The secret police's grip on Syria under Assad

Summary

Summary of "The Secret Police's Grip on Syria under Assad"

Podcast: Global News Podcast
Host: Alex Ritson, BBC World Service
Release Date: December 14, 2024

The latest episode of the BBC World Service's Global News Podcast delves into the unraveling of authoritarianism in Syria following the fall of the Assad regime. Alongside this central theme, the episode covers significant global developments, including political shifts in France, the US opioid crisis, mysterious drone sightings in the United States, Rwanda's ambitions in Formula One racing, a tragic incident in India's film industry, and insights into psychological conditions affecting everyday behavior. The episode is structured into distinct segments, each providing in-depth analysis and firsthand accounts.

1. Unveiling the Assad Regime's Secret Police

The episode opens with an exposé on the Assad regime's secret police, the General Intelligence Directorate (Mukharbarat), which was pivotal in maintaining half a century of authoritarian control in Syria.

• Anthony Lloyd, a journalist, provides a harrowing account of the Mukharbarat's operations:

  Anthony Lloyd [02:22]: "It's the most important institution of the Assad regime, both father and the son."

• Lloyd describes the extensive surveillance network, highlighting the sheer volume of files maintained on Syrian citizens and the regime's tactics of imprisonment, torture, and elimination of dissent.

  Anthony Lloyd [02:42]: "I found millions of documents about everything, about the situation in the country, in each corner in the country."

• The segment underscores the pervasive fear instilled by the secret police and the challenges faced by former officials who are now either hiding or unable to continue their roles.

2. Syrian Celebrations Amid Uncertain Futures

As Syrians celebrate the end of Assad's rule, the podcast captures the mixed emotions and hopes for a democratic future, juxtaposed with lingering fears.

• Neda Torfik, the BBC correspondent, reports from Damascus where jubilant crowds gather at the central Umayyad Mosque:

  Neda Torfik [05:33]: "It's absolutely packed with people celebrating, waving rebel flags... savoring their freedom after decades of oppression."

• Abdullah Fayyad, a 21-year-old Syrian, shares his optimism:

  Abdullah Fayyad [06:00]: "I feel very free. I can express my feelings, my ideas without any hesitation."

• Hanan Ghanoon expresses cautious hope, acknowledging fears of potential Islamist influence:

  Hanan Ghanoon [07:34]: "We have fears that they might enforce some of these Islamist things, but whatever comes later will not be worse than what we have had."

3. The Looming Threat of Islamic State Resurgence

With the power vacuum left by Assad's fall, concerns mount over the potential resurgence of the Islamic State (ISIS) in Syria and its implications for regional stability.

• Michelle Fleury, a correspondent, outlines ISIS's fragmented presence and the risks of regrouping:

  Michelle Fleury [09:59]: "There is significant evidence that the number of attacks involving ISIS have multiplied."

• The podcast references US Secretary of State Antony Blinken's commitment to preventing ISIS's return to power, emphasizing international vigilance.

  Blinken [needs timestamp]: "We're determined to make sure that [ISIS] doesn't happen."

• Discussion includes the precarious situation of ISIS detainees in northern Syria, highlighting the delicate balance maintained by Kurdish-led forces and the threats from Turkish-backed rebels.

4. Mystery of Drone Sightings in the United States

A perplexing series of large drone sightings across several US states has sparked public anxiety and governmental scrutiny.

• Faras Kalani investigates the phenomenon, describing drones that resemble bicycles or small cars and exhibit evasive behaviors:

  Faras Kalani [12:46]: "These drones kind of turn off their lights and evade police helicopters when approached."

• Neda Torfik discusses the mixed responses from authorities, noting the White House and FBI's downplaying of the threat despite numerous reports and sightings:

  Neda Torfik [13:44]: "A lot of people are concerned, but the authorities say there's no national security threat."

• Local officials, including NJ Representative Josh Gottmier, call for greater transparency and authority to address the unidentified aerial objects.

  Josh Gottmier [13:44]: "There is a responsibility from the federal government to brief the public more thoroughly."

5. Francois Bayru Takes Helm as France's New Prime Minister

Amid political turbulence, Francois Bayru assumes office as France's fourth Prime Minister of the year, facing a myriad of economic and societal challenges.

