Tehran calls reports of US talks 'fake news'

Summary

---

Global News Podcast – Tehran Calls Reports of US Talks 'Fake News'

BBC World Service | Host: Oliver Conway | Date: March 24, 2026

---

Episode Overview

This episode of the Global News Podcast centers on escalating tensions and diplomatic maneuvering amid the ongoing US-Israel war with Iran. Primary focus is given to conflicting reports about possible peace talks between the US and Iran, President Trump's strategies, reactions from regional players, and expert analysis. The episode also covers the sharp rise in Israeli settler violence in the West Bank, the fatal crash of a Colombian military plane, and cultural asides including new scientific discoveries about sperm whales and an exhibition on humanity’s relationship with pets.

---

Key Topics & Discussion Points

1. US-Iran Tensions: Are Peace Talks Happening?

• President Trump Claims Talks ([02:12]–[03:20]):
  Trump delays military strikes on Iran, citing “very good discussions” and a claim that Iran will not acquire nuclear weapons. He warns a five-day window for talks, suggesting severe consequences otherwise:

  • Quote: “We're now having really good discussions. They want peace, they've agreed they will not have a nuclear weapon… I think it could very well end up being a very good deal for everybody, as good as if we went all the way and just literally annihilated the place, which if we don't have to do that, that would be a good thing, not a bad thing.”
    — President Trump (read by Oliver Conway, [02:49])

• Iran Denies Talks ([03:20]–[03:41]):
  Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Speaker of the Iranian Parliament, dismisses Trump’s claims as “fake news” intended to impact financial and oil markets.

• Expert Analysis — John Bolton ([03:41]–[04:28]):
  Former US National Security Adviser John Bolton expresses skepticism about talks, attributing Trump’s statements to an effort to reassure markets and pull out of the conflict amid domestic pressures:

  • Quote: “We could lose a very significant opportunity here because Trump feels the domestic political pressure and is looking for an exit no matter what the long term consequences, much of which might be felt after he leaves office.”
    — John Bolton ([04:07])

• On-the-Ground Reporting — US Perspective ([04:35]–[06:26]):
  US Correspondent David Willis details contested reports of American envoys (Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner) meeting an unnamed Iranian figure, possibly Ghalibaf, in Pakistan. The White House neither confirms nor denies the substance but acknowledges diplomatic outreach via third countries.

  • US VP JD Vance potentially involved.
  • US public largely opposed to the conflict, reeling from high petrol prices and mixed messaging.

2. Why Did Trump Back Down on Strikes?

• Sanam Vakil (Chatham House) ([06:40]–[08:21]):
  • Criticizes the threat to strike Iran's energy grid as certain to provoke regional escalation.
  • Trump under pressure from Gulf states and financial markets to deescalate.
  • This period could be “test running” negotiations—talks involve experienced Iranian officials, as the system remains bureaucratic and robust.
    • Quote: “Striking Iran's electricity grid... would have 100% resulted in retaliation across the region. And there has certainly been lobbying from Gulf countries, if not more, to perhaps get President Trump to walk back a bad decision.”
      — Sanam Vakil ([06:41])

3. What Would US-Iran Negotiations Entail?

• Jeremy Bowen, International Editor ([08:30]–[10:03]):
  The diplomatic agenda would be complex:
  • Uranium enrichment and nuclear capability
  • Iran’s regional alliances (e.g., Hezbollah)
  • Control and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz
  • Lifting sanctions and security guarantees regarding Israel Suggests Trump may be seeking a “declaration of victory” to satisfy US political needs or global markets, lacking a clear exit strategy compared to Iran’s methodical, attritional approach.
  • Quote: “To have victory in war, you need a defined objective, you need a clear exit strategy, you need a plan for what's coming next. And the evidence is that he had none of those things. Whereas Iran has had this plan to make this into a war of attrition.”
    — Jeremy Bowen ([09:17])

---

4. Surge in West Bank Settler Attacks

([10:03]–[14:49])

• Situation Report:
  Significant uptick in Israeli settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank—six Palestinians have been shot dead this month; homes and property burned in nighttime attacks, especially after an Israeli settler’s funeral triggered reprisals.

