UK to return some migrants to France in weeks says PM

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary
Episode: UK to Return Some Migrants to France in Weeks Says PM
Host: BBC World Service
Release Date: July 10, 2025

The Global News Podcast by BBC World Service delivers a comprehensive overview of the most pressing international stories. In this episode, listeners are guided through significant developments ranging from migration agreements and geopolitical conflicts to cultural phenomena and legal milestones. Below is a detailed summary capturing all key discussions, insights, and conclusions from the episode.

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1. UK-France Migration Agreement

Overview:
Britain and France have reached a groundbreaking agreement aimed at addressing the ongoing migrant crisis in the English Channel. This deal involves the return of migrants crossing from France to the UK on small boats and allows an equivalent number of migrants currently in France to enter the UK legally.

Key Points:

• Migration Statistics: In the current year alone, over 20,000 migrants have dangerously crossed the Channel from northern France to southern England.
• Pilot Scheme: A one-in-one-out deal will commence as a pilot in the coming weeks, potentially transferring approximately 2,500 people annually.

Notable Quotes:

• Prime Minister Keir Starmer [02:24]:
  "It is also very acutely a crisis for our two nations. A crisis of humanity and fairness. We face a sprawling multi-billion-pound enterprise run by organized criminal gangs leading hundreds of people to their death in the Channel."

• President Emmanuel Macron [02:57]:
  "The rise in boat crossings was partly a result of the UK's decision to leave the EU. The British people were sold a lie that it would help cut illegal immigration. It is a problem for France, too."

Analysis:
The agreement marks a significant post-Brexit policy shift, as Britain navigates its new position outside the EU framework. Critics question the scheme's effectiveness, citing the small proportion of migrants it addresses compared to the total number crossing annually. Additionally, legal challenges and EU approval remain potential hurdles.

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2. Israeli Strike in Gaza Kills Palestinian Children

Overview:
A tragic incident in Gaza saw at least 15 Palestinian children and women killed during an Israeli airstrike near a medical center. The clinic, run by the US-based NGO Project Hope in partnership with UNICEF, saw patients waiting for nutritional supplements when the attack occurred.

Key Points:

• Incident Details:
  The strike targeted an area near the clinic in Deir Al Bala, resulting in civilian casualties, including malnourished children and pregnant women seeking prenatal care.

• Repercussions:
  The clinic has been forced to suspend operations indefinitely, exacerbating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

Notable Quotes:

• Rabbi Torbay, CEO of Project Hope [07:15]:
  "Nothing justifies killing 15 civilians, including 10 children and two women. A lot of them were malnourished, waiting for their nutrition ration that morning."

• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu [07:38]:
  "We were targeting a Hamas militant who took part in the October 7th attacks."

Analysis:
The incident underscores the ongoing volatility in Gaza and the severe impact of military actions on civilians. Rabbi Torbay emphasized the essential nature of the clinic's services, highlighting the dire consequences of its closure. Meanwhile, Netanyahu maintains that the strike targeted a militant, though the loss of civilian lives calls into question the precision and justification of such operations.

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3. Ceasefire Negotiations Between Israel and Hamas

Overview:
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces mounting pressure to negotiate a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, amid continued hostilities and international diplomatic efforts.

Key Points:

• Netanyahu's Conditions:
  Netanyahu insists that Hamas must disarm and relinquish all military capabilities as preconditions for a ceasefire.

• Hamas's Stance:
  Hamas is willing to release some hostages in exchange for a temporary 60-day ceasefire but demands a U.S.-backed guarantee for a permanent peace.

• Diplomatic Stalemate:
  Indirect negotiations in Qatar have stalled, with key issues such as control of food supplies, Israeli troop withdrawals, and the future of Gaza remaining unresolved.

Notable Quotes:

• Netanyahu [10:20]:
  "We are trying to achieve the release of half of the live and the dead hostages in exchange for a temporary 60-day ceasefire."

• Tom Bateman, BBC State Department Correspondent [11:49]:
  "Hamas have demanded a U.S.-backed guarantee that there is a permanent end to the war if negotiations continue during the 60-day truce."

Analysis:
The negotiations are at a critical juncture, with both sides entrenched in their positions. The lack of progress has led to increased frustration among international allies, particularly the United States, which hoped for a breakthrough during President Trump's recent visit to Washington. The unresolved issues suggest that a comprehensive peace remains elusive, potentially prolonging the conflict and its devastating effects on the region.

