Antony Blinken arrives in Israel for Gaza ceasefire talks

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken is set to meet Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday, following his arrival in Israel on Sunday. Blinken aims to discuss a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages. While Israel has shown cautious optimism about the talks, a senior Hamas official told the BBC that no progress has been made.

Also in the programme: Protests in Venezuela over disputed election results continue; and we discuss the online debate over Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, commissioning a statue of his wife as a tribute.

Joining presenter Paul Henley are Bonnie Greer, an author, playwright and columnist for the New European newspaper and the Byline Times; and Stefan Stern, a journalist and author specialising in leadership and management in the workplace.

(Picture: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets Israel's President Isaac Herzog (not seen), during his week-long trip aimed at calming tensions across the Middle East, at David Kempinski Hotel, in Tel Aviv, Israel, January 9, 2024. REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein/Pool)