Iran protesters defy crackdown warning

0:00This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK. If journalism is the first draft of history, what happens if that draft is flawed? In 1999, four Russian apartment buildings were bombed, hundreds killed. But even now, we still don't know for sure who did it. It's a mystery that sparked chilling theories. I'm Helena Merriman, and in a new BBC series, I'm talking to the reporters who first covered this story. What did they miss the first time? The History Bureau, Putin and the apartment bombs. Listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service.

0:46I'm Keith Adams and at four o 'clock GMT on Saturday the 10th of January, these are the main stories. President Trump warns Ayatollah Ali Khamenei that the US will start shooting if demonstrators in Iran are targeted by government forces. He was speaking as protesters took to the streets of Iran for a 13th night, despite an internet blackout and threats from the authorities. New footage has emerged of the deadly shooting of a woman in Minneapolis by a US immigration agent, and Brooklyn Beckham warned his parents, David and Victoria, to only contact him via lawyers as the family feud continues.

1:26Also in this podcast, as we mark 10 years since David Bowie's death, a chance to visit his childhood home. It's going to be an opportunity for people to stand in the footsteps of young David Bowie and really understand where he came from, his big dreams, his aspirations, his vision, where it all started. And the man with powers of memory and prediction who mesmerised Joe Rogan and Barack Obama. How often have you been at a party and within three seconds of meeting someone, the dread, I forgot their name. I can teach you in under three minutes a technique that you will be using and that I use day in, day out.

2:04But does it work? One of my BBC colleagues tries it out.

2:11Rights groups in Iran say they've documented the deaths of around 50 protesters since the uprising against the regime began almost two weeks ago. Despite a media blackout, a tactic used by the authorities to curb the protests by limiting ways for people to communicate, some information about what's happening there is making its way to the outside world. This report is from our diplomatic correspondent, Caroline Hawley. From Tehran, images from a nation in turmoil. Protesters are out again en masse. New videos posted on social media show huge numbers of people back on the streets, whole families in some cases.

2:52Driven by anger and, after decades of repressive theocratic rule, determined to try to bring change. What started in late December as an economic protest has quickly spiralled into a major political and security challenge for the government. A crisis Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei felt he had to address, and he was characteristically uncompromising. Last night in Tehran and some other places, a bunch of vandals showed up and destroyed buildings belonging to their own country, just to please the US president. The Islamic Republic was established with the blood of several hundred thousand honourable people, and it will not back down in the face of those who engage in destruction, nor will it tolerate mercenaries serving foreign powers.

3:46Today, counter-demonstrations were staged by the authorities in several cities, designed as a very public show of support. They're chanting here that they're at the service of Ayatollah Khomeini. There's no organised opposition to him within Iran, but there is the son of the last monarch, the Shah, deposed back in 1979. The Crown Prince, Reza Pahlavi, has lived in exile ever since. Now he's calling on Iranians from both outside the country and within to make common cause. Let us at this time work hand in hand to deal the final blow to the regime, achieve freedom and rebuild our country.

4:28It's impossible to know what's happening across Iran because of the internet blackout, but people are finding inventive ways to get images out. As the regime tries to assert control, there are reports the security forces have intensified a lethal crackdown. One doctor in Tehran told BBC Persian that hospitals are treating dozens of protesters with bullet wounds and hundreds shot in the eye with pellets. Caroline Hawley reporting. And as we heard there, the Iranian regime has condemned comments made by the US president accusing him of stoking unrest. Donald Trump has again warned he could order military strikes if more protesters are killed.

5:09We'll start shooting too, he said, throwing his support behind those taking to the streets. This is something pretty incredible that's happening in Iran. It's an amazing thing to watch. They've done a bad job, they've treated their people very badly and now they're being paid back. So let's see what happens. We're watching it. We're watching it very closely. But to the protesters, is the US president a friend or a foe? I put that question to our chief international correspondent, Lise Doucette. He's been both. And that is the unpredictability of President Trump. If you go back to his election campaign, his first months in office, he kept praising the people of Iran, saying he wanted to do a negotiated deal with the Iranians, that he believed the Iranians also wanted to do a deal.

5:55But of late, and we just heard again for the fourth time, his warning to Iran that if you hit and kill protesters, I'm going to hit you again hard, which, of course, is a warning that in the same way that he sent in his war planes last year during the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, he could do it again. Now, the impression we have is that it has concentrated minds in Tehran, even though the foreign minister, Abbas Arachie, who said that he felt there was a low risk of an attack. But you never know. We've seen time and again now, judged not by what you say, by what you do, because sometimes it's part of a fame to keep your enemy on their feet.

