Trump and Netanyahu meet at the White House

Summary

Global News Podcast Summary BBC World Service | Episode: Trump and Netanyahu meet at the White House | Release Date: February 5, 2025

---

1. Trump and Netanyahu Discuss Gaza at the White House

In one of the episode's primary discussions, the podcast delves into the high-stakes meeting between former U.S. President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House. The focal point of their conversation was the ongoing situation in Gaza and the future of the ceasefire agreement.

Key Points:

• Proposals for Gaza Resettlement: President Trump expressed his controversial stance on Gaza, suggesting that Palestinians should be permanently resettled to neighboring countries. He proposed that “they should get a good, fresh, beautiful piece of land” (02:17) and emphasized the need for external funding to make these areas habitable.

• Netanyahu's Position: Despite Trump's proposals, Prime Minister Netanyahu remained steadfast, stating that Israel would “not give up on any of them [hostages], and we're not going to give up on our other war aims” (02:58). He underscored the objective of eliminating Hamas from Gaza.

• Public and International Reaction: The podcast highlights the backlash from neighboring countries like Egypt and Jordan, which have so far rejected the idea of accepting Palestinian refugees. Carl Nasman, BBC correspondent in Washington, notes that Trump's remarks mark a significant shift from the previous U.S. administration's two-state solution approach.

Notable Quotes:

• Donald Trump (02:17): “The Gaza thing has not worked. It's never worked. … make it habitable and enjoyable somewhere else.”

• Benjamin Netanyahu (02:58): “We're not going to give up on any of them, and we're not going to give up on our other war aims.”

2. U.S. Freezes Foreign Aid: Impact on Global Humanitarian Efforts

Shifting focus, the podcast addresses the United States' decision to freeze foreign aid, a move that has significant repercussions for global humanitarian initiatives.

Key Points:

• Extent of U.S. Contributions: Historically, the U.S. has been the largest donor to United Nations humanitarian programs, contributing over $73 billion worldwide in 2024. The freeze threatens vital services, particularly in conflict zones and areas in need of disaster relief.

• Consequences for Afghanistan: Imogen Folks reports from Geneva that cuts could lead to the closure of maternal health clinics in Afghanistan, where every two hours a woman dies from pregnancy-related complications. The UN Population Fund in Afghanistan is particularly at risk, as it faces the potential shutdown of essential health services (07:32).

• Other Affected Projects: Beyond Afghanistan, critical programs like demining operations in Ukraine, Bosnia, and Syria are also jeopardized, risking the safety and recovery of communities affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance.

• Potential for Reversals: While there is some hope that negotiations might reverse the aid freeze, Imogen suggests that humanitarian agencies are bracing for inevitable cuts, emphasizing the urgent need to protect vulnerable populations (10:20).

3. U.S. Commences Deportations to Guantanamo Bay

The episode also covers the controversial implementation of President Trump's order to repurpose the Guantanamo Bay military base in Cuba as a migrant detention center.

Key Points:

• Migration Detention Plans: The U.S. has begun flights deporting migrants to Guantanamo Bay, separating individuals with criminal records from others who will be held in tented facilities. This marks a shift from solely holding terrorism-related detainees.

• Human Rights Concerns: The repurposing has reignited concerns over the base's reputation for degrading and inhuman conditions, with ongoing debates about the ethics and legality of detaining migrants in such facilities (11:04).

4. Sweden's Deadliest Mass Shooting at a College Campus

A tragic incident in Sweden is detailed, where at least ten individuals were killed in a mass shooting at Riesberga College in Urabroo.

Key Points:

• Event Description: Ingela Bak Gustafsson recounts the harrowing experience of being at the scene, highlighting the suddenness and severity of the attack (12:23).

• Victims and Perpetrator: The gunman is believed to have been among the deceased. Swedish authorities report no prior gang affiliations or known motives, leaving the cause of the shooting unclear.

• Local Response: Swedish Minister Ulf Kristersson expressed condolences, while local health officials describe the extent of injuries and the hospital's capacity to handle the casualties (13:06).

Notable Quotes:

• Ingela Bak Gustafsson (12:29): “I don't know why, but I instantly realized it was serious.”

• Donald Trump (13:06): “We've admitted six patients to the hospital, five of them with gunshot wounds … one of them has sustained life-threatening injuries.”

5. Ukraine Conflict: Russia's Territorial Advances

As the third anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches, the podcast examines Russia's continued push to capture more Ukrainian territory.

Key Points:

• Territorial Gains: The Kremlin now controls 18% of Ukraine, with significant advancements in eastern regions. The city of Pokrovsk, a crucial supply and transport hub, is under intense Russian attack, placing Ukrainian civilians in peril (15:11).

