Sudan fighters accused of storming famine-hit camp

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary BBC World Service | Release Date: February 12, 2025

The BBC World Service's Global News Podcast episode released on February 12, 2025, delves into a series of pressing international issues. From conflict zones and environmental crises to political upheavals and public health challenges, the episode provides comprehensive coverage of events shaping the globe. Below is a detailed summary of the key topics discussed, complete with notable quotes and timestamps for reference.

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1. Sudan: RSF Accused of Storming Famine-Affected Zamzam Camp

The episode opens with alarming reports from Sudan, where the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) are accused of attacking Zamzam camp in North Darfur—a major displacement site housing half a million refugees fleeing ongoing violence and facing severe famine conditions.

Key Points:

• Attack Details: The RSF reportedly stormed Zamzam camp, leading to looting and the destruction of a marketplace. Videos showing smoldering ruins are currently under verification.
• Casualties and Healthcare Crisis: Information on casualties is scarce, but injured individuals struggle to receive medical treatment as local hospitals are either non-operational or damaged. North Darfur's health minister highlighted the RSF's blockade of access roads, hindering aid and medical assistance.
• RSF's Stance: An RSF spokesman denied direct penetration into the camp, attributing any conflict to the seizure of a nearby military base belonging to the Joint Forces, an allied group fighting alongside the Sudanese military.

Notable Quotes:

• Barbara Plet Usher [01:26]: "What we have heard is that the injured are having a hard time getting treatment because the hospital in Zamzam no longer does surgeries."
• Barbara Plet Usher [02:16]: "There was an exodus of quite a large number of people because of the fighting. It's not clear where they can go."

Conflict Status: The Sudanese army is making significant advances in central regions, recapturing key cities like Wad Medini and progressing towards Khartoum. However, the future trajectory remains uncertain, with potential for prolonged battles.

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2. Nigeria: BBC Investigation Uncovers Shell’s Failed Cleanup Efforts

A BBC investigation reveals that the British oil giant Shell allegedly ignored repeated warnings about corruption and inefficiencies in a $1 billion cleanup operation aimed at addressing land pollution in southern Nigeria. This scrutiny coincides with a high-profile court case between Nigerian communities and Shell, challenging the company's environmental impact ahead of its asset sales in the region.

Key Points:

• Environmental Degradation: Oil spills have transformed once fertile landscapes in the Niger Delta into toxic wastelands, severely affecting local communities' health and livelihoods.
• Corruption Allegations: Internal BBC documents suggest Shell and Nigerian government officials were aware of the cleanup agency's failings, including contract fraud and falsified environmental reports.
• Community Impact: Residents face contaminated water sources, leading to severe health issues and economic hardships. The proposed cleanup agency, Hi Prep, established by the Nigerian government with Shell's partial funding, is under intense scrutiny for its effectiveness and integrity.

Notable Quotes:

• Paulina Abe Pepe [04:54]: "During the spill, most of the children have gotten diseases from drinking the water and many have died. I've lost eight kids. My husband is sick."
• Whistleblower [06:54]: "It's a con to siphon money and was widely known by the government and Shell to be. It's common knowledge that really what we're doing is a scam."

Legal Proceedings: Two Nigerian communities are set to sue Shell at a London High Court, seeking accountability for environmental damages despite Shell's ongoing sale of its onshore Nigerian facilities.

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3. Bangladesh: UN Report Links Security Forces to 1,400 Deaths in Protests

The United Nations has attributed approximately 1,400 deaths to security forces during last year's anti-government protests in Bangladesh. Originating as a student-led movement against public sector job quotas, the protests escalated into a nationwide uprising, culminating in the resignation and exile of then-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

Key Points:

• Nature of Violence: The UN investigation indicates that the killings were premeditated "crimes against humanity," orchestrated by those in power and coordinated by security officials.
• Government Response: Former ministers have dismissed the allegations, claiming no orders were given to target or kill civilians. However, the UN report contradicts these claims with eyewitness accounts and documented instances of excessive force.
• Political Aftermath: An interim government led by Nobel laureate Mohammed Yunus is now in power, advocating for criminal investigations and legal proceedings based on the UN's findings.

Notable Quotes:

• Ambarasan ETI Rajan [09:52]: "The protests began as a student led movement against public sector job quotas, but soon morphed into a nationwide uprising that forced the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India."
• Ambarasan ETI Rajan [11:18]: "The UN report suggests otherwise... it gives a chance for the government to use this for criminal investigation and also to launch legal proceedings."

Potential Legal Actions: The report provides a foundation for possible extradition of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from India to Bangladesh to face criminal charges, contingent on diplomatic agreements.

