Iran ridicules - then rejects - US peace plan

Summary

Global News Podcast – Iran Ridicules, Then Rejects US Peace Plan

BBC World Service | Host: Alex Ritson | Date: March 25, 2026

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Episode Overview

This episode delivers in-depth coverage of Iran's rejection of the United States' proposed peace plan amidst ongoing conflict involving the US, Israel, and Iran. The podcast also examines the global repercussions of the war—particularly the energy crisis—providing updates from the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Additional segments feature interviews with survivors of Jeffrey Epstein, a push at the UN to classify the transatlantic slave trade as a crime against humanity, an exploration of Dutch youth phone bans, and a heartwarming story about Bear, a koala-rescuing dog from Australia.

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Main Story: Iran Rejects US Peace Plan

Outline of the Plan (03:21–05:39)

• Content of Proposal:
  • Full dismantlement of Iran’s nuclear program, including decommissioning facilities at Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow.
  • No enrichment of nuclear material or pursuit of nuclear weapons.
  • Iran to hand over existing enriched uranium.
  • Full access and oversight by the UN’s Atomic Energy Agency.
  • End Iranian support for proxy groups like Hezbollah, the Houthis, Iraqi militias, and cut ties with Hamas.
  • Reopen and maintain the Strait of Hormuz as a free maritime zone.
• What Iran Would Receive:
  • Lifting of nuclear-related sanctions.
  • Civilian nuclear assistance, particularly at Bushehr.
• Iran’s Position: The proposal is described as “unacceptable in its present form.”

Quote – Sebastian Usher (Middle East Analyst, 03:21):
"It's quite comprehensive... It has to dismantle its nuclear capabilities, commit to not pursuing further nuclear weapons... Iran will no longer fund or run any proxy militant forces in the region... [and] the Strait of Hormuz will remain open as a free maritime zone..."

Iranian Response and Official Rhetoric (01:47–03:15)

• Iranian officials, including military spokesperson Lt. Col. Ibrahim Zolfaghari, openly mock the US proposal, suggesting the US is negotiating “only with themselves.”
• Tehran remains adamant: the war will end only on Iran’s terms, at a time of its choosing.

Quote – Lt. Col. Ibrahim Zolfaghari (02:51):
"The strategic power you used to talk about has turned into a strategic failure... Don't dress up your defeat as an agreement. Your era of empty promises has come to an end. Until it is our will, nothing will go back to the way it was."

Leadership Uncertainty in Iran (06:04–07:15)

• Speculation about the role and even health of Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Mujtaba Khamenei (“he might be dead”).
• Speaker of Parliament Galleb is emerging as a key figure and possible negotiator.
• Iranian statements have “openly mocked” US intentions, with officials asserting that President Trump has “blinked first.”

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International Impact: The Energy Crisis

The Philippines Declares Emergency (07:58–10:25)

• The war’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz spikes global oil prices.
• The Philippines, extremely reliant on Gulf oil (90% of imports), declares a national energy emergency.
• Seeking supplies from sanctioned countries: Venezuela, Iran, Russia (first delivery in five years).
• Government offers emergency cash to affected transport workers and aims to control food price inflation.

Quote – Jeepney Driver, Manila (09:51):
"The situation is as bad as the pandemic. Diesel has become very expensive... Each trip now cost me much more... We are shocked by how quickly prices are rising."

Broader Southeast Asian Effects (10:30–11:14)

• Diesel prices have doubled in Vietnam and the Philippines.
• Larger economies like Japan and South Korea feel pressure but have more reserves; smaller economies suffer acutely.

Economic Forecast: Possibility of Global Recession (11:14–12:53)

• Interview Excerpt – Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock (11:42):
  • Cites two possible scenarios: Oil could fall to $40 a barrel or rise above $150, with little chance of a middle ground.
  • Persistent threat from Iran and continued Straits closure could mean years of high prices and a global recession.

Quote – Larry Fink (12:51):
"We'll have global recession."

