The World This Week

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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.

17 juil.

Dismissal of top Ukrainian official sparks unrest while UK Labour gets a new PM

In this edition, we look at rare wartime demonstrations in Ukraine protesting the ousting of Defence Minister Mykhailo Fedorov. After six months on the job, he has been credited with making a difference both on the battlefield and in an anti-corruption drive. However, he had reportedly clashed with Ukraine’s commander-in-chief, Oleksandr Syrskyi, over how the war should be waged. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he had to choose a side for the sake of unity during a wider government reshuffle. The timing is difficult for Kyiv’s war effort, taking place in the middle of its "40-day influence operation" of relentless strikes on Russian refineries and hitting ships in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea. It has also been another week fighting for supremacy in the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the US. A month has passed since the Memorandum of Understanding was signed, with US President Trump proclaiming, "Ships of the world, start your engines, let the oil flow!" He has since said the deal is over while, paradoxically, saying he’ll let the negotiating teams continue talking. Petrol prices worldwide have spiked again, and we are hearing familiar rhetoric from the belligerents, with Trump again threatening to knock out Iran’s power plants and bridges, and Tehran claiming it will "crush every US interest that’s still intact in the Middle East". Turning to the UK, both British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the England team have bowed out, with each receiving similar exit feedback. They weren’t creative, bold or positive enough. Andy Burnham will step in to take Starmer’s job officially next week. We discuss whether he will fare better than his predecessor. Produced by Gavin Lee, Alessandro Xenos, Théo Vareille, Daniel Whittington and Laura Burloux
10 juil.

Iran: Forewarnings and a Funeral, NATO, Le Pen

It’s been a week of shifting alliances, escalating tensions and political drama. NATO leaders gathered in Turkey for a pivotal summit, where President Trump arrived questioning the alliance’s unity before leaving in a markedly warmer mood, as attention also turned to his relationship with President Zelensky and the future of Western support for Ukraine. In the Middle East, Iran held days of public mourning for its late Supreme Leader, while fresh exchanges with the United States cast further doubt on hopes for a lasting ceasefire. In France, Marine Le Pen’s political fortunes were transformed by a landmark appeal court ruling that revived her presidential ambitions. And on the football pitch, Les Bleus moved a step closer to a third World Cup title as Kylian Mbappé hit back at racist abuse from a Paraguayan senator. Produced by Gavin Lee, Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati, Guillaume Gougeon and Laura Burloux
3 juil.

Is Putin suffering from ‘Drowning Man Syndrome’?

From intensifying drone warfare between Ukraine and Russia to mounting fears of a humanitarian catastrophe in Sudan, anti-immigration protests in South Africa and a landmark ruling by the US Supreme Court, this week has been shaped by conflicts over power, identity and international law. In Russia, long queues formed at petrol stations after Ukrainian drone strikes targeted oil refineries and fuel infrastructure. Russian President Vladimir Putin acknowledged the attacks were "creating problems", saying strategic reserves were being used and that restrictions on diesel exports were under consideration, though he insisted that the situation was "not critical". The disruption follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's launch of a 40-day campaign of deep strikes against Russian energy facilities aimed at increasing pressure on the Kremlin. At the same time, Russia unleashed one of its largest aerial assaults on Kyiv since the start of the war, firing 74 missiles and some 500 drones during an 11-hour bombardment that killed at least 30 people and struck residential buildings. Our panel examines the military balance, the diplomatic calculations on both sides and whether Russia risks entering what some analysts describe as a "drowning man syndrome" – escalating further as its strategic options narrow. We also turn our attention to Sudan, where the humanitarian situation in El-Obeid is rapidly deteriorating. Around half a million civilians are effectively trapped as paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces tighten their encirclement of the city. Military analysts warn that a major ground offensive could be imminent, while the United Nations says dwindling food supplies and damage to essential infrastructure are placing civilians at grave risk. Amnesty International has warned that the siege mirrors the tactics used during the capture of El-Fasher and is calling for the urgent deployment of an international protection force to prevent what it describes as another potential "stain on the conscience of humanity".
26 juin

