US strikes Iran’s key oil island

Summary

Global News Podcast (BBC World Service)

Episode: US strikes Iran’s key oil island

Date: March 14, 2026
Host: Charlotte Gallagher

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Episode Overview

This episode provides in-depth coverage of a major escalation in the US-Israel conflict with Iran, focusing on the recent US strike against military targets on Iran’s Kharg (Hag) Island—crucial to Iran’s oil exports. Additional context includes reactions from within Iran, updates on civilian impact, regional reverberations in Lebanon and Iraq, diplomatic breakthroughs in Cuba, and a historic medical innovation involving spider silk in nerve repair. The episode blends on-the-ground reporting with expert analysis, highlighting the humanitarian, political, and technological dimensions of ongoing global crises.

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Key Segments and Discussion Points

1. US Strikes on Kharg (Hag) Island, Iran

[02:05–05:38]

• Strategic Importance
  • Kharg Island, 8km long, is Iran’s main oil export terminal (handles ~90% of exports).
  • Described as “the economic lifeblood of the Iranian regime.”
• Scope of Attacks
  • US strike targeted only military infrastructure—oil export facilities deliberately spared.
  • President Trump (via Truth Social): “The US Military had destroyed every military target in what he called Iran's crown jewel, Kharg Island, excluding its oil infrastructure… should Iran do anything to impede the safe passage of vessel[s] through the vitally significant Strait of Hormuz… he would reconsider that decision.”
    — David Willis, North America Correspondent [03:41]
• US Reinforcements
  • Reports: 2,500–5,000 Marines and sailors, including amphibious assault capabilities, are en route to the Middle East.
  • Purpose: Could involve protecting shipping, a show of force, or even possible island occupation—but “deployment does not necessarily indicate a ground operation is imminent.”
    — David Willis [04:15–05:25]
• Conflicting Signals on War Duration
  • Trump: “We’re way ahead of schedule” but also “It’ll be as long as it’s necessary.”
    — David Willis [05:38]
  • US may begin escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

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2. Impact and Response Inside Iran

[06:19–09:34]

• Mass Civilian Displacement & Damage
  • “At least 1,300 people have been killed since the start of the war… More than 3 million of them have left their homes…”
    — Caroline Hawley, Diplomatic Correspondent [06:53, 07:36]
  • Red Crescent: 20,000 homes damaged, 16 Red Crescent facilities hit.
• Public Defiance and Fear
  • Pro-government rally in Tehran shows regime’s attempt at resilience and unity—but “many Iranians are very afraid as the human cost of this war and the humanitarian consequences grow.”
    — Caroline Hawley [07:36]
  • Regime loyalist: “The problem with Trump is that he’s not intelligent enough to understand that Iranians are a mature and strong and determined nation. The more pressure he exerts, the stronger our nation’s willpower will become.” [07:22]
• Humanitarian Crises
  • Shortages, ongoing bombardments near Isfahan and elsewhere.
  • Censored satellite imagery hampers outside verification of damage.

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3. Military Damage Reports and Verification

[09:06–11:50]

• Scale of Destruction
  • US & Israel: 15,000+ targets struck over 14 days.
  • Major hits: Military bases, missile sites, navy (60+ ships damaged/sunk), Basij checkpoints, leadership facilities—including Ayatollah Khomeini’s assassination at war’s outbreak.
• Civilian Toll
  • “More than 1,300 killed so far, including 175 children in a targeted school strike widely believed to be a US error.”
    — John Sudworth [10:43]
  • Airstrikes on apartment blocks and infrastructure.
• Data Limitations
  • Independent satellite verification restricted to prevent Iranian use, impeding journalistic assessment.

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4. Lebanon: Escalating Conflict and Civilian Displacement

[11:50–14:14]

• Direct Strikes on Health Facilities
  • Two medical centers hit within hours; at least 12 medical staff killed.
• Growing Humanitarian Crisis
  • “At least 800,000, or 1 in 7 people in Lebanon, have been displaced.”
    — Wira Davis, Beirut [13:32]
• Psychological Operations & Civil Disobedience
  • Israel drops leaflets urging Lebanese to turn on Hezbollah; QR codes included “people were warned to avoid scanning for fear their phones might be compromised.”
  • Local voices: “No matter what they do, we remain steadfast, working, carrying on with our lives and earning our livelihood.” [13:22]
• Escalation in Bombing
  • Expanding air raids across southern Beirut, Bekaa Valley, and South Lebanon.

