Xi greets Putin in Beijing - days after Trump's China visit

0:00This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK.

0:30Valid for 527. While supplies last, selection varies by location. See associate or lowes.com for details. Treat it. Feel better. Then start all over again. That was my pattern for years. I kept dealing with the same symptoms, getting the same treatments, and ending up right back where I started. That's when I found Evy. Evy is an at-home vaginal microbiome test that analyzes over 700 bacteria and fungi from a single swab. It goes far beyond traditional testing that only checks a few things. When I used Evy, I finally saw patterns that had never been explained to me before. Then, a licensed clinician reviewed my results and created a personalized prescription care plan based on my actual microbiome.

1:14And for the first time, I wasn't just reacting. I had direction. Evy also isn't just data. It connects you to real clinical next steps based on your results. If you're tired of repeating the same cycle, this is where that changes. Visit evi.com and take the Evi test at home today.

1:36This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Alex Ritson and in the early hours of Wednesday the 20th of May, these are our main stories. The Russian president gets the red carpet treatment in Beijing. we explore how close the relationship is between Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin. Donald Trump tightens his grip on the Republican Party ahead of this year's midterm elections with his chosen candidate emerging victorious in Kentucky's closely watched primary. Also in this podcast... We have played with passion, emotion. We've played. I feel like we've honestly deserved this title.

2:19We're just so happy we can't, honestly, we can't be into words. To the delight of their fans, Arsenal win their first English Premier League title in 22 years. We start in the Chinese capital, Beijing, where the country's leader, Xi Jinping, welcomed Russia's President Putin at a ceremony at the Great Hall of the People. The two leaders inspected a guard of honour as a band played. They were then cheered by a group of children.

2:55It's only a week since President Trump made a similar journey and had a similar welcome. The timing of the two visits is coincidental. Mr Trump's had originally been due to take place weeks earlier. Nevertheless, the images look good for China's President Xi Jinping, world leaders beating a path to his door one after another. Mr Xi and his Russian counterpart have played up their friendship for years, but Mr Putin is clearly the junior partner, particularly since Russia's isolation following its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. So just how close is the relationship between these two leaders? Steve Rosenberg is the BBC's Russia editor, and he's been speaking to Oliver Conway.

3:38They've certainly developed a pretty close relationship, and they've certainly had the opportunity to do that. I think the two leaders have met more than 40 times. And yes, they called each other friends. I think back in September, when Vladimir Putin was in Beijing, he addressed Xi as my dear friend, and Xi called Putin my old friend. And, you know, there are many moments I can remember, thinking back over the last few years, the moment when Putin and Xi cooked pancakes together, a sign of friendship, pancakes with caviar, and Vladimir Putin gave Xi a big case of ice cream for his birthday, just to illustrate the friendly relationship between the two men.

4:17Yeah, I think this is something like Vladimir Putin's 25th visit to China. Now, he won't get any of the pomp or at least all of the pomp that we saw for Donald Trump last week. But I guess he doesn't need that because they are closer allies. He'll get some of the pomp, I think, for sure. The interesting thing is, one of the things he'll be doing in China is reaffirming the Russia-China friendship agreement that was signed 25 years ago. It's the 25th anniversary. And which Russian leader signed it 25 years ago? Vladimir Putin. It shows how long he's been in power. I mean, the Trump-Xi meeting, that summit, really made headlines around the world.

4:59Quite a rare event. Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping regularly meet. So in that sense, nothing out of the ordinary. You talked about the 25th anniversary of the signing of that friendship agreement, but over those years, the relative strengths of the two nations have changed substantially. This is true. Yes. Words you hear a lot. Cooperation, partnership, no limits partnership. But actually, it's not an equal partnership. Russia has become very dependent on China, particularly since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine back in 2022. And you remember that tsunami of international sanctions that was imposed on Russia, basically cutting off access to markets in Europe, in the West.

5:45And so Russia became heavily reliant on China economically. When you think about it, more than a quarter of Russia's exports are bought by China, including vast amounts of fossil fuel since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That gives you an idea of how dependent Russia has become. For Moscow, this money that it gets from selling to China has become an economic lifeline. And what will Vladimir Putin be hoping to get out of this trip specifically? Well, first of all, let's talk about the optics again. he would want to be seen with the big kid on the block who is clearly Xi Jinping. China has become really the centre of global diplomacy.

6:28When you think about it, the Iranian foreign minister was recently in Beijing, then Donald Trump was in Beijing, Vladimir Putin is coming to Beijing. So being seen with the head of the superpower, that's a big thing. It's important for Vladimir Putin. Our Russia editor, Steve Rosenberg. And there's a longer interview with Steve on our YouTube channel. Search for BBC News on YouTube and you'll find the Global News Podcast in the podcast section. There's a news story available every weekday. Donald Trump has tightened his grip on the Republican Party after voters decided not to back a congressman who'd defied the president on a number of issues, including the decision on whether to release the Jeffrey Epstein files and the war in Iran.

