Trump signs major trade deals with Qatar

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary BBC World Service | Episode: Trump Signs Major Trade Deals with Qatar | Release Date: May 14, 2025

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1. President Trump’s Trade Deals with Qatar

Timestamp: 02:06 – 04:24

In the latest chapter of his Middle East tour, President Donald Trump has finalized a series of significant trade agreements in Qatar, most notably securing a historic order for Boeing planes worth over $200 billion. Zing Singh and Simon Jack delve into the implications of these deals.

• James Menendez highlights the magnitude:

  “It's the largest order of jets in the history of Boeing.”
  (02:08)

• Sarah Montagu celebrates the achievement:

  “Terms of the jets, that's fantastic.”
  (02:15)

However, Trump's endeavors are not without controversy. Back in the United States, there's growing criticism over his plan to accept a luxury jet from Qatar as a gift, raising concerns of potential quid pro quo arrangements.

• Steve Rosenberg articulates the fears:

  “Naked corruption, it's been described by some of his critics… What will the Qatari government expect in return for handing over a $400 million aircraft?”
  (03:28)

President Trump defends the decision, arguing it would be imprudent to decline such a significant offer. Speculation remains about whether the jet would benefit him personally or serve the U.S. Department of Defense post-presidency.

2. U.S. Lifts Sanctions on Syria

Timestamp: 04:24 – 09:24

The United States has announced the lifting of all sanctions on Syria, a move that has generated both hope and skepticism within the region.

• James Menendez interviews Hind Kabawat, Syria's Minister of Social Affairs and Labor:

  “It's a new hope for my people… a new light at the end of the tunnel.”
  (05:01)

Hind Kabawat emphasizes the psychological and economic benefits this decision could usher in, fostering an inclusive government that addresses the diverse needs of the Syrian populace.

• Sarah Montagu adds perspective from a U.S. businessman, Jonathan Bas:

  “He's gone from an ISIS fighter to fighting ISIS… Alshara is best suited to lead forward.”
  (11:12)

Despite the optimistic outlook, there are concerns about the implementation timeline and the government's ability to honor promises of inclusivity and maintain order without reverting to authoritarianism.

3. Banning of Ethiopia’s Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF)

Timestamp: 12:24 – 25:19

In Ethiopia, the Tigray People’s Liberation Front (TPLF), a dominant political force, has been officially banned from political activity, rekindling fears of renewed conflict.

• James Menendez discusses internal conflicts within TPLF:

  “New tensions within the TPLF itself… trying to form a new alliance with Eritrea.”
  (12:24)

The electoral board’s decision to mandate the TPLF to re-register as a new party was met with resistance, leading to their eventual banning.

Simultaneously, Polls in Poland reveal a downturn in support for Ukrainian refugees, exacerbated by Russian-distributed disinformation campaigns aimed at influencing the upcoming presidential elections.

4. Breakthrough in Weight Loss Drugs

Timestamp: 13:32 – 17:22

A groundbreaking trial involving 17,000 overweight patients has unveiled that certain weight loss medications significantly reduce deaths from strokes and heart attacks, hinting at broader health benefits beyond weight management.

• Professor Sir John Bell of the Ellison Institute of Technology comments:

  “It will make a big difference to healthy life expectancy… we want everyone to be fit and healthy to the end.”
  (16:35)

These drugs, initially developed for diabetics, are now showing promise in combating inflammation and potentially reducing the risk of diseases such as dementia, liver disease, and chronic renal disease. The focus shifts from merely extending lifespan to enhancing healthspan, ensuring a healthier quality of life in later years.

5. Interview with Isabel Allende on Aging and New Book

Timestamp: 17:42 – 29:08

The acclaimed Chilean American author, Isabel Allende, shares her insights on aging, love, and her latest literary work, "My Name is Emilia de Valla."

• Isabel Allende reflects on her personal life:

  “I got married very late in life for the third time. If I could get a husband, anybody can.”
  (27:47)

Her new novel features a strong female protagonist who defies societal norms to pursue a career in journalism during the late 1800s, mirroring Allende’s own struggles as a female author in a male-dominated literary boom.

• Discussing the challenges of aging, Allende notes:

  “You have to try to get to the truth of who you are really… but you will lose it.”
  (27:58)

Her candid conversation explores the balance between maintaining creative output and adapting to the inevitable changes that come with age.

