Global News Podcast - US hails 'tremendous' progress at Ukraine talks

Episode Date: November 24, 2025

The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, has given an upbeat assessment of talks with Ukrainian officials about how to end the war with Russia. Mr Rubio said sticking points which remained were "not insurmountable". US, Ukrainian and European officials have been meeting in Geneva in Switzerland to discuss a peace plan that US negotiators devised with their Russian counterparts. It has been widely criticised as sympathetic to Moscow's aims.Also: a BBC investigation has exposed people in Sierra Leone who claim to supply human body parts for ritual ceremonies. More than 50 of the 300 pupils abducted by gunmen in Nigeria have escaped their captors, but parents are voicing their frustration over the lack of security at schools. Hezbollah confirms its chief of staff has been killed in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut. A three-year-old boy from California has astounded doctors with his progress after becoming the first person in the world with Hunter syndrome to receive a ground-breaking gene therapy. A daughter of the former South African President Jacob Zuma is accused of recruiting citizens to fight in Ukraine. And an Argentinian writer recalls the moment she learned her childhood nanny was actually a KGB agent.The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight.Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment.Get in touch: [e-mail]

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You're listening to the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. Hello, I'm Oliver Conway. We're recording this at 430 GMT. The United States and Ukraine say they've had positive talks on ending the war with Russia. More than 50 of the 300 schoolchildren kidnapped in Nigeria last week have escaped. and we have a special investigation in Sierra Leone into the people who kill in order to sell body parts. Also in the podcast, despite a ceasefire, Israel kills Hezbollah's chief of staff in the Lebanese capital, Beirut.

And later... Our nanny. She was a KGB spy who participated in Trotsky murder. Wow. The Argentinian author who discovered the dark past of her form. Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Ukraine has been seen as favoring Russia. But at a swiftly arranged summit in Geneva, Ukrainian and European officials have been trying to change that. And they appear to have made some progress, despite the U.S. president once again lashing out at Ukraine,

accusing it of expressing zero gratitude. A few hours after his truth social post, the White House, issued a statement saying talks with Ukraine had been highly productive. The U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, had led the American delegation, spoke to reporters late on Sunday. We arrived here today with one goal, and the goal was to take, you know, what, you know, is 28 points or 26 points, depending on which version as it continue to evolve, and try to narrow the ones that were open items. And we have achieved that today in a very substantial way. Now, obviously, like any final agreement, they'll have to be agreed upon by the presidents,

and there are a couple issues that we need to continue to work on. It is probably the most productive day we have had on this issue, maybe in the entirety of our engagement, but certainly in a very long time. But work remains, and because this continues to be a working process, I don't want to declare victory or finality here. There's still some work to be done. The leader of the Ukrainian delegation, Andre Yermak, was also upbeat about the talks. We have very good progress, and we are moving forward to the just and lasting peace.

European people deserve and want this peace more than anyone in this planet. Well, our Europe correspondent Sarah Rainsford, was in Geneva. She told Valerie Sanderson that the mood did indeed seem to be positive. Certainly public facing optimism. Yeah, lots of positive talk from Marco Rubio in particular. He was the official who came out after hours of talks in all sorts of formats today. Ukrainians and Americans and Americans and Europeans sitting down. Americans and Europeans sitting down, and as far as we know, various groups then coming together.

They are talking positively. They're saying that no problem is insurmountable, although Mr. Rubio said a couple of problems remain without going into details. But he was very keen to say this is a very productive and meaningful discussion. He said that it's still work to do, but an incredible amount had been achieved. And I think, you know, that is important because going into this, there was, and there still is a lot of concern about a deal which looks to favour very, very strongly Russia. In fact, so much so that Marco Rubu actually had to deny that the whole deal had been written by the Kremlin. He said, no, this was a US deal, and that's the deal that he went in to defend and to negotiate. But as you're hearing, it is an evolving document, and Ukraine is trying as far as it possibly

can to have its say and to make sure that this is a deal that basically doesn't set it down the river. Well, the talks are going to continue. Presumably, that's a good sign. What does Ukraine want, most of all? I think Ukraine wants certainty. I think it's really struggling with Donald Trump's flipping back and forth. One day saying he's frustrated by Vladimir Putin is going to pile the pressure on Vladimir Putin and then the next day turning around and shouting in caps lock on social media about zero gratitude from Ukrainian officials. I think, you know, Ukraine feels the pressure.

