The president has also hinted he may seek to prosecute Joe Biden.

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary BBC World Service | Released on January 23, 2025

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1. Donald Trump's Executive Actions and Potential Prosecution of Joe Biden

Timestamp: [00:42] - [06:02]

Overview: In the wake of his return to the White House, President Donald Trump has rapidly implemented a series of executive orders targeting both domestic and international institutions. Among his actions, Trump has expressed intentions to overhaul the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and hinted at potential legal actions against former President Joe Biden.

Key Points:

• Executive Orders and FEMA:

  • Trump has issued numerous executive orders, including a significant one titled "Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government," which may empower his administration to pursue actions against individuals he holds responsible for previous government decisions.
  • Emma Barnett criticizes FEMA's performance, stating, “[FEMA] is a whole other discussion because... All it does is complicate everything. FEMA has not done their job for the last four years” ([02:29]).
  • Trump advocates for state-level management of emergencies, suggesting that FEMA’s involvement often hinders effective response.

• Immigration Policies:

  • A strong emphasis on tougher immigration control has led to the deployment of 1,500 troops to the U.S.-Mexico border.
  • Plans to construct more physical barriers, such as large metal fences, aim to prevent unauthorized crossings.

• Potential Prosecution of Joe Biden:

  • Trump has repeatedly alluded to prosecuting Joe Biden, especially concerning pardons Biden granted to his family members and associates.
  • Kalkidan Yebel Tal explains, “Donald Trump kept pointing out that President Biden hadn't pardoned himself, saying that he maybe hadn't realized that family members and other people could now be compelled to testify against him if he was being investigated or prosecuted” ([03:16]).
  • Despite earlier statements against legal action against Biden, Trump’s recent executive orders suggest a shift towards holding Biden accountable for perceived wrongdoings during his tenure.

Notable Quotes:

• "FEMA is going to be a whole big discussion very shortly because I'd rather see the states take care of their own problems." — Sarah Smith ([02:47])
• “I went through four years of hell. So it's hard to say that they shouldn't have to go through that.” — Donald Trump ([03:16])

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2. ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Taliban Leaders Over Treatment of Women

Timestamp: [07:09] - [09:46]

Overview: The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken significant steps by issuing arrest warrants for high-ranking Taliban officials. This move addresses the Taliban's ongoing persecution of women and girls since their takeover in August 2021.

Key Points:

• Arrest Warrants Details:

  • Kareem Khan, ICC prosecutor, states that the warrants target the Taliban's Supreme Leader, Hebertullah, and Chief Justice Abdul Ha Haqqani for their roles in systemic gender-based persecution ([07:09]).
  • The ICC's investigation focuses on crimes committed from August 15, 2021, onwards, following Afghanistan’s accession to the Rome Statute in 2003.

• Legal Process:

  • The ICC judges are currently reviewing the evidence, which includes expert testimonies, forensic reports, and Taliban official decrees.
  • Paul Moss highlights the challenges in apprehending the suspects due to the Taliban's control over Afghanistan, describing the situation as “firmly in control in Afghanistan” ([08:03]).

• Significance and Challenges:

  • Human rights organizations view the ICC’s actions as more than symbolic, emphasizing the importance of accountability.
  • Logistical hurdles remain substantial, as transferring suspects to the Hague poses significant challenges under Taliban governance.

Notable Quotes:

• “They are criminally responsible for persecuting Afghan girls and women as well as people who... do not conform with their ideological expectations.” — Paul Moss ([08:03])
• “It's not just basic science, it's also an application. It causes damage to spacecraft.” — (Note: This quote seems out of context here and may belong to a different segment.)

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3. Conflict in Sudan’s Darfur: Battle for Al Fashr

Timestamp: [09:46] - [12:16]

Overview: The ongoing civil war in Sudan’s Darfur region sees intensified clashes over the strategic city of Al Fashr. Controlled by the Sudanese army, Al Fashr has been under siege by rebel groups from the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), leading to severe humanitarian crises.

Key Points:

• Strategic Importance of Al Fashr:

  • Al Fashr serves as the last major urban center in Darfur not under RSF control, making it a focal point for both military and humanitarian efforts.
  • Yulan Nell describes, “This city is under siege since May last year because the RSF has encircled it and it's become a major humanitarian hub” ([11:19]).