6. Russia’s Delegation to Ukraine Peace Talks

Timestamp: 19:10 – 25:19

The imminent peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul have sparked significant attention, primarily due to the absence of Vladimir Putin from Russia's delegation.

• Simon Jack remarks on the low-level representation:

  “Vladimir Putin himself might come to Turkey… but at the moment it looks as if that is not happening.”
  (19:10)

The delegation includes Vladimir Medinsky, a presidential aide, along with a deputy defense minister and other senior officials. Steve Rosenberg suggests that while the talks proceed without Putin, the effectiveness and sincerity of Moscow’s commitment to peace remain in question.

7. Anti-Ukrainian Sentiment in Poland Amid Presidential Elections

Timestamp: 22:07 – 25:19

The influx of Ukrainian refugees into Poland following the Ukraine war has met increasing resistance, influenced by Russian disinformation efforts aimed at swaying the presidential elections.

• Svetlana shares her daughter’s distressing experience:

  “Girls from the class above started complaining about Yulia speaking Ukrainian… and laughing, she came home crying.”
  (22:20)

Public opinion has shifted sharply, with support for Ukrainian refugees plummeting from 81% to 50% in just four months. The presidential candidates are leveraging this sentiment, with pro-Ukraine candidate Rafael Chaskovski moderating his stance to appeal to conservative voters, even proposing welfare cuts for some refugees.

• Michal Marek, an NGO expert, explains the disinformation tactics:

  “We can find a wave of disinformation which starts in Russian infosphere… they are spreading the same.”
  (24:36)

The rise in xenophobia is particularly concerning, as it undermines community cohesion and the humanitarian stance that initially welcomed Ukrainian refugees.

8. Astronaut Trainee Rosemary Coogan’s Mission

Timestamp: 29:25 – 33:25

Rosemary Coogan, a British astronaut trainee, provides an inspiring glimpse into her rigorous training regimen at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Houston.

• Rosemary describes her upcoming mission:

  “Being an astronaut always seemed like, of course I would like to do. It was absolutely always my kind of dream job.”
  (31:05)

Currently undergoing extensive spacewalk simulations, Rosemary is preparing for a mission to the International Space Station by 2030, with aspirations to become the first Briton to walk on the moon.

• Her training includes high-stakes scenarios:

  “She has to reach him and tow him to safety… it's painstakingly slow work.”
  (31:05)

Despite the challenges, Rosemary remains optimistic and determined, embodying the resilience and dedication required for space exploration.

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Conclusion

This episode of the Global News Podcast traverses a diverse array of global issues, from high-stakes international trade and geopolitical maneuvers to groundbreaking medical advancements and personal stories of resilience and ambition. Through expert interviews and firsthand accounts, listeners gain a comprehensive understanding of the complex dynamics shaping our world today.

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For more updates and insights, subscribe to the Global News Podcast and never miss a moment of the news that matters.

Transcript

[Bernadette Keough]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

[Professor Sir John Bell]

You were made to travel the world and the seven seas and countless lakes.

[Sarah Montagu]

And innumerable rivers and one perfect pond.

[Professor Sir John Bell]

Get Travel ideas from ChatGPT on Expedia.

[Sarah Montagu]

Made to Travel.

[Zing Singh]

I'm Zing Singh. And I'm Simon Jack. And together we host Good Bad Billionaire, the podcast exploring the lives of some.

[Simon Jack]

Of the world's richest people.

[Zing Singh]

In the new season, we're setting our sights on some big names. Yep. LeBron James and Martha Stewart, to name just a few. And as always, Simon and I are trying to decide whether we think they're good, bad, or just another billionaire. That's good. Bad Billionaire from the BBC World Service. Listen now, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Bernadette Keough, and in the early hours of Thursday 15th May, these are our main stories. Donald Trump signs a series of deals in Qatar on the latest stage of his Middle east tour. President Putin's name is not on the list of delegates going to Turkey for peace talks on Ukraine, the main political party in Ethiopia's Tigray region has been officially banned, raising fears of a return to violence. Also in this podcast, with claims that weight loss, drugs make you live longer. Should we all be taking them?

[Rosemary Coogan]

And you don't tend to meet astronauts, you don't get to hear their stories. But it was absolutely always my kind of dream job.

