Global News Podcast - Australian PM Albanese makes stunning comeback with landslide win

Episode Date: May 4, 2025

Supporters of Australia's governing Labor party led by Anthony Albanese have been celebrating a resounding victory in the general election. Also: Trump criticised after posting AI image of himself as ...Pope.

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Starting point is 00:00:38 This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Janet Jaleel and in the early hours of Sunday, the 4thth of May these are our main stories. Australia's governing Labour Party has won an increased majority in a general election which was upended by Donald Trump's policy on tariffs. The medical charity MSF has condemned a deadly attack on one of its hospitals in South Sudan as fears grow of a return to civil war there. Warren Buffett, one of the world's most influential investors, has surprised shareholders by announcing he'll retire by the end of the year.
Starting point is 00:01:18 Also in this podcast... Three women and a child, their socks soaked with the water swamping literally at their feet below and the slathering mouths of several alligators looking at them, hungry alligators. How five people whose plane crashed in alligator infested waters in the Amazon managed to survive. Just days after Canada's general election resulted in a left-leaning leader making an unexpected comeback because of fears about President Trump's tariffs, the same has, it seems, happened in Australia. The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, was returned to power with his Labour Party expanding its majority despite opinion polls
Starting point is 00:02:05 at the start of the year showing it trailing the Liberal National Coalition. The Conservative opposition leader Peter Dutton, who had been compared to Donald Trump, lost the seat that he's held for more than two decades. He said he accepted full responsibility for the defeat. Our Australia correspondent Katie Watson sent this report from the Labour Election Party headquarters in Sydney. There was celebration, relief and some disbelief too among Labour supporters that this win was called so quickly.
Starting point is 00:02:39 This is beyond belief. It's so exciting. The euphoric, the beer tastes better since we're winning. I'm delighted. It's fantastic. I can't believe we've done so well. In the crowd, there were plenty of cheers. On stage, there were even a few tears, as Anthony Albanese spoke to his supporters. Australians have chosen to face global challenges the Australian way, looking after each other while building for the future.
Starting point is 00:03:12 And to serve these values, seize these opportunities and build that better and stronger future, Australians have chosen a majority Labour government. This is quite the turnaround for Anthony Albanese. Going into these elections, it was a tight race. But Donald Trump changed that. Just a few days after, he had a similar effect on Canada's elections. Here in Australia, voters opted for an incumbent, a familiar face in an uncertain world. Attempts by the leader of the opposition coalition Peter Dutton to take from the Trump playbook such as forcing public servants to stop working from home didn't work
Starting point is 00:03:54 out and he lost his seat in Queensland. Now we didn't do well enough during this campaign that much is obvious and I accept full responsibility for that. Earlier on I called the Prime Minister to congratulate him on his success. It's an historic occasion for the Labor Party and we recognise that. Australia's Labor Party has won a major victory. Anthony Albanese has promised to lead the country through global tumult. But now the hard work of delivery begins. Katie Watson reporting.
Starting point is 00:04:26 The medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres has described a deadly attack on one of its hospitals in South Sudan as horrific. A spokesperson for MSF in the town of Old Fangak said helicopter gunships carried out the bombing which reportedly killed at least seven people and wounded 20 others. Witnesses have blamed the South Sudanese military. It has not commented. I heard more from our Africa regional editor, Will Ross. The MSF organization has spoken of helicopter gunships dropping a bomb on this pharmacy in old Fangak town and then firing on the town itself for about 30 minutes and then there was a lull and then a drone struck the market in the same town. So obviously MSF is outraged at this and the targeting of a pharmacy. But it's interesting that just hours earlier
Starting point is 00:05:25 that the head of South Sudan's army, a man called Paul Majok Nang, he had promised that there would be punitive strikes after several barges on a river in this same state, Jongle State, had been hijacked. And he blamed those attacks on a militia that's linked to the Vice President Riyak Mishar. So it is all part of this feud
Starting point is 00:05:50 between President Salva Kiir and his deputy Riyak Mishar who's currently under house arrest, but just hours between the promise of these punitive strikes by the head of the army and this particular town being hit and the pharmacy, as you say, the hospital serving tens of thousands of people and that the whole of South Sudan is desperately in need of stability so that things like healthcare can improve. And we've already got civil war in neighbouring Sudan and now there are fears that there could also be civil war in neighbouring Sudan and now there are fears that there could also be civil war in South Sudan.
