The World This Week: Recent Episodes
FRANCE 24 English
Our panel of Paris-based journalists review the week’s international news: the stories that made the headlines and also those you may have missed! Join us every Friday at 7.10 pm Paris time.
It’s been a week where Moscow got what it wanted. A 90-minute call between Trump and Putin ended with talk of visits and cooperation—and the real headline: no NATO future for Ukraine. Kyiv may never reclaim its lost borders, and as Putin steps in from the cold, Zelensky risks being frozen out. The EU warns of a dirty deal behind its back.
Then in Gaza, the truce nearly collapsed. Hamas delayed hostage releases, accusing Israel of violations. Then came Trump’s ultimatum: free them all or “let all hell break loose.” The militants dismissed the threats but stuck to the plan. Meanwhile, freed hostages reveal harrowing details of their captivity—starvation, abuse, and fear.
Meanwhile, world leaders gathered in Paris for an AI summit. The message from U.S. Vice President JD Vance? No brakes, no fear, no overregulation. Macron warned of AI’s “Wild West” dangers but made the most of the business opportunity. Safety concerns barely got a mention.
Produced by Gavin Lee, Luis Miguel Cabrera and Guillaume Gougeon.
This week, Donald Trump’s latest bombshell—suggesting the US should own Gaza and relocate its population in what he calls a Real Estate solution. Critics call it ethnic cleansing; he calls it Gaza Lago. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer kept a low profile at his first EU summit as Trump threatened tariffs on the bloc. And over in France, PM François Bayrou has clung to power after yet another no-confidence vote.
Produced by Gavin Lee, Luis Miguel Cabrera and Guillaume Gougeon.
This week, conflict and crisis dominate the headlines. In DR Congo, M23 rebels appear to have seized the key city of Goma, forcing thousands to flee and reigniting tensions over Rwanda's alleged involvement. In Gaza, displaced civilians are finally returning north, but the fragile ceasefire is under strain after a controversial hostage transfer by Hamas. And in the United States, a tragic air disaster – the first major commercial crash in 16 years – is raising serious concerns over air traffic control and sparking political blame games.
Produced by Gavin Lee, Luis Miguel Cabrera and Guillaume Gougeon.
This week we examine three major global stories shaping the headlines. In the US, the Trump administration’s return to power has brought bold, controversial promises of American expansionism and mass pardons for January 6 rioters, signaling a dramatic shift in policy and rhetoric. In the Middle East, Gaza is experiencing a fragile ceasefire after 470 days of war, marked by hostage exchanges and ongoing struggles for humanitarian aid. Meanwhile, NATO faces internal discord, with its chief warning of a crisis over underfunding, as European leaders call for urgent measures to secure the alliance and support Ukraine.
Produced by Gavin Lee, Luis Miguel Cabrera and Guillaume Gougeon.
It’s been a week of high-stakes developments around the globe. In Gaza, a long-awaited ceasefire deal has been reached and is set to begin on Sunday, with plans to exchange hostages for prisoners in a bid for "sustainable calm." In South Korea, the dramatic arrest of President Yoon Suk Yeol unfolded amid accusations of insurrection. Meanwhile, in the US, TikTok's future hangs in the balance, driving users to a rival Chinese app as a court ruling edges the platform closer to a potential shutdown.
Produced by Gavin Lee, Luis Miguel Cabrera and Guillaume Gougeon.
We are 10 days BT: Before Trump is back in office. This week saw the US president-elect given an unconditional discharge: spared jail time or a fine, but confirmed as a convicted felon for fraud relating to hush money payments to an adult film star.
Meanwhile, Trump is making ever clearer his long-held desire to acquire Greenland, with his son and apparent envoy Donald Jr. flying in on Trump Force One to the capital Nuuk. Trump's expansion plans also appear to include the Panama Canal. The fact that neither are for sale seems a mere detail as he says he wouldn’t rule out military force to control them.
It was on Trump’s favourite TV station Fox and Friends that a surprise announcement came on Tuesday: a recorded video from Mark Zuckerberg, the head of Meta – the company that owns Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp. The site moderation is being changed, with no more fact checkers being used in the US to fight disinformation and fake news. They are too politically biased, he says.
Meanwhile, arguably the influencer of all influencers right now, Elon Musk, has been engaging in online warfare with the British government this week, attacking Prime Minister Keir Starmer on a daily basis.
Plus, why did Canadian PM Justin Trudeau throw in the towel and who is likely to replace him?
This year, headlines have been dominated by the wars in Ukraine, Sudan and the Middle East. Israel's leader has been accused of war crimes, while the revolution in Syria has led to the downfall of a dictator. However, the full scale of Bashar al-Assad’s regime of terror continues to emerge.
It has been a record year for elections around the world, with more than half of the planet’s population voting in over 60 countries. Recurring themes included populism, polarisation, immigration, and identity politics. It was a tough year for incumbents, with compromises in India and South Africa, and changes of leadership in the UK, Senegal, Ghana, Portugal, and Lithuania.
Meanwhile, in Paris, an Olympic year saw a baton-passing of prime ministers worthy of a relay team, with four changes in total.
In the United States, it has been a year where Donald Trump was re-elected as president, and Time Magazine named him Person of the Year again. This came in a year when he was convicted as a felon, survived multiple assassination attempts, and defeated two Democratic candidates in the race to the White House.
This week, our set of experts gathered around Gavin Lee to take a look at the latest in French politics, with the National Assembly voting to bring down Michel Barnier's government in a no-confidence vote. Meanwhile Syria is plunged back into uncertainty, with various rebel groups taking large cities. We also look at what happened when South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol decided to trigger a short-lived martial law.
This week, guests gathered around Gavin Lee to discuss the fragile ceasefire that was agreed between Israel and Lebanon’s Hezbollah. We also look at how Donald Trump plans on launching a new tariff war with America's neighbours and discuss the ongoing crisis in Sudan, where a civil war is still raging. And as a Black Friday special, our set of experts also dive into former German chancellor Angela Merkel's legacy book.
This week saw the International Criminal Court issue arrest warrants for Israeli leader Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant. They are accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, alongside the Hamas commander Mohammed Deif.
The news of the warrants was met with a furious reaction from the Israeli prime minister’s office, calling it biased, absurd and anti-Semitic. The impact of the warrants will in part depend on whether ICC members decide to enforce them.
This week also saw the rules of the conflict change in Ukraine. After months of reluctance, US media reported that President Joe Biden had relented and given permission for Kyiv to use American long-range missiles and strike targets deep in Russian territory. Britain and France appear to have followed suit, with reports that their jointly-made Storm Shadow / Scalp cruise missiles were used on Wednesday. Russia responded, with President Vladimir Putin saying it used a new type of intercontinental ballistic missile against Ukraine.
And in the midst of war in Europe and the Middle East, it has been a week where world leaders met in Latin America to focus on other threats to the planet. Global warming and world hunger were the focus of formal talks at the G20 summit in Brazil. But it was in the corridors and briefing rooms that the dominant issue was made clear by diplomats: preparations to deal with the man who wasn’t there, yet who's impossible to ignore. Trump 2.0 is on the horizon, and talk is of transactional geopolitics, replacing consensus agreements.
This week, our set of experts discuss the complete victory of Donald Trump in US elections, and the formation of his future administration, in which the President-elect picked his most faithful supporters, including Elon Musk.
This week, all eyes are on the United States as Donald Trump has won re-election, defeating Kamala Harris to secure a second term as president. The world is reacting swiftly, including EU leaders who are gathered in Budapest for a summit. Meanwhile, President-elect Trump has been busy assembling his new cabinet, including appointing Susie Wiles as chief of staff.
Produced by Gavin Lee, Luis Miguel Cabrera and Guillaume Gougeon.
It's been a good week in the polls for Donald Trump. For the first time in two months, several US election forecasters have suggested that he is ahead in the key swing states by a wafer-thin margin. This comes despite his character being questioned again, this time by his former chief of staff John Kelly, who described his old boss as fitting the description of a fascist. Meanwhile, in the battle for headlines on the campaign trail, Elon Musk has been offering million-dollar giveaways to registered voters, while Trump was "loving it" in McDonald's.
Also this week, Vladimir Putin made every effort to show he was far from an international pariah, two and a half years on from Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. He personally greeted world leaders in the Russian city of Kazan for the BRICS summit of emerging economies. A notable face at the table was Turkey's leader, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the only NATO presence in the room.
Plus, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made his eleventh tour of the Middle East. The international hope for peace that increased after last week's killing of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Israel’s number one target in Gaza, appears to be ebbing away, with the continuation of relentless bombardment in the north of the territory. Is anyone listening to Blinken? Is US influence in Israel on hold until the outcome of the presidential election there?
It has been a week that has seen the anniversary of the brutal Hamas October 7th attacks. A multi-fronted war now taking place, a year on, with Israel poised to carry out a “lethal, precise and above all, surprising” counter-strike on Iran at any time. Meanwhile, some UN peacekeepers have been injured by Israeli fire in southern Lebanon. World leaders are demanding answers.
It has been a week that has seen a hurricane devastate the east coast of the US. Millions of people left without power, and rescuers searching through the floods waters for survivors in Florida. What started as a category 5 predicted storm, eased slightly – though fears were made clear.
And it has been a week where two works of art have been trashed by critics albeit the first, unwittingly. The repair man at a Dutch museum mistook these meticulously painted artistic recreations of the Belgian Beer, Jupiler, for the real thing, and he binned them! And similar sentiments expressed by cinema goers around the world this week after the release of Joker: Folie à Deux, the much-anticipated sequel to Joker, after laughing all the way to the bank after the Oscar-winning billion dollar box office success of the original...
It has been a week of relentless escalation in the Middle East, with Israeli air strikes across Lebanon, Gaza and Yemen against Iranian-backed militants. Hundreds of civilians have been killed in the past seven days, and in the south of Lebanon, a "limited ground offensive" has begun. Iran has retaliated, sending almost 200 ballistic missiles across Israel, leading to much speculation over Israel's response.
This week has also seen "Mr Teflon" Mark Rutte take over the helm at NATO. It's a nickname he's going to need as he takes on the job in the midst of spiralling international crises. He has also been called "The Trump Whisperer", which could come in handy, depending on who gets the keys to the White House. Rutte’s first trip was to Kyiv. It is inevitable, he says, that Ukraine will become a NATO member.