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4. Record Sale of a Hermès Birkin Bag

Overview:
A historic Hermès Birkin bag, crafted for the late actress Jane Birkin in the 1980s, fetched over $10 million at a Paris auction, setting a new record for luxury handbags.

Key Points:

• Iconic Status:
  The Birkin bag is renowned globally, symbolizing luxury and exclusivity, often exceeding waitlists of several years.

• Cultural Impact:
  The bag's value has not only maintained but increased over time, surpassing traditional investments like gold.

Notable Quotes:

• Accessories Expert Carol Walton [14:46]:
  "Arguably, it's the most recognized bag in the world and you could say it's become even more famous than the woman after whom it was named."

• Rabbi Torbay [15:26]:
  "Is that an investment?"

Analysis:
The Birkin bag's astronomical sale price reflects its status as a cultural and financial asset. While primarily a fashion statement, its appreciation in value mirrors that of traditional investments, highlighting the intersection of luxury goods and economic trends. Jane Birkin's legacy continues to enhance the bag's allure, ensuring its place in both fashion history and the high-end market.

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5. Chimpanzees and Social Behavior: Grass Adornments

Overview:
Researchers observing chimpanzees in Zambia have discovered that some individuals are adorning themselves with blades of grass, a behavior likened to human social trends.

Key Points:

• Behavioral Observation:
  Chimpanzees began placing grass in their ears, a trend that mirrored earlier instances and spread rapidly within groups.

• Social Function:
  This behavior may serve as a form of social bonding, indicating acceptance and camaraderie within the community.

Notable Quotes:

• Dr. Jake Brooker [29:20]:
  "Putting grass in your ear does not serve a clear purpose, but it might serve some kind of social bonding experience for them."

Analysis:
The discovery adds to the understanding of animal culture and social dynamics. While symbolic culture in animals remains a debated topic, such behaviors highlight the complexity of social interactions among primates. The parallels to human trends underscore the innate desire for social cohesion and acceptance, even in non-human species.

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6. Disinformation Campaign in Ivory Coast

Overview:
A surge in disinformation led to false reports of a military coup in Ivory Coast, designed to destabilize the upcoming elections and sow chaos.

Key Points:

• False Reports:
  Videos depicting coup activities were fabricated using footage from other conflicts, such as the India-Pakistan tensions over Kashmir.

• Motivations:
  The disinformation was likely aimed at undermining democratic processes and promoting military juntas, aligning with Pan Africanist ideologies against neocolonialism.

• Impact:
  The spread of fake news caused widespread anxiety and tension, disrupting the political climate ahead of elections.

Notable Quotes:

• Mungai Ngigay, BBC Global Disinformation Unit [24:37]:
  "Ivory Coast is one of the few countries in West Africa which is still allied with France and with the west...so just being friendly with France means that they are antagonizing these countries which are trying to move away from France, their former colonial master."

• Mungai Ngigay [26:51]:
  "Democracy on the continent has become really louder because the people who are coming up with rumors such as these are also promoting military juntas."

Analysis:
The incident highlights the growing threat of disinformation in undermining democratic institutions and stability in vulnerable regions. By exploiting existing geopolitical tensions and anti-colonial sentiments, malicious actors aim to erode trust in democratic processes and promote authoritarianism. Effective countermeasures and public awareness are crucial to mitigate such threats.

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7. Caster Semenya's Legal Victory at the European Court of Human Rights

Overview:
Caster Semenya, the South African middle-distance runner, has won a legal battle at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR). The court ruled that she did not receive a fair trial in 2020 when she lost her appeal against regulations that barred her from competing without reducing her testosterone levels.

Key Points:

• Case Details:
  Semenya, born with differences of sexual development (DSD), challenged World Athletics' rules requiring DSD athletes to lower testosterone levels to compete in certain female events.

• ECHR Ruling:
  The court found that Semenya's right to a fair hearing was violated, awarding her just over $90,000 in damages. However, the ruling does not overturn the existing regulations.

• Future Implications:
  The case may prompt renewed scrutiny and potential changes in how sports governing bodies regulate athlete eligibility based on biological factors.

Notable Quotes:

• Caster Semenya [28:35]:
  "It's a beautiful feeling. This is bigger than we ever thought. I don't think this is about competition. It's about human rights. It's about the protection of the athletes."

Analysis:
Semenya's victory represents a significant milestone in the fight for athletes' rights and non-discrimination based on biological characteristics. While the immediate legal outcome does not dismantle the regulations, it sets a precedent for future challenges and discussions about fairness and human rights in sports. The case underscores the need for sports organizations to balance competitive fairness with respect for athletes' diverse biological profiles.

