The World This Week

In a week that’s seen a third apparent assassination attempt against President Trump with shots fired at the White House Correspondents Dinner. The suspect, 31 year old Cole Thomas Allen, had booked a room at the Washington Hilton, and taken a selfie in his room which prosecutors say shows him arming up 30 minutes before storming the ceremony. Tackled by secret services before he could run down a staircase to the ballroom, the President and his team were rushed away as journalists dived under tables. 
It’s been a week that King Charles 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 shop. The King’s carefully crafted speeches at the State Dinner and in Congress brought up reminders of the shared history and wartime alliances, half sermon, half stand-up - The Art of the Seal! -. We’ll assess whether it landed, and if it made any difference to a relationship that’s not been so special of late.
It’s been a week that’s seen fierce fighting break out in Mali after co-ordinated assaults across the country were carried out by an alliance of Islamists and Tuareg separatists, who killed the Defence Minister in a car bomb attack, and seized the regional city of Kidal. It’s caused the military regime to withdraw from several northern positions alongside the Russian mercenaries who’d been chosen to fill the void after French soldiers were ordered to leave in 2023.
And it’s been a week that’s seen a battle between two tech billionaires commence in a Californian court. Elon Musk is suing Sam Altman, seeking his dismissal as CEO of Open AI and 130 billion dollars in damages too. Taking the stand Elon Musk set out how he co-founded OpenAI with Altman, injecting 38 million into early funding and calling himself, quote, “fool”, to believe it’s stated mission as a non-profit charity for the good of humanity. He claims Open AI betrayed their principles in the hunt for profit to enrich the executives. OpenAI portrays Musk’s lawsuit as being driven by regret and jealousy over OpenAI’s success without him, and this is playing out during a wider battle between the few tech bros for control of Advance AI.
 
Produced by Gavin Lee, Rhea Smircic, Juliette Laffont, Marguerite Lacroix, Andrew Hilliar.

In a week where a stalemate appears to have developed after nearly two months of asymmetric warfare between the US and Iran, President Donald Trump's Truth Social posts have swung between belligerent maximalism and breezy deal-making: one minute suggesting a within-reach deal, whereby Iranian forces would personally help their enemy confiscate what he calls the "nuclear dust" and move it to America. The next moment: threats of nationwide annihilation. "No more Mr. Nice Guy," he warned.
Meanwhile, hopes for direct talks in Pakistan came and went, with a no-show on both sides. Iran's regime-aligned media released a new propaganda video entitled "Goodbye Oil", an ominous – but now familiar – Lego-style cartoon warning, threatening to devastate the Gulf states if Washington resumed its strikes.
Trump resumed the ceasefire hours before it was due to expire, and it is no longer time-stamped.
Meanwhile, in the Arabian Sea, a de facto double blockade continues – no longer just a war of words – with US forces firing on an Iranian-linked vessel before seizing control of it, while Iranian boats attacked three merchant ships and escorted them to the Iranian coast.
It has also been a week in which Lebanon accused Israel of a war crime, a so-called triple-tap strike that led to the killing of a journalist and seriously wounded another. Amal Khalil, a reporter with the country's pro-Hezbollah newspaper Al Akhbar, and photojournalist Zeinab Faraj had fled their car in southern Lebanon after an Israeli drone struck a vehicle on the road in front of them. They took shelter in a nearby house, which was then reportedly bombed by an Israeli fighter jet. Lebanese officials allege that the IDF then blocked paramedics in the rescue effort by using stun grenades and directing gunfire at the ambulances rushing to help. Israel has denied obstructing the rescue and says it does not target journalists.
This comes as Israeli and Lebanese officials met for a second round of ceasefire talks at the White House, which have led to a three-week extension of the truce.
Finally, it has been a week the British prime minister can be relieved to have made it through. Sir Keir Starmer, the man who vowed to "steer calmer" waters in the UK after what he called the chaos, cronyism, scandal and sleaze of the Conservatives, is now mired in the same issues on his own doorstep. Questions have arisen over the lengths he went to in ensuring that Peter Mandelson was chosen as US ambassador, despite his questionable ties to the convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. Concerns remain over why checks and balances were so disregarded in the rush to place a wily operator in Trump's orbit. An exclusive in The Guardian last week revealed that Mandelson had not been cleared by the UK's security vetting process. Starmer blamed and sacked a Foreign Office civil servant, Sir Ollie Robins, for not informing him of this information. Only Sir Ollie said it was not his job to do so.
Produced by Gavin Lee, Antonia Cimini, Daniel Whittington, Alessandro Xenos.