• Evacuation Efforts: Benjamin Netanyahu reports alongside BBC correspondent Orla Guerin, showcasing the dire conditions and the efforts of volunteer organizations like Base UA to evacuate civilians from frontline cities despite ongoing threats and harsh weather conditions.

• Human Impact: Personal testimonies from Ukrainian residents like Olga and Luba highlight the emotional and physical toll of the conflict, painting a grim picture of life amidst relentless bombardment (17:19).

Notable Quotes:

• Imogen Folks (16:16): “It's like being in hell.”

• Luba (17:15): “It's been bad, bad … There is no gas, no water, just nothing.”

6. Santorini Earthquakes Prompt Mass Evacuations

Greece's picturesque island of Santorini has been shaken by over 300 earthquakes in recent days, leading to widespread evacuations and heightened emergency measures.

Key Points:

• Seismic Activity: Nikki Cardwell reports from Santorini, where the repeated tremors have forced thousands to flee, particularly families and those with children, as authorities prepare for potential structural damages and landslides (20:09).

• Government Response: Mayor Nikos Zorzos assures that evacuation plans are in place, emphasizing the importance of patience and calm among residents despite ongoing seismic disruptions.

• Tourism Impact: The natural beauty of Santorini has been marred by the fear of earthquakes, significantly affecting the tourism sector during its peak season (20:00).

7. Spain's Olive Industry Threatened by Xylella fastidiosa

The Spanish olive industry faces an existential threat from the bacterium Xylella fastidiosa, which has devastated millions of olive trees across Europe.

Key Points:

• Bacterial Impact: Dr. Blanca Landa from the Institute of Sustainable Agriculture in Cordoba discusses the severe consequences of Xylella, which clogs plant vessels, impeding water absorption and leading to tree death. The bacterium spreads via insect vectors, making containment challenging (22:45).

• Economic and Cultural Loss: With over 1.6 million olive hectares in Andalusia alone, the potential loss extends beyond economic ramifications to cultural devastation, as olives are integral to the region's heritage and livelihoods.

• Mitigation Efforts: Ongoing research focuses on developing resistant olive varieties, inoculating plants with beneficial microorganisms, and exploring biological controls like bacteriophages to combat the spread of Xylella (24:48).

Notable Quotes:

• Dr. Blanca Landa (24:11): “I was completely astonished … all the trees were completely died and drying.”

• Luba (25:29): “Farmers now are aware of what can be the problem.”

8. Germany's Generous Sick Leave Policies Under Scrutiny

Germany's extensive sick leave policies, allowing employees to take up to six weeks off at full pay, are examined for their economic implications amid a struggling economy.

Key Points:

• Policy Overview: Employees in Germany can take six weeks of sick leave fully paid by employers, followed by 70% salary from health insurance for up to 18 months. This generosity, while beneficial for workers, poses a significant financial burden on businesses and the broader economy (26:34).

• Economic Impact: Economists like Nicholas Seabarth highlight that such policies contribute to labor shortages and increased operational costs for companies, potentially exacerbating the risk of recession.

• Industry Perspectives: CEOs from various sectors discuss the challenges of managing sick leave, especially in small businesses where each absence can have a substantial impact. While larger companies integrate these costs into their structures, smaller enterprises find it more burdensome (29:36).

• Potential Policy Changes: With upcoming elections, there is speculation about whether Germany will revise its sick leave policies to alleviate economic pressures. However, any changes would likely face resistance from workers who benefit from current protections (29:53).

Notable Quotes:

• Nicholas Seabarth (27:46): “There's no doubt that the sick pay system is a burden on the economy, especially in crisis times like now.”

• Henry Van Wagenberg (29:36): “If one employee is sick at Baugarden, we definitely feel it.”

9. North Korea Reopens Rason to Foreign Tourists

In a rare move, North Korea is reopening the port area of Rason as a special economic zone, allowing organized tourism for the first time in five years.

Key Points:

• Tourism Resumption: Simon Cockrell, General Manager of Koryo Tours, explains that the reopening of Rason offers tourists a glimpse into North Korean life, albeit within tightly controlled and organized frameworks. Visitors can observe daily routines and infrastructure but are restricted from unaccompanied exploration to prevent any unrest (30:13).

• Experience Constraints: While tourists can witness aspects of North Korean society, the experience is curated to maintain the regime's image. Jackie Leonard emphasizes that visitors do not see the full reality of life in North Korea, often leaving with a limited or confused understanding of the country (32:25).

• Legal Restrictions: Any attempt to wander off independently can result in severe consequences for both the tourist and the local hosts, ensuring that all activities remain under strict supervision (33:14).

Notable Quotes:

• Jackie Leonard (32:27): “It's not permitted under the law there … everything has to be organized in advance.”

• Simon Cockrell (33:37): “We treat everything like a school trip, really.”

