BBC News Briefing

30 January, 2026

Sofia has long brown hair and brown eyes and is wearing a green top

Sofia Lotto Persio

Hello. The US justice department has released three million pages of files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. My colleagues have the latest. In Venezuela, reporter Norberto Paredes visits the oil region that could experience a US-funded revival. Also, find out how Norwegian polar bears defied scientists' expectations, and give the weekly news quiz a go.

TOP OF THE AGENDA

Documents include videos and images

A naturalisation certificate with picture of Ghislaine Maxwell, her name and signature as well as her gender, height and marital status.

Maxwell's US naturalisation certificate. She is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. Credit: US Department of Justice

Deputy US Attorney General Todd Blanche has announced the latest drop of files related to convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. My colleagues are combing through the documents released, which include more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images. One of the documents details evidence the FBI recorded in 2019 from an unnamed "captain" at the prison were Epstein died. Another is a transcript from a meeting that convicted Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell had with Blanche in July 2025, in which she discussed how she met Epstein. The justice department said anything identifying victims, depicting child sexual abuse or death, or jeopardising an active investigation has been removed from the documents.

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GET UP TO SPEED

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Don Lemon arrested after anti-ICE protests at church

The US journalist, a former CNN host, was taken into custody by federal agents on Thursday night, his lawyer has said.

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Panama voids Hong Kong-based firm's contracts

The country's Supreme Court has annulled contracts allowing the company to operate container ports on the Panama Canal.

What happened >

Home Alone star Catherine O'Hara dies at 71

The Canadian-American actress has passed away following a brief illness, a statement from Creative Artists Agency says.

Read the tributes >

NEWS FROM THE UK

China ties: Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said Chinese sanctions on six members of the British Parliament have been lifted after talks in Beijing.

Murder sentencing: An asylum seeker has been jailed for life for killing a woman who worked at the hotel at which he was staying.

Dame Jilly Cooper: Queen Camilla was among the guests attending a memorial service for the late novelist.

AT THE SCENE

Lake Maracaibo, Venezuela

Run-down oil towns hope for revival

A disused, large, round metal tank with protruding pipes sits at water level. It is tilted so part of the base and side on the right is submerged. Short, fat poles with dirty white tops rise out of the water in front of the tank.

Much of the old oil infrastructure in and around Lake Maracaibo has fallen into disrepair.

After the commercial exploitation of Venezuela's oil reserves took off in the 1920s, firms such as Chevron and Shell invested heavily in Maracaibo, the country's second-largest city. The area is seen as key to US President Donald Trump's plan to get US firms to rebuild the country's energy industry - and, locals hope, revive their run-down towns.

Norberto has short brown curly hair and brown eyes. He has a beard and wears a light blue shirt

Norberto Paredes, BBC News Mundo

With its neat rows of detached family homes, complete with grass lawns and porches, Miraflores could be mistaken for a typical American suburb. This quiet neighbourhood in the heartland of Venezuela's oil industry was once a symbol of national prosperity. Many homes now sit abandoned and looted, their windows smashed and wiring stripped bare.

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"You don't see kids in these streets, there is no youth. I used to live here with nine relatives, and they all left," says 64-year-old José Gregorio Martínez, the son of a former oil worker, sitting on his front porch. Fighting back tears, the retired teacher explains that he only survives thanks to the money his relatives send from abroad. His monthly state pension of $2.80 (£2) does not even cover his most basic needs.