[Zing Singh]

We meet the woman hoping to be the first Britain to walk on the moon. President Trump is continuing his tour of the Middle East. On Wednesday, he was in Qatar, where he signed a series of deals, including a huge order for Boeing planes.

[James Menendez]

It's the largest order of jets in.

[Zing Singh]

The history of Boeing. That's pretty good. It's over $200 billion, but 160 in.

[Sarah Montagu]

Terms of the jets, that's fantastic.

[Zing Singh]

So that's a record. And congratulations to Boeing.

[Sarah Montagu]

Get those planes out there.

[Zing Singh]

Our North America editor, Sarah Smith is traveling with Mr. Trump. So what sort of welcome has he had on his tour so far?

[Steve Rosenberg]

It's been very lavish. These Arab states that he's visiting seem to be competing with each other to show who can put on the more sumptuous welcome for Donald Trump. So as he came in from the airport this afternoon, he was met by a caravan of camels and there were dancing men with swords a length of the highway. And now he's turning up for a state dinner at the Royal Palace. And yet again, there is all kinds of stuff ceremony to greet him there, and he loves it. I mean, you can see how much he is enjoying this tour of the Middle east where he's being feted by royalty and, you know, as he visits some of the wealthiest countries in the world. And he's able to seal some very lucrative deals as he goes around clearly enjoying himself now.

[Zing Singh]

Well, we heard him announce that huge deal to supply Qatar with aircraft, but at the same time, he's under fire at home for planning to accept a luxury jet from Qatar as a gift.

[Steve Rosenberg]

Yes, yes, exactly. Naked corruption, it's been described as by some of his critics back in the United States. Because people are worried that even if, you know, the United States doesn't have to pay for this jet, what is the quid pro quo? What will the Qatari government expect in return for handing over a $400 million aircraft for Donald Trump to use for presidential travel? He insists it would be stupid not to accept it, and we don't quite know the details. It's possible that it would be given to the United States Department of Defense rather than to Donald Trump, and that Mr. Trump wouldn't be able to use the blame for his personal travel or use it after he had finished being president. But nonetheless, I mean, it would be a significant benefit to him and one that people are very, very worried. Not only carries a kind of taint of corruption or bribery about it, but that might actually affect United States policy.

[Zing Singh]

Sarah Smith. Before flying to Qatar, President Trump met Syria's new leader, Ahmed Al Sharar, in Riyadh. He's a former jihadist with past links to Al Qaeda, who once had a US bounty on his head. But Mr. Trump praised Mr. Schirra as a tough and attractive guy with a strong past. The brief meeting took place hours after Washington announced it would lift all US Sanctions placed on Syria. James Menendez spoke to Syria's Minister of Social affairs and Labor, Hind Kabawat. What did she make of the decision.

[James Menendez]

To lift sanctions, lifting the sanction? It's a new hope for my people. It's a new hope for this vulnerable people. This is a new light in the end of this tunnel, who we've been since the liberation in December 2024. We've been calling to lift the sanction because we want to help the Syrian people. After all those years of war and suffering.

[Bernadette Keough]

How quickly do you think the announcement will turn into real change in terms of what you're able to bring into the country, what you're able to deliver? When will ordinary Syrians start to see the benefit, do you think?

[James Menendez]

First of all psychological benefit. We get it immediately. Yesterday we've been celebrating the street. We know that this is a new era for us because we've been suffering a lot. So yes, it might take some times in routine, in bureaucracy, but we know that there is always light and we're going to get there. People today, they're full of hope, full of energy, positive energy, James. And this is very important for us Today. You can see the street of Damascus since yesterday, celebrating, dancing, and I'm very happy. It's not only for us, for generation to come. This is a new era.

[Bernadette Keough]

The government, your government has to honor its promises on ensuring that it is an inclusive government, that it delivers for all Syrians. That seems to be part and parcel of what the Americans are saying needs to be done in return for lifting these sanctions. Can the government deliver on those? Will it deliver on those promises?

[James Menendez]

Absolutely, James. They know, we all know that Syria is a diverse society without inclusivity, without including everybody, without working together. We cannot have the Syrian. We want the Syrian government. They know, including myself in every single position, in every single area. We have to include women, minority and different group ethnic groups. This is the Syria we want. It is a priority.