• Hugh Schofield, BBC's correspondent, profiles Bayru's political background and the daunting tasks ahead:

  Hugh Schofield [17:29]: "He acknowledged the 'Himalayan scale' of challenges like debt and deficit."

• Bayru emphasizes the need for national reconciliation and bipartisan cooperation to navigate France through its current crises.

6. McKinsey's Settlement Over US Opioid Crisis

The management consulting giant McKinsey faces significant legal repercussions for its advisory role in exacerbating America's opioid epidemic.

• Michelle Fleury details the settlement, including a $650 million deal and McKinsey’s admission of contributing to the crisis through strategic advice:

  Michelle Fleury [19:17]: "McKinsey gave Purdue advice on how to turbocharge sales of its drug OxyContin."

• The segment highlights the broader implications for corporate accountability and the ongoing efforts to address the opioid crisis.

7. Rwanda's Ambitious Bid to Host a Grand Prix

Rwanda aspires to reintroduce Grand Prix racing to Africa, marking its first bid since 1993, with President Paul Kagame endorsing the initiative.

• Faras Kalani [20:20]: "Rwanda is now a beacon of hope and an example of leadership to other African countries."

• Andrew Benson, the BBC's Formula One correspondent, discusses the logistical plans, including construction near Kigali Airport, and the potential for Rwanda to boost its international profile through sports.

• The bid faces scrutiny over possible "sports washing," akin to criticisms faced by other nations using sports to improve global image despite domestic issues.

8. Tragic Incident at Indian Movie Premiere

The Indian film "Pushpa: The Rule" encounters tragedy when a crush at its Hyderabad premiere results in fatalities, leading to the arrest of lead actor Alu Arjun.

• Hanan Ghanoon reports on the incident and subsequent legal actions:

  Hanan Ghanoon [23:51]: "A woman, a 39-year-old, died and her son was seriously injured."

• The episode explores the controversy surrounding the arrest, debates over accountability, and parallels with similar incidents in India.

9. Understanding Misokinesia and Misophonia

The podcast concludes with an exploration of psychological conditions that cause intense reactions to specific movements or sounds, featuring insights from clinical psychologist Barbara Platt Usher.

• Barbara Platt Usher describes her personal experiences and therapeutic approaches:

  Barbara Platt Usher [27:11]: "When somebody's fidgeting, I just can't tune it out... I can't concentrate on what I'm doing."

• The discussion covers strategies for managing these reactions, emphasizing empathy and cognitive reframing to mitigate the impact on daily life.

  Barbara Platt Usher [28:22]: "It's about trying to remember that there's nothing malicious going on."

Additional Segments

• World of Secrets: A recurring segment investigates the darker aspects of various industries, such as the wellness sector, highlighting stories of exploitation and manipulation.

  Barbara Platt Usher [32:58]: "I have no other choice... I want truth and justice and for other people to not be hurt."

Conclusion

The episode provides a multifaceted overview of significant global issues, blending hard-hitting journalism with personal narratives to offer listeners a comprehensive understanding of the current geopolitical and societal landscape.

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This summary captures all key topics discussed in the episode, providing notable quotes with speaker attribution and timestamps to ensure a comprehensive and engaging overview for those who haven't listened to the podcast.

Transcript

[Nicola Coughlan]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. I'm Nicola Coughlan and for BBC Radio 4, this is History's Youngest Heroes.

[Alex Ritson]

Rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth.

[Nicola Coughlan]

She thought, right, I'll just do it. She thought about others rather than herself.

[Faras Kalani]

Twelve stories of extraordinary young people from across history.

[Barbara Platt Usher]

There's a real sense of urgency in them. That resistance has to be mounted. It has to be mounted now.

[Faras Kalani]

Follow History's Youngest Heroes wherever you get your podcasts.

[Nicola Coughlan]

This is the global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Alex Ritson and in the early hours of Saturday 14th December, these are our main stories. More secrets of the Assad regime have been emerging as Syrians across the country continue to celebrate the end of half a century authoritarian rule. Francois Bayru has admitted he has a mountainous task ahead as he becomes the fourth Prime Minister to take office in France this year. The management consulting firm McKinsey has agreed a settlement of hundreds of millions of dollars with the US authorities over its role in the opioid crisis. Also in this podcast.

