The World This Week

00:46:17

Barricades & the blame game: the French school protests

The World This Week ·

2026/10/03

In a week that’s seen the heroism of the captain, crew and passengers on board FlyDubai flight 1073 heralded, eye witnesses report seeing the co-pilot trying to kill the pilot and destroying the cockpit controls in order to crash the plane. Despite being stabbed repeatedly, Captan Smit Machchhar managed to open the cockpit door, allowing passengers to overwhelm the suspect and regain control of the aircraft after its rapid descent of more than 14,000 feet in 30 seconds. They prevented a 9/11-style

en

00:45:18

Pope in Paris, Xi in DC, AI at a Crossroads

The World This Week ·

2026/09/25

It’s been a week of walkouts, power plays and diplomatic theatre — from a battle over press freedom in Washington, to a United Nations General Assembly marked by protests and departures, as leaders clashed over Iran, Cuba and Venezuela. There was also a rare red-carpet meeting between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping, as the US and China extended their trade truce and turned their attention to the race for dominance in artificial intelligence. And from the geopolitical to the spiritual, Pope Leo brought

en

00:47:52

AI: Silicon Species or Trojan Horse? Riyadh Calling,...

The World This Week ·

2026/09/18

This week, Saudi Arabia has turned to its allies for military support as Iran-backed Houthi rebels tighten their grip on Yemen’s Red Sea coast and the Bab el Mandeb shipping choke point, while drone attacks on the Kingdom’s oil infrastructure deepen an emerging energy crisis. In Russia, voters head to the polls for a tightly controlled parliamentary election with little meaningful opposition, as Putin insists there will be no new mobilisation. Meanwhile, warnings about the risks of AI are coming

en

00:45:19

Can we slowdown AI, and 9/11, who has the right to...

The World This Week ·

2026/09/11

In a week that marks 25 years since 9/11, Americans paused to pay tribute. Six bells tolled to signify six fatal moments in New York, at the Pentagon and in Pennsylvania, with a seventh bell rung this year to commemorate those who later died from 9/11-related illnesses. The private ceremony for families of the victims and dignitaries sparked controversy, with a 100,000-strong petition against the attendance of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani. We’ll ask who gets the right to remember. And look at how

en

00:44:51

Germany’s ‘Most Dangerous Man’: PR gift for the AfD?

The World This Week ·

2026/09/04

The Ukrainian capital was hit by Russia’s most intense wave of air attacks on Kyiv, reportedly in four years, with Reuters describing air raid sirens, drones, cruise and ballistic missiles exhausting Ukraine’s defence system, with 12 people killed and the Ukrainian foreign minister making a direct appeal to Western allies for more Patriot interceptor missiles. Ukraine’s asymmetric war continues, exposing the vulnerabilities of its refineries and logistics hubs. AP reports more than 43,000 Ukrainian

en

00:46:50

Dismissal of top Ukrainian official sparks unrest...

The World This Week ·

2026/07/17

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

en

00:47:11

Iran: Forewarnings and a Funeral, NATO, Le Pen

The World This Week ·

2026/07/10

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

en

00:47:52

Is Putin suffering from ‘Drowning Man Syndrome’?

The World This Week ·

2026/07/03

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",

en

00:49:02

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

The World This Week ·

2026/06/26

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

en

00:46:27

G7 & co: Who rules the new world?

The World This Week ·

2026/06/19

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

en

00:47:42

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

The World This Week ·

2026/06/12

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

en

00:47:38

Ukraine: Dear Putin, Lebanon: A Crude Call,...

The World This Week ·

2026/06/05

In a week where 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. 24 hours later however, 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

en

00:49:21

Iran: Is Trump 'bored'?, Bolivia at 'breaking point',...

The World This Week ·

2026/05/29

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

en

00:47:00

Putin Xi, To Catch a Castro, Red Carpet Rebellion

The World This Week ·

2026/05/22

It’s been a week marked by major geopolitical, legal and public health developments across several fronts. In Washington, the Trump administration has indicted 94-year-old former Cuban president Raúl Castro over alleged murder and conspiracy to kill US nationals, linked to the 1990s downing of two civilian aircraft — a move officials describe as long-delayed justice, but which critics see as part of a wider push on regime change. In Beijing, President Vladimir Putin made a rare visit to meet Xi

en

00:47:19

Trump & Xi, Carry on Westminster, the french pivot

The World This Week ·

2026/05/15

In a week that’s seen the world’s superpowers take centre stage with President Trump in Beijing for the first state visit of a US leader in almost a decade. With tensions over trade, technology and Taiwan, what stayed tacitly implied was the deeper, more difficult question of whether the two alpha powers of world order can share the 21st Century, or, is a confrontation ultimately unavoidable? President Xi has long indicated he wants China to be the number one military, economic and political force

en

00:48:47

One-page peace plan for Iran? Starmer's sinking ship,...

The World This Week ·

2026/05/08

This week has seen renewed hope for ending the war in Iran, 10 weeks since it started, with four weeks of stalemate, a ceasefire and skirmishes over the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Intermittent peace talks have boiled down to a 14-point, one-page "memorandum of understanding", crafted by Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, which has been sent to Pakistani mediators and is being reviewed by Tehran. If agreed, the conflict would be declared over, with a 30-day window for talks on core issues,

en

00:47:28

King Charles and the art of the seal, Moscow calling,...

The World This Week ·

2026/05/01

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

en

00:49:28

Iran: Neither war nor peace, Ukraine’s lifeline,...

The World This Week ·

2026/04/24

In a week where a stalemate appears to have developed after nearly two months of asymmetric conflict between the US and Iran, President Trump’s Truth Social posts have swung between belligerent maximalism and breezy deal-making—one minute suggesting a within-reach deal, and that Iranian forces would personally help their enemy confiscate what he called its “nuclear dust” and move it to America. The next moment, threats of nationwide annihilation. “No more Mr. Nice Guy,” he warned. Meanwhile, hopes

en

00:47:15

Iran, Magyar, Mythos & the Pope

The World This Week ·

2026/04/17

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 Trump imposed a U.S. blockade on Iranian ports to strangle its ability to trade. Trump vowed to continue enforcing what is effectively a U.S. siege until a peace deal is finalized. Meanwhile, in Lebanon, a ten-day ceasefire was announced: no bombs would be dropped, and no shots fired. However, Israeli military sources

en

00:46:07

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

The World This Week ·

2026/04/11

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

en

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

Point Taken with Steve Scaffidi & Kristin Brey

620 WTMJ

The Majority Report

The Majority Report

Journal en français facile

Français Facile - RFI

Journal Monde

RFI

النقاش

فرانس 24 / FRANCE 24