6:37But certainly this must be on the minds of the authorities in Tehran. Because, Keith, this is one of the first times where Iran is confronting an upheaval at home at the same moment that it is confronting an external threat. And this complicates what is already a deeply complicated crisis. Can you tell me about the son of the Shah, this figure who suddenly seems to be looming in these protests? There are many figures in the opposition, in the diaspora. There are many figures at home, and all of them have been speaking out as these protests intensify. Reza Pallavi, who has a very active media team, he has a very active presence on social media, some would say aggressive, seems to be having some impact.

7:24So that in the midst of the chanting that we've seen on the videos, which despite the internet crackdown, activists are still with great bravery and ingenuity. They're getting them out of the country in the midst of the slogans, down with the dictator, don't be afraid. There are those who are calling for the return of Reza Pahlavi. It may not mean that they want the return of the monarchy. And he says that he doesn't want the return of the monarchy. But Iranians are desperate for change. And perhaps they're latching on whatever seems to symbolize that change. But Reza Pallavi, even though he's indicating that he's a good mobilizer in this moment, he's regarded as a very divisive figure in the opposition.

8:05Years ago, when they tried to put together a unified opposition abroad, he was one of the factors which caused it to break apart. And his support of Israel during last year's 12-day war with Iran was very controversial. He was one of the only Iranian figures who praised Israel for essentially attacking Iran. And he's now calling on President Trump to intervene. And Iranians are very nationalistic people. They may not like, in fact, many don't like their clerical rulers, but they are very nationalistic. And so this is controversial too. Where do you think these protests might go? In a few words, no one can say for certain.

8:46Even in this moment and in this deep crisis, the distance between the crisis to a possible collapse to even major cracks in the ruling establishment is highly unpredictable and very perilous. It's hard to say where these will go. But what is undeniable is this is a crisis which is of unprecedented proportions. Lise Doucette. And you can hear and see more of Lise Doucette on YouTube, where we ask, could the latest protests in Iran topple the religious regime? Just search for BBC News, click on the logo, then choose podcasts and global news podcast. There's a new story available every weekday. A video filmed by the US immigration agent who shot dead a woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday has been shared on social media by the US Vice President J.D.

9:43Vance and the Press Secretary Caroline Levitt. They claim it proves the agent acted in self-defence, but local officials continue to insist that Rene Good posed no danger. This report from our correspondent in the US, Paul Adams. Emotions still running high on the frigid streets of Minneapolis. Protesters furious over the death of 37-year-old Renee Goode. And now another view of how it all unfolded, filmed on his phone by the federal agent, identified as Jonathan Ross, who fired the fatal shots.

10:21That's fine, dude. I'm not mad at you. At this point, Miss Goode seems relaxed. But her wife, Becca, is outside the car confronting Mr. Ross. Officer Ross continues to circle the car.

10:40Other officers order Renee to get out of the car. She briefly reverses before surging forward. Shots ring out. One of the officers shouts abuse as the car accelerates away. The US Vice President says the new video is clear. Many of you have been told this law enforcement officer wasn't hit by a car, J.D. Vance says, wasn't being harassed and murdered an innocent woman. The reality is that his life was endangered and he fired in self-defence. That's not a straightforward claim to make. The latest video, like the videos before it, leaves plenty of ambiguity. It is possible but not certain that Renee Good was trying to drive away rather than trying to attack Officer Ross.

11:23At the White House, Donald Trump didn't address the latest video, but said professional troublemakers were to blame. You have agitators, and we will always be protecting ICE, and we're always going to be protecting our Border Patrol and our law enforcement. Back in Minneapolis, another memorial for Renee Good, her wife releasing a long emotional statement. We were raising our son to believe that no matter where you come from or what you look like, All of us deserve compassion and kindness, Rebecca wrote. On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbours. We had whistles. They had guns.

12:01Renee Good's death seems destined to remain the subject of fierce partisan disagreement. The latest video hasn't changed that. Paul Adams reporting. Now, David and Victoria Beckham are world famous, but it seems they're just like any other family, and at the moment, all is not well in the Beckham household. Their son, Brooklyn, and his wife, Nicola, have been feuding with his parents for more than three years. And this week, things took a turn for the worse. Brooklyn has slapped a cease and desist letter on his parents, instructing them to only contact him and his wife through his lawyers. So what's it all about?

12:39Here's Wendy Urquhart. It might be hard to believe, but the ramping up of this row in the Beckham family was apparently caused by a chicken dinner. Brooklyn is an aspiring chef, and like many others, he's been posting his creations on social media. But when his mum Victoria liked the video, Brooklyn saw red and fired off a letter to her and David, saying contact with him and his wife Nicola can only be made through their lawyers in future. The family has been feuding for years, and every time relations went south, Brooklyn allegedly unfollowed and blocked not just his parents, but his entire family on social media.

