Global News Podcast: Trump prepares for court hearing in New York

Hallo, das ist der Global News Podcast aus der BBC World Service

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Die letzten News, 7 Tage per Woche.

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Moskau hat Ukraine und Russland Opposition-Aktivisten geblieben für den Barmattakt, der einen Pro-War-Blogger in St. Petersburg gekämpft hat.

Und die Kenyan-Authoritäten haben vier Opposition-MPs geübt, nachdem ihre Leader gegen die Regierung verabschiedet hat.

Auch in diesem Podcast.

Das unmistakable französische Song und das Paris-Homes des Komposers Serge Gansbourg wird zu dem Publikum werden, später dieses Jahr.

The former U.S. President Donald Trump appears in court in New York later today. He'll face criminal charges linked to a payment to buy the silence of a porn star just before the 2016 election.

With increased security measures in place ahead of expected protests, the city's Mayor Eric Adams issued a warning to what he termed rabble-rousers, who are thinking of traveling to New York for the court appearance.

Full details of the charges against Mr. Trump will only come out in court.

Media organisations have asked that cameras be allowed in the courtroom, something that doesn't usually happen in New York.

Mr. Trump arrived in the city on Monday from his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida.

He stayed the night in his Trump Tower property and is the first former U.S. President to be criminally indicted.

Our correspondent Neda Taufik spent Monday evening outside Trump Tower.

Outside there are visible security preparations that have been put in place, police buses, barricades.

But interestingly they didn't close down any streets here in Manhattan, as Donald Trump's motorcade made its way here from LaGuardia Airport.

There were a few of his supporters outside holding Trump 2024 banners, because of course he will be going to court, not just as a defendant, but as a potential nominee for the Republicans in the presidential race in 2024.

But there were also those who celebrated this moment, those opposed to the president.

So quite a busy atmosphere here by Trump Tower as well down at the courthouse.

That was Neda Taufik in New York, while Yalda Hakim spoke to Anthony Scaramucci,

who was briefly the White House Communications Director during the Trump Presidency.

So does he think this court appearance of Donald Trump is a test of U.S. democracy?

Let's see what the case is. If it's merely about Stormy Daniels and the other Playboy model, I would tell you that would have been a bad decision.

I don't think anybody that believes in the rule of law and the pillars of the democracy and the fairness between adversarial political parties would go down the road of indicting somebody for that.

But if it's broader than that, let's see what the case is.

Apparently there are 34 other charges that are going to be rendered.

We've got to get a look at that of course, but I don't like it.

I've been very clear about that, but I don't think my disliking it and what it does to the rule of law and what it causes into question here in the United States.

That doesn't mean that Mr. Trump is the right guy or should be president again.

We have to work against him because it would be a very difficult prospect for the world.

The other point is, you don't have to have a clean criminal record to hold office in the United States.

No, you could technically, you could ask my old Professor Alan Dershowitz, you could actually run the country from a jail cell.

And by the way, as you know from your history, jail cells have a tendency to empower political leaders.

I'm just pointing out that we have examples in history where jailing a political leader actually makes them more powerful, not less powerful.

So I'm not in love with it, I don't like it, I'd like to beat Mr. Trump on the merits, I'd like to beat him in the intellectual marketplace, the free marketplace of ideas.

I don't like what they're going to do, but it doesn't take away from the fact that he should never be president again.

That was Anthony Scaramucci.

The Russian authorities have blamed Ukrainian intelligence and Russian opposition activists for the bombing that killed a prominent pro-war blogger in a St. Petersburg cafe on Sunday.

They've also detained a Russian woman as a suspect in the case.

In a video released by investigators, 26-year-old Daria Trapova appears to admit handing over the statuette, which later exploded, killing the blogger Vladimir Tatarski.

She doesn't say she knew it would explode.

The Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov described what happened as a terrorist act.

The active phase of the investigation is underway now, we see quite vigorous steps to detain the suspects.

The data judging from the National Anti-Terrorism Committee indicating that Ukrainian special services may be involved in the planning of this terrorist attack.

And this is, of course, a terrorist attack.

Ms. Trapova has previously been detained for protesting against the invasion of Ukraine.

More than 30 people were injured in the attack.

From Moscow, Will Vernon reports.

Vladimir Tatarski gained particular notoriety last year,

when he filmed himself in the Kremlin delivering a message to Russia's enemies.

We will defeat everyone, we will kill everyone, we will rob everyone as necessary.

Footage played on Russian TV shows Mr. Tatarski in the moment shortly before the blast that killed him.

It appears that the blogger had been given a statuette.

Reports suggest that the explosives were hidden inside.

