Global News Podcast (BBC World Service)

Episode: US Seizes Second Oil Tanker Off Venezuela's Coast

Date: December 21, 2025
Host: Anna Holligan

Episode Overview

This edition of the Global News Podcast delivers comprehensive coverage of the US’s escalating actions against Venezuela, including the dramatic seizure of a second oil tanker, and explores diplomatic, political, and societal impacts. Other top stories include commemorations following the Bondi Beach terror attack in Australia, renewed negotiation efforts between Ukraine and Russia, updates on the families of Israeli hostages, a historic spaceflight by a wheelchair user, and the discovery of a “lemon-shaped” exoplanet.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. US Seizure of Venezuelan Oil Tankers and Escalating Tensions (01:35–06:57)

• Second oil tanker seized: The United States released footage of military forces seizing a second oil tanker off Venezuela this month, alleging the oil funds narco-terrorism. Venezuela denounces the actions as theft and piracy.
  • "The US has released dramatic footage of its military forces seizing an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela, ten days after taking control of another ship in similar circumstances." (02:34)
• US military buildup in the Caribbean: There’s an intensification of the US Navy presence, including its largest warship sitting near Caracas, reflecting a steadily mounting pressure campaign on Venezuela.
  • "Last month, the largest warship in the world, the Gerald R. Ford, was placed within striking distance of Caracas." (04:46)
• International law and regional responses: Deep unease is expressed by Brazil’s President Lula da Silva over the risk of war, warning of humanitarian catastrophe. In contrast, Argentina’s pro-US president welcomes the intervention.
  • Lula: "An armed intervention in Venezuela would be a humanitarian catastrophe for the hemisphere and a dangerous precedent for the world." (03:23)
• US motivations: Officially, Washington cites fighting drug traffic and terrorism funding, but experts suggest this is tied to long-standing opposition to Maduro’s rule and broader regional ambitions.
  • BBC Correspondent: "There is a deeper narrative here, however... [Trump] had very openly said he wanted a different president for President Maduro." (05:08)
• Venezuelan reaction: Maduro’s government accuses the US of “piracy” and colonialist designs, asserting that the interventions are really about seizing Venezuela’s wealth.
  • "They have accused the United States of murder and theft on the high seas and they've likened the US President and the United States to pirates of the Caribbean." (06:00)
• Escalation outlook: Despite threatening rhetoric, US actions have stopped short of ground strikes, focusing on sanctions and blockades.
  • "President Trump is very well known for keeping all options on the table... his strategy appears to be one of escalating the pressure... other than ground strikes at the moment." (06:36)

2. Israel-Hamas Hostage Crisis and Civil Mobilization (06:57–12:11)

• Wind-down of Israel's Hostage Families Forum: With only one hostage remaining in Gaza, the civil group that mobilized support for hostages’ return is scaling down its activities.
  • "We are still in the 7th of October, but we were strong." – Family member (08:00)
• Civil action and global campaigning: The Hostages Families Forum united over 10,000 volunteers, held nearly daily rallies, and shifted Israeli public opinion toward supporting a ceasefire deal.
  • "Bring them home became the rallying cry of the hostages and missing family forum..." (09:02)
  • Forum strategist: "We could work hard on Israeli public opinion to ensure that if a deal came into place, it will have a sound civilian majority..." (09:41)
• International advocacy and political tensions: Foreign officials visited Hostages Square; the forum had to "bypass their own government" to reach the world.
  • Journalist Tal Schneider: "This place became like a foreign ministry for the country, for the families of the 250 people." (10:25)
• Lingering trauma and accountability: Despite releases, pain remains over those who were not saved and families seek closure.
  • "I had to fight for them as well, because they became my family. We still have to keep fighting for Ani because his family deserves closure." – Campaigner (11:08)

3. Australia’s Response to the Bondi Beach Terror Attack (12:11–15:16)

• Nation mourns after mass shooting: Vigils and memorials are held one week on from an ISIS-inspired attack that killed 15 during Hanukkah celebrations at Bondi Beach.
• Political response: Prime Minister Anthony Albanese orders an urgent review of police and intelligence service capabilities in "a rapidly changing security environment."
  • "This review will make sure that they are properly equipped to cope with what the Prime Minister is describing as a rapidly changing security environment in this country." (14:09)
• Rise in anti-Semitic attacks: The Jewish community voices long-standing concerns regarding security, amid broader national grief and calls for action on gun control and hate crime.