Starting point is 00:06:25 Yeah, I mean you can say that the 2018 peace deal that ended a civil war in South Sudan has basically collapsed. You've got these two sides now that are really at war. The fear is that it's going to grow into a wider civil war. You're talking about many, many thousands of people who are armed and these two characters, President Salva Kiir and Vice President Riyadh Masha from the two largest ethnic groups. And the UN has been warning that misinformation and hate speech has been fuelling the political and ethnic tensions in the country. And there's just a fear of this going back to a full-blown civil war. And the last one left more than two million displaced and 400,000 people dead. Well, Ross, the world's most famous and arguably most successful investor,
Starting point is 00:07:20 Warren Buffett, has announced he plans to step down as the chief executive of Berkshire Hathaway by the end of the year. Mr Buffett, who's 94 years old, has built up the company over the past six decades into a financial juggernaut, which is now worth well over a trillion dollars. He's also been a fierce critic of Donald Trump's tariffs policy. Despite his advanced age, Mr Buffett's decision came as a surprise to shareholders. He's named his vice chairman, Greg Abel, as his successor. Celia Hatton asked Stephen Foley, U.S. accounting editor for the Financial Times, how Warren Buffett had made his fortune and why he's such an iconic figure.
Starting point is 00:08:04 There's never been anyone like Warren Buffett and it's hard to believe there'll ever be anyone like Warren Buffett again. He's been investing since very, very early in his life. In his 20s he was investing in a stock portfolio. He bought Berkshire Hathaway in his 30s and he's made just extraordinary amounts of money for all of those who've invested alongside him. It's why tens of thousands of people go every year to Omaha, Nebraska to the annual shareholder meeting of Berkshire Hathaway to ask him questions about everything from how to invest, how to lead a good life to the global economy. There's so many, such a broad range of questions
Starting point is 00:08:46 come up at this meeting and he's got such an extraordinary legacy of people who've learned investing from his annual letters to shareholders over the past 60 years. And so did his retirement announcement really come as a huge surprise? Well it did to me. I was just looking back at a piece that I wrote back 15 years ago where he said, I plan to work past 100. So yes, retiring at the young age of 94 is a surprise. And he did wait till the very end of his marathon meeting today to spring it on everyone. Okay. So he's an unusual figure in many respects. He still lives quite simply, doesn't he?
Starting point is 00:09:26 Oh, absolutely. None of the trappings of the rest of the billionaire class you see flitting around the world or on our TV screens. No, he still lives in the house that he bought in 1958 and he's still got that folksy charm. It's one of the reasons that he's been able to educate people in the way that he has. He has a funny man, a humble man, no ego, and yet he is able to wield extraordinary influence in the capital markets. And so, you know, what do you think has driven him for so long? He hasn't done it for the money, has he? What's his goal here? Well, he does like to win. He also says that he's had this business gene since he was seven years old and read a book about how to make $1,000. This is just in his genetic makeup
Starting point is 00:10:19 and he has thoroughly enjoyed going to work every single day for the past 60 years at Berkshire Hathaway. I think part of the mood changed, I think, 18 months ago when his long-time vice-chair Charlie Munger passed away at the age of 99. And we have been talking in a different tone since then about when there might be a changing of the guard at Berkshire. What do you think that he's going to go on to do? How might he spend his retirement?
