the Navy. I asked our China correspondent Laura Bicker to tell me more about the new carrier.

[Laura Bicker]

So this is China's third and its most advanced aircraft carrier. And it has these electromagnetic catapults. That's what makes it a bit different. That can launch three aircraft types, and that's according to these reports in Chinese state media. Now, this tech allows planes to take off with heavier weapons and larger fuel loads, so that means they can strike enemy targets at far greater distances. The only other aircraft carrier with this kind of technology is in the United States, and that's the USS Gerald R. Ford and that had these operation Systems back in 2022. Now, we saw in state media today that the whole ceremony to launch this aircraft carrier was over 70 seen by President Xi Jinping. And you talk about the expansion of China's navy. He has overseen it personally. And today the reports in Chinese state media said it was his idea and his decision to adopt this technology for the Fujian.

[Ankar Desaian]

Now, regional security is a big topic. So what does it mean for that particular area? And could this carrier now be employed in the waters around Taiwan in any future military confrontation?

[Laura Bicker]

I think when it comes to this particular aircraft carrier and shipbuilding in particular, China's navy is now the largest in the world in terms of ship numbers. But I think when people are looking at China's shipbuilding, 60% of the world's orders this year have gone to Chinese shipyards. China is building far more ships than any other country because it can do it faster than anyone else. And what that means is that when it comes to building new navy ships, it it can build them and replace any. If we were to go into any theater situation, any wartime situation, China would be in a position with its ports to replace any navy ships that perhaps went down extremely quickly. Now, when it comes to leading the way, the United States still leads the way with regards to submarines and with regards to the amount of technology it's able to deploy. But many experts believe that China is, is catching up, that the gap between the two superpowers is narrowing.

[Ankar Desaian]

So is this a bit of a flex then from President Xi, then? Should the US Be worried about this latest commission?

[Laura Bicker]

I think the United States has certainly seen the danger we've heard from Donald Trump in the last few months, especially when it comes to shipbuilding, looking at South Korea as a partner, wondering exactly where United States assets should be deployed. But I think in terms of, if you ask China, and I have asked China and I have to their shipping ports, if you ask people here, they'll say that China is no danger, that out of all the wars in the world, China has not been involved. So what they say is they're building it because they can rather than to pose a threat.

[Ankar Desaian]

Laura Bicker. Now, the European Union says it's introducing tougher visa rules for Russian citizens because of growing fears about security after nearly four years of war in Ukraine. Here's Will Vernon.

[BBC Announcer]

Sabotage, disinformation and drone incursions into Europe are on the rise, say officials in Brussels. And the culprit is Moscow. So the EU is clamping down on the issuing of visas to Russian nationals. Under the new rules, they will no longer be given multi entry visas and must apply for a new document for every trip to the eu. Exceptions will be made for Russians living abroad as well as for human rights activists and independent journalists announcing the measures. The EU's foreign policy chief, Kaya Kallas, said Russia's illegal invasion of Ukraine had created the most dangerous security environment in Europe for decades. Moscow denies that it poses a threat to Europe.

[Ankar Desaian]

Now to a brand that's a staple in school canteens in Hanoi, tea houses in Marrakech and Michelin starred restaurants in New York. The classic glass tumblers from the French company Duralex have achieved this reach while also invoking nostalgic memories of childhood for French people who used them at school. Now the company has been saved from bankruptcy by a crowdfunding campaign. It asked for just under $6 million. Within 48 hours, it had been sent four times as much. Hugh Schofield has this report from Paris.

[Hugh Schofield]

Duralex doesn't chip. That was the claim that for decades led to the iconic glasses being used in school canteens across Europe. Here in France, every boy and girl knew the game of looking at the bottom of the Duralex glass to find the number, anything between 1 and 50, which then became, to much amusement, the child's real age. The happy memory goes some way to explaining the attachment to the brand and the willingness of so many people now to save it. Because like so many other French manufacturers, Duralex has been in trouble. The tumbler has tumbled. Founded in 1945, the company created two glasses, the Round Gigogne and the nine sided Picardy, which became classics of design. But competition from Asia, unscrupulous investors and soaring energy prices brought it close to bankruptcy. And last year it was rescued in extremis when staff bought it up and it became a cooperative. Now there's a surge of optimism. The people have answered the call. There'll be new machines and new designs. The brand, like the glass, is proving ultra resistant.

[Ankar Desaian]

Hugh Schofield reporting. Now we're on the cusp of knowing much more about the brain health of babies, it seems, and it's all thanks to what looks like a modified swimming cap. Researchers at a maternity hospital in the British city of Cambridge are using a new technique to try and speed up the diagnosis of children with long term health conditions and learning difficulties. Professor Topan Austin is a consultant neonatologist at Cambridge University Hospitals and he told us more.