4. Historic Spaceflight: First Wheelchair User Blasts into Space (15:16–17:36)

• Michaela Benthaus’s milestone: The 33-year-old German aerospace engineer becomes the first wheelchair user to enter space, flying aboard Blue Origin’s rocket.
  • "Michaela Benthaus... made her dreams come true when she left her wheelchair behind to blast off into space..." (15:43)
• Flight experience: Journey lasted 10 minutes, with three minutes of weightlessness; Benthaus expresses joy and hope.
  • "I didn't only love like the view and the microgravity phase, but I also loved all the going up." – Michaela Benthaus (17:05)
  • "You just showed the world that it is possible. What would you say to folks?" – Bowen Yang (17:11)
  • Benthaus: "I think you should never give up on your dreams, right?" (17:16)
• Broader impact: Represents a breakthrough in inclusive space tourism and accessibility.

5. Ukraine War: Prospects for Negotiations and Media Realities in Occupied Territories

A. Diplomatic Shift: US-Led Talks with Russia & Ukraine (20:50–22:59)

• US proposals for direct talks: President Zelensky expresses conditional support for rare direct negotiations with Russia facilitated by the US, with possible European participation. Washington stresses Kyiv will only sign a deal on its own terms.
  • Zelensky: "Indeed, the United States of America said that they would have a separate meeting with representatives of Russia and they proposed such a format..." (21:55)
  • "But with American envoys offering Ukraine security guarantees, it seems likely that Kyiv will be expected to make territorial concessions." (22:33)
• Odessa missile strike: Seven killed by Russian attack underscores the ongoing violence.

B. Russian Occupied Ukraine: Media Manipulation and Information Blackout (22:59–27:56)

• Pro-Russian content creators: Young bloggers showcase “life under occupation” in glowing terms, omitting the devastation of invasion. Many train at "Donbass Media Centers" in newly occupied areas.
  • "Maria's blog is one of hundreds of channels run by often young, attractive men and women... broadcast pro-Russian content..." (23:33)
  • Elizaveta (content creator): "I wanted to show the reality that we are living, not what it's sometimes written in the news." (24:38)
• Propaganda efforts: Education centers foster hundreds of new pro-Russia content producers; experts see this as a systematic campaign to control the narrative and influence domestic/foreign audiences.
  • "They've created this network of media centers, propaganda outlets, let's put them that way, that aggregate information, but also produce it on an industrial scale." — Ilya Yablokov (26:22)
  • "This is how post-truth reality works." (27:35)
• Media suppression: Reporters Without Borders calls the occupied regions “information black holes.”

6. Science Spotlight: The Mysterious Lemon-Shaped Exoplanet (27:56–30:44)

• Discovery: Astronomers find a Jupiter-sized exoplanet with a distinctive lemon shape orbiting the remnant of a dead star, heavily influenced by intense gravitational forces.
  • Maya Belesney (Stanford): "This dead star... is the size of a city, only 10 kilometers in radius, but it weighs almost two times the mass of our sun... it has a really strong gravitational pull... causing this planet to be distorted into this lemon like shape." (28:28)
• Unusual composition: Surface covered in carbon — never before observed in a planet — raising major questions about planetary formation.
  • "We're not sure if this is really a planet or the remnant of a star... the outside is just covered in carbon, which is something that has never been seen before." (29:17)
• Scientific implications: The finding challenges existing models of how planets are formed and leaves astronomers debating its true nature.
  • "It's really incredible and honestly, it raises more questions than answers..." (30:15)

Memorable Quotes & Notable Moments

• Lula da Silva on US Presence:
  "An armed intervention in Venezuela would be a humanitarian catastrophe for the hemisphere and a dangerous precedent for the world." (03:23)

• BBC Correspondent on US Motivations:
  "President Trump, when he was first elected, had very openly said he wanted a different president for President Maduro." (05:08)

• Hostage family member (Israel):
  "We are still in the 7th of October, but we were strong." (08:00)

• Michaela Benthaus (Spaceflight):
  "I think you should never give up on your dreams, right?" (17:16)

• Ilya Yablokov (Russian disinformation):
  "They've created this network of media centers, propaganda outlets... that aggregate information, but also produce it on an industrial scale." (26:22)

• Maya Belesney (on the exoplanet):
  "This dead star... is the size of a city, only 10 kilometers in radius, but it weighs almost two times the mass of our sun... causing this planet to be distorted into this lemon like shape." (28:28)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• US Seizes Oil Tanker, Venezuela Tensions: 01:35–06:57
• Israel Hostage Families Forum: 06:57–12:11
• Australia Bondi Beach Attack Aftermath: 12:11–15:16
• First Wheelchair User in Space: 15:16–17:36
• US-Led Ukraine-Russia Talks: 20:50–22:59
• Russian-Controlled Ukraine, Media Propaganda: 22:59–27:56
• Bizarre Lemon-Shaped Exoplanet: 27:56–30:44

This episode presents a richly detailed account of fast-moving global headlines—interweaving high-stakes geopolitics, civic movements, science breakthroughs, and human resilience—delivering sharp insight, expert commentary, and first-hand voices to listeners who want to stay truly informed.