Syria withdrawing its army from Druze-majority Sweida city

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary

Title: Syria Withdraws Its Army from Druze-Majority Sweida City
Host: Valerie Sanderson
Release Date: July 17, 2025
Source: BBC World Service

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**1. Syria's Withdrawal from Sweida and Israeli Involvement

Overview: The Syrian government has initiated the withdrawal of its military forces from Sweida, a predominantly Druze city in the southern province. This move follows Israeli airstrikes targeting the area, which Syria claims were in defense of the Druze minority.

Key Points:

• Syria's Stance: The Syrian government attributes the withdrawal to increased Israeli military actions aimed at protecting the Druze community. Valerie Sanderson reports, "Syria says its army has begun to withdraw from the predominantly Druze city of Sweda after days of deadly clashes" ([00:48]).

• Israeli Perspective: Israel asserts that its actions are to safeguard the Druze population and prevent jihadist groups from gaining a foothold near its border. Imogen Folks elaborates, "Israel, which has many Druze living there and serving in its army, says it's trying to protect the Druze community and it's blaming the Syrian government for stirring up sectarian violence against the Druze" ([02:22]).

• Local Impact: A surgeon in Sweida, Lena Sinjab, provides a harrowing account of the situation: "Civilians, their homes are being shelled randomly and indiscriminately across entire neighborhoods... Syrians are being targeted simply because they belong to a different sect" ([02:22]).

• International Response: The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, highlighted efforts to de-escalate the conflict, stating, "We think we're on our way towards a real de-escalation and then hopefully get back on track in helping Syria build a country and arriving at a situation there in the Middle East that's far more stable" ([05:24]). Tom Bateman adds context about the Trump administration's maneuvers to stabilize Syria and counter Iranian influence ([05:59]).

Notable Quotes:

• Lena Sinjab ([02:22]): "Any movement's dangerous. Roads are closed. We can't even move between buildings."
• Tom Bateman ([05:24]): "These are historic, longtime rivalries between different groups... leading to an unfortunate situation."

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**2. Gaza Humanitarian Foundation Tragedy

Overview: The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a U.S. and Israel-supported group managing food distribution in Gaza, faced a deadly incident where 20 people died at an aid site. The foundation accused Hamas operatives of orchestrating the violence.

Key Points:

• Incident Details: Nineteen individuals were trampled by overcrowded crowds waiting for food, and one was reportedly stabbed. GHF spokesperson Imogen Folks states, "The GHF was heartbroken, but claimed the deaths were part of a pattern of attacks by Hamas to undermine the foundation's work" ([07:46]).

• UN Reports: The United Nations Human Rights Office has documented nearly 700 deaths related to similar attacks targeting GHF sites, predominantly involving gunshot wounds from individuals attempting to access food supplies.

Notable Quotes:

• Imogen Folks ([07:46]): "This is just the latest tragedy linked to the controversial foundation."

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**3. U.S. Space Force and the Golden Dom Missile Defense Shield

Overview: President Trump advocates for the "Golden Dom" missile defense shield, a multi-layered system designed to detect and neutralize foreign threats, spearheaded by the U.S. Space Force.

Key Points:

• Defense Operations: Jonathan Beale reports from a Colorado military facility where mock missile launches are conducted. "This is America's first line of defense" ([09:48]).

• Technological Advancements: The Space Force utilizes advanced radar and satellite technologies to monitor and intercept threats. Lt. Col. Anne Hughes explains, "They are able to track the point of origin as well as the predicted impact location" ([10:02]).

• International Tensions: Concerns loom over potential adversaries like China and Russia developing hypersonic missiles and space-based weaponry. Colonel Phoenix Hauser emphasizes the necessity of offensive capabilities in space to deter conflicts: "The only way to deter conflict is through strength" ([12:18]).

• Recent Missile Defense Success: A recent drill demonstrated the Space Force’s capability to intercept a salvo from Iran, highlighting operational readiness and strategic importance ([10:16]).

Notable Quotes:

• Colonel Phoenix Hauser ([12:03]): "We are developing offensive weapons for space... to defend those assets."
• Jonathan Beale ([09:15]): "This is just a drill."

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**4. Auction of the Largest Martian Rock on Earth

Overview: A 25-kilogram Martian meteorite was sold at auction in New York for $5.3 million, marking it as the most substantial piece of Mars found on Earth.