• Recent Escalations:

  • The Sudanese army has initiated airstrikes targeting RSF positions following the expiration of an ultimatum for RSF forces to withdraw.
  • RSF retaliated with long-distance artillery, escalating the conflict and endangering millions displaced by the war.

• Humanitarian Impact:

  • Over 12 million people have been displaced, with Al Fashr housing many seeking refuge.
  • Continuous fighting has resulted in significant civilian suffering and inadequate access to relief services.

Notable Quotes:

• “Thousands of people now have fled from the urban refugee camp that really seems to be the main focus of the Israeli action there.” — Georgina Renard ([11:56])

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4. Gaza's Ceasefire Holds Amidst Continued Conflict in the West Bank

Timestamp: [12:16] - [14:01]

Overview: While a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas has been largely maintained in Gaza, the West Bank, particularly the city of Jenin, continues to witness intense military operations and civilian casualties.

Key Points:

• Situation in Jenin:

  • Israeli forces have been actively operating in and around Jenin, leading to gunfire and explosions that have trapped civilians in their homes.
  • Power outages and sudden military incursions have left many residents vulnerable and without access to essential supplies.

• Casualties and Displacement:

  • Recent incidents include the killing of two Palestinian Authority (PA) members alleged to be responsible for a prior attack ([12:46]).
  • Thousands have fled urban refugee camps, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in the region.

• International Response:

  • The ongoing violence has drawn international concern, with reports highlighting the dire conditions faced by civilians amidst the conflict.

Notable Quotes:

• “We’re trapped in our homes. The situation in the area is completely unsafe.” — Anonymous Resident ([12:16])

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5. Scientific Breakthrough: Detection of Chorus Waves from Space

Timestamp: [21:19] - [23:57]

Overview: Scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery by detecting chorus waves—electromagnetic waves from space—at unprecedented distances from Earth. These waves, resembling the chirping of birds when converted to sound, have significant implications for space weather research.

Key Points:

• Discovery Details:

  • Professor Richard Horn explains that chorus waves have been observed much further from Earth than previously recorded, opening new avenues for understanding space weather dynamics ([21:19]).
  • The waves are generated through interactions between electrons and the Earth's magnetic field, creating what are known as "electron holes."

• Impact on Technology:

  • Chorus waves accelerate electrons to high energies, posing risks to spacecraft by damaging electronic components.
  • Researchers are developing models to forecast periods when satellites might be vulnerable to these damaging waves.

• Scientific Significance:

  • This discovery tests existing theories on wave generation and propagation in space, providing critical data for future space missions and satellite protection strategies.

Notable Quotes:

• “They sound like dawn chorus. They sound like the birds singing, you know, in springtime at dawn.” — Emma Barnett ([21:59])
• “It's not just basic science, it's also an application. It causes damage to spacecraft.” — Emma Barnett ([23:21])

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6. Thailand Legalizes Same-Sex Marriage, Leading to Mass Weddings

Timestamp: [15:06] - [18:09]

Overview: Thailand has become a pioneering nation in Southeast Asia by legalizing lesbian and gay marriages. The new legislation has sparked unprecedented demand, resulting in mass wedding ceremonies across the country, particularly in Bangkok.

Key Points:

• Legislative Milestone:

  • The legalization marks Thailand as the first country in the region and only the third in all of Asia to allow same-sex marriages.
  • Oliver Berkman emphasizes the significance: “Today, for the first time, there's this acknowledgment that they are the same as everyone else” ([16:37]).

• Mass Weddings:

  • Due to high demand, collective weddings were held in public venues, including shopping malls, with couples like Gay and Ploy being among the first to marry ([15:37]).
  • The ceremony symbolizes broader societal acceptance and legal recognition for the LGBTQ community in Thailand.

• Cultural and Regional Impact:

  • While Thailand stands out in Southeast Asia for its progressive stance, neighboring countries remain resistant due to religious, traditional, and political factors.
  • The shift reflects changing public attitudes and the ongoing struggle for LGBTQ rights in conservative regions.

Notable Quotes:

• “It's like this. The secret that's there. I wanted to believe that... I want truth and justice and for other people to not be hurt...” — Paul Moss ([16:19])
• “What about your families? What do they think about this?” — Oliver Berkman ([17:00])

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7. World’s Largest and Oldest Iceberg A23A Approaches South Georgia

Timestamp: [18:09] - [19:22]

Overview: The colossal iceberg A23A, twice the size of Greater London and weighing nearly a trillion tons, has broken away from Antarctica and is on a collision course with South Georgia in the Atlantic. This event poses significant risks to the local ecosystem and maritime activities.