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8. Additional Highlight: Chimpanzees and Grass Adornments

Overview:
In a lighter segment, the podcast explores the intriguing behavior of chimpanzees using grass as adornments, drawing parallels to human social trends.

Key Points:

• Cultural Behavior:
  The use of grass in chimpanzees' ears emerged as a social trend, similar to viral human fads, serving as a non-functional yet socially significant gesture.

Notable Quotes:

• Dr. Jake Brooker [29:20]:
  "It shows that they're doing something that they indicate to the others that they like them and that they are part of the same community."

Analysis:
This observation adds depth to the understanding of animal behavior, illustrating that social bonding and cultural trends are not exclusively human traits. Such findings encourage further study into the cognitive and social complexities of primates.

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Conclusion:
This episode of the Global News Podcast provides a rich and engaging exploration of critical global issues, from migration and conflict to cultural phenomena and legal advancements. Through expert analysis and firsthand accounts, listeners gain a nuanced understanding of the world's dynamic landscape.

Stay Informed:
Subscribe to the Global News Podcast for daily updates and in-depth coverage of international news. For more good news, don’t miss The Happy Pod every Saturday.

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Prepared by: Oliver Conway
Mixed by: Peter Wise
Produced by: Alison Davis and Peter Goffin
Edited by: Karen Martin

Transcript

[Oliver Conway]

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[David Mitchell]

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[David Mitchell]

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[Tom Bateman]

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[Rabbi Torbay]

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[David Mitchell]

A global criminal underworld that reaches far beyond India's borders?

[Tom Bateman]

There are so many rumors, no one wants to talk.

[David Mitchell]

There might be repercussions. Listen now. Search for World of Secrets wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

[Rob Watson]

You're listening to the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. Hello, I'm Oliver Conway. This edition is published in the early hours of Friday 11th July. Britain has reached an agreement with France to return some migrants who cross the English Channel in small boats. Volodymyr Zelensky says he's had positive conversations with President Trump about the U.S. providing Patriot Air defense systems to Ukraine. And Palestinian children queuing for nutritional supplements are killed in an Israeli strike in Gaza. Also in the podcast, the original Birkin handbag has sold at auction for more than $10 million. Repeated efforts to solve the small boats crisis in the English Channel have failed. Already this year, more than 20,000 migrants have made the dangerous crossing from northern France to southern England. Britain and France have now announced a one in one out deal which will see some of them returned. In exchange, an equivalent number of migrants currently in France will then be allowed to come into Britain legally. A pilot scheme will start in weeks. The British Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, said illegal migration was a global crisis.

[Keir Starmer]

It is also very acutely a crisis for our two nations. A crisis humanity and fairness. We face a sprawling multi billion pound enterprise run by organized criminal gangs leading hundreds of people to their death in the Channel. So we're determined together to end this vile trade. There is no silver bullet here. But with a united effort, new tactics and a new level of intent, we can finally turn the tables.

[Rob Watson]

The French President, Emmanuel Macron, is the first European leader to make a state visit to the UK since Brexit. He said the rise in boat crossings was partly a result of the UK's decision to leave the EU, saying the British people had been sold a lie, that it would help cut illegal immigration. He also said it was a problem for France, too.

[Keir Starmer]

The only way to be efficient is to work together, because you should not underestimate the impact this situation have. The northern part of France, and I think it's very often underestimated in your domestic debates, but it's not a gift for Calais, Dunkirk and a lot of cities in France to have all these illegal migrants. And even when you go to these migrants and offers them asylum in France and some solutions, they just refuse that you want to cross the Channel. So we have no other options than working closely together.

[Rob Watson]

So how will this new scheme work? I asked our UK political correspondent, Rob Watson.

[James Menendez]

The idea is that you would have someone in France who people thought would be a legitimate asylum seeker, would have a strong claim in the uk. They would be allowed to come to the uk, and in return, Britain would return someone who had arrived in a boat back across the Channel. And the idea is it would be a pilot scheme, so they'd see how it would go. And we've heard as reporters the idea that it might be something like 50.

[Rob Watson]

People a week, which would be a tiny amount compared to those who arrive here.