Russian investigators say they have detained a 26-year-old local woman Daria Trapova on suspicion of involvement in the bombing.

Friends say she holds anti-war views and is an active supporter of Russian opposition groups.

In a video released by Russian police, Ms. Trapova appears to admit that she did take the statuette to the cafe.

Although the BBC can't be sure that she didn't make those comments under duress.

It is not clear to what extent she is a suspect in the investigation or whether she knew what was really inside the statuette.

Russia's Anti-Terrorism Committee has accused Ukrainian intelligence agencies of planning the bombing.

This is denied by Kiev.

Russian investigators have also said Ms. Trapova was a supporter of Alexei Navalny,

the jailed opposition leader whose organisation was banned and labelled as extremist in Russia.

It is not yet clear who was responsible for the attack, but the bombing will make many ordinary Russians nervous.

This is the latest in a string of explosions and drone attacks on Russian territory in recent months.

When Vladimir Putin launched his special military operation in February last year, he said it was necessary to protect Russians.

But for many people here, the war is now getting worryingly close.

That was Will Vernon in Russia.

The Alexei Navalny Foundation has denied any involvement in the bombing.

A spokesman said it was very convenient for the Kremlin to blame its critics.

Finland joins the NATO Alliance today.

The country, which has a border of nearly 1,300 km with Russia, began the application process following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

Its membership was ratified last week.

NATO Secretary General Jan Stoltenberg said both NATO and Finland would be stronger as a result of the move.

Here's our World Affairs correspondent Paul Adams.

This has been a rapid process.

Finland only said it wanted to join NATO last year.

In Brussels its flag will be raised at NATO headquarters.

For the organisation's Secretary General Jan Stoltenberg, it's a moment to savor.

This is a historic week.

We will welcome Finland as the 31st member of NATO.

Making Finland safer and our Alliance stronger.

Bevor Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year,

Vladimir Putin said he wanted NATO to pull back from Eastern Europe and halt the process of expansion.

Now Mr Stoltenberg says the exact opposite is happening.

With Finland's accession, Russia's border with NATO will more than double.

The Baltic Sea, home to two major Russian ports, will become even more part of NATO's backyard.

A process that will be complete when Sweden joins, probably in the coming months.

That's being held up by another Alliance member Turkey,

which says Sweden still hasn't done enough to crack down on Kurdish militants living there.

Until recently Finland faced similar Turkish objections.

Mr Stoltenberg said he was confident all differences would be resolved in time

for this summer's NATO Summit in Lithuania.

Moscow says it plans to strengthen its forces in northwestern Russia

to confront what it sees as a threatening move by NATO.

If the Alliance went further and deployed troops and equipment in Finland,

then Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Gruszko said

the Kremlin was willing to take what he called additional steps.

That was Paul Adams.

China stakes acclaimed to much of the South China Sea.

Other countries disagree, making for great political tension,

not least because of the huge oil and gas reserves there are in the region.

Now, though, Malaysia's Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim

says he's ready to negotiate with Beijing on the issue.

Our Asia-Pacific Editor Michael Bristo has been looking at what that might mean.

Well, we don't know the details about exactly what he's prepared to negotiate,

but the fact he's prepared to negotiate, and that's the interest in bit.

He went to China, this is Mr Anwar last week.

He spoke to Xi Jinping, China's leader,

and he came back and he said essentially that it's Malaysia's territory,

this area which is under discussion,

but he's willing to talk to China about their claims over that region as well.

Really an indication of just how powerful China is that

he doesn't agree with the Malaysian Prime Minister, doesn't agree with them,

but he feels that he has no option but to talk to them.

In the meantime, there has also been a development involving China

this time with the Philippines. Tell us about that.

Verhas, yes, this is the Philippines shifting its gaze from China

more towards the United States under a previous president.

The Philippines had aligned itself somewhat with Beijing,

but under the current president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr.,

they moved back towards the United States,

and today the Philippines announced the names of four military bases

where it will be allowing US troops and machinery to pass through and be stored.

Interestingly, two of these are in the north of the Philippines facing Taiwan,

another potential flashpoint between China and the United States,

and one will be in the south of the Philippines facing the South China,

see another area of dispute.

It's also worth mentioning as well that today the US House Speaker,

Kevin McCarthy, has confirmed that he's going to meet Tsai Ing-Wen,

this is a Taiwanese president, he's going to meet her in California

as she travels back from Central America to Taiwan.

This is another development involving the geopolitical struggle

between America and China.

So talk to us about the thread that's weaving through all of these developments.

It's a good way to put it, it is a thread.

I think what all of this says is that it's a region in flux,

where all the little countries in this area realize that

they don't want to take sides, they don't want to take China side,

they don't want to take America's side,

but they realize that there's threats potentially from both areas

and they're hedging their bets in many respects.

