As confusion surrounds the prospect of talks between Washington and Tehran over a possible end to the war, could Iran's parliamentary speaker play a role? We learn more about that speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf.
Also in the programme: The AI company Anthropic vs the Pentagon; and rescuing moon bears from captivity in Vietnam.
(Photo: A view of a residential building damaged by a strike, in the US-Israeli conflict with Iran. Tehran, March 23, 2026. Credit: Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency) via Reuters)
The Ozoro fertility festival, a long-standing tradition in Delta state, southern Nigeria, has come under scrutiny after several videos online appeared to show men chasing after and sexually harassing women. Local police told local news channels that no formal report of rape had been made in connection with the festival. Witnesses, gender activists and local residents say that women were warned not to go out during the festival, and that those found outside were deliberately targeted. This has raised concerns that sexual violence may have been organised or tolerated under the cover of tradition.
Also, we look at how the conflict in the Middle East is affecting the supply of fertiliser on the African continent. Oliver Kirui, a Research Fellow and Country Program Leader for Nigeria and Ghana at the International Food Policy Research Institute, highlights what this means for food security in Africa.
Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Chiamaka Dike and Daniel Dadzie
Technical Producer: Mbarak Abdallah
Senior Producer: Bella Twine
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
Today we conduct a brief review of the things that make us feel like we're taking crazy pills: The reactions to Trump deploying ICE to help assist with TSA logjams, Stanley McChrystal's interview on Iran, Mike Mullen's farcical recounting of the Bin Laden raid, the upcoming hagiographical Michael Jackson biopic, Claudine Gay's new teaching career, and Tucker Carlson's praise of Islamic culture and Sharia law.
The Treasury Department is holding several government bond auctions this week. Treasury auctions can tell us a lot about the interest rates investors are demanding to be paid, which in turn can tell us about what investors expect the economy to do in the future. We'll also learn about a ban on foreign-made consumer routers. Plus, from Marketplace's "This Is Uncomfortable," should I turn my hobby into a side hustle?
Plus: Chinese electronics maker Xiaomi's fourth-quarter net profit falls. And a new survey of CFOs finds AI will push some people out of their jobs. Julie Chang hosts.
What makes a genre of music successful? Ideally, the art connects on a personal level with the audience, speaking truth to power, tapping into a universal experience.... but what if that isn't always the case? In 2012, an email from someone claiming to be a former music industry executive alleged that gangster rap was not an organic success. Instead, they claimed, the success of this genre was the result of a secret, high-level meeting in 1991, between members of the music industry's elite and representatives of the private prison industry. Making this music successful, they argued, would ensure the prison system became even more profitable for investors. It's a profoundly disturbing idea -- but could it be true? Tune in to learn more.
Starting in mid-June, soccer fans will flock to 16 cities across North America for the World Cup. Each match will draw tens of thousands of fans, many of whom will take public transit. That’s spurred transit agencies in host cities to expand service or finish big infrastructure projects. We'll learn more. But first, a quick update on the Middle East and a look at changes to the state and local tax deduction.
Iran war talks. ICE agents at the airports. LaGuardia crash probe. CBS News Correspondent Steve Kathan has those stories and more on the World News Roundup podcast.
After postponing attacks on Iranian powerplants, President Trump says a deal with Iran could come within days and NPR has confirmed backchannel efforts are underway through regional allies. Trump says he believes a deal is possible but is not guaranteeing anything, as the political clock ticks with midterms approaching and gas prices rising. And ICE agents are now in more than a dozen airports across the country to help ease security lines during the partial government shutdown, but passengers in Atlanta's airport are still waiting for hours.
Want more analysis of the most important news of the day, plus a little fun? Subscribe to the Up First newsletter.
Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Miguel Macias, Rebekah Metzler, Susanna Capeluto, Mohamad ElBardicy, and Alice Woelfle.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh and Nia Dumas/Ava Pukatch.
Our director is Christopher Thomas.
We get engineering support from Neisha Heinis. Our technical director is Carleigh Strange.
And our Supervising Senior Producer is Vince Pearson.
(0:00) Introduction (01:57) Negotiations With Iran (06:14) Trump On Deal With Iran (09:55) ICE Impact On Airport Lines
To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:
See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.
