Sudanese military accused of carrying out massacre in Darfur

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary
Episode: Sudanese Military Accused of Carrying Out Massacre in Darfur
Release Date: March 25, 2025

The latest episode of the BBC World Service's Global News Podcast delves into several pressing global issues, ranging from humanitarian crises and environmental concerns to groundbreaking medical advancements and cultural discoveries. Hosted by Janet Jalil, the episode provides in-depth analysis and firsthand accounts, enriched with notable quotes and expert insights.

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1. Sudanese Military Accused of Massacre in Darfur

The podcast opens with a harrowing account of one of the worst attacks in Sudan's two-year-long civil war. The Sudanese military is accused of executing a massacre in the western Darfur region, targeting civilians in an airstrike on Monday that reportedly killed hundreds.

Our Africa regional editor, Will Ross, underscores the severity of the incident:

"The videos are horrific, to put it mildly. I mean, a lot of destruction and burnt property. But also the videos show the charred remains of people who were during these attacks that we understand came from the air." ([01:38])

Despite the Sudanese army's denial of the attack, citing their commitment to targeting only military entities, evidence points to indiscriminate violence:

"The army itself has denied carrying out the attack. It says it only attacks legitimate targets, not civilians. But throughout the war, both the rapid support forces and the army have killed huge numbers of civilians..." ([03:10])

Ross highlights the credibility of these reports, noting that only the army possesses warplanes, making the likelihood of military involvement high. The ongoing conflict shows no signs of resolution, with fighting intensifying as the military regains territory from rival paramilitary forces like the RSF.

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2. Japan Orders Dissolution of Controversial Religious Sect

In a significant development, a Japanese court has ordered the disbanding of the Unification Church, a religious organization whose followers, known as Munis or Moonies, have been accused of financial coercion and manipulation.

Shaima Khalil, the Tokyo correspondent, explains:

"The disbanding means that the church will lose its corporation status. So it will lose its right to get tax exemptions, but it will also have to liquidate all its assets." ([20:48])

The court's decision follows an extensive government investigation that interviewed 200 individuals, revealing that the church coerced followers into making substantial donations, leading to severe financial hardships. The Unification Church has been under intense scrutiny since the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe three years prior, where the assassin cited grievances against the church as a motive.

This ruling marks a pivotal moment in Japan's efforts to curb the influence of manipulative religious organizations, though the church may appeal the decision.

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3. Environmental Crisis: UK Tires Burning in India

A BBC File on 4 Investigates report uncovers that millions of used tires from the UK are being illegally shipped to India, where they are incinerated in makeshift pyrolysis plants. This practice poses significant health and environmental risks, diverting tires meant for recycling into harmful combustion processes.

Paul Kenyon reports:

"In January, there was an explosion at a makeshift pyrolysis plant near Mumbai. Two children who'd been living inside the plant were killed, along with two adults." ([07:10])

The investigation revealed that approximately 17 million waste tires are sold on the black market each year. Trackers fitted to end-of-life tires showed their journey to unlicensed pyrolysis facilities in Central India. These plants release dangerous gases and chemicals, contaminating nearby communities. Despite legal prohibitions, many facilities continue to operate, often situated near villages and exposing residents to harmful pollutants.

Zaheer, the boss of a tyre disposal company in Rochdale, admitted that:

"90% English people, doing this business." ([10:27])

Environmental groups are calling for stricter regulations to prevent such hazardous practices, emphasizing the need for accountable recycling methods that protect both public health and the environment.

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4. Rare Sea Turtle Stranded Due to U.S. Executive Orders

The story of Rossi, a critically endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle, highlights the unintended consequences of political decisions. Stranded in Wales and under the care of a local zoo, Rossi's return home to the Gulf of Mexico has been jeopardized by President Donald Trump's executive orders.

Frankie Hobra, the owner at Anglesey Sisu Zoo, expresses frustration:

"It is a huge problem. It's very frustrating because obviously animal species don't understand politics." ([12:50])

Trump's executive order paused funding for international marine turtle conservation, disrupting ongoing efforts to repatriate Rossi. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, pressured by internal cuts and external influences like Elon Musk's efficiency drive, has stalled the necessary paperwork for Rossi's release.

