W p k t and w p k t h d one Norwich at 89 point one w e t w f m Stamford at 88.5 w.r.i. Southampton at 91.3 w a I see Springfield at 91.9 and w when p.r. Dot org. B.b.c. World Service it's 7 hours g.m.t. Welcome to Weekend with Julia more. Coming up in the program antigovernment protests in several cities in Iran we'll hear about some of the possible causes of what Rouhani government has done is to actually pursue a lot of the very same neo liberal economic policies that also has created a lot of economic discontent Also a look back at the phenomenal rise of Emmanuelle macro and can comic political satire change the behavior of politicians only does that express will in my experience you launches the boil with me for the whole program I to get to Mandra Harkness writer broadcaster and comedian and Robin Lawrence British photojournalist and that's all here on this edition of Weekend. Now the World News. This is the b.b.c. News with Mick Kelly they write me and all Thor's is divert supporters to turn out for nationwide rallies today after 2 days of anti-government protests over corruption and living standards the events come as United States warns Iran that the world is watching its response to the arm rest of the past 2 days so hell Nazarene reports rallies are due to take place in Iran on Saturday to come in rate the 8th anniversary of 2009 demonstrations held in support of the den conservative government of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today's rallies which are supported by Iranian officials take place after 2 days of protests in several major cities of Iran against rising prices which soon turned into a general outcry against clerical rule and government policies there have also been causing the social media for more on to government protests today European security sources have told the Reuters news agency that Russian tankers are recently supplied fuel to North Korea in breach of United Nations sanctions the owner of one of the ships denied smuggling oil to North Korea so Philo is in Seoul according to t.v. Senior European security sources quoted by the roaches these agency Russian vessels transferred oil to North Korean tankers it's the on at least 3 occasions in October and November the unnamed sources cited naval intelligence and satellite imagery of vessels operating out of Russian Far East imports from the Pacific one of them said there was no evidence that the Russian authorities were aware sanctions were being breached young young relies on imported oil to keep its struggling economy functioning and to feel its missile and nuclear programs the Us Defense Secretary James Mattis is said he expects to see an American diplomatic presence on the ground in Syria in areas retaken from Islamic state fighters General Mattis said operations in Syria would shift from offensive terrain seizing as he put it to focus on stabilization there are 2 nations cultural and educational. Organization says has received notice from Israel of its intent to follow the United States and withdraw from UNESCO on Sunday both countries were unhappy with the series if you Nascar resolutions one of them referred to Israel as the occupying power in Jerusalem funeral president performed in Egypt for the 8 Coptic Christians killed by a gunman of the church and a Christian own shop in hell one south of the capital Cairo a Muslim policeman was also killed the Islamic state group said it carried out the attack over the past year more than $100.00 Christians are being killed in Egypt the B.B.C.'s Hanon Russell in Cairo says the government is aware of the risk to religious minorities in the. Fight Kerry. And the because it was a. Christian for tensions in general during the year and. This is the world news from the b.b.c. The United Nations secretary general has congratulated the former footballer George we're on his win in the Liberian presidential elections and Tony Harris also commended vice president Joseph for conceding he said the conclusion of free and fair elections confirmed Liberia's March towards lasting peace and stability but he said challenges lay ahead that would require unity of purpose by the president elect and all political stakeholders more than $200.00 proven writers including the Nobel Prize winning author Mario Vargas yourself have signed a letter condemning the president's decision to pardon the former leader Alberto Fujimori President Kaczynski pardoned him last Sunday on health grounds the 79 year old was initially admitted to hospital with the heart complaint Mr Fujimori is Dr Hunter I could Naga said he would stay to be treated for gastric problems. Under Mordecai a lot of the vermin circulating that he will leave the whole. So there is no to stars date and that remain so until a new era for Israel there are no visits because we want him to be Tom Peruvian and particularly those of us that are concerned with the health of President for story after rejection this perverse unsuitable bias that causes the type of sentiment they are strange in rugby star Karmichael Hunt has been charged with possessing drugs after police allegedly found him in Brisbane on Saturday with the white powder rugby Australia says it launched an investigation. And the Beatles drama ringer stars to receive a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth one of the highest honors she can bestow his award announced in the New Years on this list comes 20 years after his fellow Beatle Paul McCartney was knighted the sole surviving member of the Bee Gees' Perry good will also receive a knighthood and the internationally renowned former ballerina Darcey Bussell there comes a day and that's the latest b.b.c. News. It's 6 minutes past 7 g.m.t. Welcome to Weekend from the b.b.c. World Service with me Julia more of her coming up a little later plans for a new u.s. Version of a classic British satirical comedy featuring political figures as puppets who can this man be talking about Brown he's our eyes there's a sort of white bit this is he's got glasses on that's because he did have when he was under the tanning machine again I mean that artificial orange is turning and sprayed on to protect his eyes you put your glasses on and that's why it's white Ronnie's and you'll get the answer to that question a little later with me throughout the program to Madrid Harkness writer broadcaster and comedian Robin Lawrence of British photo journalist and author more from them a little later but 1st this hour we'll take a look at the anti-government demonstrations in Iran. Really began on Thursday and of now reportedly spread to several major cities large numbers of people turned out in Masha