Syrian rebels continue their rapid advance

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary
BBC World Service | Episode: "Syrian Rebels Continue Their Rapid Advance"
Release Date: December 6, 2024

The BBC World Service's Global News Podcast delivers an in-depth analysis of the day's most pressing international issues. Hosted by Valerie Sanderson, this episode covers significant developments in Syria, Romania, Ghana, South Korea, Sudan, India, the United States, Canada, and Finland. Below is a comprehensive summary of the discussions, insights, and conclusions drawn from the episode.

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1. Syria: Rapid Rebel Advances and Humanitarian Crisis

Overview: Islamist-led rebel groups in Syria have made substantial territorial gains in a swift campaign that has unsettled the long-standing Assad regime. The United Nations reports a severe humanitarian fallout, with hundreds of thousands displaced and the situation worsening daily.

Key Developments:

• Rebel Momentum: In less than two weeks, rebels captured Aleppo, Syria's second-largest city, and have advanced 70 kilometers closer to Damascus, the capital. They are now encroaching on Homs, a strategic city.

• Strategic Significance: Homs is pivotal as its capture would sever Damascus from the Alawite stronghold on the Syrian coast, where Russian military support is concentrated. Valerie Sanderson emphasizes, “If the rebels capture Homs, that would effectively cut off Damascus from President Assad's Alawite heartland.”—[04:44].

• Regime’s Weakness: Analyst Sebastian Usher posits, “The seeds of the regime's defeat have always been within it. It has been effectively dead since that time.”—[02:38]. He further explains that the Syrian army, plagued by low morale and inadequate equipment, is struggling to resist without robust Russian and Iranian support.

• Humanitarian Impact: Samer Abdel Jabba, head of emergency coordination at the World Food Program, highlights the displacement crisis: “In the first few hours after the 27th of November, we saw that the number went up from 48,000 to almost 280,000 people.”—[03:13]. The UN warns that up to 1.5 million may soon require assistance.

Quotes:

• Abu Mohammed al Jilani (HTSM Leader): “Our goal is the end of the Bashar al Assad regime and the government he leads.”—[02:30].

Analysis: The rapid advances by rebel forces suggest minimal resistance from Assad's military, exacerbated by weakened external support. This shift not only destabilizes the region but also reignites fears of an intensified conflict with severe civilian repercussions.

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2. Romania: Constitutional Court Annuls Presidential Election Results

Overview: In a surprising move, Romania's Constitutional Court has annulled the first round of the presidential elections, necessitating a complete rerun. This decision comes amid allegations of foreign interference and political tension.

Key Developments:

• Election Annulment: The court invalidated the first-round results, which saw far-right candidate Colleen Georgescu unexpectedly lead. The decision forces a restart of the electoral process, including campaigning activities.

• Allegations of Interference: Laura Bicker reports that intelligence agencies uncovered a significant external operation on TikTok aimed at manipulating voter behavior, with suspicions pointing towards Russian involvement. Georgescu denies ties with Moscow, asserting, “the political establishment here couldn't cope with his success and was trying to block him.”—[08:22].

• Political Uncertainty: The annulment plunges Romania into political uncertainty, with the government yet to be formed after the recent parliamentary elections. The implications of this ruling may reshape Romania’s political landscape moving forward.

Quotes:

• Sarah Ainswood (Reporter): “The government... will have to name the date for a new presidential vote. But the country is now in totally new territory politically.”—[09:26].

Analysis: This unprecedented annulment underscores vulnerabilities in Romania’s electoral system and raises concerns about foreign influence in domestic politics. The outcome of the rerun election will be pivotal in determining Romania's political trajectory and its stance within the European Union.

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3. Ghana: Cost of Living Crisis Intensifies Ahead of Elections

Overview: Economic hardships dominate Ghanaian voters' concerns as the country approaches general elections. With inflation soaring, citizens are grappling with escalating living costs, influencing their electoral choices.

Key Developments:

• Economic Strain: Daniel Mbabuguri articulates the widespread impact of rising prices: “Everything has increased in price. The increase is too much. It's really affecting us, but we have to live to survive.”—[01:18]. High inflation rates have severely reduced purchasing power, leading to decreased business activity and rising unemployment.

• Swami Magazine's Struggle: James Coppnell explores Swami Magazine, Kumasi’s industrial hub for garages and foundries, highlighting the dire economic conditions. Mechanic Daniel Mbabuguri emphasizes the need for governmental support: “We ask them to come to help us so that we can manufacture the parts we are using here. If we manufacture it here in Ghana, it will help the economy.”—[19:07].

