African governments are weighing in after Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro was arrested and flown to New York following a US operation in Caracas. Ghana and South Africa have criticised the move, while the African Union says it is watching events with great concern. We also hear how ordinary people in Accra, Ghana, view the unfolding crisis.
Plus, we then turn to AFCON in Morocco, where excitement on the pitch contrasts with frustration off it. Many fans say high flight costs and poor travel connectivity are making it difficult to follow their teams in person.
Presenter: Charles Gitonga
Producers: Blessing Aderogba, Ayuba Iliya, Keikantse Shumba,
Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie
Technical Producer: Terry Chege
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
The Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, has said the removal from power of President Nicolas Maduro by US special forces is a huge step for freedom despite being sidelined by Trump. We hear from inside the country amid a crackdown in Caracas.
Also on the programme, European leaders meet in Paris to discuss an end to the war in Ukraine, and a battle to save a historic monument to one of the great Antarctic explorers, Ernest Shackleton.
(Photo: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado looks on, outside the Grand Hotel after she was in the audience at the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway, 12 December, 2025. Credit: NTB/Ole Berg-Rusten/Reuters)
Delcy Rodriguez is sworn in as Venezuela's new president at a special ceremony in the capital, Caracas. Meanwhile, her predecessor, Nicolas Maduro pleads not guilty on drugs charges in court in New York. Also: the US tech company Nvidia introduces a new AI technology - that the chip designer says will help self-driving cars reason more like humans; the South African justice system is in crisis with many trials taking years to get to court; and a former school teacher is unmasked after posing as a senior naval officer at national days of mourning.
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.
The Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro pleads not guilty in New York to drug trafficking and other charges while Delcy Rodríguez has been sworn in as Venezuela’s interim president. Can she command the support of regime insiders as well as Washington?
Also on the programme: we'll hear how ordinary Venezuelans are responding to the upheaval; and ask a Republican member of congress about President Trump's astonishing use of raw American power and the diplomatic conundrum for the US allies.
(Photo: A screen grab taken from a handout video screenshot made available by Venezuela's state television VTV shows Venezuelan Executive Vice President Delcy Rodriguez being sworn in as acting president of the country in Caracas, Venezuela. Credit: EPA/Shutterstock)
The ousted Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro is transferred by armed forces to make his first appearance in a US court on drug trafficking and weapons charges, alongside his wife Cilia Flores. Both were seized by American forces from their compound in Caracas and flown to detention in New York, before being led in handcuffs into a Manhattan courtroom. The UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres says he's "concerned rules of international law have not been respected", as nations discuss the US actions at a UN Security Council meeting. And we learn more about Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro's right-hand woman, who is due to be sworn in as acting president of Venezuela.
Also: a court in Paris convicts 10 people of cyberbullying France’s first lady, Brigitte Macron, over false claims about her gender and sexuality; China and South Korea reaffirm their ties at a summit in Beijing; and we look back at the life of Eva Schloss, Holocaust survivor and Anne Frank’s step-sister, who has died at the age of 96.
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
The Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife are being transferred to a court in New York to face drugs charges -- two days after they were seized by US troops. Meanwhile in Caracas, Delcy Rodriguez is due to be sworn in as Venezuela's interim leader. She's offered to cooperate with Washington, after President Trump threatened further action.
Also in the programme: A French court has found ten people guilty of spreading lies online about President Macron's wife Brigitte; as protests in Iran continue for a ninth day, the Speaker of Parliament has said that the protesters' demands must be heard; and Venezuela has the world's biggest oil reserves, what happens to that now?
New tax laws in Nigeria are drawing criticism just days after taking effect, with many citizens worried about rising costs, shrinking incomes and pressure on small businesses. The government insists the reforms are designed to make the system fairer and more efficient, but scepticism remains over how the money will be used. We unpack what the new laws actually change and hear from officials defending the policy.
We also turn to health, as experts warn that stress-induced overeating is becoming a major problem across Africa, driven by economic pressure, urban life and uncertainty.
Presenter: Charles Gitonga
Producers: Blessing Aderogba, Makuochi Okafor, Keikantse Shumba, Priya Sippy, Bella Twine
Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie
Technical Producer: Terry Chege
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
CrowdScience listener Limbikani in Zambia is always being told he has his Dad’s laugh, so he set us the challenge of trying to find out whether a laugh can be passed down in our genes or if it’s something we learn from our environment.
Presenter Caroline Steel steps into the world of one of the world’s greatest laughter experts, Professor Sophie Scott, neuroscientist at University College London. In her office stuffed with memorabilia of a life filled with fun, they discuss how the shape of our bodies could play a role in how we laugh.
Also joining the fun is Dr Gil Greengross, evolutionary psychologist at Aberystwyth University in Wales, UK. Gil tells us how Charles Darwin was the first person to question how laughter evolved.
Caroline also speaks to Dr Nancy Segal, Professor of Developmental Psychology and Director of the Twin Studies Center at California State University, Fullerton. Nancy is an expert in studies that demonstrate the role of nature vs nurture in how who we are and how we behave. She tells the story of the ‘Giggle Twins’, who were separated at birth but found they laughed identically when they met three decades later.
So does that mean that we really do inherit our laughs from our parents?
Presenter: Caroline Steel
Producer: Tom Bonnett
Editor: Ben Motley
Credit: The sound of rats laughing (slowed down so that our ears can detect the ultrasound) is courtesy of Dr. Jaak Panksepp
(Photo: Father and son on yellow background- stock photo Credit: Georgijevic via Getty Images)
The US has warned the new interim leader of Venezuela to do as it says - or face the consequences. Donald Trump says if Delcy Rodriguez "doesn’t do what’s right, she's going to pay a very big price". The ousted Venezuelan president, Nicolas Maduro, is due to appear in court in New York. Also in this podcast, Denmark's prime minister has told Donald Trump to "stop threats" about taking over Greenland. Police in Switzerland say they have now identified all forty victims of the New Year's Day fire in a bar in the ski resort of Crans-Montana. Iran's government has announced that it will begin paying a new monthly allowance to every citizen. The President of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu, has markedly increased his defence budget for 2026. The movie Avatar: Fire and Ash has made more than a billion dollars at the global box office.
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
Guy Laliberté went from busking on the streets of Quebec to entertaining Hollywood celebrities and wearing a clown nose on the International Space Station. BBC business editor Simon Jack and journalist Zing Tsjeng tell the story of the Cirque du Soleil founder, and how he turned his passion for parties into a billion-dollar entertainment empire.
Good Bad Billionaire is the podcast that explores the lives of the super-rich and famous, tracking their wealth, philanthropy, business ethics and success. There are leaders who made their money in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street and in high street fashion. From iconic celebrities and CEOs to titans of technology, the podcast unravels tales of fortune, power, economics, ambition and moral responsibility. Simon and Zing put their subjects to the test with a playful, totally unscientific scorecard — then hand the verdict over to you: are they good, bad, or simply billionaires?
To contact the team, email goodbadbillionaire@bbc.com or send a text or WhatsApp to +1 (917) 686-1176. Find out more about the show and read our privacy notice at www.bbcworldservice.com/goodbadbillionaire