Starting point is 00:10:47 Well, he's certainly promised not to sell a share of Berkshire. He's promised Greg Able, who will take over from him as chief executive at the end of the year if the board agrees. He's promised that he will be around to give advice. He promises he'll be able to pop into the office and give that advice if it's needed. But he also has a lot of money to give away too and he has quite a legacy in philanthropy. Stephen Foley of the Financial Times. Gaza's Hamas-run civil defense agency says 11 people have been killed by Israeli strikes on a refugee
Starting point is 00:11:23 camp in the southern city of Khan Yunis. Three of those who died were said to be babies. The IDF hasn't commented on this latest attack but previously said it was escalating operations in Gaza to put pressure on Hamas to release all the remaining hostages in the territory. Meanwhile, it's announced further demolitions in the occupied West Bank as part of its operations against Palestinian armed groups. Since January, some 40,000 people have been forcibly evicted from their homes in three refugee camps which are now blockaded by Israeli troops. Emma Nader reports from one of them, Janine.
Starting point is 00:12:03 It's been three months since Jamuma was forced out of his home. He's one of thousands of Palestinians from Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank who don't know when or if the Israeli military will let them return. There, there is my house. The house is less than a kilometre away, but Juma has only been allowed one brief visit. My house was standing when I last saw it. I went to bring my UN aid card. Now he has no idea how much of his home remains. I can see so much destruction and damage in the camp, a lot of destruction and demolition.
Starting point is 00:12:41 In the West Bank, refugee camps home to Palestinians displaced from Israel have become the base of militias who say they're fighting Israeli occupation. Israel calls them terrorists and in January stepped up its campaign against them, entering the camps and forcing out residents, before beginning a wave of building demolitions. Here's Mohammed Jarar, the mayor of Jenin. MOHAMMED JARAR, Mayor of Jenin, Jordan There are big challenges in terms of providing services to citizens. As everyone knows, the infrastructure in Jenin camp has been totally demolished. Israel's goal is to try to make
Starting point is 00:13:13 Jenin camp totally unfit to live in. And I am telling you, it has now become completely unlivable. Israel says the demolitions are necessary for its counterterrorism operations, improving military movement through the camps, but doesn't confirm which buildings it's destroyed. In March, Israel issued a map of over 90 buildings it said it would demolish in Jenin camp. Jomaz appeared to be among them. Using satellite imagery, we have identified that at least 33 of those buildings have been destroyed, including Juma's.
Starting point is 00:13:45 The U.N. says it estimates that Israel has demolished 200 buildings, housing 600 apartments in Jenin Camp alone. Now living in temporary accommodation, Juma is indignant about losing his home. JUMMA, Israeli Army Commander, Juma, Syria Why did they demolish my house? I want to know. I want the Israeli army to give me justification. I had no links to militants. I am a peaceful person."
Starting point is 00:14:09 Juma, like thousands of other Palestinians in the West Bank, now doesn't know where he will live next, without compensation and with few of his life's belongings. Juma, like thousands of other Palestinians in the West Bank, now doesn't know where he will live next, without compensation and with few of his life's belongings. Juma, like thousands of other Palestinians in the West Bank, now doesn't know where he will live next, without compensation and with few of his life's belongings. Juma, like thousands of other Palestinians in the West Bank, now doesn't know where he will live next, without compensation and with few of his life's belongings.
