The United States is quietly expanding its influence in Venezuela, with CNN reporting that the CIA is moving to establish a permanent American presence inside the country.

Also:

• Sweden plans to lower the age of criminal responsibility from 15 to 13 for the most serious crimes, as criminal networks increasingly recruit minors.
• France is set to ban public officials from using U.S. videoconferencing platforms.
• More than 200 people have been killed in a coltan mine collapse in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, in territory controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 militia.
• In Cuba, oil supplies are running critically low after Mexico cancelled shipments under U.S. pressure, raising fears of a humanitarian crisis.
• A Wall Street Journal investigation reveals a $500 million investment by a UAE royal into a Trump-linked crypto business shortly before inauguration, followed months later by U.S. approval of advanced AI chip exports to the UAE.
• Switzerland, meanwhile, plans to raise sales taxes to fund higher defence spending, signalling a shift even among traditionally neutral states.

Global Politics with Leo brings you the international stories that matter, with clear explanations and evidence-based context. New episodes cover geopolitics, power struggles, and global affairs - without the noise.

Get in touch: [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The European Union and India have agreed one of the most significant trade deals in modern history, removing or reducing tariffs on the vast majority of goods traded between them. Together, the EU and India account for around a quarter of global GDP and a combined population of about two billion people. The agreement gives European companies preferential access to India’s fast-growing consumer market and opens the EU’s high-income market to Indian exporters - a major shift in global trade at a time of rising US tariffs and increasing unpredictability in American trade policy.

Also in this episode: Israel prepares to open talks with the Trump administration on a new 10-year security agreement as it looks to reduce its dependence on US military aid. Reports suggest Washington may link security guarantees for Ukraine to a peace deal involving the Donbas region, a territory central to Vladimir Putin’s war narrative — as Ukraine faces a severe winter energy crisis. And Spain’s economy shows unexpected strength, with unemployment at an 18-year low, driven by labour market reforms and a sharply more open approach to immigration, including plans to legalise hundreds of thousands of undocumented workers.

Global Politics with Leo brings you the most important international news stories with clear explanations and evidence-based analysis. Episodes break down geopolitics, conflicts, power struggles and global affairs — without the noise.

You can email me at [email protected]

.

You might know me from my educational content on social media and Substack as Leo Explains / LeoExplains10.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After the removal of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela, the Trump administration is now turning its attention to Cuba, exploring whether regime insiders could be persuaded to cut a deal and push the Communist government out. U.S. officials believe Havana is more vulnerable than it has been in decades, especially after losing access to cheap Venezuelan oil.

Also: we look at the reports suggesting Iran’s protest death toll could be far higher than previously reported, the US decision to cut funding to foreign organisations working on abortion, diversity, or transgender issues, South Korea’s move to enact what it calls the world’s first fully comprehensive AI laws, Germany’s arrest of a suspected Hamas member, the U.S. hosting the first-ever Western Hemisphere Chiefs of Defense Conference, Venezuela receiving its first payments from U.S.-controlled oil sales, and China’s falling birth rate.

Global Politics with Leo brings you international news stories, with clear explanations and evidence-based analysis. Listen for concise but in-depth breakdowns of geopolitics and global affairs - without the noise.

You can email me at [email protected]

You might know me from my educational content on social media and Substack as Leo Explains or LeoExplains10.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

President Donald Trump is backing away from his original demands for Greenland — no invasion, no outright purchase. But that doesn’t mean the issue is resolved. In this episode, I explain what kind of deal could now be on the table, why reports suggest the US could gain sovereignty over small parts of Greenland, and why Trump is focused on permanent control rather than NATO-based arrangements.

I also answer your questions from Instagram - including why Mark Carney’s speech at the World Economic Forum went viral, what it tells us about leadership in today’s geopolitical climate, and how it contrasts with Trump’s approach.

We then look at Trump’s proposed Board of Peace, concerns about how it would coexist with the United Nations, and what US strategy in the Western Hemisphere means for countries like Cuba, Nicaragua, and China’s position in Latin America.

Global Politics with Leo brings you clear, evidence-based explanations of the global stories that matter — without the noise.

You can email me at [email protected]

.

Find me on social media and Substack as Leo Explains / LeoExplains10.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump’s renewed push to annex Greenland isn’t just about security, trade, or minerals. In this episode, I look at a deeper driver: Trump’s personal history, worldview, and fixation on American expansion.

I break down how the idea first emerged in 2018 through billionaire Ronald Lauder, why Trump viewed Greenland like a real-estate deal, and how this fits into a broader revival of the Monroe Doctrine and Manifest Destiny - including his admiration for expansionist presidents like James Polk.