[Faras Kalani]

These are large drones that are the size of bicycles, small cars. When you get close to those drones, they notice. Those drones kind of turn off their lights and evade police helicopters.

[Nicola Coughlan]

The mystery of the huge drones spotted in parts of the US but dismissed by the White House. We begin in Syria, where secrets of the Assad regime have been emerging since its overthrow last weekend for more than half a century, the linchpin of the regime's stranglehold in the country was the General Intelligence Directorate, better known throughout the Arab world as the Mukharbarat, the secret police. It's impossible to overstate its grip on Syrian society. It spied on the Syrian people and others, got Syrians to spy on each other and imprisoned, tortured and often killed anyone who fell foul of the authorities. BBC Arabic's Faras Kalani visited the secretive heart of of the Assad state's security apparatus. He told me what he found.

[Anthony Lloyd]

It's the most important institution of the Assad regime, both father and the son. And the headquarters I visited is the most important one in Damascus to interfere in anything, whether it's internal or overseas.

[Nicola Coughlan]

I mean, just a few days ago what you've done would be impossible, but you have now been inside the headquarters. What did you see?

[Anthony Lloyd]

I don't like to personalize it, but I am one of the wanted. Why this in Syria? Because of my role at the BBC, the way I cover the news in Syria, so literally I was thinking about this enough to find my file there and then I found millions of documents about everything, about the situation in the country, in each corner in the country, what was going on. Even few days, just few days before the militants reached Damascus, the capital. Lots of files about the neighboring country, mainly like Lebanon, Jordan, spying in every single politician in Lebanon, for example, put away what they were doing here in Syria. They have files about every single person in the country.

[Nicola Coughlan]

So it's an office building with files on everyone. Is it also the kind of place where suspects were taken and mistreated?

[Anthony Lloyd]

Not in the Mukhabaraq one. We used to call it the security square. So there is nearby another building where they were arresting the people and interrogating them, sometimes for weeks, sometimes for months. It means that they use all the possible ways to torture them in a crazy way, in an unbelievable way, and then put them in cells just 2 meter by 1, without any light, without anything. And lots of them died in these cells because of the torture and the hunger. They were starved to death in these cells.

[Nicola Coughlan]

As you say, you've been inside, you've seen just how recently these files were being updated. And yet the people who are doing that, updating the regime's officers, they've just melted away.

[Anthony Lloyd]

I think we're Talking about between 200 and 250,000 persons who used to work in these departments. This is a huge number. We're talking just about Damascus, by the way. Yes, they melted away, but I think from what I hear, the information I managed to collect, that a huge number of them are in their houses, hiding. They cannot even leave to buy any food or anything. Those who managed to escape quickly, they did to their villages or towns, mainly to the coastal area where the Alawite sect live, which is Bashar Assad's sect, as you know. So others, if they manage to go to Lebanon the same night, it was possible still they did. But the rest of them, they're still here in the city, but they cannot leave their houses.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Faraz Kalani from BBC Arabic Meanwhile, mass celebrations continued into the night across Syria on Friday, as people across the country marked the downfall of the former president Bashar Al Assad. People in Damascus gathered at the central Umayyad Mosque for prayers before the jubilant rallies called by the Islamist rebels who led the armed uprising against the Assad regime. Our correspondent Barbara Plat Usher was out and about among the crowds.

[Neda Torfik]

I'm in the central square here in Damascus. It's absolutely packed with people celebrating, waving rebel flags now I think, thinking they're the Syrian flags, singing and chanting, young men of course, but also young women, families, children, just savoring their freedom after decades of oppression by an authoritarian reg. And this is happening all over the country, this kind of celebration.

[Nicola Coughlan]

My name is Abdullah Fayyad. I'm 21 years old. Yeah.

[Neda Torfik]

And how do you feel about today?

[Nicola Coughlan]

I feel very freedom. I feel freedom. I feel free. I can express my feelings, my ideas. Everything I will think about, I will say it without any hesitation, without any fear. Yes.

[Neda Torfik]

And what about the future? It's a very uncertain time. We don't know what's going to happen. How do you feel about that?