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5. Iraq/Iranian Kurds: Aspirations and Insecurity

[14:14–18:00]

• Exiled Kurdish Militants’ Perspective
  • Kurdish-Iranian fighters in northern Iraq eager to “join the war against Iran”—seek a US-imposed no-fly zone for safe return.
  • Personal grief: “Many of our family… killed and hanging… I think directly 18.”
    — Shaho Bluri, Peshmerga fighter [15:52–16:06]
  • “If you are able to go home. What is the first thing that you want to do?”
    — “I will go back to my mother grave and put flower… tell them I remember you always. I cry for you.” [16:14–16:32]
  • Skepticism toward US intentions: “Personally, I don’t trust Trump. I think he may decide to stop the war. No one can predict what Trump will do.” [16:50]
  • Ongoing drone strikes put Kurdish camps in constant danger.

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6. US Domestic Impact: Attack on Michigan Synagogue

[20:18–22:52]

• Attack Details
  • Lebanese-born man, Ayman Muhammad Ghazali, rammed a truck into a synagogue; died by suicide. Security guard wounded.
  • Motivation possibly linked to losing family in Israeli airstrike in Lebanon; FBI emphasizes “focus on confirmed facts” amidst speculation.
• Community Response
  • “Look, American Judaism is such these days that every synagogue is target and every synagogue is well aware that we need to take precautions to keep our people safe… that protocol saved lives.”
    — Temple Israel Rabbi [22:11]
  • Heightened security and shaken sense of safety among US Jews.

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7. Diplomatic Breakthrough: US and Cuba Enter Talks

[23:04–26:28]

• Official Confirmation
  • Cuban President Miguel Diaz Canel: “In those talks we have expressed our willingness to continue the process under the principles of equality and respect for the political systems of both countries.” [23:04]
• Economic Hardship in Cuba
  • Severe oil shortage due to US embargo, rolling blackouts, rising threat of starvation and disease.
  • “If you work for the state… $5–$10/month, but a bag of beans could be $3… If you’re getting $5 a month, that’s a disaster.”
    — Rory Nicoll, Guardian Havana Correspondent [25:24]
• Public Sentiment
  • “What I now hear from most Cubans is: I really don’t care who’s to blame. Can somebody give us a break?” [25:54]
  • No appetite for US-led regime change.

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8. Russia: Oscar-Nominated Documentary on School Propaganda

[27:00–30:16]

• ‘Mr. Nobody Against Putin’ Documentary
  • Focused on teacher/videographer Pasha Talankin’s clandestine documentation of propaganda inside Russian schools.
• Whistleblower Actions
  • Took down symbols, removed Russian flag, blasted Lady Gaga's US anthem as acts of rebellion.
  • “When I started making the film, I was driven by rage. I didn’t care really… The main thing is that it exists to show what is happening.”
    — Pasha Talankin [27:49]
  • Believes regime is ultimately unsustainable.
• Personal Cost
  • Forced into exile; “one of my students died… he would never have gone without propaganda.” [30:07]
  • Oscar speech, if awarded, to be written by former students.

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9. Medical First: Spider Silk Used for Nerve Repair

[30:16–32:55]

• Breakthrough Procedure Overview
  — Dr. Alex Wood, NHS surgeon [30:55]
  • Spider dragline silk used to create ‘silk axons’ as a bridge scaffold for damaged nerves.
  • “It bridges the gap between the two nerve ends, and then the new nerves try and grow out… like a plant sprouting from the ground, but they attach to the silk and then they grow along it a bit like a rose on a trellis, until they bridge the gap, and then that sort of repairs the damage.”
• Clinical Details
  • Avoids need to harvest nerves from elsewhere in the body, which causes additional harm.
  • Dissolves naturally after aiding regeneration.

