BBC

Trade tensions rise as the EU investigates Chinese firms over possible unfair government subsidies. We hear from the China Chamber of Commerce to the EU who says they are being unfairly targeted. Plus, who will pay the new €3 tax on small parcels from China - businesses or consumers? Why are most household things still not being recycled? And sport fans in the US will soon be able to subscribe to a new YouTube TV package. [Photo: An attendant walks past EU and China flags in Beijing, China. Credit: REUTERS/Jason Lee]

The King said in a personal message that his cancer treatment will be reduced next year, thanks to early diagnosis, effective intervention and an adherence to doctors' orders.   Also on the programme: the Health Secretary, Wes Streeting, has said he is not 'comfortable' with a puberty blockers clinical trial that's set to go ahead in January, even though the clinical advice was to proceed with it. We hear from Gazans who having survived war and mass displacement, now face a winter storm and flooding. And, we reflect on the life and legacy of Scottish comedian Stanley Baxter, who has died at the age of 99.

Interviews, news and analysis of the day’s global events.

Writer: Keri Davies Director: Rosemary Watts Editor: Jeremy Howe 7th Dec - 12th Dec Ben Archer.... Ben Norris Josh Archer.... Angus Imrie Leonard Berry.... Paul Copley Alan Franks.... John Telfer Ed Grundy.... Barry Farrimond Lawrence Harrington.... Rupert Vansittart  Paul Mack.... Joshua Riley Akram Malik.... Asif Khan Azra Malik.... Yasmin Wilde Zainab Malik.... Priyasasha Kumari Lily Pargetter.... Katie Redford Lottie Summers.... Bonnie Baddoo

This week, The Naked Week team look at Your Party, join a polycule, and bestow some Christmas pardons. From host Andrew Hunter Murray and The Skewer's Jon Holmes, Radio 4’s newest Friday night comedy The Naked Week returns with a blend of the silly and serious. From satirical stunts to studio set pieces via guest correspondents and investigative journalism, it's a bold, audacious take not only on the week’s news, but also the way it’s packaged and presented. Host: Andrew Hunter Murray Guests: Rosie Holt, Leanne Yau The Naked Week Carol Singers: Fiona Mundy, Holly Alderson, Kayley Williams, Molly Punshon Investigations Team: Cat Neilan, Cormac Kehoe, Freya Shaw Written by: Jon Holmes Katie Sayer Gareth Ceredig Jason Hazeley James Kettle Additional Material: Karl Minns Joe Topping Cooper Mawhinny Sweryt David Riffkin WH Auden Live Sound: Jerry Peal Post Production: Tony Churnside Clip Assistant: David Riffkin Production Assistant: Molly Punshon Assistant Producer: Katie Sayer Producer and Director: Jon Holmes Executive Producer: Phil Abrams. An unusual production for BBC Radio 4

The UN says a powerful storm is sweeping through Gaza, leaving 800,000 people in danger from deluged camps and collapsed buildings. (130)   Long description (no character limit and should always end with the words below): The UN says a powerful storm is sweeping through Gaza, leaving 800,000 people in danger from deluged camps and collapsed buildings. Also: an Australian minister accuses Reddit of trying to protect its profits, after it launches a legal challenge against the country's landmark social media ban for under-16s; how a growing number of young women are challenging the Iranian authorities; why the low-budget French videogame "Clair Obscur" has seen off its bigger American rivals to sweep the Game Awards; why conservationists fear some of the world's rarest apes, the Tapanuli orangutans, may have been destroyed in a devastating cyclone; and how changes in polar bear DNA could help protect the Arctic animals from climate change.    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

Gideon Long takes a look as online discussion forum Reddit challenges Australia’s ban on social media for under-16s. Plus, after Ben from Ben & Jerry’s criticises the ice-cream maker’s owners, they hit back — speaking exclusively to the BBC. And why are general strikes spreading across several European countries?

Weight-loss injections have become a major talking point, from Hollywood celebrities to TikTok influencers. Originally developed to treat diabetes, these medications were later found to help people shed a lot of weight - a discovery that has rapidly expanded their global use. The World Health Organization has now released its first-ever guidance on prescribing them for obesity. South Africa recently became the first country in Africa to formally approve one version of these drugs for weight loss, and access is slowly spreading across the continent. We follow a Kenyan woman’s experience using the injections and we hear from a South African doctor who explains how they work - and what the latest medical research reveals so far.

