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PODCAST

The Debate

FRANCE 24 English

A live debate on the topic of the day, with four guests. From Monday to Thursday at 7:10pm Paris time.

news & politics

All Episodes

00:32:58

Winding down or spinning out of control? Trump's...

The Debate ·

2026/03/26

As G7 foreign ministers root for the off-ramp in the Iran war, François Picard’s panel weighs the damage done to the region, to the world economy and to transatlantic trust. From Donald Trump's threats against NATO allies to France denying it disinvited South Africa from June's G7 summit to placate Washington, we weighs US threats… and those of Iran. Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente.

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00:43:55

Trump's war, NATO's problem: Will allies help secure...

The Debate ·

2026/03/25

It’s Trump’s war, but is it also NATO’s problem? Europeans forced to bear security and financial consequences of the second war at its doorstep. We'll see if our panel agrees with Nato secretary-general Mark Rutte who assures it’s only a matter of “a couple of weeks” before traditional allies agree to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. Before Europeans follow a US president who started the war without consulting them into a potential quagmire, several questions: why should they help? Can the

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00:44:34

Talks or theatre? Claims of peace talks to end Iran...

The Debate ·

2026/03/24

Are diplomatic talks to end the Iran conflict actually happening? Donald Trump has hinted at "major" progress, but the White House downplayed this. Iran says no, Qatar says they're not involved, while there's increasing speculation that Pakistan could be the host of talks later this week. Yet all of this comes as Israel says it plans to push into Lebanon as far as the Litani River against Hezbollah and will use a Gaza-style approach, which resulted in a humanitarian catastrophe. So where are we at

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00:44:06

Whose war is it? Trump eyes Iran talks as Israel...

The Debate ·

2026/03/23

Another deadline day, another ultimatum, another surprise turn from the US president. The same Donald Trump who may or may not send ground troops to try to secure the Strait of Hormuz is now claiming that his administration is talking with the Iranians, thus holding off on hitting critical infrastructure. Trump's messaging since the start of this war has been keeping friends and foes alike guessing. That's in stark contrast to his Israeli allies, who seem to be embracing a fight many of its leaders

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00:45:44

Trump's dire strait: No strategy, no endgame, no...

The Debate ·

2026/03/18

Today in the Middle East, Day 19 of the war, there have been extensive air strikes, drone attacks and missiles launched. And fall-out is spreading far beyond the so called theatre of war. And the funeral of Ali Larijani, Iran's de facto leader, key advisor to the Ayatollah, the head of National Security, killed in an Israeli air strike just over 24 hours ago in a Tehran suburb. Tonight we're asking: what’s the plan in Iran? Donald Trump finds himself more and more between a rock and a hard place

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00:42:33

Two key figures of Iranian leadership killed: Who's...

The Debate ·

2026/03/18

Ali Larijani was the head of Iran's Security Council and a key voice in the ear of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Gholamreza Soleimani was the head of the Basij militia. Both were pillars of Iran's security apparatus. If they have indeed been taken out, the question is who replaces them, and will they take Iran down an even more hardline path? The death of Iran's key figure Ali Larijani raises more questions than answers. First, Israel says it has killed him in an air strike, but Tehran has yet to

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00:43:45

Strait talk on Hormuz: Insults, chaos, shadow of Iraq...

The Debate ·

2026/03/16

It's Day 17 of the war in the Middle East and as the missiles and drones keep falling, the US president has done a U-turn on needing help from his friends and allies. Donald Trump is calling now for a coalition to keep the Strait of Hormuz open. The US strikes on Iran's Kharg Island on Friday sent a message to Tehran, but did not take away the potential threat to shipping in and out of the Persian Gulf. For Trump, this call to stand together is something of a turn-around. On March 7, he told US

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00:46:48

Make-or-break talks? Iran looks to sway Trump and...

The Debate ·

2026/02/26

What would it take for Donald Trump to call off air strikes against an Iran that's told Omani mediators it sees a pathway to compromise over its nuclear programme? We delve into where the veteran Tehran team of veteran negotiators can entice US envoy Steve Witkoff, whose red lines sometimes include the Islamic Republic's missile programme, sometimes less so. Neither side is drawing much attention to the actual situation inside Iran, where after the thousands killed in New Year's protests, fresh

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00:43:24

More than just Games: What stakes as Italy hosts...

The Debate ·

2026/02/05

It's snowing in the Alps. Normal weather for February, you say? But cue the sighs of relief of organisers of the 25th Winter Olympics in Milan and the Dolomites resort of Cortina d'Ampezzo. Organisers of the next Games just over the border in the French Alps will take heart. Mother Nature has been fickle in recent years. As the US vice president and secretary of state attend the opening ceremonies, there's been plenty of media coverage of the flying in of federal immigration agents, the same who've

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00:44:49

Why the change of heart? Trump dials down threats of...

The Debate ·

2026/01/15

US President Donald Trump had started his Wednesday pondering military strikes against Iran before pouring cold water on the concept, even expressing doubts that Iranians would accept as leader the late shah's son. In a sign of how fast a news cycle can flip, Iran's foreign minister expressed his assurances in English on Trump-friendly Fox News. After a ruthless response to nationwide protests, has the Islamic Republic once again seen off an existential challenge? Read moreIranian foreign minister

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00:43:44

Cambodia-Thailand border conflict: Why the escalation...