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Epstein Survivors Speak Out (16:11–20:48)

Survivors' Experiences and Systemic Complicity (16:29–16:56)

• Many survivors assert that “everyone in [Epstein’s] orbit knew” about the abuse.
• Joanna Harrison recounts the impact of her name being public after document releases.
• Even after Epstein's death, survivors express ongoing fears for their safety.

Quote – Epstein Survivor 1 (16:33):
"From the cab driver to the chef to the maid to the cameras, they knew what was going on... You couldn't be friends with Jeffrey and not know."

Quote – Shantae Davis (18:05):
"There were a couple of times where I would triple check that my garage was locked because I was afraid...my car would explode the next morning. Just weird random fears."

• Survivors doubt Epstein's suicide—"None of us do [believe he did]."
• Former Prince Andrew (now Andrew Mountbatten Windsor) implicated in abuse allegations; maintains denial.

Quote – Lisa Phillips (19:35):
"My girlfriend...said she went to his Upper East Side house and former Prince Andrew was there and that he made her, forced her to go into a room and to have sex with this man and she didn't want to..."

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UN Debate: Transatlantic Slave Trade as a Crime Against Humanity (20:48–23:52)

Ghana Leads Call for Recognition and Reparations

• President John Dramani Muhammad criticizes US moves erasing Black history.
• Africa pushes for a formal acknowledgment, a reparations fund, and return of stolen artifacts.
• Obstacles: Former colonial powers resist, citing current generations’ distance from historical crimes.

Quote – Richard Kagoi (21:48):
"They’re saying it’s not just about reopening old wounds, but...an acknowledgment of the...atrocities...over 400 years of the transatlantic slave trade."

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Social Media and Youth: The Dutch Ban (24:04–27:42)

Policy and Student Reaction

• Since January 2024: Mobiles, smartwatches, and tablets banned from Dutch schools.
• Early studies show improved concentration and social atmosphere.
• Nationwide debate on extending ban to social media for under-15s.

Quote – Dutch student Felix (26:46):
"When I first heard the news, I also thought, like, I want to switch schools...But I haven’t really felt a downside of it."

Unintended Consequences

• Some research suggests phone-free schooldays lead to increased screen time at home, though students deny it in interviews.

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Positive Story: Bear the Koala-Detecting Dog Retires (27:42–31:54)

The Story of Bear

• Bear, an Australian koolie, trained to detect koalas, is retiring after saving 100+ koalas during bushfires.
• Bear’s playful, obsessive nature made him unsuited for a family, but perfect for rescue work.
• His handler describes the difficulty and joy of the work.

Quote – Romain Kratescu (28:51):
“He was surrender[ed] to us...For us, it’s a simple reward based game. Each time Bear smells that specific scent of the koala, he gets to play with us...he search[es] for koalas all the time.”

• During bushfires, Bear and team worked months in devastated landscapes, providing hope and comic relief through his cheerful perseverance.

Quote – Romain Kratescu (30:10):
"We ended up being six months on the road...The beauty of Bear...is that he was playing a game and we were all, all the humans were really in a bad spot. But Bear...was doing silly things and just making everyone laugh."

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Timestamps for Major Segments

| Segment | Start Time | |-----------------------------------------------------|------------| | Iran rejects US peace plan & analysis | 01:01 | | Iranian response, leadership speculation | 02:51 | | Peace plan details & Middle East reaction | 03:21 | | Impact on oil prices and Philippine crisis | 07:15 | | Wider SE Asian energy fallout | 10:30 | | Economic outlook with Larry Fink | 11:14 | | Epstein survivors interview | 16:11 | | UN debate on legacy of slave trade | 20:48 | | Dutch youth social media ban | 24:04 | | Bear the koala dog | 27:42 |

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Notable Quotes

• Lt. Col. Zolfaghari (Iran, 02:51):
  "Don't dress up your defeat as an agreement. Your era of empty promises has come to an end."

• Larry Fink (BlackRock, 12:51):
  "We'll have global recession."

• Felix, Dutch student (26:46):
  "I haven’t really felt a downside of it."

