The World This Week

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UPDATED WEEKLY

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 7:10pm Paris time.

5D AGO

King Charles and the art of the seal, Moscow calling, Musk vs Altman & OpenAI

In this edition of The World This Week, Gavin Lee's panel discuss King Charles's state visit to the US, US President Donald Trump's phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin, and the court battle playing out between Elon Musk and Sam Altman. It's been a week where King Charles III has been earning his crust as head of state on a high-profile visit to the United States, with soft power on full display and some diplomatic heavy lifting needed to improve strained ties at the top of the shop. The king's carefully crafted speeches at the state dinner and in Congress brought up reminders of the shared history and wartime alliances. Half sermon, half stand-up: it's the art of the seal! We assess whether it landed, and if it made any difference to a relationship that's not been so special of late. Also this week, Trump spent an hour and a half on the phone with Russia's Putin. With a fragile ceasefire and effectively a double blockade in the Strait of Hormu occupying Tehran and Washington, the Kremlin initiated the call, they say, to the White House. A post call read-out from Putin's spokesperson said it contained an offer of assistance to help de-escalate in the Middle East; to help the US take 440 kilos of buried, enriched uranium from Iran and move it to Russia. Finally, it's been a week that's seen a battle between two tech billionaires commence in a Californian court. Elon Musk is suing Sam Altman, seeking his dismissal as CEO of Open AI and $130 billion in damages. Taking the stand, Musk set out how he co-founded OpenAI with Altman, injecting $38 million into early funding and calling himself a "fool" to believe its stated mission as a non-profit charity for the good of humanity. He claims OpenAI betrayed its principles in the hunt for profit to enrich the executives. OpenAI portrays Musk's lawsuit as being driven by regret and jealousy over OpenAI's success without him, and this is playing out during a wider battle between the few tech bros for control of advanced artificial intelligence. Produced by Gavin Lee, Rhea Smircic, Juliette Laffont, Marguerite Lacroix, Andrew Hilliar.

47 min
APR 24

Iran: Neither war nor peace, Ukraine's lifeline, 'Just a scratch' for Starmer?

In a week where a stalemate appears to have developed after nearly two months of asymmetric warfare between the US and Iran, President Donald Trump's Truth Social posts have swung between belligerent maximalism and breezy deal-making: one minute suggesting a within-reach deal, whereby Iranian forces would personally help their enemy confiscate what he calls the "nuclear dust" and move it to America. The next moment: threats of nationwide annihilation. "No more Mr. Nice Guy," he warned. Meanwhile, hopes for direct talks in Pakistan came and went, with a no-show on both sides. Iran's regime-aligned media released a new propaganda video entitled "Goodbye Oil", an ominous – but now familiar – Lego-style cartoon warning, threatening to devastate the Gulf states if Washington resumed its strikes. Trump resumed the ceasefire hours before it was due to expire, and it is no longer time-stamped. Meanwhile, in the Arabian Sea, a de facto double blockade continues – no longer just a war of words – with US forces firing on an Iranian-linked vessel before seizing control of it, while Iranian boats attacked three merchant ships and escorted them to the Iranian coast. It has also been a week in which Lebanon accused Israel of a war crime, a so-called triple-tap strike that led to the killing of a journalist and seriously wounded another. Amal Khalil, a reporter with the country's pro-Hezbollah newspaper Al Akhbar, and photojournalist Zeinab Faraj had fled their car in southern Lebanon after an Israeli drone struck a vehicle on the road in front of them. They took shelter in a nearby house, which was then reportedly bombed by an Israeli fighter jet. Lebanese officials allege that the IDF then blocked paramedics in the rescue effort by using stun grenades and directing gunfire at the ambulances rushing to help. Israel has denied obstructing the rescue and says it does not target journalists. This comes as Israeli and Lebanese officials met for a second round of ceasefire talks at the White House, which have led to a three-week extension of the truce. Finally, it has been a week the British prime minister can be relieved to have made it through. Sir Keir Starmer, the man who vowed to "steer calmer" waters in the UK after what he called the chaos, cronyism, scandal and sleaze of the Conservatives, is now mired in the same issues on his own doorstep. Questions have arisen over the lengths he went to in ensuring that Peter Mandelson was chosen as US ambassador, despite his questionable ties to the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Concerns remain over why checks and balances were so disregarded in the rush to place a wily operator in Trump's orbit. An exclusive in The Guardian last week revealed that Mandelson had not been cleared by the UK's security vetting process. Starmer blamed and sacked a Foreign Office civil servant, Sir Ollie Robins, for not informing him of this information. Only Sir Ollie said it was not his job to do so. Produced by Gavin Lee, Antonia Cimini, Daniel Whittington, Alessandro Xenos.