[Bernadette Keough]

It's also about enforcement, isn't it? And keeping a lid on what the various armed groups in the country are doing. And that's going to be done by the army. Most people in the army are allies of hts, the President's group. I mean, there are some who say that, you know, what's going to happen is that in order to keep order in Syria, it's going to require a heavy hand and that could end up meaning a new dictatorship. What do you say to that?

[James Menendez]

First of all, we're against this word dictatorship, and this is out of question. We don't need another dictatorship. And in other things regarding hts, it's not anymore exist. We're now talking about military, about Syrian army, which include everybody. This is number two. And yes, we're talking about rule of law. If somebody who violates rule of law, violate and hate speech or any violation against any other group and they need to get punished and I'm sorry, rule of law is number one now. And we cannot afford any sectarianism, we cannot afford any revenge.

[Zing Singh]

Syrian government minister Hind Kabbarot, one of the US business people forging contacts with the new Syrian government is Jonathan Bas, who's chief executive of energy company Argent. He led an American delegation that went to Damascus at the start of May and met Syria's new president for several Hours, James Menendez asked him what he thought about the lifting of sanctions.

[Sarah Montagu]

I'm elated that sanctions are being lifted. You know, these people have been in the darkness. I mean, it's worse than communism, what they've experienced. When you look at the people on the street, their eyes are with despair. They shake. They can't focus on your looking at you in the eyes because they're afraid of being locked up, thrown away, and killed. And it's a huge opportunity for the world to reset the region. And Ashara has a huge opportunity in front of him to become a leader of a regional power, you know, and set the world on calm and opportunity for the future.

[Bernadette Keough]

How quickly do you think ordinary Syrians will see the benefits? Because lifting sanctions can be a complex process, can't it?

[Sarah Montagu]

Well, look, these people have waited 15 years for this moment and have endured a horrific. Like I. I went to Damascus for the very first time two weeks ago, and when I landed there, it looked like time had frozen it from 1967. Everything was in decay. These people are paying huge prices for food, cigarettes, everything, and they're all chain smokers. And I looked around and I said, why do you smoke so much? I mean, you're one cigarette after the other. They said, you know, for us to survive this life, if we didn't have cigarettes, we would have been out. It's a traumatic life here.

[Bernadette Keough]

You're in the energy business. What are the opportunities for someone like you in Syria?

[Sarah Montagu]

So my opportunity with Syria was not about coming in to see what I could take from Syria, but what could Syria deliver in their energy program in the future for Syria. And so what I had spoken to the president about is establishing a national oil company that would be floated on the New York Stock Exchange, where he would take the assets of everything under the ground, monetize it, and then give him a venue in which he could borrow against that to make the investments within the country to exploit his own project. And in time, that pathway would lead them to fixing their infrastructure, building housing, homes, showing the people that there's real change on the street and being able to utilize their own money, not asking for fish, but asking for fishing poles.

[Bernadette Keough]

I've been reading some of your comments about the new Syrian president, Ahmad Al Shara, and you clearly like him. Why are you so confident he is the right person to lead Syria in the months and years to come?

[Sarah Montagu]

He's gone from an ISIS fighter to fighting isis. He's gone through fighting the Caliphate. He's gone through fighting the Iranians, the.

[Bernadette Keough]

Russians, and indeed the US as well.

[Sarah Montagu]

And the US and the Iranians through Iraq and the Turks. So you have a man who knows his enemy, and to know your enemy gives you a real clear upside in being able to forge a path of peace, because you know their weakness and you know your weakness. And so I believe that Alshara is best suited to lead forward because he's traveled down his past. And if he chooses the right path forward, then he brings the country out of darkness and out of despair into honey and sugar.

[Zing Singh]

US Businessman Jonathan Bass. The Tigray People's Liberation Front, or tplf, has dominated the politics of Ethiopia for decades. Five years ago, it fought a brutal civil war against the government. Now it's been banned from political activity. Our correspondent in Ethiopia, Kalkadan Yilbatel, told.

[James Menendez]

Us why all the political problems that led to the fighting to begin with were not resolved. Particularly in recent months, there have been new tensions within the TPLF itself because some factions were accused by the government of trying to form a new alliance with Eritrea, which, you know, fought against them during the war and trying to overthrow the government. Other factions within the TPLF were seen as, you know, being allied with the federal government. It comes in this backdrop that the electoral board ordered it to register as a new party while the TPLF was saying that they have been, you know, active for decades and they are not going to register as a new party. And the peace deal, by default, you know, re registered them.