• Romain Kratescu, Bear’s handler (30:10):
  "Bear...was doing silly things and just making everyone laugh."

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Tone & Style

The tone throughout the episode is serious and urgent when addressing geopolitical and economic crises but shifts to compassionate and personal when covering survivor stories, and lighthearted in closing with Bear’s tale.

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For more or to reach the program:
Email: [e-mail]
Twitter/X: @BBCWorldService #globalnewspod

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End of Summary

Transcript

[Alex Ritson]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK.

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[Alex Ritson]

This is the global News podcast from the BBC World Service.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Alex

[Alex Ritson]

I'm Alex Ritson and at 16 hours GMT on Wednesday 25th March, these are our main stories. Iranian state media is reporting that Tehran has rejected US Proposals aimed at ending the war. It says the Americans are only negotiating with themselves the oil crisis caused by the war continues. The Philippines has declared a national energy emergency and says it's ready to buy oil from sanctioned countries such as Russia. Also in this podcast, survivors of the late pedophile Jeffrey Epstein speak out There

[Shantae Davis]

were a couple of times where I would triple check that my garage was locked because I was afraid I'd go out and my car would explode the next morning. Just weird random fears.

[Alex Ritson]

And the UN considers whether the transatlantic slave trade was a crime against humanity. Iranian state media is reporting that the government in Tehran has rejected a 15 point peace plan proposed by the United States to end the war. Over the last two days, President Trump has publicly at least seemed upbeat about the prospects of a conclusion to the fighting, an attitude that's sometimes been ridiculed by by Iranian officials in what was perhaps an indication that they were going to reject the plan. Earlier on Wednesday, an Iranian military spokesperson mocked US Attempts at a ceasefire deal. Speaking on Iranian State Television, Lt. Col. Ibrahim Zolfaghari, the spokesperson for Iran's main military command, insisted that the Americans were only negotiating with themselves.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

The strategic power you used to talk about has turned into a strategic failure. The one claiming to be a global superpower would have already gotten out of this mess if it could. Don't dress up your defeat as an agreement. Your era of empty promises has come to an end. We state this clearly. Until it is our will, nothing will go back to the way it was.

[Alex Ritson]

Just before we recorded this podcast, our Middle east analyst, Sebastian Ascher, who's in Jerusalem, gave us the latest.

[Sebastian Usher]

Well, the plan essentially is quite comprehensive in terms of what it's demanding from Iran. That is the end of any kind of ambition towards developing nuclear weapons. Now, we know that that was the key aim of the war, both from the US And Israel, announced from the start. And it's been in the ether for a long, long time. So it has to dismantle its nuclear capabilities, commit to not pursuing further nuclear we weapons, not to enrich any more nuclear material and to hand over the enriched uranium that it has developed. That its nuclear facilities for Natanz, Isfahan and Fordot will all be decommissioned. That the Atomic Energy Agency, the UN watchdog on nuclear facilities and programs, will be given full reign, as it was meant to have had in the past to monitor all Iran's activities. Also, that Iran will no longer fund or run any proxy militant forces in the region. That would mean Hezbollah, that would mean the Houthis to an extent. That would mean militias in Iraq. It would to some extent mean the involvement that Iran has had with Hamas. So it essentially, the way it's been phrased this has not been put publicly, but saying it will abandon its proxy model. And another issue, the Strait of Hormuz, which has become an absolute essential factor in what's been happening in the past week or two in the way the war has been working itself out with Iran essentially closing it to almost all shipping, with the knock on effect that has had on energy markets around the world. This again, not made public, not officially confirmed. But one of the points in this plan is the Strait of Hormuz will remain open as a free maritime zone and unblocked in the future. Now, Iran, in return for all of these concessions, would have sanctions, all sanctions relating to its nuclear ambitions removed. There would be some assistance given to its civilian nuclear infrastructure at Bushehr. But it seems from what we've been hearing, this is not acceptable, certainly in its present form to the Iranians.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

We've been getting all these lines through the Reuters news agency, but they are quoting press TV in Iran just responding to the plan, saying Tehran will only end the war at a time of its choosing and only if its conditions are met as well. But do we know who this is coming from? From inside Iran? Who's making decisions? Who would messages be passed to? Who is shaping the narrative?

