Focus on Africa - US, Russia, China influence in Africa?

Focus on Africa’s Charles Gitonga joined The Global Story podcast hosts Asma Khalid and Tristan Redman to explain why the United States, Russia and China are so interested in Africa. The US recently moved to extend the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA), a major trade deal allowing many African countries to export goods to the American market tariff-free, while also tying promises to end the conflict in eastern DR Congo to access rare earth minerals. China sees Africa as a key part of its Belt and Road Initiative, investing heavily in infrastructure across the continent. Meanwhile, Russia has positioned itself as an alternative partner to the Central African Republic and Sahel countries, particularly in security and military cooperation.

Presenter: Charles Gitonga Producers: Keikantse Shumba and Hannah Moore

Senior Producer: Blessing Aderogba Technical Producers: Terry Chege and Philip Bull Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla

Newshour - Trump says ‘killing has stopped’ in Iran after violent protest crackdown

The Iranian foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, has said his government has no plans to hang people arrested for taking part in protests. President Trump has threatened to take "very strong action" should Iran begin carrying out executions, but later said he had been told on good authority that the killing of protesters had stopped.

Also in the programme: Nato troops start arriving in Greenland as the Trump administration underlines its ambition to own the island, the BBC uncovers evidence of a split in the upper echelons of the Taliban in Afghanistan; and the writer Julian Barnes will be discussing AI and his last ever novel!

(Photo: President Triump. Credit: Getty Images)

Marketplace All-in-One - What happened to Saks?

Saks Global — the luxury retail conglomerate that owns brands like Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, and Bergdorf Goodman — filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week. But given that higher-income consumers are driving so much of spending, why is a chain of luxury department stores struggling? Then, the Trump administration is ending a special protected status for 350,000 Haitians, and the elder-care industry is expected to lose thousands of workers as a result.

CBS News Roundup - 01/15/2026 | World News Roundup

Tensions rise after second ICE shooting in Minneapolis. Observers in Iran's capital report no new protests after days of violent government response. Astronauts return home early after NASA's first ever medical evacuation. CBS News Correspondent Steve Kathan has these stories and more on the World News Roundup.

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Marketplace All-in-One - Will the focus on Greenland attract international investors?

From the BBC World Service: Despite Wednesday’s inconclusive talks between the U.S., Denmark, and Greenland, investors are starting to examine how Greenland’s extensive mineral resources might be tapped. Currently, there are only two active mines on the island, but many investors think there is potential in Greenland for additional commercial projects. Then, thanks to the climbing popularity of Korean skincare, South Korea has surpassed the U.S. to become the world's second-largest cosmetics exporter after France,

WSJ What’s News - Can NATO Troops in Greenland Keep Trump at Bay?

A.M. Edition for Jan. 15. Denmark and several NATO allies are sending troops for military exercises in Greenland, a day after unsuccessful efforts by Danish and Greenlandic officials to persuade President Trump to abandon his pursuit of the island. Plus, Trump appears to roll back threats of an imminent attack on Iran. And Journal special writer Gregory Zuckerman discusses the White House’s decision to put Wall Street on the defensive as a part of its midterm-elections push on affordability. Luke Vargas hosts. 


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