Iran's 'Guardian Angel' route, Britain awaits Burnham

Political change in Britain has dominated the headlines this week with Keir Starmer’s resignation paving the way for Andy Burnham to become prime minister, while the country also marks 10 years since the Brexit vote. Also, fresh peace talks between the US and Iran have begun amid continuing tensions and sharply different accounts of progress from both sides. In Venezuela, the country’s strongest earthquakes in more than a century have left hundreds dead, with rescue efforts continuing and fears that the death toll will rise. Across Europe, record-breaking heat has pushed temperatures to new highs and sparked a political row in France over the role of air conditioning in a warming climate. Produced by Gavin Lee, Nicholas Rushworth, Andrew Hilliar, Guillaume Gougeon and Laura Burloux
19 juin

G7 & co: Who rules the new world?

This week, an interim peace agreement was signed between the US and Iran, bringing a temporary end to the conflict and the beginning of a 60-day window to negotiate the many unresolved issues between the two sides. US President Donald Trump signed the Memorandum of Understanding over a dinner at the Palace of Versailles, and before he'd had time to digest his dessert of hot chocolate pie and French vanilla ice cream, there were already grumblings within the Republican Party that a military win had been turned into a strategic defeat. Iran's supreme leader claimed Trump had made a deal out of desperation, but it was bravo and cheers at the Château. It's also been a week's that's seen the leaders of the G7 nations meet lakeside in Geneva. The summit was in Evian, five decades on from the inaugural meeting in France that focused on how to deal with the global economic turbulence in the aftermath of the oil crisis of 1973. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US were back, alongside Canada. This year, some other handpicked leaders were invited: the prime ministers of India and Kenya, the presidents of Brazil, Turkey, Egypt and the UAE, the emir of Qatar, and also new faces at the table: the bosses of big tech. Canada's Mark Carney said the old ritual gathering is useful for weaving the strands of a new world order through broader engagement, but the G7 no longer pretends to run the world. Finally, it's been a week that's seen President Volodymyr Zelensky secure renewed Western commitment at the G7, with European leaders talking of an apparent renewed focus and tone from Trump. This time last year, he compared the war to two boys fighting in a park. "Sometimes you're better off leaving them to it," he said. This week, he put his name to a joint statement declaring "unwavering support" for Ukraine and backed calls for increased pressure on Russia. And while the US president stopped short of criticising Putin, he said Moscow should make a deal.
12 juin

Iran war, Belfast and Albania's 'Flamingo Revolution'

This week began with US President Donald Trump pronouncing that a ceasefire extension was so close with Iran, two or three days max, that it would only take an hour to finalise. Hours later, Tehran downed a US Apache helicopter off the Gulf of Oman, with the crew rescued from the sea. The attack was reportedly an attempt to deter the US's evolving efforts to increase air patrols that target Iranian drones in order to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Two nights of US military strikes across Iran followed, with counter attacks from the Iranian regime in strikes on US bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan. By Thursday, Trump warned of hard attacks to come by nightfall, declaring a plan to capture Iran's Kharg Island in the not-too-distant future, but the threat to strike was called off. Trump claimed the Iranian leadership had blinked and approved the final points of a ceasefire extension. Iran's regime has said no final decision has been made. It's also been a second week of mass demonstrations in Albania. What started as an environmental movement against plans by Trump's family to build a luxury resort has snowballed into a wider political movement expanding by the day and even calling for the Albanian prime minister to resign. Demonstrators are calling it the "Flamingo Revolution", after the species native to the protected coastline where Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump are leading a consortium to create a multi-billion-dollar hotel project, also eyeing up the idyllic state-owned island of Sazan. Protests have increased since construction work started and Ivanka gave a podcast interview on how she was wanted to develop it since being captivated by the island after hiking up the island barefoot. Demonstrators say there is no transparency. US senator Bernie Sanders waded in stateside, calling it "Albanians versus the Global Oligarchy". The Albanian prime minister claims online bots by a hostile state are magnifying the anger and that an environmental assessment is still underway, while the European Commission reminded Albania not to take action that could undermine its EU aspirations. Finally, it's been a week that's seen riots in Belfast triggered by a brutal late-night street stabbing. The suspect is a Sudanese migrant granted leave to remain in the UK for five years. Video of the attack went viral within hours, showing a sustained assault on a man in his 40s and bystanders rushing in, one using a wooden hurling stick to drive the attacker back. Two nights of unrest followed and what began as calls to protest the attack quickly turned into anti-immigration riots, amplified online. Addresses linked to migrant and asylum seeker housing were shared on social media. Bricks were thrown through windows, cars set alight, walls graffitied with the words "local houses for local people." It's led to renewed debate over immigration enforcement, and how to counter potential dog-whistle politics or underlying racism while dealing with genuine concerns. Produced by Gavin Lee, Andrew Hilliar, Alessandro Xenos and Daniel Whittington.
5 juin