• On-the-Ground Descriptions — Yoland Nell:

  • Devastating aftermath: burnt homes, families under threat, delayed emergency response.

  • Quote: “We had taken precautions, but we're not expecting so many of them to come. We thought they wanted to kill us. It was terrifying when you are sitting with your family and your children and then you come under attack. I'm crying out of fear for my children.”
    — Barhan Omar, resident ([11:19])

  • Quote: “My daughter ran inside and told me the settlers are burning the house down. I took my family outside because we were suffocating from the smoke. I didn't know what to do because the settlers were throwing stones at us. We had our hands on our heads.”
    — Samer Omar, resident ([12:29])

• Israeli military condemns violence but is criticized for slow medical response. Palestinians say violence is intended to dispossess them of land, a trend exacerbated by regional conflict distractions.

---

5. Brief Reports on Other Global News

Colombian Plane Crash ([18:54]–[20:26])

• 66 confirmed dead after a military transport plane – also carrying ammunition – crashes shortly after takeoff near Ecuador and Peru borders.
• No evidence of hostile attack, but questions arise over the model’s safety record.

OnlyFans Owner Dies ([20:26]–[23:29])

• Leonid Radvinsky, owner of OnlyFans, dies at 43, raising questions about the platform's future.
• Anna Iovine of Mashable details OnlyFans’ impact on the adult industry, legal challenges, and regulatory scrutiny:
  • Quote: “Now you can actually just make content in your bedroom.”
    — Anna Iovine ([22:44])
  • British regulator Ofcom fined OnlyFans over age verification failures.

First Footage of Sperm Whales Head-Butting ([15:05], [23:29]–[26:26])

• Scientific Breakthrough: Researchers film adolescent male sperm whales head-butting in play and competition, behavior previously only reported anecdotally by sailors.
  • Quote (Dr. Luke Rendell): “We've captured a series of interactions that show them not just ramming, but nuzzling each other and shoving against each other in a kind of play.” ([14:56])
• Possible functions: Mating competition, establishing dominance, early ejection from social groups.

---

Cultural Feature: Who Owns Whom—Pets and Their People

([26:26]–[30:44])

• Exhibition Report — Shaun Lay with Curator Charles Foster:
  • Explores humanity’s devotion to pets: fake robotic pets for the lonely and infirm, luxury accessories, and the economic impact of pet-keeping.
  • Historical context: Ancient Egyptians’ cat goddess Bastet; household mourning rituals for cats.
    • Quote: “If you follow the pet money, you realize who's really in charge.”
      — Charles Foster ([27:33])
    • Pet rock phenomenon as commentary on our attachment to animals, real or imagined.

---

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Trump’s measured warning ([02:49]): “There’s a very good chance… could end up being a very good deal for everybody, as good as if we went all the way and just literally annihilated the place…”
• John Bolton skepticism ([03:50]): “He may declare victory where victory doesn't exist.”
• Sanam Vakil on Gulf lobbying ([06:41]): “Striking Iran's electricity grid… would have 100% resulted in retaliation across the region.”
• Jeremy Bowen on strategy ([09:17]): “To have victory in war, you need a defined objective, you need a clear exit strategy...”
• Palestinian testimonies ([11:19], [12:29])
• Dr. Luke Rendell, whale study ([25:04]): “We've known for a long time that large male sperm whales will use their heads as battering rams…”

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Episode starts/main headlines — [01:26]
• US-Iran ‘Peace Talks’ debate — [02:12]–[10:03]
• West Bank settler attacks — [10:03]–[14:49]
• Scientific insight: Sperm whales — [15:05], [23:29]–[26:26]
• Cultural: Pets and their people — [26:26]–[30:44]
• Plane crash in Colombia — [18:54]–[20:26]
• OnlyFans founder’s death/Industry impact — [20:26]–[23:29]

---

Summary

This episode offers a comprehensive, real-time look at the confusion and high-stakes diplomacy in the Middle East as the US and Iran appear deadlocked—not just militarily but in the messaging war. While President Trump touts the promise of peace talks, Iranian officials flatly deny engagement. Expert voices consider the pressures, motivations, and potential regional consequences, especially with regards to the volatile Strait of Hormuz. The podcast then pivots to human stories from the West Bank, global news updates, and cultural features, maintaining the BBC’s hallmark blend of hard news and human interest.

