Transcript for Three more Israeli hostages' bodies found in Gaza

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This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Jackie Leonard and at the 13 hours GMT on Friday the 24th of March, these are our main stories. Israel says it's recovered three more bodies of Israelis killed by Hamas in the October 7 attacks. A United Nations Special Advisor has warned of a risk of genocide in Sudan's Darfur region. And emergency efforts are underway after a massive landslide in a remote area of Papua New Guinea. Also in this podcast,

New data on the use of disposable vapes says they're driving up nicotine use among young people who say they would never have taken up smoking. On October 7th last year, around 250 people were taken captive when Hamas attacked Israel. These rallies believe around 130 are still being held in Gaza. Last week Israel said it had recovered the bodies of three hostages from the territory. Now a spokesman for the Israeli Defense Forces Daniel Hagari says three more have been found.

Dan Johnson, our correspondent in Jerusalem told us more.

Now, meanwhile Israel obviously has been under a lot of pressure internationally over its military operations in Gaza. Mr Netanyahu has actually been invited to address a joint session of the US Congress. What's your assessment of that?

And looking at the international pressure on Israel, there have been several instances this week, including three European countries saying that they would formally recognize a Palestinian state for instance. How is all of this playing out?

A United Nations advisor has told the BBC that Sudan's Western Darfur region is on the verge of a genocide. Alice Wairimu under Ritu, the UN Special Advisor on the Prevention of genocide, said the rapid support forces were targeting communities based on their ethnicity. Around a million civilians are trapped in the city of Elfasha in Darfur, as Sudan's army tries to fight off the advancing paramilitary group the RSF. People inside that city have been sending us voice messages on their phones every day for the past week, and here is one of those. This man who wants to remain anonymous is in the Upshuk refugee camp on the fringes of all faster. He says RSF fighters are coming inside the camp and randomly killing people.

The UN advisor on genocide, Alesswei, removed and deleted, addressed the security council on the issue earlier this week, and she spoke to James Copnell.

The situation now bears all the marks of the risk of genocide.

We put together these risk factors from observing what kind of conditions existed in previous circumstances where genocide occurred and looking at the verdicts that came out of the decisions where people are convicted for the crime of genocide. We've able to predict that genocide could be occurring or has occurred.

That's what we are discussing here, specifically targeted towards the Zagane communities who also happen to be the modern cascading

Because these are an absence of accountability for genocide-related crimes, we've seen it contributing to the current episodes of horror. And so, we must keep supporting the work of those who are documenting what's happening.

It's a concern I share and when I went to chat and visited the people who had managed to escape and when I was a spoke to other refugees who are now in Uganda in Egypt, they all spoke about being targeted by the RSF and this attacks and villages outside Elfasha, clearly the be a science of not having military objectives and that they are just meant to cause displacement and fear. And these people are telling me they were being accused by the arrest of supporting the Sudanese armed forces. They told me about sexual violence. They told me about the looting of property, how their life stock was resolved, how their crops were destroyed. These complete total breakdown of law and other I have said it, the UN Secretary General, Anthony Gutierrez, has said it too, that increased hostilities in Elfasha have now opened a really alarming reach up to in this conflict. And now he calls for a concerted global push for a ceasefire. For me, I'm calling for the same and I'm also calling for attention. I've been trying to get my voice out. But the way in Gaza, the way in Ukraine, have drowned out the fact that we are calling out that there are risk factors for atrocity crimes, war crimes in genocide, in Sudan, and specifically in the fall, people have been targeted there on the basis of their ethnicity.

Now let's worry, move on to the United Nations Special Advisor of the Secretary General on the Prevention of Genocide, and she was speaking to James Copnow. As many as 100 people are feared to have been killed by a huge landslide in Papua New Guinea, thousands of tons of rocks and debris cascaded onto a village in a remote area in the north, a desperate search is now underway to find survivors. Belinda Korra is a reporter for ABC and the capital port Morseby.

The very shocking news across the country and pop up at the beginning. At this time, we are still to confirm any details, specific details to the debt toll and of course some recovery efforts at this time due to the accessibility at this time where the rugged terrain with this disaster actually happened. is now becoming a shoe and challenge for authorities. The landslide had covered the main highway, so the accessibility into the area would be by a chopper or probably airplane, but at this time they cannot be able to actually confirm if their help has actually arrived in the area.

