US announces new tariffs for dozens of countries

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary Title: US Announces New Tariffs for Dozens of Countries
Host: Andrew Peach
Release Date: August 1, 2025
Produced by: BBC World Service

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1. United States Unveils Sweeping New Tariffs

At the outset of the episode, host Andrew Peach introduces the central story: the United States' imposition of new import tariffs affecting approximately 70 countries that have yet to finalize trade agreements with the U.S. This strategic shift from decades of free trade towards protectionism has elicited mixed reactions globally.

Economic Impact and Reactions: Peach details the market's immediate response, noting a decline in European stocks, particularly French and German markets, which fell by around 2%. To provide deeper insights, Deputy Economics Editor Darshini David explains the complexities of the tariff regime:

“The detail is dizzying. It feels like another day, another raft of tariffs from President Trump. But the key thing to remember is that the vast majority of American imports already had their tariffs settled ahead of this deadline through those trade deals or arrangements.”
(Darshini David, 01:43)

David highlights that while major economies like Canada, Taiwan, and Switzerland face significant tariffs—up to 35% for Canadian exports—smaller nations such as Lesotho encounter reduced rates. She emphasizes that the less aggressive tariffs than initially feared may mitigate potential global economic disruptions.

Peach further explores the motivations and criticisms surrounding this policy shift. Economists largely view the move as detrimental, anticipating higher prices for American consumers and potential slowdowns in economic growth. David elaborates:

“It is still, economists reckon, bad news for American consumers in terms of higher prices of many imported items. It is also bad news, therefore, for growth.”
(Darshini David, 03:52)

Despite these concerns, Trump advocates for the tariffs as a means to bolster domestic jobs and increase tax revenues. However, David points out the uncertainty regarding job creation and the overall effectiveness of the policy.

Country-Specific Impacts: The podcast features perspectives from countries directly affected by the tariffs. Jonathan Head, the Southeast Asia correspondent, discusses Thailand's recent tariff adjustment:

“19% is a relief for the government and for Thailand's manufacturers. That puts them on more or less the same level as their competitors, as most of what they export to the US cannot be made economically over there.”
(Jonathan Head, 04:37)

Conversely, Switzerland faces harsher repercussions, with tariffs escalating to 39%, the highest in Europe. Geneva correspondent Imogen reports a bleak outlook for Switzerland's pharmaceutical and tech industries, highlighting significant job risks and economic strain.

2. Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza: Aid Distribution Under Scrutiny

The podcast shifts focus to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. President Trump's special envoy, Steve Whitcoff, alongside U.S. Ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee, visits aid distribution sites managed by the Global Humanitarian Foundation (GHF). Their inspection coincides with the largest airdrop of aid to date.

Civilian Casualties and BBC Investigation: Emir Nader, reporting from Jerusalem, provides harrowing accounts of civilian deaths linked to aid sites. A poignant investigation by Population Correspondent Stephanie Hegarty reveals disturbing statistics:

“We've compiled material on over 160 cases where children have been shot in Gaza and found that in 95 cases the child was shot in the head or the chest.”
(Stephanie Hegarty, 09:35)

Hegarty narrates the tragic story of Mohammed Al Majdhalawi and his two-year-old daughter Leanne, both killed by alleged Israeli sniper fire. Through satellite imagery and witness testimonies, the BBC substantiates claims that these incidents occurred near fortified IDF positions.

IDF Response and Accountability Concerns: When confronted with the findings, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) maintain their stance on minimizing civilian harm but acknowledge the complexity of urban combat environments. Experts in international law reviewed the cases, raising serious questions about potential recklessness or negligence.

In a revealing excerpt, an anonymous IDF member states:

“I'm not super surprised. I'm not shocked that there exists soldiers who would do that in reserves. A lot of it comes down to discretion of the soldiers.”
(Andrew Peach quoting IDF member, 13:11)

This admission underscores the ongoing debate over accountability and the ethical implications of military operations in densely populated areas.

3. Return of Sacred Buddhist Jewels to India

The podcast transitions to a cultural story involving the repatriation of sacred Buddhist artifacts to India. Sotheby's had planned to auction the Piprilha gems, a collection believed to contain relics of the Buddha, but the sale was halted following pressure from the Indian government.