13:20Brooklyn has also been noticeably absent from several big events in his dad's life. He missed his 50th birthday party in Miami and was nowhere to be seen when David Beckham was given a knighthood. The entertainment journalist Jodie McCallum says this is just another twist and turn in a long-running saga. It all began allegedly back in 2022 when Brooklyn married his now wife, Nicola Peltz Beckham. And apparently Nicola didn't wear a Victoria Beckham wedding dress that was designed for her for her wedding. Now, that's alleged. Nicola's denied that. And, you know, we've seen Nicola and other Victoria Beckham outfits at the premiere of Lola.

14:02So they have then obviously off the back of the wedding kind of supported each other at different events. We've seen them pictured together. because the Beckhams are such a famous family every single thing they do or say or post on social media is scrutinised to the nth degree. So when David and Victoria posted a video of them dancing to a song with lyrics along the lines of we've got nothing to apologise for some people thought it was a cryptic dig at Brooklyn and Nicola when they might actually just have been having a good time dancing. Brooklyn has reportedly made it clear that any thawing of relations with his mum and dad will take place behind closed doors, not on social media.

14:45Chicken dinners usually bring families together, don't they? That was Wendy Urquhart reporting. Still to come in this podcast, millions of people play it, but is golf actually a sport? You're hitting a little white ball around a golf course, using a golf cart and drinking at the ninth hole. It's fun, it's recreation, but I don't think it's exercise. We'll hear a response to that.

15:16If journalism is the first draft of history, what happens if that draft is flawed? In 1999, four Russian apartment buildings were bombed, hundreds killed. But even now, we still don't know for sure who did it. It's a mystery that sparked chilling theories. I'm Helena Merriman, and in a new BBC series, I'm talking to the reporters who first covered this story. What did they miss the first time? The History Bureau, Putin and the apartment bombs. Listen on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

15:53This is the Global News Podcast. Let's return to our main story, the protests in Iran. and as we heard earlier, the internet and phone blackout makes it difficult to reach people in the country. But we are able to speak to some of those who've left and are watching what's happening from abroad, filled with fear for their loved ones as well as hope that the unrest might lead to a brighter future. For Roya Pirai, the demonstrations have triggered a wave of grief. Her mother was killed in the protests of 2022. The family says she was shot by security forces on motorbikes. After her funeral, Roya left the country.

16:31Unfortunately, I was not with my mum. And when I came back home, we found out that she was at a hospital and she was dead. After seven days, I took a picture that went viral. I shaved my hair and I was standing on my mother's graveside. And after that photo, my family told me it's better not to remain. Marsa Alimardani lives in the UK. She has been unable to reach her family since Thursday. Since the internet basically faded out, we haven't been in contact with anyone. As an Iranian, it's this very strange time. You're watching very inspirational footage of, you know, your fellow countrymen being extremely courageous, knowing the massive risk there is against a regime that's not afraid of killing protesters.

17:29There's this sense of cautious hope but at the same time it's mixed with anxiety and fear of what's going to happen if your loved ones are caught up in these protests. Some voices there of Iranians abroad trying to stay in contact with their families still inside the country. Now, if you've ever seen a magic trick, you may have been completely and utterly flummoxed by how it was achieved. Enter Oz Perlman. He's a mind reader who once guessed and revealed the correct bank pin number of the popular podcaster Joe Rogan in front of an audience of millions. He's known to fans as the mentalist, which is an American word for a magician who seems to have psychic powers.

18:16In his book, Read Your Mind, he explains how his techniques could be useful in everyday life. Here's what happened when Oz Perlman was interviewed by my colleague, Sean Lay. I'm an honest liar, so to speak. So in the guise of a psychic or a supernatural performer, they're telling you they can do things that are beyond explanation. I'm telling you the opposite. Everything I'm doing is learnable, based in science and can be taught to others. some things related to psychology, influence, and also assessing how people behave. I've been a student of people's behavior for three decades, and that's given me tremendous insights into what people will do, what they will say, and how they will act when I kind of put them in various situations.

19:03Can you give us an idea of what sort of advice, what sort of things you think we can individually benefit from? If tomorrow I quit my job and I had to start a new career path, what are the things I would do to be very, very successful in anything I did quickly? Things like how to overcome fear of rejection and failure, how to build confidence, how to walk into a room with people you do not know, captivate them and leave with everyone talking about you. I want to give you a fun game shot. Let's imagine that you are throwing a holiday party. You're in the room and you're doing what people do. You're coming over, say hello.

19:43Oh my God, how are you? How are the kids? And then suddenly you get a tap on the shoulder. You turn around and one of your guests gives you a big hug. The person you just hugged, there is absolutely no way in the world I could know who this is. Are we in agreement? Yes. We are doing this over the phone. We do not know each other. I want you to write down on a piece of paper in front of you this person's name and assure the listener we have no cameras. No, we don't. We're in a radio studio with no cameras. Right. I've written the name down. I think the person who gave you a hug and that's whose name you wrote down is a female.