[James Menendez]

Absolutely. I mean, if you think that 44,000, just over 44,000 people have arrived in the last year, you'd be talking if it was 50 a week, you can do the maths, everyone listening, it would be about two and a half thousand people. So, you know, a pretty small percentage. And that's why critics have said that, look, would this really be a deterrent if you only had something like a 1 in 17 chance of being sent back? The other thing I should point out is that, you know, it's possible that there will be all sorts of legal challenges to what it is that Sikhir Starmer and President President Macron have agreed today. And, of course, President Macron pointed out this will also need to be agreed with the European Union, who have all sorts of kind of concerns about bilateral deals.

[Rob Watson]

Nevertheless, the British Prime Minister says it's a groundbreaking agreement. Is it something new that we haven't seen before?

[James Menendez]

I mean, it's groundbreaking post Brexit, right? I mean, other countries have tried this kind of thing, but when Britain left the European Union in 2016, or voted to leave in 2016, as President Macron pointed out, it lost the right to send people back across the Channel because it was no longer part of those sort of agreements to do with migrants. So, I mean, it's groundbreaking. Yes, in a post Brexit sort of way. And obviously what President Macron and Prime Minister Starmer hope is that, you know, you would begin to deter people from gathering in northern France in the first place, and from then making the journey to Britain. Now, of course, whether it works is something we might well be looking out for politicians both sides of the Channel in the next few months.

[Rob Watson]

Yeah. The French also say Britain needs to deal with pull factors. I mean, does the UK make it too nice for migrants? Are they desperate to get here?

[James Menendez]

It's a very good question. I can only pass on to you what the expert analysis suggests, and that is that there are three pull factors. One, that quite often migrants on the French side have people that they know in the uk, maybe family members, maybe friends. Second, that English is most likely to be the second language that migrants have. And then third is a perception quite often sold by the people smugglers, that somehow, you know, Britain is a sort of friendly, welcoming kind of place. So those three pull factors.

[Rob Watson]

Rob Watson. At least 15 people, including children queuing for nutritional supplements, are reported to have been killed by an Israeli strike near a medical center in Gaza. Israel said it was targeting a Hamas fighter, but is now reviewing the incident. Distressing video footage showed the aftermath of the attack. The children had been waiting at a clinic in Deir Al Bala in the center of the Palestinian territory. The clinic is run by a UNICEF partner agency, a private NGO based in the US called Project Hope. James Menendez spoke to its CEO, Rabbi Torbay.

[Rabbi Torbay]

It was quite shocking. We had patients lined up in front of our clinic waiting to get care. Most of them are women and children. And then a drone attacked in front of the clinic and killed 15 people, including 10 children and two women. So we were devastated. We were shocked. We're angry. This thing should not happen. It shouldn't happen anywhere. It shouldn't continue to happen in Gaza.

[Oliver Conway]

Israel says it was targeting a Hamas militant who took part in the October 7th attacks. I mean, is there any justification for this sort of incident?

[Rabbi Torbay]

Nothing justifies killing 15 civilians, including 10 children and two women. You know, I don't know what Israel was targeting. We have no knowledge of that. But there's absolutely nothing that justifies the killing of 10 children. A lot of them were malnourished, waiting for their nutrition ration that morning, and women come in to check on their prenatal care for their unborn children.

[Oliver Conway]

What exactly was hit? Was it the clinic itself? Or was it a building nearby, do you know?

[Rabbi Torbay]

It was not the clinic. It was in front of our clinic and building nearby. It actually hit the street nearby and that's why there was a lot of casualties that died because of that attack. It was the patients waiting outside of the clinic, waiting for it to be open so they could be seen.

[Oliver Conway]

And you've had to suspend operations at that clinic for what, the foreseeable future? I mean, have you had to do that at all during the course of this war? Or is this the first time?

[Rabbi Torbay]

Unfortunately, I wish I could say it was the first time, unfortunately. We've had to do it over and over again, whether it was because of certain evacuation orders that we've received or because the population moved because of those evacuation orders or attacks. I mean, we've had a couple of clinics already destroyed in the past. And for this clinic, we will try to reopen it as soon as possible. People are suffering with no access to health care, with no access to food. So we cannot afford to keep it closed for the foreseeable future.

[Oliver Conway]

I mean, if you're not providing the sort of services that you do provide, what are the consequences?

[Rabbi Torbay]

As if there's not enough death in Gaza. I mean, if we do not provide the services that we are providing now, we will see more children starving to death, we will see more women dying from simple complications, elderly dying from simply not having access to their diabetes medicines. I mean, our services are simple. It's primary health care in that clinic and it caters to mainly women and children and it provides therapeutic food for the children, high energy biscuits for the malnourished children and the pregnant women and give them their medication. Some of them have epilepsy, some of them have, have problems breathing. So they come to our clinics to get the treatment as well as oxygen. Some of them come on daily basis. So if we stop those services, it's a death sentence for a lot of people in Dar El Balak.