Historical Significance and Repatriation Efforts: Historian William Dalrymple provides context on the gems' origins and their cultural importance:

“A stupa is to Buddhism what I suppose a tabernacle is to a Catholic church. It encloses what believers take to be the real presence.”
(William Dalrymple, 15:15)

Dalrymple explains that the gems, discovered in the late 19th century, were intended for auction but were returned to India after recognizing their sacred value and the colonial implications of their possession abroad. This act signifies India's broader efforts to reclaim cultural heritage from foreign institutions.

4. South Korea’s Former President Yoon Resists Removal from Prison

The podcast covers the dramatic resistance by South Korea's former president, Yun Son Yeol, who is currently incarcerated on charges of insurrection and election meddling. East Asia Editor Mickey Bristow reports on Yoon's latest standoff with authorities.

Incident Details and Legal Challenges: On August 1, former President Yoon publicly resisted attempts to extract him from his cell by removing his prison attire and lying on the floor in his underpants. Despite multiple attempts by prosecutors to question him, Yoon remained uncooperative.

Legal and Social Implications: Yoon's lawyer criticized the authorities for what they perceive as an affront to Yoon's dignity, especially given his status as a former head of state. The episode delves into the political turmoil that led to Yoon's downfall, including his failed attempt to declare martial law and subsequent charges that could result in a death sentence or life imprisonment.

5. Malawi Achieves UN Targets in the Fight Against HIV/AIDS

Shifting to Africa, the podcast highlights Malawi's significant progress in combating HIV/AIDS. Africa Regional Editor Will Ross reports on the nation's successful attainment of UN targets aimed at reducing HIV prevalence.

Progress and Ongoing Challenges: Beatrice Matanje, head of Malawi's AIDS Commission, shares the commendable statistics:

“Every week around 59 young Malawian women become HIV positive. Urgent action is still needed.”
(Beatrice Matanje, 20:06)

Despite halving the HIV-positive rate since the 1990s, Matanje emphasizes the persistent threat to adolescent girls and young women. She advocates for targeted interventions, including comprehensive sex education and programs aimed at empowering young women both socially and economically.

6. The High-Stakes Race for AI Talent: Zuckerberg's $750 Million Offer

In the technology sector, the podcast explores the fierce competition among tech giants to attract top artificial intelligence (AI) researchers. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's unprecedented offer of $750 million to an AI researcher serves as a focal point for this narrative.

AI Development and Economic Implications: Behavioral Economist Lucas Balafoutas from the University of Exeter discusses the motivations behind such lucrative offers:

“There are some people working in AI who can name their own paychecks because this is such an incredibly lucrative and powerful space.”
(Lucas Balafoutas, 22:52)

Balafoutas explains that the pursuit of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), or what Zuckerberg terms "super intelligence," drives companies to invest heavily in talent acquisition. The competitive salaries reflect the critical role AI plays in shaping future technologies and economic landscapes.

Motivations Beyond Money: The conversation with Balafoutas and co-host William Dalrymple delves into factors beyond financial incentives that influence researchers' decisions. These include the desire for creative freedom, the culture of the employing company, and the nature of the work involved. Dalrymple notes:

“It's about who you want to work with and why. People are motivated by things like the culture of the company they work for, for the kind of work they're asked to do.”
(William Dalrymple, 25:08)

Ultimately, the episode underscores the high stakes of the AI arms race, where innovative breakthroughs can yield immense economic and technological advantages.

7. Cultural Spotlight: Edinburgh Fringe Festival

Concluding the episode, Andrew Peach highlights the diverse performances at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. While primarily cultural, this segment showcases the festival's role in fostering artistic expression and community engagement. Notable acts include Dan Borman's comedic feat of folding a fitted sheet for a live audience and various performances addressing mental health themes.

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Conclusion: This episode of the Global News Podcast offers a comprehensive overview of significant global events, from economic policies and humanitarian crises to cultural repatriations and technological competitions. With in-depth analysis, expert interviews, and poignant storytelling, listeners are provided with a nuanced understanding of the interconnected issues shaping our world today.

For more insights and updates, subscribe to the Global News Podcast and stay informed on the latest headlines and in-depth reporting from the BBC World Service.