[Sebastian Usher]

I mean, we don't know 100%. I mean, we don't know what role the New Supreme Leader Mujtaba Khamenei is playing. For all we know, he might be dead. There's been no sign of him, no visibility since he was appointed the supreme Leader. The speaker of Parliament, Galleb, he certainly has come to the fore. He is the man who the US Was saying would be involved in the negotiations, would be leading the team if those negotiations were to take place. I mean, you could say that this is a negotiating position for Iran. Certainly the messages that officials have been giving out recently have been veryi mean, have been openly mocking the US Essentially describing originally the idea that there were talks as fake news and then saying that this is in response to the energy market, markets essentially giving, without saying it specifically, but essentially saying that the US that President Trump in particular had blinked first. And you know, in a sense that despite the massive destruction that there's been, the decapitation of so much of its leadership, Iran may believe that it has a very strong position still because it survived.

[Alex Ritson]

Sebastian Usher in Jerusalem speaking to Lucy Hawkins. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz to most shipping and the day to day fluctuations of the war, not, not to mention the sometimes very difficult pronouncements from President Trump have led to wild swings in the price of oil. But it's now far more expensive than before the fighting started. This has caused problems for many countries. In the Philippines, the government has declared a national energy emergency. It's now seeking new sources of oil, including from sanctioned countries such as Russia. Our Asia business correspondent, Suranjana Tiwari spoke to me from the Philippine capital, Manila.

[Suranjana Tiwari]

The Philippines government has said that it is in discussions with the US to source fuel from, as you mentioned, sanctioned countries, including potentially Venezuela and Iran. And actually local media have reported and the government has already said that it was working on securing fuel supplies from Russia and that the first tranche in five years actually arrived today. Now, as I mentioned, that was local media reports, but the government did confirm that they are definitely going down that track. Look, what's going on in the Middle east has huge consequences for the Philippines. It relies on fuel imports. More than 90% of its oil needs come from the Gulf. And ever since the conflict started, it's really suffered. There have been multiple price hikes and as a result, the President had to impose that state of emergency, the state of energy emergency, because there were so many threats to the current stock of fuel.

[Alex Ritson]

What's the reaction to this suggestion been?

[Suranjana Tiwari]

It's been a mixed reaction. The private sector has really welcomed these emergency powers because it gives so much more flexibility to the government, not only to procure new oil supplies, but also to give cash handouts to transport workers, for example, who are really struggling to make ends meet, but also to try and oversee the supply of things like food. There was lots of concerns about food hoarding as a result of the higher fuel costs. Now I've been speaking to some ordinary people to find out what their reaction is. Here is Jeepney Driver, which is an open bus that's used widely in the Philippines for commuting, and also a food stall owner.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

The situation is as bad as the pandemic. Diesel has become very expensive. There's strong demand for rides, but each trip now cost me much more to operate. The government is offering some cash assistance, but I won't receive mine until the next round. And there's still no clear timeline for when that will be. We are shocked by how quickly prices are rising. The cost of cooking, gas and food has gone up sharply. We've seen fewer customers as people cut back on spending. And I've had to reduce what I spend on my children as well.

[Alex Ritson]

Briefly, Suranjana, what are you hearing from the rest of Southeast Asia?

[Suranjana Tiwari]

Most of the oil that passes through the Strait of Hormuz actually comes to Asia. So many countries in this region are under a lot of pressure, and many of them are emerging economies, big manufacturing hubs that require a lot of electricity and energy in order to power their factories. So just today, we heard from the Vietnamese government that diesel prices have been doubled there. The Philippines also is seeing diesel and petrol prices double the rate it was before the Iran war started. And then there's Thailand. Even Japan and South Korea are really struggling, although they have much more capacity to hold reserves than these developing economies do.