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Notable Quotes and Memorable Moments

• “The problem with Trump is that he’s not intelligent enough to understand that Iranians are a mature and strong and determined nation. The more pressure he exerts, the stronger our nation’s willpower will become.” — Regime loyalist at Tehran rally [07:22]
• “Deployment does not necessarily indicate a ground operation is imminent or about to take place, although President Trump himself hasn’t ruled that out.” — David Willis on US military buildup [05:25]
• “I really don’t care who’s to blame. Can somebody give us a break?” — Rory Nicoll reporting Cuban sentiment [25:54]
• “One of my students died… he would never have gone without propaganda.” — Pasha Talankin, Russian filmmaker [30:07]
• “I will go back to my mother grave and put flower… tell them I remember you always. I cry for you.” — Shaho Bluri, Iranian Kurdish fighter [16:14]
• “That protocol saved lives.” — Rabbi on active shooter drill at Temple Israel [22:11]
• “It bridges the gap… almost like a plant sprouting from the ground, but they attach to the silk and then they grow along it.” — Dr. Alex Wood on spider silk nerve repair [30:16]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• US Strikes Iran’s Kharg Island: [02:05–05:38]
• On-the-ground Reports from Iran: [06:19–09:34]
• Lebanon War Impact: [11:50–14:14]
• Kurdish Fighters in Iraq: [14:14–18:00]
• Michigan Synagogue Attack: [20:18–22:52]
• US-Cuba Negotiations: [23:04–26:28]
• Russian Whistleblower Documentary: [27:00–30:16]
• Spider Silk Nerve Repair: [30:16–32:55]

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Episode Takeaway

This episode meticulously documents how one US military operation reverberates across regions and societies—from Iran’s battered infrastructure and resolve, to Lebanese civilian hardship, Kurdish hopes and fears, escalating security risks in the US, breakthroughs in long-frozen diplomacy, courageous acts of resistance in Russian schools, and the cutting edge of bioengineering. The stories emphasize not just politics and warfare, but the human and technological stories unfolding within the global news cycle.

Transcript

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[Charlotte Gallagher]

this is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Charlotte Gallagher and in the early hours of Saturday 14th March, these are our main stories. President Trump says the US has carried out strikes against military targets on Hag Island, Iran's main export terminal for oil in the Gulf. There's defiance in Tehran as that thousands of protesters turn out for a pro government rally. And we hear from Iranian Kurds in Iraq who want to return to Iran. Also in this podcast, Cuba confirms that negotiations with the US Are underway. And we hear how in a medical first, spider silk has been used to repair broken nerves.

[Narrator/Host]

It bridges the gap that's made between these new two nerve ends and then the new nerves try and grow out. It's almost like a plant sprouting from the ground, but they attach to the silk and then they grow along it. Dull silk dissolves and the nerve is able to then regenerate.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Hag is an island only 8km long, located just off the coast of Iran. It's small in size, but not in significance. It's Iran's main export terminal for oil. And tonight President Trump announced the US had obliterated military targets on the island. It comes as reports swirl that the White House is preparing to set send reinforcements to the Middle east, including thousands of Marines. The war is now entering its third week, something President Trump was asked about before boarding Air Force One.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

How long now do you think the

[Charlotte Gallagher]

war is likely to last?

[Field Reporter]

I can't tell you that.

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

I mean, I have my own idea,

[Local Interviewee/Resident]

but what good does it do?

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

It'll be as long as it's necessary.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Our North America correspondent David Willis told me more about the significance of Hog Island.

[David Willis]

It lies Charlotte, about 25 km off the coast of Iran in the northern Gulf and around 90% of Iran's oil exports come from there, making it potentially very significant. It hasn't been targeted up to now, and oil tankers have been seen filling up with oil there since the conflict began. It's been described as the economic lifeblood of the Iranian regime. And in a post on Truth Social, President Trump said that the US Military had destroyed every military target in what he called Iran's crown jewel, Khaag island, excluding its oil infrastructure. But he went on to say that should Iran do anything to impede the safe passage of vessel through the vitally significant Strait of Hormuz to the southeast of Haag island, he would, as he put it, reconsider that decision. In other words, he's using a potential attack on Hog island as leverage, if you like, in an attempt to keep the Strait of Hormuz open to international shipping.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

And what more do we know about these media reports, David, about President Trump potentially sending thousands of Marines and other personnel to the region?