Transcript

[Andrew Peach]

This is the global news podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Andrew Peach. And at 13 hours GMT on Friday the 1st of August, these are our main stories. The US announces sweeping new tariffs on imports from dozens of countries. They've been met with relief by some and with disappointment elsewhere as President Trump's special envoy, Steve Whitcoff, inspects aid sites in Gaza. We have a special BBC investigation on the children who've been shot since the start of the war. Also in this podcast, South Korea's former president resists attempts to take him from his prison cell by lying on the floor in his underpants.

[William Dalrymple]

And it's like a little collection of very sort of sacred objects. Some of them are actually human remains, burnt bone. These were believed to be the Buddha's own, hence the importance of this.

[Andrew Peach]

Sacred jewels linked to the Buddha are returned to India. Back in April, Donald Trump stunned the world by announcing sweeping new import tariffs, causing chaos in the financial markets. For the United States, it marked a shift from decades of free trade towards a new era of protectionism. In the months that followed, some of the rates have been reduced by negotiation, but now he's announced tariffs on imports from about 70 countries that haven't yet reached a trade deal with the US Most of them are due to come into effect in seven days, leaving the door open for more talks as we record this podcast. European markets have fallen, with French and German stocks particularly hit, falling around 2%. I've been talking to our deputy economics editor, Darshini David.

[Darshini David]

The detail is dizzying. It feels like another day, another raft of tariffs from President Trump. But look, key thing to remember in all of this is that the vast majority of American imports already had their tariffs settled ahead of this deadline through those trade deals or arrangements, we should say that were done and also various tariff letters. But what we've learned in recent hours is what other countries will face. And there's been disappointment for some. For example, Canada. Some exports there will face 35%. And there's been disappointment, too, for the likes of Taiwan and Switzerland. But some smaller countries actually will face smaller tariffs than they had initially presumed. Lesotho is one. But the key things to remember here is that the vast amount of uncertainty about what this tariff regime would look like has now gone, which helps businesses around the world. And also overall, on the whole, what we know so far, these tariffs are less aggressive than what President Trump had threatened in April, and therefore the risk to the global economy is smaller than it was.

[Andrew Peach]

And there's always another deadline, isn't There, you know, today was supposed to be the final deadline and we get the rates today. And he says, oh, there's still another week for negotiations.

[Darshini David]

Yes, indeed. I mean, you know, China, there's an extension to not extension so much as it's got a different deadline. Some of these countries are being given given a week. And the idea is that that is meant to give some breathing space to and let's not forget them all those people who have to deal with the nitty gritty of working out exactly what the tariffs are, who's owed what and how you deal with that. Even for those which have been told, look, we have a trade arrangement, we could see some more movement there as well, because never forget, these talks are ongoing. And we know this is a president who's all about the art of the deal.

[Andrew Peach]

When the principle was first outlined, most economists, the vast majority, said this was bas bad news. President Trump believes in them and one or two people around him really believe in this as a way of managing the US Economy and its relations with others. But economists generally thought it was a bad idea. Is there a sense of that playing out?

[Darshini David]

Let's not forget the full extent has not really kicked in until now. It's kicking in to a lesser extent than we previously thought. It is still, economists reckon, bad news for American consumers in terms of higher prices of many imported items. It is also bad news, therefore, for growth. Does it mean that it brings back jobs and production to the U.S. well, President Trump has managed to get other countries, richer countries, that is to agree to buy more American as part of these arrangements, but that it's still highly uncertain it'll bring back jobs and production to the US in the way that he thinks. Also, he sees this as a way of raising tax dollars, but the more of an impact it has on growth, the less revenue is being raised. So you can't have it always.

[Andrew Peach]

Our deputy economics editor, Darshini David. Well, let's hear from two countries affected. First, Thailand, which along with Australia and Japan, seems to have come off relatively well. It's seen its previously announced rate of 36% reduced to 19%. Here's our southeast Asia correspondent, Jonathan Head. Thailand was told it had a deal two days ago, but had to wait for President Trump's big announcement to know what its tariff rate would be. 19% is a relief for the government and for Thailand's manufacturers. That puts them on more or less the same level as their competitors, as most of what they export to the US Cannot be made economically over there. Most companies expect their US Customers to stick with the same suppliers. Although the tariff does mean that many imports from this region are likely to cost the US Consumer more, the negotiations for this deal were fraught, and we still don't know what Thailand had to give in return for the tariff reduction. The US Wanted free access to Thailand's lucrative agricultural market, for example, and many details, in particular the vexed issue of transshipment products with large amounts of Chinese content, have yet to be worked out. Switzerland, on the other hand, now has the highest tariffs in Europe at 39%. Our correspondent in Geneva is Imogen.