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 Donald Trump imposed a US blockade on Iranian ports to strangle its ability to trade. Trump vowed to continue enforcing what is effectively a US siege until a peace deal is finalised.
Meanwhile, in Lebanon, a 10-day ceasefire was announced: no bombs would be dropped, and no shots fired. However, Israeli military sources stated that troops would not withdraw from the south of the country, where they are establishing a security zone against the threat of the Iranian-backed armed group Hezbollah.
Trump told reporters that he believes both conflicts are nearing an end. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said that if not, American weapons are "locked and loaded", ready to destroy Iran's energy infrastructure when its current deal expires in four days' time.
It was also a week in which Trump challenged public perceptions, uploading an AI portrait of himself, only to quickly delete it. The image, drawing comparisons to optical illusions like the duck-rabbit or hotdogs-or-legs tests, depicted him in a Christ-like healer role. He claimed he was dressed as a doctor, following intense criticism from MAGA Catholics and other conservative Christians after he publicly criticised Pope Leo XIV, accusing him of being weak on crime and nuclear weapons. The pope has been outspoken in his criticism of Trump's wars and immigration policies.
In Hungary, thousands celebrated late into the night on the banks of the Danube after a historic political victory against the odds. Peter Magyar, a government insider-turned anti-corruption campaigner, secured a landslide election win, ending Viktor Orbán's 16-year tenure as Europe's longest-serving leader. The European Parliament had described Orbán's rule as a "hybrid regime of electoral autocracy" that silenced critics.
Magyar, invited by Hungarian President Tamás Sulyok to form a government, immediately outlined plans for sweeping change. He announced intentions to suspend the state-owned broadcaster, signalling a dramatic shift in the nation's media landscape.
Produced by Gavin Lee, Théophile Vareille, Daniel Whittington, Alessandro Xenos.

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 ended with a two-week ceasefire announcement, with both Tehran and Washington claiming the upper hand. Pakistan hosted the talks, with Islamabad under lockdown as senior US and Iranian officials arrived. Yet the Strait of Hormuz – through which a fifth of the world’s oil flows – has not fully reopened, according to energy analysts, despite US demands. Tehran has floated a toll fee of up to $2 million per ship, while US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has maintained a narrative of victory.
Attention then shifted to Lebanon, where Israeli forces carried out their deadliest attack yet in the renewed conflict with Hezbollah, claiming exemption from the ceasefire. Dubbed “Operation Eternal Darkness,” the strikes saw 50 fighter jets drop 160 bombs on around 100 targets in just 10 minutes. Israeli officials described it as the heaviest blow to Hezbollah since the “Operation Grim Beeper” attacks two years ago. Lebanese health authorities, however, called it a brutal and indiscriminate assault, reporting at least 250 deaths, including civilians.
As concerns grew that the escalation in Lebanon could derail US-Iran talks, pressure from President Trump appeared to prompt Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to announce separate truce talks with the Lebanese government in the coming days, focused on disarming Hezbollah.
Meanwhile, Hungary entered the final week of a closely fought election campaign – the tightest in 16 years – with polls suggesting a potential end to Viktor Orbán’s rule. US Vice President JD Vance visited Budapest to endorse Orbán, claiming – without evidence – that Brussels and Ukraine’s intelligence services were interfering in the vote. Opposition leader Péter Magyar made similar allegations, but directed them at the US, Russia, and neighbouring Serbia. Tensions rose further after reports that Serbia had foiled an alleged bomb plot targeting a Russian gas pipeline to Hungary – an incident Orbán suggested could be linked to Ukraine. Critics dismissed the claims as fearmongering; Orbán denied any “false flag” tactics.
Finally, it was a week for the history books in space. The Artemis II crew completed a landmark mission, travelling farther than any humans before them – just over a quarter of a million miles – before returning after ten days. The mission marks a crucial step toward future deep space exploration and the prospect of a permanent human presence beyond Earth.
 
Produced by Gavin Lee, Théophile Vareille, Juliette Laffont, Alessandro Xenos.

It has been a week that began with President Trump addressing the nation for the first time since the Iran war began five weeks ago. Expectations that he might signal an end to the conflict – or announce a ground offensive, or a split from NATO – were not met. Instead, his 18-minute speech echoed his social media rhetoric: a mix of “we’re almost done” and threats of escalating attacks, including striking every Iranian power plant if a deal is not reached. On the Strait of Hormuz, he told allies simply to “just take it”.
Meanwhile, Iran’s president reached out to Americans in an open letter, accusing Trump of acting under Israeli influence, while Foreign Minister Abbas Arachi said the country was prepared for six more months of war. Tensions spiked on Friday when reports emerged that a US F-15 had been shot down over Iranian territory, with state TV urging Iranians to capture the crew. Across the globe, countries felt the ripple effects of the energy crisis, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer insisted: “This is not our conflict”, despite pressure from Washington.
Amid the geopolitical turmoil, the world turned its eyes skywards as four astronauts – three Americans and one Canadian – embarked on humanity’s first lunar mission in five decades. Their ten-day, half-million-mile journey aims to fly past the far side of the Moon, scout future landing sites, and lay the groundwork for a lunar gateway station, edging humanity ahead in the space race towards Mars.
Produced by Gavin Lee, Théophile Vareille, Guillaume Gougeon and Laura Burloux