CIA director denies air strike chat leak was major mistake
As President Donald Trump plays down the Signal leak, describing it as a “glitch”, a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing grilled officials to try to find out just how damaging this was to US national security. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard and CIA Director John Ratcliffe both denied that there was classified information in the chat.Also on the programme: more details on the Darfur market attack in Sudan described as a “massacre”; and why bitcoin mines are heading to Africa.(Photo: CIA Director John Ratcliffe testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on worldwide threats. Credit: Reuters)
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47:28
US defence secretary calls Europe 'pathetic'
The editor-in-chief of The Atlantic, Jeffrey Goldberg, received an invitation to the chat on the Signal app by the National Security Advisor Michael Waltz. In the chat, the vice-president JD Vance seemingly said he hates "bailing Europe out again". The defence secretary Pete Hegseth apparently replied to Vance with: "I fully share your loathing of European free-loading. It's PATHETIC". We hear from the Democratic Congressman Jim Himes, ranking member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.
Also in the programme: an air strike on a market in Sudan is believed to have killed hundreds of people in western Darfur; and another piece of evidence showing there could have been life on Mars.
(Photo: US National Security Advisor Mike Waltz speaks with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth. Credit: Photo by Ludovic Marin/POOL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock. Washington, DC, USA, 24 February 2025)
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47:29
Erdogan blames Turkish opposition for “provoking” ongoing protests
Protests in Turkey enter their sixth day following the jailing of Istanbul mayor Ekrem Imamoglu on corruption charges. President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the demonstrations in support of the detained figure have turned into what he called “a movement of violence”. Earlier, the Turkish government said more than 1,100 people have been arrested since protests broke out. We speak to the relative of someone who has been arrested for demonstrating. Also on the programme: After DNA-testing firm 23andMe files for bankruptcy, a legal expert explains whether customers’ genetic data is safe; and the editor of The Atlantic magazine says US security leaders added him to a group chat about upcoming strikes in Yemen. (Photo: Protester reads Erdogan's book in front of Turkish riot police barricade on 23rd March. Credit: Erdem Sahin/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
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47:27
Turkey experiences biggest unrest in a decade
Turkey's interior ministry says 1,133 people have been detained after days of protests against the arrest last week of Istanbul's popular mayor, Ekrem Imamoglu, on corruption charges. More than 70 demonstrators were detained overnight outside Istanbul. Police also arrested a number of left-wing politicians, lawyers and at least 10 journalists in pre-dawn raids.
Also in the programme: US negotiators are meeting their Russian counterparts in Saudi Arabia, as part of Donald Trump's push for a quick end to the war in Ukraine; and the DNA testing firm 23andMe has filed for bankruptcy protection in the US - so could customers' genetic data get into the wrong hands?
(Photo: A person holds a flower towards police officers, during a protest on the day Istanbul Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu was jailed as part of a corruption investigation, in Istanbul, Turkey, March 23, 2025. Reuters/Alexandros Avramidis)
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47:23
Istanbul mayor arrested ahead of selection to run against Erdogan
The mayor of Istanbul, who's the main political rival to President Erdogan, has been formally arrested on corruption charges. The detention of Ekrem İmamoglu triggered protests across Turkey. The court confirmed he would be held in custody pending trial. Mr İmamoglu is expected to be confirmed as a presidential candidate today. We speak to Ilnur Cevik, a member of President Erdogan's security and foreign policy council.Also, how Uganda's health system is coping with the loss of US AID money. We hear from Dr Herbert Luswata., the president of the Ugandan Medical Association.We hear from Romania where the supporters of the far-right politician Calin Georgescu say he should not have been prevented from taking part in coming elections. And the lost music of the French composer Ravel gets a radio outing! (Photo: Ekrem Imamoglu. Credit: Reuters)
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