[Darshini David]

Folks, reaction here to Donald Trump's 39% tariffs, higher even than the 31% he originally threatened, is total shock right until the last minute, Switzerland hoped for a deal. Last May, Swiss President Karen Keller Souter said she'd been told she was next.

[Mickey Bristow]

In line after the United Kingdom to.

[Darshini David]

Strike a deal with Washington.

[Mickey Bristow]

She said it might even be 10%.

[Darshini David]

But after a phone call with Donald Trump last night, she said there was no agreement. Switzerland's pharmaceutical industry, which is key to the Swiss economy, has called it a dark day.

[Mickey Bristow]

The Swiss tech industry says thousands of jobs are at risk. Leading politicians are urging the government to continue negotiating, but no one seems too hopeful.

[Darshini David]

The key problem for Donald Trump seems to be that Switzerland sells more to the US Than it buys. But the harsh reality is the Swiss produce things the US Needs but doesn't make, chief among them specific machine tools and pharmaceuticals.

[Mickey Bristow]

Meanwhile, many things the US Produces, cars, for example, are just never going to.

[Darshini David]

Be on Switzerland's shopping list. So there's no way Switzerland, a country of just 9 million people, can possibly balance that deficit. Today, the mood is despondent. August 1, Trump's deadline for tariff deals is also Swiss National Day.

[Mickey Bristow]

That's Switzerland's equivalent of the Fourth of July.

[Darshini David]

As they celebrate, the Swiss feel they're.

[Mickey Bristow]

Being unfairly punished for producing high quality.

[Darshini David]

Products that the world's biggest economy loves to buy.

[Andrew Peach]

There's more [e-mail] News President Trump's special envoy has inspected one of the widely criticized aid distribution sites in Gaza that are backed by Israel and the US Steve Witkoff's visit coincides with the largest airdrop of aid so far into Gaza. Israel doesn't allow international broadcasters, including the BBC, to report from Gaza, so our correspondent, Emir Nader is following developments from Jerusalem. Steve Witkoff was accompanied by the US Ambassador to Israel, Mike Huckabee, who posted images of the GHF site, saying they were there to learn the truth about the distribution of AID One image showed a crowd of Palestinians waiting behind barbed wire with armed contractors standing by. There have been further civilian deaths this morning. Pictures shared by a local journalist show the bloody body of Rayan Fakawi lying on a stretcher. In another picture, a man in distress holds the young boy in a tight embrace. CASE it's been reported that the boy was killed by Israeli sniper fire near the GHF Shakush aid site. Latest figures published by the UN say at least 859 Palestinians have been killed near GHF aid sites since the organization replaced the UN led food distribution model in May. The GHF has rejected the numbers. A large airdrop of supplies has also been taking place in the territory, coordinated by seven nations. The German armed forces alone delivered 14 tons of supplies from two aircraft since the start of the war almost two years ago. The Hamas run Health Ministry says more than 60,000 people have been killed, almost half of them women and children. The BBC World Service has compiled material on over 160 cases where children have been shot in Gaza and found that in 95 cases the child was shot in the head or the chest. In most of these cases the victim was under 12 years old. This report from our population correspondent Stephanie Hegarty contains disturbing details.

[Mickey Bristow]

In this video, a man and a small child are lying on a street in Gaza City. Civilians. A voice behind the camera says a father and his daughter. The toddler lies face down as if sleeping. The man reaches out, brushing her with the back of his hand. Moments later, it's clear that both are dead. This video was broadcast on Qatari network Al Arabi TV in late December 2023. It said the man and child had been shot by Israeli snipers, but there was no details of what exactly happened or who they were. For months we tried to find out more about them. A comment underneath a post of the video online named the man as Mohammed Al Majdhalawi. We found his death certificate and that of his daughter, two year old Leanne. This is Leanne playing with her mom in a family video taken before the war. Her case is just one of 95 we've gathered material on of children who were shot in the head or chest in this war in Gaza. To compile this list, we verified media reports, spoke to human rights researchers on the ground, as well as 30 doctors and nurses who treated these children. We looked at hundreds of photos and videos as well as scans, medical reports and journals that they shared. In 57 cases. A witness account alleged it was the IDF who shot the child two were allegedly shot by Palestinians, one by celebratory gunfire and the other in a gang conflict. For 36 cases, we have no account of what happened, but what were the circumstances of Leanne's death in Gaza City in November 2023? This is Leanne's sister, Shahid, who was with her father and Leanne, as well as her mother and brother that day. She says the family were evacuating from a school shelter after the area was bombed and they walked down a quiet street. We were walking together. We were ahead of our father.