[Bernadette Keough]

And three months ago, the electoral body.

[James Menendez]

Suspended them temporarily and ordered them to hold a general assembly and register as a new party. But they refused that three months period expired yesterday. And today the electoral body announced that they have practically, you know, they're banned from any political activity.

[Zing Singh]

Kalkidan Yilbatel. Hardly a day goes by when we don't learn something new and positive about weight loss drugs. A recent trial involving 17,000 overweight patients found the medication halved deaths from strokes and heart attacks and helped protect the heart immediately, suggesting they would also work in those people who didn't need to lose weight. The jabs are being hailed as ushering in a golden age of medicine. So are they really the wonder drug that many are now claiming? Sarah Montagu asked Professor Sir John Bell, the president of Ellison Institute of Technology at Oxford University.

[Professor Sir John Bell]

Look, I think it's one of the great successes of the pharmaceutical industry to produce a drug like this. It goes back a long way. It's been used for a long time, originally in lower doses in diabetics, but it now Looks that with the new drugs that it's having these really profound effects, not just on reducing weight. So it started out as a weight loss drug, but it's clear that it affects the reliability to a wide range of different diseases. And by wide, I mean a very wide number of different diseases, probably up to 40 diseases are. Your risk is reduced by taking this.

[Steve Rosenberg]

Drug, which does seem absolutely extraordinary. Should we all be taking it then?

[Professor Sir John Bell]

Well, I don't want to get too far out on a limb on this one, but it will have benefits for people and not just the very, very morbidly obese population. I think that's where people have got confused. It will actually have really profound benefits for people who are even just a bit obese. And some of the data suggests that even people who are formerly not obese might actually have benefits, long term benefits from this. So it might well prove to be beneficial in a significant bit of the population.

[Steve Rosenberg]

And that's because, as I understand it, in the first instance, it dampens your appetite, which is good for the obesity. But there's this secondary thing which is what to do with inflammation.

[Professor Sir John Bell]

To be clear, nobody really knows how it works, but there is quite a bit of evidence, I think, that first of all, obesity is associated with chronic inflammatory processes around the body and those are damaging, and that this drug may act, particularly in the brain, for example, by reducing inflammatory effects in the brain. And we do know that inflammation is one of the common underpinning factors in aging of all kinds. So all these chronic diseases, liver disease, chronic renal disease, heart disease, stroke, these are all in some way associated with both obesity, but also inflammation and dementia.

[Steve Rosenberg]

Can we add to that list?

[Professor Sir John Bell]

Well, we will wait, but the trial is due in a couple of months. But there's quite a bit of sort of real world evidence to suggest that these probably do have an impact on dementia. But let's wait for the trial data. If it does, then I think we're then in actually quite a different place now.

[Steve Rosenberg]

There has been over decades, we managed to extend a typical life, but then there's been a plateauing of that. Is this going to make a significant difference to that?

[Professor Sir John Bell]

It might, but what it'll make a big difference to is not life expectancy, but healthy life expectancy. So one of the problems is we have extended life, but we haven't done very well at extending healthy life expectancies. So people get old, they get four diseases, they've got chronic illness of one sort or another, and then they die a few years later than they would have previously. What you really want to do is you want to run healthy life expectancy out further and that's a concept called healthspan, which I think a lot of these preventative interventions are really focused on now. And I, you know, just as a, from a societal perspective, that's really what we need to be shooting for. We don't. Well, we might, but I'm not sure we want a lot of people running around at 140 years of age. What would be nice is that if Everybody got to 85 and they were fit and healthy to the end and.

[Steve Rosenberg]

Not in a care home and possibly working and working.

[Zing Singh]

Sir John Bell still to come, the best selling Chilean American author, 82 year old Isabel Allende talks to us about aging and her newfound love.

[Isabel Allende]

Look, I got married very late in life for the third time. If I could get a husband, anybody can.

[Zing Singh]

So don't give up and I know.

[Isabel Allende]

Don'T give up on love.