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4. Israel-Gaza Ceasefire Tensions Rise as Netanyahu Sets Ultimatum

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces increasing pressure to clarify his ceasefire demands in Gaza as the fragile truce teeters on the brink of collapse. Following extended Security Cabinet meetings, Netanyahu echoed former President Trump's proposal to nullify the ceasefire unless hostages are returned by a specified deadline.

Key Points:

• Ceasefire Conditions: Netanyahu's statement implies that failure to secure the return of hostages by Saturday could lead to the immediate termination of the ceasefire agreement.
• Hamas' Response: Hamas has reaffirmed its commitment to the ceasefire while accusing Israel of actions that could jeopardize the fragile peace.
• Military Preparedness: The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have heightened their readiness by mobilizing reserve units and deploying reinforcements near Gaza and the border, signaling potential resumption of offensive operations.

Notable Quotes:

• Yolande Nell [13:35]: "If Hamas doesn't return our hostages by noon on Saturday, the ceasefire will stop."
• Rob Watson [17:01]: "It is the obligation of every single health professional to treat and care for whomever comes before."

Diplomatic Efforts: Arab mediators, particularly Qatar and Egypt, are intensifying negotiations to sustain the ceasefire, with plans for a regional summit to discuss Gaza's reconstruction without displacing its population.

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5. Australia: Nurses Suspended Over Anti-Israeli Video; Surge in Hate Crimes

Two Australian nurses were suspended after appearing in a TikTok video threatening to refuse treatment and even harm Israeli patients. The video, which has sparked widespread condemnation, aligns with a recent increase in both anti-Semitic and Islamophobic incidents in Australia.

Key Points:

• Video Content: The nurses made explicit threats against Israeli individuals, including gestures mimicking violence, leading to immediate suspension and investigations.
• Political and Social Reaction: Australian leaders and community groups have denounced the remarks, emphasizing healthcare professionals' duty to provide unbiased care. The incident occurs amidst new stringent hate crime laws and a series of unrelated anti-Semitic and Islamophobic attacks.
• Community Impact: Jewish and Muslim communities in Australia are particularly concerned about the rising tide of hate-driven violence and its implications for public safety and social cohesion.

Notable Quotes:

• Mark Butler [17:01]: "The views expressed were completely unacceptable."
• David Lewis [20:01]: "The video that we saw was absolutely chilling and horrific."

Settlement Actions: Authorities have identified and suspended the nurses involved, ensuring they will not return to the Australian health system. Community leaders advocate for continued efforts to combat hate speech and protect vulnerable groups.

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6. Ukraine-Russia Conflict: Zelensky Proposes Potential Land Swap

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in a rare interview with The Guardian, outlined a possible land exchange with Russia as part of peace negotiations to end the ongoing conflict. This proposal involves swapping territories currently held by Ukrainian and Russian forces.

Key Points:

• Proposed Exchange: Zelenskyy suggested that parts of Russia's Kursk region, occupied by Ukrainian troops, could be traded for Ukrainian territories under Russian control.
• Russian Dismissal: Russian leadership, including former President Dmitry Medvedev, have dismissed the proposal as "nonsense," showing little willingness to consider such negotiations.
• US Involvement: Zelenskyy's upcoming meeting with US Vice President J.D. Vance aims to secure continued American military support, critical for Ukraine's defense efforts.

Notable Quotes:

• James Waterhouse [21:46]: "It's as simple as that, really, it seems for America to continue supporting it."
• Professor Alison Squires [24:35]: "The pandemic was having a significant impact on your mental health."

Strategic Implications: Zelenskyy's proposition marks a strategic shift towards leveraging captured territories for potential concessions, amidst ongoing military challenges and international diplomatic pressures.

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7. Global Study Reveals Mental Health Crisis Among Nurses

A comprehensive study involving 9,000 nurses across 35 countries highlights an unprecedented mental health burden within the nursing profession. Led by Professor Alison Squires of the Roary Mayers College of Nursing, the research underscores high rates of anxiety and depression exacerbated by public violence and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Key Points:

• Study Findings: On average, 30% of nurses reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, with some countries like Mongolia experiencing even higher rates.
• Support Systems: Nurses primarily rely on coworkers, family, and friends for mental health support, with limited access to professional mental health services, especially in low and middle-income countries.
• Stigma and Reporting: Cultural stigma often prevents nurses from openly acknowledging mental health issues, leading to underreporting and insufficient support mechanisms.

Notable Quotes:

• Professor Alison Squires [00:46]: "60% of our nurses responding reported symptoms of anxiety or reported that they had depression or symptoms of depression."
• Professor Alison Squires [25:09]: "We were finding about an average of... 30%, so slightly higher than what's typically seen for most general mental health statistics in a population."

Implications and Future Directions: The study calls for enhanced mental health support systems for nurses globally, emphasizing the need for sustainable interventions beyond informal support networks.

