The Debate

There's nothing more innately human than humming a tune. Especially when it's made by humans. But don't bother trying to see The Velvet Sundown in concert: the band doesn't exist. The sounds are produced with artificial intelligence.

Watch moreThe Velvet Sundown: This band blowing up on Spotify is 100% AI-generated

Worse, most listeners can't tell the difference from the real thing. With computers borrowing from real musicians for their inspiration, we weigh the implications. If humans are going to continue to rule artistic creation, then our panel needs to answer one simple question: what makes a hit song?

Sometimes it's a gorgeous melody and a brilliant arrangement; sometimes it's an annoyingly easy-to-remember "brain worm" that will stay in your head long after you wish it had departed.

Either way, what makes a song special?

Produced by François Picard, Aline Bottin, Daniel Whittington, Ilayda Habip and Charles Wente.

It's the word of the year in Japan with a literal take on the Rihanna song "Work". Japan's first female prime minister Takaichi Sanae announced she would "abandon the idea of a work-life balance" when she was elected as the head of Liberal Democratic Party back in October. The 64-year old Takaichi may espouse "work, work, work, work and work", but how about those entering the labour market?

Watch more'Work, work, work!' Japan's new PM under fire for asking staff to come in at 3am

In the age of the gig economy, 34-year-old Zohran Mamdani was elected mayor of New York thanks to young people, who ask: what's the point of slaving away at a low-paying, high-pressure service sector job when AI is coming for their livelihood and saving up for a home or pension seems like a pipe dream?

One survey has 43 percent of Gen Zers stating they quit a job because it didn't fit their personal lives, compared with 28 percent of baby boomers.

So what makes a good work-life balance? Is it normal for humans to no longer define themselves by the way they earn their keep? In this age of rapid change and growing inequality, what to expect when it comes to our livelihoods and our lives?

Produced by François Picard, Aline Bottin, Daniel Whittington, Ilayda Habip, Charles Wente.

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

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 measured in data – often our personal data – and traffic. The longer users stay engaged, the more can be billed to advertisers – any advertisers, even scammers. 

A report back in June by Reuters found that Meta, the parent company of Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp, made a whopping 10 percent of its revenue from scammers in 2024 – scammers that sometimes use forced labour to cultivate potential victims. 

We ask about the will to crack down on cyber crime and, more broadly, to regulate a "views at all costs" business model, especially when big tech is so beholden to American billionaire tech bros – who certainly have a friend in Washington these days.

Produced by François Picard, Charles Wente, Rebecca Gnignati, Ilayda Habip & Jean-Vincent Russo

Europe is weighing its words after Washington's publication of an official policy paper that warns the Old Continent is under threat of "civilisational erasure", with fading powers overrun by migrants. It’s the logical follow-up to Vice President JD Vance's admonishments back in February at the Munich Security Conference, one that goes far beyond the unexplained absence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio at last week's NATO foreign ministers' meeting.

Read more'They're decaying': Trump recycles far-right tropes about European decline

Are we seeing an irrational about-face on historical ties with the continent, or is the real outlier the last 80 years, when Washington took it upon itself to ensure Europe's defence in the name of fighting Soviet expansion? Before that, the US was a much more isolationist nation. 

Our panel scrutinises the premise that Europe is in economic and moral decline, how it's adapting to this wild swing in superpower alliances and whether it's got what it takes to fend for itself. 

Produced by Rebecca Gnignati, Elisa Amiri, Ilayda Habip.

It was exactly one year ago that a lightning offensive reached its ultimate conclusion. Syria saw the fall of Bashar al-Assad, ending over five decades of his family's dictatorial regime in a blitz that stunned the world. In Damascus, celebrations erupted in Umayyad Square, as Syrians emerged from 13 years of brutal civil war, marking a moment of both relief and disbelief.

In the chaos that followed, Assad fled to Moscow and former jihadist Ahmed al-Sharaa, now the interim president, took the reins. His charm offensive has seen him meet with world leaders and even speak at the United Nations, presenting a new face of Syria.

However, the year since has been fraught with challenges. Sectarian violence in Latakia and Tartous, skirmishes in the south, bombings in Damascus and tensions with Kurdish forces in the northeast have all threatened stability. While Syrians begin returning to a country unrecognisable from its former self, questions remain: Can Syria rebuild? What will become of its minorities? Have we seen enough in terms of transitional justice? And with an economy still in tatters, can the country recover from the horrors of the past?

Produced by Théophille Vareille, Elisa Amiri, Riham Mahir.