49 min
APR 17

Iran, Magyar, Mythos and the pope

In a week where Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz fully open for commercial trade – effectively ending its nearly seven-week de facto blockade of the critical shipping lane – President Donald Trump imposed a US blockade on Iranian ports to strangle its ability to trade. Trump vowed to continue enforcing what is effectively a US siege until a peace deal is finalised. Meanwhile, in Lebanon, a 10-day ceasefire was announced: no bombs would be dropped, and no shots fired. However, Israeli military sources stated that troops would not withdraw from the south of the country, where they are establishing a security zone against the threat of the Iranian-backed armed group Hezbollah. Trump told reporters that he believes both conflicts are nearing an end. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that if not, American weapons are "locked and loaded", ready to destroy Iran's energy infrastructure when its current deal expires in four days' time. It was also a week in which Trump challenged public perceptions, uploading an AI portrait of himself, only to quickly delete it. The image, drawing comparisons to optical illusions like the duck-rabbit or hotdogs-or-legs tests, depicted him in a Christ-like healer role. He claimed he was dressed as a doctor, following intense criticism from MAGA Catholics and other conservative Christians after he publicly criticised Pope Leo XIV, accusing him of being weak on crime and nuclear weapons. The pope has been outspoken in his criticism of Trump's wars and immigration policies. In Hungary, thousands celebrated late into the night on the banks of the Danube after a historic political victory against the odds. Peter Magyar, a government insider-turned anti-corruption campaigner, secured a landslide election win, ending Viktor Orbán's 16-year tenure as Europe's longest-serving leader. The European Parliament had described Orbán's rule as a "hybrid regime of electoral autocracy" that silenced critics. Magyar, invited by Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok to form a government, immediately outlined plans for sweeping change. He announced intentions to suspend the state-owned broadcaster, signalling a dramatic shift in the nation's media landscape. Produced by Gavin Lee, Théophile Vareille, Daniel Whittington, Alessandro Xenos.

47 min
APR 11

Ceasefire & peacetalks, Hungary 'false flags' & Final rallies

It’s been a week that began with US President Donald Trump threatening to wipe out an entire civilisation in Iran if the regime failed to respond to his ultimatum. Presidential decorum quickly went out of the window, with Trump speaking unfiltered – even swearing on Easter Sunday – as he warned Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. That message was reinforced in surreal scenes on the White House lawn, as he addressed families and children, flanked by the First Lady and the Easter Bunny. The week ended with a two-week ceasefire announcement, with both Tehran and Washington claiming the upper hand. Pakistan hosted the talks, with Islamabad under lockdown as senior US and Iranian officials arrived. Yet the Strait of Hormuz – through which a fifth of the world’s oil flows – has not fully reopened, according to energy analysts, despite US demands. Tehran has floated a toll fee of up to $2 million per ship, while US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has maintained a narrative of victory. Attention then shifted to Lebanon, where Israeli forces carried out their deadliest attack yet in the renewed conflict with Hezbollah, claiming exemption from the ceasefire. Dubbed “Operation Eternal Darkness,” the strikes saw 50 fighter jets drop 160 bombs on around 100 targets in just 10 minutes. Israeli officials described it as the heaviest blow to Hezbollah since the “Operation Grim Beeper” attacks two years ago. Lebanese health authorities, however, called it a brutal and indiscriminate assault, reporting at least 250 deaths, including civilians. As concerns grew that the escalation in Lebanon could derail US-Iran talks, pressure from President Trump appeared to prompt Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to announce separate truce talks with the Lebanese government in the coming days, focused on disarming Hezbollah. Meanwhile, Hungary entered the final week of a closely fought election campaign – the tightest in 16 years – with polls suggesting a potential end to Viktor Orbán’s rule. US Vice President JD Vance visited Budapest to endorse Orbán, claiming – without evidence – that Brussels and Ukraine’s intelligence services were interfering in the vote. Opposition leader Péter Magyar made similar allegations, but directed them at the US, Russia, and neighbouring Serbia. Tensions rose further after reports that Serbia had foiled an alleged bomb plot targeting a Russian gas pipeline to Hungary – an incident Orbán suggested could be linked to Ukraine. Critics dismissed the claims as fearmongering; Orbán denied any “false flag” tactics. Finally, it was a week for the history books in space. The Artemis II crew completed a landmark mission, travelling farther than any humans before them – just over a quarter of a million miles – before returning after ten days. The mission marks a crucial step toward future deep space exploration and the prospect of a permanent human presence beyond Earth. Produced by Gavin Lee, Théophile Vareille, Juliette Laffont, Alessandro Xenos.

