Ukraine's 'Spider's Web', Gaza, The Trump-Musk feud, Elon's new city - podcast episode cover

Ukraine's 'Spider's Web', Gaza, The Trump-Musk feud, Elon's new city

Jun 06, 202548 min
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Episode description

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 nationalist in Poland won by a whisker in the runoff vote. It was the opposition-backed candidate, Karol Navrovski, a historian and amateur boxer, who prevailed, dealing a blow to the centrist Prime Minister Donald Tusk and his chances of reforming the country. Meanwhile in South Korea, Lee Jae-myung won a snap election following the downfall of his disgraced predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol after his disastrous attempt to declare martial law last December. The new leader, who on the night that troops tried to take over the National Assembly had rallied people to come out on the streets, now pitches himself as the unifier of a divided country.

It's been a back to the future week for President Donald Trump, who is once again banning citizens of several countries from entering the US. Those nations include Iran, Libya, Somalia and Yemen, with echoes of 2017, both on the grounds of protecting against terrorism. This time Trump referred to Sunday's attack on an Israeli peace March in Colorado, which was carried out by an Egyptian suspect. Notably, Egypt wasn't on the list. 

And it’s been a week when relations between Trump and Elon Musk fell apart quicker than a Space X Falcon 9 launch. We also take a closer look at Starbase, Musk's controversial new city in Texas.

Produced by Andrew Hilliar, Aurore Laborie and Gavin Lee. 

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Ukraine's 'Spider's Web', Gaza, The Trump-Musk feud, Elon's new city | The World This Week podcast - Listen or read transcript on Metacast