[Zing Singh]

I'm Zing Sing. And I'm Simon Jack. And together we host Good Bad Billionaire, the podcast exploring the lives of some of the world's richest people. In the new season, we're setting our sights on some big names. Yep, LeBron James and Martha Stewart Stewart to name just a few. And as always, Simon and I are trying to decide whether we think they're good, bad or just another billionaire. That's good Bad Billionaire from the BBC World Service. Listen now, wherever you get your BBC podcasts. The Kremlin has released the list of names in the delegation it's sending to talks with Ukraine in in Istanbul on Thursday. And there's a notable absentee, Vladimir Putin. The Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has indicated he'll be in Turkey come what may. But he's previously said he'll only meet the Russians himself if his opposite number is among them. The BBC's Russia editor Steve Rosenberg is in Istanbul to cover the talks. James Kumar Usamy asked him how surprising it was that President Putin was wouldn't be going.

[Simon Jack]

Not a huge surprise. Some people had expressed the opinion that it would have been a big surprise if he had gone. I mean what is quite remarkable when you think about it is these talks are supposed to take place on Thursday. It's just turned Thursday here and we've only really just learnt who is going to be in the Russian delegation. So who is in the delegation? Well, there's Vladimir Medinsky who's a presidential aide. He headed the Russian delegation three years ago at talks with Ukraine. Plus a deputy defense minister, a deputy foreign minister and A senior figure from the Russian general Staff. Now, considering all the rumors and the speculation that's been swirling for the last 48 hours or so that Vladimir Putin himself might come to Turkey, that looks like quite a low level delegation, especially when you consider that Volodymyr Zelensky himself is traveling to Turkey. He had called on Vladimir Putin to come to Turkey to talk peace with him. The president of Brazil today spoke to Vladimir Putin and called on the Kremlin leader to take part in the peace talks in Turkey. And we know that Donald Trump a couple of days ago had suggested that, well, he thought that Vladimir Putin might come to Turkey. But at the moment it looks as if that is not happening.

[Rosemary Coogan]

It is, though, going to be face.

[Simon Jack]

To face talks, is it not, between the Ukrainians and the Russians, which is something that's not happened for some time. Absolutely. So even if these talks go ahead at this lower level, that is still quite a moment. You're right, because we haven't seen face to face direct Russia, Ukraine talks for more than three years. Whether they lead to anything substantive is another matter. Certainly, I think we can expect, expect Ukrainian officials to react to the absence of Vladimir Putin by saying this is evidence that Moscow is not serious about wanting peace. It will be very interesting to see what Donald Trump says, how he reacts to Vladimir Putin not coming to Istanbul. The other thing I think it's worth pointing out, we don't know, of course, what kind of conversations are taking place behind closed doors, possibly between Washington and Moscow and Kyiv. So I don't think we can rule out entirely that Vladimir Putin won't pop up in Turkey at some point in the near future. But as things stand, and looking at the delegation as announced by Moscow, it doesn't look as if he's coming to Istanbul.

[Zing Singh]

Steve Rosenberg, when the war in Ukraine began three years ago, around a million refugees settled in Poland, joining one and a half million already living there. They were initially welcomed with open arms, but recent surveys show that Poles are far less sympathetic towards Ukrainians now. And as Will Vernon reports from Warsaw, this is playing into the presidential election which will take place on Sunday.

[Bernadette Keough]

Svetlana wants to tell me about her daughter Yulia's recent experience at a school in Warsaw. We've changed both their names as Svetlana fears reprisals for talking to us.

[Rosemary Coogan]

Girls from the class above started complaining about Yulia speaking Ukrainian.

[James Menendez]

Then they pretended to fall to the ground, shouting missile, get down.

[Rosemary Coogan]

And laughing, she came home crying.

[Bernadette Keough]

Days before, a Russian missile killed scores of civilians in Svetlana's hometown in Ukraine. She tells me the news traumatized Yulia. The BBC has spoken to dozens of Ukrainians living in Poland who say there's been a noticeable rise in hostility towards them in recent months, including incidents of abuse on public transport, bullying in schools and encountering xenophobic material online.

[Zing Singh]

My name is Natalia Panchenko.

[Steve Rosenberg]

I'm the head of the board of.

[Isabel Allende]

Stand with Ukraine Foundation.

[Steve Rosenberg]

Ukrainians who who works on the shop.

[James Menendez]

Or reception on the hotel. Sometimes some clients started to tell some.

[Steve Rosenberg]

Very xenophobic, very bad things just because.

[Isabel Allende]

They understand that this person had a Ukrainian accent.

