BBC News Podcast

Abiy Ahmed said the army had taken control of Mekelle from the dissident local leadership. Also: the Pope installs the first African American cardinal, and washing your dirty laundry in space.

Tehran believes Israel was involved when gunmen targeted Mohsen Fakhrizadeh. Also: the Inuit hunter whose habitat is changing, and the refugee who is now an MP in New Zealand.

Prime Minister Ahmed rejected offers of mediation and is still insisting there can be no foreign interference in an internal affair. Also: Sri Lanka bans commemorations for Tamil Tigers killed in the country's decades-long civil war. And, how a locust genome could be the key to ending devastating crop damage.

A motorcade has taken Maradona's remains from the presidential palace in Buenos Aires to the Bella Vista cemetery in the west of the capital where the bodies of his parents are also interred. Also: the head of AstraZeneca says fresh trials will be conducted on its coronavirus vaccine after some scientists questioned its results, and a man in Florida saves a puppy from an alligator attack.

In 2016 a faction within the Turkish military spearheaded a failed coup against President Erdogan. Also: Argentinians have been paying their respects to the footballer, Diego Maradona, whose body is lying in state in the presidential palace, and a British genetic research project is seeking to eradicate scarring within a generation by studying the Zebra fish.

Argentina declares three days of national mourning. Also: President Trump pardons ex-National Security Adviser Michael Flynn, and could a long-extinct volcano heat homes in southern New Zealand?

French government wants to impose new digital tax on huge firms like Google and Amazon. The US says it will retaliate with tariffs on imports from France. Also, Ethiopia tells international community to avoid 'interference' in Tigray crisis, and why some US families will be deeply divided at this year's Thanksgiving.

The US President-elect Joe Biden says America is back, ready to lead the world as he unveils his top team. Also: a patriotic board game is released in Russia, and Beyonce leads the pack in the Grammy’s with the most nominations.

The US president says the “initial protocols” must be carried out, though he’s stopped short of admitting defeat. Also, a European Union report finds that Afghanistan has become a major producer of crystal meth. And Russian scientists announce the promising results of their coronavirus vaccine trials.

The former secretary of state is among the names announced for key roles in the new US administration. Also: Qantas says a Covid-19 vaccination will be a requirement to fly, and is Hanko about to disappear from being a Japanese tradition?

The Oxford University jab, developed with the drug company AstraZeneca, is cheaper and simpler to store than its rivals. As a result, it should be easier to supply to developing countries. Also: the 23 year-old who’s created a home cancer test kit, the words that have been making headlines this year, and the American kid who survived life in Syria under the Islamic State group.

G20 leaders said they will "spare no effort" to ensure fair distribution of Covid-19 vaccines. Also: Ethiopia PM issues 72-hour ultimatum to Tigray, and the environmental problems caused by disposable synthetic gloves.

Millions face stay-at-home orders as the US faces a surge in coronavirus infections. Also: a virtual G20 summit opens in Saudi Arabia, and Sentinel-6 - a "dog-kennel" shaped satellite blasts off on ocean mission.

The UN secretary general Antonio Guterres blamed the situation on Yemen's continuing war. Also: Georgia officially certifies Joe Biden as winner, and the travel writer Jan Morris dies aged ninety-four.

Outspoken presidential candidate released after being charged with spreading coronavirus. Human rights groups say the virus charge is pretext to suppress opposition ahead of election on Jan 14. Also, Japanese retail store introduces robots to make customers comply with Covid restrictions, and Melania Trump's home town in Slovenia uses pastries to celebrate its links with her.

US health officials say coronavirus infections were spreading rapidly and they were alarmed at the speed at which intensive care beds were filling up. Also, President-elect Joe Biden has warned that the US faces a "dark winter" due to the pandemic, and how a mass extinction millions of years ago is helping to understand our current environmental problems

The Secretary of State is the first top US official to tour a West Bank settlement. Also: Australian troops 'killed Afghan civilians', and turning the weather on Mars into music.

Return to remote learning comes as US approaches 250,000 Covid deaths. Also: vaccines ready for distribution across US within weeks, Boeing's 737 Max cleared to fly and understanding our digital legacy.

Democratic Republic of Congo say it's Ebola-free after more than 40 days without a case. The country has seen 11 outbreaks since virus was discovered there in 1976. Also, Trump fires top election official who contradicted his claims of voter fraud, and how Rocky the disabled dog found a new life in a new country.

Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey have been grilled by US Senators over their platforms' election role. Democrats questioned whether the social media giants had done enough to flag up disputed claims. Also: the Pentagon confirms that Donald Trump will almost halve America's troop presence in Afghanistan before he leaves office, and the human cost of Ethiopia's action in Tigray.