Transcript

[BBC Announcer]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the uk.

[Danielle Fishel]

This is Danielle Fishel and Ryder Strong

[Ryder Strong]

from Pod Meets World.

[Danielle Fishel]

As cat parents, Ryder and I know the feeling of being ignored by our cats. I often wonder, does my cat even love me?

[Ryder Strong]

Well, there's only one solution to solve that.

[Sheba Ad Voice]

Sheba.

[Danielle Fishel]

Feed your cat Sheba and go from feeling ignored to truly adored in 12 days, guaranteed or your money back.

[Ryder Strong]

Sheba has so many incredible products that can satisfy even the pickiest eater, like New Sheba Grilled.

[Danielle Fishel]

Made in the USA with the finest ingredients from around the world, they are savory strips in a succulent sauce that cats are sure to love and it's 100% complete and balanced with essential vitamins and nutrients for adult cats like my bill. Made without artificial flavors or preservatives. No corn, wheat or soy. To learn more, check out shiba.com want

[Amazon Hub Delivery Advertiser]

to earn extra income for your business? Amazon Hub Delivery is looking for ambitious business owners to assist with local deliveries. When you become a partner, you and your staff will deliver packages to customers in your area on a schedule that works for you. With each package delivered, you'll gain extra income and exposure for your business. Plus, Amazon Hub Delivery makes it easy to get started. There's no upfront costs, delivery experience or long term contracts required. Sign up to learn [e-mail] hubdelivery that's Amazon.com huvdelivery Foreign

[Oliver Conway]

you're listening to the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. Hello, I'm Oliver Conway. We're recording this at 05:00, clock GMT on Tuesday 24th March. The speaker of the Iranian Parliament denies claims by President Trump that peace talks are underway between Iran and the U.S. the Colombian military says 66 soldiers have died in a plague plane crash and we report on the increase in Israeli settler attacks in the occupied West Bank. Also in the podcast, a Swarovski cat

[Charles Foster]

flap studded with crystals. You can buy enormously expensive satin pyjamas for your dog or your cat and even your ferret.

[Oliver Conway]

Is your pet controlling your life and your wallet? In the face of turmoil on the markets and defiance from Iranian hardliners, President Trump has for now backed down on his threat to obliterate Iran's power plants. He had said he would target them if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened within 48 hours. That deadline has now passed and the crucial waterway remains shut. But but the US has not attacked. Instead, Mr. Trump says he's paused the threatened strikes because peace talks are underway.

[Oliver Conway (brief interjection)]

We are now having really good discussions. They want peace, they've agreed they will not have a nuclear weapon, et cetera, et cetera. But we'll see. You have to get it done. But I would say there's a very good chance. And so we're giving it five days and then we're going to see where that takes us. And I would say at the end of this period, I think it could very well end up being a very good deal for everybody, as good as if we went all the way and just literally annihilated the place, which if we don't have to do that, that would be a good thing, not a bad thing.

[Oliver Conway]

But Iran says there have been no negotiations. The speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Mohamed Baga Ali Baf, mentioned as Iran's possible negotiator, said it was all fake news to manipulate the financial and oil markets. John Bolton was U.S. national Security Adviser in the first Trump term. What does he make of it all?

[John Bolton]

I find it a little bit difficult to believe that there really are negotiations with Iran that are as close to bringing an end to the war as he says. I think he was very worried about the markets in Asia and it was convenient to avoid a bloodbath on American stock exchanges too. And it may cause him to declare victory where victory doesn't exist. What we're doing is showing our weakness by allowing Iran to dictate the terms on which the struggle is going to end, that they'll open the Strait of Hormuz when they choose to. So we could lose a very significant opportunity here because Trump feels the domestic political pressure and is looking for an exit no matter what the long term consequences, much of which might be felt after he leaves office.

[Oliver Conway]

John Bolton so what is actually happening in terms of negotiations, if anything? I asked David Willis in the United States.