And it has been "Veep week" in the US, with the two running mates going head-to-head in a 90 minute debate. It was a surprisingly cordial affair, with tough questions for both. Tim Walz says he "misspoke" when suggesting he was in Hong Kong at the time of the Tiananmen Square massacre. JD Vance says he only compared Trump to Hitler in the past because of the mainstream media. We ask: who won, was it worth it and does it matter?
It has been a week that has seen Israel and Hezbollah step closer to all out war. Air strikes across Lebanon on Monday killed more than 500 people, the deadliest day in the country since the civil war more than three decades ago. Hezbollah struck deeper into Israeli territory. Then the chief of the IDF told soldiers to prepare for the possible entry of ground troops into southern Lebanon.
This week has seen a new method of technological warfare – used against Hezbollah in Lebanon. First Pagers, then Walkie-Talkies simultaneously exploding in people’s hands, pockets, bags. Dozens killed, thousands injured. No comment from Israel’s spy agency who is said to have meticulously planned and physically infiltrated the group’s supply chain. We will look at how it happened, why now, and what next?
It has been a week that has seen another apparent assassination attempt against Donald Trump. A 58-year-old suspect, said to have hid for hours in the shrubbery at the seventh hole of the Trump International Golf Course before being spotted by the FBI agents on Sunday morning. The former president says he was bundled into a gold buggy as gunfire rang out and seized on the moment to claim it is the inflammatory language used by his rivals that is stoking political violence.
It has also been a week in which the head of the World Health Organisation Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus spoke to reporters about what he has seen on his visit to Sudan, a country in the midst of war with little sign of resolution. He said the mass displacement – now more than 12 million people – was shocking and had become the largest displacement crisis in the world. Dr. Tedros said he believes the “really low” attention that the global community is paying to the ongoing crisis is partly due to racism.
Finally, it has been a week of waiting for the new French government to be announced, a decision that is supposedly imminent. And Prime Minister Michel Barnier, only two weeks into the job is finding he is a hit with the public! New polls suggest he is now France’s most popular politician. It is his colleagues he has been struggling to convince – news of a clash with President Macron, and a barney between Barnier and his predecessor Gabriel Attal over plans to raise taxes. We will try and peak behind the curtains and let you know what is really going on.
This week has seen another US presidential debate take place. The last 90 minutes cost President Joe Biden his job. This time it started with niceties; an extended hand from Kamala Harris that has become known as the "power move handshake": look it up on TikTok.
"Let’s have fun," said Donald Trump. And if they didn't, we did! News lines emerged that would make the satirical website The Onion proud. "Immigrants are eating dogs and cats in Springfield", read one. Then one very famous self-styled "childless cat lady" set out her stall. Has Tuesday night altered the race to the White House?
It has also been a week that's seen a world first: a non-professional crew carrying out a spacewalk 700 kilometres above earth. Orbiting at a higher altitude than any mission for five decades, US billionaire Jared Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis took on what is considered one of the riskiest manoeuvres.
Finally, it turns out rock stars can be lifesavers. This week, Nashville police credited Jon Bon Jovi for saving a woman's life by talking her down from the ledge of a bridge. We ask our panel for their reasons to be cheerful this week in an often difficult world.
It has been a week which saw France finally appoint a new prime minister. A mountain hiking, smooth-talking septuagenarian – Michel Barnier. Monsieur Brexit, former EU point man negotiating Britain’s divorce. He has served in the cabinet of many French Presidents in decades gone by. Now, he is back as the oldest PM in the French fifth Republic replacing the youngest one! But why Barnier? And why did he want the job? Is it because he is the master of eggshell diplomacy?
It has also been a week which saw some of the biggest protests against the Netanyahu government in Israel, and a national strike after the killing of six hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The prime minister is accused of having blood on his hands, and a lack of humanity in blocking truce deals that may have prevented the deaths. He denied the claims, but he did offer an apology.
And this has been the week that tweeting or Xing fell silent in Brazil. The social media platform X is now officially an Ex social media platform in Brazil after a disinformation row rose up between a Supreme Court judge and the site’s owner, billionaire and self-proclaimed free speech absolutist Elon Musk. Has Brazil done the right thing?
This week saw the first sit-down interview for Kamala Harris as US presidential nominee. After a headline-grabbing summer where she’s dominated the American media landscape, we look at the reinvention of Harris: from gaff-prone veep to self-assured and highly polished campaign candidate. We also look at Donald Trump's manoeuvres to regain the spotlight.
It's also been a week that’s seen the Russian-born CEO of the messaging app Telegram arrested at an airport outside Paris, placed under formal investigation and banned from leaving France. Pavel Durov is alleged to have enabled the proliferation of illicit activity and sexual exploitation of children. It’s an attack on free speech, says Russia, a country that has banned Facebook and Instagram and severely restricted access to YouTube. We discuss the political and ethical implications.
And unless you've been half the world away, you'll have seen the news from the Gallagher brothers this week. It's time to shake off your parka and get a cigarette lighter ready to wave to "Live Forever", as they're getting the band back together. Oasis, one of Britain's biggest bands, are going on tour, 15 years after their notorious fallout near Paris. We try to answer one of the most contentious musical questions of modern times: Blur or Oasis?
And it's "la rentrée" here in France: back to the office for French politicians, and negotiations continue for a new prime minister. Are there any signs of white smoke? We explain the political Gordian knot that’s causing the impasse, and assess who's to blame.
Produced by Gavin Lee, Luis Miguel Cabrera, Laura Welfringer and Louison Girard.
One month after the surprise snap elections annoucement made by Emmanuel Macron, French Parliament is now elected, but France still needs to find a Prime Minister, with no group having a majority.
Meanwhile, Joe Biden hosted a NATO heads of States meeting, creating concern when he confused Kamala Harris for Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelenskiy for ... Vladimir Putin.
And in Barcelona, angry residents splashed water at tourists and expressed their exasperation over mass tourism in protests.
It's been a week that's seen a new government sweep into power in the UK. A landslide win by Labour has ended 14 years of Conservative rule. It's the Conservatives' worst defeat in living memory. After electoral devastation, voters are trusting the centre left to get the UK through choppy waters. Can Keir Starmer steer calmer?
This week has seen the first presidential debate between President Biden and Trump, protesters taking the streets in Kenya against government plans for a finance bill, and Wikileaks founder Julian Assange freed and returning to Australia
Sticking with Biden? Democrats in panic after TV debate
It was a bad week for President Biden after an at times confused and incoherent live TV election debate against Donald Trump. Critics question his age, so too do some of his own party loyalists, after what has been described as the worst Presidential candidate performance in recent history. While Donald Trump sent fact checkers into overdrive, with several fictitious assertions of his own success. We will talk about how much of a difference TV debates make to voters?
Kenya's parliament stormed in finance bill protest
It has been a week that has seen the Kenyan Parliament set ablaze by Protesters railing against government plans for a finance bill, and in the attempted storming of the building, at least 20 people were shot dead by security forces. Days later President Ruto cancelled the bill. We will look at why the group dubbed ‘the Gen Z demonstrators’ and the ‘TikTokkers in Tear Gas’ are credited with overturning the planned law.
Wikileaks founder Julian Assange freed in plea deal
And it has been a week that has seen Wikileaks founder Julian Assange return to Australia - a free man after a plea deal with the US. It has been 14 years either in prison or in hiding at the Ecuadorean embassy in London. His lawyer called the deal a “criminalisation of journalism”.
Washington says his data dump of classified information put lives at risk. So, A criminal or a hero ?
This week we discuss France's political turmoil, Vladimir Putin's visit to North Korea, the prosecution of Arundhati Roy, and Netflix being sued over the veracity of its "Baby Reindeer" series.
France's snap legislative elections campaign: Left-wing alliance unveils economic manifestoTwelve days since the shock announcement from President Emmanuel Macron and a week to go until voting in the first round of the French snap elections begins, the newly formed new French left-wing alliance has announced its economic programme. The New Popular Front is promising to raise €30 billion and tax businesses and the rich if it wins a majority. The policy has been attacked by President Macron's centrist party and by business leaders. The New Popular Front is also promising to fund new welfare handouts. The alliance is just behind the far-right National Rally in the polls.
Russia's Putin in Pyongyang to sign 'mutual defence pact'On Wednesday morning, Russian President Vladimir Putin landed in North Korea for the first time in 24 years. On the tarmac for the meet and greet was the country’s supreme leader, Kim Jong Un. The two poker-faced leaders of pariah states let their guard down for a handshake, hugs and smiles all round. During the rare state visit, a mutual defence pact was signed. The visit also included military inspections, a tea party, a gala concert, and a "coffee in cars" show moment of deep friendship, with Putin gifting his host a Russian-made limo.
Prosecution of Indian author Arundhati Roy for comments made in 2010Over the weekend, news emerged from New Delhi that Booker Prize-winning author Arundhati Roy would be tried for comments she made about Kashmir 14 years ago. The lieutenant governor of the city agreed to sanction her prosecution under an anti-terror law called the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Netflix sued over veracity of its 'Baby Reindeer' series: How true does a 'true story' has to be?This week at the Monte Carlo TV festival, the Netflix series "Baby Reindeer" dominated much of the conversation for film producers. It has become a phenomenon in terms of the revenue it has brought in, and is already one of the most watched programmes of all time, with 85 million views so far. The controversy surrounding it has been described by a senior BBC executive as a seminal moment in TV history that will affect the whole industry.
The question it raises is: how true does a true story have to be? The show depicts the apparently real-life story of a fledgling comedian working as a barman, who becomes a victim of relentless harassment from a convicted stalker. Though the names have been changed, it begins with the line "This is a true story".
It's been a week of political aftershocks in France, after the earthquake that was President Emmanuel Macron's sudden decision to call snap elections. His gambit, in testing the far right's EU election triumph and his banking on it being just a sign of voter frustration, is an "all the chips on the table" moment and early polls suggest the National Rally is still on course for victory. Meanwhile, an "electionally challenged" G7 gathers in Italy.
Produced by Gavin Lee, Luis Miguel Cabrera, Guillaume Gougeon and Laura Burloux.
It’s been a week that’s seen world leaders gather on the beaches of northern France to commemorate 80 years since the Normandy landings. The moment that marked the start of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany. This year, Ukraine’s leader invited, Russian officials cold shouldered, we look at the politics of DDay diplomacy.