Key Points:

• Discovery and Journey: The meteorite traveled 225 million kilometers from Mars before being discovered in Niger, West Africa, by a meteorite hunter in 2023.

• Scientific Significance: Dr. Julia Cartwright highlights the rock’s value for scientific analysis and its status as a space artifact: "Meteorites themselves have many different facets. They hold really, really valuable information about the solar system" ([14:34]).

• Auction Details: Initially priced between $2 to $4 million, the meteorite surpassed expectations, achieving a final sale price of just under $5.3 million ([13:45]).

Notable Quotes:

• Dr. Julia Cartwright ([14:34]): "It is something that is worth quite a lot."

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**5. Dismantling of Pro-Russian Hacker Group Noname 05716

Overview: An international police operation successfully dismantled the pro-Russian hacker group Noname 05716, responsible for extensive cyberattacks on Europe’s critical infrastructure.

Key Points:

• Scope of Attacks: The group launched thousands of denial-of-service (DoS) attacks targeting arms factories, power suppliers, government agencies, and public transportation systems, notably in Ukraine ([16:08]).

• Operation Details: Coordinated efforts by EU crime agencies across 12 countries resulted in the shutdown of over 100 servers and the identification of eight suspects, including key figures based in Russia ([19:39]).

• Future Threats: Despite this success, investigators warn that the threat may evolve as many key players remain beyond reach in Russia ([20:10]).

Notable Quotes:

• Jonathan Beale ([20:10]): "This unprecedented international sweep represents one of the largest actions yet against state-aligned cybercrime networks in Europe."

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**6. Mark Zuckerberg Faces Shareholder Lawsuit

Overview: Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta (formerly Facebook), is set to testify in a high-stakes trial where he and other executives are sued by shareholders for approximately $8 billion in damages related to privacy violations.

Key Points:

• Lawsuit Details: Shareholders accuse Zuckerberg and other executives, including Sheryl Sandberg, of negligence leading to substantial legal costs from privacy breaches. Notably, board members are being sued in their personal capacities for failing to protect shareholder interests ([17:00]).

• Potential Testimony: Prominent figures such as Reed Hastings of Netflix and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen are expected to take the stand during the eight-day trial ([17:30]).

• Company’s Stance: Meta has not directly participated in the lawsuit but defends its significant investments in user privacy protections. "The defendants have called the claims extreme in legal papers" ([18:04]).

Notable Quotes:

• Lily Jamali ([18:55]): "Mark Zuckerberg and some of these other people... are likely to take the stand sometime next week."
• Valerie Sanderson ([18:51]): "Has there been any word from Mark Zuckerberg? I mean, do we know what his case is?"

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**7. Three-Parent IVF Technique Prevents Mitochondrial Disease

Overview: British doctors have successfully born eight babies using a groundbreaking three-parent IVF technique aimed at eliminating mitochondrial diseases inherited from the mother.

Key Points:

• Medical Procedure: The technique involves combining the egg and sperm of the parents with a small amount of DNA from a donor woman’s egg to replace defective mitochondria ([20:10]).

• Ethical Considerations: While the UK and Australia have approved the technique, ethical debates continue regarding the minimal genetic contribution of the third donor and potential long-term effects. Concerns include the transmission of donor mitochondria to future generations ([25:10]).

• Impact on Families: Families affected by mitochondrial diseases express hope and optimism. Cat Kitto shares her relief, stating, "To realize that eight babies have been born free of mitochondrial disease... is really, really optimistic and hopeful" ([21:38]).

• Future Monitoring: The babies will undergo rigorous developmental testing to ensure the eradication of mitochondrial disease, with long-term health assessments extending into adulthood ([25:18]).

Notable Quotes:

• Cat Kitto ([21:38]): "It's to eradicate disease for which there is no cure."
• James Gallagher ([22:17]): "Mitochondria... turn oxygen and food into the usable energy your body needs to survive."

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**8. Cultural Appropriation Accusations Against Prada

Overview: Prada faced backlash for cultural appropriation after showcasing Kolhapur-style sandals at a Milan fashion show without crediting their origins, leading to engagement with local artisans to rectify the oversight.

Key Points:

• Fashion Show Incident: Prada’s presentation of Kolhapur-style sandals, renowned for their 800-year-old craftsmanship, sparked outrage among the artisans who hold geographical indication status ([26:06]).

