In a dramatic reversal, Meta has axed its fact-checking program – the latest signalling of Big Tech bowing to incoming president Donald Trump. What does this mean for the spread of misinformation in the US and globally, and for Trump’s control over information in his second term?

After going undiagnosed for years, Ayah Jaghoub discovered she had two autoimmune diseases and thyroid cancer. She speaks to Samantha about her journey, and the years of neglect she says she experienced by the medical industry. We also talk to an endocrinology consultant to better understand thyroid issues. On this episode of Now You Know, we want to know why it can take so long to get a diagnosis, and how thyroid cancer impacts women differently to men.

Israel's war on Gaza has spared no one, not even those saving lives on the front line. Israeli forces have detained at least 262 health workers in Gaza, including Hussam Abu Safia, the head of Kamal Adwan Hospital, the most prominent healthcare facility in the besieged territory’s north. It remains unknown where many of them are. Elias Hussam Abu Safiya, Doctor Abu Safiya's son, told Al Jazeera his father has been tortured in Israeli prison. Naji Abbas is the Director of Prisoners and Detainees Department at Physicians for Human Rights Israel. He says hundreds of medical workers have been detained, tortured and starved by Israeli forces.

The deputy foreign ministers of Iran, France, Germany and the UK are in Geneva in Switzerland to discuss Iran's disputed nuclear programme. It's the second meeting between Iran and European officials since November. It's being held in private.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu bet his political future on waiting for President-elect Donald Trump to assume office, argues Ryan Grim, co-founder of Drop Site News. Grim tells host Steve Clemons that Netanyahu’s gambit paid off, and now he may not be able to reject a ceasefire after January 20 – inauguration day for Trump, who has promised that “all hell will break out” in the Middle East if he does not get his way. “Whether it holds or whether it’s just something that’s announced so that Trump can celebrate it and say he’s moving on” is the bigger question, Grim says.

The AfD has become a major player in German politics in just 12 years. The far-right party has won over voters with its extreme views, from immigration to energy. It's candidate for Chancellor is promising mass deportations of immigrants. Can Alice Wiedel help her party win more power in a general election next month?

US President-elect Donald Trump's special envoy to the Middle East is in Israel, as diplomatic efforts to secure a ceasefire in Gaza ramp up. Steve Witkoff has met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Trump has warned “all hell would break loose” if the captives held in Gaza aren't released in time for his inauguration next week.

California homeowners are facing a growing insurance crisis. Even before these latest fires, several of the state's largest insurers either stopped or limited new policies, leaving many struggling to find coverage. Since 2015, California has seen 15 of its most destructive blazes in history, forcing insurance companies to pay out large claims. With many insurers pulling out, the state government started its own insurance program, known as the FAIR Plan. Nearly half-a-million homes are participating, but the plan only offers basic coverage up to 3 million dollars, often not enough to rebuild a house in an area with sky-high property values. State officials are trying to fix this by letting insurers factor climate change into their rates, hoping this will convince companies to return to the market. But premiums may be much higher.

The lifting of sanctions against Syria has topped the agenda at a meeting of European and Arab leaders in Riyadh. EU leaders agreed to discuss sanctions relief at the end of this month in Brussels. The new Syrian administration has called for their removal since December when Bashar al-Assad was ousted. But Germany's foreign minister says some sanctions must remain in place. Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan al Saud has given a statement after the meeting of Arab and Western diplomats in Riyadh. He called for the lifting of sanctions on Syria, which has been a key demand of the new administration.

UNICEF says that nearly all of Gaza’s 1.1 million children need mental health and psychosocial support amid the ongoing Israeli bombardment, displacement and dire living conditions. Children suffer from nightmares, anxiety and paralyzing fear due to air strikes and the loss of family members. Many become aggressive, withdrawn, or stop speaking. The United Nations estimates that at least 19,000 Palestinian children have been orphaned since the war began. Mental health experts caution that the scars inflicted on these young minds could persist for generations.