It's a region in flux, it's also a region in which no country

can afford to ignore either side.

That was our Asia-Pacific Editor, Michael Bristow.

Still to come, NASA has announced the crew members

for its Artemis II Mission.

We need to celebrate this moment in human history.

It is the next step on the journey that gets humanity to Mars.

We'll be right back after this.

Now back to the Global News Podcast and to Kenya,

where Charges have been dropped against four opposition MPs.

It comes a day after the opposition leader,

Rila Odinga, suspended protests and agreed to hold talks

with President William Ruto.

Here's Will Ross.

The dropping of the charges against the four opposition MPs

is a sign that Kenya's feuding politicians

are working towards at least trying some form of dialogue.

Both President William Ruto and Rila Odinga

suggested over the weekend that they were ready to talk.

By suspending the protests, Mr Odinga has reduced

some of the political tension.

Mr Ruto helped with some reconciliatory comments

and must know there's a danger of more widespread unrest

if protests resume.

The opposition leader's refusal to accept

that he lost last year's election may still be a stumbling block.

And it feels like a critical moment for Kenya's stability.

Will Ross.

NASA has revealed the names of the astronauts

three Americans and one Canadian

who will fly on a mission around the moon

late next year or early 2025.

The launch of Artemis II

is part of preparations for mankind

to walk again on the lunar surface

for the first time in more than half a century.

Our science correspondent Jonathan Amos

has the details.

Ladies and gentlemen, your Artemis II crew.

To great Fanfare, the boss of NASA, Bill Nelson,

introduced each of the astronauts in turn.

This is a new generation,

trying to recapture the excitement

and daring do of a past era.

Not since the Apollo missions,

which ended in 1972,

have humans been anywhere near the moon,

let alone set foot on it.

Reed Wiseman, Victor Glover,

Christina Koch and Jeremy Hansen

are part of NASA's new exploration project.

It calls Artemis.

The upcoming flight may only be a loop around the moon,

but for Victor Glover,

the first ever African American

flight for a lunar mission,

it signals an even grander ambition.

We need to celebrate this moment in human history.

Because Artemis II

is more than a mission to the moon in back.

It's more than a mission

that has to happen before we send people

to the surface of the moon.

It is the next step on the journey

that gets humanity to Mars.

The Artemis program was initiated last year

with an unpiloted test

of a huge new rocket and a capsule.

If all goes well with this next Artemis outing,

a follow-up crew will be chosen

to attempt a landing,

potentially in 2025.

Although NASA has yet to develop

all of the equipment it needs

to make a touchdown possible.

Jonathan Amos, well Julian Marshall

spoke to Leroy Chow,

a former NASA astronaut

and commander of the International Space Station.

He's a veteran of four spaceflights.

This is a big moment, of course.

Finally we're getting closer

to launching astronauts on the new

US rocket and the Orion spacecraft

and for the first time in over 50 years

to hopefully launch this crew

around the moon.

Is it something that you would have wanted to do

during your astronauts career?

I was inspired by the Apollo program

and in particular the Apollo 11 moon landing.

I was eight years old

when we landed on the moon for the first time

and that's what started the dream for me

to want to try to become an astronaut myself.

So to have had a chance

to go to the moon would have been

fantastic

but obviously the timing

which I had no control over

didn't work out for me

but at the same time I can't complain

I had the richest flying career

that I could have had

for being in the program

at the time that I was.

The mission is at least a year away

from your experience

of being in space.

What's this period like for the astronauts?

You're named for the mission

and it's going to be some time

before you actually undertake it.

They're going to be plenty busy

doing training and other kinds of events

typically for space shuttle missions

crews were assigned anywhere

from one to two years before the actual flight

and in the case of my first space flight

we were about two years out

from the actual launch date

so this is not that unusual

in fact when you're training for your first

space station mission because of all the

requirements training not only

on the American side

but also on the Russian side

all the travel training in Canada

for the robotics language training

typically it's at least three and a half years

of training before you actually

go fly to the space station for the first time

so this having to wait

maybe around two years, year and a half, two years

not atypical and they're going to be busy

every day.

Leroy Chao, former NASA astronaut

Britain's former finance minister

Nigel Lawson who served as

Chancellor of the Exchequer

under Margaret Thatcher in the 1980s

has died aged 91

Sean Lay assesses his legacy

Nigel Lawson was a Chancellor

who took risks, some were

spectacularly successful

helping the Conservatives win the 1987

election but his stewardship

of the economy also helped

fuel recession.

A talented financial journalist

he was ideally suited to run the treasury

and Margaret Thatcher put him in charge

in 1983.