I also explain why Greenland has returned with far more urgency in Trump’s second term, what this means for NATO and Europe, and how Trump’s ambition to become a historic figure could be shaping US foreign policy far beyond the Arctic.

Also: I cover Australia’s new gun-law and hate-speech reforms, China’s record-low birth rate, Trump’s proposed “Board of Peace” — including Belarus’s role — and the latest fighting in eastern DR Congo.

Global Politics with Leo brings you the most important international news stories, with clear explanations and evidence-based analysis. Expect concise but in-depth breakdowns of geopolitics, power struggles, and global affairs - without the noise.

You can email me at [email protected]

.

You might know me from my educational content on social media and Substack as Leo Explains or LeoExplains10.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump’s Greenland threat sparks the biggest transatlantic crisis in decades. After leaked text messages between President Trump and Norway’s prime minister, Jonas Gahr Støre, we break down what could happen next.

This episode walks through three realistic scenarios for Greenland, from a face-saving U.S. deal, to outright American control, to a possible path toward independence through a Compact of Free Association.

We also cover Trump’s controversial “Board of Peace,” widely seen as a U.S.-led alternative to the United Nations. Around 60 countries have been invited to join - some have accepted, others have rejected it outright. We look at who’s in and who’s out.

Finally, updates from Venezuela and Iran: the first U.S.-controlled sales of Venezuelan oil, where the money is going, and how dollars are now flowing back into the Venezuelan economy. Plus Iran’s ongoing internet blackout and the mounting human cost of the protests.

Global Politics with Leo brings you the most important international news stories, with clear explanations and evidence-based analysis. Listen for in-depth but concise breakdowns of geopolitics, conflicts, power struggles, and global affairs - without the noise. New daily episodes cover the stories that actually matter and explain what they mean.

You can email me at [email protected]

You might know me from my educational content on social media and Substack as Leo Explains or LeoExplains10.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Trump escalates the Greenland crisis by slapping tariffs on European allies - but this episode isn’t just about Greenland. It’s about a much bigger shift in US foreign policy. We break down how the Trump administration is reviving the Monroe Doctrine, what that actually means, and why it helps explain everything from Greenland and Canada to Venezuela, Panama, and China’s influence in the Western Hemisphere.

We also look at what this strategy means for NATO, Europe, and America’s role in the world - and why U.S. foreign policy is moving away from global dominance toward a far more transactional, interest-driven approach.

Global Politics with Leo brings you the most important international news stories, with clear explanations and evidence-based analysis. Listen for in-depth but concise breakdowns of geopolitics, conflicts, power struggles, and global affairs - without the noise. New daily episodes cover news stories that actually matter and explain what they mean.

You can email me at [email protected].

You might know me from my educational content on social media and Substack as Leo Explains or LeoExplains10.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

María Corina Machado makes her boldest Trump move yet - presenting the medal from her Nobel Peace Prize at a private White House meeting. We break down why Machado is doing this, what she’s trying to get from Trump. Also: Japan and the Philippines sign a new defence agreement as tensions with China rise across the Asia-Pacific.

Global Politics with Leo brings you the most important international news stories, with clear explanations and evidence-based analysis. Listen for in-depth but concise breakdowns of geopolitics, conflicts, power struggles, and global affairs - without the noise. New daily episodes cover news stories that actually matter and explain what they mean.

You can email me at [email protected].

You might know me from my educational content on social media and Substack as Leo Explains or LeoExplains10

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The United States announces the start of phase two of its Gaza peace plan, including reconstruction, demilitarisation, and a new technocratic administration. We break down what’s actually in the plan - and what’s likely to be contested. Also: new polling data offers the first real glimpse of how Venezuelans feel about the capture of Nicolás Maduro and the role of the United States. Plus, the US, Denmark, and Greenland hold high-level talks after Donald Trump renews pressure over Greenland’s future. And I bring you the latest on Iran, as multiple sources report sharply different estimates of the death toll amid ongoing protests and an internet blackout.

Global Politics with Leo brings you the most important international news stories, with clear explanations and evidence-based analysis. Listen for in-depth but concise breakdowns of geopolitics, conflicts, power struggles, and global affairs - without the noise. New episodes cover the stories that actually matter and explain what they mean.

You can email me at [email protected]

You might know me from my educational content on social media and Substack as Leo Explains.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In today’s global politics update, I’m covering Iran, South Korea, Uganda, Gaza, and Greenland.

We start with Iran - why are the death toll estimates range from around 2,000 to 20,000? We also look at what U.S. sanctions or tariffs could mean and who Iran really trades with.

Then: South Korea, where prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for a former president. Uganda, where the government has announced an internet blackout ahead of elections.

Finally, what to watch this week in Gaza and Greenland.

A fact-based update on the news stories shaping the world right now.

You might know me from my social media and Substack content as Leo Explains.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.