Donald Trump’s new “Board of Peace” promises diplomacy — and vows to succeed where the United Nations has failed. But critics see something else: exclusion, overreach, and a power structure with global ambitions. Born out of the Gaza ceasefire deal, the Board now claims a mandate far beyond the Middle East.  Norway’s former prime minister, Kjell Magne Bondevik, accuses the US of acting like the “world’s police,” warning the plan lacks clarity, legitimacy, and Palestinian representation.  Former senior UN official Andrew Gilmour goes further, calling it “probably the supreme example of megalomania in history”, arguing that however flawed the UN Security Council may be, it still compares favourably to what he describes as a “ridiculous idea.”  Is the “Board of Peace” a genuine initiative for reforming a broken international system — or another example of US-led imperialism?  On the next Bigger Than Five.

Annalena Baerbock is the President of the United Nations General Assembly, and a former Foreign Minister of Germany. She took up the one-year role in September 2025, with the UN facing numerous challenges ongoing conflicts, faltering development goals, rising financial pressures, and the upcoming selection of the next Secretary-General. Following UNGA's 80th session, in New York, Annalena Baerbock highlighted progress on Gaza- stressing widespread support for a two-state solution and for the security of both Israelis and Palestinians. She tells Bigger Than Five why she believes reforming the UN is essential in preventing war crimes around the world. Subscribe: http://trt.world/subscribe Livestream: http://trt.world/ytlive Facebook: http://trt.world/facebook Twitter: http://trt.world/twitter Instagram: http://trt.world/instagram Visit our website: http://trt.world

As global attention continues to shift away from Gaza, Bigger Than Five brings Palestinian stories back into focus through film and art. In this episode, actress Saja Kilani reflects on starring in the Oscar-nominated film The Voice of Hind Rajab, which tells the story of six-year-old Hind, killed by Israeli forces while trapped in a car, pleading for rescue in Gaza. Kilani says the ‘dehumanising’ ways in which Palestinians are portrayed in film must change, and stories must be told 'with our joy, with our humour, with our grief’. Veteran Hollywood actor Brian Cox also discusses his outspoken support for Palestine, the moral responsibility of artists, and why “silence” in the face of Palestinian suffering is no longer an option. ‘We have to show some kind of moral responsibility for what’s going on’, Cox says. Actors speaking out for Palestine on this episode of Bigger than Five.

Since the US and Israel launched their attacks on Iran, the echoes of the 2003 Iraq war have grown louder. While the justifications for the war have varied, the risks have only increased following Iran's retaliatory strikes. John Negroponte, who served as Washington’s first ambassador to Iraq, following the US-led invasion, argues that the current war is justified because of Iran's use of "proxies to destabilise the region". Meanwhile, Donald Trump has criticised European leaders and NATO for refusing to participate in the war, to help secure the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz. Tobias Ellwood, a former British Under-Secretary of State for the Middle East, says the "ghosts of previous interventions" such as Iraq and Afghanistan loom large over UK politics, insisting US allies in Europe should not be dragged into the war against Iran as long as US objectives remain unclear.