[Bernadette Keough]

Public opinion surveys show that just 50% of poles are now in favor of accepting Ukrainian refugees. That figure has fallen 7 percentage points in just four months. Two years ago it was 81%. In the midst of a crucial presidential election campaign, Ukraine has become a hot button political issue in the live TV debates. The frontrunner in the race, Rafael Chaskovski from Prime Minister Donald Tusk's party, is the most pro Ukraine candidate, but analysts say he's toned down his rhetoric to try and attract more conservative voters. He's even pledged to take away welfare payments for some Ukrainians. The other two major candidates, conservative Karol Navrotsky and far right populist Slavomir Menson, are both skeptical of support for Ukraine. Recently, Mr. Menson said Poles must stop letting Ukrainians treat them like fools.

[Zing Singh]

Main narratives are that Ukrainians stealing money from Polish budget.

[Bernadette Keough]

At least some of the anti Ukraine sentiment is being stirred up online, distributed by bots that experts say come from Russia. Experts like Michal Marek who runs an NGO that monitors propaganda in Poland.

[Zing Singh]

We can find a wave of disinformation which starts in Russian infosphere, in Russian speaking telegram channels and after that we see that they are spreading the same.

[Bernadette Keough]

Photos, the same text, only just translated by Google Translate. The Polish government recently said Russia is making an unprecedented attempt to using disinformation to interfere in the Polish elections.

[Zing Singh]

We will see effect of this after elections. How many polls want to vote for.

[Bernadette Keough]

Openly pro Russian candidates as people head to the polling stations in just a few days time, perhaps no other group will be watching the results quite as nervously as the Ukrainians of Poland.

[Zing Singh]

Wilvers Vernon Isabel Allende is the best selling Chilean American writer considered the world's most widely read Spanish language author. Her work includes the House of the Spirits, Eva Luna and Violetta. The protagonists of her books are Strong women and her latest work My Name is Emilia de Valla is no exception. Isabel Allende spoke to Nuala McGovern from her home in California, and began by describing the book's main character.

[Isabel Allende]

She's a young, feisty, rebellious, curious woman, ahead of her time, because this is the late 1800s. But she's good at writing, and she manages to get a job in the examiner, the newspaper of San Francisco at the time, with a male pseudonym, because women were not supposed to do anything. They didn't have a voice. But eventually, there is a civil war in Chile. And because she speaks Spanish and she has roots in Chile, her biological father is Chilean, she gets to be sent to Chile to cover the war.

[Rosemary Coogan]

When you were describing Amelia there, you.

[Steve Rosenberg]

Know, curious and strong and wants to be a journalist, I was like, there are some similarities here, definitely with yourself. I don't have to look too. There is a part in the book where she begins writing, as you mentioned, under a man's name. Her stepfather says to her, remember, Princess, that you will have to make twice.

[Rosemary Coogan]

As much effort as any man to get half the recognition.

[Steve Rosenberg]

Are you speaking from experience?

[Isabel Allende]

Absolutely. And I think that any woman in any field can say the same thing. But in my field, when I wrote the House of the Spirits, it was the boom of Latin American literature. Great names, famous names, not one feminine voice. So when I wrote the House of the Spirits and it became very successful, they said that I was the only woman in the boom. And then immediately, a week later, they said, no, no, no, she does not belong to the boom. She's just another narrator from somewhere. So it has taken me a long time, especially in Chile, to be recognized and have the respect that I have in other places.

[Steve Rosenberg]

So you are 82 now, and I know you're interested in observing the aging process. So I want to know, what are you learning?

[Isabel Allende]

A lot. Pets die. Friends get sick and die. You learn to let go of almost everything to begin with, everything material. But then you have to let go also of your abilities, your capacities to stay with a book, for example, in my case, for eight, 10 hours, as I used to do before. I can't do it anymore. And so it's just a matter of maintaining what you have so that you don't lose it so fast. But you will lose it.

[Steve Rosenberg]

I understand. The next will be a memoir of daily letters you sent to your mother since you turned 16. When can I look forward to your next book?

[Isabel Allende]

Oh, my dear, it's been very difficult to write this book, a memoir, especially at this age. You have to try to get to the truth of who you are really. And this book is only about the last few years. My divorce when I was 74 and a time of solitude and reflection and my new love because look, I got married very late in life for the third time. If I could get a husband, anybody can.

[James Menendez]

So don't give up.

[Steve Rosenberg]

And I know don't give up on love.