[Alex Ritson]

Suranjana Tiwari to say the war with Iran has created uncertainty in the global economy is something of an understatement. Even those paid to work out what happening have no real idea how it will end and what the consequences will be. Larry Fink is the chief executive officer of BlackRock, a U.S. investment firm that manages $14 trillion. He sees two possible scenarios.

[Sponsor/Advertiser Voice]

I could see a year from now, oil at $40 a barrel. I could see it above $150 a barrel. We have two very extreme outcomes. And in my conversations throughout the world with the US government, all that to me, everybody has to recognize there's not going to be an outcome that's somewhere in the middle. It's going to either be two extremes. Is Iran a country that can be accepted by the international community? Can Iran be a country that participates in the world again. If that outcome occurred, then you could have the Iranian oil back into the marketplace alongside the growth of the Venezuelan oil, and you could paint a picture where oil prices could be lower than they were prior to the Iranian war. If there's a cessation of war and yet Iran remains a threat, a threat to trade, a threat to the Straits of Hormuz, then I would argue that we could have years, years of, you know, above $100, closer to $150 oil. What happens to the global economy if that happens?

[Richard Kagoi]

How do we see it?

[Sponsor/Advertiser Voice]

We'll have global recession.

[Alex Ritson]

Larry Fink, speaking to our business editor, Simon Jack. Still to come, in this podcast we hear about the Australian dog who has helped rescue koalas from bushfires.

[Romain Kratescu]

It's a simple reward based game, right? Each time Bear smells that specific scent of the koala, he gets to play with us. So he has the best time ever. And so he just wants to do it all the time. And therefore he search for koalas all the time.

[Alex Ritson]

Bear, the 11 year old Australian coolie finally retires.

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[Alex Ritson]

Survivors of the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein have told the BBC they believe everyone in his orbit knew what was going on. In a special program From Washington, the BBC's Victoria Derbyshire spoke to survivors who told her their stories.

[Epstein Survivor 1]

They saw.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Yeah, everyone saw from, from the cab

[Epstein Survivor 1]

driver to the chef to the maid to the cameras, they knew what was going on. I mean, I knew you couldn't be friends with Jeffrey and not know what was going on.

[Interviewer (Victoria Derbyshire)]

Are you saying it's impossible for them not to have known? Well, just because.

[Epstein Survivor 1]

Why? Because we were 40s, 50s, 60s, and the girls are all under 23. But you can already see what's going on if you walk into a room where there's that power dynamic and huge age gap.

[Interviewer (Victoria Derbyshire)]

One of the victims, Joanna Harrison, is speaking out for the first time. She wanted to remain anonymous, but her name was released in the Epstein files. She was 18 when a friend introduced her to Jeffrey Epstein. She was raped by him.

[Joanna Harrison]

My fear was with the files being released, that my name would be released, which it was. And it was released over and over and over again even though it was

[Interviewer (Victoria Derbyshire)]

supposed to have been redacted.

[Joanna Harrison]

Supposed to been redacted. There were even times that we reached out, things were taken down, but then new things were put back up. And so it's just kind of a never ending thing and you just get sick of it. And it's like, all right, I guess it's my time.

[Interviewer (Victoria Derbyshire)]

Do you feel it's been forced upon you?

[Epstein Survivor 1]

I do.

[Interviewer (Victoria Derbyshire)]

In terms of your name being out

[Joanna Harrison]

there for all of us. I mean, it's not normal to see your abuser's face every day for six years on tv, hear their name, you walk in a store and you see them on a magazine just kind of gets to a point where you're being suffocated and you need to breathe. And I feel that this is my way of trying to breathe.

[Interviewer (Victoria Derbyshire)]

Many of the women who spoke to us said they were worried about their safety after speaking out. Shantae Davis was in her early 20s when she first met Epstein.

[Shantae Davis]

You know, I find myself locking doors in my house that I didn't normally lock before.

[Epstein Survivor 1]

But why?

[Shantae Davis]

Why? There were a couple of times where I would triple check that my garage was locked because I was afraid I'd go out and like my car would explode the next morning. Just weird random fears.