---

Conclusion

This episode of the Global News Podcast offers a comprehensive overview of pressing international issues, from high-level political negotiations and humanitarian crises to localized disasters and economic policy debates. Through meticulous reporting and firsthand accounts, BBC World Service provides listeners with insightful perspectives on the complexities shaping our world.

---

For more detailed discussions and updates, tune into the next edition of the Global News Podcast.

Transcript

[Jackie Leonard]

This BBC podcast is supported by ads outside the UK.

[Nicola Coughlan]

I'm Nicola Coughlan and for BBC Radio 4, this is History's Youngest Heroes. Rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth. She thought, right, I'll just do it. She thought about others rather than herself. Twelve stories of extraordinary young people from across history.

[Imogen Folks]

There's a real sense of urgency in them. That resistance has to be mounted. It has to be mounted now.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Follow History's Youngest Heroes wherever you get your podcasts. This is the Global News podcast from the BBC World Service. I'm Jackie Leonard and in the early hours of Wednesday 5th February, these are our main stories. Donald Trump has said during talks with the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that he would support moves to permanently resettle all Palestinians from Gaza to neighboring countries. The US says the first flights deporting migrants to Guantanamo Bay are underway. And Sweden's prime minister says around 10 people have been killed in a shooting at a college campus. The gunman is thought to be among the dead. Also in this podcast, unfortunately you are.

[Jackie Leonard]

Constrained by the law, which is rather paternalistic over its own people, but also over tourists, and they treat everything like a school trip.

[Nicola Coughlan]

North Korea is reopening itself after the COVID pandemic as a holiday destination. The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met President Trump for talks in Washington, with discussions focusing on Gaza and the next stage of the ceasefire agreement in the territory. Mr. Trump wants the deal extended, but Mr. Netanyahu, who's under pressure from his far right coalition partners, said Israel would not give up on its war aims, which include the military defeat of Hamas. Benjamin Netanyahu is the first foreign leader to meet President Trump in his second term of office. So on Tuesday evening, Washington time, the two men met in the Oval Office at the White House in front of a roaring fire on Gaza. Mr. Trump had this to say.

[Donald Trump]

The Gaza thing has not worked. It's never worked. And I feel very differently about Gaza than a lot of people. I think they should get a good, fresh, beautiful piece of land and we get some people to put up the money to build it and make it nice and make it habitable and enjoyable somewhere else, make it a whole.

[Nicola Coughlan]

They don't want to leave, though. Palestinians say they don't want to leave.

[Donald Trump]

I don't know how they could want to stay. It's a demolition site.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Then there was this question by a journalist to Benjamin Netanyahu. Prime Minister Netanyahu, what is your message.

[Donald Trump]

To the families of the hostages? Look at this deal.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

They're worried that this deal won't go through. What do you say to them at this moment?

[Donald Trump]

Same message I said from the beginning of the war, get them out, get them back. We got over 70%, close to 75% of the people who everybody believed will not get out. We got them in successive deals, and most recently with the help of President Trump. We're not going to give up on any of them, and we're not going to give up on our other war aims. Hamas is not going to be in Gaza, and we're going to get everyone back.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Well, just before we recorded this podcast, we got this update about the meeting in the White House from our correspondent Carl Nasman, who's in Washington.

[Carl Nasman]

It was one of those kind of frantic scenes where you see the two leaders sitting side by side, a fireplace there in the White House, Prime Minister Netanyahu, President Trump, and then these questions just being kind of rapid fire thrown at both Trump and Netanyahu. But these are comments that we've heard President Trump make before. He's kind of reiterating this stance that he thinks that Gazans should essentially be given land elsewhere, that this isn't a place that he thinks they could return to or that they would want to return to. He has suggested, and he kind of underlined this again, that neighboring countries, Egypt or Jordan, could take on some Palestinians. You know, he was throwing out numbers off the top of his head, but he said something like 1.7, 1.8 million people. Obviously, this is something that those countries have flat out rejected as of now. He then said, you know, there could be up to six different locations where Palestinians could go to, you know, and he sort of said, look, returning to Gaza, in his words, is a guarantee that they're going to end up dying. And he suggested, and we heard there in that clip from President Trump, but saying that, you know, people don't want to go back. And we obviously saw at the first moment that the northern part of Gaza was reopened and people were allowed to start to return. We saw these really impactful scenes of hundreds of thousands, really, of Palestinians returning for the first time in months to that area of Gaza. If you ask many Palestinians, of course they would say that this is where they live, this is their homeland, they don't want to leave. So these are controversial statements. And it's probably fair to say that hearing a president of the United States utter these words is definitely a shift in terms of the political stance, the actual policy of the United States, in terms of especially what we saw from President Biden. He was very clear that he saw a solution to peace in this region as a two state solution. Israel and some sort of land for the Palestinians living side by side.