[Oliver Conway]

So the clinic's been running for a long time and providing, as you say, services that people need. I mean, it's a well known location. Should Israel, would Israel have known that it was there?

[Rabbi Torbay]

Oh, absolutely. We've de conflicted the location, we've given them the coordinates of the location. They know the clinic. There are no doubts about that.

[Rob Watson]

Rabbi Torbay, CEO of Project Hope. Well, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing increasing pressure to agree an end to the war in Gaza, not least from his close ally, President Trump, who he's been visiting this week as he prepared to leave Washington. Mr. Netanyahu spoke about the prospects for a permanent ceasefire. But he stuck to his long standing condition that Hamas must give up all of its weapons and warned that a failure to reach a deal on Israel's would plunge the Palestinian territory into further conflict. We are trying to achieve the release of half of the live and the dead hostages in exchange for a temporary 60 day ceasefire. @ the beginning of the ceasefire, we will enter negotiations for a permanent end of the war. In order to achieve this, this must be done according to the minimal conditions that we have set. Hamas lays down its weapons, Gaza will be disarmed. It will have no more government of military capabilities. These are our basic conditions. Well, indirect negotiations have been taking place all week in Qatar. Hamas says it's willing to free 10 of the 20 hostages still alive in Gaza. We heard more about the possibility of a ceasefire from the BBC State Department correspondent Tom Bateman in Washington.

[Tom Bateman]

We learned from Mr. Netanyahu that he says he is prepared to commit to a permanent end to this war. But the condition is he says Hamas must disarm and Gaza be demilitarized. Now, it may well be that that is a condition he believes that the group won't sign up to. And I think that's one of the reasons why we're still at this stalemate in the talks. Hamas, for their part, have demanded a U S backed guarantee that there is a permanent end to the war if negotiations continue during the 60 day truce. Because basically what they're seeking is they want to avoid a repeat of what happened during the last ceasefire when hostages were released, Palestinian prisoners released, but then Israel returned to the war in Gaza, returned to its military offensive, and it seems we're at a stalemate on that particular point. And Mr. Netanyahu has added that if they did the 60 days and Hamas didn't disarm, that he would return to war. So that threat of force remains there. And he leaves Washington tonight at the end of four days during which the American President had hoped to be able to announce a break through in these talks. That's what he said last week. He said he thought they'd get an agreement. Clearly it hasn't happened. There are signs of frustration from the White House. His own envoy, Steve Wyckoff, was due to fly to Doha to finalize the final pieces of the discussions. It's not even clear now that he is flying, certainly not necessarily today. So we don't know when that's going to happen either.

[Rob Watson]

What is Hamas position and how likely.

[Tom Bateman]

Are they to budge There's a few different intractable issues. One is around the control of the food supply. What the Israelis and the Americans want is the continuation of this new project, the Gaza Humanitarian foundation, which basically means that the Israeli military has full control of the food supply to Palestinians. Then there is a question about Israeli troop withdrawals and where they're going to be. The Israelis are demanding to keep an area known as what they've called the Morag Corridor in the south, which they basically have troops lined along a corridor. That is because they want to kettle in Palestinians to a small area in the south. That may well be because they want to further force them out, displace them into Egypt and further into the Arab world. And then you have what happens at the end of the 60 days? You get the release of 10 living hostages, a number of the remains of dead hostages, an unknown number of Palestinian prisoners released by Israel. What Hamas is saying is if there are still negotiations during that time, they must. Must continue beyond the 60 days. So you negotiate a permanent end to the war. And there you have a stalemate, really, I think, on all of these issues at the moment.

[Rob Watson]

Tom Bateman talking to Alex Ritson. Now for something rather different. A new record for a handbag. A black leather Hermes bag made for the late British French actress Jane Birkin in the 1980s, has sold at auction in Paris for 8.6 million euros. Just over $10 million. So why is this, the original Birkin bag, so valuable? Evan Davies asked accessories expert Carol Walton.

[David Mitchell]

Arguably, it's the most recognised bag in the world and you could say it's become even more famous than the woman after whom it was named. And it's gradually got this kind of iconic status.

[Tom Bateman]

And why is it iconic? It's just a bag with handles into which you put things.

