US-Iran ceasefire under strain

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1:08This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Charlotte Gallagher and in the early hours of Thursday, the 9th of April, these are our main stories. Hezbollah says it's fired rockets into northern Israel in retaliation for Israel's massive strikes across Lebanon, which killed and wounded well over 1 ,000 people. Iran says the strikes constitute a violation of its ceasefire with the US, which has been denied by the US vice president. He's being dispatched to Pakistan this weekend to continue peace negotiations. Also in this podcast, a woman who admitted selling drugs that led to the death of the Friends actor Matthew Perry is sentenced.

1:54The desperation that led Perry to these individuals was not met with help, as it should have been from the doctors. And the astronauts on the Artemis II mission speak to the media about their return journey home and their highlights so far.

2:14There are signs the ceasefire agreed by the United States and Iran is already under strain. Iran is warning ships will require permission to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. The US Vice President J.D. Vance denies Iran's claim the waterway is closed and says there'll be serious consequences if shipping is impeded. The President's been very clear. The deal is a ceasefire, a negotiation. That's what we give. And what they give is the straits are going to be reopened. If we don't see that happening, the President is not going to abide by our terms if the Iranians are not abiding by their terms.

2:50Also threatening the ceasefire is Israel's intensified airstrikes on Lebanon. Lebanon's civil defence agency says more than 250 people were killed in the attacks. Hezbollah says it's fired rockets into northern Israel in retaliation. Israel maintains the ceasefire doesn't apply to its war on Hezbollah in Lebanon, which is backed by Iran. But Tehran and Pakistan, who brokered the deal, insist it is part of the agreement. For more on the continuing strikes in Beirut, here's our correspondent Hugo Bershaga. Heavy search and rescue operations are underway in Beirut and I'm standing next to an impact site and on each side of me are massive piles of rubble from the surrounding buildings that have been hit.

3:39One building has completely collapsed and the cars on this street are all entirely burned out. The air is still smoky and I can smell wood burning. I'm just walking through the rubble and at my feet I can see the belongings of people who lived in this building. There are pictures here of a family, straight pieces of clothing. One piece of paper even looks like math homework that has been left behind. Hilal came to see the destruction to his father's flat. There is no word to describe how we're feeling right now. Just devastated. Nothing more, honestly. No warnings whatsoever. We're just living by our days normally, and we hear of six or seven explosions in the mirror.

4:31It was really devastating, honestly. This is just one of the dozens of locations hit by Israel in Lebanon this afternoon. Hundreds of people are believed to be dead and injured, and given the scale of this widespread attack, it could take days for us to know the real numbers. Hugo Boshaga, Israel does not seem to be swayed by threats from Iran that if Israel continues striking Lebanon, the ceasefire deal is over. This was the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaking about the pause in fighting with Iran. Iran is weaker than ever and Israel is stronger than ever. We have more goals to complete and we will achieve them either by agreement or by resuming fighting.

5:20We're prepared to return to fighting at any moment necessary. The finger is on the trigger. Our correspondent Nick Beek is following developments from Jerusalem. You wonder tonight just how sustainable this ceasefire is with the Israelis trumpeting 100 strikes in the space of 10 minutes in Lebanon earlier. Iran saying it will hit back if those strikes continue. Now, President Trump has indicated that he believes Israel is not in breach of his wider Iran ceasefire because he's described Lebanon as being a separate skirmish. That was his phrase. Just a reminder, more than 1 ,500 people have been killed in the past six weeks, including 130 children, and more than a million people have been displaced.

6:03As for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, He thought he'd achieved his lifetime political ambition when he got a US president to join him on this mission to try and bring about regime change in Iran. But tonight he was forced to deny that he was only told at the last minute that President Trump was changing course, was stepping back from attacks and had secured this ceasefire deal. However, Mr Netanyahu has also said that the finger remains on the trigger and that he will resume the war with Iran if needed. Opposition figures in Israel saying that he's failed in all of his war aims, that all he's done really is make Iran stronger and more dangerous.

6:43But I think the concern tonight is that if there are to be more Israeli strikes on Hezbollah positions and elsewhere in Lebanon with all the associated death and destruction, that will seriously imperil this ceasefire, which, as we know, is already a fragile deal. Nick Beek. Talks on ending the war with Iran are due to take place on Saturday in the Pakistani capital Islamabad. The White House press secretary Caroline Levitt said the original Iranian conditions had been rejected but added Iran had now put forward what she called a more reasonable plan and told us who'd be attending the talks for the US.