• Company Response: Acknowledging the mistake, Prada committed to assisting Kolhapur artisans in gaining global recognition for their traditional footwear ([26:22]).

Notable Quotes:

• Imogen Folks ([26:09]): "They've been handcrafting the very same leather footwear."
• Imogen Folks ([26:14]): "The lack of credit was a serious oversight."

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**9. Kew Gardens' Greenhouse Renovation Project

Overview: Kew Gardens in West London is embarking on a $65 million renovation project to restore its historic Palm House and Water Lily House, aiming to achieve net-zero emissions through sustainable heating solutions.

Key Points:

• Renovation Details: The project includes refurbishing the iron framework, replacing 16,000 panes of glass, and implementing green heating methods such as heat pumps ([26:36]).

• Impact on Plants: Over 1,000 plant species will be relocated and preserved during the renovation to protect them from the impending construction ([27:51]).

• Long-term Goals: The overhaul seeks not only to preserve the Victorian-era structures but also to ensure environmental sustainability by reducing the greenhouse’s carbon footprint ([28:07]).

Notable Quotes:

• Thomas Pickering ([27:51]): "It's going to be a long-term project... of success selecting which plants we need to containerize and keep."
• Jonathan Beale ([28:16]): "This is the entrance of where we conduct our advanced tactics analysis for space."

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**10. Space Shuttle Program Highlights

Overview: The podcast concludes with a spotlight on the Space Shuttle program, celebrating the inclusion of women in spaceflight and the historical significance of NASA's astronaut selection.

Key Points:

• Historical Milestone: NASA's acceptance of women astronauts marked a pivotal moment in space exploration history ([29:05]).

• Public Perception: The integration of women into the astronaut corps was seen as monumental, symbolizing progress and equality in space missions ([29:23]).

Notable Quotes:

• Lena Sinjab ([29:09]): "That was pretty monumental as far as the public was concerned."

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Conclusion

The July 17, 2025, episode of the Global News Podcast by BBC World Service covered a diverse array of global issues, from geopolitical tensions in Syria and advancements in medical science to significant events in cybersecurity, corporate accountability, cultural dynamics, and environmental conservation. The podcast provided in-depth analyses, firsthand accounts, and expert insights, ensuring listeners were well-informed about critical developments shaping the world.

For more information or to share your thoughts on this episode, you can reach out via email at [e-mail] or follow the podcast on X @BBCWorldService using the hashtag #globalnewspod.

Transcript

[Valerie Sanderson]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

This is the global news podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Valerie Sanderson and in the early hours of Thursday 17th July, these are our main stories. The Syrian government has started to withdraw its forces from the southern province and city of Sweda following Israel's bombing of Syria in defense, it says of the Druze minority living there. President Trump has denied he's about to fire the chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell, after reports that sent back bank shares sliding. British doctors have announced that eight babies have been born using genetic material from three people in order to prevent devastating and often fatal conditions. Also in this podcast, the large rock from Mars.

[Dr. Julia Cartwright]

It's a fantastic rock. It's huge. Yes, it would be great if it was in a museum for people to see or if it was part of a scientific collective for analyses to be done. But it is something that is worth.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Quite a lot and it's sold at auction for for $5.3 million as we record this podcast. Syria says its army has begun to withdraw from the predominantly Druze city of Sweda after days of deadly clashes. According to Syria, it comes after an earlier ceasefire agreement following an operation in the city against what it called outlaw groups. This was the moment when a presenter on Syria TV had to run and duck for cover after one of the Israeli airstrike hit a building behind her. That followed days of clashes between Druze forces and Bedouin tribes in the southern province of Sueda, which is close to the Israeli border. Israel, which has many Druze living there and serving in its army, says it's trying to protect the Druze community and it's blaming the Syrian government for stirring up sectarian violence against the Druze. The US has been urging restraint from both sides. We'll hear from there in a moment, but first from a surgeon who works in the city of Sweda and sent the BBC this voice note.

[Lena Sinjab]

No one is fine. Civilians, their homes are being shelled randomly and indiscriminately across entire neighborhoods. Rockets, mortars, even heavy artillery is being used. There are snipers everywhere. Any movement's dangerous. Roads are closed. We can't even move between buildings. I can't understand the logic behind targeting civilians or looting their homes. This is not the action of a state, this is the behavior of a gang. Syrians are being targeted simply because they belong to a different sect.