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8. UK Immigration Rules Tightened; Controversy Over Refugee Status

The UK government has introduced stricter immigration regulations, making it exceedingly difficult for individuals who entered the country via illegal routes to obtain British citizenship. This policy change has sparked backlash from charities and opposition politicians.

Key Points:

• Policy Details: Even asylum seekers previously granted refugee status face significant hurdles in achieving citizenship if they arrived through unauthorized means.
• Political Reactions:
  • Left-Wing Criticism: Advocates argue that the policy unfairly penalizes refugees, turning them into "second-class citizens" and hindering their full participation in society.
  • Right-Wing Support: Conservative and populist parties support the measures, arguing for stricter enforcement and discouraging illegal immigration methods like small boat crossings.

Notable Quotes:

• Rob Watson [28:56]: "On the right, you've got the Conservative Party... saying, you should not... have softened the rules in the first place."
• Rob Watson [29:48]: "You've got several Labour MPs saying this is crazy because... you would turn refugees into second class citizens."

Humanitarian Concerns: Critics emphasize that the new rules undermine the UK's commitments to protecting vulnerable populations, while supporters contend it enhances national security and immigration control.

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9. Czech Republic: Beavers Complete Long-Stalled Conservation Dam

In an unexpected turn of events, a family of beavers in the Czech Republic has autonomously completed a conservation project by building a dam that had been stalled by human administrative delays. This natural intervention has resulted in the creation of a larger wetland area, surpassing original plans and contributing to local biodiversity.

Key Points:

• Project Background: The intended dam construction aimed to protect endangered crayfish in the Klobava River from acidic runoff. However, bureaucratic disputes delayed the project for years.
• Beavers' Role: Taking advantage of the unmonitored site, the beavers constructed multiple dams, effectively doubling the planned wetland area and continuing to expand their habitat.
• Environmental Impact: Officials from the Czech Nature Conservation Agency celebrate the beavers' efforts, noting the enhanced ecological benefits without adverse effects.

Notable Quotes:

• Bohumil Faizer [32:32]: "Beavers are absolutely fantastic and when they're in an area, they can't cause damage... They do a brilliant job."

Conservation Success: The beavers' natural engineering has not only fulfilled but exceeded conservation goals, highlighting the potential for wildlife to contribute positively to environmental management when given the opportunity.

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Conclusion This episode of the Global News Podcast offers a multifaceted view of current global challenges, from humanitarian crises and environmental disasters to political tensions and public health concerns. Through in-depth reporting and expert analysis, the podcast underscores the interconnectedness of these issues and their profound impact on communities worldwide.

Transcript

[Jackie Leonard]

This is the global news podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Jackie leonard and at 14 hours GMT on Wednesday 12th February. These are our main stories. The paramilitary Rapid Support Forces in Sudan are reported to have stormed the country's largest displacement camp, which houses half a million people who fled fighting. The United nations says it believes 1,400 people were killed during last year's anti government protests in Bangladesh, mostly by the security forces. And pressure, pressure is growing on the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to clarify his latest Gaza ceasefire demands as the truce edges closer to collapse. Also in this podcast, between 20 and.

[Professor Alison Squires]

60% of our nurses responding reported symptoms of anxiety or reported that they had depression or symptoms of depression.

[Jackie Leonard]

A snapshot of the mental health burden on nurses around the world. Zamzam camp in North Darfur houses half a million people who have fled violence in Sudan and who were already facing famine. It's been the target of shelling since late last year. Now refugees there say the RSF paramilitary group has stormed it. There's been looting and a market set ablaze. Our correspondent in Nairobi, Barbara Plet Usher has been following the story.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

In terms of the casualties, it's really hard to get a clear picture. We don't really have information about numbers or injuries or deaths. What we have heard is that the injured are having a hard time getting treatment because the hospital in Zamzam no longer does surgeries. And the North Darfur health minister has also said that people who were injured weren't able to get to the nearby city of Al Fashr. If you remember, that's the city that's under siege by the rsf. He says the RSF is blocking the road, although hospitals in Al Fashr have also either been shut down or damaged in the long siege. In terms of damage in the camp, it seems as if there was quite extensive damage to the market. That's what we're told. And there are also videos on social media which show smouldering ruins which we are working at the moment at getting verified.

[Jackie Leonard]

And we know that the people who were living there are already in a terrible situation. Why is the camp a target for the rsf?

[Barbara Plet Usher]

Well, an RSF spokesman I contacted actually denied that the fighters had penetrated the camp. He said they had seized a military base near the camp which belongs to a group called the Joint Forces. This is an armed group that fights alongside the Sudanese military. And he said it had been shelling RSF checkpoint points per days. An eyewitness told us that the Joint Forces had confronted the RSF in the camp, but he said they arrived after the attack to respond to it.

