The World This Week

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 reshuffle. The timing is difficult for Kyiv’s war effort, taking place in the middle of its "40-day influence operation" of relentless strikes on Russian refineries and hitting ships in the Sea of Azov and the Black Sea.
It has also been another week fighting for supremacy in the Strait of Hormuz between Iran and the US. A month has passed since the Memorandum of Understanding was signed, with US President Trump proclaiming, "Ships of the world, start your engines, let the oil flow!" He has since said the deal is over while, paradoxically, saying he’ll let the negotiating teams continue talking. Petrol prices worldwide have spiked again, and we are hearing familiar rhetoric from the belligerents, with Trump again threatening to knock out Iran’s power plants and bridges, and Tehran claiming it will "crush every US interest that’s still intact in the Middle East".
Turning to the UK, both British Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the England team have bowed out, with each receiving similar exit feedback. They weren’t creative, bold or positive enough. Andy Burnham will step in to take Starmer’s job officially next week. We discuss whether he will fare better than his predecessor.
Produced by Gavin Lee, Alessandro Xenos, Théo Vareille, Daniel Whittington and Laura Burloux

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 on hopes for a lasting ceasefire. In France, Marine Le Pen’s political fortunes were transformed by a landmark appeal court ruling that revived her presidential ambitions. And on the football pitch, Les Bleus moved a step closer to a third World Cup title as Kylian Mbappé hit back at racist abuse from a Paraguayan senator.
Produced by Gavin Lee, Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati, Guillaume Gougeon and Laura Burloux

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", saying strategic reserves were being used and that restrictions on diesel exports were under consideration, though he insisted that the situation was "not critical". The disruption follows Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's launch of a 40-day campaign of deep strikes against Russian energy facilities aimed at increasing pressure on the Kremlin. At the same time, Russia unleashed one of its largest aerial assaults on Kyiv since the start of the war, firing 74 missiles and some 500 drones during an 11-hour bombardment that killed at least 30 people and struck residential buildings. Our panel examines the military balance, the diplomatic calculations on both sides and whether Russia risks entering what some analysts describe as a "drowning man syndrome" – escalating further as its strategic options narrow.
We also turn our attention to Sudan, where the humanitarian situation in El-Obeid is rapidly deteriorating. Around half a million civilians are effectively trapped as paramilitary group the Rapid Support Forces tighten their encirclement of the city. Military analysts warn that a major ground offensive could be imminent, while the United Nations says dwindling food supplies and damage to essential infrastructure are placing civilians at grave risk. Amnesty International has warned that the siege mirrors the tactics used during the capture of El-Fasher and is calling for the urgent deployment of an international protection force to prevent what it describes as another potential "stain on the conscience of humanity".

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 the death toll will rise.
Across Europe, record-breaking heat has pushed temperatures to new highs and sparked a political row in France over the role of air conditioning in a warming climate.
Produced by Gavin Lee, Nicholas Rushworth, Andrew Hilliar, Guillaume Gougeon and Laura Burloux

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 been turned into a strategic defeat. Iran's supreme leader claimed Trump had made a deal out of desperation, but it was bravo and cheers at the Château.
It's also been a week's that's seen the leaders of the G7 nations meet lakeside in Geneva. The summit was in Evian, five decades on from the inaugural meeting in France that focused on how to deal with the global economic turbulence in the aftermath of the oil crisis of 1973. France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK and the US were back, alongside Canada. This year, some other handpicked leaders were invited: the prime ministers of India and Kenya, the presidents of Brazil, Turkey, Egypt and the UAE, the emir of Qatar, and also new faces at the table: the bosses of big tech. Canada's Mark Carney said the old ritual gathering is useful for weaving the strands of a new world order through broader engagement, but the G7 no longer pretends to run the world.
Finally, it's been a week that's seen President Volodymyr Zelensky secure renewed Western commitment at the G7, with European leaders talking of an apparent renewed focus and tone from Trump. This time last year, he compared the war to two boys fighting in a park. "Sometimes you're better off leaving them to it," he said. This week, he put his name to a joint statement declaring "unwavering support" for Ukraine and backed calls for increased pressure on Russia. And while the US president stopped short of criticising Putin, he said Moscow should make a deal.