The World This Week

4.8 (37)
NEWS
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.

4D AGO

Iran war: A special edition

A major war erupted in the Middle East this week when the United States and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran, killing Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and at least forty senior Iranian officials – reportedly within the first five minutes of the bombing campaign on Saturday morning. Day seven. As more figures in the Iranian regime are hunted, hundreds of police and paramilitary bases continue to be bombed, along with Iran’s ballistic missile and drone launch sites, storage facilities and naval fleets. The legal justification put forward by President Donald Trump – that Iran posed an imminent threat to Tel Aviv and Washington – is widely disputed. Accounts from the Trump administration about the war’s aims have appeared contradictory. The president initially spoke of regime change, urging the Iranian people to rise up and seize what he called a once-in-a-generation moment. Yet his secretary of defence insisted it was anything but regime change. It has also been a week that has seen the conflict spread across the Gulf and beyond. Iran retaliated with missile and drone strikes across eleven countries where US bases or troops are stationed, or where governments are accused of aiding Washington. Governments around the world scrambled to evacuate tourists after hotels, as well as airports in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, were struck. Fuel depots, embassies and energy infrastructure were also targeted by Tehran in Jordan, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. A drone attack also targeted a British military base in Cyprus. Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps announced it had closed the Strait of Hormuz – the corridor through which around one fifth of the world’s oil passes. The week has also seen Israel resume its bombing campaign against Hezbollah in Lebanon, striking the capital Beirut and once again sending troops into the south. The move came in response to rockets and drones fired by the Shia Muslim militia group, which had threatened to avenge the killing of the Ayatollah. As the conflict appears to spread somewhere new almost every day, the United Kingdom, France and Germany have pledged what they describe as “defensive action to protect Gulf countries”. But there were few words of appreciation from President Trump, who expressed anger at Britain’s delay in allowing US troops and aircraft to use UK bases. Prime Minister Keir Starmer said lessons had been learned from the “mistakes of Iraq”, stipulating that the United States could use sites in England – and on the Indian Ocean island of Diego Garcia – only for defensive actions targeting missile sites, not the regime. The result: a major rift in what was once known as the “special relationship”. Produced by Gavin Lee, Théo Vareille, Daniel Whittington and Melissa Kalaydjian.

47 min
FEB 27

Ukraine, The Clintons, 'El Mencho' and Iran

It's been a week that began in silence in Kyiv's Independence Square, where European leaders laid flowers for Ukraine's war dead – even as the fighting grinds on in the east, across vast drone-dominated front lines in territory Russia now claims as its own. In Washington, US President Donald Trump delivered the longest State of the Union address on record, hailing what he called a "roaring economy" and the most secure border in American history, in a speech heavy on superlatives and light on new policy. Meanwhile, the long shadow of Jeffrey Epstein returned to haunt politics on both sides of the Atlantic. Hillary Clinton faced questions in a private hearing, as fresh scrutiny fell on her husband Bill Clinton. In Britain, following the arrest of Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor last week, it was the turn of former ambassador Peter Mandelson to be arrested in connection with the scandal. Both men deny wrongdoing. Produced by Gavin Lee, Antonia Cimini, Guillaume Gougeon and Laura Burloux

47 min
FEB 20

Epstein, Andrew's arrest and a royal crisis

It’s been a week that saw Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor arrested on his 66th birthday, facing charges of misconduct for sharing confidential material with Jeffrey Epstein – deepening the crisis for the monarchy. The US also mourned the loss of civil rights icon Jesse Jackson, who passed away at 84, remembered for his pivotal role in the movement and his influence on future leaders. In China, the Spring Festival Gala featured groundbreaking humanoid robots, while world leaders gathered in New Delhi for a major AI summit, grappling with governance and global competition. Plus Meta's Mark Zuckerberg testified in a landmark trial over social media’s role in keeping children addicted. Produced by Rhea Smircic, Alessandro Xenos, Guillaume Gougeon and Florence Viala