[Valerie Sanderson]

The BBC's Lena Sinjab followed the day's events from Beirut.

[Imogen Folks]

It's the strongest message coming from the Israelis to This newly formed government of Al Sharah that they will not stop until they withdraw their troops from inside Swayda, which is the Druze city to the south of Damascus, very close to the border with Israel. For the Israelis, they say they want to protect the Druze, but also probably they don't want to see any of the jihadist fighter who are part of the Al Shara or the new government army to be present inside Suida or anywhere close to the Israeli border. There has been a deal achieved between the Syrian security forces and the Druze community earlier on, but later on, the Druze leaders have rejected this deal. We're still waiting to see how things are going to move on. The Syrian government has condemned Israelis attacks on Syrian territories, but of course they will not want to engage in any clashes with the Israelis.

[Valerie Sanderson]

And what do you think this is really about? Do you think this is mainly about Israel's concern for the Druze, or is it also about targeting Syria's military?

[Imogen Folks]

Well, Israel, throughout the years of the war when Assad was in power, continued to target sites inside Syria, targeting Iranian and Hezbollah fighters and locations. But after the fall of Assad, immediately after the fall of Assad, for 48 hours, they've hit over 400 military sites, totally crippling the Syrian Defense Forces. So this is a country that has no defense power. Its army is being formed and it's still weak. Its security forces is being formed and is and really has no interest in opening a battle with a strong army in the region. But I think Israel also wants to make sure that none of the jihadists are reaching anywhere close to its border. Many of the Druze also are part of the idf, a part of the forces that come from the occupied Golan Heights. So they want to ensure that anywhere around the buffer zone between Syria and Israel is secure for them.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Meanwhile, the US has been trying to calm the situation. Writing on the social media platform X, the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said they'd engaged all the parties involved in the clashes in Syria and have agreed on specific steps that will bring what he called this troubling and horrifying situation to an end. Earlier, Mr. Rubio was asked about the events at the White House.

[Tom Bateman]

These are historic, longtime rivalries between different groups in the southwest of Syria, Bedouins, the Druze community. And it led to an unfortunate situation and a misunderstanding, it looks like, between the Israeli side and the Syrian side. So we've been engaged with them all morning long and all night long with both sides. And we think we're on our way towards a real de escalation and then hopefully get back on track in helping Syria build a country and arriving at a situation there in the Middle east that's far more stable.

[Valerie Sanderson]

We got the latest from our State Department correspondent, Tom Bateman.

[Tom Bateman]

I think they believe now that they have got at least commitments for that, and that's potentially why you're hearing about an agreement at least, that Syrian state media is reporting that Syrian government forces would withdraw from Suwayda. That would certainly be, I think, a condition that the Israelis had been demanding. I think the administration was taken a bit unawares by the scale of the Israeli bombardment that has taken place over the last 24 hours or so. And remember, the context here is that the Trump administration has been trying to nurture a new relationship with this transitional government led by Ahmed Al Sharar. You know, they have lifted sanctions on the country. They have delisted Hayat Tahrir al Sham, the organization that he belonged to, as a foreign terrorist organization. They've done a lot to try and sort of embed stability into that country because the Americans are trying to draw or further draw Syria in its new form away from the orbit of Iran. And also they want to create this sort of Arab club of Middle east states that the Americans can do business with. Basically, that's one of the big sort of Trump priorities. So they've been trying to do that work. And then at the same time, they've had the Israelis making a whole series of demands saying that the transitional government has to demilitarize the whole Southwest. They can't have their forces there. That has escalated into this very dramatic situation over the last few days with these culminating the Israelis bombing Damascus in those extremely dramatic pictures that we have seen. And so the Americans have been caught with this, trying to sort of compel their ally, the Israelis, to stop doing this, to hold back, although they haven't admitted to that publicly, but at the same time trying to get some concessions from the government in Damascus as well.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Tom Bateman in Washington, the US And Israel backed group, the Gaza Humanitarian foundation, that's taken over food distribution in the territory, has given a rare press conference to confirm that 20 people have died at an aid distribution site. But it blamed Hamas operatives for causing the violence. As IMOGEN Folks reports, 19 of the dead were trampled by the crowds as they waited for food. One was reportedly stabbed. A spokesman said the GHF was heartbroken, but claimed the deaths were part of a pattern of attacks by Hamas to undermine the foundation's work. This is Just the latest tragedy linked to the controversial foundation. The UN human rights office has documented almost 700 deaths, mostly from gunshots shot wounds of people trying to get food at GHF sites. Imogen. Folks, President Trump wants the United States to have what he calls a Golden Dome missile defense shield, A multi layered defense system intended to detect and destroy foreign threats. Leading the way in developing the system is the US Space Force which was set up five years ago and is the newest service in the US military. It's already proved to be crucial in intercepting Iranian ballistic missiles and in helping the US carry out strikes on Iran nuclear program. Our defence correspondent Jonathan Beale has this exclusive report. Mission this is the cape with Countdown 8.