and Rashed which are both in the north of the country and come and shot in the West with smaller protests elsewhere Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah How many has condemned the protests Trita Parsi president of the National Iranian American Council that's a think tank based in Washington told me that the protests were to begin with at least stirred up by conservative groups what started off in. Here is increasingly to be an effort by hardliners in that city and as you know that is the home city of the conservative candidate that ran against Irani earlier this year to create some problems for the Rouhani government but they quickly lost control precisely because of the fact that there is such a degree of frustration in the society right. Now about primarily the economic policies of the Rouhani government and is that consistent across the various geographical areas where this is happening that seems to be one of the consistent threats but it's one of the very few consistent threads because when you look at many of the slogans that have been aired in various places there's a significant variety it is not at all the way in 2009 where it was very clear that this was about the election there was at least in the beginning a clear sense of who was the leader of the movement this is much much more organic and in many ways disorganized but in terms of who ultimately it's aimed at you think it's more aimed at Mr Rouhani than it is for example at the supreme leader you know it's a mixture of a lot of frustration and some of it is clearly targeting the Rouhani government because of their Konami policies some of it is more directed at the regime as a whole which then goes of course to the supreme leader I think it's important to understand that what Rouhani government has done in trying to get the Iranian economy back into shape is to actually pursue a lot of the very same neo liberal economic policies that also has created a lot of economic discontent and exile he in Europe and elsewhere within that economic picture of course is spending on foreign policy and there are some protesters on that who are saying that money should be spent at home instead there certainly are and that is not an unusual slogan to hear a lot of it from demonstrations and protests in Iran but at the same time it does contradict the picture of numerous polls that have been conducted by outside organizations who have seen that their opposition to these policies has significantly reduced in the last couple of years precisely because of the fighting . Against ISIS how much of a challenge is this for the Western media in terms of trying to cover it accurately and give us a sense of why it's happening and indeed the scale of what's happening I think is a challenge but I think more than anything else the bigger challenge is that there is a tendency particularly in the United States perhaps less so in Europe to make this about some American policy essentially if you follow what's going on the conversation on Twitter etc It's immediately turned into a political football here in Washington in which the Trump administration is taking a position expressing support for these protests and trying to distinguish itself from the way the Obama administration handled the 2009 protests but the bottom line is this is not about the United States people are not going out there protesting whether the whole Trump insertion of work to support him or not support and not about what then for Mr Rouhani what can he do now to try and stop these protests Well I think there's a lot of folks that are hoping that the government takes a lot of these grievances more seriously than they have so far even within the reformist and others who have been supporting go honey from the very outset there has been a significant draw that have been very very on comfortable with the neo liberal economic policies that he would be pursuing and I think this should be a warning to the Iranian government that while he did score a tremendous amount of political goodwill by securing a nuclear deal the aftermath of that and the economic prosperity that was promised has not come through that was treated pasi from the National Iranian American Council think tank in Washington there are expectations of further rallies at least in Tehran in the next few hours and as they happen you'll hear more about them here on the b.b.c. World Service. Now as I mentioned I have to guess with me throughout the program to Mandra Harkness here writer broadcaster comedian and Robin Lawrence British photo journalist and author a word to them both about current work to Mandra I mentioned your broadcasting work at the start of the program I want to focus on one particular program that you worked on which you co-present indeed on the b.b.c. Called future proofing. We're going to play a little clip 1st and then you can give us a sense of what's actually going on so let's have a listen to that before we talk to some sort of Tamil in front of me. Since I'm all through and the Moscow. Talk coming from will go. Right away from. Our house sooner it's a good. It's. Awfully. Suspicious . Feel to be sitting there. With them wishing. Free by going on now the main voice we're hearing there is your co presenter Leo Johnson That's right and what what is he experiencing at that my well they took us both to a virtual reality center where we could be attacked by zombies and fight back and I think this is really canny on the producer's part because as you hear Leo who is a big curly hippie was very upset at having to defend himself against these virtual zombies whereas I quite relished the moral lack of ambiguity where these at the zombies they're trying to kill me and they're not real whereas those most simple they were not real and so I find it quite liberating to be able to fight back against these virtual nonexistent zombies and in the context of the program as I understand it this is telling you a little bit about what technology will inform us about our understanding of sin Well that was it was it was about the future of sin. The idea that if you can do things in a virtual environment that aren't real and therefore have no real consequences does that constitute a sin and I felt just the same way as you might go to an opera and people killing each other and you feel this this kind of sense of release of bad feelings that you wouldn't want to interact in real life you can do that in a virtual environment and it liberates you and I think is really telling by the way while we were recording this and I was waving my controller around at my virtual reality goggles I accidentally