49 min
FEB 13

Munich Security Conference, Epstein files, Confessions of an Olympic love cheat

This Friday in The World This Week, we talk about the unravelling of the Epstein files, the end of the Old World Order and the Olympic helmet dilemma. Epstein files unravelling This week, the names of those listed in the Epstein files have continued to feel the consequences, at least on this side of the Channel. Resignations and investigations are underway now in France and Norway. The British prime minister has narrowly survived, for now. And while Keir Starmer was fighting for his political life, the US Attorney General Pam Bondi was in combative mode as she was pressed for five hours by the House Judiciary Committee on the alleged mishandling of the Epstein files release, for redacting the wrong names, and asked why the Department of Justice hadn't pursued more indictments. Out with the Old World Order It's been a week of existential talk over Europe's place in the world. President Emmanuel Macron spoke of the dangerous squeeze between the US and China, and the risk of being swept aside unless the EU unties its regulations, reforms its rules and builds economic sovereignty. To protect without protectionism, he suggested, raising the eyebrows of some fellow leaders who've long cherished an open market. Europe's detachment issues are a key theme at this week's global gathering at the Munich Security Conference, the so-called "Davos for the defence industry". The Olympic helmet dilemma The Ukraine war will be another focal point, as it was too at the Winter Olympics as the athlete Vladyslav Heraskevych was disqualified for breaching non-political rules for wearing a helmet honouring 24 Ukrainian athletes, victims of the war. It was not a comfortable decision for the Olympic Committee chief. Canada in shock It's been a week of shock and mourning in Canada after a mass school shooting in in British Colombia. At least 10 people died, including children as young as 12. Police say the suspect, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar, a biological male identifying as female, had previous mental health concerns, with police having been called out two years ago to seize firearms, though officers say they had "no idea of the motive for the killings". West Bank settlement expansion And it's been a week that's seen the occupied West Bank return to the headlines. The Israeli security cabinet approved a set of measures that make it easier for Jewish settlers to acquire land, shifting the power from the Palestinian Authority to Israeli authorities when it comes to laws around planning, construction, property law and enforcement. Critics, including many Arab states, argue that it is de facto annexation on the quiet, while world attention is on extraordinary events elsewhere. While President Donald Trump has previously stated his opposition to any Israeli annexation, little was said as he met Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Wednesday, where the focus was on how to deal with Iran – by diplomacy or by military force. Produced by Gavin Lee, Andrew Hilliar, Juliette Laffont, Alessandro Xenos.

42 min
FEB 6

Epstein files special: Revelations, redactions & ramifications

In a week where global headlines have been dominated daily by the fallout from what the Trump administration calls the "final release" of Epstein files, we bring you a special edition of The World This Week focusing on the consequences for those associated with the late sex offender. An unprecedented 3 million pages of files, containing hundreds of thousands of videos and images, were finally disclosed a month after the government deadline – the late publication ostensibly due to redactions required for victim protection. Survivors' groups who have been fighting for transparency and justice for years say the redactions are in all the wrong places. One of those survivors is Annie Farmer, who was sexually abused by Epstein and gave key testimony in the conviction of Ghislaine Maxwell. It has been a week of remarkably similar statements issued by a list of the rich, the famous and the powerful, many of whom appear to have been less than transparent about the extent of their dealings with the child sex offender. Tech billionaire Bill Gates, the Crown Princess of Norway, Mette-Marit, and author and viral anti-ageing influencer Peter Attia spoke of regret, remorse and naivety in their associations. There are also questions of judgement – though no accusations of illegality – surrounding Richard Branson, Elon Musk, Noam Chomsky, Howard Lutnick and Donald Trump, who is attempting to draw the issue to a close. The unearthing of the files has had serious ramifications in the UK this week, with headlines referring to the "Princes of Darkness". The phrase points to long-time Labour peer Peter Mandelson, the former British ambassador to the US, and Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, the ex-prince who is facing fresh allegations of sexual offences now being assessed by police. He denies any wrongdoing but is increasingly isolated, having been seen moving out of Royal Lodge shortly before midnight on Monday. Mandelson has been stripped of his knighthood, forced to leave the Labour Party, and now faces a criminal investigation into the alleged sending of confidential government information to Epstein. It is claimed he exchanged information for money and influence, which he denies. The fallout is also reaching the man who appointed him ambassador, Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who is now at risk of losing his job over the affair. Elsewhere, the threat of US intervention in Iran appears to have diminished slightly, with direct talks taking place between US and Iranian officials in Oman. Meanwhile, it has been another week of peace talks on Ukraine. In ever-shifting locations, this week's hosts were the United Arab Emirates, with talks brokered by the US and attended by Russian and Ukrainian delegations. Little progress was reported, with Russia's unrelenting demands for additional territory remaining the main sticking point, though another prisoner exchange was agreed and completed. As the fourth anniversary of the war approaches, President Volodymyr Zelensky acknowledged the human cost, telling French television that 55,000 Ukrainian soldiers have died. The French president told reporters that preparations were under way to restore direct communication between Europe and the Kremlin. Produced by Gavin Lee, Andrew Hilliar, Daniel Whittington, Alessandro Xenos.