20:18Am I correct? You are correct. And now I want you to look down and I want you to circle one of the letters. Now, I'm going to tell you most people will not do the first letter or that letter because you can, but they feel it will give away the name. And so it's up to you entirely, but circle any one of the letters in the name and let me know you've had a chance. Yes. OK, I have circled the letter. Now, there's a bit of reverse psychology where because I said that you chuckled. I don't think you did the first letter after all, did you? No, I didn't. The letter that you circled, does it appear in the name more than once?

20:52Yes, it does. I think you circled an L is that the letter you just circled right there? It is the letter I circled and I thought it was going to be somebody at first I'm thinking a name that's very common I thought it was going to be something like Leslie but it's not, it's somebody I think it's a family Ellen, is her name Ellen? Yes that is, I'm going to show it to Kate Kate's my producer we'll just put her on the microphone as well Yes, I can confirm, it was Ellen I'm not even going to bother to ask how you did that, but I have to say I am genuinely... I'm very relieved it wasn't my PIN number.

21:31The amazing Oz Perlman talking to Sean Lay. The famous American writer Mark Twain supposedly described it as a good walk ruined, but golf has survived and thrived. It has the viewers, it has the sponsors, it has the hype. But is it sport? One fitness executive certainly turned golf into something of a grudge match. His name is Harvey Spivak from the luxury gym company Equinox. His words are spoken here by one of my colleagues. You're hitting a little white ball around a golf course using a golf cart and drinking at the ninth hole. It's fun, it's recreation, but I don't think it's exercise. Jason Fallon is a professional golfer and golf coach here in the UK.

22:15Does he think Harvey Spivak has a point? No, he doesn't have a point. Golf is a lot more sport intensive than people give it credit for, for sure. You can do it leisurely, but you can build up quite a sweat when you play golf, that's for sure. Playing and walking the course itself, so it's between four and five miles approximately. That can be on very hilly terrain. You'll burn between 1 ,200 and 1 ,600 calories when you do that if you're carrying your clubs. To put that into perspective, if you're playing a professional game of football, the calories you burn there is between 1 ,200 and 1 ,700.

22:45So you do lose a lot of energy when you play golf. I would say 80 to 90 % of people are going to be walking. You are going to get people that have buggies. Sometimes that's people with disability issues, can't really walk. But the large majority of people do walk. But sport is defined as a physical activity that requires strength and coordination and endurance. And golf ticks all the boxes for that, especially the coordination part of that. So it's definitely a sport. It's a sport that can be done casually with not a lot of effort. But lots of sports can be done like that. I go to the gym three times a week to get my body moving.

23:17And there's flexibility as well as strengthening. Because to hit the ball, if you want to move at a good distance, you have to be relatively strong and have good hand-eye coordination. So if you want to get better, like any sport, like football, you don't have to be fit to play football. You can be overweight and plot around the football pitch. But if you want to get good at it, if you have high levels of fitness, you're going to have a better chance of playing much better. So it really depends on how keen you are. That was the golfer, Jason Fallon. Today marks the 10th anniversary of the death of the music legend David Bowie.

23:49The British singer's childhood home in London, where he wrote one of his best-known songs, Space Oddity, is to open to the public next year. The project is the brainchild of the Heritage of London Trust. Its director is Nicola Stacey. This is a chance to stand in the footsteps of young David Bowie and really understand where he came from, his big dreams, his aspirations, his vision, where it all started. We have some archive material to tell us a little bit about the house. There's some interesting photographs of a young Bowie standing against different rooms in the house. So we're going to turn it back to very much that sort of 1960s, slightly dure, drab interior.

24:30But then with this incredible David Bowie bedroom upstairs, which is going to be the place where he had his posters and record player and he played his music. And I think it's a really magical moment for people to be able to go into his bedroom, tiny bedroom, see where he really lived from the age of eight to the age of 20, all the way through these formative years. Of course, there's a huge amount of David Bowie books and documentaries and all those are amazing and so much variety. But this is the only chance you'll get to see the man behind the public figure, the sort of private David Bowie in a sense.

25:02And I think that's really inspiring for people. And we're particularly keen on having young people come to the house and see that he was just an ordinary boy in a very modest house, but he had these aspirations and he worked incredibly hard and he weathered all the ups and downs of sort of a young music career. And I think that is really inspirational for people. UK Heritage Director, Nicola Stacey. And that's all from us for now. but there will be a new edition of the Global News Podcast later. If you want to comment on this podcast or the topics covered in it, you can send us an email. The address is globalpodcast at bbc.co.uk.

25:43This edition was mixed by Rowan Madison. The producers were Paul Day and Nicky Verrico. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Keith Adams. Until next time, goodbye.