Ukraine accepts 30-day ceasefire

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary
Episode: Ukraine Accepts 30-Day Ceasefire
Release Date: March 12, 2025
Host: Oliver Conway, BBC World Service

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1. Ukraine Accepts 30-Day Ceasefire Proposal

Overview:
In a significant development, Ukraine has agreed to a United States-proposed 30-day ceasefire, marking a potential turning point in the ongoing conflict with Russia. This ceasefire agreement comes after intensive negotiations facilitated in Saudi Arabia, leading the US to resume intelligence sharing and military aid to Ukraine.

Key Discussions:

• US Resumption of Support:
  Oliver Conway reported that the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, announced the resumption of intelligence sharing and military assistance to Ukraine following the ceasefire agreement. This move signifies a restoration of the strategic partnership between the US and Ukraine, which had been strained during the previous administration.

• Ceasefire Details and Implications:
  Marco Rubio elaborated on the ceasefire proposal, stating, "[...] to enact an immediate interim 30-day ceasefire which can be extended by mutual agreement of the parties." (01:54) He emphasized that the success of the ceasefire hinges on Russia's acceptance: "The ball is now in their court." (02:10)

• Ukrainian Perspective:
  James Waterhouse, BBC Kyiv correspondent, highlighted Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's positive reception of the agreement. Zelensky expressed gratitude towards the US, reinforcing the importance of American support in Ukraine's defense efforts. (06:11)

• Russian Reaction:
  Vitaly Shevchenko, Russia editor at BBC Monitoring, provided insights into Moscow's stance. Officially, Russia has remained non-committal, with spokesperson Maria Zakharova stating, "Russia does not rule out contacts with US representatives in the next few days." (08:50) Additionally, pro-war factions within Russia have shown disapproval through sustained military actions, including drone attacks on Ukrainian cities. (08:50)

• Expert Analysis:
  Commentator Tom Bateman, present in Saudi Arabia during the talks, noted the comprehensive nature of the ceasefire proposal compared to prior discussions that focused on partial halts in specific military actions. He stressed the strategic significance of the US lifting the pause on intelligence and military aid, which has immediate tactical benefits for Ukraine on the battlefield. (02:28)

Conclusion:
The Ukrainian acceptance of the 30-day ceasefire presents a fragile yet hopeful opportunity for de-escalation. The international community remains watchful of Russia's response, with the efficacy of this agreement contingent upon reciprocal actions to sustain peace.

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2. Separatist Attack on Train in Baluchistan, Pakistan

Overview:
A tragic incident unfolded in Baluchistan, southwest Pakistan, where separatist fighters attacked the Jafar Express train, resulting in fatalities and mass hostages. The attack has heightened regional tensions and posed significant challenges for Pakistani security forces.

Key Discussions:

• Incident Details:
  Oliver Conway reported that the train, carrying over 400 passengers from Quetta to Peshawar, was seized by rebels, leading to at least three deaths and numerous hostages. (12:15) The militants targeted the train in a mountainous area, making it difficult for security forces to intervene promptly.

• Motivations Behind the Attack:
  According to Anbarasan Etirajan, BBC’s South Asia regional editor, the separatists are advocating for Baloch rights, citing grievances over the federal government's exploitation of mineral resources without equitable distribution to the local population. (14:08) They have also opposed Chinese investment projects in the region, intensifying their conflict with both the Pakistani military and foreign interests.

• Government and Military Response:
  The Pakistani military has deployed special forces and helicopters to counter the militants, with conflicting reports on the status of hostages. Some passengers have been released, while military sources claim the recovery of certain individuals. (13:05)

• Human Impact:
  Marco Rubio shared a personal account of a family member being among the hostages, underscoring the emotional toll of the attack: "We're desperately trying to contact our relatives, but there's been no response since we..." (12:41)

Conclusion:
The Baluchistan train attack underscores the persistent instability in the region and the complex interplay of local separatist movements against national and international forces. The situation remains fluid, with ongoing efforts to secure the hostages and neutralize the threat.