Starting point is 00:14:24 Juma, like thousands of other Palestinians in the West Bank, now doesn't know where he will live next, without compensation and with few of his life's belongings. Juma, like thousands of other Palestinians in the West Bank, now doesn't know where he will live next, without compensation and peace and freedom. That's it. I swear I am so sick of it all. We have had enough." Displaced Palestinian resident Juma ending that report by Eme Nada. Journalists around the world marked World Press Freedom Day on Saturday. The aim is to support colleagues and pay tribute to those killed in the line of duty. It was started by the UN General Assembly in 1993 to remind governments of their commitments to press freedom. The Committee to Protect Journalists says 2024 was the deadliest for journalists with
Starting point is 00:14:58 124 media workers killed, nearly two- thirds of them Palestinians killed by the Israeli army. Kasha Madera spoke to Sasha Deshmukh, chief executive of Amnesty International UK, who reflected on the importance of World Press Freedom Day. Sadly, a day when we record the worst ever numbers of journalists killed. But we're also, I'm sad to say, seeing around the world an increasing rise in authoritarianism targeting the press. And targeting press freedom so often is one of the earliest signs of an increase in authoritarianism that targets wider human rights and freedoms as well. I mentioned that one of the difficult areas was what was happening in Gaza and I know
Starting point is 00:15:46 that you've just come back from the occupied West Bank. What was your perception there? Bring us up to date with what you saw. Yesterday I returned to London from the occupied West Bank and overall, beyond the issues just facing the press, I was shocked by the speed and deepening movement trying to kind of change facts on the ground in such a devastating way in that illegal occupation. But focusing specifically on the press in the occupied Palestinian territory,
Starting point is 00:16:17 you said in your introduction, around two thirds of the number of journalists killed in the last year were in Gaza. We've seen targeting of journalists in Gaza. There's evidence literally for specific targeting, which of course is against international law, but also restrictions on journalists, strong restrictions on foreign access, denying electricity, other kind of key methods that journalists need to be able to do their work. In the West Bank, where I just was, just two days ago, Ali Al-Samoudi was arrested.
Starting point is 00:16:51 He was someone who'd worked closely with Shereen Abu Akhlai, who was killed in 2022, covering an Israeli military raid in the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank. And that arrest two days ago, there's still no evidence that's been produced for the accusations that Israeli ministry has made. So yes Gaza is an appalling situation but also in the West Bank we're increasingly seeing that targeting of journalists, that targeting of free speech as part of the illegal occupation and increasing authoritarian action supporting that occupation. Now, Sacha, you know that Israel, the government will refute the accusation that they target
Starting point is 00:17:32 journalists. Obviously, this is what you saw yourself, but you touched upon this becoming an issue globally around the world as governments become more authoritarian. What is your concern ultimately when it comes to the direction of travel for journalists simply trying to do their as governments become more authoritarian. What is your concern ultimately when it comes to the direction of travel for journalists simply trying to do their job? Press freedom is absolutely critical to democracy. Press freedom is absolutely critical to the protection of human rights.
Starting point is 00:17:57 The targeting of the press is very often one of the first methods for an increase in authoritarianism. I think one of the things that alarms me looking back on the last year is breadth and depth across the world of increased targeting of the press, but also in locations where really, I think even if you thought a year ago, you'd have been surprised at what's happened. Let's just think about the actions of President Trump. In the first hundred days or so, we've seen media outlets threatened with lawsuits, we've seen preferential selection of journalists to cover the White House and to cover activities, and
Starting point is 00:18:37 we've seen public calls for journalists to be fired. Just as one example, Eugene Robinson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for the Washington Post, who wrote a critical editorial of the Trump administration, but a very reasoned critical editorial just doing his job, faces a public call for his firing from the President of the United States. Sasha Deshmukh, Chief Executive of Amnesty International UK. Still to come... What it shows is Donald Trump sitting on a golden throne, wearing what you would describe as white clerical robes and a mitre.
Starting point is 00:19:15 The White House posts an AI-generated image of Donald Trump dressed up as a Pope just days after the death of Pope Francis. and beauty entrepreneur Selena Gomez. She's also a mental health advocate and the most followed woman on Instagram in the world. Listen in to find out a whole lot more about her rise, her breakdown and her billion dollar comebacks than the tabloids ever told you. Hear the incredible story of Selena Gomez on Good Bad Billionaire. Listen on the BBC app or wherever you get your podcasts. You're listening to the Global News Podcast. you get your podcasts. President Putin has declared a three-day ceasefire with Ukraine to coincide with the commemorations. But Mr Zelenskyy has dismissed this as playing games. Two European leaders who were expected to attend the events in Moscow are reported to have fallen ill.