[Jackie Leonard]

And looking at the conflict which has been going on for some time now, are we reaching a decisive point?

[Barbara Plet Usher]

We might be. Broadly speaking, the army has made some significant gains in central Sudan recently. It recaptured the key city of Wad Medini and it has gained control of Jazir estate, which is a strategic state. And now it's closing in on Khartoum from the south and has already reclaimed some regions of the capital city from the rsf, in particular Khartoum, Bahri, and it's advancing to the center of the city. It's not clear how much resistance they'll face, whether they'll get street to street fighting or whether there will still be prolonged battles or whether they will have a victory soon.

[Jackie Leonard]

There really is nowhere else for the people who are currently in Zamzam to go, is there?

[Barbara Plet Usher]

Not really, no. I mean, you know, before the war there were about 100,000, 200,000, it's not entirely clear people in Zamzam who had been displaced by previous conflicts in Darfur. And the number has really swelled since the civil war. And so you even had people from Al Fashr coming to Zam Zam because the fighting there is so intense. So if they, and if they're going.

[Yolande Nell]

To be displaced again.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

And according to reports, there was an exodus of quite a large number of people because of the fighting. It's not clear where they can go.

[Jackie Leonard]

Barbara Plet Usher in Nairobi. A BBC investigation has revealed allegations that British oil giant Shell ignored repeated warnings that a one billion dollar cleanup operation of polluted land in southern Nigeria has been beset with problems and corruption. The claims come as a trial begins this week at the High Court in London between two Nigerian communities and Shell over its pollution of the region ahead of the sale of its assets in the West African country. This report from our correspondent Simi Jalawasho in Ogoniland in the Niger Delta.

[Simi Jalawasho]

It's been seven decades since oil was discovered in southern Nigeria. Now formerly fertile landscapes appear as toxic wasteland. The family of 50 year old mother of six, Paulina Abe Pepe survived on fishing for generations. Until a decade ago.

[Jackie Leonard]

The place was greener. Not only mangroves, but all by the shoreline there were popo trees, palm trees and more. But during the spills, the destruction has polluted everywhere. During the spill, most of the children have gotten diseases from drinking the water and many have died. I've lost eight kids. My husband is sick. I think it's because of the pollution in the environment.

[Simi Jalawasho]

It's the reality of many here. Literally smells like petrol and this is the water that you're expected to use to drink, cook, wash. It smells like we're in the fuel station. I guess that's why it's even foaming up. 37 year old Grace Aldi lives in Eaugali with her partner and 2 year old oil spills have contaminated the only borehole they have access to, meaning they must buy clean water for 4,500 naira or 3 US dollars a day. The average wage here is less than 8. So do you have to be careful how much water you use? In 2011 the UN found people were drinking water contaminated with a known carcinogen at levels over 900 times above an international guideline. It led to the formation of a new cleanup agenc called hi Prep. Run by the Nigerian government and part funded by oil companies including Shell. The project was to take 30 years to complete. Now the BBC can reveal the $1 billion cleanup operation has been beset with allegations of collusion and fraud. A whistleblower who worked on the scheme and whose identity we're protecting because they fear reprisals told us the operation is a con to siphon money and was widely known by the government and Shell to be. It's common knowledge that really what we're doing is a scam.

[Jackie Leonard]

Most of it is to fool Diogeni people.

[Simi Jalawasho]

The BBC has seen internal documents suggesting representatives of Shell and of the Nigerian government were warned over years of alleged failings at the agency, including the awarding of contracts to incompetent companies and even of falsified test results.

[David Lewis]

Getting away with a scam starts with.

[Simi Jalawasho]

Issuing contracts to contractors who have absolutely.

[Jackie Leonard]

No interest or experience in remediation.

[Simi Jalawasho]

Then you enter into the world of.

[Jackie Leonard]

A high degree of collision between the government agencies, the regulators and the contractors.

[Simi Jalawasho]

In a meeting with the British High Commissioner to Nigeria last year, minutes of which have been obtained under Freedom of Information laws, Shell representatives acknowledged the institutional challenges of the cleanup agency and the chance of the refusal of future funding towards it. When we asked Shell whether it knew of alleged failings at H, the company told us hi Prep is an agency established and overseen by the Federal Government of Nigeria, with its Governing Council largely made up of senior ministers and government officials, along with five representatives of communities and NGOs and a single Shell representative. The BBC also visited areas where the Nigerian government and Shell have repeated claims have been cleaned up. It did not take long for us to see oil seep from the ground and Float on. Wow, that's the black. Shell told the BBC the operating environment in the Niger Delta remains challenging because of the huge scale of illegal activities such as oil theft. We take extensive steps to prevent this activity and the spills it causes. When spills do happen from our facilities, we clean up and remediate regardless of the cause. If it's an operational spill, we also compensate people and communities. The BBC has asked Hy Prep and the Nigerian government to comment on the allegations but has received no response. This week two Nigerian communities will bring a case against Shell at a London high court. The company is selling its onshore facilities in Nigeria, but questions over its conduct and legacy here remain.