46 min
APR 3

Iran: US fighter jet downed, The space race, Syrians leaving Germany?

It has been a week that began with President Trump addressing the nation for the first time since the Iran war began five weeks ago. Expectations that he might signal an end to the conflict – or announce a ground offensive, or a split from NATO – were not met. Instead, his 18-minute speech echoed his social media rhetoric: a mix of “we’re almost done” and threats of escalating attacks, including striking every Iranian power plant if a deal is not reached. On the Strait of Hormuz, he told allies simply to “just take it”. Meanwhile, Iran’s president reached out to Americans in an open letter, accusing Trump of acting under Israeli influence, while Foreign Minister Abbas Arachi said the country was prepared for six more months of war. Tensions spiked on Friday when reports emerged that a US F-15 had been shot down over Iranian territory, with state TV urging Iranians to capture the crew. Across the globe, countries felt the ripple effects of the energy crisis, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted: “This is not our conflict”, despite pressure from Washington. Amid the geopolitical turmoil, the world turned its eyes skywards as four astronauts – three Americans and one Canadian – embarked on humanity’s first lunar mission in five decades. Their ten-day, half-million-mile journey aims to fly past the far side of the Moon, scout future landing sites, and lay the groundwork for a lunar gateway station, edging humanity ahead in the space race towards Mars. Produced by Gavin Lee, Théophile Vareille, Guillaume Gougeon and Laura Burloux

48 min
MAR 27

Iran: Rolling ultimatums, Moscow 'at the EU table'?

In a week of movable ultimatums set by US President Donald Trump to "obliterate Iran’s power plants", a deadline was set initially of Monday at midnight, then extended by five days on account of "very productive conversations", then to 10 days with Trump claiming "talks are ongoing" and "going very well". Tehran claimed suggestions of negotiations were fake news, and US talk of de-escalation was a front designed to buy time for a ground invasion with an amphibious force of US marines heading from the Far East to the Persian Gulf. Washington presented a 15-point plan to end the conflict. Iran set out its own five conditions, reportedly relayed via Pakistan. But assassinations of the regime's top figures have continued, as has Iran's de facto chokehold on the Strait of Hormuz, with both sides using the media to mock the other. It's also been a week of intensified Israeli air strikes and ground operations in the south of Lebanon, with the IDF blowing up bridges along the Litani River which bisects the south of the country and meets the Mediterranean Sea. For what end? Israel says it's creating a "defensive buffer zone" against Iranian-backed Hezbollah fighters attacking northern Israeli towns. Lebanon's president says it's a violation of sovereignty which cuts civilians from dozens of towns and villages off from the rest of the country. Nationwide, one in five people are reported to have fled their homes, and the UN warns of the risk of a Gaza-style siege in the south. It's also been a week where millions of travellers at US airports felt the effects of a partial government shutdown. Tens of thousands of transport security staff haven't been paid for more than a month, and the effect is sporadic chaos, snaking lines at airport gates and the longest waiting times on record. There's been political deadlock since February, with Democrats blocking full funding for Homeland Security because of disputes over immigration and customs reforms that the Republicans want. Trump's solution is to send ICE agents to airports, raising questions for US border czar Tom Homan over how useful they will be. It's also been a week of elections in Europe. Denmark saw political drama fit for an episode of "Borgen" as Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen resigned for the second time in her career after her decision to call a snap election failed to pay off at the polls. Aiming for a so-called Greenland bounce after holding firm against US pressure in January, her centre-left party actually lost seats and her coalition lost its majority, in the Social Democrats' worst result since 1903. It's been an election week in Slovenia too, and a fragmented result from a contest framed as the liberals against the populists. The party of the current, pro-EU Prime Minister Robert Golob faced former leader Janez Janša, who denied accusations that he hired a private investigator to dig for dirt on his rival. Golob ended up winning by the narrowest of margins and coalition building now begins. Here in France, all the main parties seemed to claim partial victories after municipal elections, which was easy to do with 35,000 seats up for grabs. The French left took the three biggest cities, Lyon, Marseille and Paris, where the new mayor, Socialist Emmanuel Grégoire, took a victory lap around the capital on a rental bike with supporters. Meanwhile the French far right failed to win its targets in the south, but exponentially built on its voter base, and party leader Jordan Bardella still tops the latest polls for the presidential elections next year. Produced by Gavin Lee, Rebecca Gnignati, Daniel Whittington, Alessandro Xenos.