He cut income tax, boosted share ownership

and paid off government debt

but lower taxes together with cheaper

borrowing fuelled an unsustainable boom

Interest rates rose sharply

and Britain went into recession.

Although Mrs Thatcher called Nigel Lawson

unassailable, he resigned in 1989

after falling out with her over Europe

an issue which would contribute

to her own departure a year later.

Sean Lay on the life of Britain's

former finance minister Nigel Lawson

who's died aged 91.

Now a couple of editions ago

we told you about the world's biggest oil

exporters announcing a surprise cut

in production and now oil prices

have surged.

The price of Brent crude oil jumped

more than 5% to

$84 a barrel.

The price of oil soared in February

2022 after Russia invaded

Ukraine but it's now back at level

seen before the conflict.

More details from Samir Hashmi.

Oil prices rose after Saudi Arabia,

Iraq and several girls states

announced on Sunday that they were cutting

production by more than 1 million barrels

of oil a day. In addition

Russia said it will extend its cut

of half a million barrels per day

until the end of the year.

The reduction in oil output is being made

by members of OPEC Plus.

The group accounts for about 40%

of the world's crude oil supplies.

Analysts have warned

that higher oil prices could make it

harder to bring down the cost of living.

Samir Hashmi.

The earliest known full recording

of a live Beatles concert has been

revealed by BBC Radio

almost exactly 60 years after the

performance. The group played

for an hour at Stowe boarding school

in Buckinghamshire on the 4th of April

1963, a month after

the release of their debut album

Please Please Me.

Tickets were sold to pupils

to raise the fee of £100.

The concert itself

was secretly recorded by one of the boys

John Bloomfield

who was 15 at the time.

And he told the BBC's front row program

it was a life changing experience.

Having no clue what was about to happen

and then the curtains went back

and they started and despite the fact

you can see there are relatively

small amplification for us

that was enormously loud.

And I would say I grew up

at that very instant.

I mean it sounds a bit an exaggeration

but I realised

this was something from a different planet.

And it wasn't until they started playing

that we heard the screaming

and we realised we were in the middle of

the Beatles mania. It was just something

we'd never even vaguely experienced.

Beatles fan John Bloomfield

and staying with a musical theme

so we might remember this.

The unmistakable sound of

Je t'aime moi non plus, of course.

It's composer, singer-songwriter

Serge Gainsbourg died in 1991

and from later this year

fans will be able to visit his home in Paris.

The house on the city's left bank

has been left largely untouched

for more than 30 years.

The walls outside have been a site of

pilgrimage for admirers of his work.

As well as his home there'll be a museum

and a piano bar.

Our correspondent in Paris,

Yusko Field, explained just what a

significant figure he was.

Extremely important figure in

French music from the 60s onwards

or even before.

Right through to his death in 1991

he was the preeminent figure.

Not just for what he did musically

but also because of his character

of the way he dominated the culture

particularly in the 70s and 80s.

He started off

back in the post-4 years

as a very kind of piano-playing

chansonneur

who would go around the cabarets

and wrote songs for people like

Piaf and so on.

But by the end in the 70s and 80s

he was a rock star.

In between he'd become the writer

of the big pop hits.

The French loved him because

he had this highly provocative

side as well.

He was an incredibly intelligent

person as well as being a great musician

and loved nothing better

than to kind of rile the

establishment and to send them up.

He would not survive today because

he was very provocative and did things

which were just not acceptable

today but at the time everyone

loved him and when he died it felt

like a national tragedy.

In 1891

was will visitors

now find

in his House Stroke Museum?

Well this is all very interesting

because no one has been in there

since he died and it is a time capsule

we're told. Individuals

have been in his daughter Charlotte Gansburg

the actress Jane Birkins daughter

owns the house and has had this dream

to turn it into something

but she didn't know what

and for the first years it was all too raw

and then she went off to New York

to work and live and

but now she came back a few years ago

and resuscitated this idea

then Covid came along.

Meanwhile the house has been barely changed

we're told to the point that there are the same

cigarettes in the ashtrays

that he smoked the night before he died.

So we're told

I suspect some of this is slightly

folkloric and urban myth

but I mean in general it's true

it is a time capsule. It's the building

69 I think up to 91

with all the strange

Daliesque décor that he had there

all the rooms painted black

for example with all his knickknacks

the collection of dolls

portraits of

Brigitte Bardot, his lover of course

at one point. What I've read is that it's

been a real architectural problem

to design a kind of museum

or a kind of a place to visit

because it's actually quite small.

That was Husko Field in Paris.

And until next time, goodbye.

Schnell und unkompliziert

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