How close is a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas? Just how badly does Donald Trump want the Nobel Peace Prize? Why has Benjamin Netanyahu agreed to this deal now?  
 
Richard and Yalda are both in Israel, two years on from the October 7 Hamas attacks, in a week where a ceasefire could be close between the two sides.  
 
Both Richard and Yalda have been speaking to the family members of hostages still in Gaza as well as those who were taken captive.  
 
They also reflect on two years of devastating war in Gaza which has left 67,000 Palestinians dead. Thousands are without homes and without adequate access to food and aid as Israel continues to bomb parts of the Strip. Will Donald Trump's call to stop the bombardment be listened to?  
 
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A new US-brokered deal is on the table: Donald Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza is endorsed by Benjamin Netanyahu and awaiting Hamas's response. It promises hostages freed, aid flowing, and Gaza rebuilt under international oversight. 

But who really gains, and who gets to decide Gaza's future? Richard Engel and Yalda Hakim break down the proposal and speak to key players about whether peace is finally within reach, or still a distant hope. 

Did you know you can also watch the podcast on our YouTube channel here. To get in touch or to share your questions, email [email protected]. 
 
We love making this podcast and we're always looking at ways to make it even better. We'd really appreciate it if you could take a couple of minutes to fill out our short survey here.  

What was Donald Trump’s message to the world in his UN speech? Will his position on Gaza ever shift? Will the UK’s recognition of a state of Palestine actually do anything for the Palestinians in Gaza?  

Yalda is recording from New York where the United Nations General Assembly is taking place. All the most prominent world leaders are there to talk about global politics and diplomacy. Yalda talks about the most surprising thing she saw – and the inside information she got from former Director of the CIA General David Petraeus.  

Richard has an update from a brother and sister in Gaza that he has known for nearly 5 years. Their house has been bombed by Israel and now they have to leave their home in Gaza City.  

To visit their YouTube page where you can watch new episodes, click here. 
 
To get in touch or to share questions, email [email protected] 

What do you do when the President of Ukraine tells you he wants an interview? You get on a plane and go. 
 
Yalda is recording in Kyiv just after she sat down with Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who agreed to an exclusive interview the day before Donald Trump's state visit to the UK. He also agreed to a rare walk with Yalda around bombed-out Kyiv to show her the extent of the Russian damage. 
 
What was his message for Donald Trump? For Europe? For NATO? 
 
Yalda breaks down what Zelenskyy said with Richard and gives some behind the scenes of what goes into an interview like this. 
 
To watch Yalda’s full one hour interview with Zelenskyy, click here.  
 
To get in touch or to share questions, email [email protected]

How significant is Israel’s airstrike on Hamas leaders in Doha, Qatar?

And, with Russian military drones being shot down in Polish airspace, what will NATO do? 
 
Richard and Yalda debrief on the international reaction to the latest from the Middle East and Europe.   
Also featuring interviews with the US ambassador to Israel Mike Huckabee and NATO general secretary Mark Rutte.  

To watch the whole of Richard's interview with Mike Huckabee, click here. 

If you'd like to get in touch or ask Richard and Yalda a question, you can email: [email protected].

Why has France just lost its fourth prime minister in two years? Why is its debt spiralling out of control? Is the EU going to have to bail it out? 
 
Yalda is in Paris answering all these questions as she covers the fall of Emmanuel Macron's latest prime minister. 
 
Thousands say they will descend on the streets, while opposition politicians call for Mr Macron to stand down. But will he go? 
 
Richard is still in the Middle East, where he visited the scene of the bus depot attack in Jerusalem and tells Yalda what he saw. 
 
He has also been in the West Bank where settler violence is increasing, and the Israeli government has decided whether it will annexe parts of it. 
 
What does this all mean if France and Britain choose to recognise a state of Palestine later this month? 
 
To get in touch or to share questions, email [email protected]

Has Vladimir Putin traded Donald Trump for Xi Jinping?  

Yalda and Richard are back from their summer break and unpack the summit in Beijing. The leaders of Russia, India and North Korea are all there - but what is going on? And what will President Trump make of it?  

Richard is recording from Israel where hundreds of thousands of people have been out on the streets protesting against the war in Gaza. He has spoken to the family member of a hostage killed by Hamas, who tells him why the military campaign must now end.  

The two also reflect on the latest killing of journalists by Israel, with the number of Palestinian journalists killed in Gaza now reaching 189. International media is not allowed to freely report in the territory.  

And Yalda gives an update on the devastating earthquake in Afghanistan and explains why it is women and girls who could suffer the most in the days and weeks to come.  

To get in touch or to share questions, email [email protected] 
 

Sky News’ Yalda Hakim and NBC’s Richard Engel have covered world events for years. Now, they have teamed up to share their experiences from the frontline.    

They debrief from global flashpoints and discuss their encounters with the biggest decision makers. They’ll also be joined by some of those key players to help make sense of world events.  

From conflict in the Middle East, to the US election, and the war in Ukraine there is no better place for analysis and expertise  

New episodes from Richard and Yalda every Wednesday.

Will recognising a Palestinian state help the people of Gaza?

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced that the UK would recognise the state of Palestine in September if Israel does not accept certain conditions, including a ceasefire – but what will this actually mean? 


Yalda thinks that there are better ways to pressure the Israeli government into allowing more aid into Gaza, and she tells Richard what these are. 


Richard has also been doing some research into the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation aid points and tells Yalda what he has found out. 


Yalda also speaks to the author of Bibi: The Turbulent Life and Times of Benjamin Netanyahu, The Economist’s Israel correspondent, Anshel Pfeffer. He tells Yalda why the prime minister has no plan for the war or what comes after. 

To get in touch or to share questions, email [email protected]

On this week's episode, Yalda and Richard talk about the growing international condemnation of Israel's war in Gaza, including from a usually staunch ally – the evangelical right wing of America. But what has made them voice a rare criticism?

The two also talk about the shaky ceasefire that is currently in place in the southern Syrian city Sweida. This is the first real test for the new Syrian leader, but can he contain the violence?

And, Yalda gives an update on the situation in Afghanistan where women and girls have been arrested by the Taliban for violating their strict dress code.