[Nicola Coughlan]

I hope it's gonna be better. I hope the economic system here will be better than before. I hope we can buy cars. My dream car. Yes. I hope everything will be fine.

[Anthony Lloyd]

Every word.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Here.

[Faras Kalani]

Syria, peace and love.

[Nicola Coughlan]

No war.

[Hanan Ghanoon]

No war.

[Neda Torfik]

Peace, no war. Understood? Not gunfire. They're exploding firecrackers. Now. There are a number of fighters here no longer shooting their guns in the air in celebration, but you have people going up to them and posing with them and with their weapons, including small children. Can I ask your name, ma'am?

[Nicola Coughlan]

Hanan Ghanoon.

[Neda Torfik]

Did you ever think this day would happen?

[Nicola Coughlan]

No, no, never. Never came to our mind. It was a hope, but we were thinking that it's a hopeless case.

[Neda Torfik]

How do you feel about the future?

[Nicola Coughlan]

We are ready to collaborate with whoever is. With whatever is required just to rebuild our country, make it a democratic, good country.

[Neda Torfik]

Do you have any concerns, like, in terms of conservative Islamic government, though?

[Nicola Coughlan]

I am wearing the scarf and I am, of course, a Muslim, but, yeah, we have fears that they might enforce some of these Islamist things, but whatever will come later will not be worse than what we have had.

[Abdullah Fayyad]

I'm so excited for the new government and the new rules that will be.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Established because I think they will give.

[Abdullah Fayyad]

Us our freedom and will give us new opportunities and will open us to the outside world.

[Neda Torfik]

Well, I wonder, because the new leader that you have is on a terrorist list. He's trying hard to get off it. I think people are paying attention to that. How do you feel about that?

[Abdullah Fayyad]

No, I don't have a problem with.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Him because from his speech, from his acts so far, he didn't hurt anyone.

[Abdullah Fayyad]

He come to our city and he.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Didn'T hurt women, children, elders.

[Neda Torfik]

So you're encouraged?

[Barbara Platt Usher]

Yeah.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Yeah.

[Abdullah Fayyad]

Inshallah.

[Neda Torfik]

I hope that optimistic even.

[Abdullah Fayyad]

Yeah. Inshaallah. I think the future will be much better than before.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Barbara Platt, Usher. With Syria in flux, there are fears that the Islamic State group could take advantage of the country's uncertain future with a resurgence that would also threaten neighbouring Iraq. Between 2014 and 2019 is also known as Daesh, imposed Sharia law on a population of 12 million people in Iraq and Syria. On an unannounced visit to Iraq, the American Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the US would do all it could to prevent a resurgence. No one knows the importance of that more than Iraq. Because of the presence and indeed the ongoing presence of ISIS or Daesh in Syria, the United States, Iraq together had tremendous success in taking away the territorial caliphate that Daesh had created years ago. And now having put Daesh back in its box, we can't let it out. And we're determined to make sure that that doesn't happen. Thousands of former fighters and supporters of Islamic State are being held in camps in Northern Syria, an area controlled by a Kurdish led militia alliance, the Syrian Democratic Forces, or sdf. They're supported by the US but are currently under threat from Turkish backed rebel groups. Anthony Lloyd is a journalist for the Times who's reported on those camps.

[Michelle Fleury]