[David Willis]

That's right. A naval task force made up of additional troops and machinery is being deployed to the Middle east from its base in Japan, and that's between 2,500 and 5,000 Marines and sailors. Apparently members of an expeditionary unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli will be accompanying them form part of the deployment. An amphibious ready group typically includes, I'm told, vessels capable of carrying landing craft as well as large numbers of helicopters. And the deployment suggests that the United States is considering perhaps an expanded range of options, possibly occupying Hog island, possibly protecting commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, and conceivably some kind of limited amphibious landing. Now, the Pentagon has declined to comment on these reports, as you'd probably expect. But it's thought the deployment does not necessarily indicate that a ground operation is imminent or about to take place, although President Trump himself hasn't ruled that out.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

And throughout this time, President Trump and the Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth, have said quite contradictory things. Do we get a sense now that this operation is nearing an end? Or maybe it's the opposite completely.

[David Willis]

Well, it might be the opposite. I mean, President Trump again insisted today that the United States was, as he put it, way ahead of schedule in regards to its operation in Iran. But he wouldn't be drawn on how much longer the conflict would last, saying simply that it would go on for, as he put it, as long as it's necessary. But this is now about more than simply attacking Iran. The Trump administration has its work cut out defending the Strait of Hormuz, through which, what, 20% of the world's oil is transported. And President Trump conceded that the US could start escorting oil tankers through the strait soon, as he put it.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

David Willis There were explosions in the Iranian capital, Tehran, on Friday while thousands of people were taking part in a rally in support of the regime. The country's health ministry says at least 1,300 people have been killed since the start of the war. Iran has also continued to attack its Gulf neighbors. Qatar has in the past few hours issued an evacuation order covering parts of Doha, saying it's a precautionary measure. Here's our diplomatic correspondent Caroline Hawley.

[Local Interviewee/Resident]

From an embattled Iranian regime, a show of defiance. Loyalists came out in large numbers, just as their new supreme leader had asked, and many carried his image. Though much Tabak Hamuni himself has still not been seen. State run TV showed Iran's President Massoud Pezeshkian out on the streets of even looking relaxed. And another very powerful figure in the regime who had a message for Donald Trump.

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

The problem with Trump is that he's not intelligent enough to understand that Iranians are a mature and strong and determined nation. The more pressure he exerts, the stronger our nation's willpower will become.

[Local Interviewee/Resident]

This is the Al Quds rally held every year to oppose Israel. Suddenly, an explosion nearby. Another airstrike took place as state run TV was interviewing Iran's hardline head of the judiciary. People are not afraid of these attacks, he says. We will not back down in any way. But many Iranians are very afraid as the human cost of this war and the humanitarian consequences grow. The Red Crescent says nearly 20,000 homes have now been damaged, along with businesses, schools and 16 of its own facilities. Iranians are continuing to Flee. More than 3 million of them have left their homes so far, according to the UN At Turkey's border with Iran, one man said bombs were raining down on his homeland near the central city of Isfahan. One glimpse into the intensity of the bombardment. The man filming is clearly happy to see regime targets hit. Duck down, someone says as airstrike follows air strike. And Donald Trump says Iran will continue to be hit very hard.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Caroline Hawley but what do we know about the overall destruction in Iran from Israeli and U.S. attacks? The U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth says Iran has no functioning air force, air defense or navy and that its missile volume is down by 90%. But two weeks on, Iran is still still firing missiles and drones. The BBC's John Sudworth has been verifying the damage in Iran so far.

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

What we can say with certainty is that for 14 straight days now, Iran has been hit by a huge and sustained bombardment. The US and Israel say they've struck more than 15,000 targets so far. In terms of what's being hit, the list is a long one across multiple cities and other towns, other locations, the targets include military bases, missile launch sites, weapons factories and the Iranian navy, of course, with more than 60 ships damaged or sunk so far. And the targeting in recent days of the citywide checkpoints set up by the Basij, Iran's feared volunteer militia out on the streets to crack down on any hint of dissent. But beyond the military targets, the strikes are also aimed at civil infrastructure such as government leadership facilities. That's how Ayatollah Khomeini was assassinated on the first day of the war, of course. But those civil targets also include state media, airports and energy facilities.