[Jackie Leonard]

Simi Jalawasho in the Niger Delta, UN human rights investigators say they believe 1,400 people were killed during last year's anti government protests in Bangladesh, mostly by the security forces. The protests began as a student led movement against public sector job quotas, but soon morphed into a nationwide uprising that forced the then Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to resign and flee to India. Now the UN says the deadly violence against protesters could amount to crimes against humanity. Our South Asia editor is Ambar Sanati Rajan.

[Ambarasan ETI Rajan]

According to this UN investigation, many of these violence were targeted and they were all carried out with the knowledge, coordination and direction of those in power and the security officials basically to maim people. And they were also alleged to have given directions to kill and enforce disappearances. And many of these incidents happened and they went to Bangladesh. Soon after the government of Sheikha Zina fell and they spoke to more than 230 people, spoke to weapons expert and the victims and the families of those who were killed, who were killed in this violence in Bangladesh. Now how this happened, as you mentioned, it all started as a student protest. Then it became a widespread anti government movement with various political parties and religious groups joining this student protest. And as a result Prime Minister Sheikha Sina on 5 August she fled to India in a helicopter after this mass uprising. And then now an interim government headed by the Nobel laureate Mohammed Yunus is in charge. And they asked for this investigation to find out because we saw the television pictures of police firing into the crowd and then there was clashes between the protesters and the security forces. And now the UN says that it could amount to crimes against humanity and then calling for criminal investigation.

[Jackie Leonard]

Yeah, I think the report says three.

[Ambarasan ETI Rajan]

Quarters of those who were killed were victims of shooting by military rifles, including shotguns with pellets. But one of Sheikh Hasina's former ministers, dismissing it all as preposterous allegations. I messaged him and he responded by saying that these allegations were preposterous and no security official was given the order to shoot at civilians straight away into the protesters. In fact, he said Mohammed Ali Arafat, he was a minister at that time. He said he was very much involved in the meetings regarding the Julie protests at any of these meetings. He was never aware of giving them direction to the security forces to stop these protesters, disperse them at any cost. But then the UN report suggests otherwise. And it also talks about the supporters of the then governing Awami League also targeting these protesters. And we spoke to several doctors at the time in hospitals where many bodies were brought and then hundreds of injured civilians were brought, and there was a popular uprising against the government at that time. Now, what this UN report gives is legal standing. Some document by an external agency which has gone into these allegations of human rights abuses now has come out with a fact finding report, and that gives a chance for the government to use this for criminal investigation and also to launch legal proceedings. But at the moment, she is in India, she's in exile, and it all depends on whether Delhi wants to extradite her back to Bangladesh to face these criminal charges.

[Jackie Leonard]

Anbarasan ETI Rajan, speaking to Ben Brown. There's mounting pressure for the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to clarify his latest Gaza ceasefire demands as the fragile truce edges closer to collapse. After a long Israeli Security cabinet meeting yesterday, Mr. Netanyahu appeared to back President Trump's suggestion that Israel cancels the ceasefire deal altogether unless the hostages were returned by Saturday. Hamas has issued a statement renewing its commitment to the ceasefire and accusing Israel of jeopardizing it. Our Middle east correspondent, Yolande Nell gave us her assessment of Mr. Netanyahu's comments.

[Yolande Nell]

The prime Minister is someone who always chooses his words very carefully. He came out with this video statement after the security cabinet met for four hours. He said they had reached a unanimous decision. And he said, if Hamas doesn't return our hostages by noon on Saturday, the ceasefire will stop. He stopped short of specifying all our hostages, exactly echoing the language of President Trump when he had proposed this kind of threat. That could mean then potentially all 76 of the remaining hostages, or it could mean what he said, just the three who were originally scheduled to be released before Hamas said that it was freezing the releases of the hostages because of ceasefire violations by Israel, which of course, Israel has denied. So we then had these different briefings. Key ministers who came out across the Israeli media last night and on social media. And they said that the Security Cabinet meant the demand was for all hostages. But you've got some Israeli analysts saying crucially this morning that he has deliberately, the prime minister, not closed the door on the deal.

[Jackie Leonard]

And the idf, meanwhile, is saying that it has raised its level of readiness. What does that mean?