It’s been a week that’s seen TV debates and election drama in the UK. Rishi Sunak Vs Kier Starmer - combative but clipped by the question master in their leader’s debate. And a week that’s been milk-shaken up by the return of a ghost of Brexit’s past. Nigel Farage claims, he’s doing it for the people.
It’s been a week that’s seen an unexpected outcome in India’s election and a lesson in not entirely trusting the exit polls. Early indications suggested a landslide victory and third term for Narendra Modi. The reality of the results means no supreme reign for India’s polarising nationalist leader, who failed to get a majority and needs to build a coalition. After the humbling, what will the Modi 3.0 era look like?
Produced Gavin Lee, Alessandro Xenos and Rebecca Gnignati.
It’s been an historic week in the US - where for the first time a former President was convicted of a criminal offence. Donald Trump convicted on Thursday on all charges in the so-called “Hush Money trial” Will this make any difference to his chances in the US Election?
Elsewhere, it's been a week that's seen Israeli troops reach the centre of Rafah, in spite of warnings from western allies to halt operations. We also look at why the AI Insta image 'All eyes on Rafah' has gone viral.
It’s been a week that has seen the rules of engagement change in the Ukraine war. The US and Germany say their missiles cannow be used against Russian military targets in Russian territory. President Putin threatens reprisals.
It’s been a week that’s seen a new prime minister selected to calm the chaos and crisis in Haiti. France 24’s Catherine Norris Trent has spent two weeks reporting there, bringing us a rare insight into the reality in a capital under siege from within.
And a week away from the EU election, our panel looks at the rise in Russian disinformation and the role of public broadcasters in countering the threat.
Produced by Gavin Lee, Marion Lory and Elisa Amiri.
This week has seen an assassination attempt on populist Slovakian Prime Minister Fico and the passing of the 'Foreign agents' law in Georgia despite mass protests. We look at the advances that Russia is making in Ukraine and the worst violence sweeping New Caledonia in 40 years.
It’s been a week that’s seen intense strain on the US-Israel relationship. President Joe Biden has issued an ultimatum to Washington's strategic ally in the Middle East - if IDF troops storm Rafah, key weapon supplies will stop.
It’s been a week of walks in the Pyrenees and a stop at the Shepard's Stop Cafe, as Emmanuel Macron wined and dined China's leader Xi Jinping on a rare grand tour of Europe. History is at a turning point, said the French president, who hopes personal diplomacy can make a difference to tense relations.
Finally, it’s been a week that’s seen the spectacular arrival of the Olympic flame in Marseilles, carried on a 19th-century ship. French officials are promising a Games like no other before. We look at whether Paris can avoid the curse of the so-called White Elephant, unlike Athens, Beijing, Rio and Tokyo.
Produced by Gavin Lee, Marion Lory and Peter Hutt Sierra.
It’s been a week that’s seen the mass arrests of students at US Universities. Pro Palestinian demonstrators “have a right to dissent, not chaos” said President Biden
It’s been yet another week where a breakthrough seemed possible in talks for a Gaza ceasefire. But come what may, Israel says the Rafah offensive will happen
It’s been a week of warnings for world leaders not to look away from events in Sudan and the so called ‘invisible war. The US is warning massacre is imminent in El Fasher, the capital of north Darfur. Can anything be done to stop it?
And it’s been the week where the Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez stepped back from the brink of resigning. After a ‘time out to reflect’ on what he called relentless personal attacks, he has vowed to carry on. But has it weakened or strengthened him?
Produced by Gavin Lee, Luis Miguel Cabrera, Marion Lory, Guillaume Gougeon and Peter Hutt Sierra.
It’s been a week where the midnight oil was burnt in Britain at a late night session of the House of Lords where the controversial Rwanda bill was finally passed - two years since it was proposed. PM Rishi Sunak says the plan to fly migrants to Africa will be the solution to, what’s become his mantra, “stop the boats”
It’s been a week that’s seen Portugal’s President make an unexpected political comment .. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa says his country should pay the costs of it's historical involvement in slavery and colonialism. A rare instance of an EU leader backing the need for reparations… but it’s not universally popular ..
It’s been a week where the world’s third richest man Elon Musk locked horns with the Australian and Brazilian governments. The social media boss was called an arrogant billionaire for refusing to remove violent content and hate speech. He claims free speech is under attack.
Produced by Gavin Lee, Luis Miguel Cabrera, Guillaume Gougeon and Juliette Brown.
How can a conflict that's regarded as the biggest humanitarian crisis in the world become known as the forgotten war? Aid agencies say that after exactly a year of civil war in Sudan, driven by a power struggle between two military factions, the world has turned away. The UN estimates that at least 14,000 Sudanese civilians have been killed. Another 8 million are displaced; 4 million of them children. Some 18 million people are facing acute hunger.
Iran-Israel shadow war out in the openThis week, in the midst of escalating conflict in the Middle East, the US, the UK, France and Germany urged Israel to use restraint in responding to an Iranian missile and drone attack in the early hours of Sunday. That, says Iran, was its revenge on Israel for striking its consulate in Syria. Fast forward to the early hours of Friday morning and explosions were heard in the central Iranian province of Isfahan in an apparent Israeli air strike. So what happens next?
First criminal trial of a former US president Dateline New York for a first in US history: an ex-president heading into court for a criminal trial. Jury selection for Donald Trump's trial has been a challenge, with the inherent difficulty of selecting 12 fair and independent jurors – plus six alternates – who aren't biased for or against such a divisive figure. Can a Trump jury really be independent?
India sees world's biggest electionThe world’s biggest election, which has just got under way in India, will be taking place for the next six weeks. It involves 968 million eligible Indian voters, more than 2,500 political parties and one likely result: a third term for the Hindu nationalist prime minister Narendra Modi. The latest approval ratings make him the most popular leader in the world right now, with popularity scores of 78 percent. Is a Modi win guaranteed?
Could this week be remembered as a turning point in Israel's war in Gaza? Israel has admitted it killed seven aid workers in Gaza, stemming from a "serious failure due to a mistaken identification" that has led to widespread condemnation. Western countries say initial Israeli answers that it was a "tragic accident" are not sufficient. The recently unwavering support from the US is now wavering and conditional on the steps Israel takes in protecting civilians.
Will new president bring radical change? Good week for democracy after elections in Senegal
Half a thousand kilometres southwest of Gaza, in Senegal, the new president was sworn in on Tuesday. In a surprise for many observers, it was a fair election, after months of protests against the government of Macky Sall and the jailing of key opposition leaders.
Opposition candidate Bassirou Diomaye Faye, who was barely a week out of prison, won the election outright in the first round and surprised even seasoned Senegal analysts and their predictions of a likely rigged and unfair election.
A worthy Paris Olympics headliner? Culture war over French singer Aya Nakamura
Aya Nakamura is the most listened-to French artist in the world, with more than a billion downloads on Spotify and twice that in YouTube views.
Born Aya Danioko in Mali, the 28-year-old grew up in the Paris suburbs. Nakamura is her stage name. This week, President Emmanuel Macron backed the idea of her singing at the Paris Olympics opening ceremony, this after far-right figures said she was unsuitable for the role.
Produced by Luis Miguel Cabrera, Rebecca Gnignati and Laura Burloux.
It’s been a week of international disbelief at Russia's insistence in linking Ukraine to the Moscow concert hall shooting, despite all evidence pointing to the Islamic State group. We look at Putin's motive and also the threat posed by IS-K in Europe.
It was also a week where the French principle of secularism became a flashpoint again. A headteacher resigned after receiving death threats for ordering pupils to remove their headscarves. The government is suing a pupil for falsely alleging the teacher assaulted her. We assess President Emmanuel Macron's so-called ruthless approach to extremism.
Finally, it was a quiet week for royal trolls and conspiracy theorists, in light of the announcement that Catherine, Princess of Wales has cancer. King Charles III, who is also undergoing treatment, delivered a pre-recorded Easter message praising friendship in a time of need. We ask whether it's the job of the mainstream media to report on social media storms and teacup conspiracies at all.
It’s been a good week for the world’s most powerful woman. EU Chief Ursula von der Leyen moves a step closer to another five years in office as she announced her candidacy for a second term.
Israel-Hamas war: No end in sight
A week of raised hopes for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, which came to nothing and saw increasing US frustration with Israel.
France enshrines abortion rights in constitution
It’s been an historic week here in France. The country became the first in the world to explictly include the right to abortion in its constitution. President Macron wants his European neighbours to follow suit
Gavin Lee is joined by our panel of guests to discuss the news that made headlines this week.
Produced by Luis Miguel Cabrera, Alessandro Xenos, Guillaume Gougeon and Laura Burloux.
Is there no end in sight to war in Gaza? The week began with a flurry of diplomacy to seal a truce before Ramadan, but that has now gone quiet, what with more than 100 civilians killed after a scramble surrounding an aid convoy delivery in Gaza City.
Final act of resistance: Thousands turn out for Navalny's funeral. His funeral turned into a protest. Thousands turned out to a small church on the outskirts of Moscow to pay their final respects to Alexei Navalny, two weeks after the Kremlin critic's sudden death in an Arctic prison colony.
Fifteen years and counting: The World This Week then and now. The camera can be oh so cruel. It is there to remind us that actually, 15 years is a long time. From the financial crisis to the Arab Spring, Brexit and the rise of populism, Covid and superpower tensions, global warming and the dawn of the digital age, this studio on Fridays has been the place where the Paris press corps took stock.
Produced by Charles Wente, Rebecca Gnignati and Imen Mellaz.
"My memory is fine." With those words, US President Joe Biden dismissed his critics after succession of gaffes. The US presidential election campaign is only starting, the vote's not until November, and for the oldest incumbent in history, it's been a bad week.
A matter of months? Gaza truce deal far from done
At that Thursday press conference, Joe Biden did not just lose his patience with the special prosecutor. After four months of war, Israeli forces are now pounding Gaza's southernmost city of Rafah and Israel's prime minister is pouring cold water on hopes of a truce deal any time soon, despite US, Qatar and Egyptian mediators being hard at it.
Beacon of democracy? Uproar in Senegal as president extends his stay
For decades now, it has been hailed as a rare beacon of democracy in a neighbourhood peppered by coups and corruption, but it is not a good luck when gendarmes in Senegal clear parliament of opposition MPs so that presidential elections scheduled for later this month can be delayed until December.