7:22I can announce that the president is dispatching his negotiating team led by the Vice President of the United States, J.D. Vance, Special Envoy Whitcoff and Mr. Kushner to Islamabad for talks this weekend. The first round of those talks will take place on Saturday morning local time. Our North America correspondent David Willis has been telling me more. Of those, it's likely that Mr. Vance, who's now on his way back from Hungary, where he's been campaigning on behalf of the country's leader there, the Liner Viktor Orban will take the lead. Savant was sceptical about this conflict. He's likely to be more trusted, I think, by the Iranian side than Messrs.

8:02Witkoff and Kushner, who were both engaged in peace negotiations with Iran when it came under fire from the US and Israel in February. The big question is whether the ceasefire will last until the weekend, given the differences that have already emerged over the geographical framework, namely whether the ceasefire applies to Lebanon. And what do you think the mood in the Trump administration is now? They are portraying the campaign, the military campaign, as a triumph. The US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth told reporters today that Iran had begged for this ceasefire and the US had achieved what he called an historic and overwhelming victory on the battlefield.

8:45and he reiterated President Trump's message that this was a big day for world peace. Iran's view, of course, is that it is the victor and that the US is the one that's been defeated. And it's unclear what's been agreed upon aside from a pause in the fighting, given that Iran, of course, still has control of the Strait of Hormuz and its nuclear stockpile remains in place. So Mr Trump faces the challenge not only of reaching a permanent peace settlement, but proving, I think, to the American people that this conflict was worth it. Trump has also been meeting the NATO Secretary General. And we know that there has been that touchy relationship between Trump and NATO in the past.

9:31Indeed. And Mark Rutter, a short while ago, called it a frank and open discussion. The meeting held behind closed doors lasted more than two hours. during which Mr. Trump expressed his displeasure with NATO for, as he sees it, failing to support the United States in its war with Iran. Mark Rutter said he had pointed out that a large number of European nations had been helpful, logistically at least, but it doesn't appear that he has done very much, Mr. Rutter, that is, to change President Trump's opinion of the alliance, which was summed up by the press secretary, Caroline Leavitt, when she said that NATO had been, as you put it, tested and had failed.

10:16And Donald Trump tweeted, NATO wasn't there when we needed them and they won't be there if we need them again. And he added, remember Greenland. Now, Caroline Leavitt said that President Trump would be discussing America's possible withdrawal from NATO, but that is something, of course, that would require the approval of Congress. David Willis. There's been no shortage of reaction to the ceasefire in the Middle East. We know what the US, Iran and Israel think. We've heard from their allies and adversaries. But what about the people of Iran, those caught up in more than a month of fighting? With the internet blocked since the start of the war, hearing from them is far harder.

10:58but by watching official channels, social media and through the BBC's Persian service, we can get a sense. Our world news correspondent Joe Inwood has been looking at how the Iranians have reacted to the ceasefire over the past 24 hours.

11:16Iranian TV just after the ceasefire was announced.

11:22The enemy has suffered an undeniable historic and crushing defeat, the newsreader says, there is no doubting how the Iranian regime is portraying this ceasefire. It was a sentiment that soon found expression on the streets of Tehran. Thousands gathered. Iranian flags are waved in the air, while those of the US and Israel burn on the ground.

11:52Death to compromises the crowd chants. A TV presenter, Ahmed Salimi, speaks to, maybe for, the crowd. Who said the war is over? It will continue. I swear by Allah, it continues. Those who think war is only missiles being fired, that's only their personal desire. These voices, shared on state TV or with news crews, are easy to hear. Far less vocal are those who heard the promises of regime change and believe them. They are left feeling betrayed by the United States and Israel. You allowed them to arm thousands of forces like themselves and deploy them in the streets. Now there is no sign left of that beautiful Tehran.

12:39Power outages could be endured, but these people cannot. Don't leave us alone with these savages. But the reaction of most people to this, six weeks of constant bombing and destruction, is very different. Throughout the course of the war, ordinary people have shared their feelings with the BBC's Persian service.