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3. Breakthrough in HIV Prevention: Annual Injection Trial

Overview:
A promising advancement in HIV prevention has emerged with the completion of an early safety trial for a new annual injection. This development could revolutionize efforts to curb the HIV epidemic globally.

Key Discussions:

• Current Prevention Methods:
  Dominic Hughes, BBC health correspondent, explained that existing HIV prevention relies heavily on daily pills known as pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), which are about 90% effective but suffer from low adherence rates. (15:37)

• New Annual Injection:
  Brian Cox detailed the phase one safety trial involving 40 participants who received the intramuscular injection. No major side effects were reported, and the drug remained detectable in participants' systems after 56 weeks, indicating prolonged efficacy. (16:20)

• Future Steps:
  The next phase involves larger, diverse clinical trials to assess the injection's protective capabilities across different populations. Experts are optimistic that this innovation could significantly reduce HIV transmission rates, potentially contributing to the goal of ending the HIV epidemic by 2030. (17:26)

Conclusion:
The successful safety trial of the annual HIV injection represents a critical step forward in HIV prevention strategies. Pending further trials, this development holds the potential to enhance adherence rates and provide a long-term protective measure against HIV infection.

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4. Escalation and De-escalation in US-Canada Trade Relations

Overview:
Amidst ongoing trade tensions, President Donald Trump has retracted his plan to double tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium, reflecting the complex dynamics of US-Canada economic relations.

Key Discussions:

• Tariff Reversal:
  Erin Delmore, BBC North America business correspondent, reported that the White House has decided against implementing the proposed 50% tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminium imports. This decision follows Ontario's choice not to impose retaliatory tariffs on electricity exports to the US. (18:33)

• Provincial and Federal Negotiations:
  Ashley Akinetti highlighted that Ontario’s Premier, Doug Ford, and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are set to discuss the trade tensions, aiming to resolve the standoff initiated by President Trump’s initial tariff threats. (19:07)

• Underlying Motivations:
  Despite the temporary de-escalation, President Trump reiterated his ambition to integrate Canada as the US's 51st state, indicating long-term aspirations that transcend immediate trade negotiations. (19:07)

Conclusion:
The brief thaw in US-Canada trade relations exemplifies the delicate balance of economic policies influenced by regional decisions and broader geopolitical ambitions. Ongoing dialogues between provincial and federal authorities are critical to maintaining economic stability between the two nations.

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5. Evolution of Birdsong Across Generations

Overview:
A groundbreaking study on the Great Tit bird species reveals that their songs evolve over generations, mirroring the concept of musical preference shifts in humans across different age groups.

Key Discussions:

• Study Findings:
  Professor Ben Sheldon from Oxford University explained that Great Tits learn and maintain a repertoire of 4 to 10 song types throughout their lives. However, the specific songs vary among generations, leading to distinct vocal patterns between older and younger birds within the same population. (20:16)

• Cultural Transmission:
  The presence of older birds acting as "cultural stores" ensures the preservation and transmission of traditional songs, while younger birds introduce slight variations. This dynamic fosters a rich and evolving soundscape within bird populations. (21:02)

• Biological Significance:
  Birdsong serves dual purposes: attracting mates and deterring rivals. The study also touched upon the potential communication breakdown in fragmented populations, where limited song variants could impede species recognition and cohesion. (22:09)

Conclusion:
The study underscores the intricate relationship between genetics, environment, and cultural transmission in avian species. Understanding birdsong evolution provides insights into broader ecological and evolutionary processes affecting animal communication and species survival.

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6. Understanding Space Weather and Its Impacts

Overview:
The podcast delves into the phenomenon of space weather, its effects on Earth, and the significance of monitoring solar activity to safeguard global infrastructure and security.

