Inside Story

After eight days of bombardment, rocket fire and bloodshed, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a ceasefire. And for now, the truce seems to be holding, even though there is a lot of mistrust on both sides.

A deadly blaze in a Bangladeshi clothing factory highlights an industry wrapped in dangers for its workers. To analyse this, Inside Story with Adrian Finighan discusses with guests: John Hilary, an executive director of War On Want - an anti-poverty charity based in London; Shafiul Islam, president of the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association; and Kalpona Akter, a former child labourer and now labour activist with the Bangladesh Centre for Workers' Solidarity.

A ceasefire has come into effect in and around the Gaza Strip, after Israel and Hamas agreed to cease hostilities, following diplomatic efforts in Jerusalem, the West Bank and in Cairo. Many Palestinians in Gaza City took to the streets to celebrate the truce on Wednesday night, blasting car horns and setting off fireworks from rooftops amid celebratory gunfire. The Egyptian foreign minister announced the ceasefire agreement hours before it took hold at 19:00 GMT on Wednesday.

After weeks of intense fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, M23 rebels say they have taken control of parts of Goma, one of the main cities in the mineral-rich region. The Congolese government, on Monday, rejected an ultimatum to open talks with M23. This came after the rebels gave the government 24 hours to withdraw troops and open direct negotiations before they said they would advance on Goma. So, why does the DR Congo government refuse to hold talks with the rebel soldiers? And is military action really the answer to this conflict?

We probe why US diplomacy has gone on the charm offensive as Obama rewards former 'outpost of tyranny' with a visit. Inside Story with presenter Shiulie Ghosh discusses with Priscilla Clapp, a senior adviser with the Asia Society and the former chief of mission at the US embassy in Myanmar; *** Myra Dahgaypaw, the coordinator for the US campaign for Burma. The campaign represents the internally displaced people of Myanmar; and Rajiv Biswas, chief economist for IHS Global. Rajiv writes on trade relations in the Asia-Pacific region.

We probe the reasons US diplomacy goes on the charm offensive as Obama rewards former 'outpost of tyranny' with visit. Shiulie Ghosh discusses with Priscilla Clapp, Myra Dahgaypaw & Rajiv Biswas.

We look at how a post-Arab Spring Middle East could change the way the Gaza-Israel conflict plays out. Shiulie Ghosh speaks to Khaled Elgindy, Mohammad Soudan & Azzam Tamimi.

On Friday, Hesham Qandil, Egypt's Prime Minister, visited the Gaza Strip. His mission was to show support for the Palestinians, and to try and broker a truce as the conflict with Israel threatens to escalate. But hopes for even a brief ceasefire while he was inside Gaza were immediately dashed. The violence on both sides just continued.

As Israel and Hamas fighters attack each other, fears are growing that their conflict could develop into a full-scale ground war in the Gaza Strip. Israel says all options are on the table. Hamas says dark days await Israel. It also says it has, for the first time, fired missiles at Tel Aviv. So, what are the motives and the consequences of this latest series of attacks on Gaza? And could these be the opening shots in Binjamin Netanyahu's election campaign?

Millions of workers across Europe are protesting against austerity, as labour unions raise concerns about growing social anxiety. Labour unions organised a day of action on Wednesday to urge Europe's leaders to abandon their austerity programmes. It was the biggest co-ordinated response yet to sweeping budget cuts being imposed in Europe's struggling economies.

A plug-in electric car develped by a start-up company in the United States is leaving its conventional rivals behind. The Tesla Model S has been named Car of the Year by Motor Trends magazine, in one of the auto industry's most prestigious, closely watched awards. It is the first time a battery-powered vehicle has scooped the coveted accolade. But questions remain as to whether electric cars can provide a realistic and commercial alternative to conventional vehicles, and whether they really are that green.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has said that Russian experts will join a team of Swiss and French investigators in exhuming the remains of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat later this month. Abbas made the announcement during a ceremony to mark the eighth anniversary of Arafat's death on Sunday, in the West Bank city of Ramallah. Abbas says he hopes the Russian involvement will help the investigation.

As the world's major aid donors face economic problems, can wealthier nations still afford to fund the poor? Presenter Stephen Cole speaks to Owen Barder, Chetan Sharma and Alex Scrivener.

China's once-in-a-decade changing of the guard is underway. President Hu Jintao has been addressing the ruling Communist Party congress in Beijing, as he prepares to hand over power. But the week-long meeting is being held against the backdrop of a flagging economy, scandals over corruption, concern over the environment and anger over the distribution of China's wealth.

On Sunday, in an ancient ceremony, a blindfolded boy selected the new Pope for Egypt's minority Coptic Christians. Bishop Tawadros takes over from his charismatic predecessor who died in March, after leading the church for 40 years. But he is facing difficult times ahead.