[Andrew Peach]

He was playing and singing with Leanne.

[Mickey Bristow]

As they passed a junction, Shahed says she saw a tank up the street to her left. When we saw the tank, we started to run.

[Stephanie Hegarty]

We looked back and he was lying on the ground.

[Mickey Bristow]

She says she and her brother ran back to help and realized their father had been shot. They tried to grab Leon. When they were shot at again, I.

[Stephanie Hegarty]

Tried to reach my sister, to hold her. Then I was shot in my arm.

[Mickey Bristow]

I held her hand and tried to pull her away.

[Stephanie Hegarty]

That's when I got shot.

[Mickey Bristow]

Her father told her to run, and they never saw Mohammed or Leanne again. We found a satellite image taken just two hours before the shooting, and in it we can see a tank 280 metres from where the family were shot. Military expert Stuart Ray pointed out several other tanks, armoured vehicles, military diggers and defensive sandbanks, indicating this was an IDF position fortified by tanks and infantry. When presented with our findings, the IDF said its soldiers operate against terrorist organizations in complex urban environments and unintended or erroneous harm may occur in the course of combat. It said the details of Leanne's case have been recorded and will be examined by the competent authorities. Three experts in international law looked at our findings. They told us they raised serious questions over whether these shootings were a result of recklessness, negligence or willful attack. K fought for the IDF in Gaza in early 2024. He wanted to remain anonymous, so his words are voiced by an actor. I asked if he was surprised to hear that so many children had been shot in the head, allegedly by the idf.

[Andrew Peach]

I'm not super surprised. I'm not shocked that there exists soldiers who would do that in reserves. A lot of it comes down to discretion of the soldiers.

[Mickey Bristow]

Do you think there's a lack of accountability?

[Andrew Peach]

I would definitely say there's a lack of accountability.

[Mickey Bristow]

Kay described his unit killing at least eight unarmed people, including two boys he described as young teenagers.

[Andrew Peach]

Anyone you see off the humanitarian road.

[Stephanie Hegarty]

Shoot, shoot to kill.

[Andrew Peach]

That's what we were told, our commander qualified that, of course, if it's a woman or a child, don't shoot, try to detain them. Don't be stupid. As time went on, the stakes kept.

[William Dalrymple]

Getting higher and higher.

[Andrew Peach]

And then ultimately, when we lost some people in a firefight, it was just destroy everything, kill everyone.

[Mickey Bristow]

You see, we put Kay's allegations to the idf and they said the IDF remains committed to minimizing harm to civilians as much as possible.

[Andrew Peach]

That report from Stephanie Hegarty. A set of sacred jewels believed to be linked to the Buddha have been returned to India by the auction house Sotheby's after mounting pressure from the Indian government. The Piprilha gems, described by archaeologists as one of the most astonishing finds of the modern era, were due to be auctioned in Hong Kong in May. But the sale was called off after threats of legal action. The treasure, including 1800 pearls, rubies and sapphires, was unearthed in the late 19th century by an English estate manager in colonial India. The historian William Dalrymple told my colleague Sean Lay about their significance.

[William Dalrymple]

These wonderful gems were dug up by a guy called William Claxton Pepe. And although it seems very odd now that, you know, an ordinary individual could just sort of dig out a spade and a pickaxe and go to work digging a sacred Buddhist site, this was the norm in the 19th century. And some of the most amazing discoveries of what particularly early Buddhist history were just ordinary individuals employed either by First East India Company or the Raj. This character, William Paxton Pepe, dug up the preproa stupa in 1898.

[Andrew Peach]

And you mentioned the word stupa.