Key Discussions:

• Definition and Effects:
  Simon King, BBC's lead weather presenter, defined space weather as changes in Earth's environment caused by solar activities, such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections. These events can lead to beautiful auroras but also pose severe risks to satellites, power grids, and communication systems. (23:53)

• Solar Activity Cycle:
  The sun operates on an 11-year cycle, currently in its solar maximum phase, characterized by increased sunspots and heightened solar activity. This period heightens the likelihood of geomagnetic storms impacting Earth. (25:58)

• Global Security Implications:
  Extreme space weather events can disrupt global trade and economic systems by damaging essential infrastructure reliant on satellite technology and electrical grids. Consequently, space weather is a critical consideration in national risk assessments. (25:54)

• Upcoming Celestial Events:
  The podcast also highlighted upcoming meteor showers and eclipses, emphasizing the need for clear skies to observe these phenomena. Collaborations with BBC Weather aim to provide comprehensive coverage and forecasts to the public. (26:34)

Conclusion:
Space weather represents a significant natural hazard with far-reaching implications for technology and security. Ongoing monitoring and collaborative efforts are essential to mitigate potential disruptions and enhance preparedness for solar-induced events.

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Closing Remarks:
This episode of the Global News Podcast encapsulates pivotal global events, from geopolitical maneuvers in Ukraine and Pakistan to advancements in public health, environmental studies, and celestial phenomena. Stay informed and engaged by subscribing to the BBC World Service for comprehensive coverage of the world's most pressing issues.

Transcript

[Brian Cox]

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[Robin Ince]

Hello, I'm Robin Ince.

[Brian Cox]

And I'm Brian Cox. And we would like to tell you about the new series of the Infinite Monkey Cage. We're going to have a planet off Jupiter versus Scepter. It's very well done that, because in the script it does say wrestling voice.

[Robin Ince]

After all of that, it's going to kind of chill out a bit and talk about ice.

[Brian Cox]

And also in this series we're discussing history, music recording with Brian Eno and looking at nature's shapes.

[Robin Ince]

So listen wherever you get your podcasts.

[Oliver Conway]

You're listening to the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. Hello, I'm Oliver Conway and this edition is published in the early hours of Wednesday 12th March. The US has resumed intelligence sharing and military aid for Ukraine after the Ukrainians agreed to an American proposal for a month long ceasefire. The US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he he would present the plan to Russia and that the ball is in their court. Ukraine's President, Volodymyr Zelensky said it was a positive step. Also in the podcast, people are talking.

[Brian Cox]

About trying to end the HIV epidemic by 2030 and experts are saying this could be a real game changer.

[Oliver Conway]

An annual injection designed to guard against HIV has completed an important early safety trial. Foreign Ukraine has been under huge pressure to sign up to President Trump's vision of a peace deal with Russia. The Americans even halted intelligence sharing and military aid. But after talks in Saudi Arabia, the Ukrainians have agreed to a US proposal for an immediate 30 day ceasefire. Here's the American Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

[Robin Ince]

Today we made an offer that the.

[Marco Rubio]

Ukrainians have accepted, which is to enter.

[Robin Ince]

Into a ceasefire and into immediate negotiations.

[Marco Rubio]

To end this conflict in a way that's enduring and sustainable and accounts for.

[Robin Ince]

Their interests, their security, their ability to.

[Marco Rubio]

Prosper as a nation. Hopefully we'll take this offer now to.

[Robin Ince]

The Russians and we hope that they'll.

[Marco Rubio]

Say yes, that they'll say yes to peace. The ball is now in their court. But again, the President's objective here is number one above everything else, he wants the war to end. And I think today Ukraine has taken a concrete step in that regard. We hope the Russians will reciprocate.

[Oliver Conway]

Tom Bateman was in Jeddah for the talks and gave us his analysis.