• Public Sentiment: Workers and business owners express frustration and fear for the future, hoping that the newly elected government will address economic disparities and support local industries.

Quotes:

• Daniel Mbabuguri: “If I'm to get opportunity to face government today, what I would say is he should let his mind come to youth.”—[20:47].

Analysis: The economic turmoil in Ghana is a critical factor influencing voter behavior. The General Election on Saturday will likely hinge on candidates' ability to propose effective solutions to the inflation and unemployment crisis, aiming to restore economic stability and growth.

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4. South Korea: Presidential Impeachment Vote on the Horizon

Overview: South Korea stands on the brink of a significant political shift as Parliament prepares to vote on impeaching President Yoon, following his controversial declaration of martial law.

Key Developments:

• Martial Law Controversy: President Yoon's six-hour tenure of martial law has ignited bipartisan efforts to remove him from office. Claims have emerged that he intended to detain opposing MPs, escalating fears of authoritarianism.

• Parliamentary Dynamics: The opposition seeks support from members of the ruling party to secure the necessary votes for impeachment. Despite the governing party leader's support, internal divisions persist.

• Public Protests: Laura Bicker describes escalating public demonstrations, with increasing crowds demanding the president's removal: “the number of people who are coming out to try to call for him to be removed is increasing.”—[10:04].

Quotes:

• Daniel Mbabuguri on Ghana: Not applicable in this section.

Analysis: The impeachment vote represents a critical juncture in South Korea’s democratic framework. The outcome will have profound implications for the nation's political stability and its democratic institutions, reflecting public demand for accountability and governance integrity.

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5. Sudan: Escalating Humanitarian Crisis Amidst Civil Conflict

Overview: Sudan's civil war, often overshadowed by other global conflicts, has precipitated the world's most severe humanitarian crisis, with millions displaced and countless facing starvation.

Key Developments:

• Darfur's Crisis: The western region of Darfur is the epicenter of the conflict, with the Rapid Support Forces targeting non-Arab communities. Access for aid workers and journalists remains severely restricted.

• Humanitarian Efforts: Christopher Lockyer of Doctors Without Borders underscores the dire conditions: “Sudan is probably facing one of the most devastating humanitarian crises that the world has seen for decades.”—[12:03]. The Zamzam camp near Al Fasha epitomizes the struggle, with acute shortages of food and medical supplies leading to reduced services.

• Global Failure: Lockyer criticizes the international community's inadequate response, highlighting the compounded suffering due to restricted access and continued violence.

Quotes:

• Christopher Lockyer: “The health facilities in Darfur are administratively and politically cut off from the state system... it’s a global humanitarian failure.”—[13:46].

Analysis: The humanitarian disaster in Sudan demands urgent international intervention. Continued conflict and restricted access for aid impede relief efforts, exacerbating the plight of millions. Sustainable peace and comprehensive humanitarian policies are essential to mitigate the ongoing suffering.

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6. India: Rising Discrimination Against Muslim Communities

Overview: Discrimination and hostility towards Muslims in India are escalating, leading to social unrest and forced displacement. A recent incident in Uttar Pradesh underscores the broader issue of minority treatment under the current political climate.

Key Developments:

• Housing Discrimination: A Muslim couple in Moradabad was pressured to sell their home after Hindu neighbors protested their residency near a local temple. Barasan Etharajan reports, “This was like, you know, outrageous comments by these women.”—[21:42].

• Broader Social Impact: Instances of cultural and religious discrimination, including attacks on Muslims for beef consumption and lynchings, have surged. High-profile cases, such as actor Imran Hashmi's blocked housing purchase in 2009, highlight systemic biases.

• Political Climate: The rise of Hindu nationalist sentiments under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration is correlated with increasing marginalization of Muslim communities. Etharajan notes, “Muslims are being ill treated every now and then on social media.”—[23:19].

Quotes:

• Barasan Etharajan: “It is going to have a huge impact on the social fabric of the country in the long term.”—[23:19].

Analysis: The growing intolerance towards Muslims threatens India's diverse societal fabric. Without robust legal protections and societal reforms, minority communities may continue to face systemic discrimination, undermining national unity and human rights standards.

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7. United States: Boeing’s 737 Max Plea Deal Rejected

Overview: A U.S. judge has dismissed Boeing's proposed plea deal related to the fatal 737 Max crashes, marking a significant legal setback for the aerospace giant and a partial victory for victims' families.

