Paul Moss

Yeah, what can I say? I don't think there are many people who are going to believe that this is purely a coincidence. It certainly looks like a prisoner swap. Of course, it suits Iran and Italy to deny the connection because neither wants to look like they gave in to pressure from the other.

Yeah, what can I say? I don't think there are many people who are going to believe that this is purely a coincidence. It certainly looks like a prisoner swap. Of course, it suits Iran and Italy to deny the connection because neither wants to look like they gave in to pressure from the other.

The trouble is, of course, if prisoners can be used as bargaining chips, then there's an incentive for countries to, you know, randomly arrest foreigners. And of course, we've seen this with Russia. There have been lots of swaps where you had Russians held in the United States and Europe for things like espionage. They were released.

The trouble is, of course, if prisoners can be used as bargaining chips, then there's an incentive for countries to, you know, randomly arrest foreigners. And of course, we've seen this with Russia. There have been lots of swaps where you had Russians held in the United States and Europe for things like espionage. They were released.

And then in return, very openly, either foreigners held in Russia or dissidents there were released. Now, this does mean, of course, that people will think twice about visiting these countries if they could end up in jail effectively as a sort of diplomatic currency.

And then in return, very openly, either foreigners held in Russia or dissidents there were released. Now, this does mean, of course, that people will think twice about visiting these countries if they could end up in jail effectively as a sort of diplomatic currency.

It was a simple stunt. A team working for the Consumers Association took flights on different airlines and each time they deliberately left a mobile phone behind. Every phone had a message on the screen saying that it was lost and giving a number to call to return it. Nobody did call, but the team then found it difficult or impossible to find anyone from the airline who had helped them.

It was a simple stunt. A team working for the Consumers Association took flights on different airlines and each time they deliberately left a mobile phone behind. Every phone had a message on the screen saying that it was lost and giving a number to call to return it. Nobody did call, but the team then found it difficult or impossible to find anyone from the airline who had helped them.

All said they had outsourced lost property to other companies. EasyJet directed them to the arrival airport's lost property, but the airport said they didn't handle property left on planes. With British Airways, the team had activated the Find My Phone function, so they could see that the handset had a rather mysterious journey – ending up in a countryside cottage.

All said they had outsourced lost property to other companies. EasyJet directed them to the arrival airport's lost property, but the airport said they didn't handle property left on planes. With British Airways, the team had activated the Find My Phone function, so they could see that the handset had a rather mysterious journey – ending up in a countryside cottage.

Meanwhile, the phone left on a Ryanair flight from Malta to London found its way into the hands of an Italian airport employee. He did offer to courier it back in return for $60. In a statement, British Airways said it was nonsense to suggest they didn't care about lost property, while EasyJet insisted it had procedures in place to return it. Ryanair dismissed the exercise as a waste of time.

Meanwhile, the phone left on a Ryanair flight from Malta to London found its way into the hands of an Italian airport employee. He did offer to courier it back in return for $60. In a statement, British Airways said it was nonsense to suggest they didn't care about lost property, while EasyJet insisted it had procedures in place to return it. Ryanair dismissed the exercise as a waste of time.

We know that she was arrested on the 19th of December. She has since been freed. Wednesday morning in Tehran, and she is now back in Rome. And she looks in good condition because we have pictures of her arriving, being greeted by her boyfriend, and later by Giorgio Maloney, the prime minister, who took personal charge of her case. How was her release negotiated so quickly?

We know that she was arrested on the 19th of December. She has since been freed. Wednesday morning in Tehran, and she is now back in Rome. And she looks in good condition because we have pictures of her arriving, being greeted by her boyfriend, and later by Giorgio Maloney, the prime minister, who took personal charge of her case. How was her release negotiated so quickly?

Because it's quite a contrast with other cases of foreign nationals. Very much so. There are European prisoners who remain in detention in Iran. What is interesting about the release of Cecilia Sala is that she is a well-known journalist, a podcaster in Italy. She's 29. She works for Quora Media.

Because it's quite a contrast with other cases of foreign nationals. Very much so. There are European prisoners who remain in detention in Iran. What is interesting about the release of Cecilia Sala is that she is a well-known journalist, a podcaster in Italy. She's 29. She works for Quora Media.

And because the case was taken up by Giorgia Maloney so fast, this was treated with uproar by the Italian public when news emerged of her being arrested. Within days, Maloney was talking to the US administration and only just this last weekend... She flew to the United States and talked to Donald Trump about it, we think.

And because the case was taken up by Giorgia Maloney so fast, this was treated with uproar by the Italian public when news emerged of her being arrested. Within days, Maloney was talking to the US administration and only just this last weekend... She flew to the United States and talked to Donald Trump about it, we think.

So the Iranians are not confirming that at all, but the U.S. State Department has said it could be. And some State Department officials have been quoted in Italian media saying that cases are definitely linked. And the timing is clearly interesting because she was arrested in Tehran three days after the arrest of an Iranian man. at Milan's Malpensa airport.

So the Iranians are not confirming that at all, but the U.S. State Department has said it could be. And some State Department officials have been quoted in Italian media saying that cases are definitely linked. And the timing is clearly interesting because she was arrested in Tehran three days after the arrest of an Iranian man. at Milan's Malpensa airport.