As peace negotiations between Israel and Hamas made significant progress over the weekend, many in the region are expressing some cautious optimism about an end to the two-year war.
NPR's Andrew Limbong speaks with James Elder, a UNICEF spokesman, about what he is seeing in Gaza now and the urgent need for food and medical supplies.
For sponsor-free episodes of Consider This, sign up for Consider This+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org. Email us at considerthis@npr.org.
This episode was produced by Michael Levitt. It was edited by Sarah Robbins. Our executive producer is Sami Yenigun.
The prime minister of Georgia has announced plans to outlaw the main opposition parties. Irakli Kobakhidze was speaking a day after anti-government protesters tried to storm the presidential palace. We hear from opposition activist Giga Lemonjava.
Also in the programme: Israel and Hamas prepare for indirect talks; and inside legendary guitar shop Regent sounds.
(Picture: Georgian opposition parties supporters clash with riot police during a rally after local elections in Tbilisi, Georgia, 04 October 2025. Credit: EPA)
Syria is holding its first parliamentary elections since the fall of Bashar al-Assad last December -- but the vast majority of the population can't vote and the president is choosing many of the candidates.
Also, can the US-led peace plan for Gaza work? We'll hear about the key negotiations due to begin in Cairo and ask whether it's feasible to expect Hamas to disarm. And a bigger question: when does anti-Zionism equate to anti-Semitism?
Plus a legendary guitar goes on display in a shop in London.
Picture: Voting begins for representatives of Syria's new parliament in Damascus on October 5, 2025. Credit: REUTERS/Khalil Ashawi)
On Monday, President Trump outlined his proposal for a peace deal in Gaza, a moment he described as ‘potentially one of the great days ever in civilisation’. In a press conference announcing the plan, the President name-dropped Sir Tony Blair and said the former UK Prime Minister would have a key role in the governance of post-war Gaza. Blair has been part of high-level talks with the US and other parties about ending the conflict. To many in the Middle East he remains a divisive figure who is remembered primarily for his role in the US-led invasion of Iraq. So how did Blair become a central figure in this latest plan to end the war in Gaza, and what does this tell us about diplomacy under Trump 2.0? Asma Khalid speaks to the BBC’s diplomatic correspondent James Landale, who charts the story of Blair’s involvement in the Middle East and his warm relationship with President Trump.
Producers: Sam Chantarasak, Viv Jones
Senior news editor: China Collins
Mix: Travis Evans
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.
Picture: Former Prime Minister Sir Tony Blair. Credit: Victoria Jones/PA Wire
Former ESPN star Sage Steele joins Crystal Bonham on Problematic Women to share her powerful story of walking away from Disney, standing up to cancel culture, and finding freedom on the other side.
In this candid conversation, Sage reflects on the courage it took to speak truth in the face of corporate hypocrisy, the cost of refusing to bow to the Left’s mandates, and the turning point moment after Charlie Kirk’s assassination. They also discuss the strength and grace of Erika Kirk, who has stepped boldly into leadership while inspiring young women across America to live out their faith without fear.
Don’t miss Sage’s story — and why she believes now is the time for bold women and men of faith to stand up.
Drones have been in the headlines a lot lately. On Friday, we reported that Munich saw the latest in a string of airport closures after drones were detected in European airspace. These drones are different from the ones that were in use even a decade ago, as the capabilities of even the cheapest drones have evolved on the battlefields of Ukraine and Russia. And the West is falling behind, something the Trump administration is seeking to address with a potential deal that would give the U.S. access to Ukraine’s battle-hardened drone tech. Alistair MacDonald, who covers Ukraine and the defense industry for the Journal, discusses the big business of drones, how Ukraine became a leader in the industry and how the West could catch up. Alex Ossola hosts.
For more than two years, Jennifer Foley has been an advocate for her brother Scott Spivey. But to get the criminal investigation into his death reopened, Jennifer has to convince some of the most powerful leaders in South Carolina that this was not a Stand Your Ground case. WSJ’s Valerie Bauerlein reports.
Mary Louise Kelly, host of NPR's All Things Considered, is no stranger to tough conversations with important people. In her new national security podcast, NPR’s Sources and Methods, Kelly brings you inside the Pentagon, State Department, and intelligence community to help you understand America's shifting role in the world, and how events in faraway places matter here at home.
President Trump says Israel has agreed to an initial withdrawal line in Gaza. He says the details have been shared with Hamas and once the Palestinian group confirms it agrees with the line, there will be an immediate ceasefire and an exchange of hostages and prisoners. Also: Japan is on track to get its first ever female prime minister, Sanae Takaichi; Al-Shabaab claims responsibility for an explosion near a high-security prison in the Somali capital, Mogadishu; anti-government protests in Georgia and Madagascar; we look back at the life of the Czech novelist Ivan Klima, who's died aged 94; the US takes on India at a speed chess tournament; and the British and Irish film festival taking place in Dinard in France.
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