George Heard adds:

"The Sizu is confident it's more a matter of when, not if, this turtle finds its way back home to America." ([15:34])

Despite these setbacks, Frankie remains hopeful and is exploring alternative avenues to ensure Rossi's safe return, underscoring the broader impact of political decisions on wildlife conservation.

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5. Protests in Turkey Against President Erdogan

The episode also covers the escalating protests in Turkey against President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, triggered by the arrest of Istanbul's mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu. These demonstrations represent the most significant challenge to Erdogan's rule in over a decade.

Frankie Hobra relays sentiments from the protesters:

"We have a lot of problems about our country... economy, inflation, femicides..." ([16:43])

Hilken Boran from the BBC Turkish Service provides context:

"People have been telling us that they're out there to defend democracy, to defend their rights, and to defend their future freedoms." ([18:43])

With over a thousand arrests since the protests began, demonstrators are demanding early elections and greater democratic freedoms. The opposition calls for Erdogan to face Imamoglu in new elections, challenging the president's longstanding grip on power amidst widespread public discontent.

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6. Pioneering Medical Trial to Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis

A groundbreaking medical trial aims to switch off rheumatoid arthritis (RA), potentially transforming the lives of the estimated 18 million sufferers worldwide. RA is an autoimmune disease where the immune system attacks joint tissues, leading to pain and inflammation.

Carol Robson, a trial participant, shares her experience:

"It is already making a difference to my hands in particular, and I'm not taking as many painkillers." ([22:29])

Professor John Isaacs from Newcastle University elaborates on the research:

"The question is, is when we put them into the complex human body, whether they can still do that task." ([24:12])

The trial involves training patients' white blood cells to prevent them from attacking healthy tissue. While promising, Isaacs cautions that widespread application of this treatment may take five to ten years due to rigorous regulatory processes and the need for extensive trials. Success in RA could pave the way for treatments of other autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis.

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7. Discovery of a Major Iron Age Hoard in the UK

Archaeologists have unearthed one of the largest and most significant Iron Age hoards ever found in the UK, comprising around 800 objects including chariot parts, wagons, and ceremonial spears. Found near a Yorkshire village by a metal detectorist, this discovery offers invaluable insights into life in Britain 2,000 years ago.

Professor Tom Moore from Durham University describes the find:

"The collection... includes parts of chariots, wagons, a huge amount of horse harness... two vessels, one a cauldron, wine mixing bowl." ([27:03])

The hoard's diverse materials suggest the wealth and craftsmanship of Iron Age communities. Professor Alice Roberts adds:

"We'll learn so much about the craftspersonship from this new hoard... the importance of horses." ([28:11])

This discovery not only enhances our understanding of Iron Age Britain but also challenges previous notions influenced by Roman accounts, revealing a more nuanced and sophisticated society.

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8. Heartwarming Story of Adopted Pigs in France

Concluding the episode with a lighter note, the podcast features Manon Rod, a French woman who has adopted two pigs, Gustave and Leon, transforming their lives and challenging perceptions of pigs as merely animals for consumption.

Manon shares:

"Adopting the pigs is a way of encouraging people to change their view of them as animals for human consumption." ([29:23])

Her efforts have turned Gustave and Leon into beloved mascots, both at home and Manon's workplace. Frankie Hobra reflects on the broader impact:

"It's fantastic to use archaeology to actually look at these people in their own right." ([28:22])

Through their intelligence and playful behavior, these pigs are fostering greater empathy and understanding, highlighting the potential for animals to enrich human lives beyond traditional roles.

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This episode of the Global News Podcast offers a comprehensive overview of significant global events and human-interest stories, providing listeners with a nuanced understanding of complex issues and heartwarming tales from around the world.