Well, you've got to remember that although IS was decisively defeated in 2009 largely by the Kurdish led SDS, obviously backed by American special forces and air power, now, since then IS has continued, but as a far more dispersed organization in the deserts of eastern Syria. However, there's significant evidence over the past year that the number of attacks involving IAS have multiplied. And at various stages since being defeated, they have managed to mount quite big operations. Not released the operation to try and free most of the male ISIS detainees from Hasakah prison, which failed, but it shows that they can regroup. There are still quite a few foreign fighters in those deserts. And yeah, you've got to remember that's 56,000 women and children from ISIS affiliated families in those camps and 9,000 ISIS male members in about 20 different prisons controlled by the Kurds. Now, if they all got free or were set free or released somehow, that would be a, you know, dramatic coupler to Islamic State's force in the region. We've also seen since Assad's downfall, a fairly sharp resurgence in ISIS related attacks. You've seen attacks on the SDF in Hasakah and you've seen, I think, the murders documented of 54 Assad soldiers who were taken prisoner by Islamic State and killed in the area east of Homs in the last few days. Islamic State in previous guises, particularly in Iraq, have been absolutely put to the wall militarily defeated, scattered, dispersed. They have a huge propensity for being able to bounce back if they're allowed to. And with all the unknowns in Syria at the moment, it will be of real concern, not imagined concern, but real concern that Islamic State could regroup in a significant way.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Anthony Lloyd Mystery continues to swirl over nearly a month of drone sightings in the United States, sparking fear among residents and furious debate about what the flying objects are and if they're drones at all. US Authorities have been unable to provide definitive answers over the sighting, saying only that the drones are not believed to pose a danger to the public or national security and suggest that they're actually manned aircraft. Originally, some sightings were in New Jersey, but flying objects have since been spotted in New York City and the states of Maryland and Pennsylvania. More from our correspondent Neda Torfik. A resident of New Jersey herself. I asked her if she had witnessed.

[Faras Kalani]

Anything unusual just last night coming home and being on the phone with family members and us kind of comparing how many drones we were seeing in the sky. I live in Union, New Jersey, and me and my husband counted about three. But my family members live in Central Jersey, Somerset, and that's where we've really seen the majority of sightings the last few weeks. Last night they counted more than 10 in the sky. My family members and friends who live in that part of New Jersey for a while now have been saying, how are more people not concerned about this? Well, it turns out many people are concerned about this. I mean, the FBI says they've gotten 3,000 tips. The Coast Guard has said that they themselves observed a low altitude aircraft in the vicinity of one of their vessels near Island Beach State park. So on the coast. So now we're seeing this kind of fever pitch of people reporting and why we're seeing so many lawmakers in New Jersey coming out now and speaking openly about this.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Yeah, you've personally seen them. So we know for sure something's going on. And yet the White House view seems to be that this isn't a story at all.

[Faras Kalani]

Yeah. We're hearing, for example, from both the White House and the FBI that there's no evidence that these reported drone sightings pose a national security, security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus. They say, you know, legally it's not happening in restricted airspace. They're not even sure these are drones. But what we're hearing from, for example, the New Jersey representative, Josh Gottmier, is, you know, people can see for themselves these drones and that there is a responsibility from the federal government to brief the public more thoroughly that they're just not sharing enough information and that even local law enforcement, because, remember, they're kind of hamstrung by existing laws. They want. Want local authorities to be able to shoot these drones down if they want. And what I thought was really interesting was the mayor of Belleville, Michael Melham, he said, you know, we're not getting the full answers we want in briefings, but because there is this strong line that there's no national security or public safety threat, he wonders if it is the US Government's own assets perhaps doing research, not wanting to share information fully.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Because it does seem unlikely that the US authorities know what's going on unless they just don't want to scare people.

[Faras Kalani]

Yeah, I think we should really stress that these aren't, you know, hobbyists with drones in the sky. I mean, these are large drones that are the size of bicycles, small cars. You know, they have blinking red and green lights. And in fact, when you get close to those drones, what we've heard from officials is that they notice that those drones kind of turn off their lights and evade police helicopters when approached. So, you know, even local officials are baffled by this. They know the federal government must know something more because you don't just have these large drones, some of them flying in patterns, and have no idea what's happening. So that's why there is this clamor for more information to be given to the public, because people's curiosity is really turning into concern.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Nether Torfik still to come, when somebody's.

[Barbara Platt Usher]

Fidgeting, what I find is I just can't tune it out. So I feel like my attention is drawn to it. I almost want to look at. I can't look away. Or if it just sort of stays in my periphery and I can't concentrate.

[Nicola Coughlan]

How fidgeting can drive others mad and what psychologists are doing to treat their reaction.

[Alex Ritson]

World of Secrets is where untold stories are exposed. And in this new series, we investigate the dark side of the wellness industry. Following the story for a woman who joined a yoga school only to uncover a world she never expected.

[Barbara Platt Usher]

I feel that I have no other choice. The only thing I can do is to speak about this.

