Plus: Polar bear mother adopts cub in rare case ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏
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| Hello. As US President Donald Trump orders a naval blockade to stop sanctioned oil tankers from accessing Venezuela, my colleague Ángel Bermúdez explains how so-called ghost ships are able to evade sanctions. In South Africa, reporter Karnie Sharp explores the impact of the diamond industry. And finally, watch a polar bear mum look after an adopted cub in a rarely documented case. | |
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TOP OF THE AGENDA | US blockade follows oil tanker seizure |
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| | A satellite image taken on 18 November shows The Skipper, on the right, alongside another vessel. Credit: Planet Labs PBC/Reuters | As of last week, more than 30 of the 80 ships in Venezuelan waters or approaching the country were under US sanctions, according to data compiled by TankerTrackers.com. It's these vessels that are the target of Trump's blockade, the latest escalation of tension between the two countries following last week's seizure of oil tanker The Skipper in Venezuelan waters. Venezuela is an oil-rich country whose economy is highly dependent on revenues from exporting the commodity. US sanctions targeting Venezuela's state-run oil company have made exporting oil difficult for the government, leading them to resort to a fleet of "ghost ships", as Ángel Bermúdez explains. |
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| Nick Reiner appears in court on murder charges | The 32-year-old has waived his right to enter a plea. Separately, his siblings have released a statement to the US media. | What happened > |
| | Billionaire Jared Isaacman confirmed as Nasa chief | The amateur jet pilot became the first non-professional astronaut to conduct a space walk in 2024. | What to know > |
| | Spain to open network of climate shelters | Spain has announced plans to set up climate shelters in public buildings to offer people refuge from intense heat. | More details > |
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| | | South Africa's west coast |
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| What's left after a diamond rush ends | | The diamond mining industry has left its mark on South Africa's north-western coastline. | A century ago, a region in the north-west of South Africa - also known as Namaqualand - experienced a diamond rush that changed the land forever. But, in recent years, the industry in this part of the region has declined, leaving a trail of economic and social problems. |
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| | Karnie Sharp, BBC Focus on Africa |
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| | There is a disturbing contrast along South Africa's remote west coast. The 800km (500 mile)-journey north from Cape Town starts with views of outstanding natural beauty which, as the long road rolls on and the northern border approaches, dissolve into a pockmarked lunar-like landscape. And the scars left by a lucrative diamond-mining industry are not just physical.
Standing amid the wrecked empty shell of a former mineworks in the coastal border town of Alexander Bay, Andries Josephs, who worked here two decades ago before he was laid off, shakes his head. "There's no work, that's the problem. The people have stagnated and everything has gone backwards. The buildings have collapsed. Unemployment is sky-high," he says. |
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| SOMETHING DIFFERENT | Why sprouts are now nice | A decades-long breeding programme has made the Christmas staple more palatable. | |
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