Transcript

[Janet Jalil]

This is the global news podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Janet Jalil and at 14 hours GMT on Tuesday 25th March. These are our main stories. The Sudanese military is accused of carrying out a horrific massacre. It denies it killed hundreds of people in an airstrike on a market. A court in Japan orders a controversial religious sect whose followers are known as Munis be stripped of legal recognition. How millions of tires meant to be recycled are ending up in furnaces in India instead, causing health and environmental problems. Also in this podcast, we hear about the rare sea turtle that's been left stranded by one of Donald Trump's executive orders.

[Frankie Hobra]

It is a huge problem. It's very frustrating because obviously animal species don't understand politics. They don't understand boundaries and borders. You know, they're doing their thing and nothing has really changed in that respect.

[Janet Jalil]

We start with what's being called one of the worst single attacks in Sudan's two year long civil war. A war monitor says hundreds of people have been massacred by the army in a market in the western Darfur region of Sudan. The Emergency Lawyers Group said army planes carried out an airstrike. And another group reported mass casualties from a bombing on Monday. The army denies it carried out the attack, but civilian deaths have intensified in recent months as the military retakes territory from the rival paramilitary force, the rsf. Our Africa regional editor, Will Ross told us more about the attack.

[Will Ross]

So this market, Torah Market, attracts people from villages across that area of North Darfur. And we understand that it was extremely busy when it was hit. The videos are horrific, to put it mildly. I mean, a lot of destruction and burnt property. But also the videos show the charred remains of people who were during these attacks that we understand came from the air. So the Sudanese armed forces bombing from the air. As you said there, the army itself has denied carrying out the attack. It says it only attacks legitimate targets, not civilians. But throughout the war, both the rapid support forces and the army have killed huge numbers of civilians and they certainly haven't discriminated between military targets and civilian ones. But yes, possibly the the biggest single attack since the war began. It's very hard to know the numbers, but two different groups, the Darfur Initiative for Justice and Peace and the Emergency Lawyers Network are both giving details of this attack. And interesting that the Emergency Lawyers Network, it's really reported abuses by both sides in this war. Even just 24 hours ago, they were talking about an atrocity committed by the RSF where a mosque was attacked in, in Khartoum So it does sort of add to the credibility that they are pointing out atrocities by both sides.

[Janet Jalil]

And what adds to the credibility is that it's only the army that has warplanes.

[Will Ross]

That's right. I mean, the RSF do have drones. So sometimes for, you know, people in areas when bombs are falling from the, from the skies, there can be confusion. But in this case, the reports are consistent that these were army planes.

[Janet Jalil]

And it's nearly two years now since the civil war began. What can we expect? Because it doesn't seem that there's any sign of resolution in sight. And in fact, the fighting has intensified.

[Will Ross]

The fighting's definitely intensified. And as we've been hearing over the last few days, in, in the capital, Khartoum, the army's been making quite a lot of inroads, including taking the presidential palace. It still seems that both sides are determined to fight on. And of course, accusations of external interference, including by the United Arab Emirates.

[Janet Jalil]

Well, Ross, it's been a rather anticlimactic ending to the past three days of talks and halting the fighting in Ukraine, which have been taking place in Saudi Arabia. After lengthy discussions between American and Russian negotiators yesterday, a joint statement had been expected. Instead, the Kremlin said details of the talks would not be made public. This comes after Russia rejected the 30 day ceasefire plan backed by the US and Ukraine. And talks between the Americans and the Ukrainians today have already wrapped up after the two sides also met on Sunday. Vitaly Shevchenko has been monitoring the talks. I asked him what he made of their outcome.

[Vitaly Shevchenko]

Well, the bottom line is that on the ground, nothing has happened yet. More than two months after Donald Trump moved back into the White House, the fighting still continues. All we know is that the latest round or rounds of talks in Saudi Arabia, they focused on safe shipping in the Black Sea. Now, that's important because Ukraine used to export huge amounts of grain via the Black Sea. Now, that's extremely difficult because of the war. Ships are being attacked and that's a problem for Ukraine, for the customers of its grain, and also for Russia that also used the Black Sea to export its grain goods. Now, Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, within the past few minutes has confirmed that Black Sea shipping has been discussed, but we don't know the details. The Kremlin says that these were technical negotiations and details are not going to be revealed. And of course, the bigger issue that's on everyone's minds is a more comprehensive ceasefire that involves fighting on the ground and in the air. Russia has refused to accept it unconditionally. Vladimir Putin said that before that happens, Ukraine should stop receiving new weapons from the west and should stop recruiting new fighters into its army. So that looks like a no disguised as a yes because he said he likes the idea. But I'll say it again. The fighting continues this morning. Ukrainian forces claim to have targeted Russian military infrastructure in Kursk.