[Marco Rubio]

Well, I think there's two very striking points about the joint statement that has been released by the Americans and the Ukrainians. The first is that the US is going to, it says, immediately lift the pause on intelligence sharing and resume its security assistance to Ukraine. And then we have this line about a ceasefire. Now, I need to give you the context first, because this is why it's so important. What we had been led to expect in the run up to this was that there would be discussions around a Ukrainian proposal for a partial early ceasefire, which would involve a halt on the firing of long range missiles onto energy and other critical infrastructure, and also a ceasefire at sea. But what the statement talks about is something far broader. It talks about basically a complete ceasefire. So it says Ukraine expands, expressed its readiness to accept a US proposal to enact an immediate interim 30 day ceasefire which can be extended by mutual agreement of the party. So what they're talking about here is a complete stop to the war. But of course, you've only got one side here. It would have to be agreed by the Russians. So this leads to the next step, which is, it's reported Steve Witkoff, Mr. Trump's envoy, is going to travel to Moscow this week. They're going to put all of this to the Russians and see if they can get them on board with this process. One other important detail in the statement is about Ukrainian gratitude. Remember that key moment in the Oval Office where JD Vance sat across the room from Vladimir Zelensky and said, you haven't said thank you, say thank you now. Of course, Mr. Zelensky said thank you dozens of times to the Americans and to the American government and the White House over its support and assistance in Ukraine. But that became really a symbol of how this relationship had fundamentally fractured his dressing down by the Trump administration in the White House. And now we have a line very clearly stating. The Ukrainian delegation reiterated the Ukrainian people's strong gratitude to President Trump, the US Congress and the people of the United States for making possible meaningful progress towards peace. You know, we've been expecting these talks to wrap up much sooner. There were moments where we thought they might finish and we were expecting the statement that they lasted a lot longer. I think, given the atmosphere, fear that there has been over the last two weeks, that was, you know, seen as a positive sign. And now we do have this very clear joint statement.

[Oliver Conway]

Tom Bateman in Saudi Arabia. So how is Ukraine reacting to all this? Yuri Sack is an advisor to Ukraine's Ministry of Strategic Industries.

[Marco Rubio]

Of course, we are pleased with the outcome because the pause has ended in terms of providing Ukraine with military support as well as intelligence. And this is crucial for our troops, this is crucial for our cities, this is crucial for our capacity to protect ourselves. And of Course, we're quietly optimistic because, you know, after what happened during the last week and a half, today is really a welcome development. You know, both sides have worked very hard running up to these negotiations. You know, there's been daily exchanges of views and positions and now they finalized all of those in Jeddah and hopefully this will work out. But of course, we are very, you know, how should I put it? We don't trust Russians because we have a very bad history of dealing with them. You know, for us, they still continue to be an aggressor, a country that had committed numerous war crimes. We still view the United States of America as our strategic partner. You know, we will still continue to fight regardless of whether they're with us or not. But without them, it will be much, much more difficult.

[Oliver Conway]

Our correspondent in Kyiv, James Waterhouse, told us more.

[James Waterhouse]

Well, President Zelensky has thanked Donald Trump directly in his evening address for enabling these constructive talks. And it seems like Ukraine's leader feels like he has been listened to. He didn't take part in today's discussions. But I think this joint statement after hours of negotiations in Jeddah reflects a restoring of Ukraine in America's relationship. And I think just hearing the words that the ball is now in Russia's court will be music to Kyiv's ears. Because finally we're seeing an America apply some kind of pressure on Russia. And finally it seems to be siding with Ukraine for the first time since Donald Trump took office. But whilst this is a diplomatic breakthrough for Kyiv, there is a huge. But it all hinges on how the Kremlin Vladimir Putin will view this proposal, or as the delegation put it today, whether he will both accept it and immediately implement this proposed month long ceasefire along the current front lines.

[Oliver Conway]

And how much of a difference will the resumption of intelligence and aid to Ukraine make on the battlefield?

[James Waterhouse]

It'll be instantaneous. I mean, the impression we got from officers on the front line was that it was like fighting blind. It is shared intelligence by America primarily that enables Ukraine to trace missiles, detect the buildup of Russian troops, to plan assaults, to get a sense of terrain, to use satellite imagery that is now been restored. And it allows, it sort of creates inertia once more on a creaking front line. In some areas, it does not solve Ukraine's problems. You know, Ukrainian troops are being encircled in some areas of the fighting, but it keeps it in the fight. I think America's withdrawal of support in this way was effectively like fading down Ukraine's life support machine. It's plugged Back in. But Ukraine is still very much fighting.