It knows that it has to engage with this political process, this peace process, that the US has embarked upon because, frankly, it needs the United States. So it has to be seen to be grateful. It has to say a lot of thank yous. And it has to really commit to discussing this plan. I think basically Ukraine doesn't want to be the one that says no. It doesn't want to be seen as the deal breaker. It wants to be seen as constructive.

What actually happens at the end of this entire process is a very, very open question still, though. And of course, what happens when Russia sees whatever ends up being written is, again, a big open question. Ukraine says quite clearly it doesn't believe that Russia wants peace. And Vladimir Putin himself has said he is quite happy to carry on prosecuting his war. And how important are the Europeans in all this? Well, they're trying to make themselves important because they have been very much sidelined. I mean, the deal that was put on the table a few days ago, that had everyone scrambling to respond by Donald Trump's supposed Thursday deadlines,

the next Thursday, had Europeans very, very concerned that once again they had been left out of the process. They hadn't been consulted. So this was essentially the US and Russia presenting Kyiv with an ultimatum that was going to be really hard for Ukraine to cope with alone. So yes, there were European security advisors here in Geneva today. They held discussions, certainly with the Ukrainians. I think they were here kind of to back up Ukraine.

And there was talk of some sort of counter proposals coming from the Europeans to the American deal. Although when we asked Mark Arube about that, he began going to go into any specifics. I think the role is essentially a kind of moral backup, if you like, for Ukraine, so it's not the only one in the room debating this stuff with the Americans. Sarah, Rainsford in Geneva. An undercover BBC World Service investigation in Sierra Leone has exposed the trade in human body parts. Sold for thousands of dollars, these parts are used in witchcraft ceremonies

in the belief they will guarantee power, success or wealth. The scale of the problem is unknown, but alleged ritual killings are regularly reported on national. news and across social media. BBC Africa Eyes Tyson-Conte reports from McKinney in northern Sierra Leone and a warning listeners may find some of the report upsetting. A TikTok video from May this year shows Fat Mater Conte dancing, happy and carefree surrounded by family and friends. She's celebrating her 28th birthday. The following day she disappears. Her body, her neck broken. Her body, her neck broken.

was found here on a patch of rough ground on the roadside. Fat matter is my cousin. My aunt Mariamar identified her body. I went in and they removed her clot and there were no wounds on the body. Only in her mouth, her teeth were removed from the mouth. Police have not linked her death to ritual killings, but my family fears the worst.

Everyone is talking about it. I'm on my way to Waterloo, on the outskirts of the capital, Frita. Nisuses have connected me to a man who claims to sell human body parts. You ready? Cameras are on? Everything is ready. An undercover investigator arranges to meet him. Granny video footage shows the man who calls himself Idara, sitting on a mat.

On a death floor, he looks relaxed, confident. I have up to 250 Habalis working under my banner. There are no human path that we don't work with. The investigator's cover story is that he is an ambitious politician who wants to harness magic to advance his career. Idara explained how it works. We have ways of processing the bodies. After slotting, we put the whole body in one place.

Some says they want the raw part. Some requested for the whole body. It just depends on what you want. Are you needed? The investigator leaves instructing Idara not to do anything. Outside the capital, Sierra Leone's Council of Traditional Illas meet up. 80% of Africans rely on traditional medicine, according to the World Health Organization. They said a one-reliance.

Rotten fish can destroy the blight of the fish. Shekut Tarawali, the president, says the work had to root out rogue habalist, like Idara. Every month, we get an information from the police and community people that they have killed somebody, remove his part. We are not like that. We are a healer. We are not killer. Idaara calls the investigator with a chilling message. He says he's gathered some of his members. men and is ready to act. This is crazy.

Someone's life could be in danger here. This is very serious. We have no way of knowing whether what he says is true, but we call the police. The police gather to raid Idara's house. Believe in spiritual practices is widespread

in Sierra Leone, even amongst authorities. Assistant superintendent Ali Jal. We as police officers, we are in Africa, you know what that means you cannot just get into the shrine of a witch doctor without protection. The team get closer to Idara's house. The investigator is inside. Secret filming shows the moment Idara hears the commotion outside.

He jumps up and flees. The police combed through each room. They can't find Idara, but he discover a shrine along with masks and spiritual objects stuffed in bags. A noise comes from the city. Idara crashes to the ground and the police detain him. The team continues to search for evidence. Mr. Torrey unravels dirty white cloth. Dust and what looks like small bones fall out.