[Janet Jalil]

Vitaly Shevchenko. We have another Q and A with our colleagues from UkraineCast coming up soon and we'd like your questions to put to the team. Our email address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk and if possible, please record your question as a voice note. Thank you. A BBC investigation has found that Britain is shipping millions of used tires to India each year, where they're being cooked in makeshift furnaces, causing potentially serious risk to health instead of being recycled. The BBC's File on 4 Investigates program has discovered that about 17 million waste tyres are being sold on the black market. Paul Kenyon reports.

[Paul Kenyon]

Most of us drive a car and most of us at some time have to get our tyres changed. Off with the old, on with the new. And then we get the bill, which includes a small charge for our tires to be disposed of safely. And recycled waste tyres are supposed to be shredded, then used for things like surfacing horse arenas and children's playgrounds. But the BBC has discovered that around half of waste tires in the UK are squashed into tightly bound rectangles called bales. It's more profitable to do this and then ship them abroad. Together with journalists from an organization called Source Material, we teamed up with an industry insider who fitted trackers to end of life tires to see where they ended up. What followed was an extraordinary journey all the way to India, where instead of going for recycling, they were diverted on a 1000 kilometer journey into Central India, where they ended up in pyrolysis plants. Pyrolysis is a process that heats tires to high temperatures, retrieving oil and steel. The BBC's File on 4 Investigates program has been told most plants in India are unlicensed and unmonitored, and it's illegal to import tyres for pyrolysis in India. The process isn't clean. It creates a dangerous cocktail of gases and chemicals.

[Janet Jalil]

These will be oil spills, I suspect, from the process again, or leaks even.

[Paul Kenyon]

That's Peter Taylor from the UK's Tyre Recovery Association. We showed him footage from India of a number of pyrolysis plants just metres away from a village.

[Janet Jalil]

And look, you can see here, carbon dust is penetrating the roofs of some of these sheds. Even basic health and safety rules being flouted. Our tires should not be ending up.

[Vitaly Shevchenko]

In places like this.

[Paul Kenyon]

BBC file on 4 Investigates approached one of the companies. They confirmed they were processing some imported tyres, but said what they were doing wasn't dangerous or illegal. The TRA estimates that 70% of tires exported to India from the UK and the rest of the world end up in these plants. In January, there was an explosion at a makeshift pyrolysis plant near Mumbai. Two children who'd been living inside the plant were killed, along with two adults. Local authorities have since closed seven neighbouring pyrolysis plants. Our team returned to the site a month later to discover some facilities still operating. Locals complained of eye problems and coughing as children played in the soot. Nearby is a mountain of tyres, many from Europe and the uk. Our waste sold into India's black market. Back in the uk, after a tip off, we visited a tyre disposal company in Rochdale which sells end of life bale tyres. Its boss, Zaheer, invited us inside.

[John Isaacs]

It's good of you.

[Paul Kenyon]

And where do these tyres go? They go to India, then.

[Janet Jalil]

India, yeah.

[Paul Kenyon]

And what happens to them in India?

[John Isaacs]

They do polygeist plants.

[Janet Jalil]

They're making furnace oil.

[Paul Kenyon]

They make carbons.

[Janet Jalil]

Brother, listen, there are plenty of companies.

[John Isaacs]

90% English people, doing this business.

[Paul Kenyon]

Zaheer says he exports his ties to India and knows they're going to pyrolysis plants. He told me most people in the industry do it. When I asked him about the environmental damage, he replied, I'm not a health minister. The government says it has rigorous controls in place for exporting waste tires and punishments, including unlimited fines and jail time for those flouting the rules. But environmental groups want stricter regulation of both dealers and of the waste itself.