[Yolande Nell]

So what we understand is that the Israeli military has begun to mobilize reserve units. It's deployed reinforcements both inside Gaza and close to the border to be prepared to go back on the offensive if the ceasefire with Hamas collapses. And they're saying that they could get back onto a fighting foot very quickly. The situation now is very different from that before the beginning of the war because, of course, the Israeli military still does have troops deployed along the Philadelphia corridor, this strategic strip of land between Gaza and Egypt, and all around the perimeter inside the Gaza Strip. At the moment, they're supposed to be on defensive missions, but they're saying they can easily be put on the offensive instead.

[Jackie Leonard]

Now, the next stage of the ceasefire was always going to be difficult. Where does the ceasefire stand right now? And what is being done behind the scenes to try and keep it on track?

[Yolande Nell]

I would say that overall, the ceasefire really is in its most delicate moment since it was first implemented three weeks ago. You can guarantee that Arab countries that the mediators, Qatar and Egypt in particular, are behind the scenes putting a lot of pressure on Hamas to try to kind of get things back on track. Egypt, meanwhile, has confirmed that it has this kind of comprehensive vision for. For reconstruction of Gaza. There is also, we can see from the Arab states a kind of more concerted effort now to put up a sort of united front. They're promising to have a summit later this month to formulate their own plans for Gaza that will not require the removal of the entire Gaza population, some 2 million people, in the way that President Trump has been outlining with his plan.

[Jackie Leonard]

Yoland Nell in Jerusalem. In Australia, two nurses who appeared in a video apparently threatening to refuse to treat and even to kill Israeli patients have been suspended by the health authorities. The video was posted on TikTok and has attracted widespread political condemnation. Police in the state of New South Wales say they are aware of the incident. The federal Health Minister, Mark Butler, said the views expressed were completely unacceptable.

[Rob Watson]

It is the obligation of every single health professional to treat and care for whomever comes before. The idea that you would single out a particular group in our community and indicate you wouldn't care for them runs against every single principle in our healthcare system.

[Jackie Leonard]

Our correspondent in Sydney is Phil Mercer.

[Phil Mercer]

This appears to have been recorded in a hospital. The video was shared on TikTok by a content creator called Max Weifer, who says he's from Israel. Now in the footage, another man who claims to be A doctor tells Mr. Vifer that he sends Israelis to an Islamic place akin to hell. Now, this man goes on to make a throat slitting gesture. A woman then comes on the screen and says that she won't care for Israelis in the hospital. I won't treat them, I will kill them, she says. And as you'd imagine, this video has generated immense outrage and fear here in Australia and beyond.

[Jackie Leonard]

So what do we know about the people who are in this video and what's happened to them?

[Phil Mercer]

Well, the police here in Australia say that they have identified the two nurses involved in the video. They have been suspended. Now, state authorities here in New South Wales say that these two nurses are under investigation and will never work in the Australian health system again. The Australian Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese said that this video was disgusting and vile.

[Jackie Leonard]

So apart from the political reaction, what other sorts of reaction has there been?

[Phil Mercer]

Well, this all comes as Australia has recently passed tougher laws against hate crimes following a wave of high profile anti Semitic attacks. Here in Australia in recent weeks and months, we have heard from the head of the Executive Council of Australian Jury, a man called Alex Rivchin, and he's given his reaction to seeing this video.

[Jackie Leonard]

This morning we saw a video that eloquently illustrated the evil of anti Semitism.

[David Lewis]

And the extent to which it has.

[Jackie Leonard]

Consumed the minds of some Australians. The video that we saw was absolutely chilling and horrific. The brazen way, the open and confident manner in which these people spoke about.

[Barbara Plet Usher]

Killing and torturing and wishing death upon.

[Jackie Leonard]

Israelis, and particularly coming from our medical professionals who we look to for care and support, was a ghastly thing to see.

[Phil Mercer]

The views there of Alex Rivkin, who is a senior member of the Jewish community here in Austria. In recent months, in incidents unconnected to this hospital video, there have been a series of arson and graffiti attacks involving homes, cars and synagogues in Jewish areas across Australia. Worth noting too that community groups have said that there has been a sharp rise in Islamophobic attacks as well here in Australia in recent months too.

[Jackie Leonard]

That was Phil Mercer.

[David Lewis]

Still to come, whilst authorities were wrangling for years over the project plan, the beavers did what beavers do, building a dam of their own.

[Jackie Leonard]

The beavers who rescued a long stalled conservation project. The Ukrainian President has given a wide ranging interview to the British Guardian newspaper In which, for the first time, he's spoken of a possible land exchange with Russia in the event of negotiations to end the war. Volodymyr Zelensky said parts of Russia's Kursk region, which had been held by Ukrainian troops for the last six months, could be swapped for territory in Ukraine currently occupied by Russia. The Russians, well, they don't seem keen on the idea. It was described as nonsense by Russia's former President, Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of Vladimir Putin. Later in the week, Mr. Zelenskyy will meet the US Vice President, J.D. vance, and attempt to secure America's continued military. Kurt Volker was Donald Trump's United States Special Representative for Ukraine during his first term. He told the BBC why the President wants an end to the fighting there.

