Phase one of the Gaza ceasefire is underway as Hamas releases Israeli hostages and thousands of Palestinians held by Israel are being reunited with their families. President Trump addresses Israel's parliament ahead of his trip to Egypt to sign the deal he brokered. And the government shutdown enters its second week, with multiple agencies sending layoff notices and growing pressure on the military payroll.
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Today’s episode of Up First was edited by Kate Bartlett, Vincent Ni, Jason Breslow, Mohamad ElBardicy and Martha Ann Overland.
It was produced by Ziad Buchh, Nia Dumas and Christopher Thomas
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Israeli hostages return from Gaza, as President Trump travels to the Mideast to cement the end to the war in Gaza. Meanwhile, the president starts following through on a threat to lay off government workers. And an explosion at a Tennessee munitions plant leaves 16 people dead.
Anticipation is growing in Hostages Square in Tel Aviv where families and friends of the remaining Israeli hostages have gathered ahead of their expected release by Hamas after two years of captivity in Gaza. Around twenty of them are thought to still be alive. As part of an exchange Israel will free nearly two-thousand Palestinian prisoners under the terms of the ceasefire deal brokered by the Trump administration. The US president, who is travelling to Israel, has said that he believes the ceasefire in Gaza will hold and that the war is over. Also: the leader of an elite army unit in Madagascar that sided with demonstrators against the president has been sworn in as the chief of the country's armed forces, leading to talk of a possible coup; how the temperature of your nose can determine your stress levels; and the actor, Tom Hollander, tells the BBC that live performance is crucial in fighting the growing use of AI on screen.
NPR's Andrew Limbong speaks with Moshe Lavi, the brother-in-law of Omri Miran, who has been held hostage by Hamas since October 7, 2023. Lavi explains the challenges ahead for Israelis and Palestinians in healing from the events of the past two years - and whether he thinks the peace brokered by President Trump is sustainable.
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This episode was produced by Erika Ryan, with audio engineering by Hannah Gluvna. It was edited by Ahmad Damen. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
Gaza's Hamas-run civil defence agency says it has finished counting the living Israeli hostages and has transferred them to different locations ahead of their release which is due to take place on Monday. We also get the latest from Gaza.
Also in the programme: Has there been a coup in Madagascar? And does classical music help you study?
(Photo: People look at pictures and messages displayed at "Hostages Square" amid a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, in Tel Aviv, Israel, October 12, 2025. Credit: Reuters/Hannah McKay)
Newshour gets rare access at Rabin Medical Centre in Petah Tikva where some of the twenty living hostages are due to be transferred when they are freed by Hamas. Also, we hear from a doctor setting out the priorities of the medical sector when the occupied territory begins to receive large amount of aid as part of the ceasefire deal with Israel.
Also on the programme: An elite army unit in Madagascar that had joined protestors calling for the President's resignation says the armed forces are now under its command; and we'll head to an Amsterdam concert hall which has been transformed for students to hit their text books while immersed in live classical music.
(Photo: Dr Michal Steinman at Rabin Medical Centre in Petah Tikva, Israel.)
The billionaire Larry Ellison could soon control huge portions of America’s AI, attention economy and legacy media. He already owns swathes of AI infrastructure and is preparing to takeover TikTok, whilst his son, whose company already owns Paramount, is preparing a deal to buy Warner Bros. Discovery. So who is this ‘CEO of everything’, and how is his family dynasty becoming the 21st Century’s Rockerfellers?
With Asma Khalid in DC, Tristan Redman in London, and the backing of the BBC’s international newsroom, The Global Story brings clarity to politics, business and foreign policy in a time of connection and disruption. For more episodes, just search 'The Global Story' wherever you get your BBC Podcasts.
It sounds like a conspiracy theory—but every detail outlined about Britain’s gang crisis is real.
For decades, gangs of predominantly Muslim men in towns across the UK have groomed, trafficked, and assaulted thousands of young girls while authorities looked the other way.
Member of the Parliament of the United Kingdom Katie Lam joins “Problematic Women” to break down the shocking truth behind the UK grooming gang crisis, the systemic government cover-up, and why political leaders and law enforcement refused to act for fear of “inflaming community tensions.”
Katie also shares her personal journey, from writing musicals and working in finance to serving in Parliament, and why she believes protecting British culture and women’s safety must be a moral and political priority.
Hollywood is in transition, and it’s not clear what the film and television industry looks like on the other side. Between studios moving their productions out of California and the rise of artificial intelligence such as the AI-generated “actor” Tilly Norwood, many creatives in the Los Angeles area are struggling to keep steady employment. Joe Flint and Ben Fritz, who cover entertainment for the Journal, discuss the state of Hollywood and where L.A.'s entertainment economy could be headed. Kate Bullivant hosts.