[David Mitchell]

One of the episodes of Sex and the City, she went in to get a Birkin bag and could not believe the wait list. That was years to be able to buy one of these.

[Rob Watson]

It's $4,000.

[David Mitchell]

I know.

[James Menendez]

And there's a waiting list.

[David Mitchell]

I assumed five years for a bag.

[Rabbi Torbay]

It's not a bag, it's a Birkin.

[Tom Bateman]

I've just been Googling them. You can pay well. Here's one used £85,000.

[Rabbi Torbay]

Is that an investment?

[Tom Bateman]

Would you ever take that out?

[David Mitchell]

Certainly. Jane Birkin took hers up because I saw it two days ago at Sotheby's being displayed in Paris and it's really battered. You can see she used it on a daily basis. So I think there's a sort of huge percentage of women who use their Birkin every day. And then there's a small percentage who now see it as a big investment.

[Rob Watson]

Jane Birkin died a couple of years.

[Tom Bateman]

Ago and I wonder whether the Birkin bag in 50 years time, will that.

[James Menendez]

Still be a thing?

[Tom Bateman]

Diamonds are forever. Will Birkin bag be the same?

[David Mitchell]

Jane Birkin is a legend to all of us. These iconic women are few and far between, so people will know who she is. Bags, if they're not well cared for, aren't incorruptible like diamonds or gold. But it's very interesting when you look the gold price rises and rises and rises. And I read something the other day that said the average return for gold over the last five years has been 13.2%. But the Birkin bag, the annual increase over five years is 14.2 in value.

[Rob Watson]

Accessories expert Carol Walton. And still to come on the global news podcast, why chimpanzees have been adorning themselves with blades of grass.

[Dr. Jake Brooker]

Putting grass in your ear does not serve a clear purpose, but it might serve some kind of social bonding experience for them. By adopting this similar behavior and copying others, it shows that they're doing something that they indicate to the others that they like them and that they are part of the same community.

[David Mitchell]

World of Secrets, the Killing Call a BBC World Service investigation into the murder of Punjabi singer and rapper Sidhu Musiala.

[Tom Bateman]

The facts, they aren't out in the open.

[Rob Watson]

Why?

[David Mitchell]

You know, uncovering a global criminal underworld that reaches far beyond India's borders.

[Rob Watson]

There are so many rumors, no one wants to talk.

[David Mitchell]

There might be repercussions. Listen now. Search for World of Secrets wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

[Rob Watson]

In recent weeks, Ukraine has suffered some of the heaviest attacks of the war as Russia has fired barrage after barrage of drones and missiles. Many of them have been shot down, but some get through causing death and destruction. The Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky has been talking to Donald Trump about the US Supplying Ukraine with Patriot missile air defenses. We'll hear more about that in a moment. But even as Russia carried out its latest attack, Ukraine's allies were meeting in Rome to discuss reconstruction and bolstering the Ukrainian economy. The German Chancellor Friedrich Merz had this message for the Americans to Washington D.C. and to President Donald Trump.

[Oliver Conway]

Stay with us and stay with the Europeans.

[Tom Bateman]

We are on the same page and.

[Rob Watson]

We are looking for a stable political order in this world. We are both the Americans and the.

[Tom Bateman]

Europeans are part of with us. Stay with us on this side.

[Rob Watson]

Well, on the other side of the World the US Secretary of State Marco Rubio met the Russian Foreign Minister, Sergei Lavrov, on the sidelines of a regional summit in Malaysia. He confirmed that Washington would continue supplying weapons to Ukraine, but said European allies should also step up.

[Oliver Conway]

There are Patriot batteries available in multiple countries in Europe, yet no one wants.

[Rob Watson]

To part with them. If in fact Ukraine is the priority that so many countries in Europe say it is, they should be willing to share batteries that right now they don't.

[Tom Bateman]

Have a need to use.

[Rob Watson]

Our Europe regional editor Danny Eberhard told me more about the air defenses that Ukraine is hoping to get from the.