[David Willis]

President Trump has said that talks are underway and that his special envoy Steve Witkoff and his son in law Jared Kushner held discussions with Iranian official yesterday and will continue to talk to that official today and that the talks were involving, he said, a top person in the Iranian regime whom he wouldn't name, although he did confirm that it wasn't Iran's new supreme leader. The individual in question is thought to be Mohammed Baga Khalifba, who is the speaker of the Iranian Parliament. And there are reports that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner could meet a negotiating delegation from Iran as early as this week in Pakistan, possibly with the US Vice President JD Vance joining those talks. The White House hasn't denied those suggestions and an administration official confirmed that that President Trump did indeed speak by phone today to Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. And Mr. Netanyahu afterwards acknowledged that the US thought a deal with Iran was possible. The Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman said that messages had been received from friendly countries that's thought to be Egypt, Pakistan, the Gulf states, indicating that the United States was in favor of negotiating an end to this conflict, although that particular individual denied that any such talks had so far taken place. Majority of people here, Oliver, remain opposed to this conflict and they've seen petrol prices soar, they've seen the conflict drag on. It's now entering its fourth week and they've heard plenty of mixed messaging from Donald Trump in terms of both timelines and objectives.

[Oliver Conway]

David Willis but why is President Trump talking peace just 48 hours after threatening to wipe out Iran's energy infrastructure? Sanam Vakil is head of the Middle east and North Africa program at the Chatham House think tank.

[Sanam Vakil]

First of all, this was a very bad threat to make because striking Iran's electricity grid, its power capabilities would have 100% resulted in retaliation across the region. And there has certainly been lobbying from Gulf countries, if not more, to perhaps get President Trump to walk back a bad decision. Secondly, of course, there is the persistent speculation that President Trump is trying to manage the markets. So Trump quickly on Monday morning tried to temper oil prices, which are expected to continue to go up. But thirdly, there's nothing wrong with test running what negotiations would look like. I don't think that this is going to quickly end or cease this war, but this could be a first effort at testing the waters. And from what I hear, it is Iran's speaker of the Parliament, Mohammad Barreir Khaliboff, who is in communication with a new American interlocutor that could be J.D. vance. Despite the heavy blows and the decapitation strategy underway, the Iranian system is still intact. It's intact because it's not personalized, it's bureaucratic and institutional and it still has plenty of individuals working in that system that have history, that have experience, that have decision making authority and has been speaker of the Parliament for quite some time. But he's been a well known figure within that system. He also sits on the Supreme National Security Council, which is the body where theoretically foreign policy decisions are made in consensus and recommendations are put forward.

[Oliver Conway]

Sanam Pil of Chatham House with his analysis of what possible negotiations may involve. Here's our international editor, Jeremy Bowen.

[Jeremy Bowen]

If there were talks, the agenda would have to be massive and Complicated. What about the enriched uranium that could be used to make a nuclear weapon? What about the alliances Iran has around the region, like Hezbollah in Lebanon? And what about the Strait of Hormuz, the most potent weapon that Iran seems to have discovered, in fact knew about all along? Plenty of people ask, why didn't President Trump know about it? The Iranians, if it is that kind of real negotiation, at some point will make their own demands. They'll want to retain control in some way of the Strait of Hormuz, maybe lift sanctions, maybe get some assurance that the Israelis are not going to attack them. So I think that what we're seeing right now, is it perhaps Trump preparing a declaration of victory, Gulf states don't want to be left with a mess in the region, or is it simply an attempt to reassure the markets? That seems to be one of the most credible things. The point is, though, to have victory in war, you need a defined objective, you need a clear exit strategy, you need a plan for what's coming next. And the evidence is that he had none of those things. Whereas Iran has had this plan to make this into a war of attrition. And what President Trump has done has dismissed all those worries and doubts that previous American presidents have had about attacking Iran because of all the difficulties it would cause. And I think he's discovering that that's why they chose not to destroy the Islamic Republic, but try to contain it instead.

[Oliver Conway]

Our international editor, Jeremy Bowen with the World focused on the Iran war, there's been an increase in Israeli settler attacks in the occupied west bank, the larger of the two Palestinian territories. Six Palestinians have been shot dead by settlers this month, according to the local health ministry. Over the past two nights, settlers have gone on the rampage after an 18 year old settler was killed. A car crash. At least 10 people were injured in a village east of Nablus from where our Middle east correspondent Yoland Nell reports.