Starting point is 00:20:37 More from our Europe regional editor, Paul Moss. Political leaders from around the world are due to attend the annual May 9th Victory Parade in Moscow, all of them on good terms with Russia. Now, President Zelensky has told them not to go, for their own security. It isn't clear if this was intended as a threat. Ukraine has launched deadly drone strikes on Moscow, but Mr Zelensky also suggested Russia itself might plant bombs and then try to blame Ukraine. Other leaders are under pressure of a different kind.
Starting point is 00:21:09 Serbia's President Vucic was expected at the Moscow parade. He is an ally of Vladimir Putin. But the European Union had warned his attendance would hamper Serbia's chances of ever becoming an EU member. It seems Mr Vucic may now avoid this dilemma, as he's been treated in a military hospital for chest pains. His cardiologist said he wouldn't be able to resume normal duties for several days. Also apparently succumbing to health problems is Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico. He said still to be suffering the consequences of an assassination
Starting point is 00:21:43 attempt last year. Slovakia is already in the European Union and the EU's foreign affairs chief, Kaj Kalas, had said no member state should be sending representatives to the parade. It seems Mr Fico too may avoid making what would inevitably be a controversial choice if he's in hospital at the time. Pormos. Well, the full scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago was a wake-up call for much of Europe. It prompted many nations to reassess how much they should spend on defence. Nowhere more so than Poland, which shares borders with both Ukraine and Russia and is now rapidly building what could be the largest military in Europe.
Starting point is 00:22:22 And Donald Trump's return to the White House and his lukewarm support for the United States' traditional allies has given added urgency to Poland's preparations for possible war. From the Polish city of Rotswath, Will Vernon sent this report. It's early on a Saturday morning. We're at a military training ground. Ordinary Polish men and women are learning military skills. And these courses are going on all over the country every two weeks or so. The military officers who are running this course here tell
Starting point is 00:22:52 me this program is essential so that people are ready to defend the country from threats. First and foremost, they say, the threat of invasion by Russia. My name is Captain Adam Sielicki, coordinator of this project. The times are dangerous right now. We need to be ready. We have a military threat from the east.
Starting point is 00:23:15 This programme is now being expanded. The Polish government wants every adult male in the country to receive some kind of military training. Ukraine is not far away from us, so we have to know what we can do when Russia comes here, maybe. That sense of Poland being threatened has only intensified since Donald Trump returned to the White House. During a visit to Warsaw in February, the U.S. defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, said
Starting point is 00:23:43 Europe mustn't assume that the US troop presence on the continent will last forever. As a result, some Poles are taking rather extreme precautions. We're in a warehouse in the city of Tarnowskie Góry. I'm just stepping into the bunker now, which they've mocked up, I guess, in a garage. It's about nine square meters made of reinforced steel. Now, the owner of this company, Janusz, tells me that he's seen a huge increase in orders since the election of Donald Trump. What do people tell you who are buying a shelter
Starting point is 00:24:18 or they're considering buying it? What kind of things are they telling you? They're most afraid of Russia. People don't really believe in Article 5 that NATO would come to defend Poland. People are building the shelters just because they don't know what to expect tomorrow. Prime Minister Donald Tusk has said Poland aims to build the strongest army in the region. It is very serious. We are spending close to 5 percent of our GDP on defense.
Starting point is 00:24:46 Tomasz Schatkowski is Poland's official representative to NATO and an advisor to the Polish president on defense. In case Russians are continuing their aggressive intentions towards Europe, we're going to be the first one, we're going to be the gatekeeper. But the military buildup, is that envisaging some point in the future where Poland might have to fight alone. As an insidious nation in Europe our general staff should possess in their secret lockers operational plans for operations within NATO, smaller collisions of the willing and operations in case we have to do it on our own. In a recent survey, only 11% of people said they would join the army as volunteers in
Starting point is 00:25:28 the event of war. One third said they would flee. Most of the students I asked said they weren't ready to defend Poland. It's very hard to say. I think I'd run. I think the war is very close but it feels quite far I guess. I just don't really see anything worth dying for here. If the government has any hope of achieving its aim of increasing the size of the Polish army to reach half a million troops, it seems the young people of Poland may yet take a bit of convincing before they're ready to join up.