[Lena Sinjab]

In a dark and secure military facility in Colorado lit up by computers and giant monitors. Launch out of the Cape, the countdown to a rocket launch.

[Tom Bateman]

Copy.

[Jonathan Beale]

Valid track one.

[Lena Sinjab]

This is the first time the US Space force has allowed international media into an operations center for missile warning. And this is what they're doing every single day, detecting launches whether fired from Russia, Israel, Yemen or Iran.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Sivers detected a mass volley of five missiles out of Iran heading.

[Lena Sinjab]

This is America's first line of defense.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Launch Yemen.

[Lena Sinjab]

Lt. Col. Anne Hughes oversees the operations rig.

[Jonathan Beale]

Give two track one. They are able to track the point of origin as well as the predicted impact location. So that's the data that they send or they collect and then send downrange.

[Valerie Sanderson]

No, no, let's launch Iran. Copy. No loss.

[Lena Sinjab]

This is just a drill.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Coordinates for the launch are 28 north by 80 west.

[Lena Sinjab]

But a few weeks ago they were doing it for real when Iran fired a salvo of missiles. And at a US military base in.

[Jonathan Beale]

The Middle east we saw Iran launch against Al Udid air base in Qatar. Ultimately we saved the entire installation and the personnel that were there.

[Lena Sinjab]

How did that feel?

[Jonathan Beale]

Heavy. It was absolutely great to make sure that we're safeguarding our U.S. and coalition forces.

[Lena Sinjab]

Outside are these massive big what look like golf balls. And they're covering a large radar, which is how the US Space Force talks to their satellites up in the sky. And this is part of what will be America's Golden Dom, how they provide missile defense for North America. It's in response to growing concerns about Chinese and Russian hypersonic missiles.

[Jonathan Beale]

This is the Wolf Den. This is the entrance of where we conduct our advanced tactics analysis for space. I'm Colonel Phoenix Hauser, the commander of Space Delta 7. We are Space Force's intelligence and targeting Delta.

[Lena Sinjab]

But the US is also worried about their actions in space.

[Jonathan Beale]

We're talking Satellites with grappling arms that can pull other satellites out of orbit. We are already sparring in the cyber domain and the space domain. I think one of our Space Force senior leaders talked about dog fighting in space.

[Lena Sinjab]

That's happening already.

[Jonathan Beale]

I don't know that we're quite there in the type of top gun like dog fighting person perspective, but it's something certainly that we need to be ready for.

[Lena Sinjab]

I'm shown a China People's Liberation army video by Lieutenant General David Miller. So this is what you're up against, do you think? You got to be prepared if directed to contend against adversaries like this should they choose to threaten the US or our allies. Next chart. We will no longer assume that just goodwill will ensure that an adversary will not attack us. So to put it very plainly, you are developing offensive weapons for space. I think what we're advocating for is the development and fielding of capability. The only way to deter conflict is through strength. And we have to have our own systems and capabilities in order to defend those assets. And it has to be made plain to potential adversaries. Are you able to tell us what those options are? I am not.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Intelligence expects a launch out of centcom.

[Lena Sinjab]

America's military relies on space for its communications, navigation and precision strikes.

[Jonathan Beale]

Launch from CENTCOM in five minutes.

[Lena Sinjab]

And its space force is stepping up its ability to defend those interests against any adversary.

[Valerie Sanderson]

That report by Jonathan Beale. Well, how much would you pay for a 25 kilogram rock from Mars? It's the largest piece of the Red Planet found so far here on Earth and it's sold at auction in New York.