[Alex Ritson]

Where the hope of spiritual breakthroughs leaves people vulnerable to exploitation.

[Barbara Platt Usher]

You just get sucked in so gradually and it's done so skillfully that you don't realize.

[Alex Ritson]

World of Secrets the bad Guru Listen, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

[Nicola Coughlan]

The new French Prime Minister, Francois Baireux has said he faces a mountainous task ahead. He was speaking at a ceremony in Paris as he took over from his predecessor, whose government collapsed after only three months. Mr. Bairu described the situation facing France as dire and referred to the need to tackle the government's budget deficit and debt. Hugh Schofield reports from the French capital.

[Hugh Schofield]

France's new prime minister, Francois Beirut, is a familiar face. At 73, he's represented a centrist strand in politics for four decades, serving as education minister in the 1990s and running unsuccessfully three times for the presidency. In some ways, he was a precursor of Emmanuel Macron, with the same notion of transcending the old left right divide. And with his small modem party, he's been a natural ally since the president took office. Today, though, his task looks more than daunting, a fact which he acknowledged in a short address as he took office.

[Hanan Ghanoon]

Je nino rien de lim.

[Hugh Schofield]

He was, he said, fully aware of the Himalayan scale of the challenger head the debt, the deficit, the risk of society falling apart. But it was still worth trying to find a path ahead, a path, he said, that could only come through national reconciliation. It is indeed a divided and disillusioned country that Mr. Beirut inherits, a parliament that's incapable of providing a firm government and a people more and more inclined to switch off and blank the political mess entirely. His first task is to put together a government which won't be simple, and then, just three weeks before year's end, try to get a budget together for 2025. The last one now in the bin was what brought down his predecessor, Hugh Scofield.

[Nicola Coughlan]

In Paris, the management consulting firm McKinsey has agreed to a $650 million deal with the US Justice Department to settle criminal charges that it deliberately encouraged America's opioid epidemic. McKinsey, which said that it regretted its role as an advisor on boosting sales to firms including the maker of the addictive painkiller OxyContin. Michelle Fleury reports from New York.

[Barbara Platt Usher]

McKinsey will enter into a five year deferred prosecution agreement resolving charges of conspiring to misbrand a drug and obstruction of justice. In addition, former McKinsey senior partner Martin Elling is set to plead guilty to obstruction for destroying records related to the case. Prosecutors say McKinsey gave Perdue advice on how to turbocharge sales of its drug OxyContin. Today's agreement comes after McKinsey previously settled nearly $1 billion in LawsonU over its work with Purdue and other drug makers. Purdue Pharma itself pleaded guilty in 2020 to criminal charges related to its role.

[Nicola Coughlan]

In fuelling America's opioid crisis. Michelle Fleury. Rwanda is bidding to bring the drama and glamour of Grand Prix racing to Africa for the first time since 1993. The Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, put his official seal on the bid. As Formula One's governing body, the Fiat, held its annual General assembly in Kigali. These African Formula 1 fans welcomed the move.

[Faras Kalani]

The bid by Rwanda to host a Grand Prix is quite welcome. Rwanda is now a beacon of hope and an example on leadership to other African countries. So for this opportunity, I can't believe this happened on my eyes, and I can't wait for it. The truth is that we can't wait to see this happen in front of our eyes.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Andrew Benson is the BBC's Formula One correspondent.

[Abdullah Fayyad]

It's not been a secret in Formula One that there have been talks about this. It's some way from happening. And if it does happen, it's not going to be probably before 2028 at the absolute earliest. They're building a track near a new airport just outside Kigali, and the airport hasn't been finished yet. It's due to be finished in 2026, and the track then needs to be built beyond that.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Why does Rwanda want a Grand Prix and what's in it for Formula One?

[Abdullah Fayyad]

Well, I guess it's like any country that want a Grand Prix that doesn't have the sort of history that, say Britain or Germany or Belgium has new countries, you know, whether it be China or Azerbaijan or the Middle east or now Rwanda, it's all about promoting the country. So it's about putting a positive face on your country to the rest of the world.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Not everyone in favor, though. I mean, even accusations of sports washing here.