[Field Reporter]

And what about the effect on Iranians, the loss of life?

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

Well, Iran says that more than 1,300 people have been killed so far, including 175 people in a school, most of them children. In a strike now widely believed, of course, to have been the result of a US targeting error in Iranian state TV has been broadcasting footage of some damaged apartment blocks with with rescue workers on site making the point that, you know, civilians are being targeted. Independent information is far harder to come by some of the big US based satellite data companies. It's been interesting to watch them. They provide high resolution imagery of the kind that was once only available to spy agencies, but it's now readily available for little or no cost. But they have now introduced a time delay, up to 14 at the current time of speaking for their imagery of the Middle East. That's to stop Iran using it for surveillance, intelligence and targeting purposes. But it also makes it much harder, of course, for journalists and analysts to assess the scale of the destruction, although I think we can say without too much guessing that it's likely, of course, to be extensive.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

John Sudworth speaking to Paddy o'. Connell. The Lebanese Health Ministry says an Israeli strike has hit a health center in the south of the country, killing at least 12 medical personne. It says it was the second medical facility to be hit in a matter of hours. Nearly 800 people have been killed in the current campaign, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry. Aid agencies say the country is nearly at breaking point. Our correspondent Wira Davis sent this report from Beirut.

[Field Reporter]

The Israeli military dropped leaflets over parts of Beirut, not areas of particularly strong Hezbollah support, calling for people to rise up and help ensure that Hezbollah is disarmed. It was A blunt attempt by Israel to capitalize on the clear divisions and tensions in Lebanese society over the damage being done by the war and Hezbollah's decision to continue firing rockets against Israel in support of Iran. The leaflets also had QR codes that people were warned to avoid scanning for fear that their phones or other devices might be compromised. Two locals in the Hamra district of Beirut gave us their reaction.

[David Willis]

We were sitting when we heard very loud sound like a strike. We looked up and saw two batches of leaflets being dropped, one in front of us and another further ahead. There were a lot, you could say,

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

about the size of a car.

[David Willis]

That's how many there were.

[Correspondent/Reporter]

If they wanted this to affect us,

[Charlotte Gallagher]

it would have long ago. No matter what they do, we remain

[Narrator/Host]

steadfast, working, carrying on with our lives

[Correspondent/Reporter]

and earning our livelihood.

[Field Reporter]

Israel says it's been expanding the scale and scope of its bombing campaign, hitting targets across Lebanon in a wave of airstrikes against Hezbollah's weapon stores, control centers and financial institutions. It has bombed targets in southern Beirut, the Bekar Valley, and an expanded exclusion zone in south Lebanon, forcing hundreds of thousands of people to leave their homes. The Norwegian Refugee Council says that at least 800,000 or 1 in 7 people in Lebanon have been displaced by the a number set to rise further and create severe humanitarian challenges as Israel bombs more towns and villages in its attempt to destroy Hezbollah as a military force.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Wira Davis. In Iraq, Iranian Kurdish opposition groups say their fighters are prepared to cross the border and join the war against Iran. Many Iranian Kurds have loved ones who were killed by the Iranian regime. The fighters want the United States to give them a no fly zone so they can return. Our senior international correspondent Ola Gurin reports from one of their mountain bases

[Interviewer/Reporter]

across the border. War is raging inside Iran. Here in northern Iraq, we're heading to meet those hoping to join in. Iranian Kurdish fighters, some in exile here for decades, Eager to return to their homeland with the weapons they have to hand. Woman, woman. Life. Freedom, woman. The slogan of the protest movement brutally crushed in Iran. These Kurdish fighters are called peshmerga, meaning those who face death. Donald Trump has blown hot then cold on their guns. Coming into the fight.

[Correspondent/Reporter]

Very difficult to come up.

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

Hello. Hi.

[David Willis]

Hello.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

Hi. Orla from BBC. Shaho Bluri hopes to return home soon to honor all the dead. One of your brothers was hung?

[Correspondent/Reporter]

Yeah, yeah.

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

Many of our family be one by one killed and hanging.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

How many members of your extended family have been killed by the regime?

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

I think directly 18.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

18. 18. If you are able to go home. What is the first thing that you want to do?

