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

I'm Jackie Leonard, and in the early hours of Friday, the 20th of December, these are our main stories.

Luigi Mangione, who's accused of killing the head of America's biggest health insurance company,

has appeared in court in New York for the first time after being extradited from Pennsylvania.

The French Prime Minister has praised the courage of Giselle Pelicoe,

the woman at the center of the mass rape trial that has ended with the convictions of her husband

and 50 other men.

And President Putin says he's ready to compromise on the war in Ukraine.

Our Russia editor talks us through his end-of-year news conference.

Also in this podcast,

This behavior is completely shocking to us.

I have been watching these animals year after year for over a decade.

We've never seen any active hunting from the species.

A surprise discovery about the diet of squirrels.

We begin in New York. The man accused of gunning down the head of America's biggest health

insurance company has made his first court appearance in the city after being extradited from Pennsylvania.

Luigi Banjone is facing new U.S. federal charges, including murder with a firearm and stalking, in addition to previous state charges.

Brian Thompson, United Healthcare's chief executive, was shot dead outside a hotel in

Manhattan earlier this month. Our correspondent Neda Talfiak spoke to us from outside the court in New York.

This was Luigi Mangione's formal arraignment on these new federal charges. So the judge read out

all four of the charges, which included murder,

and also using interstate transport with the intent to murder. And he responded and nodded along.

...