Key Points:

• Iceberg Monitoring:

  • Scientists, sailors, and fishermen are closely observing A23A as it navigates through Iceberg Alley towards South Georgia ([18:42]).
  • The iceberg's movement could block critical feeding areas for penguins and seals, threatening millions of marine lives.

• Scientific Research:

  • Previous expeditions have provided valuable data on how such massive icebergs influence the ocean's carbon cycle.
  • Paul Moss notes, “It's how they are going to have on the ocean and everything around them, the wildlife, the islands and kind of the Earth as we know it” ([19:26]).

• Climate Change Implications:

  • Although A23A’s formation in 1986 wasn’t directly caused by climate change, its study offers insights into how warming temperatures may lead to more frequent and unstable icebergs.
  • Understanding these patterns is crucial for predicting future impacts on global ecosystems and climate.

Notable Quotes:

• “You have to have a very healthy respect for the ice because if you don't, it will get you.” — Georgina Renard ([18:58])
• “And they’ve detected electron holes. So that's part of the theory on how the waves are generated.” — (Note: This quote seems out of context and may belong to the chorus waves segment.)

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8. Japanese TV Host Masahiro Nakai Resigns Amid Sexual Misconduct Allegations

Timestamp: [20:19] - [20:37]

Overview: Masahiro Nakai, a prominent Japanese TV host and former member of the boy band SMAP, has announced his retirement following serious allegations of sexual misconduct. The scandal has had significant repercussions in Japan's entertainment industry.

Key Points:

• Allegations and Resignation:

  • Nakai faced accusations of sexually assaulting a woman at a 2023 dinner event, leading to his resignation from Fuji TV and other networks ([20:37]).
  • Reports indicated that Nakai paid the accuser over half a million dollars, though he denied using violence and claimed some media reports were untrue.

• Industry Impact:

  • Major advertisers like Nissan and Toyota withdrew their support from Fuji TV in response to the scandal.
  • Programs hosted by Nakai have been suspended, and other networks have distanced themselves from him.

• Public and Corporate Response:

  • The scandal has sparked conversations about accountability and transparency within the Japanese media and entertainment sectors.

Notable Quotes:

• “His resignation comes days after Fuji Television confirmed that the company did not disclose the scandal despite being aware of it.” — Georgina Renard ([20:37])

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9. Oscars Nominations Highlight Diversity and Social Issues

Timestamp: [23:57] - [25:04]

Overview: The latest Oscars nominations have underscored significant strides in diversity and representation, with noteworthy nominations reflecting broader social themes and industry changes.

Key Points:

• Historic Nominations:

  • Carla Sofia Gascoigne became the first trans woman nominated for Best Actress for her role in the musical "Emilio Perez."
  • Demi Moore received her first Oscar nomination for Best Actress for her transformative role in "The Substance," which critiques society's obsession with youth.

• Notable Nominees:

  • Ariana Grande was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her performance in "Wicked."
  • Established actors like Timothée Chalamet and Ralph Fiennes secured nominations in the Best Actor category.

• Industry Reflections:

  • The nominations highlight ongoing efforts to recognize diverse talents and address systemic biases within Hollywood.
  • Charlotte Gallagher comments on Demi Moore's nomination, “It has so much to say about our obsession with youth and the entertainment industry and how it treats women” ([24:38]).

Notable Quotes:

• “She could do the big blockbuster, she could bring in the crowds, but she wasn't worthy of being rewarded for her performances.” — Charlotte Gallagher ([24:38])

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Conclusion

The January 23, 2025 edition of the Global News Podcast provided comprehensive coverage of critical global events, ranging from U.S. political maneuvers and international legal actions to significant cultural milestones and scientific discoveries. Through in-depth analyses and expert interviews, the podcast offers listeners a nuanced understanding of the complex issues shaping our world today.

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For more updates and detailed stories, subscribe to the Global News Podcast on your preferred platform or visit globalpodcastbc.co.uk.

Transcript

[Oliver Berkman]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

[Paul Moss]

Discover how to lead a better life in our age of confusion. Enjoy this BBC audiobook collection written and presented by best selling author Oliver Berkman, containing four useful guides to tackling some central ills of busyness, anger, the insistence on positivity and the decline of nuance.