[William Dalrymple]

That's kind of like a Buddhist reliquary. Yes, it's. I mean, a stupa is to Buddhism what I suppose a tabernacle is to a Catholic church. It encloses what believers take to be the real presence. So just as Catholics will genuflect in front of a tabernacle, Buddhists will believe that stupas represent the real embodiment of the Buddha because it contains fragments of his relics. And one of the very first things we know about early Buddhist history is that there was a great battle between eight early Buddhist kings for the relics of the Buddha and that they all came to blows. And then finally an agreement was made that they would all get 1/8. This is not a new thing to dispute over the Buddha's relic with a very ancient history. There was this huge collection of jewels. What sort of things? It's like a little collection of very sort of sacred objects. Some of them are Actually, human remains, burnt bone. These were believed to be the Buddha's own, hence the importance of this and other fragments of gold and crystals. The majority of what was found there then was kind of effectively handed over to the British Raj. But some of them were kept by the family. Correct. So I think there was division of three different things. I believe that the relics of the Buddha were given to the King of Siam. That's what's now Thailand, who in turn gave them on fragments of them to the rulers of Sri Lanka and Burma. But the other fragments, like urns and stone kists and more sort of substantial remnants, were given to what was then the Imperial Museum in Calcutta, which is now the Indian Museum, where they remain. And then the family took a portion of the. Some of the prettier bits, including these sort of fragments of gold leaf. I certainly first came across this when they lent it to a wonderful exhibition in New York three years ago. And you could see children coming in in school groups and chatting to each other and joking with each other. And then when they walk into this area, they felt this sort of sacred presence because with all the chanting and so on, they'd fall silent. So it's very respectfully done. I think that was the first time that these things came out of hiding, so to speak. Now the decision was made to put them up for auction, Sotheby's in Hong Kong.

[Andrew Peach]

And at that point, the Indian government.

[William Dalrymple]

Intervened and made it pretty clear that.

[Andrew Peach]

They thought that this was the sort.

[William Dalrymple]

Of thing that should be returned to India, that it was a kind of colonial, kind of hangover from the days of empire, and that, frankly, they shouldn't be put up for auction, not least because the Buddhist connection. What did you make of that argument? There's two converging arguments here. One is the argument, quite right, that these are extremely sacred relics. And, you know, you wouldn't expect to find, for example, the fragment of the True cross to be put on sale in Sotheby's as if it was an artwork or a statue. And so, quite reasonably, people objected to it on that ground. But there's also the very strong feeling in India at the moment that, you know, so much of their greatest treasures are not in museums in India, but are in museums in Britain, like the British Museum or the V and A or in the Met. And Mr. Modi, on a recent visit to New York, did a viewing of, I think, 120of these statues which are now back in India awaiting a new museum which will be built in the center of New Delhi. So I think India's very proud of that, rightly, and I think it's a very happy ending that it's back now.

[Andrew Peach]

In India, the historian William Dalrymple still to come. And if you want a perfect example of the Edinburgh spirit, how about this Dan Borman, a comedian who got a thousand people to watch him fold a fitted sheet, just one of many acts performing at this year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Former South Korean President Yun Son Yeol, who's currently in custody, has been resisting attempts to be taken out of his prison cell by lying on the floor in his underwear. Let's get the story from Mickey Bristow, our East Asia editor, who reminded me why Mr. Yoon is in prison.

[Stephanie Hegarty]

Essentially, his troubles began in December last year when he declared or tried to declare martial law in South Korea. That was vote a few hours afterwards, but plunged South Korea into a political crisis. Mr. Yun was suspended from office shortly afterwards. In April, the Constitutional Court in South Korea decided to essentially get rid of him as president. And he himself was then charged with insurrection, a charge which he faces the death sentence or even life in prison. And so that's why he's in prison at the moment. He also faces a number of other charges relating to meddling in previous elections in South Korea, breaking the law, and that's why prosecutors wanted to speak to him. They went along on Thursday to his cell to the detention center in in Seoul to try and get him out and he refused, as you indicated there.

[Andrew Peach]

Just update us with what's been happening today then.