[Nicola Coughlan]

As you say, these are hugely controversial remarks. And the countries Mr. Trump is suggesting as a destination for Gazans have flat out rejected the whole idea. Mr. Netanyahu was sitting next to Mr. Trump in front of the fire. Did he react to anything that Mr. Trump said? What did he say?

[Carl Nasman]

What we're expecting from the two of them is we heard this quick, you know, five or ten minute, what's called a bilateral meeting. This was with reporters, and a lot of this was, you know, kind of staged for the cameras. You're not going to necessarily hear Benjamin Netanyahu lay out his entire case at this moment. They're now behind closed doors. They'll be having more private discussions. What we did hear from the Prime Minister was, you know, kind of laying out how he sees his goals here, because a lot of questions coming in on the Israeli side were how he would address the next stage of this ceasefire deal, which is designed to happen in three stages. We've seen the first stage playing out, and this is the release of hostages being held in Gaza by Hamas in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The second stage, everyone watching knows this is going to be a very difficult one. This won't be as easy to implement. So the question is, how will Netanyahu go about this? There are people in his government, more on the far right, who don't want to see the ceasefire continue. They don't want to see stage two happen at all. It's a difficult balancing act for him. But what we heard from Netanyahu was saying, you know, he said, I'm not going to give up on any of the hostages, which the second stage of this deal would see the release of those remaining hostages that are still there in Gaza. But he also said, you know, I'm not going to give up on our war aims. So how exactly that's possible, we're not sure. That's a balancing act that the Prime Minister's been trying to walk for a long time. The second stage of that ceasefire deal would also see the complete withdrawal of the idf, of Israeli forces from that territory. But it was interesting to hear him balancing those two points, saying, you know, we're not giving up on freeing the hostages, but at the same time they consider their war aim, which of course is the complete elimination of Hamas. And he's saying he's not going to give up on that either.

[Nicola Coughlan]

That was Carl Nasman in Washington. Last year the United States donated more than $73 billion worldwide in aid for causes like women's health in conflict zones and access to clean water. On Tuesday, key United nations agencies warned of the consequences of Washington's freeze on foreign aid. Some organisations have already been forced to close down or lay off staff. The UN Population Fund says cuts would force it to close maternal health clinics in Afghanistan, a move that could see many Afghan women die from pregnancy related causes. This assessment from our correspondent Imogen folks in Geneva.

[Imogen Folks]

The United States is the single biggest contributor to United nations humanitarian work. We're talking tens of billions of dollars in some areas. I mean, think about the Democratic Republic of Congo where we've seen a really serious upsurge in the conflict in the last couple of weeks. The United States provided more than half of the aid funding there last year. We're talking about programs against sexual violence, support for victims, food, vaccination, all that kind of stuff. Interestingly, proportionately though, in terms of its own wealth and in the size of its economy, the US isn't is not the most generous contributor at all. But because it's such a big economy, the actual loss in cash terms is absolutely huge.

[Nicola Coughlan]

So given the scale of the US contribution, tell us a bit more about the consequences of the freeze, the impact on places like Afghanistan for instance.

[Imogen Folks]

Afghanistan was actually one of the countries we were hearing about this morning. Now it is a country in humanitarian crisis. It has one of the highest levels of maternal mortality in the world. I mean, think about this. Every two hours a woman dies in Afghanistan because of complications in pregnancy. A small UN agency or one of the smaller ones, the UN Population Fund, it runs maternal health clinics in Afghanistan and they serve hundreds of thousands of women. They are mostly women led services, which is not easy to do in Afghanistan nowadays. But this agency does do it. They have been told not just that their future funds are cancelled, but their current funds must not be spent anymore.

[Nicola Coughlan]

And what about other projects around the world that could be affected?

[Imogen Folks]

Well, there's another one which hasn't been getting too much attention at the moment, which did for me personally cause some shock and that is demining. So we know that unfortunately mines and unexploded ordnance lie around in countries from Ukraine to Bosnia to Syria. But many of those programs are also now the funding has been suspended.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Given how shocked people have been by this development, is this a done deal? Are negotiations still underway to try and get these funds unfrozen?

[Imogen Folks]

Well, I think we know if we look at the back and forth about trade tariffs over the last 48 hours, that what is said from the White House doesn't always necessarily end up a done deal. But I think that the humanitarian agencies, they are all frantically assessing the consequences and really expecting, knowing really that they will have to make cuts and that these will affect some of the most vulnerable people on the planet.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Imogen Folks in Geneva. The US Says the first flights carrying migrants to its military base in Guantanamo Bay in Cuba are underway. The base became notorious for holding detainees accused of terrorism following the September 11 attacks in 2001. David Willis is in Washington. The US government is moving swiftly to implement President Trump's order to turn facilities at the naval base into a migrant detention center. Immigration raids have been ramped up across the country since Mr. Trump took office, and officials are said to be making as many as 1000 arrests a day. Those with criminal records will be held in tented facilities separate from the Guantanamo Bay military prison, which acquired a reputation amongst human rights groups for conditions that were deemed degrading and inhuman. Maine 15 suspects are still being held at the prison in connection with terrorist related offences. David Willis Next to Sweden and more details have been emerging about what's been described as Sweden's worst mass shooting in which at least 10 people were killed. It happened on Tuesday at a community college in the city of Urabroo and the perpetrator is said to be among the dead. Ingela Bak Gustafsson took shelter in a neighboring shop.

