The Debate

Some brand it "the most crucial EU summit" since the financial crisis of 2008; a last chance to stave off bankruptcy for a Ukrainian government that might run out of money by the end of spring. But where will the money come from?    With Vladimir Putin insisting that it's not "European pigs" that will stop Russia from liberating its "historic lands", and with the US actively supporting pro-Moscow parties that continue to surge in polling across the continent, leaders of the 27-member bloc must now make a choice: seize €210 billion in frozen Russian assets for Ukraine and run the risk of legal liability for those billions down the road; borrow on the bond markets, which Germany and other fiscally frugal northern European states reject out of hand; or cave, as a small but vocal minority of leaders would prefer. Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Charles Wente, Ilayda Habip & Jean-Vincent Russo

As 2025 draws to a close, all year long one question has dogged the most plugged-in of football fanatics: what's up with Gianni Infantino? Why all the cameos by the head of an international sports body at the US president's inauguration, a Middle East peace signing and another for DR Congo and Rwanda?  Read moreUS President Donald Trump named first winner of FIFA Peace Prize Why create a peace prize for the said leader of the host nation of next summer's World Cup final? Is it the initiative of one man who runs in the same circles as Trump's Gulf monarchy counterparts, or is FIFA collectively panicked about keeping the United States onside as it weighs tighter visa restrictions on foreigners? Read moreTravel bans, border tensions, ICE raids: Trump’s impact on World Cup plans If World Cup organisers fear foreign fans might stay away, they're certainly hiding it. Just look at their ticket pricing. Do they know this is soccer, not polo? Will fans from Haiti or Curaçao pay thousands of dollars per match? Whatever happens, the show will go on despite the expansion to 48 teams and commercial break-friendly water stoppages. That begs the broader question: is the sky the limit, or is there a point at which greed kills football's golden goose?

One month after the stunning assassination of the brother of an anti-gangland activist, French President Emmanuel Macron is returning to the Mediterranean port for an update on the government's plan to win back the streets and offer hope to fed-up citizens of France's second-largest city. The whole reason Amine Kessaci became an activist was the earlier murder of his older half-brother, who got mixed up with the wrong crowd. The unsolved murder of 20-year-old Mehdi Kessaci – who was training to become a police officer – bears the hallmarks of a calling card from the narcos. The lore of Marseille as a hub for traffickers extends back centuries, long before Hollywood glamourised the French Connection heroine smugglers in the 1970s. But it's just one of many European ports of entry for cannabis and cocaine. Cocaine will further flood the market, now that the United States is blowing suspected smuggler boats that head its way out of the water. The drug is cheaper and increasingly in demand. There lies an essential question: is the onus on cartels or consumers? We ask what today's supply and demand of narcotics says about us and our societies in 2025. Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente.

It was the worst of humanity, and the best of humanity. What kind of a father-son duo decides to go shooting at a gathering that's come together to celebrate the Jewish festival of light? We ask about the motives and circumstances of the Bondi Beach terror attack, and the heroism of a Syrian-born street vendor who took bullets to the shoulder while disarming one of the gunmen. Read more'Genuine hero': Bystander tackles alleged gunman during Bondi Beach mass shooting The amateur video of the incident illustrates not a clash of civilisations, but a clash of selflessness and nihilism. Nihilism and the merchants of hate from all sides seem to thrive in this digital age, where messages of hate seem to travel much faster than messages of love. What's the answer? Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Juliette Laffont, Ilayda Habip, Andrew Hilliar.

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 hostilities now?  This as the old guard on both sides enjoy free rein: Cambodia's Hun Sen, who's officially no longer head of government but whose shadow looms large, and Thai generals who have a habit of taking the lead in times of crisis.  As for the Thai prime minister, he's otherwise engaged. Anutin Charnvirakul has paid a late-night visit to the king, followed by his strongest hint yet that he'll soon move up elections scheduled for March. We ask why and where it all leads.  Produced by François Picard, Charles Wente, Rebecca Gnignati, Ilayda Habip & Jean-Vincent Russo