[Janet Jalil]

That report by Paul Kenyon. Since he's been back at the White House, President Donald Trump has signed dozens of executive orders. One of them is having an unexpected impact on an endangered sea turtle called Rossi. Rossi is a rare Kemp's ridley sea turtle who washed up on the coast of Wales more than a year ago and since then has been nursed back to health by a local zoo in Anglesey. Kemp's ridley turtles are critically endangered, with only about 7,000 females thought to exist. Rossi is now stranded because Donald Trump has paused funding for international Marine turtle conservation from Wales. George heard reports.

[George Heard]

In a rehabilitation tank hidden away from the public at Anglesey Sisu, Kemp's ridley turtle, Rossi, is now fighting fit. The turtles outgrown several tanks after being found in a coma on a beach on the island. At the end of 2023, it's time for Rossi to go home. And home is the Gulf of Mexico, whereas the new US Government would have us say the Gulf of America. And that's where it all starts to fall apart.

[Vitaly Shevchenko]

Sure. The first item that President Trump is signing is the rescission of 78 Biden era executive actions, executive orders, presidential memoranda, and others.

[George Heard]

One of the first acts of Donald Trump when he started his second term as president was to sign an executive order pressing pause on all foreign aid that includes overseas marine turtle conservation work. It was a bolt from the blue for SISU owner Frankie Hobra back on Anglesey.

[Frankie Hobra]

So for Rossi, we're, you know, we've been started the paperwork process, we're waiting on the paperwork process. And that has all completely stalled because of this process and this, this funding all being put on hold. It is a huge problem. It's very frustrating because obviously animals, species don't understand politics. They don't understand boundaries and borders. You know, they're doing their thing and nothing has really changed in that respect.

[George Heard]

The agency overseeing the conservation work in the states is the U.S. fish and Wildlife Service. As well as being told to implement the White House orders, it's also under pressure from billionaire Elon Musk and his government's efficiency drive. With 400 posts already axed. The former director of the service is Martha Williams, appointed to serve during Joe Biden's presidency.

[Janet Jalil]

I didn't expect this administration to necessarily be friendly toward conservation. I have been surprised at the speed and the degree to which they have undermined, you know, decades of goodwill and work in the conservation sphere. This administration's pulling the funding out from under the rug, you know, just pulling it away with no warning when we.

[Frankie Hobra]

Thought that contracts that were in place would be okay.

[George Heard]

BBC Wales has asked the Fish and Wildlife Service to comment on its international programs. In the meantime, Martha Williams has this advice for those back on Anglesey looking after Frosty.

[Janet Jalil]

Don't give up, don't give up. Because we all know that the power of this work transcends one administration.

[Frankie Hobra]

We can't give up.

[George Heard]

Back at the Sizu, Frankie Hobra is now looking at how they can move forward and get Rossi home.

[Frankie Hobra]

We do have other options. So we have the option possibly of working through Mexico, which is something that we could do in the future and for future turtles. But that would be a shame because we've got these great relationships now with these wonderful sort of whole conservation programs for the species in Texas and people that we've been working with. So Rossi will get repatriated, but it's just very frustrating that that process was well underway and now we've had this huge setback and really it's on hold.

[George Heard]

Of course, back in their tank, Rossi is blissfully unaware they've become a casualty of international politics. But the Sizu is confident it's more a matter of when, not if, this turtle finds its way back home to America.

[Janet Jalil]

That report by George heard, and you can see a photo of Rossi if you go to the BBC website and look at the BBC Wales pages still to come.

[Frankie Hobra]

It is already making a difference to my hands in particular, and I'm not taking as many painkillers. Sometimes my joints are quite swollen and they're not.

[Janet Jalil]

Now we hear about a pioneering medical trial that could switch off rheumatoid arthritis. Vast crowds of protesters have taken to the streets of Turkey's cities for the sixth night running to demonstrate against the jailing of Istanbul's mayor in the biggest challenge to President Erdogan's rule for more than a decade. Many fear the arrest of the mayor, Ekrem Imamolu, which happened just days before he was due to be nominated as a presidential candidate, is designed to stop him challenging Mr. Erdogan's longtime grip on power. Since the demonstrations began nearly a week ago, well over a thousand people have been arrested. This woman told the BBC the protests were about a lot more than the jailed mayor.