[Interviewer (Victoria Derbyshire)]

Because you think what you might potentially be targeted because you've spoken out against the powerful.

[Shantae Davis]

Because I don't plan on quitting. And I still have a lot more to say that hasn't been said. So, yeah, I, I feel like there's already been people who have been silenced permanently and I don't know why would we be left off that list, to be honest. I mean, even Jeffrey himself, whoever killed him, silenced him.

[Interviewer (Victoria Derbyshire)]

So you don't believe he took his own life?

[Shantae Davis]

Absolutely not, no. No, none of us do.

[Interviewer (Victoria Derbyshire)]

None of you do.

[Epstein Survivor 1]

We knew the kind of person he was. He never seemed like he knew. He thought he was going to walk

[Reporter/Interviewer]

away from even this.

[Epstein Survivor 1]

He was so big, he knew he was going to get away with everything.

[Shantae Davis]

Yeah.

[Interviewer (Victoria Derbyshire)]

What Epstein and his network of rich, powerful friends and associates did has dominated American and UK politics. After the release of millions of documents related to EPSTEIN by the U.S. department of justice, millions more still haven't been made public. Former Prince Andrew was stripped of his title over his links to the convicted sex offender. Lisa Phillips, who was a 21 year old model when she first met Epstein, told the BBC a friend of hers was sent by Epstein into a room with the former Prince Andrew. Mountbatten Windsor has strongly denied any wrongdoing.

[Epstein Survivor 1]

My girlfriend, she was the reason why I started speaking out, because I wanted to speak for her, because she didn't want to, because the abuse happened to her. And in late 2003, she said she went to his Upper east side house and former Prince Andrew was there and that he made her, forced her to go into a room and to have sex with this man and she didn't want to. And she argued with him, but he said, she said he made her and she went into the room for a few minutes and then he kind of discarded her and walked out.

[Interviewer (Victoria Derbyshire)]

And when you say he, who's the he making her do that Jeffrey Epstein making her go into that room and Andrew was in there and she was required to have sex with him.

[Epstein Survivor 1]

That's what happened.

[Interviewer (Victoria Derbyshire)]

Right. Andrew denies all wrongdoing. Why do you think your friend has never gone public?

[Epstein Survivor 1]

Well, I don't blame her. I mean, I think most victims don't want to go public.

[Interviewer (Victoria Derbyshire)]

Have the police in the UK Lisa, ever asked to interview you about what your friend alleged Andrew did the police in the uk?

[Epstein Survivor 1]

No.

[Interviewer (Victoria Derbyshire)]

No. Should they?

[Epstein Survivor 1]

Yeah. I think they would learn a lot by talking to the victims.

[Alex Ritson]

Victoria Derbyshire talking there to some of the victims of Jeffrey Epstein. The BBC has approached the former Prince Andrew for comment about these specific allegations made by Lisa Phillip, but has not received a response. Let's go now to the United States. Ghana's president is there and he's accused the Trump administration of normalizing the erasure of black history. Speaking at an event on slavery reparations at the United Nations, John Dramani Muhammad said President Trump's executive orders had required national parks and museums to remove so called anti American ideology. His comments come ahead of a vote at the UN General assembly on a draft resolution led by Ghana calling for the transatlantic slave trade to be formally recognized as a crime against humanity. Our global affairs correspondent Richard Kagoi in Nairobi told me more about the vote

[Richard Kagoi]

for the African states. What this mean is an opportunity for all countries who are affected or involved in this to have an honest conversation. They're saying it's an opportunity to revisit history, an opportunity for countries to have what they describe as a constructive dialogue and just mainstreaming the whole conversation to become a global reflection. They're saying it's not just about reopening old wounds, but they just want an acknowledgment of the honesty in terms of the atrocities that were committed during the over 400 years of the transatlantic slave trade. So for them, he's saying it's just working towards a path of healing and also justice, you know, collectively, not divided, based on historical experiences.

[Alex Ritson]

So what are they hoping to achieve?