7:12In primaries in the US state of Kentucky, Thomas Massey lost to challenger Ed Gulrain, who'd been backed by President Trump. The vote in Kentucky's fourth congressional district was being closely watched as a test of Mr. Trump's power within his own party. I spoke to Lisa Kaczynski with the news website Politico and asked her if the result was a surprise. It is and it isn't. So this is what we've seen over the past month is President Donald Trump in this revenge tour against state lawmakers in Indiana who opposed his redistricting effort against Bill Cassidy, the senator in Louisiana, who had voted to convict him on an impeachment charge in 2021.

7:56And then it was Thomas Massey, a longtime thorn in the president's side. Then it was his turn tonight. And what you've seen is Trump, you know, win in almost all of these races, five of the seven state lawmakers in Indiana, Bill Cassidy failing to make the runoff in Louisiana, now Thomas Massey losing by a margin that, you know, could be as many as 10 points if kind of where the returns are now hold. So it is par for the course with how this month has gone. But it is a little bit surprising in Kentucky because Massey, he was a very polarizing figure. He had the district really kind of mirrored his libertarian leaning politics, which could have been a boost for him.

8:35But he had also made a lot of local enemies and there was just so much money outside money spent against him that it would have been very difficult for even a well-liked incumbent, which he was not, to overcome. Yeah, the most expensive primary race ever, I'm told. Yes, spending has crossed$33 million. It's the most expensive House primary in ad spending on record. And about$16 or$17 million of that came from MAGA-KY, which was a super PAC that President Donald Trump's political team had kind of stood up to target Massey, and from a pair of pro-Israel super PACs aligned with the RJC and the America-Israel Public Affairs Committee.

9:18So that was a very powerful force and a very expensive force against Thomas Massey. Yeah. And Thomas Massey, well, seen as a thorn in President Trump's side, but most of the time he voted with the president, didn't he? He did. And he tried to kind of thread that needle where he would kind of wear his brakes with Trump as principled stance and as a badge of honour where he was sticking with his conservative principles. and it was the administration that had shifted in his mind. But he did still vote with Trump, you know, a majority of the time. But in a time where the president kind of demands, you know, 100 percent fealty, that definitely was not Thomas Massey.

9:59And that message, what, that Donald Trump has an absolute iron grip on the entire Republican Party? That is certainly what it seems. And, well, this race will be dissected in the margins in the counties and whatever to see kind of if there is any fraying of the coalition. Obviously, Republicans are splintering a little bit over foreign interventions, over Israel, things like that. But Massey was really leaning on that to boost him to another term and boost him over this challenge. And that didn't work for him. So it does certainly appear that Trump very much, at least in electoral politics, remains, you know, with a vice-like grip over the base.

10:34Lisa Kaczynski from Politico. There's more worrying news on the Ebola outbreak. A virologist with the World Health Organization has told the BBC that in the next few days the number of suspected cases could reach 1 ,000 in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Nixi Guamede Mualetsi also said that it was hard to measure the full scale of the crisis because of a shortage of testing equipment and there was a backlog of samples waiting to be analysed. More than 130 people are estimated to have died in the latest outbreak. One person with first-hand experience of dealing with Ebola is Tom Frieden, who led the US Centers for Disease Control, the CDC, when there was an epidemic in West Africa.

11:21So how worried is he? A question put to him by Tim Franks. I'm extremely concerned. This is a very serious and potentially devastating Ebola outbreak. The world again faces grave risk and needs an urgent response. This outbreak likely spread not just for weeks, but probably for months by the time it was found. And by the time a response started, there are now more than 500 cases. In West Africa, the Ebola epidemic 2014-2016, there were 40 or 50 cases by the time the response started. The geographic area is broad. We already have cases in Kinshasa and Kampala, which are capital cities. We know that urban Ebola can be very difficult to control.

12:11And there are really highly experienced, highly talented, very dedicated doctors, nurses, laboratory specialists, epidemiologists in both DRC and Uganda who are able to stop outbreaks, have stopped Ebola outbreaks before, but time really is of the essence. In an Ebola outbreak, minutes, days, weeks make an enormous difference. What we found in West Africa was that if we got there in days and started outbreak response, the outbreak could be stopped in a couple of weeks. If there was a delay of even one week, that outbreak could go on for months. The World Health Organization representative for the DRC has said that WHO has been working, I think her words were, very well with the US government on this Ebola outbreak.

13:06but she did say that reductions in health funding overall have had a tremendous impact on the organization's ability to counter the disease. Ebola is back and the US government has spent much of the past year weakening our defenses against it. That includes both the US CDC, which has been frankly under assault by this administration. Close to 3 ,000 staff have been fired, forced to retire, let go. most of the directors in the organization are acting or absent. Even the overall director, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who does appear to be working hard to get the CDC back on track, is doing this as a part-time job.