[Yoland Nell]

I've just come into what must have been just one day ago, a very smart villa, a multi storied house. And now it has been burnt to ashes. Inside, all the furniture is hard. It was set alight in a big settler attack. The family was just here watching television. There's what remains of the TV screen

[Unnamed Narrator (continuation of Yoland Nell's report)]

there up on the wall.

[Yoland Nell]

The house belongs to Barhan Omar, who's a bank manager. He built this house for his family.

[Barhan Omar]

We had taken precautions, but we're not expecting so many of them to come. We thought they wanted to kill us. It was terrifying when you are sitting with your family and your children and then you come under attack. I'm crying out of fear for my children.

[Yoland Nell]

This is a village, it's called Deir Al Hatab. It's on the eastern side of Nablus, Ms. Ferrari, surrounded by olive groves. And this is the road which locals say was absolutely packed last night with settlers. There's still graffiti that's up on the walls, a Star of David over here. And it's here that villagers say dozens of settlers forced open a big black iron gate and entered into another property. There's what remains of a car here, really just the wreckage of a car at this point. This is the house of Samur Omar and his wife. They were here with their four children and didn't expect anything like this at all.

[Samer Omar]

It was so scary. I never imagined something like this would happen. My daughter ran inside and told me the settlers are burning the house down. I took my family outside because we were suffocating from the smoke. I didn't know what to do because the settlers were throwing stones at us. We had our hands on our heads.

[Yoland Nell]

So Samer has shown me up the stairs to the rooftop where there's a wooden ladder. He was saying that his daughter was so frightened she could barely get up here. But this is the only way that his family managed to make it out of the house to get up here on the very top of the roof, away from all the smoke and the stones that were being thrown in this direction. And from here you've got a really good view all around. I can see the built up city of Nablus over on one side and then here past all of the olive trees which locals say belong to the village, but they're no longer able to go to them without getting a permission from the Israeli military. Well, here on the hillsides you've got a couple of new outposts, an Israeli military watchtower over there as well. And then on the far hill there is the settlement of Elon Moray. That's where a funeral took place for a young settler that was the trigger for the latest violence. His family says that he was killed deliberately by a Palestinian. Palestinians say it was a car accident. But after that funeral mourners came to attack the village. There was actually a wave of attacks across the occupied West Bank. Now the Israeli military has condemned the arson that was carried out. The disturbances, violent assaults, with several people hurt in this village, including one man shot in the foot. But locals criticized the army for not letting Palestinian ambulances and firefighters get here quicker. In the past two years, there has been a real acceleration in settler violence, which Palestinians say is declined, designed to push them off their land. And now, since the start of the Iran war, Palestinians are saying that there has been a new uptick in this kind of violence. It's the same pattern repeating itself again.

[Oliver Conway]

Reporting from the West Bank, Yoland Nel. And still to come on the podcast,

[Dr. Luke Rendell]

we've captured a series of interactions that show them not just ramming, but nuzzling each other and shoving against each other in a kind of play. It gives us a new window into

[Oliver Conway]

the social lives of these animals after centuries of speculation. Sperm whales are filmed bashing heads for the first time.

[Chantal Hartle]

Hello. Hello.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

I'm Malcolm Gladwell, host of Smart Talks with IBM. I recently spoke with IBM's new director of research, Jake Mbetta. We discussed his vision for the future

[Jake Mbetta]

of quantum computing at IBM Research. What we always do is answer what is the future of computing? Whether it's coming up with new algorithms, coming up with better AI, coming up with quantum, or coming up with just how do different accelerators go together? It's our DNA. To answer the question of what is the future?

[Malcolm Gladwell]

Isn't it a perfect problem for IBM because you kind of need to have a legacy of building stuff, building actual physical machines.

[Jake Mbetta]

Yeah, it's why I came to IBM. I wanted the experience, the culture of building hard things that others have not done before.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

Where do you imagine we are in the timeline of this technology? There will come a point when it will mature, right?

[Jake Mbetta]

Yeah.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

My cell phone is a mature technology at this point. How far are we from that point?

