Summary
As the daily pod turns two, we’re still wrestling with Covid. Self-isolating at home following a positive lateral flow test, Adam - along with the BBC’s James Gallagher in the studio - reflects on that televised Downing Street briefing two years ago to the day, when it became clear that our lives would never be the same again.
Also, Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, the British-Iranian aid worker detained for six years in Iran on charges of spying, has finally been released by Tehran. Adam discusses the news with Ceri Thomas, host of the podcast Nazanin, and journalist Jason Rezaian, who spent 18 months in an Iranian prison.
Today’s Newscast was made by Tim Walklate, with John Murphy and Ben Cooper. The studio director was Hannah Montgomery. The assistant editor was Alison Gee.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | BBC Sounds Music Radio Podcasts Hello, my colleague, the newsreader, Joanna |
| 0:07.4 | Gosling, is super professional and super cool under pressure. But there are just some news |
| 0:12.9 | stories that kind of get you. And this one happened at 5 past 10 this morning. |
| 0:18.4 | Two detained British Iranians, Nazanin Zagari Ratcliffe and Anusha Ashuri heading to, sorry, |
| 0:24.7 | this is a moving moment because these are people who have been detained for some time. |
| 0:29.3 | So we're hearing that Nazanin Zagari Ratcliffe and Anusha Ashuri are heading to the airport |
| 0:35.1 | in Turan to leave the country. The lawyer, Hojat Kamani, has said this is the Reuters news |
| 0:41.1 | agency that's reporting this. We don't have independent verification, but if that is true, |
| 0:47.1 | that obviously will be a very significant development because Nazanin Zagari Ratcliffe |
| 0:52.1 | has been held for nearly six years in Iran and her husband has worked tirelessly to secure |
| 1:00.0 | her release. |
| 1:01.6 | Goosebumps. We will delve into that story which has actually been running for decades, |
| 1:08.0 | not just the six years that Nazanin was either under house arrest or in jail and it's absolutely |
| 1:13.6 | fascinating. Also, we're going to mark two years since newscast went daily with the coronavirus |
| 1:20.6 | newscast and I'm marking it in style because for the first time since the pandemic started, |
| 1:26.4 | I've tested positive for COVID so I'm speaking to you from home. So wish us luck with this two-year |
| 1:32.5 | anniversary episode of newscast. Newscast from the Bay Bay say that we'll take some time before we |
| 1:39.2 | figure out what our new normal is. Now if that is the argument then we are going into unprecedented |
| 1:45.5 | territory. Combined with contract tasting, contact tasting, tracing food. Yes, yes, yes. |
| 1:53.2 | I'm vegan so of course I don't like meatball. Next slide please. Blair, Blair, Blair, |
| 1:59.2 | Lewis, Lewis, Lewis. Hello, it's Adam not in the studio but I can still feel how massive that |
| 2:06.5 | news is about the release of Nazanin Zagari Ratcliffe and two other British captives from Iran and |
... |
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