13:48In addition, the U.S. has not only pulled out of WHO, it's not only defunded WHO, it's not only failed to pay its past dues, but it's also abruptly withdrawn dozens of specialists who were seconded or loaned to WHO and were working side by side with them on a range of issues. But I wouldn't rush to put it at the feet of the U.S. government, quite frankly. This is an area that is remote, that is insecure. It's an uncommon strain of Ebola. So the initial tests were negative. The specimens have a long way to travel. It's among the hardest places in the world to do public health work. But I do know that the recent changes are making it much harder for the world to mount the kind of robust response that we mounted a decade ago in the 2014 to 2016 outbreak.

14:40And that is even more needed now because we're really behind the eight ball. Tom Frieden speaking to Tim Franks. still to come local villagers and lighthouse keepers telling us about in the night these strange sounds that are rattling their window panes and their dog is hiding under the bed can you explain an eerie humming noise from the ocean all of that later in this podcast

15:13this episode sponsored by hop water you can love beer and still skip the alcohol That's the idea behind hop water. It's sparkling water infused with hops, giving you that crisp, hoppy bite with bright citrus notes, inspired by your favorite IPA. It's non-alcoholic, with no calories, no sugar, and none of the heaviness that comes with beer. And what makes it different is it's infused with adaptogens and nootropics like reishi and L-theanine, designed to help you feel balanced and relaxed. Whether you're cutting back, doing a dry month, or just want something lighter at the end of the day, this is what people are switching to.

15:51Head to hopwater.com now and stock your fridge with 25 % off your entire order. That's H-O-P-W-T-R dot com. I'm Kai Wright. I'm Carter Sherman. Welcome to Stateside with Kai and Carter. We're a new show from The Guardian. We're talking to big thinkers and the best journalists, just trying to understand the world through smart conversation and honest reporting. We don't have billionaires telling us what to say. Stateside with Kyan Carter will come out three times a week, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, starting May 13th. Subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your podcasts.

16:34This is the Global News Podcast. In Germany, the trial of pro-Palestinian activists is sparking controversy. The five, including two British citizens, are part of Palestine Action Germany. The UK has proscribed Palestine Action as a terrorist group, but Germany has not. The trial of the so-called OM5 could set a precedent for the future, where protesters are tried as being members of a criminal organisation. The case has sparked a debate about how Germany, traditionally a strong supporter of Israel, is dealing with pro-Palestinian protesters. Bethany Bell reports from Germany.

17:19This video posted on social media shows the activists known as the Ulm Five breaking into the Israeli arms company Elbit Systems in Ulm in September. Germany finances Elbit System produces Israel bombs, they shout. The video shows them destroying equipment and spray-painting the words baby killers on the walls. Free, free Palestine! Free, free Palestine! The group is accused of destroying around one million euros worth of property. Prosecutors have accused them of smashing screens, PCs and equipment. They've charged the group with trespassing and with membership of a criminal organisation. The activists have also been charged with using symbols of Hamas, which is prescribed as a terrorist organisation in Germany.

18:13The prosecution and defence have clashed in court over the way the activists are being treated.

18:22Chaotic scenes on the first day of the trial, with supporters cheering and shouting when the activists entered the courtroom. They were handcuffed and put behind a glass wall. Two British citizens are among them, Crow Tricks and Hannah Hailu, known as Zoe. The families say the state is trying to make an example of them. Crow's sister Kit told the BBC the charges against them are disproportionate and their treatment unacceptable. They've not harmed anybody and there's not even a charge of threat of harm. Do you know what I mean? like this is a case of property damage and this is how they're being treated.

19:05Zoe's mother Nikki Robertson says the Ulm Five should be released on bail and given a fair trial. Zoe's got quite sore wrists and that's from being handcuffed which I'm absolutely disgusted and outraged about. They shouldn't be in those handcuffs anyway. It's completely inappropriate to have brought them into court like that. In a statement to the BBC, German and prosecutors denied that the charges and treatment were disproportionate. They said they hadn't requested any special conditions of detention, and the restrictions were standard under German law. The activists are now on trial in Stuttgart Stammheim, a high-security prison.

19:44Their lawyers say it gives the impression their clients are dangerous individuals.

19:53In the UK, where there have been extensive protests by Palestine Action, it's prescribed as a terrorist group. In February, the High Court ruled that was unlawful. The government is appealing against the decision. Yasmin Kuder from Amnesty International Deutschland says in Germany, Palestine Action is not prescribed as a terrorist organisation. Independently of the ongoing proceedings in the UK, it is important to note that the original ban applied explicitly to Palestine Action UK and had no international usage. We are also deeply concerned by the repeated references in this case to the UK ban within the German proceedings.