[Oliver Conway]

For its James Waterhouse in Kyiv. And in the past few hours, Ukraine has confirmed that US Security assistance and intelligence sharing has resumed. In Washington, President Trump said he would now talk to Vladimir Putin. But it takes two to tango. Ukraine cease fire just agreed to a little while ago. That's a total ceasefire. Ukraine has agreed to it, and hopefully Russia will agree to it.

[Brian Cox]

We're going to meet with them later.

[Oliver Conway]

On today and tomorrow, and hopefully we'll be able to wipe out a deal. But I think the ceasefire is very important. If we can get Russia to do it, that'll be great. If we can't, we just keep going on and people are going to get killed.

[Brian Cox]

Lots of people.

[Oliver Conway]

Well, for reaction from Moscow, I spoke to Vitaly Shevchenko, Russia editor of BBC Monitoring.

[Vitaly Shevchenko]

There are several levels of Russian reaction that we've seen so far. Officially, there's not much. We've only had this statement circulated by Russian official news agencies, quoting the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, Maria Zakharova, who said that Russia does not rule out contacts with US Representatives in the next few days, whatever that means. On social media, the more pro war commentators and war reporters in Russia, they don't really like these moves towards peace. In practical terms, I suppose you can see what's been going on in the skies over Ukraine as Russian reaction. There have been numerous attacks by Russian drones targeting Ukrainian cities. In DNIPROPETROVSK, More than 20 drones have been attacking various places across the city. There are reports of attacks in Odessa. And as we speak, there's more than a dozen Russian drones roaming the skies above Ukraine. So that's a reaction of sorts, if you like.

[Oliver Conway]

But after the warming in relations, particularly with President Trump himself, would Russia risk rejecting the US Plan?

[Vitaly Shevchenko]

Well, there are different scenarios in a way. Russia earlier rejected similar proposals coming from France and Great Britain. Maria Zakharova, the Foreign Ministry spokeswoman, she said that fighting would only resume with renewed force after a ceasefire. Whether it makes a difference that such proposals are now coming from America remains to be seen. But if we were to have a look at history over the course of these 11 years of war, numerous attempts have been made to broker a ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine. They've all failed.

[Oliver Conway]

Vitaly Shevchenko. And still to come on the global news podcast, how Birdsong changes between generations.

[Ashley Akinetti]

This is Ashley Akinetti from the Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous podcast. You could have lost £10 already if you already started one month ago. So, are you ready to start today? Find out if weight loss meds are right for you in just 3 minutes at try fh.com try fh.com try fH.com results vary based on start weight and adherence to diet, exercise and program goals. Database on Independent Studies sponsored by Future Health. Future Health is not a healthcare services provider. Meds are prescribed at providers discretion.

[Robin Ince]

Hello, I'm Robin Hinz.

[Brian Cox]

And I'm Brian Cox. And we would like to tell you about the new series of the Infinite Monkey Cage. We're going to have a planet off Jupiter versus Scepter. It's very well done that, because in the script it does say wrestling voice. After all of that, it's going to.

[Robin Ince]

Kind of chill out a bit and talk about ice.

[Brian Cox]

And also in this series we're discussing history of Music recording with Brian Eno and looking at nature shapes.

[Robin Ince]

So listen wherever you get your podcasts.

[Oliver Conway]

At least three people are reported to have been killed after separatist fighters attacked and seized a train in Baluchistan in southwest Pakistan. More than 400 people were reported to be on board. Many were taken hostage. The Jafar Express was traveling from the provincial capital, Quetta, to the northern city of Peshawar. These people were waiting anxiously for news of their loved ones.

[Marco Rubio]

We're desperately trying to contact our relatives, but there's been no response since we.

[Brian Cox]

Heard the train was hijacked in Bolan and passengers were taken hostage. My cousin, a woman and her small child were on board traveling from Quetta to Multan to pick up a family member. I'm frantic with worry, but no one's.

[Marco Rubio]

Telling me what's happening or if they're safe.