[Keir Starmer]

US it's been a long, long time that Ukraine has wanted more Patriot systems. So President Zelensky says that he's requested 10 such systems. But the big shift here in recent weeks is that there's moves to buy these systems from the US they're not talking about donations or anything like that. In the current mood, with the current White House, and especially after Donald Trump suspended weapons supplies to Ukraine, there's been a lot of diplomatic activ. And so President Zelensky says that Germany has given assurances that it will buy two Patriot systems with the missiles and that Norway will buy one system. So that's a start. Ukraine needs these because Patriots are effective, for example, against Russian ballistic missiles that are otherwise very difficult to shoot down. So in these massive attacks that Russia launches on Ukraine, there's huge numbers of drones designed to overwhelm Ukrainian air defences. But there are also these damaging missiles for high value targets. So Patriots are really important. But it's not just that. President Zelenskyy also says that other things are needed, for example, other artillery. So what they're trying to design are packages to help Ukraine and make sure these weapons are delivered fast to Ukraine, because there's a lot of talk about this. But the fear in Kyiv constantly is that President Trump might be be sending signals to Russia that unless you move fast on a ceasefire, I'll be supplying these. But then he doesn't actually supply them.

[Rob Watson]

Okay, so they're trying to prevent more damage being done to Ukraine with these negotiations. Meanwhile, Ukraine's allies are discussing rebuilding. But that seems a long way off.

[Keir Starmer]

It's a very long way off still, because there's so little progress on an actual ceasefire, let alone a full peace. And until still there is some sort of peace, there's no point in some people's thinking to reconstruct much of Ukraine because the chances are key things will get bombed again, as we saw with energy facilities that Russia would repeatedly bomb the same sites even after they'd been patched up. So yes, there's a lot of willingness to take part in reconstruction. There's a lot of interest from companies. It could be very lucrative in the long term for some countries and private enterprises. But for now the focus is still on defending Ukraine and also then trying to get Russia, force Russia to agree to a ceasefire.

[Rob Watson]

Our Europe regional editor, Danny Aberhart. The UK is facing a rising and unpredictable threat from Iran. According to a report by the British Parliament, the Intelligence and Security Committee says that over a 20 month period until August 2023, there were more than a dozen murder or kidnap attempts. The inquiry also looked at espionage and cyber attack. Here's our diplomatic correspondent Caroline Hawley. The inquiries report is more than 240 pages long and it catalogues a host of threats posed by the Iranian regime. Of particular concern, it says, are those facing Iran's opponents. Here in the uk, there's been a sharp rise in the threat of physical attacks on them. The report says there's also an increased threat against Jewish and Israeli interests in the uk. According to the committee, the Iranian intelligence services have shown that they are willing and able to attempt assassinations and kidnappings mappings here, often through what it calls third party agents. The report was written before May when three alleged Iranian spies were charged with plotting to inflict serious violence on UK based journalists. Caroline Hawley, Lord Beamish is chair of the UK's Intelligence and Security Committee. In terms of the threat to distance, in 2022 to August 2023 there were 15 attempts on, on either kidnap or murder of individuals either here or around the world of connection in the uk, which were thwarted. I understand there's been now another. It's up to 20 by 2024 and what this is is not only attacking those individuals, but the Iranians use proxies when there's evidence, for example in Europe where they've used organized crime groups to murder and kidnap individuals and that makes it very difficult for security services to intercept these plots. For example, the two who were murdered in the Netherlands and in Turkey, we had Turkish organised crime gangs around drugs involved. It shows the recklessness of the Iranians that are prepared to use these individuals. Lord Beamish, chair of the UK's intelligence and security committee on 19 May, people in ivory coast woke up to the news that a military coup was underway against the government of Al Asan Ouattara. Videos even emerged of the President under fire. Inevitably, people in Ivory coast were scared. But the coup turned out to be fake. It was disinformation spread on YouTube, social media and various websites by influencers ahead of elections later this year. I heard more from Mungai Ngigay of the BBC Global Disinformation Unit.

[Mungai Ngigay]

There are those who are saying that president was missing, that a coup was taking place, and that a military general called Lacina Dumbe had been shot dead. So there are quite a number of videos. So some had people on the street protesting. There were some which had gunfire. We fact check some of the videos and we saw that one of them was taken from the conflict between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir region. So this was video of gunfire. And the second video was of Ivorians celebrating on the street, which was after the country won the Africa cup of nations last year.

[Rob Watson]

So these were fake videos?

[Mungai Ngigay]

They were fake videos. They are fake videos taken out of context. And the video taken from the Kashmir conflict had the face of Alasanotara superimposed and with the caption coup in Ivory Coast. So this was a video which was shared by a number of these accounts which are spreading these fake claims.

[Rob Watson]

Yeah. Why were people pushing out this information that there was a coup in Ivory coast when there wasn't?