He says they are human. The police have not confirmed this. Idera and two other men are charged with practicing sorcery as well as being in possession of traditional weapons used in ritual cases. They have since been bailed, pending investigations. Back in Makini, my cousin Fatmata is buried outside the town mosque. We may never truly know why she was killed. Rituala killing is not recorded as a distinct crime in Sierra Leone.

The scale of the problem remains unknown. It's measured only in the grief of the belief. Tyson, Conte, reporting from northern Sierra Lear. Two days after gunmen kidnapped more than 300 students from a Nigerian Catholic school, about 50 managed to escape. But as of Sunday, some 253 boys and girls, along with 12 staff members, were still being held, according to a Catholic bishop. It's one of the worst mass abductions in Nigeria's history.

The BBC's Medina Maishanu is one of the first journalists to reach the scene. Shattered glasses, flip-flops and uniforms. These are the remnants of this room of 16, where students were forcefully dragged out by unknown gunmen in the middle of the night. Standing in the dormitory room where his son was sleeping when he was abducted, this father didn't want to be identified, but described what he saw. They were being trafficked on foot the way shepherds control their herds. The gunmen were on bikes while controlling the girls.

The students aged 6 to 18 and their teachers, were taken by an armed gang that stormed the Catholic St. Mary's boarding school. My whole life is filled with sadness. He's my only son. He's my firstborn. Please help us. The anger and frustration with the authorities over their inability to prevent kidnappings

like this is clear. So everybody is keeping quiet. There is nothing. We are feeling bad. We want the government to come quickly and rescue these children. The kidnapping came as President Trump warned of possible action over what he called the persecution of Christians by radical militants in Nigeria.

But Nigerian authorities say Muslims in the country have been just as affected by the abductions, many of which are by criminal gangs. For many parents, their priority is simply the return of their missing children. Medina, Maishanu, reporting from northwest Nigeria. Next to the nanny, who was actually a KGB agent. Born in 1909, Africa de Las Herras took on many identities, infiltrated various groups,

and even played a part in the assassination of Leon Trotsky, one of the leaders of the Russian Revolution. Later, going by the name of Maria, she was a nanny to Argentinian author Laura Ramos during her childhood in Uruguay. My colleague Krupa Paddy asked Laura about the moment she found out about her nanny's secret past, One afternoon I was working in my studio in Buenos Aires when my brother came to visit and asked to me,

do you remember Maria Luisa? Maria Luisa, the dressmaker, I replied. Well, she was a KGB spy who participated in Trotsky murder. Wow, I was stunned. I didn't believe him. He had to come back with the documentation. But first, I didn't want to write this book because Maria Luisa was a close friend of my mother. This must have been a huge shock to you when your brother first came to you and said he had learnt

via this various documentation that Maria Luisa was in fact a KGB agent. What was your reaction? Horror, because Troski was for us, and uncle, we were very close of the figure of Troski, and she was sent to Mexico to infiltrate Trotsky's secretariat at Frida Callos' house, where he lived. Our nanny drew the plans of the house and gave them to the KGV. Troski's murderer, Ramon Mercadar, had been her friend Since the Spanish Civil War, where they fought together in Barcelona, he might have been her lover at that time. She took on so many identities, multiple names, placed herself in countless dangerous situations as part of her job as a spy.

But to you, she was the seamstress who would pick you up at the school gates and look after you. Can you help us understand what she was like to you, how you remember her as a young child? She gave us milk, gave us sweets and pastries. And when I back to Montevideo, met up with my childhood friends. And they cry when remembered our nanny because they was very fond of her. What do you think were Africa de la Ceras, the late? that you knew as Maria Luisa, what do you think were her motivations for doing all of this, being involved in these operations?

She was a revolutionary. She perchut into the Nazi troops that invaded Ukraine during World War II. When I went to the north of Africa, where she was born, her great niece told me about her family, very military family, strict family. and she ran away to Barcelona during the Civil War in Spain. She was the head of a patrol in Barcelona. She professed free love was a very brave woman. She loves the detention.

But as you learn, she ultimately took the lives of many. She was a murderer. Yeah. Also, she was a murderer. This is the great interrogant of my mother. my book. She was a hero or she was a murderer. She was the boss. Dara Ramos, talking to Krupa Patty. And still's come on the podcast.