[Jake Mbetta]

With Quantum, by 2029, we'll build the first fault tolerant Quantum computer that is one that can run a very, very large, large problem.

[Malcolm Gladwell]

To learn how IBM is building the future of computing, visit IBM.com quantum

[Amazon Hub Delivery Advertiser]

all

[Indeed Advertiser]

right, quick quiz for the hiring managers out there. What's worse, being understaffed or being poorly staffed? Well, that's a trick question because both are recipes for chaos. Either way, just say to yourself, this is a job for Indeed sponsored jobs, you'll get matched with candidates that meet the skills, certifications and everything else you're looking for. Or go a different way and get no traction. Seriously. Sponsored Jobs posted directly on Indeed are 95% more likely to report a hire than non sponsored jobs. It really is a no brainer. Spend less time searching and more time actually interviewing candidates who check all your boxes. Less stress, less time, more results when you need the right person to cut through the chaos. This is a job for Indeed Sponsored Jobs. And listeners of this show will get a $75 sponsored job credit to help your job get the premium status it deserves@ Indeed.com podcast just go to Indeed.com podcast right now. Indeed.com podcast terms and conditions apply. Need to hire? This is a job for Indeed.

[Amazon Hub Delivery Advertiser]

Sponsored Jobs Want to earn extra income for your business? Amazon Hub Delivery is looking for ambitious business owners to assist with local deliveries. When you become a partner, you and your staff will deliver packages to customers in your area on a schedule that works for you. With each package delivered, you'll gain extra income and exposure for your business. Plus, Amazon Hub Delivery makes it easy to get started. There's no upfront costs, no delivery experience or long term contracts required. Sign up to learn [e-mail] hubdelivery that's Amazon.com hub delivery hey, it's Ryan Seacrest

[Ryan Seacrest]

for Albertsons and Safeway. It's Stock up Savings time now through March 31st. Spring in for store wide deals and earn four times the points. Look for in store tags to earn on eligible items from Lindor, Chips Ahoy, Gatorade, Host, Ziploc and Zoa. Then clip the offer in the app for automatic event long savings. Stack up those rewards to save even more. Enjoy savings on top of savings when you shop in store or online for easy drive up and go pick up or delivery restrictions apply. See website for full terms and conditions.

[Oliver Conway]

You're listening to the Global News podcast the authorities in Colombia say 66 people have now been confirmed dead after a military transport plane crashed shortly after takeoff. Our South America correspondent Ione Wells has the details.

[Ione Wells]

There was videos shared extensively on social media showing these huge plumes of black smoke, big flames at the location of this crash, which seems to be in the south of Colombia, near the borders with Ecuador and Peru. Since then, officials in the country have said that there were 125 people on board, 114 passengers, 11 crew members. What's really not very clear at the moment is what actually caused this crash. There aren't really any details so far about what might have happened, but we understand that the plane hit the ground only one and a half kilometers away from where it initially took off. And because it was this military plane, there was a lot of ammunition being carried on board, all of which seems to have detonated as a result of a fire on the aircraft, causing this huge flames and smoke. As we've seen in these videos, what we have heard from authorities in the country is that there hasn't been any indication of an attack by illegal actors. I think there were certainly concerns given the location, given it was right on the border. This is an area where there is a lot of criminal activity that takes place. But I think interestingly, there are some reports that this is the same type of plane that has been responsible for, for other crashes in the region previously. And I think there will certainly be kind of questions for the, for the Air Force about what the safety of this, this particular aircraft was.

[Oliver Conway]

Our South America correspondent Ione Wells, the owner of OnlyFans, Leonid Radvinsky, has died at the age of 43, leaving the fate of the multi billion dollar streaming empire up in the air. The site transformed the porn industry by enabling adult content creators to reach their audiences directly for a 20% cut of their revenue. The boom in the site's popularity brought scrutiny from lawmakers and regulators and accusations of a failure to deal with illegal content. When OnlyFans announced it would no longer allow sexual material, a backlash from subscribers and creators prompted a quick u turn. Anna Iovine from the digital media website Mashable spoke to Rebecca.