[Stephanie Hegarty]

Yeah, that's when former President Yoon took off his prison clothes, prison uniform, and stripped down to his underpants, his vest, and he laid on the floor and he refused for questioning. These investigators, they held back. They went back every 20 minutes, half an hour or so to try and get him out. He refused. They decided not to use force because they thought that perhaps there could be some kind of accident and the former president might get hurt. So they decided to leave it. But they've indicated that they could use force in the future. Interestingly, afterwards, former President Yoon's lawyer really criticized this action, saying that Mr. Yoon wasn't a well person. He also criticize the fact that prosecutors have revealed details about this incident. They said essentially it's insulting to the dignity of a man who was until very recently the president of South Korea. Certainly it's a humiliating change in circumstances for Mr. Yoon.

[Andrew Peach]

Mickey Bristow reporting. Officials in Malawi say the country has successfully met UN Targets in the fight against HIV aids. It was among the worst hit countries in the world, with around one in seven Malawians being HIV positive in the 1990s. Officials say that figure has now halved. As we'll hear from our Africa regional editor Will Ross, Malawi was so badly hit by HIV AIDS that after the 1980s, life expectancy dropped from 56 to 38 years. But now the head of Malawi's AIDS commission says remarkable strides have been taken. Beatrice Matanje said the country successfully met the UN targets of ensuring 95% of people living with HIV know their status, and of those, 95% are taking life prolonging antiretroviral drugs. Beatrice Matanji said urgent action was still needed as adolescent girls and young women are disproportionately impacted by new infections. She says Every week around 59 young Malawian women become HIV positive. She's called for targeted interventions, including sex education and programs to empower young women socially and economically. Now, not many places have more cash than the world of artificial intelligence right now. That's reflected by the eye watering sums being offered in the race for talent and some of the world's biggest tech giants. So reports that Facebook founder and Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg offered an AI researcher $750 million to join his top team may not be a surprise, although the worker turned it down. Sean Farrington has been talking about this with behavioral economist at the University of Exeter, Lucas Barafut. The BBC's technology editor Zoe Kleinman.

[Lucas Balafoutas]

This is a really interesting point in this sort of AI journey, if you like. You know, Zuckerberg once bet the farm, didn't he, on this digital world called the Metaverse. And now he's gunning for AI with all of the wealth and the aggressive talent buying that only a US tech giant with deep pockets can really throw at it. You might have already heard the term AGI, which stands for Artificial General intelligence. And Zuckerberg's version of it is super intelligence. That's what he's calling it now. It's worth saying there's a lot of hype around this so far hypothetical branch of artificial intelligence, but there's a huge promises and lots of exaggeration made about it. So AGI is said to be an incredibly powerful AI tool that can basically function like we can. It can carry out a wide range of tasks, it can transfer knowledge between them so it can sort of learn what it's doing from having done the similar things before. It can reason, it can make decisions, it can, it can improve itself over time. Sounds familiar. Very much like humans. And what the Tech boss is say, is that this is going to help us to leave much more efficient and productive lives because basically this AGI will be able to do everything. Zuckerberg's vision for super intelligence is what he calls personal empowerment, which I suppose means a sort of super coach or therapist or maybe PA as well, all rolled into one. But the thing about it is none of them are really giving huge details about how this is going to work, exactly when it's coming, although they say it is coming, and also what the risks of it are, which could be tremendous if you think about, you know, how powerful this tech is.

[William Dalrymple]

And Zoe, I just wonder, you have three quarters of a billion dollars. Could it be that even if you wanted to work for a company like Meta, you actually feel like that's not what you're worth in the world of AI at the minute? Do people have that sense?

[Lucas Balafoutas]

I think there are some people working in AI who can name their own paychecks because this is such an incredibly lucrative and powerful space and it's also an enormous global arms race. And if you have a skill within that sector that's needed to create this giant machine, then I think that you are certainly laughing all the way to the bank at the moment. Yeah, I mean, the figures, eye watering. The question is whether it's a big bubble or not.

[Andrew Peach]

Zoe Kleiman, thank you very much.

[William Dalrymple]

Our tech editor, Lucas Balafoutas, is behavioral economist at the University of Exeter. Lukas, why else might you turn this down?

