The World This Week

• Governing Gaza, Ukraine, AI 'Slop,' and the Dead Internet Theory

  It’s been a week of global upheaval and fragile progress — from a historic prisoner release and tentative ceasefire in Gaza, to the dramatic fall of Madagascar’s president amid a military rebellion. In the U.S., political tensions deepen as yet another Trump critic faces federal charges, raising fresh questions about the weaponisation of justice. And in the UK, espionage concerns escalate as MI5 names China a “daily threat” after a collapsed spy trial sparks controversy at the highest levels. Produced by Gavin Lee, Siobhan Silke, Alessandro Xenos and Guillaume Gougeon

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• End to the war in Gaza? Revolving door of French PMs, Nobel Peace Prize

  In a week that marked the second anniversary of the Gaza war and saw a breakthrough in peace talks, a ceasefire was agreed upon on Thursday. This agreement should lead to the imminent release of the 48 hostages still held by Hamas, in exchange for nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners. Israeli troops are also expected to withdraw to an agreed line. President Trump is flying out to Egypt to personally sign the deal, which he is widely credited for, before heading to Israel to mark the moment the captives are freed, expected early next week. Are we witnessing the beginning of the end of the war? It’s also been a week that saw another French Prime Minister bite the political dust. Macron loyalist Sebastian Lecornu took on the seemingly poisoned chalice just last month. On Monday – 27 days later – he resigned, becoming the shortest-serving PM in the history of the Fifth Republic. The man nicknamed “the Pickle” couldn’t get France out of one. President Macron has now burned through five PMs in two years. Rather than trigger elections to break the deadlock, he’s fallen back on his previous choice by bringing Lecornu back again. Finally, this week also saw the announcement of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, currently in hiding. The panel praised her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela” and her bravery in standing against the authoritarian regime of President Nicolas Maduro.

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• Gaza peace plan, European drone wall, pirate flags & Gen Z protests

  This week, US President Donald Trump declared "eternal peace for the Middle East" was within reach as he stood side by side with the Israeli prime minister to unveil a new plan for Gaza; the EU talked about its defence response to suspected Russian violations of NATO airspace, and parallel protests erupted in Morocco and Madagascar, organised anonymously on online platforms like TikTok and Discord. 

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• Trump on Putin: Has the penny dropped? The downfall of President Sarkozy, Recognising Palestine

  In a week of coordinated, choreographed diplomacy, a number of Western leaders formerly recognised Palestinian statehood. Benjamin Netanyahu said the move rewarded terrorism, insisting there would never be a Palestinian state. Meanwhile, Russian violations of NATO airspace have been a dominant theme of the UN summit. And former French president Nicolas Sarkozy was sentenced to five years in prison. He's been found guilty of criminal conspiracy in a case dubbed the Libya Connection. 

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• Trump Vs TV Networks, A right royal knees-up, ‘Genocide’ in Gaza

  This week has seen major upheavals on the global stage: Trump’s lavish and unprecedented UK state visit offered a boost to embattled Prime Minister Keir Starmer, while the US grappled with political fallout and free speech debates following activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Meanwhile, Israel faced a damning UN report accusing it of genocide in Gaza, charges it strongly rejected, and France was rocked by mass strikes against austerity as President Macron contended with both political unrest and a bizarre defamation case targeting his wife. Produced by Gavin Lee, Henri-Pierre Mafulu and Guillaume Gougeon.

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O The World This Week