We look at what that could mean in the region. Plus, remarkable artwork from 2,000 years ago uncovered in pompeii, the Ancient Roman city. And later, we have ai decoded, our weekly look at whats making news in the world of artificial intelligence. We are going to start with this news in the last few hours, the death of 0j in the last few hours, the death of oj simpson. He was one of the most divisive figures in modern america football star, turned movie star, turned Murder Suspect in what became known as the trial of the century. His family said he died of cancer on wednesday, surrounded by his children and grandchildren. He was 76. Oj simpsons trialfor the murder of his ex wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend was televised and followed Around The World. Millions were transfixed. And when he was sensationally acquitted, many Black Americans celebrated seeing him as the victim of a bigoted police force while many white americans were appalled by his exoneration. He was later found liable for nicoles killing in a civil case. Our los angeles correspondent emma vardy reports. Watched by millions, oj simpson famously led police on a car chase through los angeles after becoming the main suspect in the murder of his ex wife and her friend. From an impoverished childhood, he had gone on to become one of the greatest american Football Players in history and a hollywood actor. But he will be forever remembered for his nine month televised trial for the Double Murder that transfixed america. Accused of killing his former wife in a jealous rage, at one point, oj simpson was shown struggling to try on a pair of gloves found at the crime scene. If it doesnt fit, you must acquit. Orenthaljames simpson, not guilty of the crime of murder. The trial ended in a not guilty verdict, which divided the country racially, seen in some communities as a case of the white police force trying to frame the star. The journalist who first interviewed him after his acquittal said his life story continued to intrigue audiences long after oj simpson disappeared from public life. It is a bit surreal. I mean, we all can go at any moment, but to think about, as you read, who oj simpson was, this star running back, arguably at his time, the greatest running back of all time in the nfl, then to become a pitchman and a movie star, and then, you know, the tragedy that befell the goldman family. But later, he did go to jail, having been charged with Armed Robbery after a confrontation in las vegas with two Sports Memorabilia dealers. He was released in 2017 after nine years behind bars. His family wrote on social media that he died of cancer on wednesday surrounded by his children and grandchildren. Oj simpson will be remembered for his rags to riches story and tragic fall from grace, which left the unresolved question in Popular Culture ever since over whether justice was ever truly served. Emma vardy, bbc news, los angeles. Tom zenner is host of the podcast one degree of scandalous, which looks at major trials and scandals, including the oj simpson trial. His co host kato kaelin was actually the house mate of oj simpson at the time of the murder and testified at the trial. Tom, thank you very much for coming on The Programme. Tom, we cannot quite hear you, but hopefully we will be able to with a push of a button. This give us your reaction to the news. Im button. This give us your reaction to the new to the news. Im good. I was surprised to the news. Im good. I was surprised. Actually to the news. Im good. I was surprised. Actually i to the news. Im good. I was surprised. Actually i was to the news. Im good. I was surprised. Actually i was shocked. I knew that oj had cancer, but i kinda filed it away, because there were not regular updates on it, i was not expecting this. So i woke up this morning and my phone has been going kind of crazy all day, and its all anybody wants to talk about. Its taken over the media, its taken over the consciousness of the world, just like he did 30 years ago, so i was shocked. I was surprised, because oj, he was so embedded into the psyche of pop culture, for a long time, for a lot of good reasons and for the past 30 years for a lot of horrible reasons, but when some thing like this, it catch you off guard. I was not ready for it. And now we are in middle of it. And we are going to shoot a Podcast Episode with kato today, to get somebody down the reaction to it will be interesting stop and remind us of katos involvement. Kato lived in the house. His printable and technical. He was friends with her, very close with her and was with her prior to moving with oj he was friends with nicole. When she moved back in with oj, oj offered and if the bungalow in his back yard and thats how kato lived there, so actually was friends with nicole. He was in a queens with oj with living there, but this was a dear friend with living there, but this was a dearfriend of with living there, but this was a dear friend of katos that died, Nicole Brown Simpson, so his reaction, i am Nicole Brown Simpson, so his reaction, iam interested. This Nicole Brown Simpson, so his reaction, i am interested. This was something, she was very, very close to him, her entire family, so then kato became the star of the trial because he has this incredible personality that just. Because he has this incredible personality thatjust. When you have 100 Million PeopleAround The World watching the trial and it was the biggest story weve