[Jonathan Beale]

This is your last chance.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Try one more. I'll say fair warning, then it's with you, Isabel. And selling for $4,300,000. Sol.

[Jonathan Beale]

$4,300,000.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Congratulations on online. Thank you very much. After commission, the total price was just under $5.3 million. The reddish brown Martian rock had travelled 225 million km to Earth before it was found by a meteorite hunter in Niger in West Africa in 2023. It had a guide price of between 2 to 4 million dollars. So what makes this expensive rock so special? Dr. Julia Cartwright is a planetary scientist and cosmo chemist at the University of Leicester in central England.

[Dr. Julia Cartwright]

You will have this sort of material being ejected from Mars in a fairly dynamic process. Probably a massive asteroid hit with lots of chunks coming out. And then those things are kind of spread out into space and then they. The one that we've got here has, was clearly on a trajectory, so it would collide with the earth. And it was found in an area where it's quite easy to find things like big rocks, which would be somewhere like the Sahara Desert. Many of these, because they are found in quite isolated places, are often found by the nomadic people that are living in those areas. So there is a large population of nomadic people who live in the Sahara Desert. And these materials are found and ultimately brought to areas or to people in more populous areas. And then connections are made and messages are sent, say, hey, look, we found this, what we think might be a meteorite. And it kind of goes from there really. But meteorites themselves have many different facets. They hold really, really valuable information about the solar system, but are also considered effectively space artifacts. So for this one in particular, with it being fairly large, I mean, it's a, it's a fantastic, it's a fantastic rock. If you've seen it, it's huge. And yes, it would be great if it was in a museum for CEO. It was part of a scientific collective for analyses to be done. But it is something that is worth quite a lot.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Cosmochemist Dr. Julia Cartwright still to come.

[Jonathan Beale]

The hackers have disrupted major events across the continent, including the European elections, the peace summit for Ukraine, and most recently the NATO summit here in the Netherlands.

[Valerie Sanderson]

An international police operation has dismantled a group of pro Russian hackers accused of a wave of high profile attacks targeting critical infrastructure in Europe. President Trump says he's not planning to fire the Chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Jerome Powell. The initial reports that Mr. Powell had been forced out sparked a drop in bank stocks and the dollar. Mr. Trump has strongly criticized Mr. Powell, saying he was doing a terrible job for failing to cut interest rates. Michelle Fleury reports from New York.

[Jonathan Beale]

U.S. stocks took a rollercoaster ride after a White House source said Donald Trump was ready to fire Fed Chair Jerome Powell, but the president later walked back the claim. Donald Trump has repeatedly stopped short of saying he would fire Mr. Powell, something he may not even have the legal authority to do. The president said he discussed the idea with lawmakers, continuing his criticism of Mr. Powell over the Fed's interest rate policy. Mr. Powell's term ends next May and he plans to stay until then.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Michelle Fleury, the billionaire owner of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg, is expected to testify in a high stakes trial where he's being sued by his own company shareholders. The case got underway on Wednesday in the US State of Delaware. Shareholders from Meta, the parent company of sites including Facebook, Instagram and the messaging app WhatsApp, are suing him for around $8 billion as payback because of the money Meta has already spent on legal fees over privacy violations by Facebook. I heard more from Lily Jamali, our North America technology correspondent.

[Lily Jamali]

These shareholders are alleging that Mark Zuckerberg and some other executives, former Chief Operating officer Sheryl Sandberg, for example, are responsible for these billions of dollars that you mentioned in costs that they have had to spend to settle privacy violations, to basically pay fines in some cases to government agencies that have gone after them for that. And what's interesting too is that they're also suing current and some past members of Meta's board of directors, and they're suing these people in their personal capacity. Meta, the company, is actually not a direct party to the suit, but these shareholders are saying that those directors didn't do their jobs, that they protected Mr. Zuckerberg instead of protecting them, the shareholders.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Has there been any word from Mark Zuckerberg? I mean, do we know what his case is?

