The United States takes center stage in the fight against the climate crisis, as dozens of leaders attend its first virtual climate summit. But are their lofty commitments grounded in reality? And will they help keep the most vulnerable afloat?

The US is seeing a surge of asylum-seekers attempting to cross the US-Mexico Border, even though the Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas has said the southern border is ‘closed’. Bigger Than Five travels to El Zonte, El Salvador to speak with Marvin Alvarado who tried to cross into the US after being deported. He recounts his experience and tells us why he is willing to make the dangerous trip, once again. The old global order is being shaken up and Bigger Than Five is here...

President Joe Biden is facing a growing crisis at the US-Mexico border, with the influx of thousands of unaccompanied minors from Central America—a surge that is on pace to become the ‘largest in the last 20 years’ according to the Department of Homeland Security. Over 15,000 unaccompanied children are reportedly being kept at overcrowded facilities along the border, with the Administration facing criticism and pressure to address the situation. President Biden has appointed his Vice...

Min Zaw Oo, the Executive Director of the Myanmar Institute for Peace and Security, tells us that Myanmar has reached its 'lowest point of public relations between the military and general public.’

Anti-coup protesters have taken to the streets of Myanmar calling for the reinstatement of the elected government. Some demonstrators are also calling to abolish the 2008 Constitution, which some viewed as a pathway to democracy, but others believed left too much political power in the hands of the military. Bigger Than Five went to Yangon, Myanmar’s biggest city, to hear from protesters there.

Protests in Myanmar continue as a military coup challenges the country’s path towards democracy. Will outside pressure bring an end to human rights violations or will impunity —once again— prevail? Guests: Tom Andrews- the United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar Joanne Lin- Amnesty International’s National Director of Advocacy and Government Affairs The old global order is being shaken up and Bigger Than Five is here to make sense of it all - with...

Some of the 11th-hour foreign policy decisions by the outgoing administration include: re-listing Cuba as a State-sponsor of terrorism; imposing more sanctions against Iran; and recognizing Moroccan claimed sovereignty over Western Sahara in defiance of long-standing US policy and international law, in a quid pro quo that led to the normalization of relations between Morocco and Israel. The move reverses the US’ three-decade long support for a United Nations referendum on the...

President Joe Biden vowed to undo the Trump-era “withdrawal doctrine” which saw the United States pull out of the Paris Agreement on climate change, the Iran nuclear agreement, the World Health Organization and other other treatise and institutions. On his first day in office, Biden re-joined the Paris Agreement, the most significant global climate pact to date. Biden also rejoined the World Health Organization Trump had withdrawn the US from in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic. Biden,...

Equitable access to a COVID-19 #vaccine is proving to be a challenge as wealthy nations preemptively secure millions of doses of experimental vaccines. Bigger Than Five visits #Peru and #India to hear how residents view the prospects of a vaccine as they experience the reality of the global pandemic. Watch other episodes of ‘Bigger Than Five’ 👉 http://trt.world/13qv

Recent breakthroughs in COVID-19 #vaccine trials in the US, UK, Russia and China have raised hopes that the spread of the #coronavirus #pandemic, which has already killed almost 1.4 million people worldwide, could soon be contained, and eventually ended. But these breakthroughs have also raised concerns about the access and availability of vaccines for developing nations, with high-income countries claiming a disproportionate share of vaccine doses, often in significantly higher numbers than...

Voters in America are choosing their next president, as people and governments around the world anxiously await the outcome of the US election which could have a consequential impact on their own lives. One country that is looking on with a particularly keen interest is Iran. President #Trump has led a “maximum pressure” campaign on Tehran by imposing unprecedented sanctions after pulling out of the #IranNuclearDeal. His rival Joe #Biden has called that policy “reckless” and said his...