[Abdullah Fayyad]

Well, anything that's designed to dress up a country, make it look in its best light to the rest of the world is going to have that kind of accusation, isn't it? Obviously, that's an accusation that's leveled particularly against places like Saudi Arabia, where human rights concerns have been raised. So I guess it's a part of a wider policy that they have to heighten their engagement with the rest of the world.

[Nicola Coughlan]

How important is it for Africa that Formula 1 comes back for the first time since the early 90s?

[Abdullah Fayyad]

This track has been designed, I'm told, with. With involvement from local businesses, local authorities. So the idea is it's not just a bunch of Europeans turning up and doing their thing and imposing it on Africa. It's supposed to be something that is authentic and befitting of the country. I can't Speak to what Paul Kagame thinks he was going to get out of this. But for Formula one from an image point of view, from the sporting side, there's a Grand Prix on every continent at the moment, apart from Antarctica and Africa. Obviously there's never going to be one on Antarctica, but they're very keen to have one in Africa. There was a Grand Prix in South Africa for many years during the apartheid era, up until 1993. There was an attempt actually to revive that race at the same track, Kyalami, near Johannesburg, a couple of years ago, but the deal fell apart. This is the next project that Formula One are working on. It's not been the only one. Morocco has been mentioned as well. So there's no given about this Rwanda project. I would say there's a possibility, no more than that at the moment.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Andrew Benson Pushpa the Rule is an Indian movie that has earned more than $100 million worldwide in its first week. A big success in the box office then. But the film has been mired in tragedy. Earlier this month, a crush at its premiere in the city of Hyderabad led to the death of a woman and her young son being critically injured. Shortly after the incident, the lead star, Alu Arjun, put an apology video up on X. In it he said he was heartbroken by the tragic incident and that his heartfelt condolences went out to the grieving family. But the family filed a complaint against the actor, which led to his subsequent arrest. Our South Asia regional editor and Barasan Etihrajan told me more.

[Hanan Ghanoon]

This movie has been talked about for months and months. The first part was a mega success in 2021, not only in India, but also movies around the world, wherever the Indian population was. L In fact, when I was in Nepal a few years ago, people are playing the songs from this movie during a party. So this movie became a cult movie and people are waiting for the second part, the sequel to that one. So in the city of Hyderabad, the premiere was happening and according to police, he made a surprise appearance at the cinema hall just to give a pleasant surprise to the fans. And the police accused his security detail of trying to push people because there are so many people trying to have a glimpse of the hero. He's a very big star in the Telugu film industry and that's what probably you know, that's when the crash happened. A woman, a 39 year old woman, died and her son was seriously injured. So that triggered a controversy and there was a complaint by the family of the victim and the police have already arrested the owner of the theater and some of the theater management people. So there was a case filed against him, Al Jhoon. And then all of a sudden today the police went and took him into custody and he was produced in court. And then the court initially gave him a judicial remand for two weeks, but then his lawyers moved the High Court, where he was granted interim bail.

[Nicola Coughlan]

But what is he accused of doing? I mean, okay, he's the movie star, he turned up, things went wrong, but it doesn't. I'm just not clear on what the suggested crime is.

[Hanan Ghanoon]

Yeah, the police, they say they have charged him under culpable homicide because of how the circumstances leading to this crash. But of course, many people would question. Such things happen in India every now and then. For example, I was in India in July when there was a spiritual guru was having a huge gathering in Uttar Pradesh state. And then more than 120 people died in that crash. So these things do happen and people are questioning why this particular actor was targeted. Several movie stars have come out in support of Mr. Arjun and in fact he. I mean, his side, they had felt very disappointed when the incident happened a few days later, as we heard from him, he was expressing his condolences and they were deeply shocked by what happened. So now it has become a political game with political parties blaming each other of why the local authorities were trying.

[Nicola Coughlan]

To arrest him and Barasan Ettarojan. Now, are you a fidget? Are you the kind of person who can't sit still, who twiddles their thumbs and plays with their hair or picks their nails or taps their fingers on a desk? Relatively harmless behavior, you'd have thought. But did you know that it's the kind of behaviour that makes some people, if not mad, extremely angry and disgusted. Their reaction is known as misokinesia or misophonia, and can be very debilitating. Dr. Jane Gregory is a clinical psychologist at Oxford University here in the uk. She's been studying and treating both misokinesia and misophonia and suffers from both conditions herself. She told Julia and Marshall how it affects her.

