Paul Moss

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This is the Global News Podcast from the BBC World Service.

I'm Paul Moss, and in the early hours of Wednesday, the 31st of December, these are our main stories.

Iran's government says it will listen to protesters' complaints as demonstrations spread across the country.

The US lays sanctions on Iranians and Venezuelans allegedly involved in trading weapons parts and technology.

What do we know about the ties between Tehran and Caracas?

And Poland considers a bill which would for the first time give official recognition to same-sex couples.

Also in this podcast... It's a catastrophe.

With new warnings about the humanitarian situation in Gaza, aid organisations face being kicked out by Israel from January 1st.

It started with shopkeepers.

Now Iran's latest protest movement has been taken up by students.

Poverty, corruption, tyranny, death to the dictatorship, they chanted in the capital Tehran.

But Tuesday saw demonstrations reported at 10 universities across the country.

When it comes to facing down protest, Iran's rulers don't usually hold back.

The last major movement in 2022 was perhaps typical.

Security forces opened fire on crowds.

More than 500 people were killed and around 20,000 arrested, according to human rights groups.

This time, though, seems very different, with the Iranian president adopting what certainly sounds like a conciliatory tone.