Edition for Dec. 30. Meta becomes one of the first major U.S. tech companies to buy a startup with Chinese roots, as it agrees to acquire Manus for more than $2 billion. Plus, tensions in the Middle East as Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. square off over their support for rival factions in Yemen. And WSJ chief economics commentator Greg Ip and White House reporter Meridith McGraw explain why “affordability” is likely to be a major talking point in next year’s midterm election campaign, and what politicians can do to address it. Luke Vargas hosts.
Programming note: What’s News is publishing once a day through Jan. 2.
The United Arab Emirates says it will end its operations in Yemen, after Saudi Arabia conducts a strike on the southern port of Mukalla. Riyadh claims the target was a UAE-linked weapons shipment, intended for separatists. The attack marks the most significant escalation in a widening rift between the two Gulf powers, who once cooperated in a coalition against the Houthis.
Also: protests are spreading in Iran, sparked by rising prices and the plummeting value of the currency. China has launched rockets on a second day of large-scale military exercises around Taiwan. South Korea announces steep fines for companies found guilty of price fixing. BBC analysis suggests Russian losses in the war with Ukraine have been growing faster than at any time since the start of the full-scale invasion. Nepalese authorities are scrapping a clean-up scheme that was meant to encourage climbers to bring down their waste from Mount Everest. A new search for the wreckage of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH-370 begins in the Indian Ocean. We speak to the dinosaur hunters who discovered a spiky “punk rock" dinosaur. And why the Danish Postal Service will stop delivering letters, ending centuries of service.
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.
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The United Arab Emirates has agreed to withdraw its forces from Yemen after a Saudi bombing of the port of Mukalla. Saudi authorities say it targeted weapons intended for UAE-backed separatists who threatened its security.
Also in the programme: the latest search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 begins today; why a Japanese folk tale of a ghost that haunts school toilets still persists; and we look ahead to some of the big stories of next year with our correspondents who cover health, the environment and sport.
(Picture: People hold a South Yemen flag during a rally calling for South Yemen's independence, in the southern port city of Aden on 25 December 2025. Credit: NAJEEB MOHAMED/EPA/Shutterstock)
This morning, we're recapping the 2025 housing market, which was — in a word — sluggish. Even though mortgage rates have come down, affordability remains an issue, and many would-be sellers are locked into ultra-low rates. But economists and real estate agents expect some modest pickup in the year ahead. Then, there's renewed focus on the vulnerability of the global auto supply chain after hackers targeted Jaguar Land Rover in September.
There were celebrations on the streets of breakaway region Somaliland after Israel became the first country to formally recognise it as an independent state. Leaders in the self-declared republic hailed the move as historic, saying it could open the door to wider international recognition after decades of diplomatic isolation.
The announcement has also triggered a demonstration in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, and condemnation from regional bodies including the African Union and the Arab League, who warn it could destabilise the region.
Also in the episode: Sudan’s national football team competes in the ongoing Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) despite a devastating war at home.
Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna
Producers: Keikantse Shumba, Blessing Aderogba
Technical Producer: Terry Chege
Senior Producer: Daniel Dadzie
Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla
Plus: Octopus Energy to spin off AI utility management platform Kraken Technologies. And three Chinese tech companies plan IPOs in Hong Kong. Julie Chang hosts.
A historically devastating salmon die-off on the Klamath River in 2002 was among the influences putting Amy Bowers Cordalis (Yurok) on her path of conservation. She recounts that moment, along with her family’s multigenerational fight to save their ties to the river, in her memoir, “The Water Remembers.” She is an instrumental voice in what became the largest river reclamation project in U.S. history.
The story of the Blackfeet Tribe’s revitalization of their historical ties to buffalo is the subject of the documentary “Bring Them Home”/“Aiskótáhkapiyaaya.” The film is directed by Blackfeet siblings and Oscar-nominated actor Lily Gladstone (Blackfeet) is the narrator and executive producer.
Tribes and tribal organizations are still waiting for the dust to settle after a year of unprecedented upheaval and funding cuts from the federal government. We’ll get an assessment of what happened and what this moment in time means for food sovereignty going forward.
GUESTS
Carly Griffith-Hotvedt (Cherokee), executive director of the Indigenous Food and Agriculture Initiative
Amy Bowers Cordalis (Yurok), executive director of the Ridges to Riffles Indigenous Conservation Group, and author of “The Water Remembers”
Ivy MacDonald (Blackfeet), writer, director, and cinematographer
Ivan MacDonald (Blackfeet), filmmaker, director, and producer
Break 1 Music: Honor Song (song) Blackfoot Confederacy (artist) Hear the Beat (album)
What was the biggest story of the year? Join the Federalist staff, including Executive Editor Joy Pullmann, Assistant Editor Joshua Monnington, Staff Writer Jordan Boyd, and Senior Elections Correspondent Matt Kittle, as they dissect the news cycles that defined 2025, including the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the DOGE project, and rogue judges. They also name the worst person of the year and dive into the top issues that will carry over into 2026.
The Federalist is a nonprofit, and we depend entirely on our listeners and readers — not corporations. If you value fearless, independent journalism, please consider a tax-deductible gift today at TheFederalist.com/donate. Your support keeps us going.
The U.S. hits a target in Venezuela. Parts of the northern tier of states getting buried in snow. Day in court for January Fifth bomb suspect. CBS's Christopher Cruise has those stories and more on the World News Roundup podcast.
The Trump administration is pledging $2 billion in humanitarian aid to the United Nations. The official State Department announcement of the U.N. donation says it “reaffirms the United States’ ironclad commitment to supporting critical life-saving humanitarian action around the world,” but the last paragraph warns that the UN has to reduce bureaucratic overhead. Plus, IPOs made a comeback this past year, and solar panel installers look to incentives as federal tax credits end.