[Lily Jamali]

Well, you know, Meta, as I say, has declined to comment. Zuckerberg has not spoken, as far as I know, giving a direct comment on this. But the company has said that they have invested billions of dollars in protecting the privacy of users in recent years. The defendants have called the claims extreme in legal papers, but we are expected to see Mark Zuckerberg and some of these other people, including Reed Hastings of Netflix and Marc Andreessen, a prominent venture capitalist, take the stand in this trial. It's an eight day trial starting today. The judge in the case will ultimately render a decision. And Mark Zuckerberg, from what we're told, is likely to take the stand sometime next week.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Lilly Jamali, a pro Russian group blamed for hacks on critical infrastructure across Europe, has been dismantled in coordinated action by EU crime agencies in 12 countries. The hackers, called Noname 05716, are accused of launching thousands of what's called denial of service attacks, which overwhelms individual systems. The hackers targeted arms factories, power suppliers, government agencies, and public transport, especially in Ukraine. Anna Holligan reports from the Hague.

[Jonathan Beale]

The hackers have disrupted major events across the continent, including the European elections, the peace summit for Ukraine, and most recently the NATO summit here in the Netherlands. As part of the global police operation, more than 100 servers were taken offline and eight suspects, among them the alleged ringleaders based in Russia, were identified. This unprecedented international sweep represents one of the largest actions yet against state aligned cybercrime networks in Europe. But investigators warn that with key players out of reach in Russia, the threat may evolve rather than disappear.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Anna Holligan Doctors here in Britain have announced that eight babies have been born using a groundbreaking three person IVF technique to prevent the children having devastating mitochondrial disease passed from mother to child, which starves the body of energy. The technique combines the egg and sperm from the mother and father with a tiny amount of DNA from the egg of a second donor woman. The technique has been legal in the UK for a decade, but this is the first proof that it's leading to children being born free of illness caused by defective mitochondria, the powerhouse of cells. None of the families involved in using the three person IVF technique are speaking publicly, but Cat Kitto, whose daughter Poppy was diagnosed with mitochondrial disease 12 years ago, just 18 months old, supports its use.

[Jonathan Beale]

It impacts any individual completely differently and any cell can be impacted. So in our daughter, it severely affects her. She is unable to use most of her body independently, very life limiting. To realise that eight babies have been born free of mitochondrial disease and those families are able to live a life with children free of pain, discomfort, disease is really, really optimistic and hopeful. And it's absolutely not IVF or IVF's sake. It is to eradicate disease for which there is no cure.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Ankhodesa I heard more from the BBC's Health and Science correspondent James Gallagher.

This is all about something called mitochondria, which barely anybody has heard of, but they're actually the reason you breathe, because they take oxygen and food and they turn that into the usable energy your body needs to survive. And those mitochondria are in nearly every cell body. What happens is they're passed down from mother to child. So if you have very high levels of defective mitochondria in the eggs, in your ovaries, then all of your children could be affected by mitochondrial disease. So the way science has developed a way of overcoming this is to introduce a second woman who effectively acts as a, as a donor of her healthy mitochondria to the couple that are trying to conceive.

[Jonathan Beale]

And how many people does the mitochondrial disease impact and affect?

[Valerie Sanderson]

The figures are around about one in every 5,000 births are affected by mitochondrial disease. I should say that there is a wide range of symptoms, so some people are relatively mildly affected and will survive into adulthood. Some people have different parts of the body who are affected, but in the most extreme cases it can be fatal within days or even hours of birth.

[Jonathan Beale]

This was also something that was pioneered in Newcastle a decade ago. So why has it taken so long, I guess, for it to be published? And become more common knowledge.

[Valerie Sanderson]

There was a big moment a decade ago when Parliament in the United Kingdom voted to become the first country in the world to make this technique legal. Then there was a process of refining the technology to actually make it work in a clinic rather than in a laboratory. And then, just as they were getting ready to go, Covid happened. The pandemic happened, and that delayed everything. And it's now that they've done the first births and they've monitored them for long enough to be convinced that they are free of mitochondrial disease.

[Jonathan Beale]

What about, I guess, some of the concerns, ethically? There have been some concerns in some countries.

[Valerie Sanderson]

The ethics of this are fascinating. And different countries around the world, for starters, have different laws around what types of embryo research that you can actually do. The UK made it legal. Only Australia has followed in terms of making it legal. But the ethics of this come down to one of the consequences of the way that eggs and the sperm are manipulated. So you get about 99.9% of your genetic inheritance from mum and dad, as you always would, but you get about 0.1% from the donor, because mitochondria have their own DNA, which governs how the mitochondria works inside the body. And so you do get that, that tiny amount of genetic inheritance from the third person. And the way this works, if you have daughters, you will pass that onto them. And if there's a permanent change that's passed down through the generations, how soon.