[Oliver Berkman]

Our lives today can feel like miniature versions of this relentless churn of activity. We find we're rushing around more crazily than ever. Somewhere when we weren't looking. It's like busyness became a way of life.

[Paul Moss]

Start listening to Oliver Epidemics of Modern Life Available to purchase wherever you get your audiobooks.

[Sarah Smith]

This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Paul Moss and at 14:00 GMT on Thursday 23rd January, these are our main stories. Donald Trump wants to abolish America's emergency response organization. Female and he's hinted he may seek to prosecute Joe Biden. The ICC takes on Taliban leaders over their treatment of women and girls. Gaza's ceasefire is holding, but death and destruction continue in the occupied West Bank. We'll hear why some electromagnetic waves from space have got scientists excited. Apparently they're like the chirping of birds. Also in this podcast, the French film in Spanish set in Mexico that's cleaned up in the Oscars nominations. There's a saying often quoted in Britain that a week is a long time in politics. You do wonder if Donald Trump has taken this to heart as he continues the breakneck speed of his first few days back in the White House. He's issued a slew of executive orders, pardoned several hundred January 6th rioters, and committed to pulling the US out of major international bodies like the World health organization. But Mr. Trump also has his eye on organizations closer to home. The latest to find itself in the presidential firing line is fema, the Federal Emergencies Management Agency.

[Paul Moss]

What they've done with FEMA is so bad. FEMA is a whole other discussion because.

[Sarah Smith]

All it does is complicate everything.

[Emma Barnett]

FEMA has not done their job for.

[Paul Moss]

The last four years.

[Sarah Smith]

You know, I had FEMA working really well. We had hurricanes in Florida, we had Alabama tornadoes. But unless you have certain types of.

[Emma Barnett]

Leadership, it's really, it gets in the way.

[Sarah Smith]

And FEMA is going to be a whole big discussion very shortly because I'd rather see the states take care of their own problems. Mr. Trump was speaking on Fox News in an interview which also touched on his plans for tougher immigration control. With 1500 troops dispatched to the US border with Mexico. But then there was a hint of something else, that Mr. Trump might try to prosecute Joe Biden. As our North America editor Sarah Smith explained to the BBC's Emma Barnett, Donald.

[Kalkidan Yebel Tal]

Trump repeatedly brought up the pardons that Joe Biden had given to family members and people who were part his administration, who it was feared that Donald Trump might try to wreak vengeance on people who he blamed for the prosecutions against himself. And President Trump kept pointing out that President Biden hadn't pardoned himself, saying that he maybe hadn't realized that family members and other people could now be compelled to testify against him if he was being investigated or prosecuted. Now, he'd previously said that he wouldn't go after Joe Biden, but when he was asked about it, he said, I went through four years of hell. So it's hard to say that they shouldn't have to go through that. Also, which is quite intriguing. He did sign an executive order in the last day or so, which is called Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government. But actually, if you read it, it looks a lot like it would, in fact, empower the Trump administration to go after people who they blame for some of what's happened over the last four years. Talking then about what Donald Trump's going to be being, you know, far beyond the Biden administration, what is the latest that we know about his crackdown on the border? He's signing more and more of these executive decrees that mean that he can, without having to pass a law through Congress, order certain things to happen, and that is more troops going to the border. He's particularly keen that they start constructing more physical barriers. And that's probably not the wall, but rather huge metal fences, but a way to stop people from being able to walk over the border into the United States. A lot of refugees who already been through the system, they had been investigated, their asylum claims had been vetted, and they had been told that they were being granted asylum and could move to the United States. They had flights booked, special American flights that were going to bring them here, have been suddenly told that their air tickets are worthless, that they are not welcome in the United States, and that basically their refugee status has been completely rescinded. And then you have tens of thousands of people who had made appointments at the border. All of those appointments have been canceled as well. So president has shut down any means by which any refugees or asylum seekers would try and make it into the country. What hasn't happened yet, but we anticipate will soon, are immigration raids against people who are already in America. There may be over 10 million undocumented migrants living in America, and Donald Trump has said he wants to deport all of them, which is probably impractical. But it won't be long, I don't think, before you see immigration officials in some of the big cities that have been particularly welcoming to migrants, like Chicago, New York, San Francisco, up people who are not legally in the country and then presumably detain them before they try to deport them.