[Frankie Hobra]

We here because of the mayor of Istanbul, Ekim Mamolu, but after everyone realized how bad country situation is because of the economy, inflation and because of the justice, because of the femicides, because of a lot of things, we have a lot of problems about our country.

[Janet Jalil]

But given that President Erdogan shows no sign of backing down, even calling the protesters evil, where do they go from here? Hilkin Boran is from the BBC Turkish Service. In Istanbul.

[Hilken Boran]

We are expecting protesters to take their streets once again tonight after the head of the main opposition, Republican People's Party, has called them to gather in front of Istanbul City hall in Sarachina for one final time because tomorrow the Istanbul City Council will convene to choose a replacement for jailed Mayor Ekrem Imamolu. And since the opposition has a majority in the council, we are expecting an opposition appointed person to take over Imamolu's post as he's jailed pending trial.

[Janet Jalil]

And Mr. Erdogan has faced protests before. What can the opposition do to try to make him give ground and to allow a freer democracy in Turkey.

[Hilken Boran]

So there have been a couple of demands by the opposition. Notably, they have called for early elections, saying that Erdogan's legitimacy was now in question after Imamoglu's arrest and his declaration as the presidential candidate for the main opposition party, because those two things happened at the same day. And almost 15 million people went to the ballots to elect Imam Aldu as the presidential candidate of the main opposition party. And after this, the main opposition party leader said that now it was time for Erdogan to face Ekremomolu in another election, because under normal circumstances, the closest election is slated for 2028.

[Janet Jalil]

And how much of a challenge is this for Mr. Erdogan, given the scale of the protests?

[Hilken Boran]

The last time we've seen street protests on this level was almost a decade ago during Gezi protests. These were anti government protests in the 2000 and tens. But this has been very widespread. People have been going out in numerous provinces across Turkey. And also we have seen students, organizers, civil society. And these people are not out there just to support Imam Olu. The people that we've been talking to have been telling us that they're out there to defend democracy, to defend their rights, and to defend their future freedoms.

[Janet Jalil]

Hilken Boran, a controversial Japanese religious sect, has been ordered to disband as a religious corporation by a court in Japan. The Unification Church has been accused of pushing its followers, known as Moonies, into giving huge donations, in many cases causing them severe financial hardship. It came under intense scrutiny after the former Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe was assassinated three years ago as his killer, who held a grievance against the church, blamed Mr. Abe for promoting it. Our Tokyo correspondent, Shaima Khalil, told me more about the court rulings.

[Shaima Khalil]

Well, it's a significant development, really, regarding this secretive religious entity, and it stands accused of corruption and that so many people here in Japan blame for ruining their lives and the lives of their families and loved ones. Now, this decision made by the Tokyo District Court to dissolve the Unification Church comes after a government investigation that lasted for months. And the disbanding means one that the church will lose its corporation status. So it will lose its right to get tax exemptions, but it will also have to liquidate all its assets. It can still operate in Japan, and we understand that it will likely be able to appeal that decision. But it comes after the interviewing of 200 people by officials from the Culture and Education Ministry and found that the church had coerced the followers into making huge donations, giving expensive gifts, leading to the financial ruin. But the officials also found that the church manipulated followers interfering for their spiritual well being.

[Janet Jalil]

And the church has been the focus of much controversy since the assassination of Shinzo Abe.

[Shaima Khalil]

That's right. The assassination of Shinzo Abe shocked the nation really in 2022, when the unification Church has come under fire and under intense scrutiny. In that same year, after the alleged assassin had confessed that he had deep grievances against the late Mr. Abbey for his connections to a church that he blamed for the bankruptcy of his family, an investigation found that nearly half of the lawmakers in the ruling Liberal Democratic Party had connections with this controversial sect. And this involvement and the extent of the influence varied from attending church events, receiving donations from the church and or election support. And that really has cost the Liberal Democratic Party dearly. Politics wise, because these revelations shock the people of Japan and they have told us that it's one of the big reasons people have lost their faith in the government and in politics, which is something that the ruling party is still trying to recover from.