clicked the producer on the here while he was recording and I was mortified I felt terrible that I'd hit this poor man rather gently with a plastic controller whereas I had no compunction about killing virtual zombies so I think that proves that I do have a moral compass that distinguish real from virtual actions but then I met somebody in the program who disagreed you had a different point of view no really on this saying what it will be to me the the Buddhist chaplain at mit who said no you've actually if you if you indulge this part of yourself that likes violent seem to get zombies you're actually cultivating a bad part of yourself whereas it's not just enough to think about the consequences of your actions you should actually think about the part of yourself that you cultivate which is interesting in the context of the argument about whether video games and violent films etc influence our behavior this is the thing is the I still think that we're quite good at distinguishing real from imaginary in terms of outcomes but this idea that you yourself are a kind of something that you should cultivate and make better was a new a new angle for me Robineau you're working on a book at the moment and this is a social and cultural overview of the history of the coconut as it is. Which sounds a bit odd doesn't it all I can see from your expression what it does a little but then the more I read as I have in front of me here the more I realize that there is an awful lot to explore there is the coconut 1st came to an interest in I think supporting the early explorers particularly those who were exploring south of the equator they loaded their ships with green coconuts Rincon as the coconuts that you get coconut water from which we might try they say. Yes they also coconuts. Are full of nutrients and. So together. In the in the young coconuts the water stays very fresh for a long time and it stays sterile sides ideal on long voyages when you run out of water and then the older coconuts produce very valuable neutrons so ideal for food so that sustained a lot of the early explorers. Particularly the other in fascinating aspect or not is if you mix husk with some vegetable oils it provides an ideal coltan agent caulking is when you fill out the gaps between the ship's planks and chips always lead. And so they tended to take his hands on board who knew about Cole King with coke not ask. You mention particular water yeah which as you rightly hinted we might taste not simply for the pure enjoyment of it or indulgence of it into matter you have some I think you know I've never tried it before but this is become remarkably popular in recent times when it it has not just in parts of the world where the coconuts exist but all over the world writes a new health drink and it has taken off and have to take clear care in the you can protect in London. Eye I think it's all to do with some very smart marketing I'm not sure laid out what I think it might be I think there's very little hard evidence that Coconut water is any better for us in ordinary water it certainly has potassium in it has 30 minute but you can't drink all full lot to. Absorb enough potassium and sodium to do any good in the time allowed to matter take a little sample if you will it save lives I met my 1st taste. Tell us what you think be honest. It's been wrongly convinced I have to say I know I mean I quite like the taste of coke not big fan of coke ice cream. It's not it's not flavored enough. It's taste like drinking water out of something that I have. To suppose is exactly what a good. I was doubtful in advance actually preferred it but liked it more than I thought I would but anyway I think the jury's out but clearly the idea and the historical elements and all the other parts of what you discussed Robyn will you hope make for a good book. I do feel you confident that he will we share your confidence It's 19 minutes past 7 g.m.t. You're listening to Weekend from the b.b.c. World Service. A reminder of our main news thousands of government supporters are expected to rally in the Iranian capital Tehran a day off to opposition protests across the country and security sources cited by the Reuters News Agency say Russian fuel tank has breached United Nations sanctions designed to curb North Korea's nuclear program now time for the sport Colum Harrison is with us starting with tennis Colum Novak Djokovic could miss the Australian Open it could indeed the former world number one was forced to postpone his long awaited comeback on Friday hasn't played since been knocked out of Wimbledon because of an elbow injury and Djokovic just jumps number 12 in the world in the 6 months since then he was due to play in the World Tennis Championships in Abu Dhabi but was forced to pull out yesterday because of further pain in his elbow now the Australian Open the 1st major of the it gets underway just over 2 weeks from now so he's running out of time to be fit for that he must be it out for now but better news of Andy Murray who's been worn out of action since Wimbledon Yes Yes He's also been out of action since then he's been out with a hip injury and during that time he took to 16 in the world he actually took Djokovic his place in Abu Dhabi and played a one sec shootout against Spain's your perch at practice to goose Now Murray lost the match or the set $62.00 but he least he was pleased to be back on court again you know it felt better as a one on obviously a little bit slow at the start in Roberto's one of the best players in the world and. You know when you haven't competed for a long time. Takes time to get back up to that sort of pace and I start to feel a bit better towards the end. But yeah I need to need to keep improving for sure from tennis to cricket the 4th Test between Australia and England in Melbourne that's ended in a draw you know within the last hour or so will strike 263 for 4 in the 2nd innings leading by 99 when the into the last hour of the day that's when the 2 captains called it the day the Australian skipper Steve Smith 102 not out at the end that's just $23.00 Test century obviously wouldn't it would have liked to have won the game but obviously coming here today it was really an option for us was just a bad grinding it out and trying to bat the dyad in place does a bit of a there in place for authority it played a different route the way normally plays better for 160 balls raised 30 odd in and did a terrific job to get a stand at last and now just 2 wickets fell all day I wonder what the captains then said about the pitch Yeah very critical of it the this much started when she used a of course in the Boxing Day Te