Episode Details

Good morning, it’s December 30, 2025, and you’re listening to the BTW Daily News. I’m your host. Moving on to the political arena, the UK’s New Year Honours list named Sir Idris Elba a knight. The actor is being celebrated for his work campaigning against knife crime. In other news, a massive childcare fraud scheme in Minnesota has come to light. Surveillance footage suggests parents, allegedly linked to a Somali community, were involved in the scheme. Across the Pacific, China has fired missiles during its second day of high‑intensity drills around Taiwan. The Taiwanese military has condemned the action as “highly provocative and reckless.” Meanwhile, in international politics, President Zelenskyy met with former U.S. President Donald Trump in a tense discussion about a potential peace settlement in Ukraine. The key sticking point remains territorial control. In the tech sphere, Meta announced it will acquire the AI startup Manus in a deal set at around two billion dollars to boost its generative‑AI capabilities. Turning to the world of public service, Bangladesh’s former first female prime minister Khaleda Zia passed away at 80, closing a chapter in the country’s political history. An unlikely headline came from combat sports: former heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua was injured in a car accident in Nigeria, reportedly leaving him in a stable but hospitalized condition. In the Middle East, Saudi Arabia launched an air strike on a Yemeni port after accusing the UAE of shipping weapons to separatists. The strike sparked a flare‑up in an already volatile conflict. Breaking sports news: Nikola Jokic limped off the court in Denver after injuring his left knee in a game against Miami. The injury is expected to sideline him for several weeks. And on a lighter note, actor George Clooney, along with his wife Amal and their twins, gained French citizenship, marking a new chapter in their personal lives. That’s all for our morning roundup. Thank you for joining us today on BTW Daily News, and have a wonderful day.