[Janet Jalil]

Shimer Khalil. Medical trials are underway which could make it possible, according to scientists, to switch off rheumatoid arthritis, a condition which affects an estimated 18 million people worldwide. Rheumatoid arthritis occurs when your immune system, which usually fights the infection, instead attacks the cells that line your joints by mistake, making them stiff, swollen and in some cases extremely painful. What these trials are setting out to prove is that it's possible to train some white blood cells, the key your immune system, to stop other cells attacking healthy tissue. One of the participants in the trial, Carol Robson, told us about the impact it's had on her already.

[Frankie Hobra]

It is already making a difference to my hands in particular, and I'm not taking as many painkillers. Sometimes my joints are quite swollen and they're not. Now Professor Isaac's explanation is this is a one off procedure, so if it works, that's it. I am hoping that somewhere down the line I will be told I can stop the immunosuppressants because I shouldn't need them any further. And I hope that I will be pain free. I also hope that this study will result in the process being rolled out and taken on to the next stage when it can be applied more generally to other people who have autoimmune diseases.

[Janet Jalil]

And the professor she refers to is John Isaacs, professor of clinical rheumatology at Newcastle University in England, who's leading the research. Julian Warwicker asked him how close we are to switching off the condition.

[John Isaacs]

I think at the end of this trial, we will have a good idea of that. One of the difficulties with this sort of treatment is how do you measure the outcome? Now, you may think that that's an obvious question because, as you've just heard from Carol, they hope that their disease will get better and their symptoms will go away, but that can actually take quite a while. That could take several months to really switch off. And in the meantime, we need to have some tests which tell us that we are actually affecting the parts of the immune system that are causing the disease. So if, at the end of this trial, when we've analyzed all the blood samples, we see that change in the blood, then that's really exciting because it tells us we're on the right track and it will give us markers with which to design future trials.

[Vitaly Shevchenko]

But in terms of those future trials, I mean, there's still a lot to examine, more people to involve before you can arrive at any conclusions, presumably.

[John Isaacs]

Yes, absolutely. I mean, if the question is, when will these treatments reach the, you know, standard care? I've been saying five to 10 years, probably close to 10 years, because it takes a long time for the regulatory processes. And the proof that we need. Absolutely. That the treatment is working, but it's carrying on in the background all the time.

[Vitaly Shevchenko]

How did we get to the point where taking this approach was considered a viable option that led you scientifically into this particular area of treatment?

[John Isaacs]

Yeah, it's been something that's interested me for many years, and this work has been funded by the charity Versus Arthritis for many years. It's around how the immune system works. And I would say over the last 25 years, we've gained a much better understanding of the interactions between different types of cell in the immune system. We understand quite a lot about the cells, which I call the generals of the immune system, which organize and tell other immune cells whether to attack or ignore. And once you've got that idea, then you can take patients own blood cells and grow them in the laboratory and effectively train them to become the cells that switch off disease. It's a process that's been going on for many years, and every experiment gives us more ideas. In laboratory structure, we can make these cells and they do the job that we want them to do. The question is, is when we put them into the complex human body, whether they can still do that task, and.

[Vitaly Shevchenko]

Does it have potential wider implications for other conditions, other arthritic conditions, but beyond those.

[John Isaacs]

Yes. Rheumatoid is an autoimmune disease. And basically, as I kind of. I Hope I've explained it's a disease where the immune system attacks its own joints. Now, many autoimmune diseases, common ones that people will have heard of, are type 1 diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and ultimately the mechanisms are very similar. The way the immune system goes wrong is similar. And indeed you may find families where one member has rheumatoid, somebody else has diabetes, someone else has autoimmune thyroid disease. So the processes that we are developing in the laboratory, with a little bit of tweaking, if they work in rheumatoid, then we should be able to translate that into these other autoimmune diseases.