I want to pinch myself every time I tell people, you know, Oliver is making his own enzymes. Every time we talk about it, I wanted to cry because it's just so amazing. The three-year-old boy being treated with pioneering gene therapy. It is almost a year since a US-brokered ceasefire formally ended the conflict between Israel and the Lebanese group Hezbollah. Since then, Israel has been accused of numerous truce violations in southern and eastern Lebanon, targeting what it said were Hezbollah fighters. Those attacks have been stepped up in recent days,

and on Sunday, an Israeli airstrike on an apartment building in a suburb of the capital, Beirut, killed five people and wounded 28, according to the Lebanese health ministry. The Israeli army said it was targeting a senior member of Hezbollah who was killed. So what more do we know about him? Jim Muir is a former BBC Middle East correspondent who lives in Beirut. He is called Haithamabwa Ali Tabatabai. His father was an Iranian origin,

but he rose rapidly through the ranks of the Hezbollah leadership after all the others were killed off quite systematically by the Israelis during the very intense warfare that ended almost exactly a year ago. Now, he was described as the chief of staff of his Bala. He'd been on the Americans radar since 2016. He has a $5 million price on his head for the Americans a reward, but he was designated international terrorists

as far as the Americans were concerned, so they're not going to be sorry to see him go. The Israelis saying they didn't check it out with the Americans before doing this, but they did tell them immediately afterwards. So in other words, they're making a point of saying, We don't ask anybody's permission before we do something like this. According to the Israelis, he had been instrumental in rebuilding some of Hisbalah's very heavily damaged capabilities over the last year and bringing in arms, et cetera, where they could, because the Israelis have been very vigilant.

So this is the first strike of its kind on the southern suburbs of Beirut for months and months, but they've been carrying out lots of strikes elsewhere in the south of the country and in the east in the Beqar Valley. In recent days, it's been intensifying. Every day somebody's being killed at more than 350 by the Israeli's own count since the Zizvah came into effect. I talked to a senior Lebanese leader just a short while ago. He said basically this means there's endless war expected to go on. They'll kill anybody who they suspect of belonging to or having a relationship with his Balah, according to him. Now, the reports in the Israeli newspapers that Israel is in fact gearing up for a further escalation both in Lebanon and in Gaza and with Iran.

You'll remember it fought Iran for 12 days earlier this year. Whether that's true or not, we'll have to wait and see. But certainly there are very bellicose statements coming from Israel and actions both in Gaza and here in Lebanon that point in that direction. Jim Muir in Beirut. A serious rift has emerged in the family of the former South African President Jacob Zuma. His eldest daughter has filed a police complaint against a sibling for allegedly recruiting young men under false pretenses who ended up

fighting for Russia in Ukraine. We heard more from our correspondent in Johannesburg, Nomsomaseko. This was Jacob Zuma's eldest daughter and Gossazana Zuma Nubube, seeking criminal charges against her half-sister, who is also a member of parliament for Jacob Zuma's political party in Kondow, Seizwa, and basically accusing her half-sister of allegedly recruiting 18 South African men

and also those from Botswana under false pretenses, promising them that they would go to Russia to train as bodyguards, according to the affidavit that was filed, they were handed over to a Russian mercenary group and are now at the front line fighting for Russia in the Ukraine. There have been reports of the men sending their families' photos of themselves wearing military uniform. They've also been in touch with the South African government asking for help. And we are also in the process of speaking to the relatives of some of those men who are still in Russia at the moment. And tell us how it's got to this. What is the relationship been like between the two sisters?

Well, this is the first that we're actually hearing of a spat that is so public. But Jacob Zuma, the former president, has about 20 children. So it is highly impossible for all of them to get along. And has there been any response from this sister? against whom the complaint has been filed? There hasn't been a response from her. She's currently on trial after being accused of inciting violence, which was sparked by her father's arrest in July 2021.

Those riots led to the deaths of about 350 people. Do we know if the former president, Jacob Zuma himself, knows about this or is involved in it? We do know that Jacob Zuma himself had, in the, the last couple of weeks written to Russia's defense minister to make sure that those men are kept safe and asking for their return. There were requests that were made to the Ukrainian government, which basically said that it does not know of any South African men that have been fighting. As yet, we don't know for sure if all the men are accounted for. The South