ever really experienced, the begin of reality tv, max lee was a big star. He became infamous, famous, however you want to describe him. He was world known. He was probably one of the ten most recognisable people in the world because he was on the trial and he was entertaining stop he was just being himself and his wholesomeness and his honesty and integrity, all these great qualities that kato have, were on display and i think he really gravitated to him, but he has been in The Public Eye for less 30 is because of this and handled it really well. find for less 30 is because of this and handled it really well. For less 30 is because of this and handled it really well. And you too have connections handled it really well. And you too have connections to handled it really well. And you too have connections to oj handled it really well. And you too have connections to oj the handled it really well. And you too have connections to oj the last| have connections to oj the last 30 years. Have connections to oj the last 30 ears. � , � , have connections to oj the last 30 ears. H , � ,. , 30 years. Its funny. Its not really funny. 30 years. Its funny. Its not really funny, its 30 years. Its funny. Its not really funny, its dark, comedy, the connections i have with oj. | comedy, the connections i have with oj. I played football, oj played football in college, and when i was in college, i broke ojs record, i broke it late in the 80s, it was a big new story, it was on usa today and a lot of big headlines around the country. Oj reached out to me at that point. He saw the story, congratulated me, and then i worked for nbc sports for many years, i covered the bulls very closely when they won the last three titles, if you watch the last dance, max, i was with the bulls are i was with the bulls all the time. I knew ajay oj oj little oj little bit. Oj little bit. When he was arrested, when he went to prison in 2007, i was in vegas that weekend, with friends, a good tv host, in america, we were celebrating his 40th Birthday Party at the palms. Oj was following us around the whole weekend. He tried to sit with us at our dinner, he then tried to come into our party that night, and actually got into the party. He was Walking Around with a camera crew, he had hired a camera crew because he had hired a camera crew because he was trained to pitch and sell a reality show on himself, so he was around us, awkwardly, that whole weekend in the next days when he got arrested, and so, and then i do the podcast with kato kaelin and marcia clark, who was the lead prosecutor for la county during the trial, she had a show on abc, a primetime drama, and it was basically based on the oj simpson, but it was fictional, and i played a tv reporter in that series for the by having these bizarre connections with oj and just like everybody else, here in america, i got swept up else, here in america, i got swept up in it because i work in the media, it was mesmerising and recovered it every single day, during the bronco chase and everything, so it is a crazy day. It is weather surreal in america. Tom, thank ou is weather surreal in america. Tom, thank you for is weather surreal in america. Tom, thank you for talking is weather surreal in america. Tom, thank you for talking us is weather surreal in america. Tom, thank you for talking us through thank you for talking us through that, that is tom zenner there. Going to focus now on that trial we just were referring to. Joining me is Trial Attorney and Cornell Law School professor randy zelin. Thank you very much for coming on The Programme. Thank you very much for coming on The Programme thank you very much for coming on The Programme. Thank you for having me. What The Programme. Thank you for having me what are The Programme. Thank you for having me. What are your The Programme. Thank you for having me. What are your thoughts The Programme. Thank you for having me. What are your thoughts today . L The Programme. Thank you for having j me. What are your thoughts today . It is an odd day me. What are your thoughts today . It is an odd day. From me. What are your thoughts today . It is an odd day. From a me. What are your thoughts today . It is an odd day. From a legal is an odd day. From a legal standpoint, there are few trials in American History that are as polarising. We talk about things being Black And White that trial was black versus white. It was Black And White. I will never forget the split screen showing the reaction of the African American population to the verdict as opposed to the white population, their reaction to the verdict. That trial brought race to the forefront in the United States courtroom. It showed us what happens when a trial gets out of control, because the judge is unable to control the courtroom was study showed us how resources, how money can make all the difference in the world. The defence ran circles around the prosecutors. There was a level of a playing field, where normally it is the government with the unlimited resources, it taught us the importance of not asking a question you dont know the answer to, which is, dont put gloves on if you dont know whether or not they will fit. It took an American Hero down, brought that American Hero back up for the moment but when that verdict was announced, but his life was never the same in our lives were never the same. That is a trail that goes down in history books. That was ust an goes down in history books. That was just