The Debate ·

2025/12/11

It turns out that it's not enough to stage peace signings. Half a million people are displaced as fighting rages along the border between Thailand and Cambodia, a resurgence of July's five-day conflict that Donald Trump counts as one of the eight wars in eight months he's ended. We ask why the return to fighting has occurred and examine the root causes of a dispute that's more than a century old and seems to require more than a stroke of the pen to settle. First, who to broker a cessation of

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00:44:28

Addiction economy: Can regulators rein in social...

The Debate ·

2025/12/10

Will history remember this as the day the planet started to rein in big tech? Australia is firing the first shot by banning under-16s from platforms and social media that include giants such as Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. We of course ask if rebellious teens will make light work of the ban. More broadly, is this the day regulators start treating merchants of scrolling the way they do tobacco and drinks giants: like businesses with a penchant for encouraging addiction? In tech, profits can be

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00:40:43

US-Russia framework to end Ukraine war: Plan for...

The Debate ·

2025/11/20

Ukraine is facing yet another major challenge in its fight to preserve its borders, its land and its people. The military battle continues as it has since 2014, intensifying sharply in 2022. The latest challenge is the emergence of a new US-Russia framework to end the war – a proposal that has left observers perplexed and many Ukrainians stunned. The plan appears to pressure Ukraine into giving up territory, surrendering arms and downsize its armed forces to placate Vladimir Putin's Russia. It would

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00:42:44

‘Trump’s Achilles heel’: US president under fire over...

The Debate ·

2025/11/19

Ever since he first ran for president in 2015, Donald Trump has claimed that to “drain the swamp”, America needs a leader who knows where “the bodies are buried” in the corrupt circles of Wall Street and Washington. So why has the MAGA base turned against him over the Epstein files? Why is it so difficult for Trump – who has already survived allegations of inciting an insurrection, undermining the Constitution and facing multiple criminal charges – to make this story go away? Produced by Rebecca

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00:43:28

The Prince and the President: What drives US-Saudi...

The Debate ·

2025/11/18

As the Middle East undergoes a once-in-a-generation shift in political fault lines, great power diplomacy could make the difference for millions between peace and stability or turbulence and endless conflict. So what’s driving that diplomacy? Between the US and Saudi Arabia, a confusing mix of bilateral security ties, regional reach-outs to the likes of Syria and Israel, and personal enrichment. We’ll ask about the Trump family’s longstanding ties to the Kingdom as well as reports that the US

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00:45:50

Air cover for Zelensky: How much can stepped-up...

The Debate ·

2025/11/17

It's much-needed backing from a key ally of Ukraine, along with welcome photo op for a president who's under pressure at home. After a gas deal with Greece, Volodymyr Zelensky is signing a 10-year military pact with France, far from Kyiv where a corruption scandal has brought down two ministers and has the main backer of his 2019 campaign on the run. It's a welcome respite from the political storm back home and a timely morale boost for Ukraine, a nation that needs all the support it can get at a

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00:44:18

Brazil's contradictions: Can COP30 summit host truly...

The Debate ·

2025/11/06

When it came to the Amazon, his predecessor was all for "chop, baby, chop". An easy act to follow if you're hosting the world for a climate summit. Since the return of Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, deforestation has continued but drastically slowed in what's by far the world's largest rainforest. But by bringing the United Nations COP30 summit to the Amazonian city of Belem, Lula is also drawing attention to Brazil's broader track record on the environment. The South American

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00:43:06

Radical change? Mamdani wins New York as voters turn...

The Debate ·

2025/11/06

One year after a presidential election where Donald Trump swept swing states and secured majorities in both houses of the US Congress, a first test has produced a radically different result. 34-year-old Democratic Socialist Zohran Mamdani has blown past establishment candidates for mayor of New York, unveiling his transition team this Wednesday. We ask about Mamdani's win and the highest turnout in the city's municipal elections in more than half a century. Read moreProgressive Democrat Zohran

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00:43:15

Shein takes Paris by storm: Does Chinese e-commerce...

The Debate ·

2025/11/04

Protesters are fuming at Chinese e-commerce giant Shein electing the French capital as its debut point for a physical in-shop presence. We ask about behemoths that churn out clothes faster than we can scroll, Shein's choice of the iconic Right Bank department store BHV for its launch and how a new controversy fuels the feeling that this global orgy of consumerism is out of control: Shein is removing from its platform child-like sex dolls that fly in the face of French and EU laws against

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00:43:13

Is Bill Gates right? Call to put climate resilience...

The Debate ·

2025/11/03

Is too much effort devoted to the planet's warming and not enough to helping humans adapt to the new normal? The Microsoft co-founder-cum-billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates is turning the heat up on activists traveling to the COP30, the annual UN climate summit this year in the Brazilian Amazon city of Belem. We review the argument that the transition to cleaner energies is already bearing fruit, making the Paris Agreement projections of 2015 obsolete. Or, with coal and oil production still

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77 results

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