[Oliver Conway]

I got an update from our South Asia regional editor, Anbarasan Etirajan.

[Anbarasan Etirajan]

What happened this afternoon near Quetta was quite extraordinary and unprecedented where a group of rebels stormed a train, a passenger train with 400 people and took control of it and taking many people as hostages. Now, since then there have been lots of turns and both sides giving conflicting versions. So there are lots of unknowns rather than knowns. Now the Pakistani military says they have sent special forces as well as helicopters fighting against the militants. And one of the state ministers a short while ago told a local television channel that the rebels had taken some hostages and about 100 security personnel, those who are going on leave or on different posting from Quetta, from Balochistan to Northern Province, probably they were taken as hostages by the militants. Now, a group of passengers had been released, according to the rebels, whereas the military said they had been recovered from this fighting. About 100 of them have Already reached another station. They were asked to walk to the nearest station and then from there they were taken by another train. So this is quite extraordinary. It has come as a big shock to many people in Pakistan. Also a wake up call for the Pakistani military.

[Oliver Conway]

Yeah. Do we know how they were able to stop the train?

[Anbarasan Etirajan]

Now the version according to the militants were there because it was passing through a mountainous area between the tunnels. So it was very difficult for any security force to reach or even to send reinforcements. So they basically attacked the train. Well, it was before it was entering a tunnel. So the train was stopped and the driver was severely injured. Now who are these rebels? So basically they were fighting for the rights of the Baloch at the people. And they say the federal Pakistani government, they have been taking mineral resources but not giving anything back to the region to the people of Balochistan. And that's their grievances. And they have been fighting not only against the Pakistani military, but also against Chinese investment projects.

[Oliver Conway]

Our South Asia regional editor, Anbarasan Etif rajan. More than 20 million people around the world are considered to be at high risk of contracting hiv. A drug in the form of a daily pill can prevent it. It. But only about 3 1/2 million people take it. Now, researchers are hoping that a yearly injection can be a game changer in the fight against the virus. And it's just passed an important safety trial. As I heard from our health correspondent.

[Brian Cox]

Dominic Hughes, there are already drugs available, daily pills, even an injection that you can have every eight weeks that reduces the risk of contracting hiv. Now these are known as pre exposure prophylaxis or prep medicines. These treatments are really effective, around 90% effective. But taking them consistently, particularly if you're taking daily pills, can be a real challenge, particularly if that's not a part of your life that you want to concentrate on all the time and you're taking daily pills for it, you can see that might be challenging. So a drug like this that lasts much longer can be a real help and is being seen as a really significant breakthrough.

[Oliver Conway]

Yeah. And what did this trial reveal?

[Brian Cox]

So this is what's known as a phase one safety trial. It's all about that really is the drug safe to take? So 40 people, none of whom have had HIV, they were given the drug with a, what's called an intramuscular injection. In other words, it's injected into the muscle. They reported no major side effects or safety concerns. Now Interestingly, even after 56 weeks, the medicine, that drug was still detectable in their bodies. So this trial was focused very much on safety and how the body responds to that, the physiological response. It wasn't measuring how well this drug might prevent HIV infection. But we know there's a version of this drug that is like basically the six month version of this drug that is much further down the road in clinical trials. And so they are confident that this version of that other drug is also going to be effective.

[Oliver Conway]

And so what's the next stage in working out whether this injection can be rolled out around the world?

[Brian Cox]

Yeah, so they have to now see through further phased trials whether that protective element does persist to a degree that it will give actual protection against hiv, and also how it will react in different groups of people. So will it react differently in men or women? Will it react differently in people from a South Asian background, from an Afro Caribbean background? So they need to do those trials to make sure that it is the sort of drug that is going to be useful.

[Oliver Conway]

And how long might that take?

[Brian Cox]

Well, people are talking about trying to end the HIV epidemic by 2030, and experts are saying this could be a real game changer, this drug, and it could play a very, very important part in that. So clinical trials are a bit elastic sometimes in how long they take to complete and how long they take to go through the system. But experts are confident, they're hoping, I think, that this drug could play a really important part in certainly curbing the number of HIV infections within the next few years.

