President Trump says the US has launched a "decisive and powerful" wave of air strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen. Also: thousands rally in Belgrade against corruption.
Chapter 1: What is the main topic of this episode?
This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Janet Jalil, and in the early hours of Sunday, the 16th of March, these are our main stories. Donald Trump has ordered what he calls decisive and powerful military strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. An aid charity in Gaza says Israeli airstrikes there have killed eight people who were on a relief mission.
Israel maintains it targeted terrorists. Huge crowds in the Serbian capital, Belgrade, have taken part in one of the biggest rallies so far against government corruption. Also in this podcast, Elon Musk says he intends to send a rocket to Mars by the end of next year. But can it be done that soon?
Ideally, you need a way of refueling a spacecraft that's capable to take you to Mars. And for that, you probably most likely need some sort of infrastructure around the moon.
The United States has launched large-scale strikes against Houthi targets in Yemen. President Donald Trump said he'd ordered what he called a decisive and powerful wave of airstrikes against the Iranian-backed group to stop its constant attacks on shipping in the Red Sea, which began after the Israeli military went into Gaza in response to the Hamas October 7th attacks.
Chapter 2: What are the details of the US air strikes in Yemen?
The US strikes are reported to have targeted air defence and radar systems and missile and drone sites. Images shared online show plumes of black smoke in the area over the airport complex in the capital Sana'a, which includes a sprawling military facility. As we record this podcast, the Houthi-run health ministry says at least nine civilians have been killed.
Firaz Maqsad is managing director of the Middle East and North Africa section at the Eurasia Group. He told my colleague... and Jana Gadgil how this could play out.
Chapter 3: How are international relations affected by the strikes?
I think the broader message though here from the Trump administration, which has been planning this for weeks, has coordinated with its allies, the Arab Gulf, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and others. There's a dual message here. One is towards Iran. Clearly, President Trump here wants to negotiate from a position of strength and leverage.
And this is what he's doing by threatening one of their proxies in the region. The second one is also domestic. If very much underscoring that the Biden administration was unable to deal effectively with the Houthi threat to shipping in the Red Sea. There's a new sheriff in town. There's a new way of doing business. He will be much tougher than his predecessor was.
So what reaction do you expect from Iran? And how does this strike affect relationships between the U.S. and Iran?
The Iranians are generally cautious. And so this will take some time to play out. We will probably see some kind of Houthi retaliation against American bases and assets in the region. Djibouti comes to mind right across from the Red Sea where there are American assets. There's concern about American assets in places like Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
We'll have to see what kind of response the Houthis will muster.
The group's attacks against ships in the Red Sea has been going on for some time now. How does the Trump approach differ from President Biden's approach before?
Well, for one, this is a much broader campaign. This seems to be also much more forceful in terms of the targets that were hit today. My information is that this is not a one-off. This will be ongoing. And so this is really a different caliber of message that's being sent to the Houthis.
If the question is whether it promises to be more effective in ending Houthi targeting of shipping across the Red Sea, I think the response is less certain to that question.
You're an expert on the politics of this region. Is there an alternative approach that the US could have taken that could potentially be more effective than these airstrikes?
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Chapter 4: What is the impact of tourism on Japan's hot springs?
Middle East expert Firaz Maqsad. And staying in the region, a British-based charity that provides aid in Gaza has rejected accusations by Israel that eight people who were killed during airstrikes in Beit Lahir on Saturday were terrorists. The Al-Khair Foundation said that those who died were volunteers and others who were setting up tents for displaced Palestinians.
It said some of those killed were journalists documenting the charity's work for promotional purposes. Israel maintains it targeted terrorists operating drones that threatened its troops. Emer Nada reports from Jerusalem.
A video shows the smouldering wreckage of a car with a number of bodies lying in its burnt shell. Local Gazans crowd around, calling out for help. The head of the Al-Kheir Foundation told the BBC that the men had been establishing a new tent city in Beit Lahia in northern Gaza, which has suffered some of the worst violence and deprivation throughout the war. One man nearby saw what happened.
We were working, then we saw the firing of a rocket. Some people were killed and others were injured and we came to the hospital. We transferred them.
The charity said the eight men who were killed included volunteers, two drivers, journalists and drone operators there to document the foundation's work. It told the BBC a first strike targeted the cameramen before a second attack hit those who went to assist them.