Key Developments:

• Rejected Plea Deal: Boeing attempted to resolve the case through a plea agreement that included independent monitoring and a $200 million fine. Judge O’Connor rejected the deal, citing inadequate compliance requirements and flawed diversity criteria in monitor selection.

• Victims' Families' Response: Families of the 346 crash victims have long opposed the plea deal, viewing it as insufficient justice. The judge’s ruling aligns with their stance, emphasizing that Boeing did not commit to meaningful accountability.

• Next Steps: Boeing has 30 days to respond to the ruling. The U.S. Department of Justice is currently reviewing the decision, with potential implications for the company’s legal and financial standing.

Quotes:

• Samer Abdel Jabba: “The proposed agreement didn't actually require Boeing to comply with the Monitor's recommendations and also gave the company a say in selecting a candidate.”—[25:05].

Analysis: The rejection of Boeing's plea deal signifies a stricter judicial approach towards corporate accountability in aviation safety. This decision may compel Boeing to adopt more rigorous compliance measures and could set a precedent for future legal negotiations in the aerospace industry.

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8. Canada: Polar Bear Attack Highlights Climate Change Impact

Overview: A rare polar bear attack in northern Ontario has brought attention to the emerging threats posed by climate change to both wildlife and human communities.

Key Developments:

• Incident Details: In Fort 7 First Nation, a couple was confronted by a polar bear while searching for their dogs. The husband intervened, resulting in serious injuries before a neighbor shot the bear. Samer Abdel Jabba explains, “It absolutely is [climate change].”—[27:09].

• Climate Change Link: Experts attribute the bear's inland behavior to habitat disruption caused by melting polar ice, forcing bears to seek food closer to human settlements.

• Safety Recommendations: Polar Bear International advises that in polar bear encounters, individuals should not play dead but instead fight back, as demonstrated by the couple’s actions.

Quotes:

• Alyssa McCall (Polar Bear International): “If you are attacked by a polar bear, definitely do not play dead. And she added, fight as long as you can.”—[27:52].

Analysis: The increasing frequency of polar bear encounters with humans underscores the urgent need to address climate change and its effects on wildlife habitats. Communities must adapt to these changes by enhancing safety measures and supporting environmental initiatives to mitigate further disruptions.

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9. Finland: Launch of the World’s First National Soundscape

Overview: Finland has pioneered the creation of a national soundscape, a 15-part musical composition that captures the essence of the country's natural and cultural landscapes.

Key Developments:

• Composition Details: Composer Lauri Porra integrates diverse instruments such as cellos, pianos, and the Finnish zither (kantele) to evoke the tranquility and vastness of northern Finland. The soundscape progresses from birdsong-filled forests to sounds of everyday life and nature.

• Cultural Significance: The project aims to provide a sonic representation of Finland’s serene environments, offering listeners an auditory escape from the fast-paced global lifestyle.

Quotes:

• Lauri Porra: “I wanted my work to reflect the way the Nordic world gave you space and time to think, experience and just be.”—[28:50].

Analysis: Finland's national soundscape initiative celebrates the country's rich natural heritage and offers a unique cultural experience. It highlights the importance of preserving and appreciating natural soundscapes amidst increasing urbanization and technological advancements.

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Conclusion

The Global News Podcast episode from December 6, 2024, provides a comprehensive overview of critical international issues, from the escalating conflict in Syria and political upheavals in Romania and South Korea to humanitarian crises in Sudan and rising discrimination in India. Economic challenges in Ghana, legal battles in the United States, climate-induced wildlife threats in Canada, and cultural innovations in Finland further underscore the interconnectedness of global events. Through detailed reporting and expert analyses, the podcast ensures listeners are well-informed on matters shaping our world today.

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For more details on these stories and others, consider tuning into the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service.

Transcript

[James Coppnell]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Available now on the documentary from the BBC World Service.

[Sebastian Usher]

Three years after the Taliban swept to.

[Samer Abdel Jabba]

Power, as many as 8 out of 10 female journalists in Afghanistan are no longer in their jobs. But some have resisted. What is the life of female journalists like now?

[Valerie Sanderson]

Listen now by searching for the documentary wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Valerie Sanderson at 1300 hours GMT on Friday 6th December. These are our main stories. In Syria, Islamist led rebels continue their rapid advance. The UN says hundreds of thousands of people have already been displaced. With the rebels on the outskirts of the city of Homs, Romania's top court has annulled the results of the first round of the presidential election, saying the whole process must be rerun. Also in this podcast, we're in Ghana where the cost of living dominates voters concerns ahead of the general election on Saturday.