[Oliver Conway]

Dominic Hughes, our health correspondent. President Trump has dropped his threat to step up his trade war with Canada after he said he would double the tariff on steel and aluminium. The White House says the proposed 50% duty will not now take effect. The change of heart came after the Canadian province of Ontario decided not to impose a planned 25% surcharge on its electricity exports to the U.S. president Trump told reporters he respected the decision by Ontario's Premier, Doug Ford. Our North America business correspondent, Erin Delmore, has more details.

[Ashley Akinetti]

Ontario's action was itself a retaliatory move against President Trump's sweeping 25% tariffs on all imported goods from Canada. Mr. Ford said that he and US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick were now planning to meet later this week to discuss the trade tensions between the US and its biggest trading partner. It's a remarkable turnaround after President Trump earlier threatened to increase tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum by an additional 25%, bringing the total import tax to 50%. President Trump has now walked that back. But he reiterated his desire to absorb Canada into the US as its 51st state. And a scheduled 25% tariff on steel and aluminum is still going into effect tomorrow. Canada is America's biggest supplier of both.

[Oliver Conway]

Erin Delmo it's not unusual for people to like different music to their parents. It turns out that the same is sort of true for birds. A major study of one of the most common species, the Great Tit, has found that over time, the tunes they sing change. The BBC's Evan Davis found out more from Professor Ben Sheldon of Oxford University.

[Ben Sheldon]

So what we were interested in was trying to understand why it is that you get variation in the kind of, the pattern of, of different song types in a population. So we know that song in birds, like great tits, is learned when birds sort of early in their lives, in their first year of life, and then the birds will sing more or less the same range of song types throughout their life. But if you go through a population, through a woodland, you can hear lots of sort of different song types. The greater has quite a characteristic song, sometimes described as a squeaky hinge saying, teacher, teacher. Actually, there's lots of variation in the population, so, so different song types sung by different individuals.

[Marco Rubio]

So each individual bird tends to stick to its tune.

[Ben Sheldon]

It's got a little repertoire, so it has synced between 4 and 10 song types and it keeps those over its life. And of course it's learned those. So where it was growing up and then it's moved to sort of settle down and breed itself. So in principle, it takes its songs from its local environment with it and brings them to a new place. If you compare birds that are born at different times, that older birds sing slightly different types of songs than the younger birds. So if you have an area that is primarily composed of older birds, it will sound slightly differently than one bird's born just a year or two or three later. If you have an area that is composed of a mix of ages, that's actually where you get the most variation locally. So you'll have the sort of most variable soundscape, if you like, is when you've got lots of different ages of birds in a place. And that's really nice because it shows us that these old birds are kind of sort of act as sort of cultural stores of these songs in the past. Just remind me, why are they singing?

[Marco Rubio]

Why do we think they evolved to sing?

[Ben Sheldon]

Two main reasons that the male birds are singing. Females sing as well, but that's been neglected. But males sing at this time of year for two reasons. One is to advertise their presence. If they haven't got A mate. They're appetising the fact that they're there and they are available to a female if she wants to come along and breed for them. And then they're also singing to other males, effectively. Say, this is my bit of the woodland keep out.

[Marco Rubio]

The reason I was asking, the purpose of the singing was to understand whether, when it changes, do the other birds, do they understand the signal that's made by the song?

[Ben Sheldon]

You can tell that, in a sense, all of these songs sound like a great song, even if they sound a bit different from one another. So it's not that they won't understand each other. There is some evidence that when populations of birds get really small and fragmented, so when birds become rare, then you can have this problem that effectively birds may not learn to recognize all of the variants of song as being of their own species. So you can then have some degree to which the sort of recognition of species breaks down. Obviously, if a population's large and there's lots of movement, then that means that the song types move around and that birds get exposed to lots and so on. So it's not a problem with the common bird like the Great Tip. But actually there is some research suggesting that this can become a problematic issue when populations become very small and fragmented.