In a statement, the Israeli military said it struck what it called two terrorists who were identified operating a drone that posed a threat to Israeli troops, saying it then struck additional terrorists who arrived at the scene. Hamas has called the killings a massacre and a dangerous escalation as negotiations to continue the ceasefire falter.
The Gaza health ministry says more than 140 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli strikes since the truce came into effect in January.
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Chapter 5: What is the current state of Ukraine's conflict?
Emma Nader reporting. President Trump has confirmed that one of the Islamic State group's most senior leaders has been killed in Iraq. Mr Trump said US-led coalition forces had relentlessly hunted him down in partnership with Iraqi intelligence. With more details, here's our Middle East regional editor, Mike Thompson.
President Trump called Abdullah Maiki Muzli Al-Rafai a brutal killer who caused much hardship and death. Iraq described IS's leader in Syria and Iraq as one of the most dangerous terrorists in the world. US Central Command says he was killed in a precision airstrike in western Iraq on Thursday. His body and that of another IS militant are said to have been found wearing unexploded suicide vests.
Al-Rafai is believed to have led IS operational planning across the globe. The US still has more than 2,000 troops in Iraq, tasked with countering a resurgence by the jihadist group. Following repeated requests by the Iraqi government, most, if not all, are to be withdrawn by late next year.
The Islamic State group lost its last territory in Syria in 2019, but its sleeper cells have continued to launch deadly attacks across the region.
Mike Thompson. At the latest summit to try to secure peace in Ukraine, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer says the leaders of the 26 countries who took part in the online meeting on Saturday have agreed to move to what he called an operational phase in planning for a multinational force to guarantee a potential ceasefire in Ukraine.
Mr Starmer said the next stage would be a meeting of military chiefs within days.
The group I convened today is more important than ever. It brings together partners from across Europe, as well as Canada, Australia and New Zealand, with backing from others too, including Japan.
We agreed we will keep increasing the pressure on Russia, keep the military aid flowing to Ukraine and keep tightening the restrictions on Russia's economy to weaken Putin's war machine and bring him to the table.
But with Russia yet to agree to the plan for a 30-day ceasefire that Ukrainian and US officials hammered out last week at talks in Saudi Arabia, Finland's President Alexander Stubb said it was still too early to talk about deploying peacekeeping troops. The Ukrainian President, Vladimir Zelensky, again reiterated his belief that Russia is purposely delaying signing up to a ceasefire deal.
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Chapter 6: How are tornadoes affecting the US?
Yes, what does that mean?
I don't think it necessarily means much more than here we have the kind of political outlines. Now we're going to give it to our military bosses and chiefs. It'll be up to them to figure out, OK, well, this country is offering that many troops. This country's got aircraft that they might be willing to deploy. Let's try and put all these pieces together. As I say, it's a really complex picture.
We're talking about around two dozen countries. not all of whom, of course, are willing to commit troops. In fact, at the moment, we only know of two, Britain and France, who are willing to do that.
Interestingly, one thing that Keir Starmer did say was that the issue of an American backstop, that is the kind of support, frankly, without which an operation like this couldn't really get off the ground, perhaps even literally couldn't get off the ground, that that issue had not yet been resolved. European officials were in Washington yesterday.
They are going to be going back and forth for the next several days trying to persuade Donald Trump that this is an operation that is going to need American military and logistical support for it to have a chance.
And we're also waiting to see how Russia responds to the ceasefire. So far, it's attached lots of conditions. And the president of Finland has said, given this, it's too soon to talk about peacekeeping forces in Ukraine. Does he have a point?
Well, he does. I mean, I think what... probably Sir Keir Starmer would argue, is, well, we've got to be ready when the moment comes. That, I think, informs the sense of urgency we are now seeing. But the Finnish president is right. None of this can happen if there isn't a peace to police. And so that has to happen first. there's a clear anxiety that Vladimir Putin is playing for time.
We're seeing Russian forces pushing really hard in the Kursk region of Russia. That's the area of Russian territory that was seized by Ukrainian forces in August of last year. And where the Ukrainians are clinging on in the hope that that will be a major bargaining chip when the negotiations finally begin.
I think it's pretty clear Vladimir Putin wants to see all Ukrainian troops out, ideally before those negotiations. There's been quite a lot of debate about the extent to which Ukrainian forces are on the run in Kursk. Donald Trump got it into his head that Ukrainian forces were encircled There's no evidence at all, but they are definitely on the retreat.
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