A week that’s seen unprecedented US intervention in Iran, in a pre-dawn operation code-named “Midnight Hammer”. So-called “silent assassins”, the B2 Spirit Bombers flew 18 hours from Missouri into Iranian airspace, to fire 14 of the world’s most powerful bombs at the main enrichment site at Fordow and on Natanz. The overall attack involved 125 fighter jets, several strategic feints, and submarine fire too. Not a shot was fired in response. Complete and utter obliteration claimed President Trump....
Jun 27, 2025•48 min
In a week of escalating conflict between Israel and Iran that's been decades in the making, assassinations, air strikes and missile attacks have pushed the region to the brink. Iran is striking back, with seven days of air raid sirens across Israel and a hospital hit in Beersheba. As the crisis deepens, US President Donald Trump faces a pivotal choice: whether to join the fight and unleash the only weapons capable of destroying Iran’s underground nuclear site at Fordow. A decision is promised wi...
Jun 20, 2025•49 min
It’s been a week of escalating global tensions. Israel launched a series of targeted strikes on Iran – codenamed Operation Rising Lion – aimed at crippling Tehran's nuclear capabilities. Iran has vowed a swift response. In the United States, protests erupted in Los Angeles over immigration enforcement, as federal officers intensified roundups of undocumented migrants – part of President Donald Trump’s broader plan for mass deportations. Meanwhile in Ukraine, Kyiv, Kharkiv, and Odesa came under h...
Jun 13, 2025•47 min
This week, Ukraine launched Operation Spider's Web. Some 18 months in the planning and personally overseen by President Volodymyr Zelensky, simultaneous drone attacks were launched across Russian airfields, destroying its fighter jets and strategic bombers. The Ukrainian intelligence service claimed 40 planes had been left burning on the tarmac. Russia described it as terrorism and President Vladimir Putin vowed revenge. It's also been a week that’s seen two new presidents elected. A hard-right ...
Jun 06, 2025•48 min
This week saw Israel attempt a new plan to distribute food in Gaza, bypassing the UN and using American private contractors known as the Gaza Humanitarian Fund. But it was suspended on day one after looting, chaos and security measures were overwhelmed by desperate crowds. Meanwhile, the once-steadfast support of Israel's key allies has seen a diplomatic erosion, with private outrage turning to public condemnation. It's also been the week that Elon Musk said goodbye to the Trump administration a...
May 30, 2025•53 min
For the first time, leaders of France, the UK, and Canada have issued an explicit threat of sanctions if Israeli forces don’t halt their renewed offensive to seize full control of Gaza. The warning came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that “minimal” humanitarian aid would resume – a move the UN has dismissed as a drop in the ocean.
May 23, 2025•45 min
President Donald Trump made the first overseas tour of his second term this week to the Middle East, where Riyadh royalty rolled out a lavender carpet ahead of a 600-billion-dollar pledge of Saudi investment for US contracts. Qatar next, where The Beast was surrounded by a caravan of camels, while the man inside watched a ceremonial sword-dance spectacle. Then onwards to the UAE to the sound of drums and the swishing of hair, more big money deals announced too. A trip that made headlines for a s...
May 16, 2025•46 min
In a week that marked US President Donald Trump's first 100 days in office, national security adviser Mike Waltz wasn't celebrating, as he was moved being aside. The first cabinet casualty of the president's second term, Waltz's departure appears to be a direct result of Signalgate, when he accidentally added a journalist to a group chat planning attacks on Yemen's Houthi rebels. We assess the first 100 days and Trump 's so-called "muzzle velocity strategy" of flooding the media space with conti...
May 02, 2025•46 min
The world said goodbye to Pope Francis this week. Tens of thousands of mourners queued to pay their respects as he lay in state in Saint Peter's Basilica over three days of mourning. We discuss his life and legacy, the geopolitics of his papal funeral and look ahead to the conclave that will follow. Also this week, Russian forces launched the heaviest assault on Ukraine 's capital since last summer. Seventy missiles and 145 drones hit a civilian district in Kyiv, in a week that began with a sudd...
Apr 25, 2025•46 min
A week on from Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff's meeting with Vladimir Putin, Witkoff has been in Paris for transatlantic talks. We assess the state of play for Ukraine. We also look at the significance of US-Iran nuclear talks – the first major level of engagement in years. We then discuss the significance of the UK Supreme Court’s landmark ruling: the terms "woman" and "sex" refer to biological sex. Finally, we look at reactions to the first female space flight in six decades.
