Trump, Honduras and a presidential pardon

Donald Trump surprised many in his own Republican party this week when he signed a pardon releasing the former president of Honduras from a West Virginia prison. Juan Orlando Hernández had been tried, convicted and sentenced to serve 45 years in the US for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy. Will Grant gauges the reaction in Tegucigalpa - and pays a visit to the former president's wife.

Israel is facing an impending political crisis over the issue of conscripting ultra-Orthodox Jews into the armed forces. It's a looming threat for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu - and a question that divides wider Israeli society. Lucy Williamson reports from the city of Bnei Brak.

Pope Leo XIV chose Turkey and Lebanon as the destinations for his first overseas trip as Pontiff. Aleem Maqbool has been travelling with the papal press pool, and reflects on what the journey revealed of the new Pope's character and approach to the role.

It’s nearly four years since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, and despite heavy losses, President Putin seems convinced this is no time to stop. Official Russian media still broadcast the success of the "special military operation" - and punitive laws discourage many Russians from speaking out against the war. But while out walking his dog in Moscow, Ben Tavener has gleaned a more nuanced picture of what the average citizen might be thinking.

Intorduced by Pascale Harter.

Producer: Polly Hope
Production co-ordinator: Katie Morrison
Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith

(Photo: Ana Garcia de Hernandez, wife of former Honduras President Juan Orlando Hernandez, with a portrait of her husband in Tegucigalpa, 2 December, 2025. Credit: Orlando Sierra/AFP)