And the winner is...Taylor Swift overshadows build-up to Super Bowl
And the winner is...Taylor Swift, of course. On Sunday, she became the first artist to win Best Album for a fourth time at the Grammies in Los Angeles. That was before tour dates in Japan and ahead of Sunday's Super Bowl in Las Vegas, where her boyfriend Travis Kelce is the star tight end for the Kansas City Chiefs against the San Francisco 49ers.
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati and Imen Mellaz.
After nearly four months of war in Gaza, the humanitarian crisis and the mounting civilian death toll have triggered growing international calls for a ceasefire. Amid intense diplomacy, a deal is taking shape. The first truce, in November of last year, lasted just seven days; this one could endure for one or two months and free many or all of the remaining 100 or more Israeli hostages in stages.
Biden ups pressure on Israel: US sanctions West Bank settlers over violence
It’s one of the Biden Administration's strongest critiques of Israel since the war in Gaza began, but it does not directly address the war. The US president has approved sanctions on four Israeli settlers accused of attacking Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
Inevitable spillover? US blames Iranian-backed militia for deadly attack on soldiers
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden joined grieving families at Dover Air Force Base to honour three American service members killed in a drone attack in Jordan. Washington has blamed an Iranian-backed militia group in Iraq for that attack, and the Pentagon warned that multi-tiered action is coming.
Clear signal to Moscow? Ukraine's Zelensky welcomes EU's €50 billion aid package
While aid in the US for Ukraine has stalled in Congress, more help is on the way from Europe. All 27 EU leaders have agreed on a €50 billion aid package for Ukraine. This money is not for the frontline, but for the Ukrainian government to keep the lights on. Meanwhile, Hungary's PM Viktor Orban reiterated that peace talks should start between Ukraine and Russia, since each day that goes by tilts in favour of Moscow.
France farmers lift blockade: Protesters head home as anger spreads elsewhere in Europe
The effects of the war in Ukraine are one of the major grievances of European farmers. Here in France, farmers are upset over cheaper cereals and poultry from Ukraine, as well as low wages and what they deem excessive regulation. But the two largest unions agreed to lift their blockades of key roads after winning a number of concessions from the French government.
Protests – be they roadblocks, lane closures or demonstrations – have affected more than 150 locations around France for the past week, with motorways around major cities including Paris and Lyon affected. It was the first major crisis for France's new PM Gabriel Attal. Among the concessions he offered: an annual €150 million for livestock farmers and a ban on food imports treated with a pesticide already banned in France.
Cleared of all charges: India releases pigeon accused of spying for China
Finally, a suspected Chinese spy in India has been cleared of all charges and released after spending eight months in detention. Its identity has not been released. That's because it's a pigeon, whose ordeal began in May when it was captured in Mumbai with two rings tied to its legs, carrying a message that was said to look like it was in Chinese. It is not the first time a bird has come under police suspicion in India.
Produced by Charles Wente, Rebecca Gnignati, Imen Mellaz and Guillaume Gougeon.
It is the beginning, not the end for South Africa's complaint before the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The court found that Israel must prevent genocidal acts in Gaza and allow humanitarian aid in, but stopped short of calling for a ceasefire.
Macron in India: France guest of honour at 75th Republic Day
Happy 75th birthday to India. Like the French, they love a military parade for Republic Day. And just as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was guest of honour on Bastille Day, a French contingent was invited to march in New Delhi while their commander-in-chief watched from the review stand.
Farmers on the brink: What's driving Europe-wide protests?
Emmanuel Macron will return to France to a farmers' revolt. Tractors are converging on Paris this Friday ahead of the government's announcement of a farm bill to streamline paperwork and in scenes reminiscent of Wednesday in Warsaw or last week in Berlin, French agriculture workers are fuming mad.
Hits and misses: Oscar nominations serve up snubs and surprises
Nothing is more subjective than awards season. In Los Angeles, the nominations are out for the Oscars (Academy Awards). A few short years after a boycott campaign against the under-representation of women by the Oscars, this time, a record three movies directed by women are up for best picture. But elsewhere, there was a notable absent.
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati and Imen Mellaz.
Did the map of the Middle East suddenly just get bigger? On Tuesday, Iran hit points in Iraqi Kurdistan, Syria and – all the way over on its eastern border – separatist militants in Balochistan province. It was payback for recent attacks targeting police in its own Sistan and Baluchestan province. Hitting nuclear-armed Pakistan came as the neighbouring countries were carrying out joint naval exercises.
How about never? Netanyahu rejects US-backed Saudi peace plan
The plan is straightforward: Gulf states rebuild Gaza and Israel signs onto Saudi Arabia's decades-old roadmap for lasting peace with the Palestinians. The Americans are on board. One party, though, still needs convincing: Israel.
China's baby bust: Population drops for second year in row
China's troubles may only just be starting: for the second year running, the population is declining with two million fewer people: that's double the drop of 2022. Despite the lifting in 2016 of the country's one-child policy, the birth rate seems stuck, fuelling that favorite question: will the country grow old before it grows rich?
For whom the bell rings? Macron's education minister apologises over private school row
French politics junkies call her AOC: sports minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, who last week was also promoted to education minister when her predecessor Gabriel Attal became prime minister. There were doubting Thomases who wondered if she could handle both portfolios in a year when Paris hosts the Olympics. Then, within 48 hours of her nomination, she hit the political third rail when, on a visit with Attal to a public school northwest of the capital, Oudéa-Castéra was asked why she took her child out of a Paris Latin Quarter public primary school to put him in an exclusive private Catholic school.
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati, Peter Hutt-Sierra and Imen Mellaz.
The attacks on commercial shipping off Yemen had gone on for nearly two months. Now comes the response: an international coalition led by the US and the UK have hit 60 targets in 16 locations, according to the Pentagon. At least people have been five killed in Iran-aligned Houthi rebel strongholds.
Israel's war on Gaza is having its day in court. South Africa, a fellow member of the 1948 Genocide Convention, is lodging the charge that with more than 23,000 killed since the October 7 surprise attack by Hamas, Israel's campaign aims to bring about the" total destruction" of Gaza's population.
Remember when Emmanuel Macron ran for president at 39? Now, in his term-limited second mandate, without a majority in parliament, and with polling stuck in the doldrums, he's appointed France's youngest-ever prime minister. Gabriel Attal is taking the reins from the technocratic Elisabeth Borne, who in her 20 months on the job, dutifully pushed through unpopular pension and immigration reforms.
When a popular anti-corruption crusader was assassinated in Ecuador on the presidential campaign trail, few outside the Americas noticed. Now, the whole world's paying attention after massive weekend jailbreaks that included the brief takeover of a private television station. Dozens of prison guards are still held hostage. The crisis was sparked by plans to move the leader of the Los Choneras drug gang, Adolfo Macias, to a high-security facility. Better known as Fito, he has not been seen since the weekend.
Thankfully no one was hurt, but after tragedies that befell earlier models of the 777, Boeing's got explaining to do about the fuselage door that flew off an Alaska Airways flight shortly after takeoff from Portland, Oregon.
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati and Imen Mellaz.
It's dirty, it's crowded, there's always a strike, the waiters are rude…and it's the place to go in 2024. We bring you a special edition of The World This Week, as the French capital gets set to host the Olympics for the first time in exactly 100 years. Why is it that for better or worse, old stereotypes stick about the City of Light?
With Olympic events designed to showcase the grandeur of Paris's historical sights, we ask how the 2,000-year-old city is evolving today. Is the world’s top tourist destination thriving…or losing its soul?
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati and Imen Mellaz.
Read moreCould Emily afford to rent in Paris? An author's guide to surviving gentrification
As 2023 draws to a close, our panel of guests look back on the stories that made the news: the Israel-Hamas war, Russia's continued war in Ukraine, Africa coups and elections, the Turkey-Syria earthquake and much more.
Produced by Charles Wente, Guillaume Gougeon and Juliette Brown.
Is Washington's patience wearing thin? It all started on Tuesday, when Israel's prime minister issued a video address in Hebrew. Within hours, Joe Biden had reacted, first at a fundraiser where he called on Netanyahu to sack his far-right coalition partners, then at a White House Hanukkah ceremony where the US president called on Israel to stop its "indiscriminate" bombing of civilians in the Gaza Strip.
The US Senate is putting off its Christmas recess for a shot on voting on military aid for Israel and for Ukraine. Ukraine's president has been globetrotting this week, with stops that included Washington, where Volodymyr Zelensky lobbied senators as well as the pro-Trump speaker of the House of Representatives. Mike Johnson is holding out for domestic border control reform. To keep Kyiv's financial lifeline alive, Zelensky travelled all the way to Buenos Aires for last Sunday's inauguration of Argentina's new populist president, Javier Milei, but the main reason was to lobby Viktor Orban ahead of a crucial EU summit.
In the end, Hungary's prime minister left the room to abstain when fellow leaders approved the start of membership negotiations for Ukraine and Moldova. But despite the European Commission unfreezing €10 billion in funds for Budapest, held up over Hungary's rule of law issues, it was still a no to a four-year, €50-billion aid package for Kyiv.
No one expected a COP28 summit hosted by the world's seventh-biggest oil producer to save the planet in 12 days, but COP28 in Dubai did conclude with a document that for the first time recognises the need to transition away from fossil fuels.
Finally, relatives are bemoaning the second death of World War II hero Léon Gautier. The last surviving French soldier from D-Day, who landed on the Normandy beaches with France's Kieffer commando, died back in July aged 100. Relatives are now suing over a book on Amazon and Kindle written by a certain Grace Shawn that's filled with factual errors, including Gautier's supposed detention in Germany. Grace Shawn is unknown. Amazon has pulled the book over the outrage. But we did find that for £8.99, one can buy a biography of Gautier, written by a certain Gilbert Predmore. How concerned should we be about books being generated by artificial intelligence?
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati and Imen Mellaz.
It's back to the brutal reality of war. A week ago at this time, some were still holding out hope of that a week-long ceasefire between Israel and Hamas could be revived. Now, it's house-to-house combat in the streets of Gaza's central city of Khan Younis and a fresh draft resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire at the United Nations Security Council. For the first time in over half a century, a UN Secretary-General has invoked article 99 of the UN Charter.
Some $50 billion are on hold in the US after Senate Republicans insisted on tying aid to a tightening of domestic border controls. What does this mean for aid to Ukraine going forward?
