Newshour

The United States says it has seized two tankers linked to Venezuelan oil - one in the Caribbean and a Russian-flagged vessel in the North Atlantic. We'll hear from a former head of NATO reflecting on President Trump's recent foreign policy moves.

Also on the programme: we speak to the son of a prominent Venezuelan political prisoner; and the story of Aldrich Ames, the CIA officer who became one of America's most damaging double agents, who has died aged 84.

(Photo: A US Coast Guard official looks through binoculars at the ship Marinera (Ex-Bella 1) in this handout image released January 7, 2026. Credit: X/Reuters)

US President Donald Trump has been discussing "a range of options" to acquire Greenland, including use of the military, the White House said. The White House has told the BBC that acquiring Greenland - a semi-autonomous region of fellow NAT member Denmark – was a "national security priority". We hear from a former senior commander of NATO and a politician from Greenland's parliament.

Also in the programme: US officials say that a mission to board a Russian flagged oil tanker sailing in the North Atlantic is underway; and the discovery of the trumpet from the Iron Age on the east coast of England.

(File photo: People gather for a protest outside the Embassy of the United States of America in Copenhagen, Denmark on March 29, 2025. Credit: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

After a meeting in Paris of the European allies who call themselves the "coalition of the willing", with the Ukrainian president and two senior US envoys also in attendance, France's President Emmanuel Macron, Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Ukraine's President Volodomyr Zelensky signed a joint declaration on security guarantees in the event of a ceasefire. We hear military analysis of the Ukraine agreement and also the latest US threats to annex Greenland.

Also in the programme: as the authorities in Venezuela turn up the repression, we hear from a one-time protestor in Caracas; and why anger is growing over an AI-powered tool for sexual content on Elon Musk's social media platform X.

(IMAGE: Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy, France's President Emmanuel Macron and Britain's Prime Minister Keir Starmer deliver a press conference upon the signing of the declaration on deploying post-ceasefire force in Ukraine during the so-called 'Coalition of the Willing' summit, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, January 6, 2026 / CREDIT: Ludovic Marin/Pool via REUTERS)

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)

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?

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?

(Photo credit: Reuters/Adam Gray)

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told CBS news that the US will defend its interests in its own western hemisphere and insists Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is an indicted criminal.

In this edition dedicated to the Venezuelan crisis; we hear from a Caracas resident; and the intriguing details of the operation to extract Nicolás Maduro.

(Photograph: a supporter of President Maduro in Caracas holding dolls of Maduro and his wife. Credit: Shutterstock)

The US will "run" Venezuela until a "safe, proper and judicious transition" can be ensured, Donald Trump has said, after US strikes led to the capture of the Latin American country's president and his rendition to New York.

What happens next in Venezuela? There's been celebration and condemnation of America's intervention. We'll hear from in Caracas and also the Colombia-Venezuela border.

Also in the programme: We also hear from a former Trump insider who worked with him on Venezuela, ask a leading international criminal lawyer about the legality of the situation; and we'll hear about weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy.

(Photo shows Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro at the offices of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in New York. Credit: White House's Rapid Response 47 account on X.com)

President Trump has announced the United States will run Venezuela until an orderly transition can be achieved, saying he wasn't afraid of putting boots on the ground. His comments came hours after US forces captured the Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro (and his wife) during an overnight raid in Caracas. Mr Trump said Mr Maduro would soon face narco-terrorism charges in New York, posting a picture of the Venezuelan leader blindfolded and handcuffed. Mr Trump warned the US military would remain engaged to prevent resistance, but US Democrats have condemned a prolonged American involvement. The president also pledged that US oil companies would take over and rehabilitate Venezuelan oil facilities.

(Photo: Trump earlier shared a photo he said was of Maduro on board the USS Iwo Jima. The image shows him blindfolded and wearing ear defenders)

The United States has captured Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and launched a “large-scale” strike against the country, according to US President Donald Trump. It follows weeks of heightened tension as the US president ramped up pressure on the Venezuelan leader. We get reaction from the US and wider region.

Also in the programme: the Swedish workers trialling a “friendship hour” to combat loneliness.

(Photo: Venezuela’s President Nicolas Maduro holds Simon Bolivar’s sword as he addresses members of the armed forces, Bolivarian Militia, police, and civilians during a rally against a possible escalation of US actions toward the country, at Fort Tiuna military base in Caracas, Venezuela, November 25, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/File Photo)