Ukraine: Dear Putin, Lebanon: A Crude Call, Colombia's 'Tiger'

This week, a renewed ceasefire was proclaimed between Israel and Lebanon; a deal that hinges on the complete cessation of attacks from the Iranian-backed militants Hezbollah and withdrawal from the south of the country. But 24 hours later, Hezbollah rejected the agreement that is closely tied to the wider temperamental talks between Iran and the US, with the Iranian regime threatening to abandon negotiations with Washington over the events in Lebanon and growing occupation by Israeli forces, including the capture of a medieval crusader castle on Sunday. We also heard this week that US President Donald Trump picked up the phone to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and swore at him, telling him to pull back, stop derailing the talks and reportedly adding: "Everybody hates you now". It's also been a week that's seen Ukraine make an unwelcome appearance at the opening of Russia's World Economic Forum in St Petersburg, with drones setting the port's oil terminal and a nearby warship on fire as it underwent maintenance, just hours before President Vladimir Putin played host to representatives of 130 countries with 20 delegates that included a US representative for the first time in years. Meanwhile, the ferocity of Moscow's aerial campaign against Ukraine has not let up. Yet the Institute for the Study of War says recent Ukrainian counterattacks “are generating tactical, operational and strategic effects that could disrupting Russia's summer offensive”. Speaking in Kyiv this week, the NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte claimed the casualties for Moscow were historic. And just one week away from the World Cup, teams have been arriving in the US, Mexico and Canada. The Brazilian plane was said to have been sprayed with holy water as it touched down in New Jersey. The South African squad were met by a Mexican Mariachi band in Pachuca, while Cape Verde's team had a sing and a dance on the plane as they arrived in Boston. Produced by Gavin Lee, Maya Yataghene, Alessandro Xenos and Daniel Whittington
29 mai

Iran: Is Trump 'bored'?, Bolivia at 'breaking point', A Spanish scandal

It's been a week where, 90 days into the conflict and ceasefire stand-off with Iran, both Tehran and Washington are insisting time is on their side – each claiming the other needs a deal more urgently. Pressure is growing on the Trump administration with soaring energy prices and midterm elections approaching, while Iran is reportedly losing huge oil revenues with tankers backed up in port. Reports suggested a temporary agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was close, before the US struck Iran's southern coast, calling it self-defence against mine-laying boats and drone launch sites. Tehran threatened retaliation, US bases in Kuwait were targeted within hours, and talks over a wider deal continue. Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli operations in Lebanon will intensify despite the supposed truce, with more than 120 air strikes launched in a single day and Beirut hit again for the first time in weeks. The UN has described the scale of destruction as horrific. We also discuss the crisis in Bolivia, where protesters are calling for the resignation of President Rodrigo Paz. Meanwhile in Scotland, Peter Murrell, the former chief executive of the SNP and ex-husband of Nicola Sturgeon, has pled guilty to embezzling party funds, having spent them on what police described as a lavish lifestyle he couldn't afford. We also discuss the situation in Spain, where the ruling Socialist Party faces several court cases ⁠involving allegations of graft, influence peddling and other crimes that have implicated members of Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's inner circle. Produced by Gavin Lee, Théophille Vareille, Emmanuel Miculita, Guillaume Gougeon, Alessandro Xenos and Laura Burloux

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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.