Starting point is 00:26:04 Will Vernon reporting. The British Government is to warn all UK companies to treat cyber security as an absolute priority after attacks on retailers including M&S and Harrods. The co-op group apologised on Friday after hackers managed to obtain the personal details of customers and staff. on Friday after hackers managed to obtain the personal details of customers and staff. A group called Dragonforce has told the BBC it was behind the breach. Here's our cyber correspondent, Joe Tidy. M&S, Co-op and Harrods are all victims of a group calling itself Dragonforce. The English-speaking gang contacted me, promising to continue their spree and clearly enjoying the chaos they're causing.
Starting point is 00:26:44 Police are investigating, but the nature of cybercrime means finding out exactly who they are forcing to continue their spree and clearly enjoying the chaos they're causing. Police are investigating but the nature of cybercrime means finding out exactly who they are and where they are will be difficult. Professor Kieran Martin, the former CEO of the National Cyber Security Centre, says piercing through the anonymity of hackers will prove hard. This is a very murky world. There seems to be something unusual about this group. This phrase, Dragon Force, that has been used started off as a name for actual malicious code
Starting point is 00:27:10 rather than a group of people and they're claiming to be using this malware and from their conversations with the BBC seem to be native speakers of English, whereas many of these other criminals are Russian. The hackers wouldn't talk about their ongoing ransomware attack on M&S, which has led to all online shopping being suspended and empty shelves in some stores. Nor would they discuss what's happening at Harrods, where offices have been taken offline. But the criminals did share information about their extortion attack on co-op. All staff and potentially 20 million customers have had their private data stolen.
Starting point is 00:27:44 The co-op has now admitted it's been breached, but says no passwords or bank details were accessed. The firm has issued a full disclosure and apologised for the situation. Joe Tidy. Donald Trump has long lived by the maxim that there's no such thing as bad publicity. But even by his standards, the AI-generated image he's posted first on his personal social media account and then on White House accounts of himself dressed up as Pope is jaw-dropping. Not to mention deeply offensive to the millions of Catholics mourning the recent death of
Starting point is 00:28:16 Pope Francis, a man who couldn't have been more different to Mr Trump as he tried to set an example by living a simple life and championing the cause of migrants. Mr. Trump had already upset some by wearing a blue suit and chewing gum at the Pope's funeral at the Vatican and then joking that he should be the next Pope. I'd like to be Pope. That would be my number one choice. No, I don't know. I have no preference. I must say we have a cardinal that happens to be out of a place called New York who's very good. So we'll see what happens. And criticism of Mr Trump has only grown louder since he posted the AI generated image. Our
Starting point is 00:28:57 World Affairs correspondent, Joe Inwood, told me more about it. What it shows is Donald Trump sitting on a golden throne, wearing what you would describe as white clerical robes, the outfit you would associate maybe with a pope, and a mitre, that's the traditional shaped hat that the pope would have worn. He's got a gold cross around his neck and he's holding a single finger in the air with a rather pensive look on his face. Essentially, it is an AI generated image of Donald Trump as the pope. Now the extraordinary thing about this is it wasn't just that he posted it on his own social media account, but it was then subsequently reposted by the White House official social media account.
Starting point is 00:29:34 And I think that is why this post was met not just with outrage, but with disbelief. Donald Trump is arguably the most powerful man in the world. So why would he do something like this, which diminishes the office of the US president at a time when Catholics are mourning the death of Pope Francis? Yeah, and it is worth pointing out, he was at the funeral just seven days ago.