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

Everything has increased in price. The increase is too much. It's really affecting us, but we have to live to survive, so we have to manage it.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

And how to react to a polar bear on the attack almost 14 years after civil war broke out in Syria, it's taken just nine days for Islamist rebels to turn the country upside down. They've already captured the country's second city, Aleppo, and further South Hama, where a statue of the late Syrian president Hafez al Assad, the father of President Bashar al Assad, has been torn down. As we record this podcast, the rebels have reported to have advanced a further 70km closer to the capital, Damascus. They're now on the outskirts of another big city, Homs. Thousands of people have fled the city. Images posted on social media show people celebrating as a convoy of rebel vehicles drives through a town 10 km from Homs. The leader of the rebel group HTSM, or Hayat Taril al Sham, Abu Mohammed al Jilani, told CNN that its goal is the end of the Bashar al Assad regime and the government he leads.

[Sebastian Usher]

The seeds of the regime's defeat have always been within it. It has been effectively dead since that time.

[Samer Abdel Jabba]

However, the Iranians attempted to revive the regime, buying it time, and later the Russians also try to prop it up.

[Sebastian Usher]

But the truth remains, this regime is dead.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

Civilians caught in the middle continue to bear the brunt of the conflict, with the UN saying 300,000 people have been displaced since the fighting escalated just over a week ago and that number is only going to rise. Samer Abdel Jabba is the head of emergency coordination at the World Food Program.

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

So in the first few hours after the 27th of November, we saw that the number went up from 48,000 to almost 280,000 people. People who got displaced so far. And if the situation continues evolving in that pace, we're expecting collectively around 1.5 million people that will be displaced and will be requiring our support.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

Our correspondent Barbara Blatasha is in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

[Valerie Sanderson]

The latest that we're hearing is the rebels operations room saying that they are advancing very quickly from Hama south to Homs, which is Syria's third largest city. So they're reporting that they have already passed through two towns along the way where we had been hearing that the army had been preparing defenses and that they are now about 5km from Homs. They have released video footage on their channels showing them in a town that is close to Homs or appearing to show them that. We have not been able to verify that. But the main war monitor has been saying the same thing, that they are quite close to Homs. So they're advancing apparently at an extraordinary speed, which suggests they're not facing much resistance. We understood that the Russian air force, which backs the Syrian regime, had carried out several airstrikes on a bridge in a town that is on the road, hoping to slow the advance. But if the reports we're hearing are correct, it has not done so.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

If the rebels capture Homs, that would effectively cut off Damascus from President Assad's Alawite heartland. That's on the Syrian coast. So how significant is that?

[Valerie Sanderson]

That is significant because that is his political stronghold. And Homs is really the main, maybe the only route to get to the coast, because you come up north from Damascus, then when you reach Homs, you are able to turn towards the coast and get to this area which has been essentially untouched by the civil war, which is the heartland for the minority Alawite population from which Bashar al Assad comes and which also hosts a Russian naval base. So cutting that off would be a big blow to Bashar al Assad, to the strength that he still has and to the perception of his regime. I should think also the other would be, of course, if the rebels capture Homs and then head south to Damascus, which is of course the capital and really the heart of the regime's power.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

Barbara Plet Usher. I got more details from our Arab affairs analyst, Sebastian Usher.

[Sebastian Usher]

You would have thought if the Syrian army is going to put up a fight, now is the time. But the issue is whether they actually have that Ability. I mean, we know from way back in the war that the Syrian army wasn't up to it. It was overstretched, it was underequipped, very bad morale. And it depended on outside forces, it depended on the Russian bombardments, it depended on Iranian linked militias. And those just don't seem to be in the same kind of intensity that we saw then. Whether this is the moment that Russia will feel that whatever it can do, it will attempt. We heard again from Barbara trying to hit a bridge that is strategic. But what we are likely to see if Russia and Iran really want to support President Assad in a military sense rather than perhaps diplomatically, is the kind of horrific war of attrition that we saw over leper, that we saw in Homs, where whole districts are reduced to rubble and the cost in civilian lives isn't really taken into account. I think that's why people are fleeing Homs, because they fear they're going to get caught up into that kind of conflict. This would be the moment. But all the indications are for now the Syrian army still isn't up to it.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

So tell us about the rebels. What do they want and what are they offering the people of Syria?