[Sarah Smith]

Sarah Smith and staying with Washington Goings on. Next week, the Global News Podcast is going to do a special Q and A edition to take stock after Donald Trump's first seven days as the 47th president. We'd love to hear your thoughts on what's happened so far and your predictions for the rest of this year. And if there's anything you'd like to ask our US experts, please email us. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk and if possible, please do record your question as a voice note so we can play it on the pod. Thank you. Now, arrest warrants have been issued for two leading members of the Taliban. This is after the International Criminal Court concluded that members of the Afghan government are criminally responsible for persecuting women and girls. The court also refers to the treatment of people who it says do not conform with the Taliban's expectations of gender. This persecution, the ICC says, has been committed since August 2021, when the Taliban took over. Anna Holligan is in the Hague, where the ICC is based and gave me more details of the ICC allegations in.

[Paul Moss]

The statement from Kareem Khan, prosecutor at the icc, he said they are pursuing the investigation into the alleged crimes by members of the Taliban and the Islamic State states. So that remains the focus in terms of how long it's been going, ever since 2003, in fact, when Afghanistan deposited its instrument of accession to the Rome Statute, which is basically the document which underpins the icc. But as you mentioned, these particular arrest warrant requests exist since the Taliban came to power. So 15 August 2021 until the present day is the period which the prosecutor says these alleged crimes were committed.

[Sarah Smith]

So can you just take us through the legal process now? Arrest warrants are issued. Well, what actually, what actually happens?

[Paul Moss]

Well, not yet. So the ICC prosecutor has taken this body of evidence to the judges, the pre trial judges at the icc and we have a bit more detail about that evidence, so including experts and witness testimonies, official decrees by the Taliban, forensic reports and statements by by the suspects themselves. So all of that has been put on the desks of the, the ICC judges. They now have to go through it and decide whether they agree with the prosecutor that there are reasonable grounds to believe that these men are responsible for the atrocities, as the prosecutor alleges. So just to give a bit more detail on, on, on that those suspects, Kareem Khan, prosecutor at the icc, believes supreme leader of the Taliban Hebertullah, and the Chief justice Abdul Ha Haqqani, are criminally responsible for persecuting Afghan girls and women as well as people who, as you say, the Taliban considers to be not conforming with their ideological expectations. You know, the trouble with all of this, of course, is that the Taliban is firmly in control in Afghanistan. So apprehending and transferring suspects to the Hague will be an immense challenge. I mean, is it in effect gets that far?

[Sarah Smith]

I mean, very briefly, and it does sound like this is effectively a gesture, isn't it?

[Paul Moss]

I mean, human rights groups would argue it's more than just symbolic, as the court would itself. And there are situations in international justice where arrest warrants have been issued and it has taken decades to bring the suspects to the Hague. That does not mean it's inconceivable, but indeed there is far to go.

[Sarah Smith]

Anna Holligan the Sudanese city Al Fashar is the capital of North Darfur, a region bitterly fought over in the country's ongoing civil war. It's controlled by the army but has been besieged by rebels from the so called rapid support forces. And the army's now began carrying out airstrikes on areas controlled by the rebels. Amidst all this civilian suffering continues. The war has forced more than 12 million people from their homes. But the fighting for Al Fasha has continued over a particularly long period. As our correspondent Kalkidan Yebel Tal explained to me from neighboring Ethiopia, Al Fashr.

[Yulan Nell]

Is the last remaining major urban center in the Darfur area that has not been under the control of the irsf. Over the past year or so, they have been trying on repeated instances to take control of that city. Two days ago they announced an ultimatum for members of the Sudanese army and their allied forces, allied army groups that operate in that area in the city to surrender their weapons and leave. It was interpreted as a major offensive, was imminent. And at that time the Sudanese army forces said that they would be doing everything to resist any attacks. And it seems that the current escalation is coming in the backdrop of that, that that ultimatum has expired, as you said, and the Sudanese armed forces have carried out airstrikes targeting positions held by the rsf. And it seems that the RSF launched long distance artillery shells on the positions held by the army.

[Sarah Smith]

This is a conflict being fought over a vast country. Why is there so much attention by both sides? Why both sides so clearly determined to hold on to this one city?

[Yulan Nell]

This city is under siege since May last year because the RSF has encircled it and it's become a major humanitarian hub. Many of the relief agencies work there, operate there and many people have sought shelter in that city. It's close to the bordering area with neighboring Chad, so it has this strategic importance and it seems that there receive is determined to take control of it.