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

I will go back to my mother grave and put flower and all my family. Visit them and put flower and tell

[Correspondent/Reporter]

them I remember you always.

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

I cry for you.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

The fighters here now joining forces with other Kurdish Iranian groups, but in need of US Support. Do you think there's a danger that President Trump could suddenly say, I'm finished with this war now it's over.

[Correspondent/Reporter]

Personally, I don't trust Trump. I think he may decide to stop the war. No one can predict what Trump will do.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

Suddenly, the commander Amjad Panahi gets news of a strike on one of their bases, sparking fears of an attack at our location. Spread out, he warns now.

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

Okay, there's a cave up there guys if we need.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

Okay, okay, let's move. We've just been asked to disperse, to spread out a bit. They're worried about too many people being in the same place and being a bigger target. They've had some intelligence that there may be a drone strike. These camps are being hit very regularly, so the Peshmerga watch the skies and urge us to leave. They remain in position, still on the sidelines for now.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Ole Gurin reporting. Still to come in this podcast, a Russian teacher who smuggled footage from his school could be in line for an Oscar speech.

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[Charlotte Gallagher]

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[Charlotte Gallagher]

The US Authorities have said the Lebanese born man who rammed a truck into a synagogue on Thursday in the state of Michigan died after shooting himself. No one else was killed, though a security guard was injured. Reports say he carried out the attack soon after several members of his family were killed in an Israeli airstrike in Lebanon. The US Authorities called it a targeted act of violence and would not be drawn on a motive. Jennifer Runyon is the FBI special agent in charge of the investigation.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

Our team has been working around the clock to ensure that we remain focused on providing confirmed facts about this investigation rather than uncorroborated speculation. The FBI has forensically confirmed that the

[Pasha Talankin]

assailant responsible for carrying out this attack

[Interviewer/Reporter]

was Ayman Muhammad Ghazali, age 41, from Dearborn Heights, Michigan.

[Pasha Talankin]

He has no previous criminal history and no registered weapons.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

He also has never been the subject of an FBI investigation. Our correspondent Helena Humphrey reports from Michigan.

[Local Interviewee/Resident]

Temple Israel's congregation north of Detroit is coming to terms with an attack that could have claimed the lives of worshippers and children at an on site preschool. Ayman Mohamed Ghazali, a naturalized US Citizen born in Lebanon, rammed his truck through the synagogue's doors and drove down a hallway. The mayor of Dearborn, where Ghazali lived, said he had recently lost several family members, including a niece and nephew in an Israeli strike in Lebanon. A Lebanese official told the AP news agency that they were killed last Thursday as they were having their fast breaking meal during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. While the motive is still under investigation, a rabbi at Temple Israel says the congregation had practiced an active shooter drill just weeks earlier.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

Look, American Judaism is such these days that every synagogue is target and every synagogue is well aware that we need to take precautions to keep our people safe. So we have regular active shooter drills. We offered one a few weeks ago for our clergy, our staff, our security team and our teachers run by the FBI that walked us through over and over again what to do in case of an active shooter situation. And I can honestly say that that protocol saved lives.

[Local Interviewee/Resident]

Amid the war between the us, Israel and Iran. President Trump says He's not worried about the threat of domestic terrorism. But for many American Jews going about their daily lives, their sense of safety has been shaken.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

That was Helena Humphrey reporting from Michigan. There was a significant announcement on Cuban national television on Friday.

[David Willis]

In those talks we have expressed our

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

willingness to continue the process under the

[David Willis]

principles of equality and respect for the political systems of both countries. That's the moment we're in now in relation to dialogue with the United States.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

That was President Miguel Diaz Canel confirming that talks between Cuban officials and the US Government are underway. The US embargo has choked off oil supplies, triggering a severe energy crisis on the island nation. But it's hoped these negotiations will bring an end to the economic hardship that swept across Cuba. My colleague Jane Hill has been speaking to Rory Nicoll, who's a correspondent in Havana for the Guardian newspaper. She began by asking him about the US Cuba talks and what everyday life is like on the island.