Scores of homes have been buried, Andrew Wings spoke to the BBC from the site of the disaster, and he said hundreds of people might have lost their lives.

Australia's forum minister has said her country is ready to assist in recovery efforts. The social media pictures show a section of mountainside that appears to have broken away. Our reporter Phil Mercer is monitoring events from Australia.

And as you say, there's a lot that we can't possibly know yet. But what sorts of numbers are in that region? Do we have any idea about the sorts of numbers of people who could be affected?

That was Phil Mercer. China's armed forces have practiced seizing key areas in and around Taiwan on a second-day of military exercises around the island. The Chinese Army released an animated video showing missiles raining down on Taiwan, a self-governing territory that Beijing claims. We keep our story reports.

That was Mickey Bristol. Still to come in this podcast, revisiting the South Africa, 30 years on from the nation's first democratic election, and the week before the next one.

It was estimated a few years ago that 80 million people around the world use e-cigarettes or vapes. Their marketers less harmful than tobacco and helpful to people who are trying to quit smoking. But a new study in England says that they're driving up the use of nicotine among young people. The data compiled by researchers at University College London found the use of disposable vapes had tripled among 18 to 24-year-olds while smoking has barely fallen. It also discovered that people who would never have taken up smoking were now vaping. Louis is a 21-year-old student who started vaping before he smoked at age 18.

Dr. Harry Tassen, Birch, lead author of the study and research fellow in behavioral science and health at University College in London. Tell us more about what they found.

Dr. Harry Tassenberg. Over the last two weeks, Russia has taken advantage of a weakened Ukrainian front line in the Harkiv region in northeastern Ukraine. There are reports of fierce fighting with Russian forces saying that they've captured another village in the nearby Donetsk region. Our international editor Jeremy Bowen has managed to reach the city of Harkiv, and he spoke to us from there.

that was Jerry Bowen in Ukraine. South Africans head to the polls next week, 30 years on from the nation's first democratic election, which followed decades of a brutal and racist apartheid regime. The BBC's furgo keen was reporting there at the time and has returned to the country to see what has changed. He sent this report from Johannesburg.

I think the politicians, they took advantage because we were happy.

We saw that for you. Oh well, that's not much because the red turban is now too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far too far

That was Virgil Keen. Now, as we have been recording this podcast, the UN's highest court has been ruling, and it says that Israel must immediately halt its military offensive in Raffa. The case was brought to the international court of Justice by South Africa, which accuses Israel of violating the genocide convention. It argued an injunction is vital to ensure the survival of the Palestinian people. The Israeli government has said no power on earth would stop it protecting its citizens and pursuing Hamas in Gaza. The ICJ has no enforcement powers, but any decision against Israel would carry international weight. That is news that's just breaking as we record this edition of the global news podcast. There will be a lot more on that. In the next edition, recorded later. Supporters of Pakistan's former Prime Minister Imran Khan have clashed with government workers, sent him with bulldozers, to demolish his party's headquarters in Islamabad. The government said part of the building had been constructed illegally. From Islamabad, Caroline Davis reports.

Caroline Davis in Islamabad. A familiar site will be missing at this year's Olympics. The Uzbek Gymnastok Sarnar to Savitana has announced that she has an injury and will miss the qualifying stage for the Paris Olympics. To Savitana is no ordinary athlete, she's 48 years old and first competed in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona. Jessica Wilkins is following her story, so what do we know about the injury?

As you say, it's been a very long career. What drove her to keep competing?

As you say, at the age of 48, it has been a long career. Most gymnasts are not competing at that age. So, is this the end of her career?

And that's it from us for now, but there will be a new edition of the Global News Podcast later. If you'd like to comment on this edition or the topics covered in it, do please send us an email, the address is global podcast at vbc.co.uk. You can also find us on X at Global News Podcast. This edition was mixed by Javig Galani. The producer was Stephanie Tilletson. Our editor is Karen Martin. I'm Jackie Leonard and until next time. Goodbye.