[Sarah Smith]

Kalkidan Yebel Tal the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas has entered its fifth day and does appear to be holding in the occupied West Bank. Though Israeli forces are continuing their operation in and around the city of Jenin. Civilians once again finding themselves under fire.

[Paul Moss]

We're trapped in our homes. The situation in the area is completely unsafe. We've been experiencing power outages as well since yesterday. Some people went to the shops to gather supplies, but most of the people who were at work didn't have the chance to go and buy anything. The entry of the occupation forces was sudden and we had no choice but to head home as quickly as possible.

[Sarah Smith]

Our Middle east correspondent, Yulan Nell is in Jerusalem where reports are coming in of more casualties.

[Georgina Renard]

First of all, just in a village outside Jenin. The latest we've been hearing is Israeli forces have killed two PA there. It's just a few miles west of Janina village called Barkayn. And these two men are said by both the Israeli army and Hamas to have been responsible for a shooting attack earlier this month which killed three Israelis close to a settlement not far away in the north of the occupied West Bank. Palestinian media saying Israeli forces surrounded this house. They fired missiles at it after telling those inside with loudspeakers to leave and that the house has been bulldozed. The bodies of those two men have been killed, has been taken away after there was a shootout there in Jenin itself. Residents say that in this third day of this big new Israeli military operation, there have been gunfire and explosions. Thousands of people now have fled from the urban refugee camp that really seems to be the main focus of the Israeli action there. The mayor of Jenin has said that people have been told to leave with loudspeakers, although we had the Israeli army previously saying there would be no forced evacuations from Jenin. And people have been telling the BBC that they're trapped inside the camp. They feel it's very unsafe and they're afraid.

[Sarah Smith]

And that was Yulan Nell. Still to come in this podcast, you have to have a very healthy respect.

[Paul Moss]

For the ice, because if you don't.

[Sarah Smith]

It will get you the people whose job is to worry. As the world's oldest and largest iceberg goes on the move.

[Paul Moss]

Discover how to lead a better life in our age of confusion. Enjoy this BBC audiobook collection written and presented by best selling author Oliver Berkman, containing four useful guides to tackling some central ills of modernity. Busyness, anger, the insistence on positivity, and the decline of nuance.

[Oliver Berkman]

Our lives today can feel like miniature versions of this relentless churn of activity. We find we're rushing around more crazily than ever. Somewhere when we weren't looking, it's like busyness became a way of life.

[Paul Moss]

Start listening to Oliver. Epidemics of Modern Life available to purchase wherever you get your audiobooks.

[Sarah Smith]

Thursdays are not particularly known as a popular day of the week to get married. And yet this Thursday has seen hundreds of couples getting hitched in Thailand. The reason? Well, new legislation has just come into force legalizing lesbian and gay marriages. That makes Thailand the first country in the region to allow this and only the third country in Asia as a whole. Demand was so great in the capital, Bangkok, that a mass wedding was held at a shopping mall. Our correspondent Jonathan Head went along to watch this collective act of matrimony.

[Oliver Berkman]

It is very significant to the LGBTQ community here. I mean, everybody who's come to Thailand knows that LGBTQ people tend to be quite visible. You see a lot of trans people. It has a reputation as being a country that's very tolerant, easy place to be open, but they haven't had legal rights and that's a big deal Today for the first time, I think for many of them, there's this acknowledgement that they are the same as everyone else. It's not complete yet. There's still a few areas that still need to be improved. I've actually got a couple with me now, Gay and Ploy. They've been together for 17 years. Congratulations to both of you. First of all, how do you feel today?

[Paul Moss]

I really excited because we come here in the first couple.

[Oliver Berkman]

You're the first.

[Paul Moss]

Yes.

[Kalkidan Yebel Tal]

In here.

[Paul Moss]

Number one in here because we wake up in the early morning and come together and the first one is us.

[Oliver Berkman]

You could be open about being same sex LGBTQ before, but actually legal marriage, why is that such a big step for you?

[Paul Moss]

Because for the healthy and the text in Thailand, if we get married, we have the rest of the text and I have to sign the healthy and for the surgery or everything for her.

[Oliver Berkman]

You can make big decisions for her.

[Kalkidan Yebel Tal]

Yeah.