[Anna Iovine]

OnlyFans is a subscription platform where creators offer content like photos and videos behind a paywall so customers who subscribe can have access to it. And while not each and Every creator on OnlyFans uploads nude or explicit content, that is what it's known for because it's not just free pornography, it's you have to make an account and put in your credit card information in order to subscribe to a creator.

[Rebecca (interviewer)]

Okay, so Leonard Radvinsky has has died, but many point to him as being the the person that sort of helped the platform take off.

[Yoland Nell]

Really?

[Anna Iovine]

Yes. While he was alive, he was described as reclusive often in the media. So not much is known about him personally or his illness. But he was a tech entrepreneur and to buying OnlyFans. In 2018, he founded a website called My Free Cams, where performers put on live pornographic webcam shows. So he was definitely not a stranger to the industry. And in 2018, he bought a majority stake in OnlyFans. And that's when the site really pivoted to porn. Instead of just advertising as a way for musicians or quote unquote, safe for work creators to make some extra money, now it's a way for porn creators to make some extra Money. And then two years later when Covid hit, that's when OnlyFans really took off. It has fundamentally changed the porn industry. It's really contributed to the rise of the independent creator, much like YouTube has for safe for work creators. It's lowered the barrier to entry. You don't need to live somewhere like Los Angeles or Las Vegas to shoot with a porn studio. Now you can actually just make content in your bedroom.

[Rebecca (interviewer)]

And what does that do for law makers and scrutiny regulators, that sort of thing Is, is that better or worse?

[Anna Iovine]

With OnlyFans, I would say it's worse. There's been a ton of scrutiny on OnlyFans as there has been a ton of scrutiny worldwide on the porn industry in general since the advent of pornhub and free porn online. So, for example, the British regulator Ofcom launched an investigation a couple years ago over whether minors were accessing OnlyFans and actually ended up fining OnlyFans over a million dollars because they couldn't adequately say how they're age.

[Oliver Conway]

Checking Anna iovine in the 18th and 19th century, seafarers wrote about seeing whales striking each other with their heads, occasionally even sinking ships, providing the inspiration for the novel Moby Dick. Until now, though, there wasn't any concrete evidence of whales actually banging their heads together. But scientists say the act has now been caught on camera for the first time. As Chantal Hartle reports,

[Chantal Hartle]

many stories have been told of ships and the men who sailed, of sea beasts and the men who hunt them, but none has captured the imagination through the years so much as Herman Melville's immortal story of Captain Ahab, who lost his very soul in the bitterness of vengeance against the great white whale Moby Dick.

[Narrator (Marine Mammal Science Journal segment)]

Moby Dick, the novel and film inspired by the sinking of the American whaling ship Essex in the Pacific Ocean in 1820. The vessel was reportedly sunk by two head on strikes from a large sperm whale. Of the 20 man crew, only a handful survived, including the first mate, Owen Chase, who published his version of events a year later. It appeared with tenfold fury and vengeance in his aspect. He wrote his head about half out of the water and in that way he came upon us and again struck the ship. Other similar accounts of whaling ships being sunk by sperm whales were reported in the 18th and 19th centuries. But only now have scientists seen what this head butting behaviour actually looks like.

[Dr. Luke Rendell]

We've known for a long time that large male sperm whales will use their heads as battering rams. And what we've collected here is a series of observations which suggest how that behaviour develops in young adolescent male sperm whales. Because we've captured a series of interactions that show them not just ramming, but nuzzling each other and shoving against each other in a kind of play.

[Narrator (Marine Mammal Science Journal segment)]

That's Dr. Luke Rendell, one of the authors of the study published in the Marine Mammal Science Journal. Using drones, researchers filmed the whales in The Azores in the North Atlantic and the Balearic Islands off eastern Spain between 2020 and 2022. What they don't know yet is why the whales do this, but Dr. Rendell has some ideas.

[Dr. Luke Rendell]

We suspect in mature males it is about dominance and obtaining mating opportunities. If two of them show up at the same group of females at the same time, it's possible that some of these interactions, where they're not sort of swimming at each other and just impacting, but actually making quite gentle contact and then pushing against each other, may be a slightly safer form of competing.

[Narrator (Marine Mammal Science Journal segment)]

The researchers also speculated that the juvenile's headbutting may annoy others in their social group, particularly the matriarchs, which could explain why they're forced out of the group early. One of the scientists involved said it was very exciting to observe this behaviour, which had long been a mystery.