Apr 18, 2025•46 min
In a week where US President Donald Trump played fast and loose with world markets, his global tariff threats became a reality, with brutal and immediate economic fallout. Dozens of countries reached out to negotiate – or, as Trump described it – begged and pleaded to have the import taxes on supposed friends and foes removed. We also saw supposed friends within the Trump administration become public foes, as Elon Musk called trade adviser Pete Navarro "dumber than a sack of bricks". Musk did sw...
Apr 11, 2025•45 min
The past week will be, according to US President Donald Trump, "remembered forever" for what happened on Wednesday, April 2. "Liberation Day", as he called it, saw the US leader announce sweeping tariffs on friend and foe alike. There's no denying the magnitude of a move that is causing international panic and a slump in the global stock markets. Any company making products outside of the US will now have to pay increased costs to export them – although notably, that doesn't include Russia . Wes...
Apr 04, 2025•47 min
This week has seen the biggest unrest in Turkey in a decade. Mass street protests have taken place there in the face of a heavy government crackdown, where large gatherings have been banned, social media has been limited, and almost 2,000 people have been arrested. It's also been a week that's exposed a huge lapse in the internal comms of the Trump administration, where the world became privy to the casual banter during the coordination of a bombing raid in Yemen . The scandal has become known a...
Mar 28, 2025•45 min
This week, a high-stakes call between the Russian and US leaders shaped the Ukraine conflict, with Russia claiming a diplomatic victory while key issues remained unresolved. Meanwhile in Gaza, Israeli air strikes reignited violence, killing over 600 Palestinians, including children, and deepening PM Binyamin Netanyahu’s political crisis. Plus, the Trump administration deported hundreds of alleged gang members to El Salvador, setting up a showdown with the US judiciary. Produced by Gavin Lee, Lui...
Mar 21, 2025•47 min
This week, our set of experts gathered around Gavin Lee to take a look at the latest in the Ukraine-Russia ceasefire proposal, clashes and mass killings in Syria and Donald Trump's tariff war against the EU and its neighbouring countries. It has been a week of suspicion and distrust with the sudden prospect of a ceasefire in Ukraine. Proposed after Ukrainian negotiators were forced to the table for talks with the US in Saudi Arabia, and coming days after discovering their most important ally had...
Mar 14, 2025•46 min
This week, the US tightened the screws on Ukraine, pausing military aid until Kyiv shows more willingness to negotiate – starting with handing over half its rare earth resources to America. Moscow welcomed the shift, calling it “aligned with the Kremlin’s vision,” while Ukraine scrambled to smooth things over with a letter to Trump. Trump also kicked off the biggest protectionist move since 1930, slapping heavy tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China. Markets tanked, and The Wall Street Journal cal...
Mar 07, 2025•46 min
There have been unprecedented scenes in the White House this Friday: a fierce row unfolding in front of cameras at the Oval Office between Presidents Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky. The Ukrainian leader was described as "disrespectful" by both Trump and US Vice President JD Vance, who also accused him of playing to the media. Four international correspondents discuss the unprecedented fallout with FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee and talk through the "excruciating" scenes at the Oval office. Plus our ...
Feb 28, 2025•44 min
Three years after ending all official communications with Moscow, the US government is suddenly back in Russia’s orbit. The two nuclear powers sat down in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday to find a path to ending the Ukraine war and more besides. The talks were no longer about how to deal with the aggressor in the conflict, but how to normalise relations and make Russia a potential partner for future energy deals. So what of Ukraine? Left out of talks, Ukraine 's president is picking up scraps of detail ...
Feb 21, 2025•46 min
This week, Moscow got what it wanted. A Trump-Putin call ended with talk of visits and no NATO future for Ukraine. As Vladimir Putin steps back in, Volodymyr Zelensky risks being shut out and the EU warns of a behind-the-scenes deal. In Gaza, the truce nearly collapsed as Hamas delayed hostage releases, citing Israeli violations. Donald Trump launched an ultimatum: free them all or "let all hell break loose". Hamas dismissed the threat, but stuck to the plan. Freed hostages spoke of starvation a...
Feb 14, 2025•46 min
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.
Feb 07, 2025•44 min
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 c...
Jan 31, 2025•47 min
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...
Jan 24, 2025•47 min
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....
Jan 17, 2025•47 min
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...
Jan 10, 2025•45 min
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 ident...
Dec 20, 2024•45 min