The 2024 Olympics are in Paris, but the scandal of the week is eleven time zones away, in the village of Teahupo'o on the French Polynisean island of Tahiti, which is hosting the surfing competition at next summer's Games. The vintage wooden judging tower beloved by surfers the world over had to go, insisted the International Olympic Committee. But when it came time to break ground on a new metal tower for judges and journalists, it happened just as environmentalists had predicted: the wrecking of the bay's delicate coral reef.
As far back as 1988, Time Magazine put saving the environment on the cover for its Person of the Year. For 2023, it's Taylor Swift who succeeds last year's choice of Volodymyr Zelensky. The US pop star's current Eras tour is breaking box office records. Is she a wise choice?
Produced by Charles Wente, Guillaume Gougeon and Marguerite Lacroix.
Our panel of journalists review the news that made headlines this week. Israel launches new air strikes on Gaza after a seven-day truce. Meanwhile in Dubai, leaders gather for the COP28 summit. UK-Greece relations deteriorate following a row over the Parthenon Marbles. Finally, we look back at the legacy of US politician Henry Kissinger, who died this week aged 100.
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Guillaume Gougeon and Samy Vicente Lacerda.
Where does the four-day truce lead? Thirteen hostages have been released by Hamas this Friday. The deal had been in the offing all week. A truce for four days; a release of 50 hostages in exchange for 150 Palestinian prisoners being freed.
Also, how will Geert Wilders change the Netherlands? The country has a reputation as one of the most liberal societies in Europe, if not the whole world. So why did Dutch voters this week endorse the far-right candidate in the elections? Wilders was once thought of as a niche political act. It seems now he has taken centre stage.
Can Javier Milei's populism pay off? Argentina has a not-too-distant past peppered by the worst of far right extremism. Many still bear the scars, both physical and mental, of the military junta that fell only after losing the Falklands War in 1982. Memories of voters are clearly getting shorter as they voted in a far-right president (he calls himself an anarcho-capitalist).
What's behind the firing and rehiring of Sam Altman? OpenAI has taken on the aspect of a soap opera. The ins and outs have made headlines that have had business editors the world over shouting "stop the press". Our discussion now veers towards the future and how artificial intelligence will change it, and what role will be played by a certain Sam Altman.
Produced by Charles Wente, Guillaume Gougeon, Rebecca Gnignati and Louise Guibert.
For Israelis, it's a long-eyed target. For Palestinians, it's a symbol of their suffering. After days of laying siege to Al Shifa hospital, Israeli soldiers moved in overnight on Tuesday, after years of claiming that Hamas operated a command centre on the grounds of Gaza's largest medical centre.
Now it's on to the next objective, with many parts of northern Gaza laid to waste. Israel has now dropped leaflets telling Palestinians to evacuate four specific neighbourhoods of Khan Younis. In the last 24 hours, Israel's ground operation has netted the bodies of two hostages: a 65-year-old woman and a 19-year-old female soldier, a reminder that there's more than 200 still believed to be held.
Meanwhile, Germany has welcomed Turkey's president for a long-planned state visit, one that shows up opposing views on the eruption in the Middle East.
The EU's executive arm has joined IBM and halted advertisements on Elon Musk's social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. The last straw was Musk's seeming endorsement of a tweet from a far-right account claiming that members of the Jewish community were stoking hatred against White people.
What this world certainly needs is a healthy dose of de-escalation. So even if they didn't issue a joint statement, many found reason to at least exhale when Joe Biden sat down with Xi Jinping for four hours on the sidelines of the APEC summit in San Francisco. A joint agreement on climate targets, reassurances on opening a hotline between US and China's military all seemed positive signs. But then there was a press conference where reporters asked if Biden stood by his June branding of his Chinese counterpart as a dictator.
Finally, David Cameron has become the first former UK prime minister in decades to return to government. His first trip abroad was to Ukraine: a reminder that David Cameron was in power a decade ago when it all kicked off.
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Juliette Brown and Lila Paulou.
One month after the massacre of some fourteen-hundred civilians in Israel, Palestinians are now bearing the brunt of a response that has killed more than ten-thousand and displaced tens of thousands this week from the Gaza Strip’s north to south. An estimated one-third of the buildings in the north of the enclave are damaged or destroyed.
Over the past month, we have taken stock of just how much the conflict in the Middle East has led to a spike in anti-Semitism and Islamophobia in Europe.
Thursday evening, there were commemorations throughout Europe for the 85th anniversary of Kristallnacht when the Nazis carried out pogroms against Jews in riots defined as a seminal moment of the Holocaust.
In Iran, authorities bended to public pressure by allowing this year's Nobel peace prize winner to receive medical treatment despite not wearing the obligatory head covering which was mandatory. The family of Narges Mohammadi said she has ended a hunger strike which was to protest against the regime’s denial of healthcare to women refusing to wear headscarves.
In Spain, a coalition deal between the outgoing Socialists and the Catalan separatists convicted of using state funds to stage a banned 2017 independence referendum has sparked fury among critics of Pedro Sanchez. He is looking to weather the storm and keep his own troops in line as he moves to secure a razor-thin majority in the next parliament.
Here in France, we had the breakup of then-president Nicolas Sarkozy's marriage play out in public. More recently, Canada's prime minister announced that he and his wife of eighteen years were separating.
That is life, right? Same goes for Giorgia Meloni, who, announced on Instagram last month that she and the father of her daughter were parting ways.
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Lila Paulou, Rebecca Gnignati and Imen Mellaz.
Four weeks after Hamas's shock rampage, Israel's military says it has got Gaza City surrounded. But at what cost? The Palestinian territory's largest refugee camp has been bombed twice in two days, with dozens killed. And with each day that passes, the world is fed tales of horror and despair.
The call to protect civilians was broadcast loud and clear by the US secretary of state. It's the fourth visit in four weeks to Israel for Antony Blinken. He now arrives in Jordan, where earlier thousands turned out in the capital to rally for a ceasefire. Jordan recalled its ambassador to Israel earlier this week after the bombing of Gaza City's Jabalia refugee camp.
Also, Britain's King Charles III has made his first visit to a Commonwealth nation since his coronation. In Kenya, Charles said there was "no excuse" for the atrocities committed during British colonial rule, but stopped short of a full apology.
They broke up in 1970, but thanks to artificial intelligence, The Beatles are putting out a new single this week. "Now and Then" features a polished version of an unfinished demo tape with the late John Lennon on vocals.
Produced by François Picard, Andrew Hilliar, Laura Burloux, Meiqi An
It was a rare ray of hope amid three weeks of hell. In a deal brokered by Qatar and the US, Hamas has released two elderly hostages. But even then, some Israelis objected to the image of 85-year old Yocheved Lifshitz shaking the hand of one of her Hamas captors. They liked it even less when the lifelong Kibbutz resident blasted Israel's security lapses at a press conference hours later at the hospital where she was recovering in Tel Aviv. That said, she also provided a trove of information on the enemy.
Last week it was missiles from Yemen intercepted from US warships. Now it's the US retaliating against Iran-aligned militias in Syria following attacks on US forces present both in Syria and Iraq as part of the fight against the IS group. On Wednesday, Lebanon's al-Manar television put out a photo showing Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah meeting the head of Palestinian Islamic Jihad Ziyad al-Nakhalah and deputy head of Hamas's political bureau, Saleh al-Arouri.
It was the week where Turkey's president voiced fury at the bombing of Gaza and insisted he'd be staying away from Israel for the foreseeable future. Recep Tayyip Erdogan and 84 million other citizens have a birthday to celebrate this coming Sunday. A century ago, Mustafa Kemal Atatürk proclaimed the Turkish republic, changed the alphabet and instituted the separation of religion and state.
Just in time for the Christmas shopping season comes the 40th volume of the adventures of Asterix the Gaul. The original writer and cartoonist are long gone, but the best-selling series continues. Keeping up with the times, the villain in this one, Vicévertus – Julius Caesar's chief doctor – promotes meditation and vegetarian new ageism.
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Lauren Bain and Laura Burloux.
Trucks loaded with desperately needed aid are still stuck on the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing but should be "rolling in the next day or so", says the United Nations. On Day 14 of a conflict triggered by Hamas's cross-border slaughter of more than a thousand Israeli civilians, the UN Secretary-General made his way to Rafah.
Meanwhile, on his trip to Israel, US President Joe Biden pointed to "America's mistakes after 9/11", warning his hosts not to "be consumed by rage" and squander worldwide sympathy. In his first address from the Oval Office since it all started, the US president connected the dots between Gaza and Ukraine.
It turns out that those US warships sent to the region aren't just for show. In the Red Sea, the USS Carney intercepted three cruise missiles and several drones launched by the Iran-aligned Houthi movement from Yemen, potentially towards Israel.
The Arab street is not only mad with Israel and the United States. In former French protectorate Tunisia, Tuesday's shelling of the hospital in Gaza had an angry crowd spontaneously converging on the French embassy.
France is still processing last Friday's second fatal attack on a high school teacher in three years. Thursday, in the northern city of Arras, saw the funeral of French teacher Dominique Bernard, who tried to stop a radicalised former student as he embarked on a stabbing spree on the grounds of the high school where Bernard taught.
Produced by Charles Wente, Lauren Bain and Juliette Brown.
First came the shock, then the horror and now the escalation. Israel's government had been putting the squeeze on the West Bank when the unprecedented attack came from Gaza, stunning the world and targeting the innocent. Seven days later, Israel is dropping leaflets on the Gaza Strip: the prelude to a possible ground offensive.
In the past, Israelis have morbidly likened intervening in Gaza to "mowing the grass", operations that are a periodic necessity. This time, it's different.
After days of bargaining, PM Benjamin Netanyahu agreed on Wednesday with the opposition on a national emergency government that brings former army chief of staff Benny Gantz into a war cabinet.
Social media has been bombarded with toxic missives since last Saturday. The EU Commissioner in charge of Digital Affairs made use of the new Digital Services Act to warn the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, as well as Facebook's parent group Meta and China's TikTok.
Whenever there's conflict in the Middle East, passions run high here in France – home to Europe's largest Jewish and Muslim population. Adding to the tensions is the fatal stabbing spree at a high school in the northern city of Arras. The knife attack by a former student is akin to the one that felled a social studies teacher three years ago.
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati and Louise Guibert.
