Global News Podcast - Why Venezuela moves towards freeing political prisoners
In Venezuela, families of political prisoners have been rallying outside the Supreme Court in Caracas, chanting for the release of their loved ones. Lawmakers in the country have approved the first step of an amnesty bill introduced by the interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, in a move towards freeing hundreds of opposition politicians, journalists and human rights activists detained under previous governments.
Also: scandal in Norway as police launch corruption investigation into the former Prime Minister Thorbjørn Jagland's ties to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Scientists in China find a potential alternative to conventional cervical cancer tests. We find out how South Africa's fight against HIV has been affected by the sweeping cuts to the United States foreign aid programme. Finland becomes the latest country to adopt a priority traffic system, allowing lights to turn green for emergency vehicles. How a previously unknown Michelangelo drawing became an auction sensation. And - why ski jumpers are being accused of a very unusual form of cheating in the run-up to the Winter Olympics.
The Global News Podcast brings you the breaking news you need to hear, as it happens. Listen for the latest headlines and current affairs from around the world. Politics, economics, climate, business, technology, health – we cover it all with expert analysis and insight. Get the news that matters, delivered twice a day on weekdays and daily at weekends, plus special bonus episodes reacting to urgent breaking stories. Follow or subscribe now and never miss a moment. Get in touch: globalpodcast@bbc.co.uk
Photo credit: Ronald Pena
It Could Happen Here - Executive Disorder: ICE Body Cams, Fulton Election Raid, Portland Protest
The gang discuss the FBI raid of the Fulton County Election office, ICE protests in Portland, DHS bodycams, and an unsealed memo on the arrest of Rümeysa Öztürk. Plus, updates on Minneapolis and Syria.
Sources:
https://sortor.us/release/lemon.pdf
https://d3nkl3psvxxpe9.cloudfront.net/documents/econTabReport_DDIQ8jz.pdf
https://www.washingtonpost.com/documents/e815ed47-fce4-4797-8dc7-bcbc9efa968d.pdf
https://x.com/DNIGabbard/status/2018504435769520156?s=20
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/02/georgia-fulton-county-fbi-election-raid
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.mad.282460/gov.uscourts.mad.282460.315.0_1.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/dec/09/rumeysa-ozturk-tufts-student-resume-teaching-visa
https://www.cnn.com/2026/01/23/politics/court-documents-student-israel-op-ed
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.283214/gov.uscourts.dcd.283214.124.0_1.pdf
https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.283200/gov.uscourts.dcd.283200.52.0.pdf
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FnY2z7eb5efGlHrb2AYBtfqMVDJSUfIu/view
https://www.startribune.com/another-wave-of-departures-in-minnesotas-us-attorneys-office/601575569
https://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/2024-03/24_0307_priv_pia-ice-066a-pia-update.pdf
https://sdf-press.com/archives/47816
https://x.com/vvanwilgenburg/status/2017320999629254878?s=20
https://x.com/vvanwilgenburg/status/2019098549640917124?s=20
https://wladimirvanwilgenburg.substack.com/p/kurdish-regions-will-be-organized
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
array(3) { [0]=> string(184) "https://www.omnycontent.com/d/clips/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/78d30acb-8463-4c40-a5ae-ae2d0145c9ff/88850463-4c92-4585-9209-b3e8012cfe1e/image.jpg?t=1770315400&size=Large" [1]=> string(10) "image/jpeg" [2]=> int(0) }The World in Brief from The Economist - Amazon spooks investors; Bitcoin’s sell-off deepens, and more
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PBS News Hour - World - News Wrap: Trump rejects extension of expired U.S.-Russia nuclear arms treaty
Consider This from NPR - Will new limits on gender-related surgeries change anything?
The American Society of Plastic Surgeons declared this week that it recommends surgeons delay gender-related surgeries until a patient is at least 19 years old.
The Trump administration called the move "another victory for biological truth in the Trump administration,” and said the group "has set the scientific and medical standard for all provider groups to follow.”
The administration is describing the new recommendations as a “watershed moment”, but gender-affirming surgeries in minors are rare. So how much will this change?
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This episode was produced by Alejandra Marquez Janse, with audio engineering by Tiffany Vera Castro.
It was edited by Diane Webber, Courtney Dorning and Patrick Jarenwattananon.
Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
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PBS News Hour - Health - What to know about South Carolina’s big measles outbreak and who is most at risk
PBS News Hour - World - Sudanese army finds overwhelming suffering after breaking RSF siege of embattled city
PBS News Hour - World - Head of humanitarian group urges nations to step up Sudan aid to prevent ‘biblical’ famine
The Gist - Jonathan Cohen: “Add Friction” to the Super Bowl of Gambling
Jonathan Cohen, author of Losing Big: America's Reckless Bet on Sports Gambling, makes the case that the only credible reform agenda is friction, slowing bets, delaying deposits, and cutting off the design features that turn even Czech table tennis into a high stakes trap. Also on the show, Conor Patrick Heffernan traces how ideas of strength evolved, from Charles Atlas chests to bodybuilding's takeover of Hollywood, and why the human body mostly just responds to resistance, not trends. Plus a lament for the Washington Post's decline, how the Times out-competed it by poaching talent, and the brutal economics of serious nonfiction journalism in 2026.
Produced by Corey Wara
Video and Social Media by Geoff Craig
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