[Professor Toppan Austin]

What we've got is a sort of cap. It's like a swimming cap, which instead of imaging the brain and looking at sort of the structure of the brain actually gives us an idea of how the brain works. And the reason we're interested in this is that we look after very sick and very premature babies. And a lot of these babies can end up having problems later on, such as cerebral palsy or learning difficulties. And the current technology that we use for imaging, such as MRI or conventional ultrasound gives us a lovely picture of what the brain looks like, but doesn't really predict very well about how it's working and which children are going to end up perhaps having problems later on. What this technology does is gives us a handle on how the brain is actually working and we think will give us a way of predicting earlier on which babies are going to run into trouble. We're using two different technologies together for the first time. We're using a light technology which covers the top of the brain and measures oxygen in different parts of the brain. And when the brain is active, different parts of the brain light up. The trouble is we can't look deep into the brain with this technology. So we're combining with a new what's called ultra fast ultrasound, which can measure all the tiny little vessels deep within the brain itself. And so if we combine them together, we've got the deep structures being imaged by the ultrasound, the surface being imaged by the light, and so we get a whole brain image at the cot side of brain function. There cannot be anything more stressful than having a tiny baby on a neonatal unit. And you know, sometimes these children, the problems only emerge when they get to sort of school age. And if we can't diagnose early and sort of help them with sort of early therapies and try and get these babies to reach their full potential, we've missed a window. And so we hope this technology can be sort of translated in a way that we can predict earlier and then make sort of specialist referrals earlier.

[Ankar Desaian]

Professor Toppan Austin. Now let's end this podcast with some music and scientific wonder. In 1945, a British scientist called Sir Bernard Lovell turned a muddy field in northern England into what is now the Jodrell Bank Observatory, an astronomical research center that transformed our understanding of the universe. To mark its 80 year anniversary, the BBC has commissioned award winning composer Hannah Peale to create a piece of music in its honor. Jane McGubbin has this report.

[Jane McGubbin]

First we could only use our eyes to imagine what was beyond the night sky. Then optical telescopes used light to let us see further. But 80 years ago, Sir Bernard Lovell's Giant telescope pioneered the use of radio waves to listen to the universe. And the universe spoke that sound, that story. And that telescope became the inspiration for composer Hannah Peale.

[Laura Bicker]

Eighty years and all those stories and mysteries and the things that have been watched and discovered, how do you put that into music?

[Jane McGubbin]

The answer is this pulsar performed here with the BBC Philharmonic.

[Kalkidan Yebel Tal]

We only knew about a tiny fraction of the universe that we can see with our eyes. So at Jodrell bank, we began looking at the universe with radio eyes.

[Jane McGubbin]

Tim o' Brien is director of the Jodrell bank center for Engagement.

[Kalkidan Yebel Tal]

And it sort of unveiled this completely new universe we had no idea was there. So instead of the stars in the night sky, what we see with our radio telescopes are black holes in the hearts of other distant galaxies.

[Jane McGubbin]

This was a vision which began with Sir Bernard Lovell.

[Isaac Stein]

At Total Bank, Cheshire, the greatest radio.

[Hugh Schofield]

Telescope in the world is nearing completion.

[Ankar Desaian]

It's driven with such precision that a compendium point galaxies so remote in time and space that some of the radio waves received began their journey through space long before our Earth came into existence.

[Jane McGubbin]

And yet his project was almost scrapped and he almost jailed as building costs soared and doubts mounted. But then came the space race. And as the famous telescope locked first onto space Sputnik and later Apollo 11, its value was undeniable.

[Maenie Jones]

That's one small step for man.

[Ankar Desaian]

One.

[Professor Toppan Austin]

Giant leap for mankind.

[Jane McGubbin]

And not even Bernard Lovell could have dreamt of all that was to be revealed by his work. Pulsars, quasars, the Lovell telescope tracked them all.

[Kalkidan Yebel Tal]

We see sort of electrons spiraling around the magnetic field of the galaxy, moving at almost the speed of light. We even see the fading glow of the big bang about 14 billion years ago.

[Jane McGubbin]

And all of that history and discovery is celebrated in music.

[Laura Bicker]

What are you thinking as you're playing?

[Jane McGubbin]

What stories are you weaving in your head there?

[Ankar Desaian]

Before I wanted to be a musician, I wanted to be an astronomer or something.

[Jane McGubbin]

Rachel Jaynes is from the BBC Philharmonic.

[Ankar Desaian]

And I remember getting my first telescope and just looking at the moon for hours and hours. What we recorded today just starts with, it's so quiet, and it just makes you feel like I'm this big in the universe and then it just grows and just imagining what it would feel like to be up there and it'd be quite windy and that you are literally listening to space.

[Jane McGubbin]

This has been a journey of exploration which its creator once said would never end. And Jodrell bank will keep listening for whatever comes Next.

[Hugh Schofield]

I thought 20 years ago that we knew all that we wanted to know about the structure and evolution of the.

[Ankar Desaian]

Universe, and now we know almost not. Sam Jay McGummon with that report and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra in great voice. That's it from us for now. But there will be a new edition of the Global News Podcast a little later. If you want to 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 XBCWorldService and you can use the hashtag globalnewspod. This edition was mixed by Chris Kuzaris and the producers were Stephanie Prentice and Stephen Jensen. The editor is Karen Martin and Armanco Decipher until next time. Goodbye.

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