Would you be willing to risk arrest to stand up for what you believed in? How about 13 times? François Picard invites a panel of journalists to discuss the Nobel Peace Prize going to human rights activist Narges Mohammadi, who's currently serving what amounts to 12 years behind bars in Tehran's notorious Evin prison. From her cell, the 51-year-old activist put out a statement for a prize that's a nod to all those who have risen up since last year's death of Mahsa Amini in the hands of Iran's morality police.
The panel, which included regular guests Paul Moreira, Nico Hines, Matthew Dalton and Ana Navarro Pedro, went on to discuss the situation in Ukraine, whose leader was in Granada this Friday asking for aid to European allies as American support wavers, and in the other two conflicts on Europe's doorstep: Armenia and Kosovo. Finally, what to make of Paris's bedbug scare?
Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati and Imen Mellaz.
When the week began, it was all about France defying an ultimatum by Niger's coup leaders to recall its ambassador. Now, another precinct has been heard from. A double surprise in the night from Gabon Wednesday, with military brass cancelling the flawed re-election to a third term of Ali Bongo. Instead, it is a coup that ends a 55-year old father-son dynasty in that oil-rich central African nation.
The NATO Summit this week was almost a one-man show starring someone whose country is not yet a member: Volodymyr Zelensky.
Narendra Modi - guest of honour at the Bastille Day parade in Paris. India's prime minister looked on proudly as Indian soldiers joined the annual July 14th parade down the Champs Elysées.
Where is Yevgeny Prigozhin. Belarus president claims he is decamped back to Russia, no one has seen him in public since that aborted march on Moscow. And Russian state TV shows images of police raids on his home.
Also, could it have gone either way? Senegal president foregoing a run for re-election but Macky Sall insisting his constitutional reform did not bar him from another term. We'll ask how much of an outlier that makes him among African leaders.
Yevgeny Prigozhin cheered as he suddenly lifted his occupation of Rostov-on-Don last Saturday night and aborted his Wagner group's march on Moscow... a challenge unseen by the Kremlin since the failed 1991 coup attempt against Mihael Gorbatchev. Back then, state television played the ballet Swan Lake. This time, extensive coverage of Silvio Berlusconi's ten-day old funeral. And France is in shock after first, a viral video shows an officer shoot and kill a 17-year old in the Western suburb of Nanterre. In scenes reminiscent of the three weeks of rioting back in 2005, nightly clashes have engulfed the country's working class suburbs. No state of emergency yet but the same president who called the killing of Nahel inexplicable and inexcusable now turns his sights on the violence.
For four days, the world waited on word of that tourist sub and the five inside who'd gone to explore the wreckage of the Titanic that is until Thursday. It wasn't just billionaires aboard: highly respected French explorer Paul-Henri Nargeolet was known as Mr Titanic and part of the early teams that first filmed the wreckage of the ill-fated cruise liner back in 1986:
It was the kind of send-off that Donald Trump and Boris Johnson would surely love. A packed house and a packed piazza outside for the state funeral of Silvio Berlusconi. A-C Milan supporters chanting their longtime president's name after the death this week at 86 of Italy's longest-serving leader since World War Two.
The frontline dam burst that flooded southern Ukraine is a nightmare scenario come true. Who stands to gain from the catastrophe? Also, the nightmare scenario for the planet: Canadian forest fires follow freak spring droughts. The smog is choking North America and sending smoke to Europe, and it's only early June.
Ukraine has suffered 30 Russian drone strikes overnight. On Thursdat, a 9 year old child and her mother were killed by the falling wreckage of one of the Russian drones shot down over Kyiv. The intensity of Russia's attacks is unprecedented since the start of the invasion last year. Meanwhile Russia accuses Ukraine of striking Moscow, Belgoroad and Krasnodar.
Belgorod, Russia, near the border with Ukraine has been in the news all week long because of an incursion by two groups of fighters who described themselves as Russian, anti-Putin, with the aim of liberating Russia. France 24's Marc Perelman asked Ilya Ponomarev, a Russian dissident in exile and political representative of the Freedom of Russia Legion, if they got a green light from Ukraine to attack Belgorod.
Syria's Bashar al-Assad came out of the woodwork in Jeddah on the same day that Zelensky passed through, taking his plea for support for Kyiv to the Arab League. Also, Recep Tayyip Erdogan's re-election bid seems to be going to plan in Turkey, while his opponent Kemal Kilicdaroglu veers right in his rhetoric, hoping to reach new demographics. And in Greece, the conservative incumbent is talking about building walls to stop migrants, days before a snap election. Finally, here in France, a former Resistance fighter is telling a dark secret.
A final rally for a nail-biting finish in Istanbul, back where he started out as mayor. Turkey's leader of two decades is trailing in the polls, but within the margin of error. Recep Tayep Erdogan is facing high inflation, the anger surrounding February's devastating earthquakes, and an opposition that has coalesced. His opponent, Kemal Kilicdaroglu, was boosted by the eleventh-hour withdrawal of 2018 runner-up Muharrem Ince, who ran as a third-party candidate, and who threw in the towel on Thursday.
Who's behind the unmanned craft shot down over the Kremlin in the pre-dawn hours of Wednesday? As tensions between Russia and Ukraine grow, warring generals continue their death match in Sudan's capital and King Charles III's coronation final preps are underway in the UK. We also ask our Friday panel of journalists about the homestretch of Turkish elections billed as the most uncertain since Recep Tayep Erdogan took power two decades ago. Could he actually lose?
What to expect when the most powerful person in the world announces he's running for re-election and he's already a record-breaking 80 years old? Turkey's president also drew attention to his health this week. We'll also ask our Friday panel of journalists whether a wolf warrior diplomat's pronouncements in Paris may have unwittingly forced China's president to pick up the phone and speak with his Ukranian counterpart for the first time since the start of the all-out Russian invasion.
The World This Week: Fighting continues in Sudan in spite of Eid celebrations, and left-wing leaders of Latin America roll out the red carpet for Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov. Meanwhile in the United States, an eleventh hour settlement spares Fox News a defamation lawsuit by electronic vote counting machine maker Dominion. We also ask our Friday panel of journalists if it's Emmanuel Macron's lot to be booed wherever he goes after passage of a deeply unpopular pension reform bill.
The World This Week: Emmanuel Macron's domestic battles... and the eyebrows raised among allies over his remarks on Taiwan that are sowing discord among allies. Also, when Joe Biden goes back to his Irish roots. Our Friday panel of journalists weigh in on the emotion and the gaffes.
Donald Trump walked into a Manhattan courthouse Tuesday to become the first-ever criminally-indicted former U-S president.A couple of weeks ago, Chinese president was in Moscow. Now Xi Jinping rolls out the red carpet. Last week for Spainish prime minister. Now for French president. Emmanuel Macron on his first state visit to China since Covid.
A Manhattan grand jury handing up a first-ever criminal indictment against a president of the United States. Donald Trump to be formally indicted next Tuesday over alleged hush money paid to porn star Stormy Daniels. It is not the US Justice Department who got the first indictment in but a local prosecutor. In New York like in much of the United States, district attorneys are elected. Alvin Bragg is a Democrat.
First, the personnel in charge of rolling out the red carpet went on strike, and then the unions invited everyone to show up at the Palace of Versailles, then protesters torched the entrance to Bordeaux City Hall, Bordeaux where King Charles was due to debut his first state visit abroad as monarch. His hosts throwing in the towel and announcing the postponement of the royal trip.
Accidents can happen, goes the song. But for the Pentagon, the Russians tempted fate when they first dumped fuel on a US reaper drone and then clipped the unmanned surveillance craft. While the US tries to carefully manage its nuclear-armed rivalry with Moscow NATO allies harbour no such qualms: Slovakia pledging a fleet of 13 MiG-29 Soviet-era warplanes to Ukraine, the second former Warsaw Pact nation in as many days to answer Kyiv's long-running request after Poland which pledged four.
Who is the Georgian woman who braved the water cannons brandishing an EU flag? And who sabotaged Nord Stream? Should we listen to the whispers that a “pro-Ukrainian group” was behind it? And Turkey’s Erdogan has fired the start gun on election season – after widespread accusations that his response to the earthquake was slow and cost lives…Can he hold onto power faced with an opposition united? And a blooming Franco-British bromance between UK PM Sunak and President Macron after the UK premier was at the Elysee on Friday, days after announcing a controversial plan to “stop the boats”.
The Ukrainian frontline town of Bakhmut was dubbed the "meat grinder" for the high number of battlefield casualties by both sides. Kyiv had pledged to hold on to the fortress town for as long as possible but has now given hints of a tactical withdrawal. Meanwhile, the head of the Russian Mercenary Wagner Group has said his forces have practically encircled the town, one of the last major holdouts of the Donetsk region.
One year ago today, Vladimir Putin shocked the world with his bid to take Kyiv and the rest of Ukraine. Turns out, it would be the first of many surprises.After the troop build-up, the failed mediation, Vladimir Putin's speech denouncing Ukraine as a fiction, Russian Special Forces swoop for the Ukrainian capital's main military airport in a bid to establish an air bridge to seize Kyiv.
Eleven days since the worst earthquakes ever to hit modern Turkey and Syria and they're still pulling survivors from the rubble. More than 260 hours on, a 14-year old and a 34-year old rescued in the historic city of Antakya. Volunteers have worked around the clock with the next challenge already upon them. Balloon talk between the US and China, both present at the Munich Security Conference. Also, the sky's the limit for Air India. We'll ask our panel what they make of that record of Airbus and Boeing airplanes.
It's five days on from Turkey's deadliest earthquakes since 1939 and through the grief and despair, rescuers persist. Turkey's president is acknowledging hiccups and vowing a 10,000 lira handout, the equivalent of 531 dollars, to each family affected by the quake.
The first EU summit inside Ukraine, in wartime, has been led by Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel. It is a trip steeped in symbolism as the one-year anniversary of the Russian invasion ticks closer. The European leaders are determined to show their support and solidarity with the Ukrainian government. However, Ukraine is seeking something more: fast-tracked EU membership. Volodymyr Zelensky said he wants to start negotiations this year.
Germany's watershed moment, a nation adverse to conflict zones approving tanks for Ukraine after guarantees of the same from the U-S. How far will NATO go? Also, an artificial intelligence chatbot capable of passing an elite business school MBA exam...a sign we're headed for a dystopian future?
It is a yellow-coloured kitchen with all mod cons. But there is no wall left. The picture taken by Reuters photographer Yan Dobronosov showing the impact of last weekend's Russian air strike against an apartment building in the southeastern city of Dnipro. 45 killed as a cruise missile missile slammed into the building.