[Andrew Peach]

Well, I mean, you summarized it pretty well at the beginning when you said it's about who you want to work with and why. And I don't think you need a behavioral economist to tell you that it's not just about the paycheck we get at the end of the month. Right. People are motivated also by things like the culture of the company they work for, for the kind of work they're asked to do. So it's about scientific freedom, possibly, and creative freedom on the one hand, versus something like a heavier focus on product development that they might be looking at if they switch to meta loyalty to their current teams. People are motivated by all sorts of things, and they're not purely rational money maximizers. But let me also say that all of these, let's say, intrinsic factors aside, as Zoe was saying, people at the frontier of AI, the really skilled ones, they know they are worth a lot. Right. So I'm sure they currently have a great deal and they probably also have equity where they're at, which they wouldn't admit, though.

[William Dalrymple]

Lucas, further afield, golden hellos generally, can.

[Andrew Peach]

They be too big?

[William Dalrymple]

Do you maybe not want to be attracting somebody just because of the money?

[Andrew Peach]

If you're met with, you probably do want to attract superstars. As we heard before. You know, a single breakthrough in AI can instantly mean hundreds of billions, right? So paying someone 1 billion for it is actually possibly a bargain. So from the perspective of meta, maybe a good strategy. We are in the middle of a very intense talent arms race and if you can get these highly skilled people and that's a very specific segment of the market at the really top, right, if you can get them and also remove them from the competition, that's worth a lot. Lucas Banafoutis from the University of Exeter. From the world famous fringe to the renowned international festival, the wide range of Edinburgh festivals start today with thousands of shows scheduled throughout August. Artists and performers travel from across the world to perform on hundreds of stages around the city. Our media and arts correspondent David Sillitoe has master.

[Darshini David]

More. It's a female sketch comedy inspired by.

[Lucas Balafoutas]

Toilet graffiti all around Manchester.

[Mickey Bristow]

My show is called Choke Slam.

[Andrew Peach]

It's a one woman solo show about my love of pro wrestling. Welcome to Edinburgh. And there is definitely something for all tastes here. And this is a biscuit related comedy troupe. We have a Jammie Dodger, a bourbon rich tea, of course, the king of biscuits, a custard cream, but I never got to see it with my own eyes. But there's also of course the main festival and this year the star attraction is Brian Cox's return to the stage for Make It Happen. It's a play about the financial crash of 2008 in which he asked to play the 18th century economist Adam Smith to bring judgment to contemporary Britain. Just entered my 80th year, you know, I'm 79, so I'm going. Well, it's now another. You've got to start telling. You've got to start living up to something on the smaller stages. One popular theme is comedy about various mental struggles such as Anna Hale who has.

[Lucas Balafoutas]

I have something called emetophobia, which is.

[Andrew Peach]

A fear of vomiting.

[Lucas Balafoutas]

For me it was.

[Andrew Peach]

That's a natural root for an hour of comedy, isn't it?

[Darshini David]

Yeah, absolutely.

[Andrew Peach]

It is a show about anxiety and singing and audience participation and she saw me coming. Did I say anxiety? And to prove that this isn't just a place for those who've got thousands to gamble on a show, meet Naran. She begins each day in the countryside and then heads off to do her relaxed comedy show about autism. Why Are you in a tent?

[Darshini David]

I'm in a tent because everything's super expensive and for me, I find it important to represent working class people as well.

[Andrew Peach]

And if you want a perfect example of the Edinburgh spirit, how about this? Dan Borman, a comedian who got a thousand people to watch him fold a fitted sheet. A thousand people can see you fold a fitted sheet.

[Lucas Balafoutas]

Yeah, yeah.

[Andrew Peach]

I'm as surprised as you are. While his comedy is about more than just sheets, I thought we need a big finale. Dan, fold the sheets. There's actually my flatmates. I don't think he knows what I've been doing. You give that a fold, third corner, you find that in there still inside out. You look for the tag. At this point, you've just got. You just got a square with a corner. I've seen magic in my time. Thank you. It's been a pleasure. Witchcraft. Total witchcraft. I don't believe it for a second. David Sillitoe in Edinburgh. And that's all from us for now. There'll be a new edition of Global News to download later. If you'd like to comment on this edition, the stories we included, drop us an email globalpodcastbc.co.uk. you'll also find us on XBCWorldService. Just use the hashtag Global Newspod. This edition was mixed by Kai Perry. The producer was Judy Frankel. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Andrew Peach. Thank you for listening and until next time, goodbye.