13:08Most of them oppose the regime, but also share in relief that the fighting is over for now. The night before the ceasefire, I couldn't sleep because of chest pain from the stress of Iran's destruction. I'm glad there is a ceasefire and I hope we reach a lasting agreement. Nothing good ever comes from war. The type of Iran that would make us happy will never be built through bombing. Many people have lost their job because of the war or have been placed on unpaid leave. I hope this ceasefire becomes permanent and that Iran's conditions, which are reasonable, are accepted. In the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, a familiar sound.

13:54A rescue team from the Red Crescent digs through the rubble of a collapsed building. Six weeks of war have done untold damage. Yes, to the military and its leadership, but also to the wider economy and infrastructure of Iran. The only thing that has arguably been strengthened is the regime's grip on power.

14:20Joe Inwood reporting.

14:25Still to come in this podcast, the serial killer who targeted women for decades is finally brought to justice. This defendant walked among us, play-acting as a normal suburban dad, when in reality, all along, he was obsessively targeting innocent women for death.

14:52Can King Charles' trip to Washington save this special relationship with the U.S.? I'm Asma Khalid. And I'm Tristan Redmond and we're the hosts of the Global Story podcast from the BBC. The British monarch is slated to visit the UK's closest ally later this month. Now normally this would be utterly uncontroversial, except Donald Trump has repeatedly lashed out at the UK. For more, listen to the Global Story on bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts.

15:24This is the Global News podcast. Low-income households across South Africa are facing high paraffin prices for cooking and heating due to the impact of the US-Israel war with Iran on oil prices. The government has temporarily reduced the price of petrol and diesel for drivers, but paraffin-dependent families in mostly informal settlements and rural communities have received no comparable relief. Nomsa Maseko reports from the outskirts of one of South Africa's biggest townships, Soweto. Most families here depend on the government's social welfare payments and they're struggling to keep afloat. Nandi Swangoma is a mother of six.

16:07She watches over her two eldest children as they do homework by candlelight. She didn't have enough money to buy paraffin for the lab. It's really hard. Paraffin is expensive and I can no longer afford it. On the other hand, food prices keep going up. We use at least two litres of paraffin per day to ensure my children bath with warm water before going to school and to eat fresh food in the evenings. Unregulated paraffin prices mean the poorer are exposed to the full impact of market-driven energy prices. With winter approaching, calls have been made to soften the blow by introducing subsidies to help the country's poor households.

16:54Zanel Isabela is the spokesperson of the Trade Union Federation, KOSATU. The people that use paraffin are the ones that need the most relief because this would be people who, quite frankly at this point, still don't have electricity. that government just didn't think that to extend that relief to people who need it the most, the people who are the poorest of the poor, everything is due to go up. Taxi fare will go up. Food prices, well, you know, obviously there's a ripple effect. And now to find that the poorest of the poor will be paying the highest increase, no relief for them. We do think this is a big oversight from government.

17:35and it is quite sad because that makes us think that this economy of ours is just not geared for poor people and that's really sad. Authorities have said they're exploring ways to protect consumers from the economic shock and cushion the poor from high energy costs. Nomza Maseko. For decades, the murders of women whose bodies were found on an isolated stretch of Beach in Long Island in the US stumped police. Some felt the victims, who were mainly sex workers and their families, were ignored by law enforcement. But now Rex Hoyerman, a man who'd initially portrayed himself as a harmless family man, has admitted to murdering eight women.

18:19Ray Tierney is the Suffolk County District Attorney. This defendant walked among us, play acting as a normal suburban dad when in reality all along he was obsessively targeting innocent women for death. He identified these women, lured them into Nassau County, murdered them and left their bodies in Suffolk County. He thought that by killing them he could silence them forever and get away with murder. But he was wrong. Our global affairs reporter Paul Moss has been telling me more about the case. This story stretches a long way back. I mean, it really begins in November 1993, when the body of a 28-year-old woman, Sandra Costilla, was found on Long Island.

19:05For those who don't know, that's a 200-kilometre stretch of land off the coast of Manhattan, New York. She was from Trinidad and Tobago, and police thought she'd been killed just a couple of days before her body was found. Seven years later, the remains of another woman was found. She'd been working as an escort and apologies for the gruesome details but her body parts were found in different places and then these corpses just kept turning up with no sign about who of who was responsible they included four women who were found in one month in December 2010 one woman did manage to call the police telling them that somebody was trying to kill her but then there was silence and she simply vanished and her body wasn't found until 18 months later.