20:39This was former German Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2008 in Israel. Germany's never-again doctrine, its special responsibility towards the state of Israel, has shaped its politics and society. Of course, I think these types of actions are very shocking to the German public, you know, property destruction on an Israeli firm. Joël Krizetig, an analyst at Armed Conflict Location and Event Data, says Germany's different approach to such cases stems from historical sensitivities due to its role in the Nazi Holocaust. He also said that Germany has seen significantly fewer pro-Palestinian protests than the UK.

21:23This case kind of, yeah, is the epitome of a harsh crackdown, you know, by German authorities on the Palestinian cause. If found guilty, the activists face up to five years in prison. Bethany Bell. After an evening of riveting football drama, the English Premier League title race is over, with Arsenal being crowned champions for the first time in 22 years. As you'd expect, our reporter Nesta McGregor, who's been outside the Emirates Stadium this evening, has met some very happy fans. Here's Louis and Amy. We have played with passion, with emotion. We've played. I feel like we've honestly deserved this title.

22:06the way we've been this season. We have scraped the wind. That's fine. We're just so happy. We can't, honestly, we can't be into words. I can't speak. I cannot speak. Now, Amy, I hope I'm not spoiling the news for anyone. You're pregnant. I am. Your baby shower is the day of the parade. Louis, are you going to the parade? I've got to go to the parade. I'm going as well. So the baby shower's cancelled. Yeah, just don't tell my mum. Arsenal clinched the title thanks to Manchester City-Bournemouth ending in a one-all draw, meaning City couldn't surpass the Gunners' position. BBC Sports' John Bennett has been following their way to the top of the table.

22:42It has been nervy for them, but they've saved themselves some real nerves on Sunday because it was set to come down to a game against Crystal Palace away from home. They would have been big favourites, but still, it would have been so nervy because they've had this reputation, haven't they, over the last few years of getting so close, but yet so far. You think about 2023 when they were first in the title race under Mikel Arteta. and they finished second. A year later, again finished second to Manchester City. A year later, they finally finished above Manchester City, but again finished second to Liverpool.

23:15So to wrap it up with one game to spare, there will be huge relief for the Arsenal fans. Finally, they can celebrate a Premier League title win for the first time since 2004. Yeah, something that Mikel Arteta has, as a manager, waited an awfully long time for. How is it going to be remembered, though? Well, in terms of style of play, this Arsenal team have changed, haven't they? It's not the free-flowing football that we've seen in the past from Mikel Arteta. It's been based on grit, on determination, on set pieces. But I don't think the Arsenal fans will care about the style. They just wanted the trophy.

23:54And I think they will be so proud of the team, but in particular, the manager. When he took over, Arsenal were in disarray. Yes, he won the FA Cup, but the culture of the club wasn't working. The connection between the fans and the players wasn't there. The quality on the pitch wasn't there. So this was a long process. And Mikel Arteta's motto was trust the process. The fans had to get behind this and understand what he was doing, like getting rid of a star player like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang because he didn't fit in with his culture. So finally, this has paid off. Not only this Premier League title win, but remember, They're also in the Champions League final as well, so they've got that to look forward to.

24:38This has already been a season to remember, but it could get even better. So the Arsenal fans are absolutely loving life right now after a number of disappointments over the last 22 years. A disappointing end to the season for Manchester City, though they didn't manage to catch up. and it seems Pep Guardiola, who's given us some very exciting football over the years, and he's seemingly on his way as head coach. Yes, a disappointing end for him, although we have to remember they did win two domestic cup competitions and he said last week, even before the English FA Cup final, which they won on Saturday, he said that whatever happens in the title race, this will still have been a very successful season and what a legacy Pep Guardiola will leave, not just on Manchester City, but on English football.

25:25In terms of Manchester City, 17 major trophies since he took over. And in terms of English football, he has arguably changed the way that football is played in England. So many people have tried to copy his style of football, playing out from the back and almost the ticker tacker style that he had. And he launched at Barcelona. So an incredible legacy that he leaves. But yes, there will be that disappointment for him that he goes without winning one last Premier League title, a competition that he has dominated since arriving in England. And some more football drama earlier in the day, John. Southampton relegated and expelled from the championship playoffs over spying.

26:10This is an astonishing story. So Southampton were in the English second tier playoff final. So they were thinking that they had a game to play 90 minutes away from the Premier League. They were playing whole city with a chance to go up to be promoted into the Premier League. But they have been thrown out of that game. They won't play in that game. Instead, Middlesbrough will play whole city in the playoff final. It's because of, to put it in simple terms, yeah, they've been accused of spying. They illegally watched training sessions of three matches, three opponents, including Middlesbrough, who they played in the playoff semifinals.