[Sebastian Usher]

I mean, what they want is interesting because they hadn't really, as far as I could see, expressed a wider wish. Beyond Idlib, where they had been building up their control, they'd been administering the place, essentially making a power base, but also a showcase for what they wanted to bring. I mean, hts, the main rebel faction leading this was an offshoot of Al Qaeda. It broke publicly with Al Qaeda back in 2016, but still suspicions, but it was essentially with them still. And whether its ideology was still that very zero sum, fundamentalist, jihadist ideology is a big question now. They've been saying its leader, Mohammed Abu Al Jalani has been saying, no, that's not what we want to do. We don't want to impose this. We do want a state that is run by Islamic law if we were to take power. We do want. He was saying just this morning in an interview he gave to CNN that he does want to topper President Assad. Whether that was their initial goal when this started or the momentum has carried them away. That this now seems possible I think is a big question. And even if you do topple President Assad, it doesn't leave you in control of the whole of Syria. There are other groups obviously in the east, the Kurds in the very north, you have a Turkish backed militia there, you have other factions around. ISIS is liable to take advantage of this. That terr complexity and instability of Syria is still there and this is bringing it back out into the open.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

Sebastian Usher, Romania's Constitutional Court has ruled that the country's presidential election must be rerun just two days before the second round was due to take place. It's annulled the results of the first round that was won by a far right ultra nationalist candidate, Carlyn Georgescu, in a surprise result. Recent opinion polls suggest he was the favourite to beat his pro EU rival in Sunday's runoff. Sarah Ainswood reports.

[Laura Bicker]

This is a shock ruling by Romania's Constitutional Court, but it comes after two weeks of high political tension here. The judges have annulled the entire presidential election, which will now have to be rerun from scratch, including campaigning. This is all after a candidate from the far right fringe of Romanian politics. Colleen Georgescu won the first round of voting. Two weeks ago. He was almost totally unknown and only campaigned on TikTok. Then documents from Romania's intelligence agencies revealed what they called a massive external operation on TikTok to warp the vote in his favor. Suspicions have focused firmly on Russia this week. Mr. Georgescu denied to the BBC that he was Moscow's man. He claimed the political establishment here couldn't cope with his success and was trying to block him. The government, which hasn't been formed yet after a parliamentary election last week, will have to name the date for a new presidential presidential vote. But the country is now in totally new territory politically, and no one is quite sure what comes next.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

Sarah Rainsford, South Korea is still in limbo, waiting for Saturday night's vote on a motion to impeach the president after he unexpectedly declared martial law on Tuesday and then went back on his decision just six hours later. Opposition MPs have spent the time since then trying to secure enough votes from the governing party to back his removal. So far, the head of the governing party says he supports impeachment, but other members have said they don't. The opposition needs to find at least eight governing party members to pass the vote. With the latest, here's our correspondent Laura Bicker, who's outside parliament. In South Korea, this is the third.

[Laura Bicker]

Day of protests, and as usual in Korea, it turns into a bit of a party atmosphere. But they are growing in size. They are once again calling for his impeachment. And in the next 24 hours, a vote will be held at the national assembly, which is just a few hundred meters from here. Now, today we've heard some extraordinary accounts of the night that he declared martial law. We have heard from the leader of his own party who said that he had to be removed for the safety of the Republic of Korea. He said that he's seen new evidence that President Yoon had planned to round up the members of Parliament and have them detained in a prison. We've also heard from the intelligence services that President Yoon had given orders to round up the members of parliament to tie up Los Angeles. Now, this relates to the fact that this is a president who was desperately trying to grip on to power, deeply unpopular and struggling to gain the support of his own party. It does seem, given the evidence that we've had, that he wanted to somehow use martial law to overrule his own national Assembly. So what we're seeing over the last few hours is a buildup of pressure on the president himself, but he is showing no signs that he wishes to resign. Earlier, there were rumors within the national assembly that he was going to come, going to apologize and going to resign. At that time, the members of parliament located the door, linked arms, calling again for him to be impeached. He did not show up. There is no sign so far that he's even going to speak publicly. Meanwhile, the number of people who are coming out to try to call for him to be removed is increasing, and we are expecting these crowds to grow in the next 24 hours ahead of that impeachment vote.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

Laura Bicha the ongoing civil war in Sudan is often called a forgotten war, but it's fueling the world's worst humanitarian crisis. Million of people are displaced and many thousands are at risk of famine. Nowhere in the country is this worse than in the western region of Darfur, where the Rapid Support Forces, a paramilitary group fighting the army for control of the country, has been targeting non Arab communities. It's been nearly impossible for aid workers or journalists to get into Darfur. One of the main aid organizations in the country is Medecain Sans Frontier Doctors Without Borders. And its secretary general, Christopher Lockyer, has just arrived in Darfur from the city of Elginina. He spoke to Victoria Awankunda.