[Professor Alison Squires]

First off, I think this is one of Trump's top priorities. I think he has made it very clear he wants to end the carnage, end the fighting, stop the war. The second is that he has told the American people, we shouldn't be spending American taxpayer money on the war in Ukraine. And now there are various ideas on the table about how to support Ukraine, how to end the war, but not.

[Ambarasan ETI Rajan]

Have it cost the American taxpayer.

[Jackie Leonard]

So what to make of the interview? James Waterhouse is in Kiev.

[James Waterhouse]

We're in a transactional phase, shall we say, of Russia's full scale invasion. In the past, it was about President Zelensky pleading for what he saw as being right. You know, helping a democratic country, a sovereign nation, stand up against a larger aggressor. Now he is having to sell the commercial benefits. It's as simple as that, really, it seems for America to continue supporting it. So he'd always said this surprise attack into Russia's Kursk region wasn't about long term occupation. The hundreds of square kilometers they've seized are a relative sliver compared with what Russia has taken the other way. But now, for the first time, he's being clearer. He's saying we're going to use this as political leverage for a potential peace negotiation. If Russia wants what we've taken back, you'll have to give back what you currently occupy inside Ukraine, because there is also an operational reality here in that his forces have been unable to shift Russian troops or even hold them back in many parts of the front line in the east. So I think this is what President Zelenskyy is shifting himself towards now. He's gearing up, as you said, for the Munich Security Conference, where he is meeting a US Vice President who's been extremely critical of American Support for Ukraine. The White House has its eyes on Ukraine's natural resources. It wants to invest in them as a kind of return on the billions it's given. And so this is this kind of transactional tone we are starting to see from Ukraine's leader.

[Jackie Leonard]

And even this tentative suggestion of land swaps, the Russians have already suggested that they're not interested. We've heard from Dmitry Medvedev. He says its nonsense. Is there some sort of middle ground.

[James Waterhouse]

Possibility that may well materialize down the line? At the moment, the Kremlin is just repeating its demands, really, these really quite extreme demands of complete control of the four Ukrainian territories it occupies territory in that would involve Ukraine surrendering entire cities that have yet to fall. And it wants the complete demilitarization of Ukraine. And its repeated that false claim that Ukraine is run by a Nazi government. So Russia is standing firm. But if you look at the language from Washington, it's looking to appease Moscow. Already we're already seeing the conversation shift to Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin. And President Zelensky is just fighting to keep himself in that conversation because what he said time and time again is that there can be no talks about Ukraine without Ukraine, but that's materializing.

[Jackie Leonard]

James Waterhouse in Kyiv. A study of 9,000 nurses in 35 countries has found the profession faces an unprecedented challenge through public violence and aggression towards nurses and also high rates of anxiety and depression. Professor Alison Squires of the Roary Mayers College of nursing in the U.S. led the study.

[Professor Alison Squires]

What we were aiming to do was to actually document the scope of nurses mental health and see how it was similar and also different across different countries. My research consortium, we were able to take the early data from our ongoing study and actually start taking a look at where we were seeing similarities and differences, but also seeing the impact of the COVID 19 pandemic and showing how really it didn't matter where you were if you were a nurse, the pandemic was having a significant impact on your mental health.

[Simi Jalawasho]

And so what was the state of that mental health did you find?

[Professor Alison Squires]

Well, we were finding about an average of, I mean, it was quite a wide range of between 20 and 60% of our nurses responding reported symptoms of anxiety or reported that they had depression or symptoms of depression. And so, you know, but the average overall was running about somewhere around about 30%, so slightly higher than what's typically seen for most general mental health statistics in a population.

[Simi Jalawasho]

And were there any countries that stood up for you that were worse off before or that had gotten worse or Some which were doing better.

[Professor Alison Squires]

Well, what's interesting is for a lot of the countries involved in this particular study, they had no baseline mental health statistics of their nurses. So this was one of the first studies to really, as far as we can tell, for many of the low and middle income countries to actually capture sort of a baseline idea of what, how are nurses doing and what is the state of their mental health. And it did strike me particularly that nurses in Mongolia reported particularly high rates of both anxiety and depression overall compared to most of the other countries. But we also noticed that for some other countries that many people said, no, I don't have anxiety, I don't have depression, but I have a lot of the symptoms. So there's also a sort a stigma that is coming through in our data where nurses may not feel comfortable reporting or naming that they have anxiety or depression, but they're more comfortable sharing that, well, yeah, I have a lot of the symptoms that are, that go with anxiety and depression.

