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Global & Culture Roundup: Damien Martyn Wakes From Coma; MLB Prospect Hurt in Crash; Trump-Venezuela & NZ Dilemma; Maduro NYC Arraignment; Weight Loss, Wellness & Teen Vaping; AI Anti-Shoplifting, French Spy School, and Coogan’s Keane/Beckham Film Talk

News Round-Up: Key Stories From the Past 24 Hours

A round-up highlighting selected stories from the past 24 hours that question mainstream narratives on the climate emergency, public health crises, and critiques of Western civilisation.

Former Australia batter Damien Martyn regains consciousness after coma

Former Australia batter Damien Martyn, who played 67 Test matches between 1992 and 2006, has regained consciousness after being in a coma following a meningitis diagnosis late last month.

Former Australia batter Damien Martyn wakes from coma after meningitis diagnosis

Former Australia batter Damien Martyn, who played 67 Test matches between 1992 and 2006, has woken up from a coma in what has been described as a “miracle” recovery after being diagnosed with meningitis late last month.

Gloucester County MLB prospect hospitalized after car crash, team says

The Milwaukee Brewers said Frank Cairone, an 18-year-old prospect from Franklinville in Gloucester County, New Jersey, is hospitalized after a serious car crash near his home on Jan. 2, 2026. Cairone, drafted out of Delsea Regional High School, was the No. 68 overall pick in the 2025 MLB Draft and recently trained at the Brewers’ Arizona facility. The team has not disclosed the extent of his injuries and said updates will follow.

As Trump intervenes in Venezuela, New Zealand faces a foreign policy decision

As Trump rewrites the rules in Venezuela, NZ faces a foreign policy reckoning over how far it should align with Washington. The US operation to seize Venezuela’s president and plans to oversee a political transition and reopen the oil sector are presented as a return to a sphere-of-influence approach that risks breaching international law and setting a precedent for other powers. New Zealand’s cautious call for all sides to follow international law is depicted as inadequate, forcing Wellington to choose between accommodating a more unilateral US posture or more clearly backing a rules-based, multilateral order.

Why Weight Loss Is Harder for Some People: Willpower Isn’t the Whole Story

The myth that weight loss is simply a matter of willpower overlooks the role genetics can play. Experts say thousands of genes influence body weight, meaning people don’t start on equal footing when trying to lose weight.

Steve Coogan discusses his Roy Keane film and his role in Victoria and David Beckham’s first meeting

Steve Coogan says he plays Republic of Ireland manager Mick McCarthy in "Saipan", a film centered on the bitter clash between McCarthy and captain Roy Keane, and also reflects on his part in introducing Victoria and David Beckham when they first met.

The French university that trains intelligence officers

Sciences Po Saint-Germain, near Paris, provides training for serving French intelligence agents and also helps prepare potential new recruits for careers in the secret services.

BBC reporter tests AI technology designed to prevent shoplifting

Watch: BBC reporter tests AI anti-shoplifting tech as some major retailers and independent stores roll out AI body scans, CCTV, and facial recognition systems to detect and deter crimes such as shoplifting.

The Van Tulleken Brothers Explain Three Wellness Trends They No Longer Worry About

Dr Xand and Dr Chris van Tulleken say they’ve stopped stressing over three popular wellness concerns: eating extra protein, taking magnesium supplements, and trying to avoid microplastics.

Nicolás Maduro Scheduled to Appear in Manhattan Federal Court for Arraignment on Drug Charges

Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro is set to appear in Manhattan federal court on Monday for an arraignment tied to a four-count indictment alleging he led a 25-year narco-terrorism conspiracy.

How Can I Help My 12-Year-Old Stop Vaping?

In “How do I stop my 12-year-old from vaping?”, Jane says she is worried after finding out her 12-year-old daughter has been vaping regularly and is looking for ways to help her stop.

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This podcast is a fully automated experiment in AI-generated content. Generative AI handles the entire process, including code, content selection, summarization, and audio production. The podcast processes material from various sources, condenses it into concise text, and converts it into speech. No human intervention is involved in the production process.

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