PRESS REVIEW – Wednesday, March 25: Papers discuss Donald Trump's 15-point plan and the US's "fog of diplomacy". Could it be staged for the global markets? Also: brick workers are coerced into selling their kidneys in Pakistan. Finally, Democrat Emily Gregory wins the hotly contested race for the Florida House in a "Mar-a-Lago flip".
An analysis piece in The Guardian says that US President Donald Trump's "rehashed 15-point plan will unlikely appease Tehran". According to diplomats with knowledge of the matter, Trump's latest plan on Iran is probably based on an outdated framework from May 2025. The analysis says that reusing an old plan suggests either a lack of seriousness about the talks or a "desire by Trump" to pretend he has made more progress than in reality. According to The Wall Street Journal, this "fog of diplomacy" might be staged for the markets. An opinion piece says that Trump's incentive is to "calm the markets with news of diplomatic progress" while Iran's incentive is to "deny, deny, deny" and keep the markets in shambles. The article says that this is what Trump does: "offer relief as the trading week begins and bring the pain as it ends".
Papers are also reporting that the markets reacted even before Trump's announcement of talks with Iran. Independent US media Common Dreams writes that "traders placed massive bets just minutes before Trump's post on Iran". The bets were worth around $580 million, to be precise, according to The Financial Times. The move in the market that followed allowed those traders to make a huge profit. US Senator Chris Murphy called the market move a "mind-blowing corruption". An exclusive report by CNN says that a trader made nearly $1 million on Polymarket with "remarkably accurate Iran bets". He has been betting since 2024 and predicting US and Israeli military actions against Iran. The trader won a "staggering 93 percent" of his bets about Iran, although he was betting on "unannounced military operations". CNN says that this highlights concerns that insider trading is on the rise.
Next, in Pakistan, illegal kidney trade criminals are targeting brick kiln workers. A feature article in The Guardian tells the story of illegal kidney traders who approach desperate workers. The paper interviewed a man who works at a brick factory. He was offered 400,000 rupees, or around €1,200, for one of his kidneys. He said yes in hopes of repaying his debt that kept rising, but at the end of the process he was worse off than before. A Pakistani association believes that thousands of brick workers are being coerced into selling their kidneys, a "decision driven by debt, poverty and fear".
Finally, we end with a story that wouldn't please Trump. It's a "Mar-a-Lago flip", reports Politico, as Democrat Emily Gregory defeated the Republican state House candidate in a hotly contested race for the Florida House district. That's the area where Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate is located. Gregory is a first-time candidate with a background in public and mental health, and now runs a fitness centre for postpartum mums. She said that her win "demonstrates where the Florida voter is".
You can catch our press review every morning on France 24 at 7:20am and 9:20am (Paris time), from Monday to Friday.
English (US) · 