[Oliver Conway]

Ben Sheldon of Oxford University. Now, have you heard of space weather? We're planning a collaboration with our colleagues from BBC Weather about just that phenomenon, and we need your help to explain more. I caught up with our lead weather presenter, Simon King.

[Robin Ince]

So space weather is a really interesting topic. In its very simple definition, it refers to the changing environmental conditions on Earth and our atmosphere created by solar activity. So we know that the sun spurts out lots of plasma and energy radiation, geomagnetic winds, they're constantly coming out of the sun. And sometimes, like volcanic eruptions, we can get coronal mass ejections, which basically push out, you know, large quantities of plasma and radiation, radiation, and then that interacts with our atmosphere and it can give us impacts on Earth. Now, the beautiful side of space weather is one that we'll all be familiar with, and that's the northern lights or the aurora borealis. That is basically these charged particles and the energy from the sun interacting with oxygen and nitrogen in the atmosphere to give us those beautiful colors. But space weather is actually also really important on a global scale for security, because it's a big hazard. We can get these geomagnetic storms that can impact spacecraft, so it can cut out the electrics. It can give radiation poisoning to astronauts who might be in the space station, it can interrupt with our satellites and that can obviously have big impacts to global trade, the economy, banking, you know, how much do we rely on now on our smartphones and electronics, the Internet to do everything, you know, everything is controlled by that. And a big geomagnetic storm can actually wipe all that out. So we're talking about very severe consequences because of space weather. And that's why it's also on the National Risk Register, which is why the government is particularly concerned about it. And that's why we monitor the Sun 24, 7 to kind of notice these and spot these, these events as they're happening. So yeah, it's really important.

[Oliver Conway]

And as you look at the sun, it's getting quite busy at the moment.

[Robin Ince]

It is. So the sun goes through an 11 year cycle from maximum to minimum activity and 2024, 2025, we are now in a solar maximum. And that basically means that we know there are a lot of sunspots on the surface of the sun. And these sunspots are like volcanic eruptions and they spurt out extra energy out into space and if they're directed towards the Earth, that's where we can get the aurora and these geomagnetic storms. So we're in the maximum period at the minute and which is why actually throughout 2024 we saw some incredible aurora.

[Oliver Conway]

Talking about looking up to the sky, you also keep across meteor showers and eclipses, even though they're not strictly included in the definition of space weather.

[Robin Ince]

That's right. So. Well, because that's essentially because we need clear skies most of the time, don't we, to see things like meteor show or we've got a lunar eclipse coming up in March, also a partial solar eclipse coming up. So we're keeping a close eye on those as well because of course they're no good if you can't see them. So we need to know about the cloud cover, we want to know about the weather forecast. So it falls to us at the BBC Weather center to be kind of the people in charge of kind of communicating these events. So yeah, it's certainly interesting. Throughout March, of course, we've got the equinox coming up, up as well. So there are a lot of celestial things that are going on which we hopefully can tell you more about.

[Oliver Conway]

Simon King, we're aiming to record something around the equinox. So that is next week. If there's anything you'd like to know, please email globalpodcastbc.co.uk or find us on X@BBC World Service using the hashtag global newspod. And it would be great if you could record your question as a voice note. Thanks. And that is all from us for now, but the Global News podcast will be back very soon. This edition was mixed by Chris Kuzaris and produced by Stephanie Tillotson. Our editor's Karen Martin. I'm Oliver Conway. Until next time, goodbye.

[Robin Ince]

Hello. I'm Robin Ince.

[Brian Cox]

And I'm Brian Cox. And we would like to tell you about the new series of the Infinite Monkey Cage. We're going to have a planet on Jupiter versus Scepter. It's very well done that, because in the script it does say wrestling voice. After all of that, it's gonna kind.

[Robin Ince]

Of chill out a bit and talk about ice.

[Brian Cox]

And also in this series, we're discussing history, music recording with Brian Eno and looking at nature's shapes.

[Robin Ince]

So listen, wherever you get your podcast.