[Paul Moss]

And for the property I give her for the marriage is okay in Thailand if I sign the marriage license here.

[Oliver Berkman]

So you can have a home together.

[Georgina Renard]

Yeah.

[Oliver Berkman]

What about your, your families? What do they think about this?

[Paul Moss]

Yeah, for our family, really happy for us because we met her in 17 years and we have like a whole family now.

[Oliver Berkman]

So today do you feel like you have the same rights as everybody else in Thailand?

[Paul Moss]

Yeah.

[Oliver Berkman]

Well, congratulations. Congratulations to both of you. That gay employee, just one of around 200 couples who come down here today. You can hear the music behind me. It's been a very celebratory atmosphere, but it has been a long, hard campaign. Although this is a very light hearted affair for the campaigners. Ten years ago they were not at all sure that they could get this law through and there was a lot of resistance. Public attitudes have really shifted in Thailand. For all of its famous over, there was a lot of resistance to actually changing the law. And today there are no gender specific terms relating to marriage and that makes such a big difference to everybody here. The rest of the region, of course, very different in neighboring countries. Accommodation of either religion or tradition or just the lack of political freedom, all of those make it much more difficult. So Thailand is still very much an outlier in Southeast Asia.

[Sarah Smith]

Jonathan Head. It's huge. It's cold and it's on the move. The world's largest and oldest iceberg has broken away from Antarctica and is approaching the remote British territory of South Georgia. In the Atlantic, home to large penguin and seal colonies, it's known by the not so catchy name A23A and it's twice the size of Greater London. And this iceberg weighs nearly a trillion tons. Well, a 23A is being monitored by scientists, sailors and fishermen. Georgina Renard went to meet some of them.

[Paul Moss]

Now captured in satellite pictures, it is speeding into Iceberg Alley, a place where icebergs go to die. But here, right in its path, lies the British territory of South Georgia.

[Sarah Smith]

I will take you out the door.

[Paul Moss]

Ice is a way of life for sailors and fishermen there. But they can't ignore something the size of a 23A. There's a nice bergen over that way.

[Georgina Renard]

You have to have a very healthy.

[Paul Moss]

Respect for the ice because if you.

[Sarah Smith]

Don'T, it will get you.

[Paul Moss]

It can come out of nowhere and you get something the size of a 23 when it comes along and it deposits these thousands of tons of ice, they just kind of hang around the island. And it does, it does make things.

[Oliver Berkman]

A lot more tricky.

[Paul Moss]

The chunks could also block coves where these go to feed, putting half the world king penguins and millions of seals at risk. But in danger, there is opportunity. Last year, British researchers on this ship seized the chance to visit a 23A. It's a really amazing experience. It's unlike anything that I've ever seen before. You just kind of see a massive wall that is way higher than you are. In this lab, scientists are finding out how icebergs affect the ocean's carbon cycle. It's unlikely that a 23A was caused by climate change because it carved a long time ago in 1986. But as climate change progresses and the ice sheets become more unstable, more giant icebergs will form. So being able to see icebergs like this giant iceberg and study them allows us to understand the impact that they're going to have on the ocean and everything around them, the wildlife, the islands and kind of the Earth as we know it.

[Sarah Smith]

Georgina Ranard, one of Japan's best known TV hosts, has announced his retirement weeks after being accused of sexual misconduct. Masahiro Nakai was once part of the boy band SMAP and went on to a successful presenting career. Our Tokyo correspondent Shaima Khalil reports.

[Georgina Renard]

Mr. Nakai, who works for Fuji TV among other networks, was accused of sexually assaulting a woman at a 2023 dinner party. He had earlier apologized for causing trouble, but added that some media reports were untrue and that he had not used violence. Reports emerged last month that the TV host had paid the unnamed woman more than half a million dollars. His resignation comes days after Fuji Television confirmed that the company did not disclose the scandal despite being aware of it. Automakers Nissan and Toyota were among several companies that pulled advertising from the network. This month, Fuji TV suspended a weekly show hosted by Mr. Nakai, while other major networks also dropped the presenter, Shaiba Khalil.

[Sarah Smith]

Now, what do you make of this? Not, as you might think, the sound of birds chirping, but something rather more exotic, or perhaps I should say extraterrestrial. Those were electromagnetic waves from space, waves which scientists think are affected by the Earth's magnetic field. They're called chorus waves, and they've now been detected at a much greater distance from Earth than previously. So why does that matter? Professor Richard Horn of the British Antarctic Survey has been leading research into so called space weather. He first told my colleague Emma Barnett, what exactly a chorus wave is, they're.