[James Coppnell]

Sudan is probably facing one of the most devastating humanitarian crises that the world has seen for decades. You mentioned the displacement. That's 11 million people, or one in five Sudanese have been forced to flee their homes. And you mentioned the hunger situation. That's more than half the population facing acute hunger at the moment throughout Sudan. And there's been a decimation of the health service and a strangulation of humanitarian supplies. I saw some of this firsthand yesterday in the hospital in El Janina. I've seen a boy who'd been shot in the jaw and had undergone reconstructive surgery in a hospital that was lacking in supplies. I've seen premature babies on oxygen who just two days ago were introduced to the world with a traumatic birth. A hospital fully reliant on humanitarian medical supplies. As the health facilities in Darfur are administratively and politically cut off from the state system, what we're seeing is a global humanitarian failure. And at the same time, there are huge areas in Sudan which we or other humanitarian actors don't have access to. For example, there is the Zamzam camp near Al Fasha, where we're running a hospital despite it being under siege. But the acute lack of food and medicines because of, in this case, the rapid support forces preventing supplies coming in. And despite a declaration of famine in this camp back in August, we are forced to focus our treatment on children who are at the greatest risk of death. And we've had to reduce our services, including stopping outpatient care, to 5,000 children, including thousands of whom are malnourished. So it's a complex patchwork. There are areas in which there is access and we need to massively scale up and there are areas of the country which is hugely unserved and hugely worrying.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

Christopher Lockyer. Still to come, the Sound of Finland.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Available now on the documentary from the BBC World Service.

[Sebastian Usher]

Three years after the Taliban swept to.

[Samer Abdel Jabba]

Power, as many as 8 out of 10 female journalists in Afghanistan are no longer in their jobs. But some have resisted. What is the life of female journalism?

[Valerie Sanderson]

Journalists like now listen now by searching for the documentary wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

Economic questions, especially the rising cost of living, have topped people's concerns in Ghana. Ahead of general elections in the country On Saturday, nearly 19 million voters will be choosing the next president and MPs. At the end of 2022, the annual inflation rate hit 54%. It's come down since then, but prices are still rising steeply.

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

Oil prices are up and you have to work very hard for it. Somebody in Ghana said it's not feeling the heat concerning inflation or the price of Asia. No, no, no. Everybody will feel it. Everything has increased in price. The increase is too much. It's really affecting us, but we have to live to survive, so then we have to manage it. For now, the business has gone down because there's no job. There's no job. So, like example, if my husband didn't go to work so he will not get money, how will he give me? So it means I can go to market and buy some little things.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

Kumasi is Ghana's commercial capital and there's one area that is a hive activity with a reputation that goes well beyond Ghana's borders. The place is called Swami Magazine and it's home to a vast array of garages and foundries. It's so big, in fact, that local authorities think there might be more than 200,000 people working there. The BBC's James Coppnell went to find out what they want from a new government.

[James Coppnell]

Welcome to a place unlike any I've seen before. This is Swami Magazine. It's a place where clapped out old cars from Europe and elsewhere come not to die, but to be reborn. The mechanics here strip the cars and use the parts to repair other vehicles. It's a vast, sprawling, noisy place and luckily we have a guide from the Ghana national association of Garages. Just introduce yourself.

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

Yes, my name is Daniel Mbabuguri.

[James Coppnell]

So people, when they have a problem with a car, they come here to get it fixed. Right. But is it just people from Kumasi coming or people come from elsewhere in Ghana, even further afield?

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

No, in West Africa, Togo, Beni, Cote d'ivoire, Nigeria, Mali and Burkina Faso. All of them comes here. Swami Magazine is an industrial hub whereby every car, type of a car from every country can be repaired. In Swami Magazine.

[James Coppnell]

Tell me your name.

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

My name is Master Musa Malik. I am a mechanic doing service in hybrid trucks.

[James Coppnell]

Is it hard work right now?

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

Yeah. You know, everywhere is a hard. So we don't have any help from anywhere. Even me, I'm a master myself and I have more than 40 something apprentices. They are working with me but I don't have any help from anywhere. I'm just managing with them how they're going to get their food, their shopping, everything is from me. So that's that once make it hard to me.