[Ingela Bak Gustafsson]

I was having lunch with my colleagues when suddenly a group of students came running saying that we needed to get out.

[Nicola Coughlan]

I don't know why, but I instantly realized it was serious.

[Ingela Bak Gustafsson]

We ran out of the school and then I heard gunshots.

[Nicola Coughlan]

We were screaming, run, run. And we're running for our lives. The motive for the shootings at the Riesberga college remains unclear. Police said the suspected attacker was not previously known to them and had no known connection to a gang. The Swedish minister, Ulf Kristersson, offered his condolences to the victims and their families. Jonas Klaassen is the head of health services in the Urabru region. Tim Franks asked him how many casualties they'd dealt with.

[Donald Trump]

We've admitted six patients to the hospital, five of them with gunshot wounds. Of the five that received gunfire, four have been admitted for surgery and they all have major injuries. One of them have sustained life threatening injuries.

[Jackie Leonard]

The attack unfolded through the afternoon. Obviously it was difficult for the police to get to the scene of where this was all happening. I mean, presumably that has complicated the medical Response?

[Donald Trump]

Yeah, that's true. The patients that we've admitted, five of them we received within the first hour and the last patient we within three hours, something like that. So of course there might have been patients that would have been salvageable that we couldn't reach because of the ongoing life threatening violence.

[Jackie Leonard]

And I just wonder how far, you know, the hospital is able to cope with this number of casualties and the type of injuries that they have sustained.

[Donald Trump]

We have a university hospital with many hundreds of beds, so we could quickly really free up services for surgery, services for intensive care and also hospital beds.

[Jackie Leonard]

Are you able to give me any details as to whether the patients are all adults?

[Donald Trump]

Yeah, all were adults.

[Jackie Leonard]

Just in terms of what now for the medical staff and the medical response more broadly, how far is it going to be a question of trying to get support to those who maybe need emotional or mental help?

[Donald Trump]

That is very true. That is our major challenge now. There are so many people that have been touched by this traumatic incident. It's for many of the people in Urbu, this is really something life changing. We have never seen violence like this before. So now we're focusing on actually acute crisis support, you could say, for the many people that have been touched by this.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Jonas Klassen as the third anniversary of Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine approaches, the Kremlin is pushing hard to capture more territory. Moscow now controls 18% of its neighbour and is continuing a slow, grinding advance on the eastern front. The city of Pokrovsk, a key supply and transport hub, is in Russia's sites with forces just 2km away. Our senior international correspondent Orla Guerin reports on the emptying of another Ukrainian city.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

We're driving towards Pokrovsk, a frontline city and along the road I can see damaged houses, areas that have been bombed. Just passing another flattened building. Now we're traveling in an armored car with a volunteer organization called Base ua. They carry out evacuations, getting civilians out of harm's way.

[Anton Yaremchuk]

My name is Anton Yaremchuk.

[Jackie Leonard]

I'm active here in the east since the very first days of the invasion. We're going to Pokrovsk, basically on the front line. It's been heavily attacked day and night. There are around 7,000 people still in.

[Luba]

The city, so we'll try to get.

[Carl Nasman]

Some people out of that nightmare.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

We've stopped now at the first address on the team's list for today. They're not sure if the woman living here will be willing to evacuate, but they're going to try. We've been Hearing explosions in the last few minutes, Anton climbs over a locked gate to check the house. But there's no one home. A few streets away, he finds 71 year old Olga already waiting by the road. Olga has just left her house. She's come out and got into the van. Olga, what has the situation been like here?

[Nicola Coughlan]

It's not life anymore.

[Imogen Folks]

It's like being in hell.

[Nicola Coughlan]

I've been in this house because for 65 years my children grew up here, my grandchildren.

[Imogen Folks]

It's been a long time.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

It must be very hard to live.

[Nicola Coughlan]

You know, in the beginning it seemed possible.

[Luba]

We thought we'll sit it out.

[Nicola Coughlan]

But already the ground is shaking and it seems to be that it's dangerous to stay here.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

Pokharovsk is coming under heavy Russian attack. Today is extremely cold, snowy. This fog, visibility is very poor. That's actually good for the evacuation team. It means that they'll be less visible to Russian drones along the way. Whenever Anton spots a civilian, he urges them to go. There'll be street battles, I promise you. He warns a group of three who have been collecting water. I'm doing this from the very first day, he says. It's the same everywhere. This is the final stage. Last pickup of the day is 75 year old Luba, who looks bereft and flinches at every explosion we hear.