[Correspondent/Reporter]

Finally, the Cuban government have said these talks are occurring, which is a major moment. However, there is disquiet, I would say, among Cubans because that is, that's all they've said. There has been no explanation about what a plan might be. And the situation on the streets in Cuba is getting worse by the day now as Cuba sort of sits under a month long US oil blockade.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Yes, well talk to us a little bit about the problems that people are facing.

[Correspondent/Reporter]

You have to put this in context of the fact that the Cuban government has been bankrupt for several years now since the pandemic. This is a communist state. People were used to being able to go to the bodega, get their ration of beans, rice, etcetera, etc, etcetera. That has now pretty much disappeared. The bodegas are emptying. There has been increasing problems with electricity supply. There is rolling blackouts, but there's also been a sort of country wide blackouts. The system is very antiquated. Blackouts means the water doesn't come in. It means they can't sleep at night because there's no fans. Means the food, which is very expensive for most people, goes off in their refrigerator. The cars have stopped running, there's no gas. The state offices have closed. The power cuts have become very much worse. Friends of mine are getting up in the middle of the night to cook because that's the only time, the two hours that they get electricity. The situation could get very bad indeed. And by that I mean starvation, I mean disease.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

It really is that bad.

[Correspondent/Reporter]

It's not. At the moment there's food in the shops but again, because of the economy being in tatas, there's been hyperinflation for the last few years. So if you work for the state, which is about half the people, or you're on a state pension which affects an awful lot of people, then those have been reduced to between five and ten dollars a month. But you know, a bag of beans could be $3. If you're getting $5 a month, that's a disaster.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

So when people hear that there have been talks, what would they want from any of these talks?

[Correspondent/Reporter]

Well, they want change. They want to be able to have enough money to buy things or get things and feed their children. What I now hear from most Cubans is I really don't care who's to blame. Can somebody give us a break?

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Marco Rubio has said he wants regime change. Is it possible to gauge what the ordinary person to use that phrase, would want? Would they take a view on regime change?

[Correspondent/Reporter]

I've not yet hear Cubans say to me that they want the Americans to come in. That just doesn't happen. Cubans here certainly don't want some sort of armed invasion.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Rory Nicholl speaking to Jane Hill. Mr. Nobody against Putin is a documentary about propaganda in Russian schools and how teachers were forced to repeat government scripts about the Russian invasion of Ukraine. A filmmaker at one school took great risks to smuggle footage out of Russia to show the world and he could win an Oscar. This weekend the BBC's culture editor Katie Razzle went to sightseeing with Mr. Nobody in Hollywood.

[Pasha Talankin]

From a self styled Mr. Nobody to Mr. Somebody in Hollywood. Pasha Talankin had never left Russia until he was forced into exile two years ago. Now on his 35th birthday, I've joined the Oscar nominee on a bus tour of la.

[Field Reporter]

Alright, so we're now on the Holland Drive and this road is,

[Pasha Talankin]

it's a long way from Karabash where after the full scale invasion of Ukraine, school videographer Pasha was instructed to film and send to the authorities proof that a new militarized curriculum was being followed. He was so horrified at teachers being used in President Putin's propaganda machine that he became a filmmaking witness. Whistleblower.

[Correspondent/Reporter]

When I started making the film, I

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

was driven by rage. I didn't care really. I thought let anyone do it, let anyone show this film, let anyone edit it. The main thing is that it exists to show what is happening.

[Pasha Talankin]

Here's co director David Bornstein who made the film with footage they smuggled out of Russia.

[Field Reporter]

In the beginning of the film we

[Narrator/Host]

just wanted to show what was happening in Russia because we thought it was so important for the world to see that. Putin obviously has no intention of stopping with just Ukraine. He's telling the children of Russia every single day that you need to prepare for a future of warfare and empire.

[Pasha Talankin]

Pasha fights authoritarianism with acts of resistance, changing the pro war symbols on the school's windows, taking down the school's Russian flag while blasting out Lady Gaga singing the US national anthem. He was eventually forced to leave his motherland and his mother behind and now lives in an undisclosed location outside Russia. He told me he believes he will return one day because the regime can't last forever.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

Mr. Nobody against Putin.

[Pasha Talankin]

Last month, Mr. Nobody against Putin won best documentary at the BAFTA Film Awards.

[Correspondent/Reporter]

Sorry, I don't speak English, but I will tell you.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Thank you.