[James Coppnell]

We have an election coming up on Saturday, of course, Ghana's new president, whoever it is, what could they do to help help you and the people who work here?

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

We can manufacture more things because the knowledge is here. So we ask them to come to help us so that we can manufacture the parts we are. You are using it here? If we are manufactured it here Ghana, it will help the economy. So that's why we are, that's how we are telling them.

[James Coppnell]

Are you proud to work here in Swami Magazine?

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

Yes.

[James Coppnell]

Daniel. This is quite a strong smell. We can, we can get here. Where are we now?

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

Here is a car sprayer area where they spray cars.

[James Coppnell]

Oh, so it's the smell of the paint where we're getting.

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

So there's chemicals that they use to spray the car. Is what we are now feeling, is.

[James Coppnell]

That bad for people's health, the people who work here?

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

Yes, it has health effect because when you breathe in the chemicals unprotected, it can affect your health. So we are appealing the government that they should give us a vast place so that we be able to relocate, so that we can group ourselves so that when we are working it will not affect the entire community or the people in that area. Okay. My name is Idrisso Abdul Ganiu.

[James Coppnell]

You do foundry work here?

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

We did fundraise.

[James Coppnell]

It's quite a difficult time economically in Ghana right now. Lots of people complaining about high prices.

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

In fact. In fact that one, we can't talk it now. I feel like crying. We are dying for in terms of inflation, Ghana, here we are dying.

[James Coppnell]

It's that bad?

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

It's very, very bad.

[James Coppnell]

There are elections on Saturday. Whoever wins, do you think they can make a difference to your life, make things better here?

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

If I'm to get opportunity to face government today, what I would say is he should let his mind come to youth.

[Laura Bicker]

Youth.

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

We are suffering.

[James Coppnell]

The young people of Ghana.

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

The young people of Ghana, we are suffering.

[James Coppnell]

There are obviously lots of people working here as mechanics, as apprentices, but are there also, do you see people who try and go to Europe, try and migrate, just feel that there is no hope for them here in Ghana.

[Daniel Mbabuguri]

I'm here today. If I get opportunity by tomorrow, you see me in Ghana.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

Idris, ending that report from James Copnell. Now to India, where a Muslim couple have been hounded out of their new home by Hindu neighbours in an upmarket residential block in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Activists say discrimination against minority communities, especially Muslims, has become common in many Indian cities. I heard more from our South Asia regional editor and Barasan Etharajan.

[Barasan Etharajan]

This happened in the city of Moradabad, about 165 km from the capital Delhi in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Now, the original owner of this villa or an independent house in a gated community. So he was telling that he was a doctor and he knew a fellow doctor. Both of them are working for nearly 40 years. Their families knew each other. And he decided to sell his house to his friend, a Muslim doctor. And then somehow the neighbors came to know about it. And then there was a protest on Tuesday night and this video went viral on social media saying, you know, we cannot tolerate a Muslim family living right in front of our local temple. This is also a question of the safety of our women. So this was like, you know, outrageous comments by these women. It went viral. And after all this controversy, then the Muslim couple decided to sell the flat to another person, another Hindu, because they didn't want to live there anymore because it will cause a lot of uneasiness for them and as well as for their neighbors. So, but this has also triggered a wave of anger on social media in India and people talking about, you know, what happened to our tolerance, what happened to, you know, the legal procedures, because there is nothing in the law which says that a particular religious community person cannot buy a house in any particular locality. So this is what people are talking about. The wider issue of what is happening to minority communities in India.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

How difficult is it to be a Muslim in India now?

[Barasan Etharajan]

You know, I have my friends saying that how difficult it is for them to find a house in Delhi, especially if you are from the northern Indian administered part of Kashmir. People are saying, you know, the owners will not talk to you, the brokers will not even take to you, the estate agents won't even show you houses. But it is a broader problem. It's not simply about common people. A very famous actor called Imran Hashmi, he filed a complaint in 2009 after a housing society blocked his purchase of a flat. This comes in the wake of a number of reported attacks on Muslims for carrying beef because the Hindus consider cows sacred and also about lynchings. A number of people were killed. So now Muslim community leaders feel that they are being treated like a second great citizens, especially after the Hindu nationalist, the BJP government came into power after Mr. Narendra Modi became Prime Minister. But the BJP and the supporters of Mr. Modi, they strongly deny these charges. But you see the reports of how Muslims are being ill treated every now and then on social media and it is going to have a huge impact on the social fabric of the country in the long term.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

And Barasan Etarajan. A Boeing plea deal intended to resolve a case related to two fatal crashes of its 737 Max planes back in 2018 and 2019 has been rejected by a US judge. Judge O'Connor criticized Boeing's decision to consider race in the hiring of an independent monitor to assess compliance, which was part of the plea deal. Boeing has 30 days to respond to the ruling. The U.S. department of justice said it was reviewing the decision. Our business correspondent Marika Oy has the details.