Starting point is 00:29:56 I think one of the things that Donald Trump has often tried to do is to use the office, not just to exercise power, but also to, putting it bluntly, get a rise out of people. He's been described, I mean, by his critics, as an internet troll in the White House. And I think this is probably will be viewed in that same vein. When Donald Trump last Wednesday was asked by reporters who he wanted the next pope to be, his answer was essentially, me, I'd be a great pope, before then saying, not quite in these words, but I'm joking and actually
Starting point is 00:30:22 suggested a cardinal from New York who could be the Pope. So that was a joke and I think his supporters will see this in the same vein as that, as a joke, something done to rile people to get a rise. I don't think anyone thinks he's really suggesting he could be Pope. But I think, as you say, given coming so closely after the death of Pope Francis, it's being seen as rather offensive. He does have support from conservative Christians in the US over what he's done to diminish abortion rights, and we have the Conclave meeting in a few days' time. This is likely to backfire, isn't it, if he's hoping that a conservative, perhaps American,
Starting point is 00:30:58 cardinal could become the next Pope? It certainly is not going to be popular with many of his Catholic supporters. It's worth remembering that 56% of US Catholics voted for Donald Trump at the last election And that's despite the fact he was up against Joe Biden who was himself is a well-known Catholic and he was criticized by Catholics in the US indeed But Donald Trump got the majority of the support and I think it will be seen and of course his vice president is Catholic as well The last world leader we think to meet the Pope before he died his vice president is Catholic as well, the last world leader we think to meet the Pope before he died. And so he has a Catholic, a conservative support base, whether how they will view this,
Starting point is 00:31:29 whether they will see it as a joke, whether they will think it's a mistake. I mean, it's going to depend on each individual's view in terms of the impact it has, I think, on the conclave. I mean, I'd be very surprised if anyone thought that the words of the president of the United States would have an impact on the workings of that conclave. I mean, it's widely said we don't really know how it works and it doesn't start for a few days. Some may be swayed, but I don't think people really think he's going to be impacting the direction that that would take. Jo Inwood, now to an amazing story of survival. This is the moment a helicopter found five people clinging tightly to each other as they stood in the Amazon River on top of their submerged small plane which had been forced
Starting point is 00:32:13 to make an emergency landing in alligator infested waters. The five, the pilot, three women and a child, had to stand there for 36 hours with the water lapping their ankles as the alligators prowled around them. Amazingly, all five were brought to safety by the helicopter rescue crew, which had been looking for them since they went missing on Friday. It's thought that fuel leaking from the plane may have kept the reptiles at bay. With more details, here's Sean Dilley. The pilot's losing altitude, he's ditched down in the swamp. Somehow you're alive, you get out, you think it's okay. You climb
Starting point is 00:32:51 onto the underbelly of the fuselage with the wheels poking up in the air, I want you to see this picture. You think I'm safe but they're not because poised on this tiny bit of aircraft fuselage you've got these a man three women and a child their socks soaked with the water swamping literally at their feet below and the slathering mouths of several alligators looking at them hungry alligators as the kerosene drips into the water potentially actually driving them away they couldn't move They couldn't so much as drink because of the alligator The only food they had was flowers in the grain
Starting point is 00:33:31 Flour to eat upon so eventually sort of a day and a half having landed in the swamp They were spotted by fishing vessels and they raised the alarm rescue workers came out brought them to to safety and I again I just want you to picture their faces the exhaustion the anguish the fatigue but also the relief of cheating death not once but twice. Sean Dilley. And before we go we have a quick request we want to hear where you're listening from so we can update our shiny new map in the office. You can email globalpodcast at bbc.co with your town or city. And while you're there, feel free to leave us a voice note as we love to hear from you.
Starting point is 00:34:15 The address again is globalpodcast at bbc.co.uk. And thanks to Patrick from Honolulu, who's already replied. Also Traeger who listens to the podcast from Yelivara in the Arctic Circle. And Maria from Valencia in Spain. This edition was mixed by Darren Garrett, the producer was Liam McShepard, the editor is Karen Martin. I'm Janet Jaleel. Until next time, goodbye. The Turkish government and the leader of the biggest militant Kurdish group, the PKK, might have struck a deal that's hoped to put an end to decades of bloody conflicts. But will it? The Global Jigsaw looks at the world through the lens of its media.
Starting point is 00:35:13 Find us wherever you get your BBC podcasts.

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