19:51And the thing was that nothing apparently connected these women so there was no obvious motive behind their murder. And tell us about the police investigation because a lot of the families of these women have criticised it. They have. I mean one thing they've suggested is that because some of these women had worked as escorts the police weren't taking the killings too seriously. The police I I should say, have denied this. There was huge publicity. A major investigation was launched. The FBI was brought in, but they just didn't get anywhere. Things seem to have changed in 2022 when a new district attorney was appointed in the area.

20:26He met with the families of the victims and he said, this is going to be a priority. And eventually they managed to link a local architect, Rex Heuermann, to a van which had been seen by one witness. They then linked DNA found at the seen to him and finally they checked his computer and found out, guess what, he'd been looking at extremely violent pornography. Finally in 2023 the 67 year old man was arrested. This man was living kind of an outwardly normal life. He was married, he had children, he had a job and no one seemed to know what he was up to. It is one of those cliches isn't it where someone's accused or now pleaded guilty to something appalling like this.

21:08And everyone says he was just an unassuming man. He denied any involvement in any of these killings right up until Wednesday, when, to everyone's surprise, he admitted to the seven murders he was charged with. And interestingly, he then admitted to an eighth killing, which he hadn't even been charged with. Now, I think it's safe to say that he will be spending the rest of his life in prison. he has apparently volunteered to take part in something called the FBI Behaviour Analysis Unit. So I suppose it's possible they may learn something about what made this man kill so many women. That was Paul Moss.

21:45A woman who admitted selling the drugs that led to the death of the Friends actor Matthew Perry has been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Jasveen Sanger admitted to running a stash house at her home in Los Angeles. She was given a harsher penalty than two doctors who also supplied the actor with ketamine. Two others connected to the case are yet to be sentenced, including Matthew Perry's assistant, who helped him inject the drug. Peter Bowes was in court in Los Angeles. This was a very emotional hearing. I was sitting in court just behind the Perry family at the other side of the room, Jasveen Sanger, who was sobbing uncontrollably at times, especially when those family members addressed the court.

22:28We heard from Matthew Perry's stepmother and his stepfather, who described and used these words the daily grinding sadness and sorrow that the family felt on losing Matthew, killed by a drug supplied by a woman that prosecutors have dubbed the Ketamine Queen. Moments before hearing her sentence, a tearful Jasmine Sangha addressed the court. She admitted that her poor decisions had shattered people's lives. She said she was deeply ashamed and sorry. The 42-year-old was arrested in 2024, a year after Matthew Perry's death. Prosecutors said she'd been running what they called a drug emporium from her home in North Hollywood, selling a range of drugs to wealthy and well-connected clients, including one of television's most beloved comic actors.

23:22Matthew Perry became a household name as Chandler Bing, the sharp-tongued, sometimes sarcastic friend on one of the most successful sitcoms of all time. I went to that tanning place your wife suggested. Was that place The Sun? Back here, Matthew. Thank you very much. But offscreen, the success and fame that made Matthew Perry a star belied a long and painful struggle with addiction to drugs and alcohol. It became a very public issue, which in hindsight is quite good. The actor was found unresponsive in the hot tub at his home in Los Angeles in 2023. At the time, it was widely thought that he was in recovery and no longer actively abusing alcohol or drugs.

24:07But the Los Angeles coroner listed the acute effects of ketamine as the primary cause of death, along with other health issues. A major criminal investigation identified a network of dealers, doctors and associates who helped supply Perry in the months leading up to his death with ketamine, a powerful drug typically used only in hospitals as an anaesthetic. The desperation that led Perry to these individuals was not met with help, as it should have been from the doctors. But instead it was met with exploitation. Exploitation by those who should have guided him toward help. Five people were eventually charged, including Jasveen Sangha.

24:50She pled guilty to providing the vials of ketamine that led to Matthew Perry's death. After today's hearing, her lawyer said her sentence was too harsh. My first reaction is I'm bitterly disappointed. This tragic final chapter in the life of Matthew Perry has highlighted the growing problem of ketamine abuse, not just in Hollywood, but around the world. That was Peter Bowes reporting. And finally, as the crew of the Artemis II mission head back home, the four astronauts have been answering questions from the media. They're due to splashdown in California on Friday. Victor Glover spoke about his preparations for the return to Earth and his takeaway moments from the mission.