[Oliver Conway]

Chantal Hartle moving on to smaller animals now and is your pet controlling your life? Here in Britain we're famous for our dedication to our cats and dogs.

[Oliver Conway (brief interjection)]

We.

[Oliver Conway]

But do we in fact belong to them rather than the other way round? That relationship between humans and pets is the subject of a new exhibition in the English city of Oxford. Shaun Lay went along for the experience, which included a hands on exhibit explained by curator Charles Foster.

[Charles Foster]

I'm sitting by a fake cat. If I streak it, it mews at me. If I stroke it even more, it will roll over.

[Shaun Lay]

It's purring now as well.

[Charles Foster]

And this is a cat which is used to make life better for patients with dementia.

[Shaun Lay]

That's Professor Charles Foster, barrister and veterinarian. I'm with him and his stuffed feline friend in the Weston Library where the exhibition he's curated has just opened. It's not called People and Their Pets, but Pets and Their People. I wonder why.

[Charles Foster]

One of the exhibits here indicates the colossal financial cost of keeping pets. They say you want to understand things, follow the money. If you follow the pet money, you realize who's really in charge.

[Shaun Lay]

We've just come into the entrance. As we come in with confronted by that is not a pet.

[Charles Foster (continuation)]

It's not a pet.

[Charles Foster]

But proto wolves were pets. Wolves were looking at us when we were Upper Paleolithic hunter gatherers. And gradually they realized that it was advantageous for them to have a relationship with us. And we realized that it was advantageous

[Charles Foster (continuation)]

for us to have a relationship with them.

[Charles Foster]

And so a coalition formed in which we change them, often not for their good.

[Shaun Lay]

In the ancient world were there examples of the worship of animals, but also the sentimentalizing of animals.

[Charles Foster]

Egyptians had a cat goddess called Bastet. So you would go to the cat goddess temple. At the gate, you would buy a mummified cat, which you would present to the goddess in much the same way as these days, you might buy a candle at the entrance to a church and light it in order to put before an icon. Herodotus talks about the ancient Egyptians loving their cats so much that they would run into a burning building to rescue them. A whole Egyptian household would shave their eyebrows as a sign of mourning when their beloved cat died.

[Shaun Lay]

We've got some advertising displays here of the over the top way that some pet owners dress their pets. Describe what we're seeing, Charles.

[Charles Foster]

This is path Bling. This exhibit shows images of things that we can buy for our animals. For example, a Swarovski cat flap studded with crystals. You can buy enormously expensive satin pyjamas for your dog or your cat and even your ferret. Now, these are Tamagotchis. And they say that when we can't have a real animal, such is our desire for an animal that we create artificial ones. So this will demand food from you. You will be able to feed it, you'll be able to take it for walks. What does it say about us that we want to do that? There's another bizarre illustration of exactly that here. And one of the most cynical marketing ploys of all time, and that is the pet rock phenomenon. In the mid-1970s, an advertising executive, Gary Dahl, started to market pet rocks. And we've got one of them here. There is an ordinary stone in a cardboard box with holes in it so the pet rock can breathe. Most people, I expect, took this as a joke.

[Shaun Lay]

It's basically just a stone.

[Charles Foster]

It's just a stone. But some people took it seriously and stroked their rocks and fed their rocks and no doubt took their rocks for a walk around the park. I'm not sure what it says, but it says something pretty worrying.

[Oliver Conway]

Professor Charles Foster talking to Shaun Lay. And that is all from us for now. But the Global News podcast will be back very soon. This edition was mixed by Kai Perry and produced by Stephanie Zakarison and Siobhan Leahy. Our editor's Karen Martin. I'm Oliver Conway. Until next time. Goodbye.

[VRBO Advertiser]

At vrbo, we understand that even the best of plans sometimes need a little support. So we plan for the plot twists. Every booking is automatically backed by our VRBO Care guarantee, giving you confidence from the very start. Whenever you need help, it's ready before your stay, through the moments in between and after your trip? Because a great trip starts with peace of mind and maybe a good playlist, but we've got the peace of mind part covered.