[Simi Jalawasho]

We know that some of the countries that you are looking into, you just mentioned Mongolia, some of them will not be rich countries, they will not have enough resources. So what is the support system there to help those who've come or who've told you that there is, you know, they have anxiety that they're a bit depressed?

[Professor Alison Squires]

Well, one of the things that we saw was nurses tended to turn toward either their coworkers or their family and friends first and that was their primary source of support. And so in low, and that was true regardless of whether it was high income countries or low income countries. So that, you know, your inner circle is the first place that people start when they're looking for support. But the question is, is one that gets beyond what just your friends, your family members, maybe even for those who comfort in religious support from a clergy person, then you know what happens though when you get beyond that need. And that's where we need to fig out things like what happens when, if you do need that support. One of my consortium members, they hadn't completed the study yet, but they shared that USAID had actually been doing rapid response training in mental health for health workers in Malawi due to the recent events in the US and the stopping of USAID programming that those efforts have been stopped at the moment. So there was examination, there are examples out there of being able to do some rapid intervention and provide support in low income settings. But the legacy and how sustainable that will be now is under question.

[Jackie Leonard]

Professor Alison Squires and she was speaking to Victoria Awonghunda here in the uk. The government has toughened up its immigration rules, making it almost impossible for people who arrive in the UK via illegal routes or methods to become a British citizen. The move has been condemned by charities and some MPs. Rob Watson, our political correspondent, is following the story.

[Rob Watson]

It is a big change, Jackie, but in a funny sort of way it represents a toughening after a softening on the previous government. Let me explain. So the last Conservative government had introduced what many thought was pretty draconian measures in 2023, which they thought might violate UN conventions on refugees, essentially saying, saying if you came to the UK in a small boat, no matter how good your claim was, no matter how deserving you were for refugee from asylum status, you would not be considered because you had arrived here, as the government thought, illegally. The new Labour government has repealed that. But it's toughening things by saying, look, even if you've got asylum status, even if you've been considered, yes, you're a legitimate refugee in most cases, you will normally refuse the next step of being considered for citizenship if you came here illegally.

[Jackie Leonard]

And what sort of reaction has there been?

[Rob Watson]

Well, I guess you could divide it into two, Jack. If there's those more to the left or on the sort of human rights, civil rights side, who would say this, this was terrible. So, for example, you've got several Labour MPs saying this is crazy because you know it would turn refugees into second class citizens. You've got the refugee council saying that's a group that if you like, promotes the rights of refugees. Says that just doesn't make any sense at all. I mean, if people have come here, surely you'd want them to be full participants in society and give them citizenship if they've earned it. On the other side, on the right, if you like, you've got the Conservative Party, the former governing party, and Reform, the sort of populist party of the right, saying, you should not labor, the Labour government should not not have softened the rules in the first place about considering people arriving in small boats. So if you like, the new Labour government finds itself caught from both sides.

[Jackie Leonard]

That was Rob Watson. In the Czech Republic, an important conservation project has been completed south of Prague. It had been held up for several years and was expected to cost about a million dollars. But while the humans wrangled over the details, a family of beavers stepped in and completed the job themselves. David Lewis has been following the story.

[David Lewis]

Beavers are known for gnawing wood, felling trees and getting dams done. And now the can do creature can add Contributing to the coffers, to its peculiar portfolio, Czech officials had been planning a dam built by humans. It should be added to protect endangered crayfish in the Klobava river from acidic water spilling over from two nearby ponds. But the ever ready rodents, well, they had other ideas. Whilst authorities were wrangling for years over the project plans at the former army site, the beavers did what beavers do, building a dam of their own. The active animals thus created a wetland with pools and canals. The area is now roughly twice larger than previously planned. The beaver family then moved on to a gully encircling the ponds, and they haven't finished there yet. They've built at least four dams in that gully and are still working on more. Beavers create these pools of water to protect themselves against predators and to hold their food during the winter. Environmentalists claim there were discussions about building dams there with water companies. Now the estimated saving is 30 million Czech krona. That's $1.2 million. Bohumil Faizer from the Czech Nature Conservation Agency, can scarcely contain his delight. It's full service. Beavers are absolutely fantastic and when they're in an area, they can't cause damage, he insisted to the AFP news agency. They do a brilliant job.

[Jackie Leonard]

And that was David Lewis. And that's it from us for now. But there will be a new edition of the Global News Podcast later. If you would like to comment on this one or the topics covered in it, do please send us an email. The address is globalpodcastbc.co.uk. you can also find us on XBCWorldService or use the hashtag globalnewspod. This edition was mixed by Gareth Jones. The producer was Ed Horton. Our editor is Karen Martin. I'm Jackie Leonard and until next time, goodbye.