[Richard Kagoi]

Well, they want, you know, the transatlantic trade to be declared crimes against humanity because of what the people who are the victims really underwent. What they're pushing for is also the construction or the establishment of a reparations fund, much as the fact that they have said it's not just the monetary value, but they're just saying a fund needs to be established and mobilizing member states to contribute towards it. And also the return of artifacts that were stolen from different parts of Africa that do hold sentimental value, historical, cultural and also spiritual. This without any cost at all. So those are just some of the highlights from this resolution.

[Alex Ritson]

The reparations fund is likely to be the sticking point though, isn't it?

[Richard Kagoi]

Absolutely. And that's why former colonial powers have really shied away from opening this discussion. They say they're sorry, but really not an honest formal apology has been issued towards this. And so it's difficult because most of them say that current generations shouldn't really be held for historical wrongs that were committed centuries ago.

[Alex Ritson]

Briefly, what are the chances of getting this resolution today passed?

[Richard Kagoi]

It's really tricky. But significantly, this is a major step that's been taken by the African continent just to push for this. But yeah, it's a wait and see how this pans out based on the mobilization that's been done.

[Alex Ritson]

Richard Kaguy A question being asked in many countries at the moment is how to protect young people from the dangers posed by social media. One place that's taking action is The Netherlands. Since January 2024, mobiles, smartwatches and tablets have been exiled from classrooms, corridors and canteens in schools across the country. A Dutch government study of more than 300 schools found that 3/4 reported better concentration and and around 2/3 a better social atmosphere since phones were taken out of the school day. And now Dutch politicians are debating whether under 15s should be kept off social media altogether. Our correspondent Anna Holligan has been to a secondary school in Amsterdam to see how the rules are working in practice.

[M]

I've just arrived at the Cygnus gymnasium and there is a bright fluorescent yellow notice and it says let up. So from this point, as I cross over into the school playground, pupils phones have to be stored in their lockers

[Reporter/Interviewer]

so phone is either at home or in the locker.

[M]

That slogan now applies nationwide. Instead of passing a law, the Dutch government went for a national agreement with with schools, parents and teachers.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

I'm Felix and I'm 15 years old. I'm Carol and I'm also 15 years old.

[Sponsor/Advertiser Voice]

Yeah, I've seen some changes.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

People in the breaks, they talk more, they're doing stuff like going to the store together and not just sitting on

[Sponsor/Advertiser Voice]

the bench in the cafeteria, sitting on their phone.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

The social connections of me and my

[Interviewer (Victoria Derbyshire)]

friends have improved but the debate has

[M]

now moved beyond the school gates. The Dutch government advises under 15 students to stay off social media and the new coalition wants an enforceable Europe wide age limit arguing addictive platforms deserve the same restrictions as alcohol or gambling. Just parked my bike by the edge of A canal. And I'm heading into the Dutch Ministry of Education.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

My name is Koen Becking. Our distracted kids feel anxious not only

[Sponsor/Advertiser Voice]

in schools, but everywhere else in society, I think.

[M]

And public opinion's shifting in that direction too, with Generation Z perhaps surprisingly, among the strongest supporters of a ban. Back at Cygnus Gymnasium, I ask Felix and Carol, what would you say to your peers, so 15 year old boys and girls about how your life has changed as a result of the ban?

[Reporter/Interviewer]

When I first heard the news, I also thought, like, I want to switch schools. This isn't what I came here for. But I haven't really felt a downside of it.

[M]

Both boys spend between two and five hours a day scrolling. And would you be as positive about the ban that they're talking about for social media for 15 year olds?

[Reporter/Interviewer]

I think you would get used to it relatively fast because that's then the new normal.

[M]

The Dutch Research Council is now investigating one of the band's possible unintended consequences, whether going without a phone all day triggers more intense scrolling before and after school. The pupils here in Amsterdam insist it doesn't. But the most rigorous study to date found teenagers in phone free schools compensated for lost screen time, almost missing minute from minute once they got home.