[Barbara Platt Usher]

So for me, when somebody's fidgeting, what I find is I just can't tune it out. So I feel like my attention is drawn to it. I almost want to look at it. I can't look away or if it just sort of stays in my periphery and I can't concentrate on what I'm doing. And over time that just gets more and more annoying.

[Nicola Coughlan]

And is that hatred of the movement, Kinesia or Hatred of the sound that fidgeting makes.

[Hanan Ghanoon]

Misophonian.

[Barbara Platt Usher]

For me, the sound is definitely worse than the movement. But if there's a movement attached to the sound, that will compound the reaction. But even if I can't hear the movement, it will still distract me. It just won't cause as strong of a reaction.

[Nicola Coughlan]

So how do you contain this reaction?

[Barbara Platt Usher]

One of the things that I do is try to remind myself that they're not doing it deliberately. Sometimes when you're in the moment and feeling frustrated and angry about the, about what's going on, it feels like the person's doing it deliberately or that they don't care that it's bothering you and actually it's just habit or they might just be nervous or just getting a bit of energy out or something. So for me it's about trying to remember that there's nothing malicious going on.

[Nicola Coughlan]

So a bit of empathy to stop with?

[Barbara Platt Usher]

Yeah, absolutely, yeah. Just remembering that it's definitely not about me, they're not doing it to hurt me directly and that it's just my brain sort of overreacting to these kind of movements and sounds.

[Nicola Coughlan]

And this is what you teach people who, who come to you for treatment, is it?

[Barbara Platt Usher]

That's one of the things definitely, yeah. Sort of to try and connect a little bit with the, the other person and relate to why they might be making the sound or doing the movement. But also just reminding yourself that you're not crazy for reacting this way. That it's make sense as a way of humans have survived over the years is, is to sort of notice subtle signs of things that could be a sign of danger, like a rustle in the grass or something like that. That could be a snake. It's, it kind of comes from the same place.

[Nicola Coughlan]

So that's, that's what's going on in, in, in the brain. It's, it's sort of primordial thoughts of being threatened.

[Barbara Platt Usher]

Yeah, that's it. It's. It's treating it like it's a potential sign of danger. And so your brain gets hyper vigilant and keeps paying attention to it in case it could turn into something dangerous or harmful. And of course we know that these things aren't dangerous or harmful. And so then that's the other thing is trying to teach your brain that it's not actually anything harmful. It's just something that is annoying and irritating, but it's not actually going to cause you any harm.

[Nicola Coughlan]

How widespread are these debilitating reactions to fidgeting?

[Barbara Platt Usher]

It's surprisingly common. So about one third of people have more intense reaction or can't tune out fidgeting, but it's a much smaller proportion of people that have this really intense emotional anger reaction where it affects them on a day to day basis that's, there's much less people have that strong reaction.

[Hanan Ghanoon]

I mean, I asked you about showing.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Empathy for fidgets, but what about you? Are people sympathetic towards you for the way you react?

[Barbara Platt Usher]

I think a lot of people don't understand and for a long time nobody knew what was going on and certainly when I was a kid, no one knew what it was. And so I think people were just confused more than anything. And I know a lot of people with misophonia and Misakinesia have been criticised or told they're too sensitive or that they just need to ignore it and not realizing that it is just something that their brain is doing and they're not really in control of it either. So I think people haven't really had much empathy from other people.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Dr. Jane Gregory and that's all 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, 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 Chris Kazouris and the producer was Alison Davis. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Alex Ritz and until next time, goodbye.

[Alex Ritson]

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.

[Barbara Platt Usher]

It felt a really safe and welcoming space. After the yoga classes. I felt amazing.

[Alex Ritson]

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.

[Barbara Platt Usher]

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.

[Alex Ritson]

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.

[Barbara Platt Usher]

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 understand.

[Alex Ritson]

Revealing the hidden secrets of a global yoga network.

[Barbara Platt Usher]

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.

[Alex Ritson]

Power world of secrets. Season 6 the Bad Guru Listen wherever you get your podcast.