[Luba]

It's been bad, bad.

[Nicola Coughlan]

We've been left alone under the clear sky. There are no authorities here, just nothing.

[Nikki Cardwell]

People are getting killed under the sky.

[Ingela Bak Gustafsson]

There is no gas, no water, just nothing.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Everyone has abandoned us. Luba ending that report by Orla Guerin. Anton's group Base UA has now suspended evacuations from the city for the time being, although evacuations by police volunteers continue. Still to come.

[Luba]

It was actually always quite easy to take a sick leave and I think people were kind of just doing it quite a lot. Burnout was quite common thing.

[Nicola Coughlan]

The impacts of Germany's generous sick leave policies. I'm Nicola Coughlan and for BBC Radio 4, this is History's Youngest Heroes. Rebellion, risk and the radical power of youth. She thought, right, I'll just do it. She thought about others rather than ourselves. Twelve stories of extraordinary young people from across history.

[Imogen Folks]

There's a real sense of urgency in them. That resistance has to be mounted. It has to be mounted now.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Follow History's Youngest Heroes wherever you get your podcasts. Next to Greece, thousands of people have been fleeing the island of Santorini in the southern Aegean Sea, which has been hit by more than 300 earthquakes in the past few days. No major damage has been reported so far, but emergency measures are being put in place as a precaution. Nikki Cardwell reports. Millions of people visit Santorini every year to see its historic sites and whitewashed buildings.

[Nikki Cardwell]

But with tourism at a low this.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Time of the year, many of the.

[Nikki Cardwell]

Locals are trying to find a way off the island.

[Carl Nasman]

We're going to leave because I'm afraid there are constantly earthquakes.

[Jackie Leonard]

We have to leave for the kids.

[Carl Nasman]

So they'll calm down.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Over the past few days, the island has been shaken by dozens of tremors. Local schools have been closed for the week, and the authorities have warned residents not to hold large indoor gatherings because.

[Nikki Cardwell]

Of fears that the tremors could have.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Damaged buildings or caused landslides.

[Nikki Cardwell]

Santorini's mayor, Nikos Zorzos, says they have.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Plans in place should the worst happen. We must deal with this with patience and calm. This seismic activity may last many weeks. We have places for shelters for the.

[Benjamin Netanyahu]

Population without structures and on level surfaces. There are eight places that can accommodate people.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Santorini and the islands that surround it were formed when the crater of a volcano collapsed. It's also the site of one of the biggest eruptions in history. But experts say these current earthquakes do not appear to be linked to volcanic activity, and they don't know what's caused them. That was Nicky Cardwell. Spain is coming to the end of its olive harvesting season. In 2021, the world's biggest producer of olive oil began suffering a punishing drought. Production plummeted, and you might have noticed the price of what's been called the country's liquid gold soared. The 2024, 25 olive season has been better in Spain, but farmers are still watching the sky. And apart from climate change, there's another cause for anxiety. Xylella fast is a deadly and hard to detect bacterium that's killed millions of olive trees in southern Italy. In the Spanish city of Cordoba, Dr. Blanca Landa leads an international project at the Institute of Sustainable Agriculture dedicated to stopping the spread of the microbe. Linda Presley met her at her laboratory.

[Luba]

It's a biosecurity facility, a quarantine level 2 facility. So the exclusive is under positive pressure is to avoid any escape from the laboratory inside or some entrance from outside.

[Nikki Cardwell]

From the street inside. Dr. Landa and her team keep a collection of deadly strains of the Zillella microbe.

[Luba]

It's considered one of the most dangerous quarantine pathogens. And this is due to the huge number of diseases that can cause in very important.

[Nikki Cardwell]

And the big fear, of course, especially especially here in Andalusia, is The olive.

[Luba]

Industry in Andalusia, we have over 1.6 million olive hectares. So you can imagine the concern of the olive industry.

[Nikki Cardwell]

Xillela kills slowly, clogging the vessels through which a plant absorbs water. And the only way it spreads is through insect vectors. They feed on an infected tree, then carry the microbes to the next tree they land on. It's believed Cillella first arrived in Europe in ornamental coffee plants from Latin America. Dr. Landa remembers her first sight of the havoc wreaked by the killer bacterium when she visited Southern Italy in 2014.

[Luba]

I was completely astonished. So it was like being in a field of, like, atomic war or whatever, because all the trees were completely died and drying, so all the. The area is affected.

[Nikki Cardwell]

The dying trees generated conspiracy theories, scientists, an oil pipeline, large companies, even the Mafia. All of them were blamed for the demise of countless olive groves. Farmers were distraught, chaining themselves to their ancient diseased trees to prevent the environmental authorities from removing them. The only way to counter Zillela.