[Mungai Ngigay]

Ivory coast is one of the few countries in West Africa which is still allied with France and with the west. So Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger, which go by the alliance of Sahel states. So just by. By them being friendly with France means that they are essentially antagonizing these countries which are trying to move away from France, their former colonial master.

[Rob Watson]

So were people actually trying to trigger a coup in Ivory coast or were they just trying to cause trouble?

[Mungai Ngigay]

From the evidence that we saw, it was really just trying to cause trouble. Cote d' Ivoire is supposed to go to the election later this year. So it's really caused a lot of tension in the country.

[Rob Watson]

And a lot of these people who are putting out these videos call themselves Pan Africanists. Just tell us more about that.

[Mungai Ngigay]

So Pan Africanist is an ideology that has been actually around for a while, and it's sort of just to simplify, sort of just to urge Africans to stand together and unite against exploitation and neocolonialism. So what this new school of Pan Africanism really is against is neocolonialism. So there are some countries which they view as exploiting Africa for its resources and its people. They're really rallying behind the president of Burkina Faso, Captain Ibrahim Traure, who's come up as one of the faces of promoting unity of Africans and just Africa stand up against exploitation and just tell.

[Rob Watson]

Us what kind of impact all this disinformation has had across Africa.

[Mungai Ngigay]

What we found was that there was a lot of anxiety and there's been a lot of voices questioning the need for democracy on the continent has become really louder because the people who are coming up with rumors such as these are also promoting military juntas and saying this is perhaps the solution that you need on the continent.

[Rob Watson]

Mungai Ngige in Nairobi. Europe's top court has ruled that the double Olympic 800 meter champion Caster Semenya did not receive a fair trial in 2020 when she lost an appeal against a world athletics decision that in effect barred her from competing. The European Court of Human Rights has awarded her just over $90,000. The South African described the ruling as overwhelming. Here's our sports editor, Dan Roan.

[Oliver Conway]

This is the latest twist in Caster Semenya's long legal battle about rules, which in effect ended a career that saw her dominate middle distance running for a decade. Although recorded as female, the South African was born with differences of sexual development, or dsd, and has an elevated level of testosterone, which can increase muscle mass and strength and male XY chromosomes. She insisted she was a woman, but in 2018, the governing body, World Athletic Critics, said DSD athletes must reduce their testosterone levels to participate in certain female events to ensure fair competition. Semenya unsuccessfully challenged what she said were discriminatory rules at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Switzerland and then the Swiss Supreme Court. But that ruling in 2020 violated Semenya's right to a fair hearing, according to the European Court of Human Rights. Shortly afterwards, Semenya gave me her reaction.

[Rabbi Torbay]

It's a beautiful feeling. This is bigger than we ever thought. I don't think this is about competition. It's about human rights. It's about the protection of the athletes.

[Oliver Conway]

Three other complaints that Semenya submitted were ruled inadmissible because the case was brought against the Swiss government rather than World Athletics. The judgment will not overturn the rules on DSD athletes. However, the case could now return to court and lead to renewed scrutiny of the way sports approach such regulations.

[Rob Watson]

Dan Rowan finally, it appears it's not just us humans who are followers of fashion. Researchers studying a group of chimpanzees in Zambia found the primates wore blades of grass behind their ears and said it was similar to people joining in dance fads on TikTok. Dr. Jake Brooker Co authored the study.

[Dr. Jake Brooker]

We were just observing the chimpanzees and one day one of our Collaborators reported to us that he noticed one of the chimpanzees was wearing a blade of grass in his ear. And it reminded us of the story that had happened about 15 years ago from the same sanctuary in a whole different group. This behavior had been seen to be a social tradition that everyone had just learned over a period of time. And like trends in humans, it peaked at a point where everybody was doing it, and then it died down. And we were fascinated that it happened again in a whole different group. It's well documented now that chimpanzees and many animals have culture. They have quite diverse culture, in fact, in a variety of different contexts. But the idea of symbolic culture in animals is still very debated. And there are only a few cases in a select few animals that have shown similar behaviors, but the behavior itself has no clear survival function. You know, putting grass in your ear does not serve a clear purpose, but it might serve some kind of social bonding experience for them. By adopting this similar behavior and copying others, it shows that they're doing something that they indicate to the others that they like them and that they are part of the same community. Community.

[Rob Watson]

Dr. Jake Brooker. And that's all from us for now. But the Global News podcast will be back very soon. This edition was mixed by Peter Wise and produced by Alison Davis and Peter Goffin. Our editors, Karen Martin. I'm Oliver Conway. Until next time. Goodbye.