[Samer Abdel Jabba]

In somewhat of a victory for those family members of the 346 people who were killed in those two fatal crashes. A US judge has basically rejected a plea deal that Boeing made with the US Government in which basically they had managed to avoid criminal persecution by facing independent monitoring and by paying just over $200 million in fine. Now, the family members had called this plea deal as a get out of jail free card for Boeing and they have been fighting back ever since. And in the court ruling, the judge actually agreed with those family members, pointing out that the proposed agreement didn't actually require Boeing to compl with the Monitor's recommendations and also gave the companies a say in selecting a candidate. He also described the diversity requirements for hiring the Monitor contradictory. So somewhat of a victory for family members of those victims.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

Marika Oi to Canada now, where a man who leapt on a polar bear to save his wife is expected to recover despite suffering serious injuries all over his body. The couple were outside their home in a First nations community in northern Ontario. Stephanie Prentice told me more.

[Samer Abdel Jabba]

Well, Val, this all happened in a small remote community around 400 people in Fort 7 First Nation. And this was a couple who went out on their driveway in the dark. They were looking for their dogs. They were completely taken by surprise by this bear. Now, local police have been keeping us updated. They said the bear lunged at the woman, she fell to the ground and her husband then leapt on the bear. That's the words they used. And it began attacking him. It instead he seriously injured his arms as well as his legs. Now, a neighbor heard their screaming and arrived on the scene and did shoot the bear several times. That did make it run away and police did later find it dead in the woods nearby.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

Now, polar bear attacks are pretty rare, aren't they? But that's changing, isn't it? Is that driven by climate change?

[Samer Abdel Jabba]

It absolutely is. They're rare because normally the bears are far from human settlements. They spend their time at sea, their hunting out there. Climate change as we know and we have been warned about, in this instance, it's led to temperature fluctuations breaking up of that polar ice and in some cases bears coming inland to look for food. Now experts do tend to say if a bear does attack humans, that bear could be hungry, that bear could be in ill health. But with that degradation of their natural habitats, of course these instances will undeniably increase.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

I hope it's not going to happen on my shift this morning. But what do experts say people should do if faced with a polar bear or indeed any bear? Or is that different? What about a polar bear?

[Samer Abdel Jabba]

It really is. So while fighting a polar bear really probably seems to many like an impossible prospect. We have been hearing from scientists at Polar Bear International. What they've said is the couple did the right thing. A strategy of playing dead or making noise if surprised by a bear doesn't apply to polar bears. Brown bears, yes. Grizzly bears sometimes. So there's a woman called Alyssa McCall. She does work at Polar Bear International. She's been speaking out and she said, if you are attacked by a polar bear, definitely do not play dead. And she added, fight as long as you can. So that's what we saw happen here and thankfully that was effective.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

Stephanie Prentice Finland has become the world's first country to launch a national soundscape. The aim of the 15 part composition is to convey impressions of northern space, of nature and life. Mr. Poko has been listening to the sounds of his native country.

[James Coppnell]

The music starts in the forest with birdsong in the background and then sweeps over the country from the rocky islands of the Baltic to favorite spots for picking berries and mushrooms in lush groves. The music is minimal, pared down and unhurried, and uses a wide range of instruments, from cellos and pianos to the cante, the Finnish zither. The composer Lauri Porra said he wanted his work to reflect the way the Nordic world gave you space and time to think, experience and just be in a way more hectic international environments.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

Don't Risto Poco. 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 of the topics covered in it, you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk.uk. you can also find us on X globalnewspod. This edition was mixed by Chris Kuzaris. The producer was Marion Strawn. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Valerie Sanderson. Until next time. Bye bye.

[Valerie Sanderson]

Available now on the documentary from the BBC World Service.

[Sebastian Usher]

Three years after the Taliban's swept to.

[Samer Abdel Jabba]

Power, as many as 8 out of 10 female journalists in Afghanistan are no longer in their jobs. But some have resisted. What is the life of female journalists like now?

[Valerie Sanderson]

Listen now by searching for the documentary wherever you get your BBC podcasts.