[Luba]

It was very, very sad situation. They said, some of the farmers to me that they take care of the trees even better than their own child, you know, because it was their way of living. Everywhere you go, you see symptoms of Zillela everywhere.

[Jackie Leonard]

Yeah.

[Nikki Cardwell]

And have they managed to stop it yet?

[Luba]

No, no, not at all, no.

[Nikki Cardwell]

Italy's lost more than 20 million olive trees to Zillella. Part of the end game would be to develop olive varieties resistance to Zillella.

[Luba]

The second approach is to inoculate the plants, for example, with the beneficial communities of microorganisms that can protect the plant of not getting infected.

[Nikki Cardwell]

And then there are efforts to attack Xillella itself.

[Luba]

We have some collaborators in the project that are searching for viruses that can infect the bacterium.

[Nikki Cardwell]

I asked Dr. Landa if the gravity of her research project gives her sleepless nights.

[Luba]

No, I mean, otherwise I won't sleep any day. But sometimes I have been very, very concerned, especially when we detected the bacterium in Spain.

[Nikki Cardwell]

So is it a question of when, not if? In terms of the olives in southern.

[Luba]

Spain, I don't think that is a matter of when. I will be optimistic. Now we are more prepared than before. We know exactly how to monitor our territory. I think farmers now are aware of what can be the problem.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Dr. Blanca Landa Ending that report from Linda Presley in Cordoba in southern Spain. Germany has one of the most generous sick leave policies in the world. The Average employee takes 20 days off sick each year. Economists working for the German association of Pharmaceutical Companies say they think that the country wouldn't be in recession if its workers had taken fewer days off. Hannah Mullane has been trying to find out what's going on.

[Ingela Bak Gustafsson]

It's 8:00am In Berlin, Germany's capital city. Commuters busily making their way to the office. But how would these workers feel if they needed to take time off sick?

[Luba]

My name is Mariana. I work as a production designer. It was actually always quite easy to take a. And I think people were kind of just doing it quite a lot. Burnout was quite a common thing.

[Nicola Coughlan]

My name is Dennis and I'm a copywriter in the agency. I think we have a quite fair.

[Luba]

Policy for the employees.

[Nicola Coughlan]

I don't have to feel bad if I feel sick.

[Luba]

I don't have to feel bad if my kids are sick.

[Nicola Coughlan]

My name is Julia and I'm a trainee for a company that works for the German pensions. I think I needed two weeks sick last year, but it was no big deal. Where I worked before, I think it was an issue. But at this kind of company now we have so much employees.

[Ingela Bak Gustafsson]

Germany's generous sick leave policy means you can take six weeks off at full pay, paid for by your employer. After that, your health Insurance will pay 70% of your salary for the next 18 months. But what does such a generous policy mean for the economy? Nicholas Seabarth is professor of Economics at the University of Manhelm and the Centre for European Economic Research.

[Anton Yaremchuk]

There's no doubt that the sick pay system is a burden on the economy, especially in crisis times like now. We have a huge shortage of workers already and you can imagine if, in.

[Carl Nasman]

Addition to, let's say, 30 days of.

[Anton Yaremchuk]

Vacation, we have a very generous parental leave system now people take more than 20 days of cichlid year. That is huge burden, not just in companies on their labor costs, but also in consumers and people not getting services delivered when they need it.

[Ingela Bak Gustafsson]

And it's a burden that's very much on the employer having to pay workers for up to six weeks whilst they're not working. So how do they manage?

[Anton Yaremchuk]

I think it's just baked in. I think it's in a similar situation as you assume that Obviously everybody has 30 days of vacation and you just bake this in into the overall structure.

[Ingela Bak Gustafsson]

Stefan is the CEO of software company SDA and employs around 40 people. For him, the flexible working policy that came in during the pandemic is helping him manage when staff are off sick.

[Anton Yaremchuk]

What I see is that people are first they say, hey, I will be working from home because I feel a little bit under the weather. And I think this is quite good because previous to that, people would be a little bit sick, come to the office, and then you had a lot of sick people, so that's better. And you also see more flexibility around this. I would say also sick leave is also part sometimes if your child is sick and then people need to stay home to take care of the child. A lot of people say, hey, my child is sick. I cannot come to the office. I need to be at home. But I am still able to work.

[Ingela Bak Gustafsson]

But if you're a much smaller business, how do you cope?

[Jackie Leonard]

I'm Henry Van Wagenberg. I'm one of the CEOs of Baugarden, the math and science world building game. And we have seven employees in our little team. If one employee is sick at Baugarten, we definitely feel it. It can ricochet through the rest of the team.

[Ingela Bak Gustafsson]

Henry's small team find it harder to manage sickness. But can he see the policy changing?