[Zing Singh]

Isabel Allende. Now ask any 7 year old what they'd like to be when they grow up and astronaut may very well be somewhere near the top of their list. And because of the surge in scientific breakthroughs in space research and commercial funding for space projects, it's not totally out of reach as a career choice. But it's a long road to achieving the dream. Our science editor, Rebecca Morell has been catching up with British astronaut Rosemary Coogan, who is currently undergoing six months of training at NASA's Johnson Space center in Houston, Texas. Rosemary is scheduled to go on a mission by 2030. So how's the training going? Attention to the NBL.

[Rosemary Coogan]

All duty station personnel please report to your assignments. We can see this very large structure that runs side to side. So we have the US lab there and the airlock is actually just down here. Rosemary Coogan is about to undertake the biggest challenge yet of her astronaut career. A test to see if she's ready for a Spacewalk. She's at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Lab, a 12 meter deep pool complete with a life sized replica of the International Space Station. Really looking forward to it. There's a lot of build up, we have a lot of preparations. We talk together as a team about the different tasks that to be done, the best ways to do them, the most efficient ways. It's usually about six hours that we're underwater. It's a big day.

[Professor Sir John Bell]

ECS is secure water flow and EV1 rig.

[Rosemary Coogan]

I'm at the poolside where I've been watching Rosemary being wrestled into her spacesuit. It's taken about half an hour. The boots have gone on, the trousers, the top and finally the helmet. This is the last stage before the platform that she's standing on is raised up and then it's going to be lowered into the pool where her spacewalk can begin.

[Sarah Montagu]

Sutech EV1 set the delta pressure to 4 lb psi.

[Rosemary Coogan]

Being an astronaut always seemed like, of course I would like to do. And I certainly never thought of it as something I would really be able to end up doing at Careers Day at school you don't tend to meet astronauts, you don't get to hear their stories. But it was absolutely always my kind of dream job. Rosemary, an astrophysicist, was chosen from more than 22,000 hopefuls to become a European Space Agency astronaut. As part of her training, she spent the last six months at the Johnson Space Center. At the pool, Rosemary is in constant communication with a team in the control center.

[Sarah Montagu]

Rose, for you.

[Rosemary Coogan]

You'll be translating out to P1. She's been given a list of maintenance jobs to complete. It's very physically intense, psychologically intense. You do a lot of mental preparation. You really think through every single movement. You have to be really efficient with your energy. Rosemary's first launch will be to the International space station. But NASA's soon heading back to the moon, and European Space Agency astronauts will join later missions. How would you feel about being the first Britain to set foot on the moon? I mean, it could happen. I am incredibly excited that we are going back to the moon. You know, we're really building upon everything we learned from the Apollo missions, and we're going to really expand that. And, of course, I would love to be involved with that. The spacewalk test is nearly complete, but then Rosemary is thrown a curveball. Her spacewalk partner Makoto has been asked to pretend to pass out. Rosemary has to reach him and tow him to safety. It's painstakingly slow work. Do I have a minute for a quick gta, please? So how did she do? Jenna Hansen is assessing the test. It's six hours underwater, so you know.

[Steve Rosenberg]

She'S got the endurance of a champion.

[Rosemary Coogan]

So, Rosemary, just keep doing what you're doing.

[Zing Singh]

You're knocking out of the park.

[Rosemary Coogan]

And we're so happy to see all your progress. Rosemary, how are you feeling? Oh, feeling really good. It was a challenging one. Really happy to have got to all the work sites. A challenging rescue. Yeah, it was a really enjoyable day. It's clearly been exhausting work, but for Rosemary Coogan, days like this are putting space within her reach.

[Zing Singh]

Rebecca Morel reporting. 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. You can also find us on X@BBC World Service. Use the hashtag globalnewspod. This edition was produced by Judy Frankel and overseen by Steven Jensen. It was mixed by Rosen Windorrell, and the editor is Karen Martin. I'm Bernard Ecchio. Until next time. Goodbye, foreign Singh. And I'm Simon Jack. And together we host Good Bad Billionaire, the podcast exploring the lives of some of the world's richest people in the new season, we're setting our sights on some big names. Yep, LeBron James and Martha Stewart, to name just a few. And as always, Simon and I are trying to decide whether we think they're good, bad, or just another billionaire. That's good. Bad billionaire from the BBC World Service. Listen now, wherever you get your BBC podcasts.