[Jonathan Beale]

Can we start seeing the full effects of a child into adulthood as well and knowing whether this disease is eradicated completely?

[Valerie Sanderson]

I can answer that in two ways. One of them is we'll find out when they're like, 40 or 50, and you just kind of have to wait. What's happened so far is they go through quite a rigorous developmental testing, and that takes place at 18 months. It's at age 5. So there's still actually a way to go with lots of these eight babies. They do those kinds of tests again. And when you're five, you get a pretty good idea of what's going to happen decades down the line.

James Gallagher. A team from the luxury fashion house Prada has been meeting shoemakers in the Indian city of Kolhapur after accusations of cultural appropriation. Prada sparked outrage at a fashion show in Milan last month when its models wore Kolapur style sandals. Without crediting their famous origins, here's Eletre Naismith. When Prada unveiled what it labelled its.

[Imogen Folks]

Latest leather footwear, it looked rather familiar.

[Jonathan Beale]

Particularly to the artisans of Kolhapur who've.

[Imogen Folks]

Been handcrafting the very same leather footwear.

[Valerie Sanderson]

For over 800 years.

[Imogen Folks]

They're so well known that India gave them geographical indication status in 2019.

[Jonathan Beale]

Trade experts called the lack of credit a serious oversize. Indians were outraged. Prada has admitted being inspired by the iconic footwear. It's promised to work to help Kulapur's sandals gain their rightful global recognition.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Eletre Nasmyth and finally, how do you make a hothouse or greenhouse less hot? Well, that's the challenge facing Kew Gardens, the world renowned botanic gardens in West London. The Palm House, which dates from 1848, and the Water Lily House, which opened four years later, are to be painstakingly renovated in a project which could take five years. The 65 million dollar project will refurbish the building's iron frame and replace its glass, and will also switch to greener heating methods to cut its emissions to net zero. Our science editor Rebecca Morell reports.

[Jonathan Beale]

Kew's Palm House is a wonder of the Victorian age. When it opened in 1848, it was the largest glass house ever constructed. But the hot and humid conditions inside that are essential for the tropical plants it houses have taken their toll on the building. Its ornate painted metalwork is rusting and 16,000 panes of glass need to be replaced. The renovation will begin in two years time, but the horticulturalists at Kew have already started to relocate some of the precious plants as more than 1,000 species need to be removed and safely stored before work can start. Thomas Pickering is the head of glasshouses at Kew.

[Valerie Sanderson]

So it's going to be a really.

[Tom Bateman]

It'S going to be a long term project here and over the next two.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Years it's going to be a process.

[Tom Bateman]

Of success selecting which plants we need to containerize and keep, which ones we need to propagate.

[Valerie Sanderson]

And also some of the plants will.

[Tom Bateman]

Be felling because we won't be able to, we won't be able to move them.

[Jonathan Beale]

Kew is also taking the opportunity to make the greenhouse much greener, replacing the gas boilers with huge heat pumps to drastically cut its emissions.

[Valerie Sanderson]

That report by Rebecca Morell and that's it from us for now. But there'll be a new edition of the Global News Podcast later. If you want to comment on this podcast or the topics covered in it, send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk. you can also find us on X@BBC World Service, use the hashtag globalnewspod. This edition was mixed by Rosynwyn Dorrell. The producers were Liam McSheffrey and Ariane Kochy. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Valerie Sanderson. Until next time. Bye bye.

[Jonathan Beale]

The laws were changing in our country. Women could no longer be discriminated against.

[Valerie Sanderson]

It was the dawn of a new era of space flight.

[Lily Jamali]

NASA started accepting applications from women to be astronauts.

[Valerie Sanderson]

That door that had been barred shut for all these years before now actually was open to you. Thirteen Minutes presents the Space Shuttle. The inside story of the space shuttle program told by the men and women who made it happen.

[Lena Sinjab]

That was pretty monumental as far as the public was concerned. The first woman astronaut from the United States.

[Valerie Sanderson]

You believe in yourself and you think you can do it. Listen now. Search for 13 minutes presents the Space Shuttle. Wherever you get your BBC podcasts and liftoff. Liftoff of FCS 7 and America's first woman astronaut.