48 min
MAR 20

Iran: The 'Mosaic Doctrine', Zelensky vs Orban, Hungary-splaining

In a week where assassinations have continued within the top ranks of Iran's regime – the minister of intelligence, the commander of the Bases paramilitary and the powerful security chief Ali Larijani included – a weakened government seems to have had little bearing on Tehran's retaliation across Israel and nine Gulf states. Just one week ago, US President Donald Trump spoke of a war that was "very complete, pretty much". That statement now appears to have been premature and over-confident. There's no more talk of a Venezuela-style regime change that works for Washington. And Israel's actual cooperation with Washington has come under scrutiny, after Israeli air strikes on the world's largest natural gas field, at South Pars, which provides power for an estimated 70 to 80 percent of Iranians. Trump's immediate response was that he knew nothing about it. Insiders questioned the remark; critics claimed it spoke of the US getting sucked further into an Israeli agenda. Israel's prime minister said that was nonsense. It's also been a week that the human and economic cost of war in the Gulf was felt more deeply around the world, plus a reignited conflict in Lebanon with 1 million people now displaced. The relentless creeping up of the cost of oil is now affecting more than 85 countries in Europe, Asia, America and Africa, made worse after the Iranian attack on Qatar's Ras Laffan gas field, one of the most important global energy hubs that supplies up to 20 percent of the world's liquefied natural gas. Combined with Iran's effective blockade of the Strait of Hormuz – to which Trump called on world powers to act and join the US and send their warships to protect ships from drone attacks – the lack of any immediate response or readiness from NATO allies led to Trump once again questioning the point of the organisation. "A foolish mistake," he said, adding that the US doesn't need their help. Though his administration asked, not for the first time: where was the gratitude? Also this week, Denmark's public broadcaster DR published revelations that Danish troops rushed to Greenland back in January, carrying explosives preparing to blow up the airport's runways, such was the fear from European intelligence chiefs that Trump would order a military takeover of the island. Danish soldiers are also said to have carried blood banks to treat those wounded in the event of a battle. Denmark's government has declined to comment. Plus we look ahead to the Hungarian parliamentary elections, where Prime Minister Viktor Orban is facing what's considered his biggest challenge yet from rival Peter Magyar. Produced by Gavin Lee, Théophile Vareille, Juliette Laffont, Alessandro Xenos.

46 min
MAR 13

Iran: A 'nepo-ayatollah', the 'hubris trap' and the costs of a 'very complete war'

It’s been a week that's seen a new ayatollah proclaimed in Iran. Mojtaba Khamenei, son of the assassinated supreme leader Ali Khamenei, has not been seen in public and is believed to be in hiding after reportedly being injured in the same strike that killed his father. State television showed crowds chanting "Long Live Khamenei", while at night in Tehran some residents risked arrest to shout from their windows "Death to Mojtaba". A statement attributed to the new leader vowed continued attacks on US and Israeli interests, the closure of the Strait of Hormuz and what it called "never-ending revenge". In Washington, US President Donald Trump offered mixed signals, describing the mission as both "very complete, pretty much" and yet not "won enough", while confirming that strikes will continue and saying more than 6,000 targets have already been hit. Reports also suggest frustration inside the White House over Israel's decision to strike oil installations in Tehran, as debate grows over the human cost of the campaign after a missile hit a girls' school in Minab, killing more than 160 people, most of them children. Meanwhile, Iran's closure of the Strait of Hormuz has triggered the largest disruption to global fuel supplies in the history of the oil market. Tankers attempting to pass through the corridor have been targeted by explosive naval drones, leaving around 20,000 crew members stranded aboard ships in what has become a war zone, as missile and drone attacks continue across Gulf states including Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Qatar. Produced by Gavin Lee, Andrew Hilliar, Guillaume Gougeon, Laura Burloux and Danielle Brown

46 min

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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 7:10pm Paris time.