[Janet Jalil]

John Isaacs, professor of clinical rheumatology at Newcastle University. One of the biggest and most important Iron Age hoards ever found in the UK has been revealed, potentially altering our understanding of life in Britain 2,000 years ago. The collection of around 800 objects includes parts of chariots, wagons and ceremonial spears. It was discovered by a metal detectorist near a village in Yorkshire in northern England. Four years. Tom Moore is professor of Iron Age archaeology at Durham University, who's been leading the excavation of the site.

[Vitaly Shevchenko]

It's not just the scale of the find, which is unprecedented, but it's the range of materials. So there are actually two deposits, but the largest of the deposit is a mound of vehicle parts, so from chariots and actually also possibly wagons. So 28 iron tires from the wheels of chariots and wagons, a huge amount of horse harness, which is. Is beautifully decorated with coral, with glass inlay. Also two vessels, one a cauldron, wine mixing bowl. So it's an exceptional quality of material that's there, which really tells us about the wealth of the people at that time in North Yorkshire and those who buried it. We're really excited by the fact that we've got these four wheeled wagons, which most people are probably more familiar with, the two wheeled chariots from the Iron Age. But the fact that these four wheeled vehicles, which are clearly highly decorated with bronze metalwork and other decoration, are not known from Britain, although we do have parallels on the continent. So this is really kind of intriguing for us as why have we got them in Yorkshire?

[Janet Jalil]

Another expert, Professor Alice Roberts, who presents television programmes on archaeology, says the discovery will teach us much more about what life was like in England at a time when it was being invaded by Romans.

[Frankie Hobra]

It's another chance to learn more about the people of Iron Age Britain on their own terms. Because, of course, this is pre history. There's no written documentation from these people themselves.

[Janet Jalil]

The.

[Frankie Hobra]

The Romans tell us something about the Iron Age Britons, the people of northwest Europe, and generally they viewed them as barbarians. I mean, they did awful things like wearing trousers, they tell us, and drinking undiluted wine and also having women as leaders, which they thought was utterly abysmal. So it's fantastic to use archaeology to actually look at these people in their own right. You know, we'll learn so much about the craftspersonship from this new hoard. The importance of horses. We know that horses were really important, they were symbols of power, but also obviously incredibly functional in this society. And it all just feeds in. We're at a point where we're learning a lot more about the Iron Age.

[Janet Jalil]

Professor Alice Roberts. Now, if you're partial to bacon sandwiches or pork chops, the following story may not be for you. Two pigs adopted by a French woman who features them in numerous online videos have won the hearts of many. Alice Addley reports.

[Frankie Hobra]

When Manon Rod, a lab technician from western France, first met six year old Gustave, it was love at first sight. He was an abandoned piglet who'd been taken in by neighbours when she was living in Montreal in Canada in 2018. When Gustave was abandoned by his first family, my neighbor took him in. I went to see him out of curiosity and I fell in love with him. So I adopted him and I've never left him since. I even made him travel to France to come home with me. She says adopting the pigs is a way of encouraging people to change their view of them as animals for human consumption. She's now adopted a second pig named Leon, and both pigs now live inside her home. She says every person who has met them realizes that a pig is a very interesting animal and she would like people to see them as more than just animals used for their meat. These are very intelligent, very curious animals, so they can easily learn how to open drawers, push down rubbish bins to have access to what's inside, or even make dishes fall over if they're within reach. Actually, when you adopt a pig and have it living with you, you kind of have to rearrange the house as if you have a child that's learning to move around and is starting to touch everything. Gustav also regularly visits Manon's workplace at the local university university, where her desk is decorated with pig pictures. She says this allows the pigs to become less wary of other humans, as pigs usually have a reaction of fear being prey animals. The sight of the animal delights her colleagues.

[Janet Jalil]

It's always such a joy to see him. He's really the mascot here now. All the students love him and give him carrots. And he's so cute too, so it's always a pleasure. That report by Alice Adley. And that's all from us for now. But there will be a new edition of the Global News Podcast later. If you want to comment on this podcast, you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk this edition was mixed by Chris Hanson. The producer was Vanessa Heaney. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Janak Jalil. Until next time. Goodbye.