[Pasha Talankin]

If an Oscar follows, he says his former students in Russia will play a key role.

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

Regarding the Oscar speech, it will be written by my students. They are already working on it.

[Pasha Talankin]

So have you been to Santa Monica Pier before?

[Correspondent/Reporter]

Yes, I was.

[Pasha Talankin]

You like it?

[Narrator/Host]

Yes, the first time I saw it.

[Correspondent/Reporter]

Wow, it looks like gta.

[Interviewer/Reporter]

Yeah, that's true.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Grand theft.

[Pasha Talankin]

As we walked on Santa Monica Pier, it felt a long way from the horrors he charts in the film. The former students who die in Ukraine. The children taught battlefield tips by Wagner group mercenaries. But the spectre of Ukraine loomed even here

[Advertiser/Commercial Voice]

today. I found out that one of my students died and I know him, he's a kind guy and he would never have gone without propaganda.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

That was Pasha Tlankin, the Oscar nominee, ending that report by Katie Russell. Now you wouldn't normally associate ground breaking surgery with spiders, but scientists here in the UK have discovered that spider silk, which is incredibly fine but also incredibly strong, can help to regenerate human nerves. A British company led by a National Health Service surgeon who incidentally was also a zoologist, has achieved a medical first by using the spider silk as scaffolding to help broken nerves regrow. Dr. Alex Wood explains how the procedure is carried out.

[Narrator/Host]

We work with quite a few patients of patients who suffer peripheral nerve injuries either from trauma or patients having cancer resections. But we've recently done a first in human study in Panama. There's a big hospital, quite well known neurosurgeon there and we recruited five patients into a study that started last summer. And these are patients who are going through the normal treatment that we give for patients right now. So when they're having biopsies of nerves or they're having nerve injuries, normally treated surgeons have to cut out another nerve to move it from the body so that injury would be left untreated. So we've agreed in a trial to allow us to repair that treated nerve with our implant. Peripheral nerves are essentially like fiber optic cables. They supply all your feeling and all your movement outside of the brain and spinal cord. And so in these patients, the nerve that we would normally sacrifice to, you know, if you fall off a motorbike and you damage a nerve in your arm, you can't move your thumb anymore. The best treatment we've got at the moment is to cut out a nerve from your leg, which would make your foot numb, because we say, well, look, you know, giving someone a numb foot is better than not being able to move your thumb, but obviously that causes extra harm. And unfortunately, it doesn't work particularly well either. Our implant, which is called silk axons, is made from the what we call dragline silk from golden orb web spiders. And what that means, it's a silk that, if you see a spider dangling off a stick, that's their dragline silk. And we have made an implant that can go down tubes. So it kind of mimics the natural axons or scaffold that the body normally has in a nerve. And what it does is it bridges the gap that's made between these two nerve ends, and then the new nerves try and grow out. It's almost like a plant sprouting from the ground, but they attach to the silk and then they grow along it a bit like a rose on a trellis, until they bridge the gap, and then that sort of repairs the damage. Our silk dissolves and the nerve is able to then regenerate. So if you've ever sat on the toilet for a bit long or woken up and your arm's a bit numb, your foot's gone a bit dead, that's a type of nerve injury. It's bruising of the nerve, but because the outer tubing is intact, it can always recover. But if you cut a nerve, it can't recover on its own. It pulls itself apart. And although it throws out a little collagen scaffold to try and regenerate, without some sort of surgery, it won't do. So.

[Charlotte Gallagher]

Dr. Alex Wood. And that's all from us for now. If you want to get in touch, you can email [e-mail] you can also find us on XBC World Service. Use the hashtag globalnewspod. This edition of the Global News podcast was mixed by Johnny hall, and the producer was Marion Strawn. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Charlotte Gallagher. Until next time. Goodbye. When you manage procurement for multiple facilities, every order matters. But when it's for a hospital system, they matter even more. Grainger gets it and knows there's no time for managing multiple suppliers and no room for shipping delays. That's why Grainger offers millions of products and fast, dependable delivery so you can keep your facility stocked, safe and running smoothly. Call 1-800-granger. Click granger.com or just stop by Granger for the ones who get it done.