48 min
JAN 30

'Minneapolis Now', Iran & the 'Armada', A Gaza milestone

This Friday in The World This Week, we talk about the implications of a fatal week in Minneapolis, Iran & the "Armada" ultimatum and what Trump's goal is for Gaza. The implications of a fatal week in Minneapolis This week, video evidence and citizen journalism have shown their fundamental importance in holding governments to account. In this case, eyewitness footage stood up against the rapid-response accounts of the Trump administration in the hours following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, as government officials tried to define the story, framing Pretti as a domestic terrorist and would-be assassin – narratives which had little bearing on what we could see and hear. Two Border Force agents have since been placed on leave, and the issue is causing splits in the Republican Party and within the MAGA movement. It also brought a rare concession from President Donald Trump, who's more famous for the "attack as a form of defence" route. ICE operations now look set to be reduced in Minneapolis. Iran and the 'Armada' ultimatum It's been a week of final warnings for the Iranian regime. Time is running out, was the explicit threat spelled out on Trump's Truth Social, with a "massive Armada" of US military might making its way into the Arabian Sea. The USS Abraham Lincoln, a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, has now sailed into the strategic waters, leaving a binary choice: face the wrath of the US military for a second time in less than a year, or agree a new deal on the nuclear programme. This comes two weeks after an uprising was savagely suppressed, with the death toll of protesters now estimated to be in the tens of thousands. Iran's regime has hit back, saying they're waiting with "fingers on the trigger". What's Trump's goal for Gaza? It's also been the week that Israel held a final funeral for the last hostage in Gaza, Master Sergeant Ran Gvili, whose remains were identified by IDF troops in a search of a cemetery in Gaza City, and confirmed as his on Monday. It brought to a close a two year and four month-long search for the police officer known as the Shield, who was killed as he defended a Kibbutz during the Hamas massacre of October 7, 2023. With neither war nor peace for the population in Gaza dealing with a bleak winter, we look at the next step of the Truce Plan: disarming Hamas. Produced by Gavin Lee, Théophile Vareille, Juliette Laffont, Alessandro Xenos.

47 min
JAN 23

Taking the peace, Making Europe Grateful Again, No friends but the mountains?

It's been a week of power plays and redrawn lines. In Davos, US President Donald Trump declared victory in the escalating row over Greenland, announcing a framework deal he says delivers "everything we wanted, total security". The White House hails it as classic Art of the Deal brinkmanship — critics warn it’s come at the cost of the old world order, a charge echoed by Canada's Prime Minister Mark Carney. It's also been the week the Board of Peace became a formal international body. Born with UN backing to help end the Gaza war, it's now been recast with a global mission to "resolve conflicts and secure peace" — under a structure that grants Trump lifelong chairmanship, billion-dollar membership fees and an open invitation to Vladimir Putin, prompting Europe to keep its distance. And in Syria, the map has shifted once again. A ceasefire between the interim government and Kurdish forces follows fierce fighting, heavy territorial losses for the Kurds and the escape of Islamic State group detainees, reviving a familiar Kurdish refrain: no friends but the mountains. Produced by Gavin Lee, Théophile Vareille, Guillaume Gougeon and Laura Burloux

49 min
JAN 16

Iran: An uprising and a massacre, The Greenland narrative, Preventing WWIII

It's been a week marked by brutality, brinkmanship and political theatre. In Iran, a third week of protests spiralled into a nationwide uprising as the regime shut down the internet and phone lines. Graphic accounts of a violent crackdown emerged via Elon Musk’s Starlink satellites, with human rights groups reporting thousands killed by Iran's Revolutionary Guards in what they describe as an unprecedented massacre – even as US President Donald Trump urged protesters on, before appearing to shift his tone. Meanwhile, urgent diplomacy unfolded in the Arctic, as Denmark and Greenland pushed back against renewed US pressure to annex Greenland. Trump insists America "needs" the island for strategic defence, prompting European allies to boost NATO’s presence – and leaving Greenland’s leadership confronting an unsettling new reality. And across Europe, politics turned volatile. France's minority government survived two no-confidence votes sparked by anger over the EU’s Mercosur trade deal, as farmers clogged the country with tractor protests. In the UK, a dramatic defection saw a senior Conservative sacked and swiftly unveiled by Nigel Farage's Reform party, while Prime Minister Keir Starmer added fresh bite to his rhetoric. Produced by Gavin Lee, Rebecca Gnignati, Guillaume Gougeon and Laura Burloux

47 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.