One of the key architects of the #Iran nuclear agreement, the #JCPOA, Iran’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Javad #Zarif. He joins TRT World's Ghida Fakhry to discuss the fate of the Iran nuclear agreement after the US election. Watch other episodes of ‘Bigger Than Five’ 👉 http://trt.world/13qv

One of the most vocal critics of Iran, John Bolton, who was President Trump’s National Security Advisor from 2018 to 2019. His recently published book, “The Room Where it Happened”, offers a highly critical insider account of the Trump administration. He joins TRT World's Ghida Fakhry on Bigger Than Five to discuss his book and US-Iran relations. Watch other episodes of ‘Bigger Than Five’ 👉 http://trt.world/13qv

From #Tehran, hear what #Iranians hope to see from the next US #president. Watch other episodes of ‘Bigger Than Five’ 👉 http://trt.world/13qv

The so-called Abraham Accords, which were described by the US President as a “significant step towards building a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous Middle East”, reinforce the anti-Iran axis in the Gulf region. They also pave the way for the #UAE to purchase F-35 stealth fighter jets, drones and other advanced weaponry from the United States. While #Israel already flies 20 F-35s, the UAE would be the first Arab country to receive the American-made fighter jets. Some Israeli intelligence...

One of the stated conditions for normalizing relations with #Bahrain and the #UAE was that #Israel would suspend its plans to annex parts of Palestine. Yet, the US-brokered accords simply called for “a just, comprehensive and enduring resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict”, making no mention of the ongoing Israeli occupation of the State of Palestine. The Palestinian Government condemned the move by Bahrain and the UAE as “a stab in the back of the Palestinian cause and the...

It was hailed by President #Trump as “a historic breakthrough”. Israel and two Arab Gulf nations, the United Arab Emirates and #Bahrain, signed bilateral agreements at the #WhiteHouse last week establishing full diplomatic relations. The so-called Abraham Accords, which were described by the US President as a “significant step towards building a more peaceful, secure, and prosperous Middle East”, reinforce the anti-Iran axis in the Gulf region. They also pave the way for the UAE to...

We take a look back at some of the UN’s key challenges and achievements over the last 75 years. Watch other episodes of 'Bigger Than Five' 👉 http://trt.world/13qv #UnitedNations #UN #peace

Since 1948, the UN has deployed more than 70 #peacekeeping operations. Today, about 90,000 UN #BlueHelmets and police officers are deployed in 13 UN peacekeeping operations, some as old as the UN itself. The UN has been involved in today’s Democratic Republic of the #Congo since the sixties. Its peacekeeping operation has been active since 1999. We traveled to Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, to hear a view of the Mission, known by its French acronym MONUSCO. Watch other episodes of...

75 years after the establishment of the United Nations to ‘save succeeding generations from the scourge of war’, has the #UN lived up to its ideals? The #UnitedNations marks its 75th anniversary this year. The organization has faced many crises over its three-quarter century-long history. But this September, because of the pandemic, the annual session of the #GeneralAssembly won’t be held at UN headquarters. Instead of flying to NY for this ritual, Heads of State and Government, will deliver...

When it comes to reparations, the United States has attempted to pay before. Bigger Than Five takes a look at prior efforts by the American government to offer reparations.

Haiti fought a 12 year war led by slaves and defeated Napoleon Bonaparte’s forces, gaining independence from France in 1804. Haiti was the first independent nation from Latin America and the Caribbean, but it was forced to pay a crippling debt to France. Today, it is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, with a per-capita income of $350, while France is one of the wealthiest nations in the world. Bigger Than Five went to Port-au-Prince to meet anti-corruption activist and economist,...

As the calls for racial justice get louder throughout the world, is it time for colonial powers and slave trading countries to atone for their sins by paying reparations? Mobilized since the death of George Floyd, a black man killed by a white police officer in the US, the world has witnessed a reawakening over systemic racism. Growing demands for racial justice have renewed the debate about apologies and reparations by former colonial powers and slave-trading countries to make amends for...

Facing mounting international pressure, will the Israeli government push ahead with its annexation plan with the full backing of the United States? And at what cost? The Secretary General of the United Nations has warned that this would constitute ‘a most serious violation of international law’ and called on the Israeli government to abandon its annexation plans. Meanwhile, more than 1000 members of European Parliaments signed a letter denouncing Israel’s plans. Ahead of its July 1st target...

A kindergarten teacher in Kabul tells Bigger Than Five why she's not optimistic about the future of Afghanistan. Watch the full show: https://youtu.be/leKVQL02A2Q