Russia on the cusp of scoring its first battlefield win in months using infantry as cannon fodder for the taking of the salt mining town of Soledar. It is a key stepping stone to Bakhmut which then leads to the big rail and road hubs that link the Donbas to the rest of the country. Putin's Wagner mercenaries purportedly posing in the salt mine. They seemed to jump the gun when they started claiming Tuesday that they and they alone had taken Soledar.
Vladimir Putin unilaterally declared a truce for January 6th through January 7th to mark the Orthodox Christmas. But the word on the ground in Ukraine is that shelling has continued.The Russian occupiers struck the town of Kramatorsk twice.
As Russia and Ukraine dig in for a long war, can Europe change its energy habits on the fly? The World This Week looks ahead to 2023 as François Picard's panel measures how climate change, inflation and Russia's invasion of Ukraine have upended energy transition plans.
After Covid came war in Europe. 2022 will be remembered as the year that Vladimir Putin surprised even his own army with a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. François Picard's panel weighs the consequences for the planet.
The house always win. What applies for casinos also applies for FIFA ahead of the closing weekend of the World Cup. The sporting gods certainly on Fifa's side: France's 2-0 win over Morocco Wednesday setting up a dream final for organizers, Kilian Mbappé's Les Bleus against Lionel Messi's Argentina. On Paris' Champs-Elysées, it felt like a win-win moment. The Lions of the Atlas beating the odds to reach the semi-finals.
During the Cold War, the exchanges would happen at Berlin's Bridge of Spies. In a flashback moment staged this time in Abu Dhabi, US basketball star Brittney Griner swapped for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, the former stopped on the eve of the war with cannabis resin in her suitcase at Moscow Airport, the latter serving a 25-year sentence in the US for selling arms to rebels and rogue states the world over.
First time since 1976 a French president sets foot in New Orleans. Emmanuel Macron visiting the former French colony that Napoleon sold as part of a three-day state visit to the United States. Thursday's White House state dinner was a first for the tee-totaling Joe Biden who toasted his country's old ally with ginger ale.
A Russia in retreat on the battlefield is trying to put the lights out in Ukraine. The hardship comes the same week that the capital got its first snowfall of the season. Kyiv residents are lining up for water in near-freezing temperatures. Ukrainians are wondering if Moscow intends to turn Kherson into another Mariupol. Vladimir Putin had mostly gone quiet since the Russian retreat from Kherson. But he waded back into it when he welcomed a sample of mothers and wives of soldiers ahead of the Russian calendar's Mother's Day.
No World War Three this week no nuclear winter but Nato got a scare. How close did Nato come to an escalation with Russia? A Russian-made missile landing on a Polish farming village Tuesday, killing two agricultural workers. The Polish president found that initial evidence pointed to Ukranian anti-air defence a claim backed by NATO allies but initially denied by a Ukranian president who stated "I have no doubt that this is not our missile."
Israeli forces killed at least four Palestinians on Thursday while the Israeli election count was ongoing. Benjamin Netanyahu's new far-right coalition does not herald an end to the violence. Over in Brazil, former president Lula narrowly defeated Jair Bolsonaro in the presidential run-off. Plus, the UN voted for the 30th time against the 60-year-old US embargo on Cuba, but so far there’s no sign of US President Joe Biden budging. And electricity blackouts take place across Ukraine, as Russia evacuates Kherson in preparation for a Ukrainian counter-attack.
Ukraine's forces continue to gain ground in territory occupied by Russia, with Vladimir Putin warning that the world is facing its most dangerous decade since World War II. Next, "Ready for Rishi" was his campaign slogan. Now Rishi Sunak has become the first ever prime minister and major party leader of colour in British history. Meanwhile, Brazil is nearing the end of its highly divisive and tense election, with election fatigue setting in as voters tell us they are fed up with the whole process. Finally, protests over the death of Mahsa Amini in Iran show no signs of slowing down.
All summer to pick a leader and just six brutally short weeks for it to all go wrong. Like clockwork, Truss announced her resignation just as EU leaders were congregating in Brussels for a summit. Italy is asking for a bit of respect after The Economist ran with a "Welcome to Britaly" headline, where Liz Truss is portrayed as a centurion holding a pizza pie for a shield and a forkful of spaghetti for a lance. Speaking of Italy, its president asked the far-right's Georgia Meloni to form the country's 68th government since 1946.
After Russia's renewed blitz on 11 Ukrainian cities, western arms deliveries stepped up, with some authorities in Kyiv hailing this as a turning point. And, one month in, protests are still going strong in Iran, despite the supreme leader’s warnings. In the UK, PM Truss has sent her finance minister packing in a budget u-turn, hoping to salvage a floundering premiership. In France, PSG's social media offensive against critics of the club and even their very own Mbappé, has been revealed.
Human rights watchdogs from Russia, Ukraine and Belarus were on Friday announced the winners of the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize, with the jury criticising Russian President Vladimir Putin's "authoritarian" regime as he wages war in Ukraine. Our panel of guests discuss what it means that these Putin foes will be bestowed with the prestigious award.
With Russia in retreat on the battlefield, Russian President Vladimir Putin raised the stakes on Wednesday with the announcement that Russian reservists would be mobilised and referendums held in areas of Ukraine on joining Russia, all while he made threats to the West. The evening after Putin's address, an estimated 1,300 arrests were made at protests against the partial mobilisation.
Ahead of Queen Elizabeth II's funeral, we delve into why the monarchy still matters for an ever-evolving United Kingdom. Moscow's trading partners had some questions for Vladimir Putin in Uzbekistan, where he attended a regional security summit. The Kremlin even admitted that China has serious doubts about Russia’s Ukraine campaign. Finally, we look at the rise of the far-right in Sweden ahead of Italy's next big election, and at the legacy of French-Swiss director Jean-Luc Godard.
He changed the course of history. Mikhael Gorbachev passing away this week at 91. Thirty years after the last Soviet president left power, he is remembered in the West as an unlikely hero. We have images of then president Leonid Brezhnev pinning a medal on the then-chair of the Communist Party Standing Commission on Youth Affairs date back to 1979. Who knew that six years later, the unassuming apparatchik would rise to the rank of radical reformer.
After forcing the Russians out of Snake Island, Ukrainians endure the shelling of civilians. Is Vladimir Putin also sending a calling card to NATO after an historic summit that has pledged its biggest boost in troops since the Cold War and approved new members Finland and Sweden? Also, what Xi Jinping means by "true democracy" when he travels to Hong Kong, Donald Trump's mark on democracy in America and the takeaway from the verdicts of the Paris terror attacks trial.
A century-old gun law gone, 50 years of abortion rights overturned - it's a US Supreme Court stacked with Republicans. Also this week, as the Severodonetsk is set to fall to Russian forces, Ukraine has just gained official candidate status to the EU. Is the bloc braced for the backlash? And as Macron sees his wings clipped by the legislative elections, he is bargaining with all sides, and outwardly accentuating the positive. And, finally, this travel season looks set to be the Summer of strikes.
The World This Week analyses the first visit to Ukraine by the leaders of France, Germany and Italy since the start of the war. Is it enough to steel the European Union's resolve when it comes to Russia? Our panel of journalists also weighs in on soaring inflation, oil prices and how Russia's loss could be Saudi Arabia's gain. Leaders and golfing professionals alike are ready to overlook the kingdom's human rights record.
A public primetime hearing in Washington conducted by the Jan 6th investigative committee has thrust Donald Trump back in the headlines. A marathon presentation to the american public of what happened on that day in 2021 where a crowd of Trump supporters stormed the capital and seemingly attempted to disrupt and overturn the counting of the electoral votes, which made Joe Biden the president of the United States.
What can stop Russia's offensive in eastern Ukraine? François Picard's panel weighs in on the impact of western sanctions on Moscow and world economy. Also on the show: A record-breaker who has gone platinum, Britain marking Queen Elizabeth's 70 years on the throne. On the other side of the Atlantic, Johnny Depp-Amber Heard case sparking online vitriol.
As funerals continue for the massacre in Buffalo, New York, the news cycle has already moved on to South Texas, where a teenager shot up an elementary school classroom using an assault rifle legally purchased the day after his 18th birthday. Nineteen children and two teachers were killed. The inaction is playing out with emotional pleas at NBA basketball press conferences, on the floor of the US Senate and in the middle of a press conference by Texas governor Greg Abbott, with the Republican incumbent being interrupted by Democratic rival Beto O'Rourke.
Nearly three months after the invasion of Ukraine, Russia is finally sealing its first major victory as Ukrainian fighters surrender from Mariupol's last pocket of resistance. Long after the Azov seaport was overtaken, the Ukrainians had kept control of the Azovstal steel mill compound, pinning down an estimated twelve Russian battalions. Now that the fighting is over, Moscow's focus turns squarely to the eastern Donbas region.
Who has got the momentum in Ukraine? François Picard’s panel weighs in on Russia bolstering NATO unity. Also the outrage over the killing of Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, China doubles down on its zero Covid policy, and the politics surrounding the Eurovision song contest.
Final preparations are under way on Red Square for next Monday's Victory Day military parade. As Russia commemorates victory over the Nazis, will President Vladimir Putin capitalise on the patriotic pomp and ceremony to announce new developments in his Ukrainian offensive?
In The World This Week, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres tries to negotiate humanitarian corridors in Ukraine while on a visit to Kyiv. French President Emmanuel Macron's re-election honeymoon period proves short-lived, with the focus quickly turning to June legislative elections. And Tesla founder Elon Musk makes a $44 million offer for social media platform Twitter.
Mass graves dug by Russian forces have been discovered in the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. The city's mayor says there are at least 20,000 dead but the real figure is expected to be much higher. Over in Mali, an information war is underway, as France says Wagner mercenaries have faked a "French atrocity" in Gossi. Plus, Covid-19 comes full circle in China, where the impact of the country's strict zero Covid policy is now under scrutiny. Finally, did British PM Boris Johnson lie to parliament over "partygate"?
No matter which side you believe, the optics are bad. Russia announced that its flagship cruiser in the Black Sea, the Moskva, had sunk while being towed. This came after a fire on board, says the Kremlin; a Ukrainian-made Mercury-type missile, claims Kyiv. The Russian response was quick in coming: the overnight bombing of a factory southwest of the capital Kyiv that makes Neptune missiles and Moscow throwing up new unconfirmed claims that Ukraine is hitting targets across the border.