[Alex Ritson]

Anna Holligan in Amsterdam. Here on the global newspod, we love a good animal tale and this next story is definitely podcast gold. An Australian dog credited with saving more than 100 koalas from the country's devastating bushfires a few years ago is retiring after a decade of service. Bear, who's an 11 year old Australian coolie, was one of the first dogs trained to detect the scent of koala fur. His work drew attention and praise from around the world, including from Hollywood stars.

[Sponsor/Advertiser Voice]

Hey, I'm Tom Hanks and I'm going to read some of the nicest tweets on the Internet. Here's a dog one. This is Bear. He was abandoned as a puppy due to his ocd, but quickly found a new life as a koala detection dog. This is a Disney movie that must be made. The story of Bear, the koala detection dog. That's adorable.

[Alex Ritson]

My colleague James Menendez has been hearing more about Bear from one of his handlers, Romain Kratescu.

[Romain Kratescu]

Bear is definitely what we call ocd, Obsessive compulsive disorder. Bear would play all day long, all night long, weekends. He doesn't care, just he wants his toy. It actually, you know, sometimes become a problem for that kind of dog. So Bear just was too much for a normal family. So he was surrender to us. And basically for us, it's a simple reward based game. Right. Each time bear smells that specific scent of the koala, he gets to play with us. And so he has the best time ever. And so he just wants to do it all the time. And therefore he search for koalas all the time.

[Alex Ritson]

How difficult was it to train him to detect that koala scent?

[Romain Kratescu]

Yeah, it was extremely difficult. I'm not gonna lie. We have quite a few detection dogs and bear definitely had the toughest job because koalas are high up in trees. So even though bear is trying to take us to the scent, he actually can't take us up the tree, obviously. So he's got to kind of bring us to the strongest scent that he can find on the ground. But trying to then pinpoint the koalas, yeah, it was tough. It was a very long and difficult

[Alex Ritson]

training, but it did work in the end.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

Tell us about what it was like

[Alex Ritson]

working with bear during those terrible bushfires in Australia a few years ago.

[Romain Kratescu]

Yeah, and at the time of those fire, everywhere around the world, I think people were really struggling or just, you know, the impact that that fire had on human lives and of course, on nature and wildlife. And so we were, you know, in our office at the university and we thought, ah, you know, we have a dog that can find koalas. How seedy is that that we're not in the ground trying to find surviving koala? And so we decided to go on the road and we ended up being six months on the road. And so there was really dire situation months after the fire where everyone kind of had moved on to something else. And something else was often Covid, because Covid was starting in. And so, yeah, we just felt that, you know, there was no one else but us really going through those burned forests trying to find surviving koalas. So that was, was really important. We stayed there. And the beauty of bear and a little bit why he brought so much joy to people is that he was playing a game and we were all, all the humans were really in a bad spot. Right. But bear doesn't, doesn't see the devastation the same way we did. And you know, he has a goofy personality. He's quite fine as a dog. And so I think it was a little bit of comic relief to have that dog who really was doing silly things and just making everyone laugh.

[Alex Ritson]

Yeah, people needed their spirits lifted.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

So what's he going to do now?

[Alex Ritson]

Retirement? I mean, presumably he still needs quite a lot of stimulation, doesn't he?

[Romain Kratescu]

Yeah, absolutely. He's been adopted by one of his main handler who also has another dog, a Labrador, and he's in love with this Labrador, so they're having the best time as buddies. And lots of belly rubs, of course, lots of treats because Bear loves his food as well. So lots of the good stuff, just not with koalas.

[Alex Ritson]

Romain Cretescu, speaking about Bear, the koala rescue dog, now happily living in retirement. And that's all from us for now. If you want to get in touch, you can email [e-mail]. you can also find us on X@BBC World Service. Use the hashtag globalnewspod. And don't forget our sister podcast, the Global Story, which goes in depth and beyond the headlines on one big story. This edition of the Global News Podcast was mixed by James Piper and the producer was Vanessa Heaney. The editor is Karen Martin. I'm Alex Ritson. Until next time.

[Reporter/Interviewer]

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[Reporter/Interviewer]

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