[Jackie Leonard]

Yes, I could see it as something that could change. I do think that while it could.

[Carl Nasman]

Change, it is also a deep part of the work culture right now.

[Jackie Leonard]

It wouldn't just be a policy change, it would be a cultural change.

[Ingela Bak Gustafsson]

Making any changes to the country's sick leave policy would certainly be unpopular with workers. But Germany is soon to hold a general election. And will the new government with a struggling economy feel the pressure to make some changes? We'll have to wait and see that.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Report by Hannah Mullane in Germany. As the world recovers from the COVID pandemic, tourism and travel are again on the rise. One destination happening again this month for the first time since COVID 19, and that's north Korea. On offer is a trip to the port area of Rason, a special economic zone near the borders of both China and Russia. Simon Cockrell is the general manager of Koryo Tours, offering trips to celebrate a holiday in North Korea, the birthday of the leader Kim Jong Un. He explained more to Evan Davis about the destination.

[Jackie Leonard]

That area, Rason. As you said, it's a free trade zone and it's very remote. But it will be the first part of North Korea to reopen to foreign tourists since they closed about five years ago. So the offer, as it were, is the resumption of tourism, organized tourism, which is the only kind there to take people in to see what it's like, see as much as they can. Hopefully resuming next week, but still, exact details to be confirmed.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Okay, what do you see when you.

[Jackie Leonard]

Go to a place like that? Do you get a. A picture of North Korean life. Is it a nice place to go and have a rest? What's the appeal? Well, nobody goes there for a rest. The appeal is mostly for people who are intrigued by an intriguing country, really. You get a picture of life that you can experience there, which of course is limited by your time and your access and infrastructure, but also by the nature of the North Korean system, which is to keep their own people and influence from outside, including human influence, separate. So what you see and experience is perfectly real and normal life, but it's not the totality of reality and normal life, and nobody should really expect it to be either. But also, the lifestyles of people in Rasan are quite distinct from those of people in the capital, Pyongyang, or in other parts of the country. There's quite a bit of a range there. Of course, you don't really see and experience the worst of the worst, but intelligent people go there and they can infer what things are really like, or they can just have a trip and leave more confused than when they arrived, which is. That's a common experience, too. How many visits have you made? I have been there 182 times.

[Nicola Coughlan]

182 times to north Korea?

[Jackie Leonard]

Yeah, but people always ask. So it's just counting in increments of one. Not too hard. You must be getting a medal of some kind. But to what extent if you go on a. You go on a trip, you go to the hotel, you gather, you all have dinner in the evening, to what.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Extent could you just wander around the.

[Jackie Leonard]

Streets of Razzle on your own unaccompanied? Well, it's not permitted under the law there. So in terms of the practicalities of it, you could, of course, just walk out of a door. Most people can manage that. And really, the. The law in Rasson technically provides for that. But the reality is that if you go very far, you could end up causing some trouble for the people who host you there, who are local travel company. It's not the government, it's not some kind of nefarious organization of security or military personnel, and that's not a particularly good thing to do.

[Nicola Coughlan]

You would.

[Jackie Leonard]

You wouldn't want to cause trouble for anybod in North Korea. So unfortunately, you are constrained by the law, which is rather, you know, paternalistic over its own people, but also over tourists. And they treat everything like a school trip, really. Everything has to be organized in advance. But this is all understood in advance as well. Nobody has ever shown up there and thought, you know, I thought I could do what I wanted.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Simon Cockrell, General Manager of Choreo Tours. And that's it from us for now. But there will be a new edition of the Global News Podcast later. If you'd like to comment on this edition or the topics covered in it, do please send us an email. The address is global podcastbc.co.uk you can also find us on X@Global Newspod. This edition was mixed by Caroline Driscoll. The producer was Liam McSheffrey. Our editor is Karen Martin. I'm Jackie Leonard. And until next time. Goodbye. What does it take to go racing in the fastest cars in the world?

[Carl Nasman]

Oscar Piastri. Your head's trying to get ripped one.

[Donald Trump]

Way, your body's trying to go another.

[Jackie Leonard]

Let's stroll.

[Carl Nasman]

It's very extreme in the sense of.

[Jackie Leonard]

How close you're racing.

[Nicola Coughlan]

Wheel to wheel. We've been given unprecedented access to two of the most famous names in Formula One, McLaren and Aston Martin.

[Jackie Leonard]

I'm London Arts.

[Carl Nasman]

They build a beautiful bit of machinery.

[Jackie Leonard]

That I get to then go and have fun in.

[Nicola Coughlan]

They open the doors to their factories.

[Anton Yaremchuk]

As the 2024 season reached its peak.

[Nicola Coughlan]

I'm Josh Hartnett, this is F1 back at base. Listen, wherever you get your podcasts.