This week began with shock and outrage across the globe at the horrific images of what the invading Russian forces left behind them in the Ukrainian town of Bucha. Now, the week ends with more dreadful images: dozens of people, many of them women and children, have been killed in twin rocket attacks on a train station in Kramatorsk in eastern Ukraine.
This week, we start with some good news. Radiation levels are "quite normal" around Chernobyl. The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog confirms that Russian forces have pulled back from the site of Europe's worst-ever nuclear disaster. The IAEA is working with both sides to avoid Chernobyl again becoming a frontline in the war in Ukraine.
One month after the shock of Russia invading Ukraine, how is Vladimir Putin's war going? There have been territorial gains and near-total control of the skies by Russia, but no blitzkrieg grab of Kyiv and no fatal blow to Ukraine's defences. Instead, Ukraine is proving its resilience with successes like the claimed destruction of a Russian landing support ship in the Russian-occupied port of Berdiansk, which is strategically located to the west of the besieged city of Mariupol in the Sea of Azov.
Russia this week widened its military offensive in Ukraine. For the first time, Russian forces have begun striking targets in the west of the country. But in addition to bombarding new cities, Russia is continuing its bombardment of Mariupol in the south, as well as Sumy and Kharkiv to the northeast. Satellite images of the long-awaited Russian convoy suggest that it is attempting to encircle the capital, Kyiv.
A week in, the Russian invasion of Ukraine is not going to plan for Vladimir Putin, but there is nevertheless destruction and sadly much death. The biggest nuclear power station in Europe, Zaporizhzhia, is now controlled by Russian forces. It could provoke a nuclear disaster six times the size of Chernobyl. Elsewhere, there are reports that the capital Kyiv is being bombarded. Putin claims it isn't Russian troops that are doing so, but does anyone believe him? Our guests look back at a harrowing week of war.
We take a look at day two of Russia's attack against Ukraine, with claims of shelling and combat on several fronts. Ukrainian forces fought off Russian troops in the capital Kyiv on Friday, as President Vladimir Putin called on the Ukrainian army to remove the country's leadership.
Russia this week claimed it had started pulling back its military forces from the Ukrainian border, but when shelling hit a nursery school near the frontline in the southeastern Luhansk region on Thursday, it was all hands on deck. A second day of shelling followed, with both sides accusing the other of provocation, and with the leaders of the separatist regions of Luhansk and Donetsk ordering the evacuation of civilians.
The week began with Emmanuel Macron heading to Moscow for what he hoped will be the start of a long road to de-escalation over Ukraine. He had a closed-door conversation with Vladimir Putin, each sitting at one end of a very long table. Despite all the diplomacy, troop movements continue. On Thursday began what Moscow insists are long-planned joint military manoeuvres with Belarus. The Kremlin insists the forces will be withdrawing once they're finished.
The Winter Games are now underway in Beijing – in an anti-Covid bubble, for good reason. The opening ceremony has been impressive. Due to a diplomatic boycott, only Vladimir Putin is the main VIP visitor. This comes at a time when Russia's president is in the eye of another storm: the Ukraine conflict.
The Kremlin is unimpressed by the West's written responses to their demands over Ukraine. Meanwhile, Russian flags flew in Burkina Faso this week after a coup ousted yet another civilian government over failure to get a handle on jihadist insurgency. The UK PM's 2021 birthday involved up to 30 guests and a cake, which some might call that a party... but will the police? Finally, in the latest instalment of the Big Tech misinformation saga, Neil Young is off Spotify in a stand against podcaster Joe Rogan, accused of spreading falsehoods about Covid-19.
It feels almost like last-chance talks to stop an eventual war as the US and Russian foreign ministers met in Geneva. Over two months, Moscow has amassed troops at the Ukraine border and amid the flurry of diplomacy come a massive cyberattack against Ukraine's government and a thinning out of Russian staff at their embassy in Kiev. We put the questions of possible future scenarios to our quests.
As the fate of Novak Djokovic hangs in the balance, the ball is now in the court of an Australian appeals judge. This comes after the country's immigration minister revoked the 34-year-old Serb's visa on public interest grounds, three days before the start of the Australian Open. The defending champion is still practicing, but the wagons are circling around the seemingly unvaxed Djokovic after apparent falsehoods on his visa entry form.
We begin in Kazakhstan, where the country's president has given the green light to security forces to shoot to kill those taking part in the unrest that's been sweeping the Central Asian nation this week. Dozens of people have been killed in the violence which erupted after a sharp increase in fuel prices, reflecting wider discontent with authoritarian rule. In response to a call from President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Russian-led troops have already begun arriving in Kazakhstan.
He won as an outsider, but can French President Emmanuel Macron win a second term? François Picard’s panel weighs the odds ahead of April elections. Also, Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro cries foul ahead of a presidential poll scheduled for October, China's Communist Party prepares to remove de facto term limits for Xi Jinping, why hosting the FIFA World Cup could backfire for Qatar, and the panel’s pick of books and movies to prepare for the year ahead.
2021 began with the promise of vaccines to the rescue. But as one variant begets another, rich nations talk of boosters and jabs for kids while much of the developing world still waits for first doses.
After Boris Johnson's unconvincing denial of a staff Christmas party at Downing Street at the height of lockdown last year, the people’s verdict came in on Thursday’s by-election in the West Midlands. North Shropshire’s new member of parliament was back at it the next day in the company of the Lib Dems' former party leader. What’s bigger than scandal at number 10 for the right-wing press? The French cancelling Christmas. “Spiteful Macron bans UK tourists”, writes The Daily Mail.
By tradition, the first foreign visit by a new German chancellor is always to Paris. After the campaigning, the vote, the coalition building and the handover ceremonies, Olaf Scholz is at the French presidential palace. His host is about to get a lot busier. Emmanuel Macron is expected to hit the campaign trail for re-election next spring while France takes on the rotating presidency of the European Union.
With the delta variant whacking Europe and Omicron on the way, Germany's outgoing and incoming chancellors sat at the same podium to announce a lockdown for the unvaccinated. This time, there's consensus among regional leaders. Anti-vaxxers be damned: the new leader Olaf Scholz welcomes the prospect of parliament approving vaccine mandates for essential workers as a first step.
A record 27 people died in the English Channel Wednesday when their overcrowded inflatable dinghy capsized. However, with the stepped-up dismantling of makeshift camps around Calais and an ever-increasing security presence... migrants insist: it's Britain or bust.
Migrants by the hundreds marched to Belarus's border with Poland on Monday, a sudden escalation in what is seen as retribution by Minsk for stepped-up EU sanctions. The Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko has been tightening the screws since last year's post-electoral crackdown. NATO, Poland and the EU are all branding the facilitation of one-way trips from the Middle East "hybrid warfare".
The Hindu festival of light is a joyous occasion that features fireworks, but the morning after seems to have given Mother Nature a hangover with thick seasonal smog this Friday in New Delhi. The smog is a reminder that as an energy crisis grips the planet, India is revving up its coal-fired power plants. However, it's not just India. Beijing is also choking with smog. Its leader Xi Jinping is among the noticeable no-shows at the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has deplored an epidemic of coups d'état. His remark came after the latest military takeover in Sudan this week. There have been protests against the military coup and more civil disobedience is planned for this weekend.
EU leaders have been holding a two-day summit in Brussels at which a spat with Poland over its rejection of the EU's legal order was high on the agenda. This after the Constitutional Court in Warsaw ruled earlier this month that EU law applies only in specific, limited areas and that Polish law prevails in all other circumstances. Before the summit started, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel both held one-on-one talks with the Polish prime minister.
Thursday saw the worst gunfire endured by Beirut in more than a decade: four hours of sustained exchanges between rooftop snipers and pro-Hezbollah demonstrators below. The protesters were rallying against a magistrate's efforts to follow criminal negligence cases against officials responsible for last year's port explosion that shook Lebanon's capital to its core. If the Lebanese are spooked, that’s because it happened on what was a frontline during the civil war between Christian and Shia militias.
Punditry is a safe sport when played in the air-conditioned comfort of a Paris studio; less so for the two intrepid winners of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize: Russia's Dmitry Muratov, editor-in-chief of the Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, which has seen seven of its journalists killed because of their reporting; and Maria Ressa, co-founder of the news website Rappler, which, despite threats and two arrests, continues to call out human rights abuses under Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte.
The first of October means Britain is taking back control. As of this Friday, European travellers to post-Brexit Great Britain can no longer bring a simple ID card – they will have to show a passport. However, as petrol shortages continue, tempers are running short as lines get long. This Friday, around one quarter of British service stations ran dry, leading to scenes of shouting, fist fights and motorists hoarding fuel in water bottles.
This week at United Nations headquarters in New York, Joe Biden sat down with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. The meeting came at a time when France, Washington's oldest ally, had recalled ambassadors to both countries – an unprecedented reaction to the blindside of a dropped submarine contract with Canberra and a surprise military alliance that brings in the UK and shuts out Paris.
A "stab in the back", a "breach of trust". France's foreign minister is fuming after Australia's surprise dumping of a deal for 12 French diesel-power battle-ready submarines in favour of a new three-way defence partnership with the US and the UK, along with Washington providing the technology for eight nuclear-powered subs. The Pacific is becoming a more volatile place.
They were chased out two decades ago, but now they're back. On Tuesday at Kabul airport, the Taliban celebrated their return to power in Afghanistan, at times with seized US-built military hardware. This after the last US soldiers hopped aboard the last flight, one day earlier than announced. After 20 years, more than 2,300 US casualties US and $2 trillion spent, the US president took stock in a speech that capped the day.
Hundreds of people are still awaiting evacuation – and that's only inside the perimeter of Kabul airport. On the day after twin attacks targeting the US-led evacuation operation, flights out are resuming ahead of an August 31 deadline. The death toll from the blasts continues to rise. As well as dozens of Afghans, 13 US military personnel have been killed: the highest US casualty toll since an attack in Mosul, Iraq in 2004.
"It's Coming Home" is a pop song written for England's hosting of the Euros back in 1996. There is a petition up before parliament to make next Monday a bank holiday if England win the tournament. It must be tempting to get carried away, especially when there is political mileage to be gained. There is that minor technicality of having to beat Italy – a rejuvenated Italy with a savvy mix of youth and experience, like 36-year-old captain Giorgio Chiellini.