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

I'm Nigel Adelie and in the early hours of Friday the 29th of December,

these are our main stories.

Venezuela's President Nicholas Maduro

ups the ante by ordering military exercises on the country's

Eastern Caribbean and Atlantic coasts

in an escalation of a territorial dispute with Guyana.

I have ordered the activation of a joint action of the entire Bolivarian National Military Force of a defensive nature.

Also why the Mexican authorities won't be punishing residents of a town who killed 10 members of a drugs cartel and a court in Qatar

commute the death sentences of eight Indians reportedly accused of espionage.

Also in this podcast, a special report on whether the change of government in Brazil has

helped the Amazon rainforest and its people and people and

I think what many people find surprising is that many of the trends I think that they would assume to be going in the wrong direction are actually going in the right direction.

Why the world may not be quite as bad as we think it is.

The Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro has ordered military exercises on the country's eastern Caribbean

and Atlantic coast in response to a British decision to send a warship to support

neighbouring Guyana.

The UK government took the decision after Venezuela renewed its claim to an oil

rich area which makes up about two-thirds of neighboring Guyana's territory. Mr. Madura made the announcement on television.

I have ordered the activation of a joint action of the entire Bolivarian National Military Force, a joint action of a

defensive nature in response to the provocation and threat of the United Kingdom against the peace and sovereignty of our country.

Nicholas Madoro, a recent controversial referendum suggested that 95% of voters were in favor of establishing a new Venezuelan state in the territory.

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