African president himself, Cyril Ramaphosa, had said that an investigation would get underway to determine how these men ended up in Russia and if they indeed were sent there without their consent because they signed contracts that were written in Russian that they did not understand that lended them in this position that they find themselves in. Namsat Masekou, talking to Valerie Sanderson. A three-year-old boy from California has become the first person. person in the world to be treated with a gene editing therapy developed in the UK. Oliver Chu has a rare genetic condition called Hunter Syndrome, which causes progressive damage

to the body and brain. In the most severe cases, patients may not survive beyond the age of 20. But doctors say they are amazed by Oliver's progress since he started receiving the treatment nine months ago. Our medical editor, Fergus Walsh, has been following his journey. It's December 24 and Oliver is in a cot at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. Father and son have flown from California for this world-first treatment. It begins with Oliver having his blood filtered to remove stem cells. I'll just give in your line a little drink. These are sent to Great Ormond Street Hospital in London,

where scientists insert a working copy of Oliver's faulty gene. Scientists in Manchester, including Professor Simon Jones, have been working on the gene therapy for around 15 years. Sort of effective treatment that deals with all aspects of Hunter syndrome would be utterly life-transforming for families. It would mean moving from a constant life of medical interventions and slow decline and an early death to a life where there's hope. We have got cells for Oliver Chew.

In February, Oliver is back in Manchester to receive the gene therapy via an infusion. The next is a 10 minutes, second bush. The hope is Oliver's genetically altered cells will start to produce an enzyme crucial for keeping his brain and body healthy. Go, go, go, go, go. I'm going to jump in the middle.

Whoa! Three months later, Oliver and his family are back again in Manchester. This time, we meet in a park, and it's clear that Oliver's parents are overjoyed with his progress. His mum, Jingru, says he's come off all other treatment. The gene therapy is working. I want to pinch myself every time I tell people, you know, Oliver is making his own enzymes.

Every time we talk about it, I wanted to cry because it's just so amazing. Also there is Oliver's older brother, Skyler, who's five. He also has Hunter syndrome. Schuyler has a weekly infusion of enzymes which help prevent damage to his body, but they don't reach his brain. Dad, Ricky, says Skylar was too old for the trial. My wish upon the start is for, you know,

Skylar to be able to get the same treatment. Like with his gene therapy, it feels like Oliver got a reset in his life and gets to start, you know, with almost a fresh slate, you know, and that's why I want the same thing for Skylight, even though he's a little bit older. Nine months after Oliver's one-off treatment, doctors remain cautious, but they hope the gene therapy could be a permanent fix for Hunter syndrome. Actually, we're so happy, so pleased with his progress, his results are amazing. Professor Simon Jones.

I've been waiting 20 years for this to see a boy. boy like Ollie doing as well as he has, and it's just so exciting. He's doing great. I mean, his speech has gotten exponentially better, his mobility has gotten better, his agility, his cognitive, everything. So, like, no more medication, no more infusions, like as close to a normal life as we can give him at this point. Oliver is one of five boys who are part of this world-first gene therapy trial. It's early days, but if successful, it would transform their life chances and give hope to other families affected by this rare and often devastating condition.

That report by our medical editor, Fergus Walsh. India have won the first blind women's cricket T20 World Cup. They beat Nepal in the final, played in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo. Those who took part say it helped counter the stigma of disability. This report from Charles Haverland. Wild excitement among India's blind female cricketers as they clinched the World Cup the inaugural women's championship played in the 2020 format,

the shortest form of the game. Blind cricket is based on the laws of standard cricket, but with important differences. The ball is bigger, bold underarm, and packed with ball bearings which rattle. At least four of each team must be totally blind, but others can be partially blind or partially cited. The wicket is also large.

and painted in fluorescent colours. Fielders who are totally blind are allowed to take a catch on the bounce while batters with the same disability use others to run on their behalf and each of their runs counts as two. Six nations, four from South Asia plus Australia and the United States, took part.

India's victorious captain, T.C. Deepika said she faced disbelief when she first picked up a bat but later people began to see that she had ability. Americans Megan Whelan, who's completely blind, only learnt about cricket by chance in April. She called playing in blind cricket, empowering and exciting. Politics wasn't allowed to intrude on the women's T20 Blind Cricket Tournament. In an earlier match, India versus Pakistan, the two teams had shaken hands warmly, defying negative predictions prompted by sky-high diplomatic tensions.

Charles Haverland. And that's all from us. but the Global News podcast will be back very soon. This edition was mixed by Frank McQueenie and produced by Stephanie Zagerson and Nikki Verico. Our editor is Karen Martin. I'm Oliver Conway. Until next time, goodbye.