[Emma Barnett]

Actually bursts of radio waves, very intense bursts. They only last for less than a second, but they repeat continuously and have this kind of rising tone, this chirping sound. So although they're electromagnetic waves, when you convert them into sound waves, you can hear them and you hear. And they sound like dawn chorus. They sound like the birds singing, you know, in springtime at dawn. So that's how they get their name.

[Paul Moss]

They really do.

[Georgina Renard]

So just tell me about why. It's interesting that you've discovered them further and further away than you previously had.

[Emma Barnett]

They're really exciting. They've been seen much, much further away from the earth than we ever expected. So they're observed in a very unexpected region, number one. But there's some really important science around it because they've detected what we call electron holes. And this is a big test of the theory. One of the big questions around these things is how do you, how do you generate the waves? What's happening in space? How are they generated? And then where do they go to? What do they do? So these new observations are from the NASA mission, magnetospheric, multiscale. And they've detected electron holes. So that's part of the theory on how the waves are generated. And it's a key observation.

[Georgina Renard]

What impact do the waves have in space? What do they do?

[Emma Barnett]

So they actually accelerate electrons to very, very high energies. And that's really important because those electrons, once they're accelerated, they will damage electronic components on spacecraft. So there's a real practical application. So it's not just basic science, it's also an application. It causes damage to spacecraft. And actually we use these waves, we have a developed large model and where we use these waves in the model to try and forecast periods and locations where satellites might be at risk, risk of damage.

[Sarah Smith]

Professor Richard Horne it was always going to be an unusual Oscars nomination ceremony which took place in Los Angeles on Thursday. The city still has wildfires raging nearby, yet in some ways this was an upbeat shortlist. Two musicals raked in the biggest number of nominations, among them, Emilio Perez. That earned its star, Carla Sofia Gascoigne, the first ever nomination of a trans woman for best actress. Demi Moore received her first Oscar nomination for best Actress in the Substance, she plays a woman who swaps her body for a younger version, which makes this nomination particularly pointed, according to our entertainment correspondent Charlotte Gallagher.

[Paul Moss]

You know how much that will mean to her. She's talked about how she wasn't taken seriously. She was seen as a popcorn actress. She could do the big blockbuster, she could bring in the crowds, but she wasn't worthy of being rewarded for her performances. And to get to her age now and to be coming back so strong, the substance has so much to say about our obsession with youth and the entertainment industry and how it treats women.

[Sarah Smith]

Charlotte Gallagher. Ariana Grande has also been nominated as best supporting Actress for her role in Wicked. As expected, Timothee Chalamet and Ralph Fiennes are nominated in the best actor category. And we'll have more on the Oscar nominations in our next edition. 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 or the topics covered in it, you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk. you can also find us on X globalnewspod. This edition was mixed by James Piper and the producer was Stephanie Prentice. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Paul Moss. Until next time. Goodbye.

[Paul Moss]

Yoga is more than just exercise. It's the spiritual practice that millions swear by. And in 2017, Miranda, a university tutor from London, joins a yoga school that promises profound transformation. It felt a really safe and welcoming space after yoga classes. I felt amazing. But soon that calm, welcoming atmosphere leads to something far darker. A journey that leads to allegations of grooming, trafficking and exploitation across international borders. I don't have my passport. I don't have my phone. I don't have my bank cards. I have nothing. The passport being taken, the being in a house and not feeling like they can leave. World of secrets is where untold stories are unveiled and hidden realities are exposed. In this new series, we're confronting the dark side of the wellness industry, where the hope of a spiritual breakthrough gives way to disturbing accusations. You just get sucked in so gradually and it's done so skillfully that you don't realize. And it's like this. The secret that's there. I wanted to believe that, you know, that whatever they were doing, even if it seemed gross to me, was for some spiritual reason that I couldn't yet understand. Revealing the hidden secrets of a global yoga network. I feel that I have no other choice. The only thing I can do is to speak about this and to put my reputation and everything else on the line. I want truth and justice and for other people to not be hurt, for things to be different in the future, to bring it into the light and almost alchemize some of that evil stuff that went on and take back the Power World of Secrets Season 6 the Bad Guru Listen, wherever you get your podcast.