According to the UN's humanitarian affairs agency, more than 800,000 displaced Gazans could be affected by flooding, as a winter storm surges along the coast. Most of them are living in tents. Also in the programme: we meet the man who smuggled opposition leader Maria Corina Machado out of Venezuela; and Clair Obscur Expedition 33 is the clear winner in the world's top gaming awards, so why has a French arthouse creation proved such a hit? (Photo: Displaced Palestinians ride a donkey-drawn cart on a flooded street in Gaza City, December 12, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Mahmoud Issa)

Nolan talks to the Public Health Agency's Director of Public Health - Dr Joanne McClean

A day after US troops seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, Washington has imposed sanctions on six more ships said to be carrying Venezuelan oil. Also: President Zelensky focuses on the fate of Donetsk; NATO cautions against European complacency over Russia; Kohl eyeliner achieves the status of 'Intangible Cultural Heritage'; Open AI strikes deal with Disney; FIFA is urged to review World Cup ticket prices; Austria passes controversial law on head coverings; whales are filmed hunting with dolphins; and Snoop Dogg becomes an Olympic coach. 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

Sex therapist Dr Rica Cruz is on a mission to destigmatise sex in the deeply Catholic Philippines. As a practising Catholic herself, she believes sex is a divine gift and should be intertwined with faith rather than in conflict. Using social media to advocate for this, she earned a strong following which led to her own TV programme, Private Convos with Doc Rica. But that show was banned by the country’s broadcast TV regulator, the MTRCB. Jay Behrouzi speaks with Dr Cruz about her fight for better sex education which she believes is the key to a safer society for women and girls. This episode of The Documentary, comes to you from Heart and Soul, exploring personal approaches to spirituality from around the world.

A UK-based Hong Kong pro-democracy activist tells us fake, sexually-explicit images were sent to her neighbours. Also on the programme: As the Trump administration ramps up its campaign against Venezuela's president, it has also been helping the opposition leader leave the country. Encouraging news about efforts to slow climate change. And, a new documentary that looks at the legacy of the reality TV show To Catch A Predator.

Disney is investing $1bn in OpenAI, letting fans create AI-generated videos with its characters. But what will the deal mean for the future of entertainment? We hear from people across the creative industry. Tickets for next year’s World Cup in the USA, Canada and Mexico have gone on sale but fans say the prices are “extortionate.” In Kenya, a court has frozen a multibillion-dollar US health deal over data-privacy concerns. And Mexico is hitting China with a wave of new tariffs.

The Trump administration is ramping up its efforts to derail the government of President Nicolas Maduro, which he has accused of turning Venezuela into a "drug-running regime". The leader of the country's opposition, Maria Corina Machado, travelled to Norway in secret to collect her Nobel Peace Prize. We ask if her influence could wane now that she is out of the country. Also in the programme: intense rain is wreaking havoc on thousands of Gazans living in displacement camps; and UNESCO declares Swiss yodelling a form of Intangible Cultural Heritage. (Photo: Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado attends the opening of the official Peace Prize exhibition at the Nobel Peace Center, in Oslo. Credit: Lise Åserud / NTB)

There's an emergency at the surgery, and Josh faces disappointment.

María Corina Machado, Venezuela's Nobel Peace Prize winner, speaks after her first public appearance in 11 months. She has mostly been in hiding since the country's disputed presidential election in 2024. She confirms the US helped her escape the country. She says President Maduro's regime is weaker than ever - partly as a result of the actions of President Trump, who announced the seizure of a tanker off the coast of Venezuela. Also: France battles to control violent drugs gangs that are exploiting children. In the worst affected city, Marseille, the number of teenagers caught up in the drug world has risen six fold in recent years. Victims of a typhoon, that battered the Philippines four years ago, sue the oil company Shell, accusing it of contributing to climate change and therefore making such weather events more severe. A BBC investigation discovers endangered species - including tigers and sharks - are offered for sale on Facebook. Research finds that living in extreme heat can severely affect children's development. And the last letter written by Mary Queen of Scots is going on public display for the first time in a generation in the city of Perth, Scotland. 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 Nobel Peace Prize winner arrives in Oslo after a clandestine journey from her hiding place in Venezuela. We hear the inside story of how she slipped out of the country. Also in the programme: French police's crackdown on drug gangs in Marseilles, and a rare public display for Mary Queen of Scots' final letter before execution. (Photo: Maria Corina Machado waving at her supporters from a balcony in Oslo. Credits: Lise Aserud/EPA/Shutterstock)

Gideon Long speaks to a former Venezuelan diplomat about the US seizure of an oil tanker off the country's coastline. Where was it going and what could it mean for global oil supplies? Plus, the typhoon survivors from the Philippines taking oil giant Shell to court. And how does the World Cup ticket ballot actually work?

Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group says it has captured Uvira town near DR Congo's southeastern border with Burundi. This comes after US President Donald Trump brokered a peace deal between DR Congolese leader Felix Tshisekedi and President Paul Kagame of Rwanda in Washington DC last week. We look at what the renewed fighting means for DR Congo and the peace agreement. Also, a housing deficit poses a threat to Africa's young people with increased difficulty in renting or acquiring homes. Where will Africa's youth live? Presenter : Nkechi Ogbonna Producers: Bella Twine, Keikantse Shumba, Dingindaba Jonah Buyoya and Madina Maishanu Technical Producer: Davis Mwasaru Senior Producer: Charles Gitonga Editors: Samuel Murunga and Maryam Abdalla