an extraordinary goes down in history books. That was just an extraordinary summary goes down in history books. That was just an extraordinary summary of goes down in history books. That was just an extraordinary summary of so l just an extraordinary summary of so many of the points people will remember. What do you think has been elastic impact, the legacy of that . The legacy, again, without legal and practical, legal, as professor dershowitz, who was involved in the trial tells us, it taught us as trial tells us, it taught us as Trial Attorneys, as defence attorneys, sometimes you try the state, you try the government, the case is not about your client, its about the government, and the government was put on trial was of the fact that the government try to hide the ball by putting on an avowed racist and pretending that that racist did not have an axe to grind, defected there may well the fact that there may well have been evidence planted and have the temerity to try that case anyway, taking that an African American journey would actually uphold it against an African American defendant, as opposed to siding with that African American defendant, the advent of dna evidence and seeing again the resources the defence had and having someone like barry scheck, who made fools out of the prosecutors on the dna evidence. Legally, that case really rocked our world. As a practical matter, again, it was black versus white. Im it was black versus white. Im afraid we it was black versus white. Im afraid we have it was black versus white. Im afraid we have to it was black versus white. Im afraid we have to leave it there, but really appreciate your analysis and your thoughts today, really thought provoking. Thank you very much. Thats randy zelin there. Around the world and across the uk, this is bbc news. Lets turn now to the middle east and the growing fears of reprisals from iran for the killing of Senior Iranian commanders in the syrian capital damascus. Irans Supreme Leader has vowed that israel will be punished for the attack, which he said was a strike on iran itself. Bbc verify has found evidence the iranian authorities have given notice to pilots to avoid the tehran area as rocket launches could be taking place between the 10th and the 12th of april. Its also possible an attack on israel could come via irans Proxy Hezbollah which has forces in lebanon. President biden has pledged ironclad support for israel over iran even as he criticises policy in gaza. Firas maksad is a Senior Fellow at the middle east institute, a non partisan think tank. Thank you very much for coming on The Programme. My thank you very much for coming on The Programme thank you very much for coming on The Programme. How| thank you very much for coming on i The Programme. How do The Programme. My pleasure. How do ou assess The Programme. My pleasure. How do you assess the The Programme. My pleasure. How do you assess the threat The Programme. My pleasure. How do you assess the threat of The Programme. My pleasure. How do you assess the threat of an The Programme. My pleasure. How do you assess the threat of an iranian you assess the threat of an iranian strike on israel . Strike on israel . Everybody is. Uessinu strike on israel . Everybody is guessing and strike on israel . Everybody is guessing and everybodys strike on israel . Everybody is guessing and everybodys try| strike on israel . Everybody is l guessing and everybodys try to grapple with whatever intelligence is available. I think what we can assess from open source is that there will be a response also that response, though, however, will remain measured. I think both divided in ministration but also very clearly the iranians since october seven attack on israel have wanted to avoid an all out desolation in the region, a direct war between israel on the one hand and iran on the other the biden administration. Whateverform and iran on the other the biden administration. Whatever form this attack takes place, whether it is a Cruise Missile and killer drone attack or whether it is Ballistic Missile attack directly from iran, orfrom Missile Attack directly from iran, or from syria, Missile Attack directly from iran, orfrom syria, or even using some of the proxies, you mentioned hezbollah in lebanon, some of the Iraqi Militias affiliate with iran, my senseis militias affiliate with iran, my sense is this will remain the minted and will be performative in nature where the regime wants to be seen as having saved face and extracted a price stop ic. I c. Mediumterm, you dont think are as likely . I c. Mediumterm, you dont think are as likely . I i c. Mediumterm, you dont think are as likely . I think i c. Mediumterm, you dont think are as likely . I think there i c. Mediumterm, you dont think are as likely . I think there will i c. Mediumterm, you dont think are as likely . I think there will be are as likely . I think there will be an escalation are as likely . I think there will be an escalation for are as likely . I think there will be an escalation for the are as likely . I think there will be an escalation for the wild are as likely . I think there will be an escalation for the wild card is l an escalation for the wild card is is really Prime Minister bibi netanyahu, who ordered this strike that flattened the consulate in damascus, killed several senior generals there. It is clear that the administration, during an Election Year here in washington in the us, does not want to